13.Ash's Rikoto Story

Chapter 88 Working with Iron

When Kiawe and May slowly regain consciousness, they find themselves in a dimly lit cell, with Mallow anxiously sitting beside them. Her face brightens as soon as they stir. "You're awake!" she exclaims, her relief evident.

Kiawe rubs his head, still groggy. "What... what's going on?" he asks, his voice hoarse from disuse.

From the corner of the cell, Hito's cold voice cuts through the silence. "We've been captured... by the International Police."

A tense pause fills the room before a quarrel erupts. Hito glares at Mallow, his frustration boiling over. "This is all your fault! If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Mallow's expression crumbles under his accusations, but before she can respond, Kiawe and May interject. "That's not fair, Hito!" May protests. "Mallow did everything she could!"

Kiawe nods, backing her up. "We're all in this together. Blaming her won't change what's already happened."

"All in this together?" Hito scoffs, his voice dripping with disdain. "We only helped you because of Ark. I didn't sign up to end up in prison. You're murderers—do you really think I want anything to do with you?"

The tension rises as his words sink in, causing Mallow to recoil in hurt. Kiawe and May exchange uneasy glances but stand firm in their defense of her, though the weight of Hito's accusations hangs over them like a dark cloud.

Meanwhile, Ash, Alice, Delia, and Adam silently observe the scene through the security cameras. Ash shakes his head, the irony of the situation not lost on him. "Friends help each other... how ironic. They're backing Mallow now, but they had no problem doing what they did to my Pokémon."

Alice sighs, her expression thoughtful. "They won't be alone for long. There are still 14 out there, and eventually, they'll be captured too."

Delia, trying to shift the conversation, asks, "So, how did the movie filming go?"

Ash's demeanor lightens slightly. "Today I'm supposed to meet Elena for the next part of the film. Do you know where she is?"

Adam nods. "Elena should be at the Docking Port."

"Thanks, Dad," Ash says as he and Alice leave to head toward the Docking Port. However, when they arrive, they find Elena standing face to face with two people Alice recognizes all too well: Hanako and Belle.

Ash's eyes widen in surprise. "Sis? What's going on?"

Elena, startled by their sudden appearance, turns to face them. "Ash, Alice! What are you two doing here?"

"We were supposed to film the movie today," Ash explains. "But you didn't give us your location. We asked Dad, and he told us you were here, so we came."

Alice's voice grows cold as her gaze shifts to Hanako and Belle. "And what are they doing here?"

Belle steps forward, her glare locked onto Alice. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Where have you taken Hito? You'd better release him... or else."

Alice doesn't flinch, her tone matching Belle's intensity. "Or else what? Do you think I'm scared of you like I used to be?"

Hanako's eyes narrow as she taunts, "Looks like you've changed a little, but do you think that's going to scare us?"

Ash furrows his brow, turning to Elena. "So, how did you run into those two?"

Elena sighs, glancing between Ash and Alice. "It's my fault. I was on a call with Dad, talking about May and Kiawe being captured. They overheard me and assumed their friend Hito was also captured like them."