"Alright Meowth...uh...fury swipes!" Ash ordered, barely believing what he was doing.

"Right on, twerp!" Meowth shouted happily. He leaped forward and extended his claws and whipped them towards Persian's face. However, Meowth's evolved counterpart was too quick, easily managing to duck and dodge.

Giovanni chuckled. "Meowth, you're pathetic. Allowing yourself to be commanded? I thought you were above that."

"I've been following orders from you for years." Meowth said. "It's time to listen to someone who knows what they're doing." He turned to Ash. "Come on, gimme another one."

"Uh...what other moves do you have?" Ash asked. He'd only ever seen Meowth use fury swipes and maybe bite once. Other than that, he seemed kind of limited.

"I don't know...I never really managed that night slash one." Meowth answered.

"Thunderbolt!" Giovanni yelled. Persian darted forward quickly and slid behind Meowth. Immediately a jet of electricity shot towards the smaller cat and he shrieked as electricity coursed through his body. "Game over, Meowth." Giovanni laughed again.

"Not quite." Meowth stood up and glared at his now former boss. "I've faced worse thunderbolts than that." He turned to Ash. "Come on twerp. Gimme one of your innovative strategies. I know you got more than this."

"Right..." Ash didn't really know what he could do. He couldn't really get in sync with Meowth. The two of them weren't bonded. Ash was able to bring out the power of his other Pokemon because they were close. He and Meowth...well...they were kind of the opposite of bonded. He narrowed his eyes. No...as bad as Meowth had been for so long, at least he'd made the right choice here. They did have one thing in common, and it was that they both cared about their friends. "Give night slash a go."

"What?" Meowth asked. "I told you, I can't do that."

"Trust me, you can do it." Ash said firmly.

"Persian, show them a real night slash." Giovanni said quietly.

Persian then rushed forward, his front right claw glowing in a purple light. He raised it as he ran forward, preparing to viciously strike Meowth. Ash saw Meowth hesitate and twitch nervously. He was too spooked to try it. Come on Meowth. Ash thought. You can do it. Meowth's ears suddenly perked up and he tensed up. He pulled back his right arm, narrowed his claws together, and lunged forward. Just before they met with Persian's night slash, they started glowing in a purple light. He'd done it.

The attacks smashed together and Ash noticed, with a feeling of satisfaction, that Persian looked shocked by the power of Meowth. "Keep it going Meowth!" Ash encouraged. "Power through!" Then, bit by bit, Meowth did power through. He shoved forward and knocked back Persian's claw. After that, he struck forward once more and slashed Persian across the shoulder with his newly learned night slash and sending the cat-Pokemon staggering back.

"Yeah!" Meowth shouted happily. "Good one, twerp, thanks!"

Giovanni narrowed his eyes. "Thunderbolt."

"Deflect it with night slash!" Ash yelled. Meowth quickly stepped back and then swung forward with his claw again. Once more, it glowed in a purple light and it smashed into the electricity that had surged forward from Persian. Both Pokemon continued their attacks, Persian trying to overpower Meowth and Meowth trying to keep the electricity at bay. "Bring it forward, Meowth!" Ash commanded. Meowth then started running forward. It was a slow run, given the fact that he was being pushed back by Persian's thunderbolt, but he still managed to keep forcing his way through. "Now go!" Ash yelled. Meowth then shoved his claw forward and slammed it, now charged with the electricity from Persian's own thunderbolt, into Persian's face.

Persian screeched in pain and staggered back. Ash smiled, seeing Giovanni look furious with how things were going. "Hyper beam." He said through gritted teeth.

"Alright Meowth, let's wrap this up!" Ash yelled, knowing they could finish this with one more good strike. "Get ready for that hyper beam."

"You got it, twerp." Meowth shouted. "That thing ain't hitting me." He braced himself as Persian charged up his hyper beam. Just as his evolved counterpart was about to unleash, Ash called for Meowth to charge forward. There was no hesitation. Persian let go and Meowth was running straight for it. Then, at the last moment, Meowth leaped up high into the air, rolled forward a few times, and struck down with his new favourite move. It was a perfect night slash to Persian's back and the latter dropped. Meanwhile, Pikachu deflected the hyper beam into the sky with a thunderbolt. Meowth turned and looked at his defeated opponent and then jumped up in glee. "Yeah! Who's the top cat now?"

"Great job, Meowth!" Ash congratulated him.

As Meowth walked back to Jessie and James he gave Pikachu a quick high five and then nodded to Ash. "Good teaming up with you, twerp. You're not that bad."

"Feel free to join up with me in the Kalos League." Ash said, looking seriously at Meowth. The talking cat Pokemon stared back in shock for a moment, looking slightly offended. "I'm kidding." Ash said with a laugh. He then turned to Giovanni, who was glaring in Meowth's direction. "Round two." Ash muttered.

"Nidoking and Nidoqueen." Giovanni suddenly said.

Ash had expected something like this. He knew that once he started winning, which is what he expected from the start of this battle despite using Meowth at first, that Giovanni would start to change the rules. "Fine. Sceptile and Infernape." His grass and fire types went forward. "Let's do this quick. Sceptile, leaf blade on Nidoking. Infernape, mach punch on Nidoqueen."

Sceptile reached his target first. He ran forward, the leaves on both his arms glowing in a green light, and then he swung forward with one, striking Nidoking upwards. Then, he quickly swung down with his other arm, knocking the powerful poison-Pokemon down with a strike to the head. Meanwhile, Infernape leaped forward, slid under Nidoqueen's arm as she tried to strike out, then he pulled back his fist and it glowed in a white light. He swung forward and struck Nidoqueen hard in the back, knocking her down next to Nidoking.

"I think it's time you gave up." Ash told Giovanni, who was staring at his Pokemon with wide, angry eyes. "You can't beat me."

"Golem, Rhyperior, Marowak, go!" Giovanni yelled.

"Pidgeot, gust! Charizard, flamethrower!" Ash ordered.

Pidgeot immediately whipped into the air and rapidly started flapping his wings. Wind started shooting towards the three Pokemon charging back. It was so strong it knocked them all back. Next, Charizard blasted a powerful flamethrower that smashed into them as they tried to stand. Ash had to give them credit, though. They managed to get up, even after that.

"Hyper beam! All three of you!" Giovanni yelled.

Ash narrowed his eyes. What was it with Giovanni and hyper beam? "Pikachu," Pikachu leaped forward at the sound of his name, "thunderbolt!" The electric mouse put everything into it. He leaped up, charged the electricity in his cheeks and unleashed a massive jet of electricity. It whipped towards the trio attacking them and jolted through all of them and easily knocked them out. Ash smirked. "Looks like I win."

"Not quite." Giovanni growled. He clicked the device that was linked to the machine controlling the Sundial and Mewtwo. "Mewtwo, shadow ball."

Ash didn't even need to order it. Greninja leaped forward and was between Mewtwo and Ash's Pokemon in an instant. As the shadow ball came whipping towards him, he pulled out one of his swords of purple light and swung it down. It slashed through the shadow ball with ease and it was immediately extinguished.

"Stop using Mewtwo for your own sick and twisted game." Ash shouted. "You've clearly lost here. Almost all of your Team Rocket members are defeated. Three of them even turned on you. I beat all of your Pokemon. You're finished."

"I'm not finished. I won't lose to a child like you." Giovanni muttered.

"Fine...if it has to be this way..." Ash looked at Mewtwo. He had the feeling that the real Mewtwo was in there still. He was fighting for control. He wanted to get it back. And the way he was looking at Ash, made the latter think that the legendary Pokemon was aware of what was happening. He wanted Ash to fight. "Greninja, water shuriken!"

"Shadow ball." Giovanni countered.

Greninja whipped his arms behind his back, grabbed the bottom ends of the shuriken that was there and pulled it over his head. He ran forward, holding it at his side in preparation to swing it out. Mewtwo, meanwhile, floated higher in the air and formed a powerful shadow ball in his hands. He raised it over his head and then threw it down. Greninja whipped up the water shuriken and held it over his head and leaped into the air. The shadow ball crashed into the watery ninja star, but was unable to force its way through and strike Greninja. The frog-ninja Pokemon continued up and thrust his arms forward, slamming his shuriken into Mewtwo. There was an explosion and both Pokemon were blasted away from each other. Mewtwo was wincing in pain, while Greninja was swiftly able to land and roll, before rising up again, the shuriken on his back reforming.

Ash smiled. Greninja was even at Mewtwo's level. A Mewtwo that was powered up with the Sundial. However, it wasn't something he had really wanted to find out. Mewtwo had come to help him not fight him. He needed to figure out a way to free the psychic Pokemon. Otherwise, this battle could go on forever. And if Ash wasn't careful, Greninja and Mewtwo could cause a lot of damage. More than had already been caused.

"Greninja, we need to do this quick." Ash said. "Nigh slash!" Greninja whipped forward. Before Giovanni could even react, Greninja was striking down with one of his swords of purple light. Ash winced along with Mewtwo as the legendary Pokemon was thrown back by the force of the attack. However, a moment later and Mewtwo was back up again.

What were they going to do? Greninja was strong enough to keep up, maybe even win, but they couldn't drag this out. Sooner or later, Giovanni was going to do something stupid. And perhaps the Team Rocket leader could hear Ash's thoughts, because his next order was just what he worried about. "This is ridiculous." Giovanni said. "Mewtwo, direct the machine towards the other Zygarde."

"Stop him!" Ash yelled at Greninja. Greninja leaped up and shot two quick water shurikens at Mewtwo, who was raising an arm to control the machine with his psychic energy. They both struck and caused him to stagger back a couple of times, but Mewtwo stubbornly continued to move the beam of light towards Squishy, who was now shooting up into the sky to avoid it.

Once again, things were chaos, as people began to run, fearing that Giovanni was going to use Mewtwo and Squishy to wreak havoc all around. Ash's Pokemon all rushed forward, but Mewtwo ripped up the ground beneath them, knocking them all back. Giovanni suddenly cursed out at someone to his left and Ash noticed Jessie, James and Meowth were using Gourgeist to hit him with seed bomb. Ash actually felt bad for the trio when they were blasted back by a shadow ball. Suddenly, there was a screech up top and Ash saw Squishy getting struck by the orange beam of light.

"Now, Mewtwo, get Greninja." Giovanni said quickly.

Ash's eyes widened and he turned his attention to Mewtwo and Giovanni again. Mewtwo was, indeed, directing one of the beams of orange energy towards Greninja. Ash wasn't going to let it happen, though. He ran at Giovanni. If he wasn't going to let this be a Pokemon battle, that was fine. Ash was perfectly happy attacking Giovanni himself. He wasn't alone. Pikachu ran with him, while Greninja dodged Mewtwo's "attack". Ash's other Pokemon were trying to attack Mewtwo, but every time they tried, he would use the energy from the machine to make them back away.

"Pikachu, thunderbolt!" Pikachu nodded at Ash's order and charged the electricity in his cheeks, but just then, something plucked Ash and the electric mouse off of the ground. He looked up and saw the red eyes of the Pokemon he had helped to transform. Squishy.

Then, in that moment, Ash felt searing pain shoot throughout his body. He yelled out in pain. Where was it coming from? Squishy wasn't squeezing him or anything. He managed to open his eyes just enough to see that Greninja, having been distracted by Ash getting grabbed, had been caught by Lysandre's device. In unison, Ash and Greninja writhed in pain, both trying to fight the control that Giovanni was trying to get over them. They fought for what was only seconds but seemed like hours.

Then, the world became very small and very quiet. Ash's vision became foggy and all thought left his mind. He stared blankly at the ground below him, not registering anything on it. He could hear nothing, but he felt a desire to. He wanted something to do.

Look at me, Ketchum. A voice said in Ash's head. He instantly knew where to look and moved his head towards the location. It was a man. He was smirking up at Ash, looking quite proud. Tell me I have won.

"You have won." Ash said quietly.

XXXXX

"What's wrong with him?" Serena asked. "What's he doing?" She was starting to have trouble breathing. Ash was so lifeless. He was just staring blankly at Giovanni. It wasn't himthat had been hit by the device, but it seemed as though the bond with Greninja was thatstrong that it didn't matter.

"Squishy, stop it!" Bonnie yelled. "Let Ash go!"

Squishy actually did slowly drop to the ground and placed Ash and a terrified looking Pikachu down. For a split second, Serena thought he'd listened to Bonnie, but she noticed Giovanni speaking into his remote and knew it was him that had ordered Squishy to do it.

Apparently Giovanni didn't care about Pikachu at the moment, because he allowed the electric mouse to bolt over to where Serena, Clemont and Bonnie were standing. He stared at Serena with worried eyes, obviously looking for someone to share his fear with.

Serena took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She had to stay calm to be able to stop this. She and Pikachu could do this together. She glanced over at Greninja, who was also standing in a similar still position like Ash. Her eyes then widened, seeing a certain fox-like Pokemon in the distance slowly moving forward, eyes locked on Greninja.

Delphox ran close to where Greninja was and then started shouting. Greninja didn't respond at all and just continued his blank stare. Serena then looked at Ash and decided she should do the same. If anything could break Ash and Greninja out of Giovanni's control, maybe it was her and Delphox. She looked down at Pikachu. He would be a big help as well. The two of them looked at Ash and started to move forward.

"Ash?" Serena called out. "Are you in there somewhere?"

"Get her out of here!" Giovanni shouted, looking at Mewtwo. The powerful psychic Pokemon raised an arm and looked like he was concentrating on Serena, but just then Delphox noticed her trainer was in danger and shot a powerful flamethrower that blasted into Mewtwo. To the legendary Pokemon, it was only a minor distraction, but it allowed Serena to get closer to Ash.

Squishy then stepped in between Serena, Pikachu and Ash and stared her down. She blinked once and then looked up slowly at the powerful Pokemon. There had to be something that could break the control over him. Maybe it was her imagination, but he seemed to be wincing in pain, as if struggling against something. It could have been that he was struggling against the control of Giovanni.

"Destroy the machine!" Lysandre yelled from where Alain was guarding him from any possible escape attempt. "It'll stop the mega evolution energy."

Serena looked at Pikachu. "Think you can do that, Pikachu?" She asked.

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded with a fist pump. He jumped into the air and started his chant as he charged up an electro-ball. "Ka-pika-pika-pika-pika...CHU-PI!" He launched the electro-ball towards where the machine was, but instantly it was deflected. Greninja was now in front of it, his purple sword of light extended out from in front of him. Serena glanced up and saw the ball of electricity shooting up into the sky. Well, she thought, we had to try it.

"You can't fight me anymore." Giovanni said, looking at Serena. "Your boyfriend's weak. He can't fight back."

"He can!" Serena felt fury fill her with energy. "Ash! Come on! Don't give up till it's over! Don't let Team Rocket of all things be the one to beat you."

"Use dragon pulse on that annoying brat!" Giovanni yelled, directing his order to Squishy.

Serena saw Delphox running towards her, but her injuries from when she'd been attacked the other day were too much and she was moving too slow. Squishy took a step back, lowered his head and opened his jaws. Serena could just see the light forming in his mouth. Pikachu braced himself next to her, preparing a counter, but Serena knew he wouldn't be able to do it. Without Ash, his power wasn't the same.

"Bonnie, stop!" Clemont yelled.

"Squishy!" Bonnie appeared in front of Serena, looking up at Squishy. "Squishy, don't let him control you. We're your friends. We're best friends. You, me, Ash, Serena, Clemont and all our Pokemon. Don't let that stupid machine control you. You can beat it."

Serena couldn't believe it. Squishy stopped almost immediately. The dragon pulse disappeared in his jaws and he just stared at Bonnie. It might have been seconds. It might have been minutes. Some people may have thought it was even hours. The little girl that wasn't even old enough to be a trainer yet, just continued to stare down one of the most powerful Pokemon on the planet. Then, Serena noticed it in Squishy's eyes. They grew softer and then the red glow in them vanished. Bonnie had stopped him.

"Attack her!" Giovanni yelled. Squishy turned towards Giovanni and glared at him. Serena smiled, noticing a hint of fear in the Team Rocket leader's eyes. However, he still had back up. "Mewtwo, strike him down."

"No..." Serena gasped. It was Ash.

XXXXX

"No..." Ash shook his head. What was going on? Why was he saying that? His mind had been so clear and empty only moments ago. He hadn't been hearing anything, but now noises were filling his ears. Thoughts seemed to be rushing in. It was so confusing. He felt like he should understand them, but it was all so jumbled.

He looked around him. Suddenly the people and shapes around him seemed familiar. Before, they had seemed strange and foreign. The man that had told him to speak. He had seemed to be the only one that Ash felt comfortable in listening to, but now, he felt a bad feeling when looking at that man. Who was it? He was evil wasn't he? He was cruel and violent.

"Giovanni." The name suddenly came to Ash. When he said it, he felt the taste of bitterness in his mouth. Giovanni was evil. He was the leader of an evil organization. Ash clutched his head as the memories started clicking together in his mind. It was painful.

However, the pain he was feeling wasn't his own. He could tell that somehow. It was like he was feeling pain in some other perspective.Ninja. Ash opened his eyes and looked up suddenly. It was...a Pokemon. No...hisPokemon. Greninja. The frog-ninja Pokemon was looking back at him with what Ash realized must be a very similar shocked expression to his own.

"What's happening?" Giovanni asked, a bit of panic in his voice. "Is the machine broken?"

It was all very clear to Ash now. Greninja had been hit with the energy from the machine. And since they were bonded in Ash-Greninja form,he'd been under control as well. But it was weak, because their energy was combined so when Delphox and Serena had called out to them, they were able to regain control.

But why Squishy? The answer to that question was easy to realize as well. Ash and Greninja had combined their powers with him as well. When they broke Giovanni's control, it was easier for him to break it as well.

Ash knew it wasn't over yet, though. Mewtwo was still under Giovanni's control and the Team Rocket leader was realizing that now. They'd been distracted when Ash had spoken, but now Giovanni was ready to use Mewtwo again. "Strike them down with shadow ball!" Giovanni yelled.

"Greninja, hold him off!" Ash yelled. He had to get to Serena and Bonnie and get them out of the way. He darted past Squishy, who had put himself between Bonnie, Serena and Mewtwo and grabbed both girls by the arms. "Come on!" He told them. They didn't argue and quickly followed him to where Clemont and Blaziken Mask were.

Suddenly Blaziken Mask held out his hand to Ash, holding something out. "This is Professor Sycamore's. It's a key stone." Ash noticed that it was a familiar looking, white stone. He reached out and took it.

"Why do I need this?" Ash asked.

"I don't know, but perhaps you can make use of it." Blaziken Mask said. "Given the fact that you have unique abilities."

"Right." Ash muttered. He looked at the key stone in his hand for a moment and then it started to glow. Suddenly, a bright, purple light shone from where Greninja and Mewtwo were in the middle of a heated battle. It had come from the Sundial. "That's it..." Ash said quietly.

His friends asked him what was up, but he ignored them and quickly ran back to where Greninja and Mewtwo were fighting. It was clear Greninja was winning, because Mewtwo was starting to get hit more and more and his strikes were missing constantly. Ash held up the key stone and the glow from the Sundial intensified.

"What are you doing?" Giovanni asked, anger and worry mixing in his voice.

"Helping Mewtwo fight back." Ash answered with a smile. "Mewtwo! Don't let him control you. You have friends here that need you." There was a loud chorus of roars from the Pokemon that had accompanied Mewtwo here. Somehow, they'd all heard Ash and were trying to call out to their leader to reaffirm what he was saying.

Mewtwo and Greninja stopped their fight. Ash could see that Greninja could understand what he was doing. Likely, it was due to some shared thoughts due to their connection still going. Mewtwo was even hesitating, almost like he was hearing what Ash was saying. Ash squeezed the key stone in his hand tighter and raised it higher. He focused all his energy into it. He knew he could do it.

It all happened in the span of about five seconds. The key stone in Ash's hand shattered, shooting off heat and light in all directions. The night sky was lit up as if it was the middle of the day and the heat from the stone made it feel that way. Just when that dimmed, the machine next to the Sundial exploded, shooting off the orange energy up into the sky. Ash heard a small, pained gasp from Lysandre when that happened, but it was only good news to him.

When the light cleared, Ash looked at Mewtwo and it was clear it worked. However, it was also alarming what he saw. Mewtwo looked a little different. He seemed bulkier and emanated even more power than he'd already had before. He also seemed to have some kind of purple armour around his neck. Had he...mega evolved? He was panting heavily, though. Clearly Lysandre's device had taken a toll on him.

The powered up legendary Pokemon turned to a terrified looking Giovanni. He seemed so strong, but Ash actually had a strange feeling that Mewtwo was actually weaker in a way.You're an evil man, Giovanni. He said. He glanced back at Ash. There's only one way that we can end this. Perhaps it is wrong, but I see no other alternative.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked. He kind of got the feeling he did know.

Mewtwo suddenly teleported behind Giovanni and took hold of the Team Rocket leader's thrashed around, but Mewtwo didn't let him move. This ends now. With both of us. He raised himself into the air and hovered in front of Ash. We must make it so no one can do this ever again. He turned to the Sundial and the massive stone was raised up, a blue glow from Mewtwo's psychic attack around it. The Sundial must be destroyed. It is too powerful.

"What are you planning?" Ash asked.

When the Sundial is destroyed, I believe it will shatter our connection. Likely, I will not survive it. Mewtwo studied Ash a moment. Do not worry, you are strong enough to withstand it. He was unable to take the energy from you that he got from me.

"What? I don't get it. You seem fine now." Ash said, completely bewildered. He had no idea why Mewtwo was saying this. Why did he seem to think he was going to...go.

Mewtwo shook his head. I'm only strong now, because of the power you gave me from the Sundial. That device was both sapping my energy, but also sustaining me. Once my connection with the Sundial is gone, so am I.

Ash wanted to argue with Mewtwo, but he suddenly knew it made sense. He felt like he had been sapped of some energy himself. However, as Mewtwo said, he'd not lost very much, because he'd been able to break the connection. He then gasped and looked at Squishy and then at the other Zygarde, who was curled up on the ground, with Squishy now standing over him.

Mewtwo apparently knew what Ash was worried about. I think their bodies are built to handle this...mega evolution energy. Mine is not.

"What happens now, then?" Ash asked.

Mewtwo held up Giovanni and then focused. It seemed to take a few minutes, but finally, Giovanni just stared blankly at the ground and then passed out and Mewtwo dropped him to the ground. I've completely wiped his memory. He will remember nothing of what has ever happened between us. In fact, he will remember nothing of his life. It's a cruel fate for a cruel man, but I suppose he should be grateful to even have his life spared at all.

Ash was actually a little relieved that Mewtwo hadn't killed him, which is what he'd been worried about. However, it definitely was a pretty cruel fate to have all of your life's memories erased from your mind. But maybe it was a fresh start for Giovanni. Maybe he'd end up not choosing the evil path from now on. "So...what are you going to do with the Sundial?"

It ends with me. Mewtwo explained. He started to slowly rise up, the Sundial trailing along behind him. Goodbye Ash Ketchum. Thanks to you, I know that the world has hope. He then looked at the ground and Ash noticed a Pikachu, not his, was there with a Meowth.Please take care of our friends, you two. I think they can live in peace, here in Kalos. It was nice back in our sanctuary, but life underground is no way to live forever.

Ash realized that the two Pokemon, despite looking sad, almost didn't seem surprised. They just nodded. Maybe Mewtwo had known something like this was going to happen this whole time. He was a psychic Pokemon afterall.

"Goodbye Mewtwo." Ash finally said, as Mewtwo floated up, higher and higher with the Sundial. "Thank you.

As he watched Mewtwo float up, he felt a hand take hold of his and he looked to his side to see Serena, looking up at the sky. "I'm sorry about Mewtwo." She said.

"I am too." Ash said quietly. He sighed and then smiled. Mewtwo was at peace, though. Ash knew he was happy...somehow. Maybe they had somehow bonded with that mega evolution.

They continued to watch as Mewtwo disappeared high into the sky. Ash could just barely see a dot that was the light of the Sundial. It became microscopic. They were so far away now, but Ash kept his focus on it. He felt this was the only way that he could see Mewtwo through this. It was his way of being there for him. Finally, the light disappeared. Ash shut his eyes, holding back the tears that wanted to come. He wouldn't do that. Mewtwo didn't want it.

Then, with the Sundial gone, Ash, Greninja and Squishy all collapsed to the ground at the same time.