Timothy, Electchu, Shockwave, and Odyssey laughed from the balcony where they dumped the copper onto the city square. The soldiers and their Pokemon were running for their lives and showed no sign of coming back. Neither of them saw Markenel or Giovanni among the people running away, but they were enjoying their victory too much to notice. They danced around the balcony floor that didn't have copper on it, jumping and twirling like children until Fletchling flew over to greet its friends.

"Fletchling, the Pokemon of the hour!" Timothy praised. "Thank you so much for your help! We couldn't have done this without you and your friends!"

"Fletchling!" Fletchling chirped.

"Speaking of which, are your friends that got injured going to be okay?" Odyssey asked.

"Fletch, Fletch, Fletchling, Fletch, Fletch, Fletchling, Fletchling," Fletchling answered.

"Fletchling said they'll be alright. They know a place nearby in the woods where their wounded can get berries to heal and get some rest," Shockwave translated.

"Glad to hear it," Timothy said. "But if anyone in your flock needs someplace in the city to heal up, you're always welcome here, Fletchling."

"Fletchling," Fletchling said with a nod before it turned around and flew to its flock.

The hunchback and his companions waved goodbye to the flock as it flew away into the night sky. They started to giggle and dance again until Electchu said, "Hey, Serena will want to know about this."

Timothy's eyes lit up, and he said, "Yes, you're right, Electchu. She must still be worried about her life. Let's go tell her the good news."

The three Pokemon nodded before they all went back inside and raced up the stairs to the top balcony. Timothy kicked his bedroom door open and entered the room with glee.

"We did it, Serena! We've driven them away! Come and see!" He shouted.

Timothy kept his happy demeanor for a moment before he realized that Serena showed no movement. She was lying on his bed with her eyes closed just the way he left her. Timothy, Electchu, Shockwave, and Odyssey's smiles began to fade as the young man walked over to the woman on the bed.

"Serena? Wake up. You're safe now," he said, shaking Serena.

The honey blonde woman still showed no movement. Timothy tilted his head and turned Serena's head to face him, saying, "Serena?" He let go of her face, and it fell back on its side like a piece of wood. He stared at her, puzzled, until it came to him.

"Oh, no," he said. "No. No. Dear Lord, no!"

He shook Serena's body more with tears starting to come out of his eyes. Electchu, Shockwave, and Odyssey watched with heartbroken faces; neither wanted to say what was on their minds.

"S-s-s-Serena," Timothy whimpered. "Don't do this. It's not fair. I-I-I saved you. Stay with me. Stay with me. You can't... Serena. Serena!"

The young man broke down and pulled Serena's upper body to him. Tears fell down from his face like raindrops as he cradled her. Electchu took a step and opened its mouth, but Shockwave held its arm in front of the mouse Pokemon and shook its head. The Kirlia silently gestured to its companions to leave, and Electchu and Odyssey hesitated before they reluctantly agreed to leave their friend alone. The three Pokemon tiptoed to the bedroom door, and Odyssey gently closed it behind him.

Timothy pulled Serena closer to him as he wept. His mind was filled with devastation as it hit him that his efforts once again amounted to nothing. All of his strength, his brainstorming, his friends aiding him, and he still couldn't save the one human being that mattered the most to him. He looked down to look at Serena's face, wishing she was giving him the same friendly smile that warmed his heart. Timothy laid her back down on the bed and buried his face on the edge of it as he continued to sob.

But as he cried, the bedroom door slowly opened again, and orange and yellow light from the burning copper shone on the wall to reveal a tall shadow behind Timothy. The figure walked over to the hunchback and placed its bony hand on his head. Timothy's cries died down, and he lifted his head to whisper with anger in his voice.

"You killed her."

"Twas my duty," Markenel replied in a calm voice. "It breaks my heart as much as yours. I hope you can forgive me."

Timothy gave no response. Markenel began petting his head as the hunchback buried his face with the bed again.

"There, there, Timothy, my boy," Markenel said. "There's no need to cry anymore. It's time to release you from your suffering forever."

Timothy lifted his head up again, wondering what Markenel meant, and his eyes widened to see Markenel's shadow holding up something sharp pointing at him. He turned around and grabbed Markenel's wrist just before the dagger pierced him in the eye. The judge clenched his teeth as he pushed the dagger closer to Timothy with a bloodthirsty look in his eyes. Timothy grew afraid of the psychotic way his adopted father glared at him, but his fear soon transformed into anger, and he gave Markenel's wrist a firm squeeze. The older man squealed as he dropped his dagger, and with a scream, Timothy pushed him back so hard that he knocked the judge off his feet.

Markenel flew so far back that he almost slammed his head against the wall. He backed away to the wall on all fours, shaking as Timothy walked over to him with the dagger in his hand. At that moment, the hunchback felt a rush of power, seeing his chance to express his hatred for the man who lied to him, talked down to him, imprisoned his friends, murdered the woman he loved, and planned to burn everything she held dear. He wanted to make his enemy cry and beg while using his own weapon to make all the destruction, manipulation, pain, and death he caused take its toll, confident that it would be entirely justified.

But then, Timothy stopped walking, and his hatred disappeared like a gust of wind. His mind went to the words from the holy book that he said to his master the night before, and the hand holding the dagger began to shake. Timothy's mouth quivered before he dropped the weapon and cried in shame. Markenel stopped shivering, and he looked between Timothy and the dagger before he slowly stood up.

"Timothy," he said. "Timothy, listen to me."

"No, you listen!" Timothy screamed. "All my life, you've told me that the world is a dark, cruel place, but now I see the only thing dark and cruel about it is people and Pokemon like you and your followers! You use your earthly power to do whatever you want and justify it by saying it's the will of the holy spirit, who you don't even know! Has it ever occurred to you that you might be fighting for the wrong thing? That maybe you don't have the power to do whatever horrible thing you want with no repercussions? Are you so deluded that you can't consider that you're the cause of all of the evil and corruption in the city?!"

Markenel stopped focusing on the dagger and looked at Timothy, staggered. Never in his life had someone accused him of corruption or not knowing the God of All, and he was appalled that the once submissive hunchback would say it without fear of angering his master. Markenel couldn't believe that the power he had over Timothy was gone, and for one moment, he began to wonder if Timothy was right, but it passed away as soon as the two of them heard a soft groan. Timothy immediately stopped crying, and he turned around to find Serena sitting up and turning her head to him.

"Timothy?" She asked.

"Serena!" Timothy exclaimed.

He rushed over and pulled Serena into a tight hug. The honey blonde woman didn't understand what was going on, but she smiled and returned the hug, glad to see that her friend was okay. Markenel was furious at the sight of Serena alive and had the same sweet smile on her face that filled his mind with sin. At that moment, he thought that she poisoned his adopted son's mind with her kind and noble heart, and he drew his sword. Serena opened her eyes at the sound of the blade coming out of the sheath and gasped.

"Timothy!" She shouted.

Timothy turned his head to see Markenel charging toward him, and he scooped Serena up and moved away before the sword cut down through him. Markenel went for another attack, but Timothy kicked him in the stomach while still holding Serena and ran out of the bedroom. The older man massaged his stomach before he raised his sword again and ran out the door.

When Markenel went outside, however, there was no one on the balcony. He turned his head to the staircase close to Timothy's room on the south tower, but there was no sound of anyone climbing down the steps, and there was no chance his targets could have already made it inside the bell tower on the far other side. The judge furrowed his brow and looked around the balcony, knowing that Timothy and Serena are close.

Markenel looked around until he heard someone grunting from the other side of the railing. He walked over to the railing and leaned over it to find Timothy holding on to one of the gargoyle heads below the railing. Serena was holding on to him with her arms around his neck.

"Leaving so soon?" Markenel asked with a grin.

He swung his sword down, and Timothy moved away before it sliced him. With Serena holding on to him for dear life, Timothy climbed from one gargoyle statue to another while Markenel chased after them. The judge swung his sword at them with every chance he had, but Timothy was too fast of a climber.

Finally, Markenel swung his sword at a gargoyle that Timothy was holding on to, and the blade sliced halfway through the statue before it got stuck. Markenel tried to pull it out, but it was too deep into the stone. Seeing an opportunity, Timothy swung to another statue and climbed over the railing to safety. Serena got off Timothy's back before he grabbed her hand and led her to the staircase.

"Serena, go down the steps as fast as you can," Timothy instructed. "Use the side entrance to get out of the tower and find Ash and Sonia."

"What about you?" Serena asked.

"I'll hold him off," Timothy answered.

"No! I'm not leaving without you!" Serena shouted.

"You have to! He's after you more than me!" Timothy shouted back. "Just get out of here! I'll catch up with you! I promise! Just run!"

Serena hesitated before she reluctantly complied. Timothy watched his friend go down the steps with a small smile, content that he gave her the chance to escape. His smile soon disappeared when he heard Markenel getting his sword out of the statue. The two men turned around and glared at each other before Timothy charged toward Markenel. The judge raised his sword to attack, but Timothy grabbed it by the handle before he could swing down. Markenel tried to free his sword from the hunchback's grip, but Timothy was too strong.

"It's too late, Master Markenel," Timothy said. "You'll never get to Serena again."

Markenel let out an irritated growl and said, "I should have known you would risk your life to save the Arcean witch just as your own mother died trying to save you. Perhaps it's in your blood as an Arcean spawn."

Timothy's glare weakened into a look of confusion, and he asked, "What?"

Markenel grinned and said, "Yes, my boy. You are the son of an Arcean fugitive who resisted arrest and died trying to protect you. Were it up to me, I would have dropped you into the well and be done with it, but the archdeacon forced me to raise you." Timothy looked at him in such a state of shock that he didn't notice Markenel reaching for one end of his cloak. "And now, I'm going to do what I should have done twenty-one years ago."

Markenel threw his cloak at his face, and before the hunchback could react, he wrapped his cloak around his head, grabbed both ends of his cloak from behind with one hand still holding his sword, and pulled. Timothy reached for Markenel as he suffocated, but the judge used Timothy's large hunch to distance himself from his grasp. The twisted man shut his eyes and clenched his teeth as he pulled, letting out his hatred and disgust for the hunchback and spending so much of his life raising him. Timothy's body shook violently, desperate for air.

Meanwhile, Serena was running down the steps before she stopped herself and looked back. She knew that she had a perfect chance to escape, but in her heart, she feared for Timothy's life. It didn't matter to her if she couldn't do anything against a madman with a sword. She wasn't going to abandon her friend. Serena turned around and raced back up the stairs, hoping she wasn't too late, but when she made it to the top, she only had a moment to find out what was happening before Timothy's body went limp.

"TIMOTHY!!!" Serena screamed.

The edges of Markenel's mouth spread out until half of his face was nothing but a big, sadistic grin. He dragged Timothy to the edge and pulled him over to the railing, but in his moment of pride, he forgot that his cloak was still attached to his robes. Timothy's heavy body pulled Markenel over the railing, and they both fell until Serena caught Timothy's hand with both hands.

The older man whimpered in fear of the molten copper below as he hung dangling in the air with his cloak still wrapped around Timothy's head. He looked around until he saw that they were close to a gargoyle head and began swinging towards it. Serena fought the urge to let go of Timothy with Markenel making both of them swing until he caught the statue with his free hand. He pulled himself up and detached his cloak from his robes, making him able to stand up on the gargoyle head. The judge turned to Serena and grinned, realizing he was so close to her that he could cut off her head, and she would be too focused on holding on to Timothy to do anything. Serena turned her head to Markenel, and her eyes widened in terror as the old man cackled maniacally.

"He will stand tall above the face of seduction, and he shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!" Markenel shouted.

Serena shut her eyes and looked away, refusing to let go of Timothy for the sake of her own life. Suddenly, just as Markenel was about to attack, he felt thousands of volts of electricity, purple hearts, and soundwaves hit him. He dropped his sword and lost his balance, but just as he was about to fall, he caught the gargoyle head with both hands. The judge swung back and forth until he grabbed the back of the gargoyle with his legs, leaving him helplessly clinging to the statue for dear life. Serena turned to where the attacks came from and found Electchu, Shockwave, and Odyssey running toward her, having heard the commotion from inside the bell tower.

"Electchu, Shockwave, Odyssey, please help!" Serena begged. "I don't know how much longer I can hold him!"

The Pokemon were unsure of what she meant until they saw through the railing bars that she was holding Timothy's hand. Their eyes widened as they raced to the honey blonde woman and looked down from the ledge that Timothy was dangling with Markenel's cloak still wrapped around his head. Shockwave and Odyssey reached out for Timothy's hand through the bars, but their arms were too small. With the Pokemon unable to help her, Serena pulled with all of her strength, desperate to save Timothy, but deep down, she knew that it wasn't enough to prevent the inevitable. Electchu, Shockwave, and Odyssey could only watch as Timothy's hand slipped through Serena's fingers.

"NO!!!" Serena screamed.

"TIMOTHY!!!" Electchu, Shockwave, and Odyssey cried out.

Markenel turned his head to watch Timothy plummet toward the copper below. Serena's mouth quivered until she got down on her knees and cried with her hands covering her face. Electchu, Shockwave, and Odyssey backed away from the railing and stared into space with tears running down their faces in states of shock before they ultimately wept for their beloved friend.

Markenel smirked at the woman and the Pokemon, taking pleasure in their grief, but then he heard something crack, and he turned to see the gargoyle he was holding on to starting to break off from the ledge. His heart sank as it hit him that it was going to break, and he would meet Timothy's fate. He tried to think of a way to escape, but he was too afraid to move out of the possibility of making a mistake that would cause him to fall.

But as Markenel looked around for a way to save himself, he looked up, and his heart suddenly felt calm. Standing on the railing was Maria looking down at him with a calm face, wearing fine robes, a crown on her head, and holding a scepter just like the cathedral statue of her. Markenel smiled brightly at her presence, paying no mind to the rest of the world. Then, he closed his mouth to give Maria a look of contentment.

"Maria, I'm sorry that I failed," Markenel said. "It appears that the Enemy was too cunning, and my army was too weak to do my bidding. At least the Arcean beast is finally sent to hell where it belongs. I hope that is enough in your sight as your servant enters the Lord's rest."

Maria stood still like a statue, and Markenel wondered if she heard him. After a moment, her serene smile turned to a sadistic grin, and she let out a maniacal laugh that sent shivers down Markenel's spine.

"And who said you're going anywhere near there?" Maria asked mockingly.

"W-what?" Markenel asked.

Maria laughed again as she dropped the scepter, dug her fingers into her skin, and began ripping it off her. Markenel watched in shock as the person on the railing ripped off all of its skin and clothes to reveal a creature with skin covered in warts, boils, and open wounds revealing flesh and bones. Its finger and toenails were long, yellow, and covered in dirt, the eyes were yellow-orange with one bigger than the other, its nose was long and crooked, its lips were dry and bleeding, and it was missing teeth. The spirit shook its body until two black wings came out of its back, the left wing missing most of its feathers, and the right wing was bent funny. Never had Markenel seen anything so hideous in his life.

Before Markenel knew it, five other demons appeared beside the one that disguised itself as Maria. Serena, Electchu, Shockwave, and Odyssey could not hear them cackling, for the impure spirits were only appearing to Markenel. The judge tightened its hold on the gargoyle as the demons laughed at him.

"Get away! Get away from me!" Markenel screamed. "In the name of God, I command you to depart to the abyss where you come from!"

But the demons laughed harder, and one of them said, "'I command you,' he says. Ain't that adorable?"

"Must have overdone it when we let him believe he's some holy man," another demon said.

"W-w-what are you talking about?" Markenel stuttered. "And how dare you impersonate the blessed Maria herself. God help you when she finds out."

"She won't do anything to us," the demon who disguised himself said. "The real Mary holds no such power. You've deluded yourself into thinking a mortal woman was higher than the Lord of All."

"Lies!" Markenel yelled. "You're nothing but servants of the devil who speak nothing but deception!"

"Normally, that's true, but the truth is far too much fun not to tell," the leading demon said. "You should have listened to your adopted son when he said those verses last night and stood up against you moments ago. Our maker did command you, humans, to love one another whether, and only he decides what your eternal fate is. Despite the warning, you considered yourself righteous and without fault when you've committed so much sin that you claimed to be justified. Never once did you genuinely repent and ask the Son of Man to forgive you: the only way you can be saved."

"And that's why we put on a little show for you in your bedroom the other night," one demon said. "We knew if we told you that you are rightfully to blame for lusting for Serena with one of us under the guise of your idol, your pride would keep you from believing it, and when you declared that your solution was the right way, we built up your confidence so that you believed that you were in the right."

"And what beautiful destruction you caused to so many innocent lives," another demon said. "It's a shame you didn't burn the whole pagan lot, but I think our master will be satisfied with collecting you."

"No! You're making things up!" Markenel claimed.

"Are we?" The demon who disguised itself as Maria challenged. "You knew those verses the hunchback said were from the holy word, yet you still ignored them. Meanwhile, the enemy tried to show you what he wanted you to do through so many people and Pokemon. Archdeacon Sycamore, Sister Sophie, Timothy, Ash, the miller and his family, Serena, Sonia, all of their Pokemon, he used them all to reach out to you through the love and compassion they displayed."

"Blasphemy!" Markenel barked. "The Lord would not dare use the wicked to reach out to me."

"God can use anything, even the sinners, to teach things to you creatures," the leader said. "If you bothered to pay more attention to his word, you would have known that. Instead, you have spent all of your years living in rebellion and defiance against him without shame. You are no more a disciple of the Lord than the people and Pokemon you tried to wipe out of existence, and now you will join us in eternity away from him."

Markenel opened his mouth to contradict the spirits again, but deep in his heart, he knew they were right. The judge thought about everything he did in his life and the Bible passages that he had read throughout his life, realizing how much he distanced himself from the one he claimed to be a soldier for with his sin. The demons started laughing again as they watched reality hit Markenel.

"Pretty ironic that you're going to the flames of hell that you tried to send Serena to, isn't it?" The leading demon said. "That copper isn't even a taste of what you're in for, pal."

Markenel whined loudly with the thought of the fires of hell filling him with terror. He tightened his hold on the gargoyle, but it wasn't long before it broke off completely, and he began plummeting to his doom. The demons cheered and jumped off the railing to fall with him, acting like delinquent children jumping off a cliff into a lake. With their mischievous laughs ringing in his ear, Markenel felt all hope leave his spirit, and all he could do was scream until he landed on the molten copper.