----
"Congratulations," Erika said, stepping up beside him, eyes fixed on the Poke Ball in Kai's hand. "You really captured a Legendary."
There was a hint of awe in her voice tinged with envy.
She was a Grass-type specialist. A trainer who normally wouldn't even consider catching a Pokémon like Suicune.
But even she couldn't deny the weight of the moment.
To see one, let alone catch one, was the kind of thing most trainers would never experience in their lifetime.
And yet here it was, contained within Kai's grip.
"It was close," Erika admitted. "Another second and Ho-Oh might've gotten Suicune out of your hands."
Kai let out a long breath, his gaze drifting toward the dark sky where Ho-Oh had disappeared. "Yeah... that bird plays dirty. But thanks for your help. Without you, it might've actually pulled it off."
Erika shook her head modestly. "My Leafeon and Tangrowth barely scratched it. At best, I added some dramatic flair."
Her tone was light, but Kai understood what she meant.
Sometimes, lending your strength wasn't about doing the most it was about standing beside someone when it counted.
Kai turned the Poke Ball over in his hand, inspecting it silently.
Part of him still wished it had been the Shiny Suicune from the movies. Its shimmering blue coat, its striking presence so much more eye-catching than the normal form.
But luck was luck.
He hadn't come here hunting Legendary Pokémon.
He and Erika had just wanted a quiet night's rest before continuing their journey in the morning.
Now he had Suicune.
Somehow, amidst chaos, war, and collapsing towers—
He'd walked away with a miracle.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the distance.
He turned, just in time to see Ash, Misty, Brock, and Delia sprinting toward them.
"Kai! Erika!"
Misty waved excitedly.
They reached him breathless, excitement burning in their eyes.
Ash was the first to speak, practically vibrating with energy.
"Kai! Did you really fight the Legendary Beasts!? And—and did I see Ho-Oh!? Was that really Ho-Oh!?"
Kai rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me."
The others blinked in confusion.
They hadn't seen what had happened after the battle with the Unown. They'd missed Ho-Oh's interference. The fight. The loss of Entei and Raikou.
Erika chuckled softly and recounted the entire event for them how Ho-Oh tried to stop Kai from capturing Suicune, how it revived the other Beasts, how they'd escaped.
"Wait... what!?" Ash's eyes went wide. "You captured Suicune!?"
Misty and Brock both stared, dumbfounded, as their gazes landed on the ball in Kai's hand.
Even Delia looked stunned.
Ash swallowed, stunned by how fast the gap between them had grown.
In such a short time, Kai had captured another Legendary Pokémon.
Was the distance between them already that far...?
Kai noticed the silence and casually waved his hand.
"It's just Suicune. Not that big a deal."
Misty choked on a laugh.
Brock snorted.
Kai, ever the humble bragger.
To be fair, Suicune was the most frequently seen of the three Legendary Beasts even Goh in that alternate world managed to catch one.
Still, the reality remained—
Kai had captured a Legendary. Again.
Before Ash could press further, Kai cut in. "What about your side? How'd things go in the tower?"
That brought them back to business.
Misty filled him in quickly how Ash had managed to talk Molly down, how her fixation with Entei had finally dissolved, and how the illusionary Entei had faded once her heart let go.
"And the Unown?" Kai asked.
"They disappeared too," Misty said, frowning slightly. "Once everything was over, they were just... gone."
Kai nodded.
They'd probably returned to wherever they'd come from.
The crisis was over.
Finally.
They stood there a while longer, quietly letting the weight of it all settle in.
Eventually, Kai glanced at the time it was nearly ten o'clock.
Everyone was exhausted.
Their Pokémon needed healing.
And Delia needed proper rest.
They all silently agreed—
Time to return to the Pokémon Center.
As they made their way back toward the glowing lights of town, the rhythmic whup-whup-whup of helicopter blades echoed overhead.
Looking up, they spotted the search and rescue helicopters that had been circling from afar finally moving in now that the skies had cleared.
The irony wasn't lost on any of them.
Ash smirked. "Always late."
Kai and Erika chuckled.
Of course, they were.
---
Later that night, the group gathered in the Center's dining hall, devouring the feast Nurse Joy had prepared to reward their efforts.
Outside the window, Professor Oak stood beneath the spotlight of a news camera, being interviewed by the same reporter and cameraman from earlier.
They couldn't hear the questions, but they'd all agreed on the official story.
The Unown had caused the incident.
Ho-Oh had arrived at the climax to quell the disaster.
Professor Oak didn't know the real details, and that was how it would stay.
A lie?
Maybe.
But a kind one.
It protected Kai.
It protected the Beasts.
And it kept Johto from panicking about a Legendary brawl in their backyard.
If some believed the tale and others didn't well, that wasn't their concern.
They'd done what was right.
And for now—
Peace had returned to the world.
----
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