Due to Mega Gyarados's Ice Fang attack, nearly 80% of the pool had frozen over. The clash between Mega Gyarados and Mow Rotom shattered the remaining stage, completely destroying the idol performance set. Now, only a vast sheet of ice stretched across the area where the water field had been.
Mina stood on a narrow foothold of unbroken ice, while Misty stood outside the stage, seemingly conducting the battle through telepathy.
The Water Blue Show’s idol performance ended so abruptly that the audience barely processed it. Naturally, an official Gym battle during a concert proved to be polarizing. The moment an influencer began a livestream, the chat exploded.
“We came for the idol show—why the hell is there a Gym battle now?”
"FR lmao. No warning at all? Who thought this was a good idea?"
"Seriously, who approved this? I want to start a 'Kick Out the Gym' petition."
"FML. Every battle feels like an earthquake. We can’t live like this.”
"Right? Gym battles should stay inside the gym! One match, and the whole neighborhood gets trashed!"
"Gym battles are a public menace. LOL."
"My city has blackouts and burst pipes every week because of challengers. I’m joining the movement, too.”
"FR, same. My water was cut off yesterday. I couldn't wash or cook."
"Who thought the Water Blue Show was smart? Gyarados’s Earthquake burst my pipes. I have no water now.”
"Just shut the gym down and let us live like normal people!"
Realizing that public sentiment was turning ugly, NB Entertainment stepped in to control the narrative. Influencers began receiving identical messages:
"But without the Gym, how would the city survive? Cerulean’s entire economy depends on gym challengers. Without them, the city will collapse—don't you think?"
The chats immediately split into factions, and arguments erupted in every direction. Within minutes, the entire internet felt like a battlefield.
A man holding Mina’s Ditto watched NB Entertainment’s manipulation unfold in real time. After a moment of silence, he spoke.
“What do you think? Humans truly are foolish, aren’t they?”
Ditto struggled. “What are you talking about? Then Pokémon are foolish too! We submit to humans just to survive!”
The man nodded quietly. “True. But who did you submit to? A human? Or a monster?”
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He whispered something too faintly for Ditto to hear. "Or...my forgotten friend...?"
Ignoring the cryptic murmur, Ditto demanded, "What do you want?"
“Where have I seen a Ditto with free will before? The answer is simple.”
The man said, smiling faintly. "I've fought you before."
Ditto froze. "Fought you...? You don’t mean—”
“Yes, a few months ago." The man lowered his voice, as if recalling something unpleasant.
“Surge and I went to Rubbish Island. We were ordered to issue a warning. People were disappearing, and the chaos had gone too far.”
The confirmation Ditto had dreaded hit him like a blow.
"You—! You were the one who destroyed the island? How many people did you kill? How many more? Even my boss—"
“Your boss?” The man’s eyes brightened with strange nostalgia. "Of course I remember her. My old friend... and my rival."
"Friend? Rival...? What are you—?”
“We were carrying out the will of Team Rocket.” He paused. "And the Grace of Light."
Ditto's entire body tensed. "Team Rocket and the Grace of Light together?"
Before Ditto could process this contradiction, the man’s body began to glow. Not like a lamp. Not like a spotlight. It was an overwhelming, absolute radiance. It was impossible for a human.
Ditto trembled. "This...this is impossible!"
Wrapped in that searing Light, the man reached out and seized Ditto.
"Listen carefully, you little prodigals."
he said, his voice echoing with something more than human.
"Darkness will not be allowed to twist this world forever. I am the Light. I am the guardian of the System.”
His grip tightened. "Tell your Darkness this: The Light will swallow it whole. It can struggle endlessly."
Ditto snarled back, shaking. "Then don't forget! Darkness exists because of the Light. Light creates shadows, and shadows create darkness. They coexist!"
The man said nothing. In a flash of Light, Ditto vanished, having teleported away. Even as Ditto’s words echoed, the man ignored them.
“Darkness must be erased. That is the will of the Light. Even if humans are foolish, they must be protected. That is the fate and command of the Fate of the Wheel.”
Tension filled the air inside the Cerulean Gym. Some spectators cursed under their breath, while others began to leave. Suddenly, someone rushed onto the stage with a microphone. It was Luna, another Four-Zero member. Smiling brightly, she addressed the crowd in the sweet, energetic manner of an idol.
"Hello, Four-Zero fans! And to everyone at the Water Blue Show! That Gym battle came out of nowhere, but wasn't it fun? I'll sing a song for you, so please enjoy!"
Her song slowly reignited the audience’s excitement. During this time, Ditto returned to Mina. As it dissolved into her body, Mina immediately asked:
“Did you find what I asked for?”
“Yes, NB Entertainment is indeed a Team Rocket subsidiary. But...”
“But?”
“That man has returned. The same man who nearly killed you months ago, boss.”
Mina tensed as Ditto continued,
“He said this: ‘The Light will swallow you, so struggle all you want.’”
A flood of memories overwhelmed her: Chris, their time on Rubbish Island, his sacrifice, and his tragic demise.
Her mind reeled, so she steadied herself with a breath.
“Damn it… That explains why I messed up earlier. In the first round, I didn’t need to dive in. I could have finished Rotom with Thunderbolt from outside the water. But I rushed. You know how our emotions affect each other.”
“It’s over now. What matters is this: I identified Misty’s final Pokémon.”
“What do you mean?”
“Her last Pokémon is—”
Before Ditto could finish, Misty—who had been limp and lifeless moments prior—suddenly sat up straight. Her movements were grotesque and puppet-like. Her head twitched violently as she raised a trembling arm and hurled a Poké Ball.
A Starmie emerged.
Misty’s Key Stone and Starmie’s Mega Stone resonated instantly. Without hesitation, Starmie began its Mega Evolution. Inside Mina, Ditto whispered:
“Mega Starmie.”
Starmie’s body stretched, its appendages elongating into strange, leg-like extensions. It landed gracefully on the ice and glided across it like a figure skater, mesmerizing the crowd.
Mina stood on the icy foothold. A chill crept up her spine, followed by a faint spark of confidence. She slapped her cheeks lightly, a wicked smile twisting her lips. Staring at the puppet-like Misty, she declared,
“Now then… shall the protagonist finally end this damn Gym battle?”
“prodigal” means not only one who has strayed from the path, but also someone who carries the nuance of being shaken, wavering, or thrown into uncertainty.
- Mina, whose long-buried trauma resurfaces and rattles her resolve
- Misty, whose body and will have been forcibly overridden, leaving her shaking like a marionette
- Ditto, whose identity fluctuates violently between free will and instinctive obedience.