Reversal Mountain was vast and wide, and only its tallest peak was truly called Reversal Mountain.
At that moment, Zillion was climbing upward with Beheeyem's help.
"Man~"
A bird cry echoed from high above. Zillion, gasping for breath, turned back nervously.
"Amber, you finally made it! Trish…why did you come too?!" Zillion exclaimed in surprise.
"Boss, it's my fault. Sato and the others were completely unharmed, and they even found princess Trish on their own. Thankfully, the princess was clever and had Beheeyem take her away at the critical moment. I joined up with her halfway through," the butler quickly explained.
"Trish, you escaped on your own?" Zillion asked seriously, as if something had just occurred to him.
"Yes. Sato tried to have Gardevoir use Hypnosis on me, so I had Beheeyem show itself and take me away," Trish said timidly, clinging tightly to Zillion's large hand.
"Gardevoir? This is bad! Amber, take Trish and leave immediately!" Zillion's face changed, and he spoke with urgent intensity.
"Boss, what's going on? What about Gardevoir?"
"When Jona mentioned Sato to me, she said he had an Elite Four Gardevoir, extremely powerful, and very proficient in Teleport. So it's very likely Sato let Beheeyem take Trish on purpose, then used the residual psychic energy from Beheeyem to locate me."
Zillion, experienced as he was, instantly deduced Sato's plan. He might not be a skilled Trainer, but anyone who could build a business empire like his clearly wasn't a fool.
"D-Daddy… was it my fault?" Trish's pale fingers gripped Zillion tightly, her voice trembling.
"Of course not. The enemy is just too cunning. The most important thing is that you're not hurt. Amber, take Trish and go. I'll come find you once this is over."
"Boss…"
"GO NOW!"
"D-Daddy, don't leave me! I know what you're going to do… let me come too, please! I'm smart, I can help you command the Pokémon, I won't be a burden!"
Trish clung tightly to Zillion's leg, refusing to let go.
For a moment, Zillion's gaze softened. As he looked at Trish's little face, he seemed to see another beautiful woman in a flash.
"So much like her…"
Then Zillion composed himself, forcibly pried Trish's hands off, and pushed her toward Amber.
"My daughter is in your hands, Amber."
"Boss, I swear I'll protect Trish! Oh, these are a few Pokémon I brought with me, all at Pseudo-Elite Four. They might come in handy." Despite being over fifty, Amber's eyes turned red as he looked at Zillion.
"Alright." Zillion took the five Poké Balls.
"Beheeyem, let's continue."
"Beeheyem!" The tri-colored buttons on Beheeyem's hand flickered. It grabbed Zillion and vanished from the spot.
"Daddy…" Trish shed silent tears, gripping Amber's hand tightly, seeking what little sense of safety she could find.
"We need to leave quickly. If those three really are tracking us through Beheeyem, we might be able to lure them away if we move fast!"
"Mm-hmm! Let's go!" Trish suddenly regained some of her spirit and urged him on.
"Mandibuzz, we're counting on you!"
"Man~"
The fierce-looking Mandibuzz obediently lowered its body, allowing Amber to place Trish on its back, then climbed on himself.
"BUZZ!"
With a sharp cry, Mandibuzz spread its wings and soared into the sky, veering slightly as it headed straight toward Lentimas Town.
Five minutes later, Sato, Joseph, Mark, and Gardevoir arrived at the same spot.
Gardevoir quietly sensed the presence of the Beheeyem near Trish but realized it had changed direction and was now heading down the mountain.
"Sato, Beheeyem's position seems to have shifted…?" Gardevoir, uncertain, simply asked Sato.
"Gengar~"
Suddenly, Gengar emerged from the shadows. It pointed toward the summit, then babbled something to Gardevoir.
"Gengar says it picked up the aura of the Beheeyem near Zillion," Gardevoir glanced at Gengar and silently noted that it was using her as a translator.
"Looks like Trish and Zillion regrouped briefly and then split up again. In that case, let's head to the summit." Sato quickly deduced what had happened and made a decision.
"Gar~"
Gengar nodded and floated up the mountain, taking the lead.
"Gardevoir, take a break. If we get into a fight later, we'll need you."
"Ralts~"
With a flash of blue light, Gardevoir reverted into Ralts and quietly tucked itself into Sato's backpack.
Next, Sato and Joseph sent out Sharpedo and Gogoat respectively and chased after Gengar with Mark.
While the three of them pushed forward, Zillion finally arrived at the summit of Reversal Mountain.
The peak was shrouded in a thin mist, the temperature and air pressure both low. Zillion shivered slightly and quickly stepped up to an unremarkable large boulder.
"Beheeyem, clear it."
"Beeheyem~"
A wave of psychic energy swept across the stone. The dust stains on its surface gradually disappeared, revealing its true form.
The side of the boulder facing Zillion was unnaturally flat, so smooth it clearly reflected Zillion's figure.
Zillion reached out and touched the smooth surface; it was polished, yet firm.
"Whoo…" Zillion wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, then pulled the Relic Vase he had taken from Sato out of his spatial backpack.
Buzz~
Something incredible happened. The Relic Vase and the stone emitted a blinding light simultaneously, forcing Zillion to shut his eyes.
When he opened them again, he found that the Relic Vase in his hands had become worn and decrepit, as if it would crumble at the slightest touch.
"Only usable once?" Zillion murmured, then looked up at the boulder in front of him.
The polished surface of the stone was still faintly glowing. Zillion extended his right hand and gently touched it.
The stone was no longer hard, ripples appeared around Zillion's fingertip.
His finger had gone in!
"IT WORKED!"
Zillion shouted with joy, then stepped through without hesitation. Beheeyem followed closely, slamming into it and disappearing with him.
At the exact moment Zillion and Beheeyem vanished, Sato and the others reached the summit. Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw the giant rock flash with a white light before dimming and becoming ordinary once more.