Team Plasma’s quest to awaken and control Reshiram continues, while our shackled heroes watch helplessly. Axew sneaks out of Iris’s hair, where it’s been safely concealed, and manages to free Iris and Cilan from the metal bands that hold them. Then, Concordia and Anthea appear from their mysterious fog and ask N to come back into hiding with them. But N vows to stay in the “real” world and fight for his ideals. Dr. Colress’s device has taken control of their Gothitelle and Gardevoir, along with the newly awakened Reshiram, and things are looking very bleak indeed.

Now is the moment for Team Rocket to step in! They’ve been watching the goings-on from a safe distance, but when Looker spots them and asks for their help in destroying the device and freeing all the controlled Pokémon, they agree. Meowth jumps in to distract the other members of Team Plasma while Ash and Pikachu go after the device. Colress tries desperately to take control of Pikachu, but Pikachu’s willpower—and its bond with Ash—proves too strong, and Pikachu aims a Thunderbolt at Reshiram to break it free as well. The device is destroyed, and Team Plasma is defeated, thanks to an unusual bit of teamwork between our heroes and Team Rocket!

Reshiram is free, but it’s still very angry. N speaks to it in an attempt to calm it down, and it soon becomes clear that he’s changed his tune when he tells Reshiram that people and Pokémon can live in harmony and work together. He promises Reshiram that he’ll keep fighting for an ideal world for everyone, people and Pokémon alike, and seems pleased with Reshiram’s answer. Iris wants to know what the Legendary Pokémon told him, but Ash disagrees—he wants to meet Reshiram again someday and hear its answer for himself!