PS396

/ or Strong Enemy and Three Girls (Japanese: VS トリトドン VS  or 強敵と三人娘 Strong Enemy and Three Girls) is the 396th round of the Pokémon Adventures manga.

Plot
Jupiter introduces herself to and her two companions, Gym Leaders Maylene and Candice, the latter of which is stuck in hardened mud. Maylene, orders her to free Candice, but Jupiter's  fires a  against Riolu to knock it back. Platinum decides to take action, and calls forth her, which Jupiter's lands a hit on as soon as it appears out of its Poké Ball.

Jupiter sends out a chilling warning to her opponents, and calls forth her. Just as Platinum tries to warn her companions of its threat, Tangrowth puts its vines in place and delivers a blinding, allowing Sableye to use launch four simultaneous s on Platinum, Maylene and their Pokémon. Candice, seeing her comrades down, breaks free of the mud encasing her, and sends out her. Abomasnow is told to ignore Sableye and go for Tangrowth alone. But Tangrowth, upon Jupiter's command, transforms its Bluk Berry into an ball of fire to set Abomasnow alight. Candice, gasping at the power of Tangrowth's, is then directed up to the sky by Jupiter, who sees one of Team Galactic's aircraft arrive and hold its position above the lake. Platinum thinks it carries the Galactic Bomb, but Jupiter states that only one of Team Galactic's three craft hold the bomb, and none of the Commanders know where the bomb will detonate.

Meanwhile, is still running towards Lake Verity with  and Roseanne closely following him. Diamond knows that his mother went off to find Berries, on the day the Galactic Bomb will blow her up. Once he arrives at Lake Verity, he doesn't see his mother, but instead hears the sound of an aircraft approaching the lake. Sebastian and Roseanne catch up to Diamond, but he tells them to hide behind the bushes because he knows Team Galactic made it to the lake before him. Sebastian and Roseanne spot Galactic Grunts assembling next to a wind turbine at the other side of the lake, and jump out to confront their enemies, but Kit pulls them back behind the bushes, with Diamond telling them not to act rash.

Diamond quickly arranges a picnic for his two guests, and calls out to search for his mother. Diamond claims that the enemy will mistake Lax for a wild Pokémon, but his mother will recognize it. Lax will then quickly carry his mother to where Sebastian and Roseanne are, and they would bring her to safety by escaping on the former's carriage. Diamond says that he will attempt to break into the aircraft now on a holding position above the lake, using the that was lent to him.

Soon, Lax returns to where Diamond is with a troubled look on its face. When Diamond tries to ask what's wrong, a woman standing behind Diamond and holding his mother hostage, tells him to drop the Poké Ball that he is holding.

Major events

 * arrives at Lake Verity and finds his mother kidnapped by Mars.
 * , Maylene, and Candice are defeated by Jupiter.

Humans

 * Maylene
 * Candice
 * Jupiter
 * Mars
 * Johanna
 * Roseanne
 * s
 * Roseanne
 * s
 * s

Pokémon

 * ('s)
 * (Tru/; 's)
 * (Don; 's)
 * (Kit/; 's)
 * (Maylene's)
 * (Candice's)
 * (Mars's)
 * (Jupiter's)
 * (Jupiter's)
 * (Jupiter's)
 * (Roseanne's)
 * (Jupiter's)
 * (Jupiter's)
 * (Jupiter's)
 * (Roseanne's)

In other languages
Kapitel 396 (Pocket Monsters SPECIAL) PS396 PS396