Under the immense power of Mewtwo's psychic abilities, the memories of the residents of Alamos Town were erased.
Now, only Ash, Dawn, Anabel, their Pokémon, and the two people they entrusted—Alice and Tonio—retained the knowledge of what had transpired.
Alice had spoken her heart, and in doing so, helped Tonio realize his true feelings. He finally found the courage to stand by her side.
__
During their return journey, Ash and the others had secured a private vehicle from the travel group, allowing them to have some space to themselves.
Now that Darkrai had officially joined the team, it shared a concern.
"There is one problem with traveling together..."
Inside the vehicle, Darkrai's voice resonated in their minds through telepathy.
"Those who remain in my presence for extended periods often fall into nightmares due to my ability."
Hearing this, Ash wasn't surprised. He had already considered this issue before inviting Darkrai along.
"Don't worry, Darkrai," Ash reassured it with a confident smile. "I have just the solution. Meet our other teammate—Gengar!"
He tossed a Poké Ball, and in a flash of light, Gengar emerged.
"Gengar, this is our new friend, Darkrai."
Gengar's mischievous eyes glowed as it observed Darkrai, immediately sensing its Nightmare ability.
Before Darkrai could say anything, Ash explained, "Gengar has a special ability called Soul Hands. With its power, it can help us resist your nightmares, so there's no need to worry."
Darkrai looked at Gengar, intrigued. It had encountered many Pokémon in its lifetime, but Gengar's unique presence made it pause. It wasn't often that Darkrai met a Pokémon whose ability could neutralize its own.
"Immune... to my nightmares?" Darkrai murmured to itself, surprised.
With this assurance, Darkrai felt at ease.
__
Ash and the others didn't return to Hearthome City with the travel group. Instead, they took a different path, heading straight toward Solaceon Town—their next destination.
Dawn was eager to participate in the Solaceon Town Pokémon Contest, so they had planned their route accordingly.
Solaceon Town was also home to a place of historical significance—the Solaceon Ruins.
According to legend, the ruins had been built in ancient times as a tribute to Palkia and Dialga.
By the time Ash and his group arrived in Solaceon Town, a whole week had passed.
__
"Pika-Pika!" Pikachu's ears twitched in excitement as it hopped onto Ash's shoulder.
The towering ruins stood before them, an imposing structure that had withstood the test of time.
"Wow! So this is the Solaceon Ruins," Dawn gasped, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Piplup!" Piplup chirped, equally amazed.
At the entrance of the ruins, two enormous stone statues loomed over them—Palkia and Dialga, carved in intricate detail.
"They look so real…" Dawn marveled, stepping closer.
Anabel glanced at Ash and chuckled, "It's funny, isn't it? We just met Palkia and Dialga back in Alamos Town, and now here we are, looking at their statues."
Ash nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
"Are we going in now?" Anabel asked.
Ash shook his head. "Not yet. There's something important I need to get my hands on first."
He had a plan.
Ash knew from his past life that this place was where Team Galactic first started making moves.
Their leader, Cyrus, had one goal—to reshape the universe.
To do this, Team Galactic needed to harness the power of Dialga and Palkia.
A key item in their plan was hidden deep within the Solaceon Ruins—the Spear Key (Cube).
This cube played a vital role in the creation of the Red Chain, a device that could temporarily control the legendary dragons of time and space.
Ash couldn't allow that to happen.
He had no intention of letting Team Galactic succeed.
Instead, he planned to beat them to the prize.
__
"Gengar, I need you to scout ahead," Ash instructed. "Find a room with strange markings on the walls, then report back to me."
Gengar nodded and vanished into the ground, phasing through the ruins like a shadow.
Meanwhile, Ash, Dawn, and Anabel set up a small camp near the forest, preparing lunch.
Neither Dawn nor Anabel questioned Ash's motives.
They trusted him.
If Ash had a reason for delaying their exploration of the ruins, they knew it was for something important.
__
Not long after Ash and the others finished their meal, three figures approached the ruins.
"Scout the area," ordered a cold voice. "Make sure no one is around. We enter in ten minutes."
"Yes, Commander Saturn!"
Saturn—one of Team Galactic's top commanders—was leading the mission.
Unlike other criminal organizations, Team Galactic preferred working in secrecy. That was why Saturn had only brought two operatives with him.
However, unbeknownst to them, they had already been spotted.
Gengar had sensed their presence and quickly reported back to Ash.
__
After ensuring Dawn and Anabel were settled, Ash made an excuse and slipped away into the ruins with Gengar.
Inside, Saturn and his operatives had already begun navigating the underground labyrinth.
"We're heading the right way," Saturn muttered, studying an ancient map.
"The Solaceon Ruins are like a maze," he continued. "Without this map, we'd be lost."
Ash and Gengar followed them from a distance, unseen and unheard.
Ash knew that three special tokens were needed to unlock the puzzle.
Water Token
Steel Token
Dragon Token
Saturn had already gathered all three.
That meant Ash didn't need to solve the puzzle himself—he just needed to wait.
The plan was simple: let Team Galactic do all the work… then steal the prize.
Saturn's group soon arrived at the inner sanctum of the ruins—a chamber covered in mysterious Unown symbols.
The core of the ruins lay before them.
And in the center of the chamber floated their target—the Spear Key.
"This is it," Saturn said, his voice filled with anticipation. "The key to creating the Red Chain…"
With a deep breath, he placed the three tokens into their respective slots on the ancient floor pattern.
The symbols on the ground glowed, and the entire room trembled.
A bright light illuminated the chamber, and from the center of the pattern, the Spear Key Cube began to rise into the air…
This was Ash's moment.
"Gengar—go!"
With lightning speed, Gengar darted forward, grabbing the cube with its spectral hands before melting into the shadows.
"W-WHAT!?" Saturn's eyes widened in shock.
He had no idea what had just happened.
"Who's there!?" he shouted.
But by the time he realized the cube was gone…
Ash was already long gone.
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