Latias hovered anxiously in front of them, chattering quickly in her Pokémon tongue. Unfortunately, Kai and the others couldn't understand a word. They could only tell from her expression that something terrible had happened.
Kai had already guessed the truth. The Secret Garden must have been attacked. And the culprits? Without question, it had to be those two female thieves.
When Ash and the others all turned toward him expectantly, Kai sighed and glanced at the shadow under his feet.
"Gengar, stop napping. Time to work."
This was exactly the kind of moment where their makeshift "translator" was needed.
Slowly, Gengar rose out of the floor with an exaggerated yawn. He wore a floppy nightcap and hugged a giant pillow to his chest, looking like he had just rolled out of bed.
"Seriously?" Gengar muttered. "Do you even know what time it is? It's way past midnight! I was in the middle of my beauty sleep!"
"Cut the jokes." Kai rubbed his temples. "Something's wrong. Help us translate. Tell us what Latias is saying."
Latias, realizing this unusual Gengar could speak with humans, quickly repeated her warning.
This time Gengar's playful look faded. "It's bad. She says the Secret Garden's been invaded. Those two women who attacked earlier broke in again. They captured her brother and they stole the Soul Dew."
Ash and Brock both froze.
"No way!" Ash cried. "But wasn't the Garden protected by a barrier? How did they even find it?"
"They must have tracked us," Brock said grimly, stroking his chin. "I just never imagined they could succeed, not with two Legendary Pokémon guarding the place."
"That's not as strange as it sounds," Kai shook his head. "Just because they're Legendary Pokémon doesn't mean they're invincible. Strength can vary, even between two of the same species. State of mind, battle experience, even the environment those things can change everything."
No one could sleep after hearing that. Since the boys and girls had separate lodgings, Kai quickly phoned Erika, explained the situation, and then joined Ash and Brock as they threw on their clothes.
By the time they rushed into the Pokémon Center's lobby, Erika and Misty arrived too, hair messy, clothes hastily thrown on. Normally people said girls took the longest to get ready, but in a crisis, clearly that rule no longer applied.
Despite hearing the news by phone, both girls were still stunned to see Latias hovering there. Thankfully, the lobby was deserted at this hour, so there was no risk of discovery.
Even if someone else had been present, Latias could always disguise herself again as Bianca.
Erika, ever the careful thinker, immediately asked, "What about Mr. Lorenzo and Bianca? They'd never just stand by if the Garden was under attack."
Latias shook her head, and then her eyes began to glow. Just like before in the Garden, she triggered a Dream Projection.
The world around them dissolved. Now they were seeing through Latios's eyes. Kanon and Lorenzo were tied up with sticky webbing, while the thieves Annie and Oakley circled Latios, whispering to each other, clearly unsettled by his glowing eyes.
"This place…" Misty frowned. "Why does it look so familiar? It's like some kind of hall—"
"You don't need to guess," Kai interrupted, pointing to a large device at the side. "Look there. That's the same machine we saw earlier when we toured the Grand Sanctuary."
Everyone's eyes widened in recognition.
"Then we need to hurry!" Ash shouted. Discover more novels at novelꜰire.net
Just as they prepared to move, the vision shifted. Oakley slipped inside the device's spherical chamber. Somehow, using Latios and the Soul Dew, she activated it. The entire structure began to transform.
Worse still, the fossils embedded in the floor suddenly stirred and then rose to life like reanimated monsters.
The power of the Soul Dew was beyond belief.
"We can't waste any time," Kai said firmly. "Whatever they're trying to accomplish, they're close to finishing it."
Everyone nodded. As soon as Latias ended the Dream Projection, they dashed for the Pokémon Center's entrance.
But when they reached the doors, metal hooks suddenly shot up from the ground, interlocking and sealing the way forward.
And it wasn't just here the entire city began to shift. Streets, bridges, and even narrow alleys became barricaded by the same sharp hooks.
Since it was the middle of the night, hardly anyone else noticed.
Misty, still running hard, nearly stumbled straight into the spikes, but Kai grabbed her arm just in time. Heart pounding, she stared at the trap. "What are these things?"
Latias chirped, and Gengar translated at once. "She says it's an ancient defense system, built long ago when her ancestors saved this island."
"A defense system, huh?" Kai muttered. "Looks like it's being used against us now."
The hooks were sharp and densely packed, impossible to touch safely. But with Pokémon, obstacles like these didn't last long. Gengar lobbed a Shadow Ball, blowing a gaping hole through the barrier.
Once outside, Kai released Dragonite and turned to the others. "We'll cover more ground if we split up. Erika and I will fly on Dragonite. You three take the waterways. Find a boat and head for the Sanctuary by sea."
Brock and Misty nodded. Their Pokémon weren't suited for flight, so they sprinted toward the riverside.
Ash was about to follow when Latias tugged at his jacket, urging him onto her back. Understanding her urgency, Ash didn't hesitate. He swung himself onto her neck just as her wings flared.
Together with Kai's Dragonite, they soared into the night sky, racing toward the Grand Sanctuary.
Don't forget to drop some PowerStones!💎💎💎
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