The terrifying scene before them threw the entire plaza into chaos.
Even Brock's Sudowoodo and Dawn's Buizel were struck by Darkrai's Dark Void, both falling instantly into sleep.
Moments later, Bad Dreams activated—plunging them deeper into nightmares.
At that same instant, Ash's sharp eyes locked onto Darkrai's movements.
When Darkrai tried to retreat into the shadows, Ash didn't hesitate—he gave chase.
In a narrow alleyway, Ash seized the opportunity.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
The attack landed cleanly, the golden lightning illuminating the dark alley.
The electric shock forced Darkrai out of its shadowy form, revealing its true self.
Ash: "Darkrai! Why did you tell everyone to get out?!"
Darkrai: "No… you misunderstand. I wasn't talking about you."
To Ash's surprise, Darkrai answered sincerely.
But before Ash could even think about what that meant, Baron Alberto—followed by Team Rocket—rushed into the alley.
Without giving Darkrai another chance to speak, Alberto pointed dramatically.
"Go, Lickilicky! Attack!"
Of course, idiocy knows no bounds.
How could a Lickilicky ever stand up to Darkrai?
With a single Dark Void, Lickilicky fell into unconsciousness.
Having been attacked yet again, Darkrai lost its patience.
It shot one last meaningful glance toward Ash—then vanished into the darkness.
Ash wanted to follow, but something caught his attention—
A strange phantom Pokémon emerging from a nearby wall.
Its form was half-transparent, almost like a mirage, trembling as though trying to escape something unseen.
"What is that…?"
Driven by curiosity, Ash reached out to touch it—
but his hand passed right through.
While everyone stood frozen in disbelief, Baron Alberto, unaffected as always, was busy shaking his fainted Lickilicky awake.
But as he did, the Pokémon began to glow—
and in the next second, Alberto's own body began to change.
Before everyone's horrified eyes, the proud nobleman turned pink, round… and sticky.
Baron Alberto X — Lickilicky Baron!
Jessie (Jessie) cautiously pulled out a mirror.
The newly transformed "Lickilicky Baron" looked at his reflection—and screamed.
"NO! This can't be real!!"
Meanwhile, inside the Pokémon Center, every Pokémon affected by Darkrai's attack had been gathered.
Nurse Joy was running between them, doing her best to diagnose and stabilize the patients.
But those struck by Dark Void were beyond her current ability to cure.
More and more unconscious Pokémon were carried in—
and before long, the Lickilicky Baron stumbled inside as well.
"Fix me back to normal, Nurse Joy! Immediately!" he demanded.
Nurse Joy just sighed.
"Sir, that's… not something a human can fix."
Inside the Pokémon Center, eerie phantoms began to drift through the air—
the same kind Ash had seen earlier.
They floated aimlessly, like spirits trapped in a nightmare.
"These Pokémon… they look like they're being chased by something terrifying,"
Joy murmured after observing them for a moment.
"They must be dreaming."
Lickilicky Baron: "Then what about me?! Why did I turn into this?!"
Joy (deadpan): "Perhaps… your Lickilicky is dreaming of becoming you."
Baron Alberto: "???"
What kind of ridiculous logic is that?! Why does MY Pokémon get to dream like that?!
[Caitlin:] I can't take it anymore! This Alberto guy is killing me! He actually turned into a Lickilicky!
[Lillie:] Aw, but it's kind of cute! If I could turn into a Pokémon too, I could hug myself anytime I wanted!
[Acerola:] Whether it's those ghostly Pokémon or Lickilicky Baron, I bet all of this ties back to Darkrai somehow.
[Professor Oak:] Not entirely. The nightmares are certainly Darkrai's doing, but the phantoms and transformations—those seem more like Palkia's influence.
[Professor Magnolia:] I agree. Palkia governs space, after all. Within its domain, anything strange can happen.
[Cynthia:] That makes sense. Within its own space, Palkia can freely alter reality. Separating souls from bodies would be trivial for it.
[Ash:] Then… I'm worried about Dialga. If Palkia's here, Dialga will definitely come after it. If those two clash here in Alamos Town, the result could be catastrophic!
[Lance:] Wait—I get it now! Everything connects!
[Steven:]Sniped!
[Steven:] Dialga follows Palkia's trail into Alamos Town, and their clash begins—the Battle of the Space-Time Tower! Darkrai fights to protect the park, just as it promised Alicia!
[Lance:] STEVEN! You stole my line!!!
Lance was fuming on the other side of the light screen.
He'd been waiting all day to look smart—finally, the moment came—
and then Steven Stone stole his thunder.
In Goldenrod City, Lance clenched his teeth.
He could practically feel Steven's smug grin through the broadcast.
"Well, Champion Lance,"
came a chillingly calm voice behind him,
"have you decided how to apologize to me yet?"
Lance froze.
That voice—
It was Sabrina.
He'd thought he'd escaped her after that last "incident" (the one involving a no-safety bungee jump from 10,000 meters).
Apparently not.
"Still not ready to apologize?" she asked sweetly.
"S–Sorry!!!"
He bowed a full ninety degrees without hesitation.
Back on screen—
After reuniting at the Pokémon Center, Ash comforted Brock and Dawn, but his expression was heavy.
Everything was spiraling out of control, and he could do nothing to stop it.
That helplessness weighed on him.
Sensing Ash's frustration, Pikachu rubbed against his leg encouragingly.
Just then, the three trainers from earlier burst through the doors, out of breath.
They brought terrible news:
"Everyone! The bridge to the outside is covered in mist! No matter how many times we try—we can't get through!"
The room fell silent.
No one wanted to believe it—but it was true.
Ash followed them to the bridge himself.
Thick white fog covered everything beyond the entrance.
One trainer, unwilling to accept defeat, released her Pokémon.
"Use Defog!"
But no matter how many times the Pokémon flapped its wings, the mist didn't thin at all.
Dawn: "Even Defog doesn't work…?"
Fear began creeping into everyone's hearts.
Between the mist sealing the bridge and Darkrai's earlier attacks, despair spread quickly.
"No way! I don't believe it! Let me try!"
"Pika!"
In that moment, when everyone else faltered, Ash stepped forward with Pikachu at his side.
Under the stunned gaze of the crowd, the two of them ran straight into the fog.
Before entering, Ash fixed his sense of direction firmly in his mind.
Just keep running forward, he told himself.
He trusted his instincts.
But the deeper they went, the thicker the fog became—
until even the ground beneath their feet seemed to disappear.
Ash closed his eyes and kept running forward blindly.
Finally, when he saw a faint light ahead, he opened them—
only to find Dawn and the others standing in front of him.
He had somehow run in a circle—right back to where he started.
"How is that possible…?"
Even Ash was thrown off this time.
But the strange phenomenon reminded him of something—
that time long ago, when Lucario used aura to guide them through the fog surrounding the Tree of Beginning.
Maybe… aura could help again.
Standing at the edge of the mist, Ash took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He raised his hands to his chest—
and a soft blue light began to glow between them.
Waves of aura energy rippled outward, flowing into the fog.
For a long moment, there was silence.
Then Ash opened his eyes—his face grave.
He turned back to the others.
"This isn't just mist," he said solemnly.
"It's a barrier. Beyond it… isn't the real world anymore.
Some unknown energy has completely sealed Alamos Town off."
Everyone froze.
Ash's aura had never lied.
If even aura couldn't pierce it… then the truth was far worse than they imagined.
[Elaine:] Wow… it's been a while since that earlier aura scene, but Ash's control is so refined now!
[Raihan:] At this point he could probably use an Aura Sphere!
[Bea:] Incredible… he barely trained in aura at all, and yet he's using it naturally. That's pure talent.
[Chloe:] Exactly! He's born for this—Ash could totally be a Fighting-type Champion if he wanted!
[Mustard:]A true martial spirit! If he trained in the way of aura, there's nothing in the world that could stop him!
[Bruno:] Ash! Listen to them!
[Ash:] No way! My goal isn't that! From the day I left home, I've had only one dream—to become a Pokémon Master!
[Professor Oak:] He's still the same pure-hearted kid. His dream has never changed.
[Lorelei:] Maybe that's exactly why he'll reach it one day.
In Kanto, beneath a roaring waterfall—
Bruno stood under the crashing torrent beside his Onix, the force slamming into his body like a mountain falling from the sky.
But his stance didn't waver.
Ever since witnessing Ash's strength, Bruno had felt… unworthy of his title as a Fighting-type Elite Four member.
What's the point of battling with Fighting Pokémon, he thought, if I can't even rely on my own fists?
True strength should come from within!
But no matter how long he trained beneath the waterfall, he hadn't felt any progress.
After all, he was already a master martial artist—ordinary training wasn't enough anymore.
"Onix, what do you think? Should I… go ask Ash to teach me?"
"Onix!"
"You're right! Let's go! I want to get stronger!"
Bruno clenched his fists in determination.
If even Lance had received a livestream reward once, then he couldn't fall behind!
If aura could enhance strength, then that was the next path for him!
Dressed and ready, Bruno marched off toward Mt. Silver, eager to learn.
Back on screen—
After hearing Ash's explanation, Tonio immediately understood.
All those system warnings earlier—
they hadn't been malfunctions.
Something truly was invading the town.
He then remembered something—
a memory from long ago involving Darkrai and Alice.
"I don't think Darkrai's behind this," Tonio said quietly.
"When we were kids… I saw it with my own eyes."
He told them how, as a child, he had watched Alice fall from a cliff—
and before he could reach her, Darkrai appeared and caught her safely.
By the time he got there, Darkrai had already vanished, leaving Alice unharmed at the bottom.
She had always believed Tonio saved her,
but he knew the truth.
"It wasn't me who saved you, Alice," he said solemnly. "It was Darkrai."
Alice's eyes widened.
For years, she had believed otherwise—
but Tonio's words carried no doubt.
"And I found notes about this in Godey's diary," Tonio continued.
"It said that Darkrai opened its heart to your grandmother, Alicia. I truly believe—it isn't evil."
Tonio's voice was firm.
He had no intention of hiding the truth anymore.
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