12. The Sevestar Prince Darker Version

Chapter 22

"Hydreigon, please, calm down!" Ash's voice echoes through the battlefield, clad in his Dragon Prince attire. By his side stand Alice, Drandon, and Lucine, united as the Dragon Foursome, each wielding a Legendary Pokémon: Latias, Latios, Reshiram, and Zekrom. The scene unfolds with relentless attacks aimed at quelling the rampaging Hydreigon until its fury subsides.

"I suppose that concludes our skirmish," Drandon remarks, a tinge of disappointment in his tone. "Though it's a tad anticlimactic."

"Indeed. I crave another encounter akin to the Eternatus incident, where we can unleash the full extent of our powers as the Dragon Foursome," Lucine adds wistfully.

"Let's steer clear of Eternatus' wrath; its turmoil tends to attract unwanted chaos," Ash interjects. "But there's wisdom in the challenge it presents."

With the battle settled, the group decides to retreat to their castle. Alice breaks the news about a meeting among Champions from various regions, excluding Ash.

"It appears they're discussing the Ash Ketchum murder case, and since Iris is among the victims, she won't be present either. And because the incident occurred in Kanto, your father won't be attending," Lucine explains.

"It's ironic, isn't it? The roles should be reversed. Ash is the true victim, and Iris, the accused murderer," Drandon adds, frustration evident in his voice.

"And my sister, she's going to spice things up at the meeting. It's up to her to add some intrigue to the proceedings," Ash says with a mixture of determination and concern.

"Who called for this meeting anyway?" Lillie mutters under her breath, a hint of annoyance clouding her thoughts as she realizes it will cut into her time with Mark.

"Serena did," Diantha replies, her expression reflecting a mix of curiosity and concern.

As they settle into their seats, the seven Champions and the Kalos Queen gather in the meeting room. Goodshow strides in, accompanied by a young woman standing behind him.

"This is Minami Satoshi. She's a detective and will be joining us," Goodshow announces, prompting Minami to bow respectfully to the group.

Serena, taking charge of the meeting, turns her attention to Minami. "Minami, right? As a detective, are you familiar with the Delia Ketchum murder case from five years ago?"

A wave of apprehension ripples through Geeta, Lance, Diantha, and Lillie as they anticipate the direction of the conversation.

"Yes, our agency has some knowledge of that case. However, we didn't consider it significant as it didn't directly involve us. Why do you inquire about it?" Minami responds, her internal turmoil masked beneath a composed exterior, knowing all too well that Delia is her mother.

"Ever since that incident, Ash Ketchum has been missing. No one has seen him in five years, and the authorities haven't been able to locate him either. Given your expertise as a detective, do you think you could search for any leads on Ash's whereabouts?" Serena's voice carries a mix of urgency and hope. "We suspect he might be hiding in this region, especially since it's newly established and was isolated from other regions before our current event."

"Serena, were you an eyewitness to the murder?" Lillie interrupts with a pointed stare. "From what I gathered in your case file, you only saw Ash with the murder weapon after the fact. There's a possibility that he found his mother already deceased and was merely holding the knife."

"I don't want to jump to conclusions, but the evidence does point to Ash," Serena defends, her voice tinged with conflict. "Plus, we have 12 witnesses whose testimonies all align."