13.Ash's Rikoto Story

Chapter 62 The Sea Temple

When Ash and Alice arrive at Sario Town, they spot Rodney deep in conversation with Professor Pinewood. Curious, Ash approaches them. "What are you doing here?"

Rodney turns to Ash, looking slightly frustrated. "I guess the entrance to Crystal Cave isn't cleared yet. Hopefully, it will be soon—I really want to get to my next gym battle with Alice."

"I know," Alice sighs, sharing his impatience.

Rodney continues, "Anyway, Professor Pinewood is here with his assistants. Apparently, he has some new information to share with us!"

Professor Pinewood nods. "Yes, I do. We've been conducting more research on the legend of Solaran and Lunaro, and it led us here. This is the location where Solaran and Lunaro were sealed away..."

"What? You mean, here, in Sario Town?" Ash asks, surprised.

"Yes, right here," Professor Pinewood confirms. "See those stones in the center of the town? They might look like decorations, but they're actually part of a machine—a mechanism that opened the portal to seal Solaran and Lunaro."

"Wow, but how does it work?" Alice asks, her curiosity piqued.

"The five pillars around the center are where the Elemental Stones need to be placed to open the gate," Professor Pinewood explains. "But only if all five stones are placed in the correct order. Without all the stones, the gate can't be opened."

Alice quickly adds, "But Ash has three of the stones, so there's no way either of the Teams will be able to open it!"

As they discuss the situation, Ash suddenly feels a chill run down his spine, as if they are being watched. He looks around but sees nothing out of the ordinary. Feeling uneasy, he excuses himself, leaving the others puzzled by his sudden departure.

As Ash turns to leave, he suddenly grabs a young woman by the arm, his eyes narrowing. "Where do you think you're going?"

Alice, taken aback, asks, "Ash, what's going on?"

"This is a spy from Team Solar," Ash replies, his tone cold, much to everyone's shock. "Well done, Rodney—your big mouth just gave her everything she needed."

Rodney stammers in disbelief, "What? I didn't know..."

Ash turns his attention to the spy, his voice dripping with malice. "Did you hear everything we said?"

The grunt nods fearfully, her face pale.

"Where are your commanders? Are they here?" Ash presses.

"No..." the grunt stammers. "They're at the Sea Temple..."

"Thank you for your cooperation," Ash says calmly before swiftly knocking her out. He then uses the power of aura to wipe her memory. As he finishes, Rodney, still reeling, asks, "What did you do?"

"I erased her memory of our conversation," Ash explains. "We can't risk any of the grunts reporting back with what they know. But now we need to get to the Sea Temple—Team Solar is already there."

Alice, still processing what just happened, adds, "But we don't know where it is when we get to Rainbow Reef. And it's only because of your brother that we have the Sea Stone."

"In fact, the temple is underwater," Professor Pinewood interjects, surprising them all. "As far as we know, neither Team Solar nor Team Lunar knows its exact location, so we have the advantage."

"Alright," Ash says decisively. "I'll need to find help from Searine if we're going to stop them."

The group nods in agreement, but then Alice's eyes widen in horror as she spots something. "Crap, there's an eavesdropper!"