Chapter 92 Mirage Tower

Ash and Pikachu are now off the train as they arrive at Tourmaline Desert, Ash gulps a little at how vast the desert is, but he decides to continue forward if he wants to reach Titania. But what surprises him is the person that is waiting for him.

Ash: Taka...you're here...

Taka: I was really hoping you wouldn't show up. (Frowns) Ash, I'm sorry. I- have to stop you here. If I don't... They're gonna say something like, there's no reason for me to stay, right? Ace has been missing since the Water Treatment Center. The others are probably already- Or she's probably already ...watching us from somewhere.

Ash is surprised, Ace has been missing, does that mean he was killed by Lin or other Team Meteor members?

Taka: I don't- have a choice anymore. As if I ever did.

Taka sends out Klefki as his first Pokemon, and Ash decides to go with Charizard. With the Heat Wave, Charizard manages to hit Klefki, only to find that it has already used Substitute. Then it goes for Swagger to make Charizard confused, but Ash has Charizard go for Flamethrower, knocking it out of the battle, but it gets hit by the Thunder Wave.

The second Pokemon is Gliscor, and Ash decides to change into Glalie for this battle. Gliscor goes for Stealth Rock, setting up the field, and Glalie goes for Frost Breath, which is also super effective. Gliscor tries to use Roost to heal itself, but Glalie quickly uses Water Pulse to make it confused, and it hurt itself with confusion. In the end, Ash finishes with Frost Breath.

The third Pokemon is Komala, and it sets up a Wish, and after Glalie goes for Crunch, the wish comes true and heals the Pokemon. Komala also goes for Return, knocking out Glalie. So Ash goes for Lucario for this one. With the Aura Sphere, Komala is also knocked out of the battle. The fourth Pokemon is Minior, and it goes for Earthquake, causing Lucario to take a lot of damage. Ash switches out to Pikachu and goes for a Thunderbolt. The Thunderbolt manages to deal a lot of damage to make it into its core form, it goes for Rock Slide, but Pikachu dodges the attacks and finishes with Volt Tackle.

Alolan Exeggutor is Taka's fifth Pokemon, and Ash switches into Goodra to battle this Pokemon. Goodra goes for Bide to take the Dragon Hammer, and then it unleashes to deal much damage and finishes with Ice Beam.

Taka: (Mutters) I know I can't win... (Sends out Chatot)

Ash sees that Taka takes out a Z-Ring and has Chatot goes for Breakneck Blitz, so Goodra decides to go for Bide again, trying to take the hit and stay still. And even though it goes for Chatter to make Goodra confused, the aim also hits Chatot, and finally, it is defeated.

Taka: Not against you...(Recalls Chatot) ...and not against them. So I guess that's it. (Turns away) This'll probably be the last time you have to deal with me. Sorry.

Ash feels sorry for Taka, and after reading Elias' diary, he knows what's going on with Solaris and he wants to help Taka out as well.

Taka: But you can. You've always been standing up to us. And you've always been winning. You're gonna keep doing that, aren't you?

Ash: Of course, I am not going to let Team Meteor do their evil plans. Kiki...Ame...they have been victims of Team Meteor and I am not going to forgive them for killing them!

Taka: Did you ever even think to do anything else? Cuz I don't think I have. I never thought anything could change, but here you are. You rocked the boat and I've fallen right out of it. Splash. But where does that leave me? When I go back to failure again, I won't get another chance. And you ...will keep fighting.

Ash: If that's what you think, how about you come with us?

Taka: Really?

Ash: Yeah. I mean, since you're not going back to Team Meteor, how about we tag along in this desert? Maybe we can think about what you can do?

Taka: (Thinks for a second) Okay. I'll try not to get in your way. And uh, I kinda took a bunch of healing items from the base before they sent me here... So I'll heal your Pokémon whenever you need it, okay? If I can find somewhere safe to hide, I think I'll lay low there for a while. Maybe long enough that I'll get off of that woman's radar. After that... let's beat Team Meteor together. I'll follow your lead, Ash.

Ash smiles as both he and Taka are now walking in the Tourmaline Desert, and Ash also tries to capture some Pokemon for his team.

Ash's New Pokemon in Tourmaline Desert: Excadrill, Skarmory (Sand)

While getting to the items, Taka would always joke about them, and Ash seems to be amused by the jokes, but when they spot the Poke Balls on the ground, they are confused.

Taka: So what, did someone just drop all these here by accident or what?

Ash: No, these are Corey's Poke Balls...he threw them here before committing suicide...

When they continue further, they manage to find an oasis, and they are surprised. But once Ash touches the Healing Shard, the oasis just disappears like that.

Taka: Wait, what? Uh, so was that just a mirage? There's no way we could've walked up that close and touched it if it were just that, right? I'm... confused.

Ash: I'm feeling the same thing...

After finding three more mirage spots, they continue north and they find a strange tower in another oasis.

Ash: What the...am I seeing things? Why is there a tower here?

Taka: I feel like I've seen this place before... Ash, can we check it out?

Ash nods as they walk into the tower, and they find some sort of puzzle in the middle and some mirror walls. Ash remembers his aunt Serra and he tries to punch the walls.

Taka: I'm starting to think you might be repressing some seriously destructive impulses.

Ash: There's gotta be a door somewhere...(Punches another wall to reveal a door) Found it.

Taka: It looks like this hole leads downwards. Do we really have to go down there?

Ash: We have to.

Ash and Taka then head downstairs, and they find that they are actually in a dark place.

Taka: I don't like this place.

Ash: Don't worry, there aren't any spooky things in here...

And at the end of the tower, they find a Mimikyu, who has been curious about them. Ash decides to capture the Pokemon in the end.

Ash's New Capture in Mirage Tower: Mimikyu (Event)

Taka: What were you fighting just then? I don't think there was anything there, but you kept acting like there was...

Ash: There is a Mimikyu, and I just captured it.

And because of Taka's scared, Ash decides to leave the basement and head back to the first floor. He tries to solve the puzzle in front of him.

Taka: This thing looks like it'll slide around this surface area. But what to do with it... You wanna just try stuff, Ash?

Ash: I think...

As he pushes the block in one step, the other puzzle's block also moves in the same direction and the same step. After moving them to the white spot, stairs suddenly appear in front of them.

Ash: So that opened a path upwards. There's probably more like this going upwards too.

Taka: I don't really get this mechanism too well... so I'll be counting on you.

When they climb up the stairs, they find that it is a long way.

Ash: Taka, do you know this place a lot?

Taka: Regardless of if I've been here or not, the architecture in this place is the same as the Citadel... That should mean that this place was made by my ancestors too.

After getting to the second floor, they find the same puzzle, but the white spots are not in the same place as the two puzzles. But Ash decides to try push another block between the obstacles so that the other block won't be able to move while he moves the block he's moving, and after a while, they manage to end the puzzle.

Taka: Well, that's not quite what I was expecting to appear...

But just as they get through the door, they find themselves in the same place.

Taka: Uh. Did we take a wrong turn?

Ash: No, the puzzle is different.

Then Ash tries to do the third puzzle, and he realizes that it is getting harder and harder after the first one.

Taka: This place is so weird. It might have been made by my forebearers, but why make it so confusing? (Climbs the stairs appearing to the right, but finding that they're heading downstairs) It seems to get worse as we go up, too. Did they make it like that on purpose?

Ash: I'm not sure...

After finishing the fourth puzzle, they find that the stair appears on the stairs they were on, and they quickly walk to it and find that they just skip the entire floor, much to their confusion. But they get to the fifth puzzle and finish it, after that, they manage to get to the sixth puzzle.

Ash: Just how many puzzles are there...it is getting annoying...

And the last one is pretty annoying as well, it takes Ash 20 minutes to finish the puzzle and both he and Pikachu are lying on the ground.

Taka: I feel like that shouldn't even be physically possible. (Rushes towards the stairs with Ash, after taking a rest) This is like the mirror funhouse I never got to go to as a kid.

After climbing more stairs, Ash and Taka finally find the exit, only to find that they're back at the entrance.

Taka: Wait, what?! Why are we back outside now? What was even the point? Did we make a wrong turn somewhere?

Much to Ash's surprise, they see that there are Phione in the water.

Ash: Those are Phione! Maybe that's the reward for solving those puzzles? (Looks forward) But why is the path forward darkness...

They capture a Phione and continue to head forward into the darkness, and then they find a door and enter, only to find that they're at the top of the Mirage Tower.

Taka: Is... it over? This looks like it might be the top.

At the end of the room, Ash finds a sword sheathed on the platform.

Taka: This is... I remember now. My father took me here once when I was very young. He told me a story about our family. A long time ago, Arceus created the world as we know it. He also had to retroactively create the method for his arrival in that world. This was the meteor that our family dedicated themselves and their culture to protect. But there was another Legendary Pokémon that appeared in Reborn, too- Giratina.

Ash: Seriously? Giratina as well?

Taka: It appeared here after the world's creation, and its very presence began to distort Arceus' holy ground. So, that Legendary Pokémon became the enemy of our ancestors. They fought, and they won, and supposedly Giratina left the region forever. But even today, there are many distortions in Reborn that could be said to be caused by Giratina's past influence. This tower... isn't one of them. I remember my father telling me that our ancestors made this place to train themselves to withstand Giratina's distortions. After the Pokémon's defeat, it became a tradition to climb the Tower. And enshrined at the top was... That. Ash, go ahead, take it.

Ash nods as he pulls out the blade, only to find that it is a Honedge. Ash decides to capture it in the end since he wants an Aegislash to the team.

Ash's New Capture in Mirage Tower: Phione (Fishing), Honedge (Event)

Taka: The original weapon that defeated Giratina... is probably not that one. Who knows if something like that could even still be around by now? But at the least, this should be similar. Maybe a descendant, like I am. But... I'm not suited to this. I may have the slayer's blood in me, but by now, even water must be thicker than it. So whether you end up turning that sword on Giratina or Arceus, I want you to take it.

Ash nods as they leave the Mirage Tower, hoping to find where Titania and the Sapphire Bracelet are.


And this is the first part of the Tourmaline Desert. As you can see, Ash and Taka decide to travel together and they find the Mirage Tower. Trust me, the puzzles here are hard to figure it out, but I'm glad I did and I hope you like this chapter.