Chapter 183 Belrose Problem Part 1

After taking a rest, Ash and Clair go to the Night Club next day. Victoria is there, but she is still trying to processing about what happened yesterday.

Victoria: I wonder how much I've missed out on. Between trying so hard to keep everyone together, trying so hard to be like Kiki, to keep the Reborn League running, to do everything right- perfectly... All along, it would've been better just to trust me and enjoy it, right? Well, no lesson is truly learned easily. Even lectures are just scaffolds for our experience. I'm grateful to have made it through mine.

Then they also find Eve and Lumi at the tables.

Eve: About the Shaymin cure... It's going... Well. I'm still not entirely sure how to understand it. Just... relieved.

Lumi: Now that we've come this far, I'm starting to have thoughts! Dangerous thoughts! Thoughts like, what kind of things do I want to do in the future? Before I always kinda held myself back from thinking about those things. Because, if I never get the chance to do it, well... I dunno! Now that I'm saying it out loud, isn't that kind of silly? I mean, I may as well at least have thought about it before! Maybe I'll go traveling someday! I wanna see all the different regions! Nowhere too hot though, okay?

Ash: I know a few that are not that hot.

Then they also find Cal at the area.

Cal: Maybe it's a misguided judgment, but... I still want to believe it was the right thing to do. Uh, I mean, to pass that report onto the Nightclub. I mean, you've seen just how much she's been pressuring herself with trying to live up to Kiki, rather than... I hadn't expected the little guy to... well, you know. I've... been thinking about it a lot. Keep waiting for guilt over causing her even more trouble to sink back in. I mean, it's all I felt about her for the longest time. I think I'm... admittedly just grateful that it went well enough in the end... Not that it couldn't have handled the situation a bit more nicely, pushing her as hard as it did. But I'm glad it could be there to help her see that she's been enough all along.

Ash nods and they head to the counter, this time the one's there is Aster.

Aster: New mission, boss. This one comes as a request for backup from Bennett. The Belrose sisters trucked off to the Mirage Tower out in Tourmaline for some good, old-fashioned family bonding time... Or at least as old-fashioned as hunting Legendaries in New World space can be. But some he-said, she-said- Apparently, Laura had some concerns about the other two getting moody. Not entirely sure what was up with them, but he wanted someone to go check on them to make sure nothing was getting out of hand. Bennett would go himself, but from the sound of it, Saphira's still deciding whether or not she's gonna throw him off of however many buildings. But I'm sure there'd be no problem with you going. You in?

Ash: So we're going to the Mirage Tower again...just great.

Clair: You mean the one in the Tourmaline Desert? I think I heard Lillie say something about you finding Manaphy there.

Ash: I wonder what kind of Legendary Pokemon is this time...

Aster: I'll let him know. I'm sure he'll be grateful. Path forward's in the Mirage Tower. You know how to get there, right?

When Ash and Clair use the same method to get to the Mirage Tower, they find Laura on the first floor.

Laura: Bennett, I told you-! (Turns around to see Ash and Clair) Oh, Ash and Clair... My apologies...Perhaps. Bennett sent you, didn't he? It's not as if that's a bad thing, but this was supposed to be a family outing... And as you can see, the whole family is here, happy and smiling!

Ash: Are you sure about that? Your face is saying otherwise.

Laura: ...This was a poor attempt at sarcasm, and I haven't a clue what to do. We had just arrived here, hoping to have a pleasant afternoon doing our civic Anomaly-hunting duties together in a location that I'd hoped would be at least somewhat clean, when Saphira managed to reach her usual intense and mildly over-protective disposition... The events are, perhaps, as could be expected. Charlotte calls her on it, Saphira gets defensive retorts, Charlotte storms off, I follow her up the tower to help, she wants space, so I come back here, and Saphira is entirely missing. I panic...That's the end of the story, basically. I've been in various shades of panic since then. I assume Saphira's below and I don't know how to help Charlotte, and I can't go chase one without worrying about the other, and the way down looks like it's full of dirt and debris and cobwebs- And this was only supposed to be a perfectly normal bonding experience- We haven't had a whole lot of those since our lives started being less actively ruined, you know? And now it's all this. I don't like the fact that Bennett went off and called for help without me agreeing to it, and I like even less the fact that I could... rather desperately use that help right now. Please help me find them. I... need- just a little bit of time. But I'll be right behind you before too long.

Ash: So Saphira is downstairs while Charlotte is upstairs...(Turns to Clair) How about we find Saphira first?

Clair: I'm fine with it.

Then they break the mirrors and get to the underground, and they find a New World Door in front of them.

Clair: Let me guess? Another one of those New World gates?

Ash: Let's find out...

Then they enter the gate and find Saphira there.

Saphira: (Notices Ash and Clair) Well, you're not quite who I expected to come after me. But in a place like this, it would never be Laura. And it's not like Charlotte would. Not if things keep going like they are. I'm... aware that I don't need to be as protective of her as I am. She's more than capable of defending herself. More than capable of protecting me in turn, if only I let her. But I can't. It's not... who I am. Who I am is stuck in the past. Tangled like a bug in one of these webs. And I don't know how to get out. It's nothing a Flamethrower couldn't fix. But burning the land and salting the earth doesn't exactly feel like the play anymore. I still feel like I'm still constantly at war, but I don't even know who I'm fighting.

Ash and Clair notice that the road is blocked off by the spiderweb, and there is a ladder besides them.

Ash: Maybe we should try to explore this place first...

They climb down the ladder and find another breakable mirror wall. But just as they break the wall, the whole scene changed. The field has become a Crystal Cavern.

Clair: What is going on here?

Ash: I don't know... (Turns around) And that was supposed to be where the ladder is.

Clair tries to move the block, only to slip on the crystal floor and so is the block.

Clair: The floor has become ice...and we can move this block...

Ash decides to punch again, and then the crystal caverns are back to normal, and the ladder is now on their side.

Ash: So this puzzle is to move the ladders...that looks interesting...

After climbing the ladder, they find another portal and enter it. Saphira is also with them as she is confused.

Saphira: You wanna tell me exactly how you got on the other side of that thing? I got over myself and just burned through it.

Ash: We just moved the ladder from the floor below us...and that's how we manage to get here.

Saphira: So this is a New World, right? I'm officially nominating it for the worst world in existence. I suppose it looks like this just because it appeared in this dirty basement in the first place. Unlucky for it. Wrong place, the wrong time. Now, this is just how it is. No redeeming that.

Then they decide to do the whole puzzle by moving ladders from top and bottom, after doing so, they manage to get into the next room.

Saphira: I've spent my whole life building myself up around the idea that I am here to look after them, and destroy Sigmund. Nothing else. But in the end, I couldn't even do that. I don't have... anything else. Singular purpose is who I am.

Ash and Clair can only frown, as they continue to move the puzzle, they manage to find a Lunalium Z in the middle of the road, and then they manage to get to the next portal, only to find a dead end.

Saphira: Dead end proper, huh. Can't this burn through this one. This is a fucking joke. What am I even doing here? (Turns around) Just leave. There's no point in beating your head against brick walls. That's all I am now anyway. I only have one part of myself to look at, and there's nothing left for it. No way around that.

Clair: There has to be another way for us to proceed.

Ash: You're right. Let's try to find it.

As they get to the previous room, they try to move the block again and this time they manage to get to the Crystal World, and when they enter the portal, they find that the road has become water, and when they continue to surf, they find what's waiting for them: A Lugia with the Anomaly light.

Clair: So this is Lugia's world all this time?

Ash: And we have to save it from the Anomaly light.

The field is the Dark Crystal Cavern, and Lugia summons a Mismagius, Kommo-o, Mew, Dialga, Diancie, and another Lugia to battle. After Ash and Clair work together to defeat all six of them, Ash uses the chance to capture Lugia.

Ash's New Pokemon in Mirage Tower?: Lugia (Event)

After capturing, Saphira also arrives at the area.

Saphira: Well now don't I feel stupid. It's not so bad after all. And here I had almost bonded with it. Dark, dusty, sharp, and cluttered. Who would want to be around someone like that? But I suppose that's only one perspective of it. Maybe someday I can see something different in myself too. Laura's always worrying. If I really wanted to be a good sister I wouldn't leave the others alone here.

Ash: So you're going back to Laura?

Saphira: Yeah, I got it. I'll head back upstairs. Let's take the scenic route. I think I still haven't seen half of this place.

After walking back to the 1F, Laura is happy to see Saphira back.

Laura: You have my renewed gratitutde for bringing Saphira back. We've agreed it's probably best if we don't press on Charlotte too much for now. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem for you to go after her, but she clearly needs space from us for a moment. Thank you for allowing us to impose on you once again.

Saphira: Sorry to worry you. I began questioning just what I was even being protective over anymore. Didn't have an answer. Got mad. Punched a mirror. Fell down there. Kept falling ...Had to punch a mirror to get out.

Laura: That sounds... therapeutic? And also slightly concerning? Are you okay?

Saphira: I'm good. Second one didn't even hurt.

Laura: I meant, like, emotionally?

Saphira: Oh ...Probably. I've got work to do, but at least for once that work doesn't involve hunting someone down.

Clair: So if Lugia was down below...do you think maybe...

Ash: Ho-oh's on top? Let's find Charlotte first and we'll see if we can get it.

Then they all head upstairs to find Charlotte.


And here is a new chapter, as you can see, we're going for the Tier 6 Legendaries. Some of them aren't able to capture this tier. But I hope you like this chapter.