The next morning found Ash and May asleep in his barracks. Both of them were tangled in the sheets and their clothes were discarded throughout the room. May's head was resting against Ash's chest and his arms were around her bare body and holding her close. Once the sun finally began to hit his eyes, Ash yawned as he stirred and slowly began to wake gaze slowly turned down to the beautiful brunette sleeping in his arms. He couldn't help but smile at her. He loved her so much. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, gently rousing her from her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself looking into Ash's smiling face.

"Morning beautiful…" he whispered gently, moving a stray hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"Good morning…" she smiled as a blush crossed her cheeks. Ash smiled back at her and gave her lips a small peck.

"Last night was amazing…" he commented, earning a giggle from May.

"It felt so right…" she replied, echoing his enjoyment. She then pulled him into a kiss and he kissed her back without hesitation. A happy moan was shared between them before May slowly pulled away. They both smiled at each other before a thought dawned on Ash. He finally tore his eyes away from his beloved and looked around. They were still in his barracks. That meant that they hadn't been brought back to their time yet. And if they were still in Hisui…then their mission was still not complete. May noticed the change in his demeanor and a worried look crossed her face. "Ash? Are you ok?"

"We're still here…we weren't brought back home…" he informed her.

"Oh…but then…what does that mean?" she asked.

"...It means our mission is still not finished." he sighed.

"But…if that's true then what's possibly left for us to do?" she wondered. Ash looked down and thought for a moment, looking for an answer to that question. Suddenly, the answer hit him. Arceus said someone had deliberately opened that rift. And they still didn't know who or why. So if they had left without knowing, that person could just start the disaster all over again.

"We have to figure out who opened that rift…and make sure they can never do it again." he answered her. Despite not knowing the backstory of their mission, his answer made sense to May and she nodded in agreement.

"Ok but then…how do we do that?" she questioned him further.

"That I'm not sure of…" he admitted. "None of the people I've met on this journey seem like people who could've done this…"

"Well…maybe I should check in with Mistress Cogita. She knew all about how to help us close the rift. Maybe she knows how to find out who opened it." she suggested.

"That's a great idea May. And while you're doing that I can look around the village and see if there's anyone here who might know something." he added with a smile. May smiled back at him and nodded.

"I should...get cleaned up and go then I suppose." she suggested. Ash nodded and reluctantly let go of her body. She got up from the bed and stretched before she began washing up. Ash waited until she was done and started gathering her clothes before getting out of bed himself and following her lead. They both got dressed and met up just outside the door to his barracks. They shared a loving smile and a quick kiss. "I'll...see you later today?"

"Count on it." he promised with a thumbs up for good measure. May smiled softly and headed out of the village, making her way back to Cogita's land as Ash began looking around Jubilife Village for clues.

A few hours later, around noon of that same day, Ash found himself eating at the Wallflower. He had run into Pikachu and Glaceon during his wanderings and they had joined his search once he explained things to them. They had searched the village pretty thoroughly and had talked to everyone who wasn't still sleeping off the party from last night. Yet despite this, no one had jumped out at him as someone who could have or would have opened that rift. At a loss for ideas and hungry, he and the Pokemon had stopped at the Wallflower for lunch to recharge their batteries. As he ate, a familiar face walked over to him with a friendly smile.

"Good morning." Akari greeted him as she sat at the table with him.

"Heh. It's more like afternoon Akari." he chuckled.

"In case you forgot there was quite the party held last night. I would have assumed you'd done like everyone else and slept in to recover." she teased him.

"I would have liked to believe me. But I still have work to do before I can go home." he replied, piquing her interest.

"Work? What work? The crisis is over. The rift is closed." she pointed out.

"Yeah but that's not good enough. If we don't know how the rift was opened or who opened it in the first place, this whole disaster could happen all over again." he explained

"I…never thought of it that way." she admitted sheepishly.

"May and I were sent here to save Hisui. And we can't go home until that safety is ensured."

"So what are you going to do? How are you going to figure out who opened the rift?"

"That's the big question…"

"Ash!" another voice suddenly interjected into their conversation. Both Ash and Akari turned around and were surprised to see May running up to the table.

"May? Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, but Mistress Cogita wants to see you right away." she explained.

"She does? Why?" he questioned her further.

"She says she can help us with the remainder of our quest. The final step she called it." she elaborated.

"That's the best lead I've heard all day. Let's give it a shot." he smiled, quickly finishing off his food.

"Good luck guys. I can keep looking around here for anything suspicious." Akari offered.

"That'd be great. Thanks, Akari." he grinned at her. Akari smiled back with a nod and headed off to do just that. Meanwhile, Ash headed off with May toward Cogita's land with their Pokemon following close behind.

After another trek across the region, Ash and May arrived back at Cogita's retreat. And neither of them were surprised to find her once again at her little table sipping tea from her cup. The woman was odd and mysterious no doubt, but it had become pretty clear that she was wise and connected to Hisui. So they had no reason not to trust her. Once she spotted them, a small smile graced her face.

"There are the two Lost Children." she announced.

"Hello, Cogita. I wanted to thank you for helping us out again." Ash said with a polite bow.

"That's simply what I'm here for Ash. I take it you're looking for the answers to your final step?" the old woman guessed.

"We are. We have to make sure Hisui is safe and then go back home." he nodded.

"But how do we do that Mistress?" May wondered.

"You already have a huge piece of the puzzle. One you've been collecting since you first arrived here." she answered. A look of confusion crossed both Ash and May's faces. They didn't really have any idea what Cogita was talking about. What piece was it that they had? Suddenly, a new realization dawned on Ash.

"Wait…do you mean these?" he asked, pulling the ten plates he had been given out of his bag. May's eyes widened in surprise as Cogita nodded.

"Exactly right. A complete collection of those plates will lead you to the cause of all this." she explained.

"Even if that's true...there's still eight more out there we'd need to find before our collection would be complete. And to tell you the truth I don't even know where we'd even start looking for them." Ash explained to her. Cogita simply chuckled in response as she smiled at the two of them.

"The remaining plates are much closer to you than you think young Ash."

"Wait what do you mean? Where are they?" he wondered aloud.

"The answer to your question is right next to you." the older woman answered, causing May's eyes to widen in surprise as Ash looked towards her with equal surprise.

"May?" he questioned both women.

"Indeed. May and Volo did some traveling around Hisui on their own at the same time you were on your adventure." Cogita explained, finally giving May her own realization.

"Wait you mean…" she started as she dug around in her bag for a moment and pulled out six plates of her own. "we need these?"

"You have the other plates?!" Ash gasped.

"She does indeed. The protectors of the other plates recognized her as your partner and entrusted them to her as she traveled with Volo." Cogita nodded. Ash quickly counted the plates in May's hands, discovering that she had indeed obtained the Stone, Fist, Draco, Iron, Dread, and Blank Plates.

"This is great! May you're incredible!" Ash cheered as he grabbed her by her waist and spun her around, making her blush and laugh. "Now we're just missing two more! The Pixie and Spooky Plates!"

"You two did well very well in your quest." Cogita smiled. "Even when you didn't know it, you two were working together. In honor of that, along with the help May has been around camp these past few weeks, I'll present you with a gift for your troubles." she added as she then handed a pink plate to May. Both trainers' eyes widened in shock as they looked at the gift.

"Wait...Mistress this looks like…" May stammered as Ash jumped in.

"That's the Pixie Plate!" Ash gasped.

"Oh? How fortunate then. I had thought it looked odd. And it certainly didn't work well as a cutting board." Cogita chuckled, leaving Ash and May stunned into silence by her response. Could she really not have known what it was? Or was she just joking with them? Before they had any time to ponder it further, however, Volo suddenly arrived on the scene with an eager look in his eye.

"I had quite a bit of yelling on my way over here. Did I hear right that you two have found 17 plates?" he asked.

"Oh hi, Volo." May greeted him.

"Yeah, we sure did. Just missing one last plate. The Spooky Plate." Ash explained, catching him up on the situation.

"Simply marvelous. I can't believe you two are so close to unlocking such an ancient mystery." Volo smiled.

"It may find its way to you in time. For now, you must go to the ancient ruins that were destroyed long ago." Cogita explained, drawing their attention back to her.

"You mean the Celestica Ruins? Near Mt. Coronet?" May wondered.

"Exactly May. Glad you remember my lessons." the older woman nodded.

"I think I remember going by there before. But how come we need to go there?" Ash followed up with his own question.

"My people have called Hisui home for many generations. The most ancient legends of Hisui and her Pokémon can be found there even today. Information about the Pokémon who has helped to tear that rift may be able to be found in there." Cogita explained.

"Well then, I guess we're heading to the Celestica Ruins." Ash announced, to which May nodded in agreement.

"How very fascinating. Would either of you mind if I joined you on this last adventure?" Volo asked the two young trainers, who both smiled and nodded.

"Sure thing Volo."

"It'd be great to have you along."

"Wonderful. Then let's head out to the Coronet Highlands." he grinned as he headed over the bridge that led out of the small hideout and May and Ash followed behind him.

Soon enough, the three travelers arrived at the ruins they were looking for. As they saw before, there was very little evidence left that there had been a temple there at all once. Aside from two statues of the Legendary Pokemon of Space and Time, nothing else seemed to be left intact.

"Wow…" May sighed as she looked around at the destruction. "They've really been demolished…"

"People often destroy what scares them. Especially when they don't understand it." Volo commented, running a hand along one of the fallen pillars on the ground.

"I guess…" Ash shrugged as he looked at the statues of Dialga and Palkia. He took a glance around the area before he noticed what looked like an additional pillar for a statue separated from the others. "Hey look over there."

"What's that?" May asked as the three of them made their way over to the pillar. Whatever Pokemon was depicted on top had been completely obliterated, leaving only some remnants of what looked to be feet attached to the remains of the statue. Ash couldn't quite place it, but something about those remains looked familiar.

"It appears to be deliberately separated from the other two." Volo commented.

"I remember one of the stories Mistress Cogita told me was about the Legendary Pokemon that created this region. She said that there was in fact a third Pokemon that was there alongside the others..." May explained, suddenly triggering Ash's memory.

"She's talking about Giratina…?" he realized. However, his thoughts were interrupted when Volo suddenly started chuckling.

"Is something wrong Volo?" May wondered as both she and Ash looked at the tall man with confusion.

"No no nothing's wrong. I'm just impressed by your memory May. You're exactly right." he said, beginning the story in full as he looked at the broken statue. "This crumbling statue once was the figure of a Pokémon–one that was equal to both Dialga and Palkia, yet banished from our world...The great Pokémon Giratina! He was banished for his violence, left to dwell in a world on the reverse side of our own. He is a being that has lain in wait for the chance to bare his fangs in defiance and tear down the one who imprisoned him."

"That doesn't sound good…" May gulped.

"Oh, you think so? Such a shame then." he shrugged.

"How so?" Ash asked.

"My apologies. I just love a good ancient mystery. Not to mention the Ancient Pokémon behind them. And that's exactly what the story of Giratina is." he answered.

"Why the Ancient Pokémon?" Ash asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"They have the power to do such incredible things. And if that story is to be believed, then perhaps the one who imprisoned Giratina is even more powerful than these three. One who could change the world itself." Volo continued, piquing Ash's interest again.

"Is he talking about Arceus...?" Ash wondered. No one in this time seemed to know that Arceus even existed. But the way Volo was talking, it almost seemed like he in fact did.

"That's why this is so exciting. To find out about a Pokémon with so much power is my dream." he suddenly announced.

"What? Why?" May asked.

"You see, ever since I was young, whenever I met with something painful or heartbreaking... I couldn't help but wonder why life was so unfair. Why I was cursed to live through such things? Of course, I imagine we all go through something like that. Eventually, I chose to direct all my energy into my own natural curiosity and ambition. And what tickled my curiosity more strongly than anything were the mysteries to be found in legends, in history, in ruins just like these... You see, I fancied that by unraveling these mysteries, I could find out how the world itself came to be–and with that knowledge, maybe even forge a new, better world! Wouldn't it be better to have the power to change it into something better?" he proposed to them, prompting Ash and May to share an uncomfortable glance.

"I...I guess maybe in some ways it would be nice to change the world for the better...but I don't think we'd need to erase everything to make the world a better place…" May answered, rubbing her arm with a slightly nervous tone.

"She's right about that." Ash agreed, to which their Pokemon also nodded.

"Well then," Volo chuckled, almost seeming to ignore their nerves. "I suppose all we need now is to figure out where to find this Giratina."

"Well...the other two were both at the Temple of Sinnoh. Perhaps this Giratina is there as well." May suggested, trying to shake off the chill that had crept up her back.

"It's worth a shot." Ash nodded.

"A wonderful deduction May. Let's give it a try." Volo agreed as he started heading for the mountain. Ash and May shared a concerned glance between them but decided to follow Volo after all. Weird as his sudden declarations were, they still had a job to do. So they all began another climb up the towering mountain.

A few hours later, at the top of the mountain, the group finally arrived at what was left of The Temple of Sinnoh. Volo went straight for the alter where they battled Dialga and Palkia as Ash and May hung back a little, gazing among the wreckage.

"It's so badly damaged...I wonder if they'll ever repair it…" May commented as they walked.

"Maybe but I doubt it…" Ash sighed, knowing the future well enough to know the answer.

"That's too bad...it really was beautiful…" she answered

"Yeah...it really was...at least we got to see it once in all its glory." he offered, earning a small smile from her. They both looked over at Volo and noticed him standing at the highest point of the altar, looking out over Hisui below as he chuckled to himself.

"The temple lies in ruins now... Columns cracked and broken... Like pillars now turned into spears, stabbing into the heavens...how oddly appropriate." he chuckled in a tone that sent another shiver down Ash and May's spines.

"V-Volo?" May asked, shuddering slightly as a breeze blew past the group. Ash looked at Volo with a suspicious eye. Something wasn't right here. And before they did anything else, he needed something answered. Ash took a step towards Volo as the taller man turned to face him.

"Volo there's something I've been meaning to ask...why didn't you tell me when you first found May?"

"Well, that's a fairly simple answer, Ash. Once I found out what she was, I couldn't very well let such a golden opportunity slip by me." he answered with a smirk.

"Golden opportunity...?" May wondered.

"What do you mean by that?" Ash demanded.

"I daresay you deserve to know what I'm really after by now. Finding someone who came through the rift? A person like that must've seen the Mythical Arceus." he explained.

"Arceus…?" May wondered, failing to remember the Pokemon that asked for their help.

"You know about Arceus…?" Ash's eyes widened in surprise.

"Ever since I realized that Arceus really does exist, there has been one question that consumed my thoughts... How can I meet such a being myself? Even if May's memories were gone, there was a chance that I could still get information from her. It was in an attempt to answer this question," he continued with a devilish smirk. "that I originally sought out Giratina and had him tear open that rift in space and time."

"What?!" May gasped as her eyes widened in shock.

"You created the rift?!" Ash yelled in disbelief as Volo's smirk only grew.

"Giratina wished to stand against Arceus in battle and I wanted to meet Arceus. The alliance between us was inevitable. But just opening the rift didn't do the trick...So then I had you two gather the fragments of the all-encompassing deity, just as the murals of the ruins directed. My desire to meet Arceus cannot be contained any longer! I need to know what it is! I MUST know what it is! If I can meet Arceus myself, then I may also be able to subjugate its power... And using that, I will attempt to create a new, better world! Of course, if I create a brand-new world, then the Hisui region that we currently exist in will be undone and returned to nothing. You, everyone you know, and all the Pokémon living here will vanish in an instant as if you'd never been." Volo laughed, causing May to gasp in horror and Ash to grit his teeth as Volo's true nature became clear to them.

"You can't!" May insisted.

"We won't let that happen!" Ash glared at him.

"You two have already brought me the plates I needed to make my dream come true. So my ultimate plan is already in motion." Volo smirked.

"W-We only have 17 of them! Even if what you say is true you'd need the last one in order to do anything! And we won't help you find it!" May yelled. However, Volo simply smirked at her.

"Oh little May." he chuckled vilely as he suddenly took a plate out of his pocket. "I'm already one step ahead of you."

"What the?!" she gasped.

"The Spooky Plate?! You had it with you all along?!" Ash growled in anger. Volo smirked and then removed his Ginko Guild uniform, revealing an entirely new outfit underneath. A stark white tunic now covered his chest and green pants could be seen beneath it. Tall golden sandals were on his feet and similarly, golden bands could be seen across the outfit. Even his hair broke free of its tight bun and now stood in a similar style to that of Arceus's.

"Now hand over the plates you gathered! I will be the one to bring them all together!"

To be Continued...