The group of Ash, Brock, Brenda, Celeste, Aries, and Pleiades have traveled to a sun-scorched desert with rusty red sand and rocks. It's night and the light of a full Moon illuminates their surroundings. Ahead of them is a weathered stone structure plastered with Moon iconography.

Aries leads them into the courtyard of the ruins. "The gem will be in the deepest chamber of the ruins."

Brock looks around. "Inside? I don't see any entrances."

Aries looks carefully around. "Neither have any archeologists studying these ruins. But in my research, I came across an old passage from the people who built this shrine. Fortunately, we are here on the right night, as, for builders of these ruins, the Moon was the key to all." Aries steps up to what used to be something like a pedestal but is now nothing but a broken column. "Pleiades, please hand me your pocket mirror."

"Of course, sir." She pulls out a foldable mirror from her pocket and hands it to Aries.

Aries takes the mirror and uses it to reflect the light from the full Moon. He points the silvery beam of light across the shrine to a large stone slab set against a cliff of red rock. Across the top of the slab is a series of pictographs showing the phases of the Moon. He carefully aims the light at the circular one depicting the full Moon.

There's a loud rumbling and the stone slab begins to slide into the ground. It's a door to a chamber built into the cliff.

Brenda gasps. "It was there all along, and nobody found it. An entrance into the temple. Wow."

Aries hands the mirror back to Pleiades. Judging by the expression on his face, he takes no pride in his discovery. He's just as sullen as ever. "Come."

As they're walking in, nearby is Team Rocket, who are disembarking from their balloon. Jessie complains as she stretches, "That balloon ride was way too long. Since when do the twerps travel so far so fast?"

Meowth looks around, "I couldn't tell, but what I can tell you is that they brought us to the jackpot."

James questions, "The jackpot?"

"Look around. The twerps just discovered a sealed entrance to ruins that are thousands of years old. Do you know what always comes in sealed thousand-year-old ruins?"

Jessie questioningly responds, "Curses?"

James questions, "A giant boulder that rolls after you when you trigger a booby trap?"

Meowth laughs at their responses. "Treasure!"

Jessie and James parrot, "Tresure!?"

"Wobbuffet!?"

Meowth nods. "And it's ripe for the plundering."

As Aries leads everyone else through the ruins, he explains, "The people who built this temple would have left behind booby traps to protect this place from intruders. Everyone be aware of your surroundings and don't touch anything you don't need to."

Ash looks to Celeste and suggests, "Hey, you don't need to go any further with us. Maybe you should wait outside where it's safer."

Celeste looks at Ash critically. "You're just like all the rest, aren't you?"

"Huh? What's that mean?"

"You think that because I'm young, that means I'm helpless. I'm the world's youngest certified master architect. I'm far from helpless."

"That's not what I meant!"

"Then what did you mean?" She stares at Ash with arms crossed as she waits for an answer.

"Well… I guess that… I just thought that…" He seems unable to come up with a proper response.

Celeste nods and moves on past Ash. "I thought as much."

Ash takes a moment to quell his annoyance with the girl before catching up to her. "Hey, I'm sorry. I'm not trying to insult you or anything. I'm just trying to help you out."

Celeste doesn't look back at him. "I don't need your help. I've never needed anybody's help."

Ash can't help but giggle a little. "That's a silly thing to say. Everybody needs help sometimes."

"Not me."

"Come on, that's not true."

"It is. End of discussion."

Ash pauses as he tries to contemplate a further response.

But before he can up with anything, Aries announces, "Everyone look to the floor. Notice the patterns." The walkway ahead of them has a different Moon symbol carved onto each brick. The symbols represent the various stages of the Moon."

Brenda asks, "Is this another puzzle? Like the door?"

Aries nods. "It is. We must be careful to step on the bricks in order of the lunar cycle. Start with the new moon, move towards full moon, and then back to new moon."

Brock asks, "What happens if we take a wrong step?"

"I do not know, and I do not care to find out. Follow my steps." He takes a careful step onto the brick with an empty circle and steps from that to the neighboring brick with a thin crescent. He continues as such. The others follow, all careful to exactly match his steps.

Aries makes it to the other end of the hall and turns back to watch as everyone progresses.

As they make it most of the way across, Ash notices Celeste hesitate as she tries to decide which brick to step on next. He points to the wanning crescent ahead of her. "That's the one we're using."

She glares antagonistically at him and decares firmly, "I don't need your—" As she stomps her foot down for emphasis, it lands on the full moon brick next to the one she was supposed to step on. Almost instantly, the floor beneath her collapses, revealing a pit with no visible bottom and she plummets down, screaming as she falls.

Ash doesn't waste a second. He tosses Pikachu off his shoulder and jumps down after her, even as the others are still realizing what's happening. Ash dives down to catch up to Celeste and grabs her. "I've got you!"

Celeste looks to Ash with utter surprise. "Huh!?"

Once Ash has Celeste firmly in his grip, he holds out a Pokéball. "Eagladiator, get us out of here!"

"Gladiiiiatooor!" Eagladiator clenches Ash's shoulders in its powerful talons and flies up with both Ash and Celeste in tow. It places them down on the safe side of the booby-trapped hall.

Celeste is panting heavily and her eyes are wide. She looks up at Ash in disbelief. "You…saved me…"

Ash grins. "Just helping out where I can." His word choice seems deliberate.

Suddenly Celeste rips away from him and demands, "Are you stupid!? Why would you jump down that hole with no chance to make a plan to help me!?"

"Like I said, I was just helping out."

"No! You weren't just helping out!" She mimics Ash's words mockingly. "We both could have ended up falling to our doom!"

"But we didn't. I figured it out in the end. Remember what I said back at the Skyscraper Scamper? I said that as long as my Pokémon are there to help me, there's nothing I can't do. I don't need to waste time coming up with a plan when I know they have my back through anything."

Celeste crosses her arms and looks away. She says in a more subdued voice, "So you are stupid. You just risked everything on the notion that someone else would help you."

Brenda, who looks like she feels rather awkward overhearing the argument, suggests, "Celeste, Ash just saved your life… Don't you think you should be at least a little grateful…?"

Celeste sighs. "Thank you for saving me."

Ash grins. "No need for thanks. I trust that you would do the same for me if you could." He turns to move on with the others.

Celeste slowly shakes her head as she says under her breath. "That's the thing. I wouldn't…"

Everyone suddenly stops at a dead end. Ash shakes his head. "No, this can't be it. There haven't been any other ways to go."

Aries shakes his head. "I don't believe it is. There's another test." He beckons to the wall, which features six raised Moon symbols. One each to represent the new Moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, full Moon, last quarter, and waning crescent, though in a random order. He taps the new Moon and the symbol recedes into the wall like a button. "It must be a combination lock of some kind. If I had to guess, it wants to have each symbol depressed in order of the lunar cycle, just like last time." He taps out each of the following symbols, but upon pressing the sixth, all six pop back out.

Ash crosses his arms skeptically. "I guess you're not such a help after all."

Brock suggests, "Perhaps this cycle starts with the full Moon instead of the new Moon?"

Aries tries it, but once again to no avail. "Hmm…" He also tries the lunar cycle backwards from both starting points, but still nothing happens. "Perhaps we missed a hint somewhere?" He and the others start to look around the room.

Brock realizes, "We are missing a hint, but I'm not sure we're ever going to find it." He points to a spot on the wall. There's a waxing crescent symbol that's barely visible, followed by five more symbols which have been completely worn away by time. They are impossible to decipher.

Aries looks to them and nods. "I see. The answer was written here for us to see, but the guide was worn away. This is a predicament…"

Ash glares at Aries. "Are you telling me we have no way past this puzzle?"

Aries looks to the ground. "I fear it might be so…"

Brenda, out of curiosity, steps up to the symbols and first presses the waxing crescent, then the five others in a random order. Nothing happens. "Guys, this shouldn't be too hard to guess the answer to. We already know the first symbol. If we assume that the combination uses each symbol once, it can't be that hard to guess by randomly entering symbols, right?"

Brock doesn't look convinced. "Brenda, that would be over a hundred different possible combinations."

Brenda nods. "I can do that." She starts pressing away. When one combination fails, she tries another.

Ash comments, "This might take a while…"

Team Rocket are running frantically away from something. James shouts, "I told you there'd be a giant boulder rolling after us! There's always a giant boulder trap in ancient temples!"

Just as described, they are running from a massive boulder that's rolling right at them.

Meowth shouts, "Less 'I told you so's, more running!"

Brenda suddenly shouts, "Something's happening!"

The others leap up off of their seats on the floor to look. The six symbols have all begun to glow. Then there's a rumbling and the wall slides aside to reveal another room. Ash gasps, "You did it!"

Brenda grins proudly. "All I had to do was not give up. I knew that if I kept going, I would find the answer eventually."

Ahead of them, something is glowing with a silvery light.

Brenda hesitantly asks, "Is that…?"

Ash excitedly exclaims, "It is! It's the Luna Gem!" Sitting atop a pedestal ahead of them is the source of the eerie light. It's a brilliant silver gemstone in the shape of a crescent moon.

Celeste gasps. "It really exists…"

Pleiades cheers, "Sir, you did it! You found it!"

Aries looks away and says melancholically, "It means nothing alone…"

Brenda begins to approach the mystical gem. She looks completely captivated by it.

Brock cautions, "Brenda, we should be careful. It might be booby trapped."

Brenda doesn't immediately respond. She just keeps walking towards it, as if entranced.

Ash questions, "Um, Brenda?"

Brenda reaches out and touches the crystal moon. There's a flash of silver light.

The next thing Brenda knows, she's floating in a vast expanse of stars, similar to Celeste's dreamspace. A much larger version of the Luna Gem floats in front of her. A calm and serene voice questions, "Little one, are you to be my Luna Champion?"

Brenda has snapped out of the trance. "Luna Champion? Huh? What's going on? Where am I?"

Much as Heliosol showed itself to Ash in his dream, Seluna appears in front of the Luna Gem.

Brenda gasps. "Seluna?"

"Yes, little one. I am Seluna. And I ask again, do you accept the responsibility of being the Luna Champion?"

"Luna Champion? Like how Ash is the Sol Champion? What does that mean?"

"You will be my champion in the coming battle against the one who destroys. It is a most important role to play."

"But why me? Because I touched the crystal first?"

"No. The Luna Gem called to you specifically because it judged you worthy to be my champion."

Brenda hesitates. "But…what's so special about me…?"

"You are much like the Moon. You are a kind soul. One who cares for others. But despite that, you are also one who has learned to never give up and fight for what is right. You keep on going in a never-ending cycle. You proved as much when you solved the puzzle to enter the Luna Gem's chamber. These are all traits that I seek in my champion. So, little one, will you become the Luna Champion?"

Brenda nods. "Yes. I'll be the Luna Champion."

"Then I will see you in the coming battle."

There's another flash of silver light, and Brenda is back in the ruins with the others. Ash is asking, "Brenda? Hello? Brenda?"

Brenda shakes her head suddenly, as if to wake herself up. She's now holding the Luna Gem. "I'm back. Sorry."

Brock questions, "Back? You never left. You just went silent there for a moment."

Brenda clasps the Celestial Cornerstone in her hand. "I suppose so." She grins at them all. "But now you're looking at the Luna Champion."

Ash questions, "The Luna Champion…? Wait, you mean like the Sol Champion?"

Brenda nods. "Yes. I just agreed to help Seluna in the battle against Nemex."

Ash cheers, "All right! That's great! We've got Seluna on our side too!"

Brock suggests, "And perhaps if we get the Terra Gem, we'll also be able to get Terratlas too."

Brenda agrees, "That does make sense."

Ash is about to say something else when Celeste screams, "Let me go! Let me—!" Everyone looks back to see her being carried away by the same Solem that attacked her in Kanaveral. Also, there is the Espeon and Heliophosaur. Something is different this time. Their color has darkened, there's a dark purple aura glowing about them, and their eyes glow red. They're retreating towards one of Nemex's shadow portals.

Ash shouts, "Celeste!" Pikachu leaps down from his shoulder. "Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaa chuuuu!"

But the Heliophosaur extends its frills and uses them to absorb Pikachu's electricity. Then the Espeon steps forward and unleashes a psychic pulse that pushes everyone away and onto the ground before they can try fighting back anymore.

Ash shouts, "Celeste!" as he tries to stand back up, but Espeon unleashes another psychic pulse that pins him to the ground.

Celeste shouts in terror, "Ash!" as she is pulled into the portal by Solem. The two other Pokémon follow immediately behind.

Then, unnoticed by anyone, Jessie, James, and Meowth come running in from behind the portal with the giant boulder still pursuing them. They run right into the portal as it closes, likely not even realizing it was there. The boulder slams into the entryway to the chamber, which is too small for it, and comes to a stop.

With Espeon gone, Ash leaps up and runs for where the portal just was. "Celeste!" He punches the boulder in frustration. "They got her! They took her to Nemex!" He punches it again. Everyone else looks away despondently.

Everyone has left the temple and is back outside in the ruins. Brenda asks, "What do we do now…?"

Ash is clenching his fists in frustration.

Brock suggests, "I know we all want to find a way to save Celeste…but I don't think that's even possible now. She'll be on Planet X with Nemex. We have no way there. I think all we can do is continue our search for the cornerstones." He looks to Aries. "Professor Aries, how can we find the Terra Gem?"

Aries looks away from Brock. The moonlight reflects off of his glasses and obscures his eyes. "I'm afraid I don't have any leads. The Terra Gem was last seen hundreds of years ago, and it disappeared without a trace. I am once again useless to you… I have no idea where it might be…"

Ash looks up at everyone and declares, "If Nemex took Celeste, then the only way we can rescue her is to take the fight to it. And the only way to do that is with the Celestial Cornerstones. We have to find the Terra Gem." He looks up into the night sky, up towards a shimmering star. "We need to know where that cornerstone is, no matter what."

As if in response to his declaration, the star above seems to grow brighter. At first, nobody notices. But as its light shines stronger and stronger, Pleiades is the first to point up and shout, "What's that!?"

Everyone looks up. It's no longer just a star. It grown into something more. A body of light is descending from the sky.

Ash's eyes widen. "Is it…?"

Aries slowly backs away as he shakes his head and babbles incoherently, "No… No… No… Please… No…"

The light takes the form of a majestic Pokémon.

Ash gasps, "Myoken!"

Floating above him, the Pokémon looks to Ash and grins. It speaks telepathically, "Ash!"

Brenda gasps. "No way!"

Brock grins. "This is amazing!"

Ash asks, "Myoken, what are you doing here?"

Myoken responds, "Is it not obvious? You made a wish to the North Star with nothing but the most pure-hearted and noble of intentions. You wished to find something in order to save the life of another. I am here to guide you to what you seek. That is my duty as the Guiding Light." Myoken looks from Ash to Brock to Brenda. "It's good to see you all again, my friends." But then Myoken sees Aries and Pleiades and its entire mood shifts. Pleiades looks to be trying to calm Aries.

Myoken has a forceful flashback to when it was tortured at the hands of Aries. It screams in pain as it's suspended in a containment field. Aries, looking exaggeratedly monstrous, declares, "Reveal the location of the Celestial Gem, and this will all be over."

Myoken cries through the pain, "I can't!" Then it screams even louder when Aries increases the pain it feels.

Back in reality, Myoken demands, "What is he doing here!?"

Brenda begs, "Myoken, please, calm down."

"Calm down!? Have you forgotten what that monster did to me!?" It holds its two upper arms up and begins to charge light energy for an attack against Aries.

Aries, seemingly accepting of whatever Myoken has planned, steps forward, lowers his head, and puts his hands out to show that he won't fight back. "Do what you will to me… I deserve much worse…"

Pleiades tries to grab Aries by the shoulder to stop him, "Sir, no!"

Aries pushes her aside. "Do not interfere, Pleiades."

It looks like Myoken is about to unleash the powerful attack, until Ash jumps between it and Aries. "Myoken, stop!"

Myoken lowers its arms. "Ash…? What are you doing…?"

"I'm sorry, Myoken. If I knew I was calling for you, I wouldn't have done it while he was here. But the truth is, as much as I can never forgive him for what he did to you, he's helping us. We wouldn't have found the Luna Gem without him. And his knowledge of the other Celestial Cornerstones could make a difference in the coming battle as well. We need him."

Myoken is speechless. It floats silently for several moments, unsure of what to say.

Aries steps around Ash and closer to Myoken. Despite this, he finds himself unable to look Myoken in the eyes. "Myoken…"

Myoken looks at him scornfully. "Are you going to try to apologize for what you did to me?"

"No… I know that would only insult you. To apologize would be to seek forgiveness, and I know that is impossible after what I did to you."

"Then what could you possibly have to say to me?"

"I only ask that you allow me to help your friends. The good I do here will never correct the evils of my past… But it is still good that can be done nonetheless…" He pauses. "After that…you may do what you wish with me."

Pleiades objects, "But, sir!"

"No, Pleiades. This is my choice…"

Myoken stares long and hard at Aries. Finally, it says, "The last time I saw you, I said I wanted you to have your second chance. I said everyone deserves one."

Aries looks even further away from Myoken in shame.

"Seeing you again has made it hard for me to believe my own words. But I will stand by them. This is your real second chance. Don't make me regret it."

Aries doesn't say another word. He simply turns around and gives Myoken its space. Pleiades follows worriedly behind him.

Myoken looks back to Ash, Brock, and Brenda. "And now, to do what I came here for. Behold, the Guiding Light!" Myoken holds all four arms up to the night sky and a brilliant golden ribbon of light manifests above them.

Ash nods. "At the other end of that trail is the Terra Gem. We'll be one step closer to stopping Nemex and rescuing Celeste."

"You'll never be rescued, little girl," Nemex says tauntingly to Celeste, who is imprisoned in a purple orb.

Celeste crosses her arms and declares defiantly, "You think that's going to make me feel worse? I already know I can't rely on anyone else to help me. I've always gotten through everything on my own. This is no different."

Nemex chuckles deeply. "This one has a strong spirit. I will enjoy watching as it breaks little by little."

Someone else says, "Nemex, you only need her to unlock the power of the Celestial Gem. There's no reason to be so cruel about it." Arun steps out of the shadows. But he's changed. Much like when Team Rocket was possessed and empowered by Nemex, his skin is a pale gray and his eyes a fiery red. In one of his hands, carries the Sol Staff with Sol Gem atop it.

"Do not think you can issue me orders, Arun. You are but my pawn."

"A pawn who has gotten you not only one of the Celestial Cornerstones, but also the key to unlocking their power. You are powerless to act on Earth. Without me, your plans would fall apart."

"Hence why I chose you as my pawn."

Despite the intimidation Nemex is giving, Arun stares straight back at the malevolent Pokémon.

Nemex laughs, as if enjoying Arun's defiance. "You, too, are spirited. Perhaps you will need some breaking too, when this is all over." It floats away.

Arun is left alone with Celeste. He approaches her prison and looks her over. "Pathetic."

Celeste demands, "Excuse me?"

"I know exactly what you are. You are a builder. You were granted great powers to build. To build is to bring about change. The one who gifted you with this power has the greatest abilities to make change of us all, and yet it chose to waste the abilities on one who could never make a true difference with them."

Rather than coming up with a response, Celeste sticks out a tongue at Arun.

"You only further prove my point." He leaves as well.

Once alone, Celeste collapses down on the floor of her bubble. She asks herself hopelessly, "What do I do now…?"

On the dark and barren surface of Planet X, Team Rocket stare at Nemex's fortress before them. They all groan together.

Jessie says, "Well, that proves it. We're back on the forsaken rock where Nemex lives."

James suppresses a shiver. "The last time we were here, Nemex turned us into its puppets."

Meowth declares, "I think it's time for some payback."

Jessie questions, "As much as I'd love to agree with you, do you not remember how powerful Nemex is?"

James adds, "It is a Legendary Pokémon."

Meowth nods. "That's why we need to be smart about this. I say we sneak into Nemex's castle, and we find a way to get our revenge in there. There's got to be something we can do to hit Nemex where it hurts."

Jessie nods. "Perhaps so."

Wobbuffet appears and agrees, "Wobbuffet!"

James shrugs. "Can't argue with that logic. Let's do it."

Ash and the others follow Myoken's Guiding Light across the land. They walk over fields, take a bus over hills, and even a train through the mountains.

Ash always looks forward with nothing but determination. Brenda often pulls out the Luna Gem from her bag just to stare at it. Brock notices her doing such. Aries always tries to keep his distance from Myoken and is never able to look directly at it. He seems even more sullen than before. Pleiades watches him sadly. She seems desperate to find a way to ease his pain.

The next night, with the Guiding Light still shimmering above them, the group has elected to set up camp for the night.

While Brock is busy cooking dinner over a campfire, Ash stares up at the stars with Myoken. He asks, "Myoken, you told me before that you were the one tasked with protecting the Celestial Gem. Do you know what Nemex wants with the cornerstones?"

"I wish I did. All I know is that they are objects of incredible power. If one as vile as Nemex wants them, it must have a terrible goal in mind for them."

Ash notices Myoken's gaze drifting towards where Aries and Pleiades are sitting. "I'm really sorry you have to travel with him. Just the reminder of what he did to you must reopen old wounds…"

"It does… But Ash, you have to remember that I'm not the frail thing you found falling out of the sky anymore. That was me when I lost everything I was. That was me when I gave in to the fear and pain. That was me when I stopped being me. I am stronger now, thanks all to you. I can handle being around a reminder of that unfortunate part of my life, because I know who I am. I'm someone who helps people." It pauses. "You know, Ash?"

"What is it?"

"I think there's a reason you and I became friends. We're a lot alike. Most importantly, we both try to help everyone we can."

Ash looks to Myoken and grins at it.

Celeste floats in her dreamspace. The voice of the void announces, "My child, I am sorry for the fate that has befallen you. Could I help free you, I would."

Celeste clenches her fists angrily and shouts, "I don't want your help! I never wanted your help!"

There's a pause. "What troubles you, my child? This is more than your imprisonment."

"I always thought you were just a figment of my dreams! I thought I came up with all those designs! I thought my talent as an architect was my own!" Her anger steadily transforms into sadness as tears begin to fall from her eyes. "But now I know you actually exist! Now I know none of that came from me, it came from you! I-I'm n-nothing…"

There's another pause. "You have misunderstood our partnership. I am but your inspiration. Your talent is still your own."

"No, it's not! And I don't want to hear from you ever again! Leave! Leave! Get out of my dreams!"

Ash says with surprise, "Geeze, sorry. I'm not sure I have any choice, though."

Celeste looks up with surprise. "Ash…?"

Ash grins awkwardly. "Did I pop in at a bad time?"

"How are you here?"

"Same as last time, I guess. Not that that really explains anything." He refocuses. "Do you have any better of an idea as to why Nemex took you now?"

Celeste shakes her head. "None at all. The monster just wants to torture me…"

"Don't worry, Celeste. We will rescue you."

Celeste shakes her head in sad disapproval. "There you go offering to help in an impossible situation again. Face it, Ash. I'm on another planet at the edge of the Solar System. There's nothing you can do to help me. Even with your Pokémon."

"Don't say that."

"Don't say the truth? Because it is. Just forget about me, Ash. There's nothing you can do." She hangs her head remorsefully. "Now leave."

"Celeste, I—"

She thrusts an arm out as she shouts forcefully, "I said leave!"

And at that shout, both Ash and Celeste wake up simultaneously billions of miles apart. They both look remorseful.

Team Rocket has snuck into Nemex's dark fortress. Jessie asks in a whisper, "What exactly are we looking for?"

James suggests, "Perhaps we could get a photo of Nemex doing something really embarrassing. That would be some good revenge."

Jessie and Meowth stare at him questioningly.

"Come on. What if we got a photo of it wearing a tutu while it sings the national anthem and holds a potted cactus. That's super mega ultra embarrassing."

Jessie and Meowth continue to stare at him with befuddlement. Meowth at last comments, "James, I'm not sure if I'm more disturbed by the fact that you can come up with something so random, or that the fact that your mind went straight there implies that this is something you've been embarrassed by in the past."

James slumps. "Well…um…I…"

Jessie holds up a hand. "Nope. I do not need to know. It's bad enough that Meowth has now put that image in my head. Please don't confirm it once actually existed."

James crosses his arms in annoyance. "Well, then how about you give me a better idea."

Meowth speaks up, "She doesn't need to, because I already have the best idea."

Jessie looks at him skeptically. "And that would be?"

"Nemex fancies itself to be some sort of dark lord. What kind of self-respecting dark lord doesn't have a trove of treasure and valuables? We steal those valuables, and not only will we have struck back against Nemex, but we'll be rich as well."

James rubs his hands together greedily. "That's a plan that both me and my wallet can agree too."

Jessie nods. "Okay then. All we need to do is find that treasure room."

The next day, Ash and the others resume their path along the Guiding Light. While they walk, Brock asks Aries, "What do we know about the last time the Terra Gem was seen?"

Aries thinks for a moment. "In all my research, I found no confirmed reports of the Terra Gem. However, some ancient accounts from an eastern tribe of ancient Tenno mention a round, green and blue crystal gifted to them from sky."

Brock nods. "Round and colored green and blue. Just like a globe. And it came from the sky. That sounds like the Terra Gem to me."

"I concur. Unfortunately, there are no surviving accounts of what happened to that gem. However, as we are now approaching the ancestral lands of that tribe, I imagine that crystal is precisely what we're now looking for."

Ash shouts, "Guys, look!"

Ahead of them, the rolling hills give way to a vast system of swampland. The Guiding Light seems to end somewhere above the swamp.

Brenda suppresses a shudder. "Well, I guess my shoes are going to get muddy."

A lot more than just her shoes got muddy. The group is knee deep as they wade through the swamp to the terminus of the Guiding Light. Brenda groans. "This is much worse than getting my shoes muddy."

Ash taunts, "Come on, that's not how the Luna Champion should sound!"

"Look, Ash, surely even the Luna Champion appreciates the comfort of dry shoes." She adds under her breath, "And if they don't, then something's wrong with them." Then she looks up and realizes that they're at the end of the Guiding Light. "Hey, what gives? This is the end of the path, but I don't see any Terra Gem anywhere." She looks about, but sees nothing but swamp.

Brock asks, "Myoken, are you certain the Terra Gem is here?"

Myoken nods. "The Guiding Light is never wrong. If the Terra Gem is what Ash wished to find, it is what you will find here."

Ash says, "Then it must be hidden around here somewhere."

Aries agrees, "The Terra Gem becoming lost to the muds of the swamp could very well be the reason for it disappearing from history. There's certainly little reason for anyone to search here without knowing it was here first."

Ash declares, "Then let's split up and start looking."

Everyone looks anywhere they can think. Mostly it's looking through the mud, but also between the roots of the swamp trees, which are often above the mud, as well as other possible hiding spots.

While climbing atop a fallen tree for a better vantage point, Aries stumbles and falls off. He shouts in pain as he hits the muddy ground beneath him.

Pleiades shouts, "Sir!" She moves as quickly to him as the mud allows and helps him stand back up. "Are you okay, sir?"

Aries winces in pain as he tries to move his arm. "I scraped it pretty bad against a rock under the mud."

Ash can't help but chuckle a little at Aries' misfortune. Myoken joins in.

Brock looks to Ash and scolds, "Show some maturity, Ash. I know you still don't trust, or even like, Aries, but he just hurt himself trying to help us."

Ash crosses his arms and looks away. Despite the show of not caring, he looks slightly embarrassed.

Brock approaches Aries and Pleiades and asks, "May I take a look at it?"

Aries says sullenly, "I am not worth your time. Continue your search. I will be fine."

Brock shakes his head. "No, I don't think you will. It looks like you got a pretty big cut. And in an environment like this, it could easily lead to an infection. Let me apply first aid."

Aries looks away from Brock, but doesn't insist Brock leave.

As Brock steps in, Pleiades insists, "Sir, you really have to stop talking like that. Your life does have value. You're proving that right now in all the ways you're helping."

Aries shakes his head. "Pleiades, I appreciate your support and loyalty, but it is misplaced. As it has been since the day we first met."

Pleiades clenches her fists, but stops herself before she blurts anything out.

Brock has sprayed something on the cut on Aries' arm. "There, that should disinfect it. Now I'll just wrap it." He applies a bandage. "And we'll be good. It should heal as good as new within a week."

Aries looks to the wrapping, pulls down his rolled-up sleeve, and gives Brock the faintest nod of appreciation.

With Aries taken care of, Brock returns his attention to the search. He almost immediately spots something that no one else has. In a patch of mud shaded by trees, there's an extremely faint green glow. He looks to the spot skeptically, trying to determine whether or not his eyes are playing tricks on him. He slowly approaches the spot and reaches down into the mud. When he pulls his hand back up, he's holding a brilliant globe-like green and blue crystal that resembles the Earh.

The moment he pulls it out of the mud, he's pulled into a dreamscape much like Brenda was. Now a giant version of the Terra Gem floats before him.

Brock looks around in surprise. "Huh? Hello? Is anyone there?"

A deep and gruff voice announces, "Welcome, Terra Champion!" Terratlas manifests itself before Brock.

"What? Terra Champion?"

"Do you always repeat what others say to you?"

"Well…um…no… I'm just surprised, I guess…"

Terratlas gives a cynical chuckle. "And why is that? You found my Terra Gem after it had been lost for nearly a thousand years."

"But does that automatically make me your champion?"

"No. It doesn't. But you have what I want in a champion. Like the Earth itself, you are firm, as you showed when you lectured even your own friend. But, also like the Earth, you care for others, even those you may not like, as you proved in treating the injury of the one you once called an enemy. Yes. You will make a fine Terra Champion. Do you accept this lofty responsibility?"

Brock nods. "I will fight alongside you as the Terra Champion."

"Perfect. See you soon."

When Brock returns to the waking world, he finds Ash and the others have approached him. Ash cheers, "Way to go, Brock! You found it! We have two of the cornerstones now!"

Brock grins. "Not only that, but you have a third champion on your side."

Brenda asks, "Wait, did Terratlas make you the Terra Champion?"

Brock nods. "It did."

Ash grabs the hands of both Brock and Brenda. "This is great! The three of us are now the Luna, Terra, and Sol Champions! With us fighting together, Nemex won't stand a chance!"

Brenda points out, "Not to put a rain on your parade, but that's only assuming we can even find a way to take the fight to Nemex in the first place."

Ash lets her and Brock go. "True…"

Brock suggests, "Let's get to dry land and set up camp. We can evaluate our possible courses of action from there."

Nemex floats into Celeste's view. Celeste turns away and pretends not to see it. Nemex declares, "Ignoring your situation will not make matters any better for you, girl."

Celeste turns back to Nemex with a defiant look. She demands, "What do you want with me?"

"It should be obvious. There is only one thing you can do for me. I need you to use the powers gifted to you to build something for me. You are an architect, are you not?"

Celeste crosses her arms. "You must have missed the part where I don't help anyone but myself."

"We shall see in time how true that remains. You see, your friends have proven quite resourceful. They have done what I could not and found the two lost Celestial Cornerstones. And now that they've been found, they will soon be mine."

Celeste shouts accusingly, "You wanted us to find them first!"

"It makes things much simpler for me that way. And now, as we speak, my plans are already in motion to capture your friends and bring them here to make all four Celestial Cornerstones mine. That is when I will need your power. You'll find yourself unable to refuse."

"I'll never help you!"

"We shall see… We shall see…" Nemex floats away again.

With it gone, Celeste's façade begins to crack, and she shows signs of panic. "He's going to capture Ash and the others. I need to warn them. But how?" Then she realizes something. "That's it!" She sits down and leans against the wall of her bubble. "Please be asleep, Ash." She takes several deep breaths as she attempts to calm herself.

After some time, Celeste has fallen asleep, and she finds herself in her dreamspace. She shouts, "Ash! Ash! Are you there!? Ash!"

"Celeste, are you okay?" Ash has appeared.

"Ash, you need to wake up, now!"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"Nemex! He's coming for you! He wanted you to find the Luna and Terra Gems! Now he's going to take them and you!"

Ash grins. "Thanks for the warning, Celeste." He chuckles a little. "I appreciate the help."

Celeste ends up surprised herself. "Help…?"

Ash grins at her, as he fades away from the dream. He bolts awake and shouts, "Everyone, we've got to get up, now! Nemex is coming! But don't worry, I have a plan!"

Team Rocket continue their sneaking. James questions, "This place is like a labyrinth. We have to have been here for at least an entire day now. And we've found nothing."

Jessie asks, "Should we just give up while we're ahead?"

Meowth asserts, "Nonsense, 99 percent of thieves give up when they're moments away from the biggest scores of their lives."

Jessie asks skeptically, "Do you have evidence to back up that statement?"

Meowth retorts, "Do you have evidence to disprove that statement?"

"I suppose not."

"Then we keep going!"

James has pulled ahead, and he beckons the others forward. "Guys, this door looks promising. Help me open it!"

Jessie and Meowth catch up. Once there, all three push on the giant door together to swing it open.

Like much else of the castle, the room is dark, dreary, and mostly empty, save one source of light. Atop a pedestal in the center of the room is a brilliant crystal colored shades of blue, purple, and black. It's shaped like an eight-pointed star and seems to have twinkling stars within it.

A giddy look of joy and excitement crosses the faces of Jessie, James, and Meowth. Jessie announces, "Meowth, I'll never doubt your unproven claims again!"

Meowth reminds her, "Not unproven. Undisproven."

Ash and the others sit around a campfire on a hill overlooking the swamp. Nothing seems to be going on, until someone asks, "Ash, is that you?"

Ash looks towards the source of the voice to see Arun walking towards them and waving. Arun is back to looking normal. Nemex's influence has been hidden. "Arun? What are you doing here?"

Arun chuckles. "I'm just traveling about, really. That village of mine was getting a little to stagnant for me. I needed some change in my life. What about you? What are you all doing here?"

Brock leans in towards Ash and whispers something in Ash's ears. Ash sighs.

Arun tilts his head. "What's wrong?"

Ash shakes his head in disappointment. "It didn't occur to me earlier, but the Pokémon you used when we were fighting against Nemex were Solem, Volcarona, and Gigastar. All Sun-themed Pokémon. It's not a surprise at all that you would have an Espeon, Solurtle, and Heliophosaur as well."

Arun, looking lost, shakes his head. "Huh? What's this about?"

Ash sighs. "Arun, I don't want to believe it, but I know it's you working with Nemex. I know you're the one who kidnapped Celeste. Just tell me one thing. Why?"

Arun closes his eyes. When he reopens them, his entire demeanor has changed. Instead of the calm and friendly face, he now looks angry and aggressive. He chuckles slowly. "That's a lot to put together based purely on a few coincidental Pokémon. You knew I was coming, didn't you?"

Ash doesn't answer. He continues to stare directly at Arun.

"You already know why, Ash. I told you back when we first met. Nemex is not evil. This world has become a stagnant place. It needs to change, and only Nemex can bring that change."

"So, you only pretended to be my friend so you could take the Sol Gem, didn't you?"

"It wasn't a complete act. And if you make the right decision and hand over the Luna and Terra Gems right now, we could be friends again."

Brenda laughs. "What use is being friends with you when the entire world is destroyed like what you want?"

"Well, for one thing, I can chose to spare you."

Brock questions, "Spare us? Nemex wants to destroy everything. No one will be spared."

Ash adds, "That includes you."

Arun shakes his head in disapproval. "Don't waste your time. You can't sway me. I know what I'm doing. You all just don't realize how important I am to Nemex's plans. Without me, nothing of its plans could be realized. Now, about those Celestial Cornerstones." He snaps his fingers and a portal opens behind him. His six shadowy Pokémon emerge from it. Another, smaller, portal opens above him, and the Sol Staff drops from it into Arun's hand. When Arun catches it, his skin and eyes change back to the shadowy form seen previously.

Ash gasps, "The Sol Staff!"

Arun chuckles. "I'll admit, it's a bit vain of me to hold onto it like this, but I did work most of my life towards making it mine. By the way, thank you for handing it over to me, Ash."

Ash steps forward angrily.

But Arun snaps his fingers again, and Solem and Espeon step forward to use their combined psychic abilities. Ash and everyone else are instantly immobilized.

Ash struggles to break free of the psychic grip, but to no avail. "Let me go!"

"You'll find that struggling is useless. Nemex has enhanced the power of my already powerful Pokémon. There is no escape. Now, Nemex is waiting for us all." He turns around to walk into the portal. His Pokémon follow, except for Solem and Espeon, which carry Ash and the others with them a moment later.

The portal starts to close, but just before it does, Ash's Ninjitsu leaps forward into it.