Chapter 80 New Routes

The traitorous group arrives at Soltree Town, the location of the Professor's Lab. Tokui surveys the area, then turns to the others. "So this is the Professor's Lab? You said this is where Ash Ketchum keeps his Pokémon?"

"Where else would they hide their Pokémon? They'll definitely show up here," Tracy replies confidently.

As they scan the area, their attention is suddenly drawn to Ash and Alice, who are leaving a nearby house and heading toward the lab. Both of them are smiling, clearly at ease. But as Ark's gaze falls on the ring on Alice's hand, his expression darkens. He immediately recognizes it as an engagement ring, and a wave of fury washes over him.

The sight of Alice, happy and committed to Ash, only fuels his rage further, making him more determined than ever to exact his revenge.

Inside the lab, Professor Pinewood greets them with a wide smile. "Look who's visiting my lab—the Prince and Princess of Rikoto! It's great to see you, Ash and Alice! Your timing is perfect!"

Ash chuckles as he responds, "I guess you've already heard about the wedding plans from my parents? It all happened so quickly. I mean, I just confessed last night."

Alice laughs softly. "I guess Professor Pinewood really is your mom's friend—news spreads fast! So, what's the news, Professor?"

Professor Pinewood's expression turns serious as he leads them to a table. "You'll see. We've been studying the Elemental Stones for quite a long time, and I think we've figured out how they work... They're connected to the Elemental Temples where Team Solar and Team Lunar found them. There are statues in the temples with spots where you can place the stones... But after that, nothing happened. We couldn't figure out what to do next."

"Nothing happened? That's strange..." Ash remarks, intrigued.

"There must be something specific that triggers a reaction between the stones and the temples," Professor Pinewood muses. "I've been thinking about it, and I believe this is a task meant for royalty—people like you. What do you think? Here are all five Elemental Stones. I hope you can find a way to get them to react with their temples!"

Ash and Alice carefully take the five Elemental Stones, their curiosity piqued.

Professor Pinewood adds, "The nearest temple is in Dullfern Forest. Would you be willing to give it a try?"

"Well, when we have time, I mean, we have a lot of things to do," Alice replies, a slight smile on her face.

Meanwhile, just outside the lab, the traitorous group listens intently through a tapping device, catching every word of the conversation inside.

"Five Elemental Stones and temples? Sounds fishy..." May whispers, her curiosity piqued.

"But are they serious? Ash Ketchum marrying that girl?" Misty gasps in disbelief. "That dense boy who doesn't even know about love?"

"Quiet! They're coming out!" Hito hisses, and the group quickly hides behind the building.

As Ash and Alice step outside, they spot Rodney waiting for them. Ash greets him, "So, Rodney, what's your plan?"

Rodney grins. "I've heard about some new areas you can visit soon. They're east of Soltree Town, so you won't have to walk far! Rumor has it they'll open very soon. But before that happens, you should visit Keira in Mossy Town. You'll find me somewhere there then, OK?"

"That sounds great," Alice says, nodding in agreement.

Just as they're about to continue their conversation, a mocking voice interrupts them. "Well, well, well... look what we have here."

The three of them freeze as they notice a large group emerging from behind the building... the traitorous group. Ash and Alice can feel their blood boiling as they lock eyes with the people who betrayed them.

Ash, keeping his composure, says calmly, "Sorry, but do I know you?"

Brock steps forward, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Cut the act. You know exactly why we're here. To think you're still alive and now the Rikoto League winner, huh?"

Ash meets his gaze without flinching. "I'm surprised you weren't arrested for the crimes you've committed. I guess your new friends were that great at helping you escape the police, huh?"

Ark steps in, his eyes narrowing as he addresses Alice. "Enough. So, we meet again, Alice."

Alice doesn't respond immediately, but Rodney steps forward, shielding her. "I'm surprised that after the whole school business, you nine are still sticking together. If you're looking for a classmate reunion, sorry, but Alice and I won't be attending."

Corey sneers at Rodney, his voice laced with disdain. "Rodney, Alice's so-called big brother. To think you're here too. But this is our business with Alice. Leave us alone."

Rodney doesn't back down, standing firm in front of Alice. "You're wrong. Alice isn't alone anymore. If you want to mess with her, you'll have to go through me—and Ash."

Belle sneers, "So you're the Ash Ketchum. Do you know you're with the disappointment of the school? I would have thought anyone else would pick her as a wife."

Ash narrows his eyes, anger rising. "Sorry, but I think Alice is the greatest girl in my life. She is not a disappointment. In fact, no other girl can compare to her because she's perfect in my eyes."

Alice's eyes light up with literal heart-shaped sparkles after hearing Ash's words, while the bullies frown in frustration.

Ash sighs, his patience wearing thin. "Sorry, but we don't have time for this. We have other business to attend to. Let's go, Rodney, Alice—we're going to find Keira."

Just as they turn to leave, the traitorous group releases their Pokémon, surrounding them in an instant. Ark smirks, "Did we say we'd let you leave now?"

Alice steps forward, pulling out a Pokéball and tossing it into the air. With a flash, a Polarpaw emerges, growling menacingly. The sight of the angry polar bear Pokémon makes the traitorous group tense up. Alice's voice is calm but firm as she commands, "Don't force us. Pauline, Glacier Crash!"

Pauline roars, and with a powerful surge of icy energy, the traitorous group is encased in ice. Ash, Alice, and Rodney use the opportunity to escape, quickly making their way toward Mossy Town.

When they arrive at Keira's house, they quickly fill her in on what happened. Keira just shakes her head, her expression a mix of concern and disbelief. "To think they were going to harass you... it's a good thing you escaped them."

"Yeah, it was close," Alice replies before asking, "So, how are you doing?"

Keira's eyes light up with excitement. "I've never been so thrilled in my life as when I walked into the Pokémon League! But I didn't do it alone—I had you and Rodney right by my side. And I hope you know I was by your side too, Alice. You were one of the biggest reasons why I tried so hard, and in some ways, I envy you. And you know what? Your strength and bravery rubbed off on me too, so I'm not done—not by a long shot!"

Rodney grins and asks, "We were planning to explore the routes east of Soltree Town. Want to join us?"

Keira nods enthusiastically. "That sounds great! I'd love to join. So, when are we going?"

"Well, before we head there, Rex called us to the Rassic Museum. He said he has something to give us," Ash explains.

"Then let's go there first," Alice suggests. "We do have the Service Whistle."

With that, they call for the Flying service and prepare to head to the Rassic Museum.

When they arrive at the Rassic Museum, they are greeted by Rex, who smiles warmly at them. "I know you're here for the Balance Crystal, right? You're the son of our champion, so I know it will be in good hands! You can decide whether to use it to catch Cellance or leave it where it is."

Ash carefully receives the Balance Crystal, feeling its weight and significance. Rex continues, "If you plan to catch Solaran and Lunaro, we've discovered that it's necessary to have Cellance in your party. You'll also need the Elemental Stones to open the gate, but I think you're aware of that after the showdown in Sario Town with Team Solar and Team Lunar... Our research suggests that the gate will only open at a specific time for each of them. We don't know exactly when, but I'm sure you'll figure it out!"

Rodney rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Special time... Maybe it's midday and midnight?"

"I'm not sure, but that's an interesting theory," Keira replies. "So, you're also helping Professor Pinewood with the Pokédex. How's that going?"

Ash nods. "We still have a few Pokémon that need to evolve, and we might capture those Legendary and Mythical Pokémon as well."

Keira smiles, excitement clear in her voice. "That sounds like an amazing adventure. I'm sure you'll complete the Pokédex and discover even more along the way!"

With the Balance Crystal in hand and new information to ponder, the group feels a renewed sense of purpose as they prepare for the challenges ahead.

When the traitorous group finally breaks free of the ice, Iris shivers and yells in frustration, "Brrr... why did she have to have an Ice Type! I hate Ice!"

Belle, equally annoyed, brushes off the remaining frost and says, "And how dare they freeze us! Now we've lost track of them!"

"They said they were heading east of this town, right? If we hurry, we might be able to catch up," Mallow suggests, her determination shining through.

Without wasting any more time, they rush eastward, hoping to intercept Ash and the group. As they approach, they spot Ash, Alice, Rodney, and another person they don't recognize. The four of them are battling various trainers on the route, using Pokémon the traitorous group has never seen before. Ash is also assisting Alice with the roadblocks along the way, showing his usual resourcefulness and teamwork.

Seeing the group in action, the traitors seethe with anger and frustration, realizing that their enemies are not only ahead of them but also stronger than they anticipated.

Walking along Routes 19, 21, and 20, the four of them take in the bustling activity around them. Construction workers are busy at their tasks, and strong Pokémon roam the area, adding to the lively atmosphere.

"Looks like this place is really flourishing with strong Pokémon," Alice observes, impressed by the variety and strength of the creatures around them.

"Yeah, and you can tell the workers have put in a lot of effort to open this new path," Keira adds, nodding in appreciation.

As they reach Route 20, they notice the road splitting off in two directions, each leading to a different cave. Ash pulls out the map and studies it. "So, according to the map, to the left we have the Jewel Mine, and to the right is the Tropical Cave."

"Tropical Cave is my favorite place," Rodney says with a grin. "It's close to the Cascade Waterfalls, and there are a lot of strong Pokémon in there."

Alice chimes in, "And the Jewel Mine is filled with jewels—maybe it's connected to the Legendary Pokémon somehow."

"Wow..." Keira murmurs, clearly intrigued by the possibilities that lie ahead.

"I guess that's the end of our exploration for today," Ash says, looking around one last time. "We'd better head back home. I need to start training for the Elite Four, after all."

Rodney nods in agreement. "You're right. You have the Elite Four and then your mother to defeat. I can't wait to see how it all goes down."

As they call for the Flying Taxi, the traitorous group arrives just in time to see Ash and his friends preparing to leave. Clemont, frustrated, exclaims, "We've come all this way, and now they're leaving?"

Belle mutters in disbelief, "And how did they even get the Flying service? It would have been easier to just travel around..."

The traitors watch with a mix of annoyance and frustration as Ash, Alice, Rodney, and Keira board the Flying Taxi, knowing they've missed another opportunity to confront them.

Here is a new chapter, and Ash and Alice met the traitors and they decide to ignore them as much as possible. I hope you like this chapter and the next 18 chapters will focus on one Pokemon type.