Chapter 22
The Aether family was gathered in their hotel villa apartment. Gladion had gone out to train most of his Pokémon, Lusamine and Mohn were tidying up after breakfast, and Nihilego-Lillie—now affectionately known as NihiLillie—sat quietly with a photo album open on her lap.
As NihiLillie flipped through the pages, her fingers lingered on a particular photograph. It was a family picture taken shortly after she had been officially welcomed into the Aether family. In the image, her sister Lillie stood beside her, a radiant smile lighting her face. That photo was one of the few reminders of the girl NihiLillie had once thought of as her real sister—a girl whose life had been brutally cut short.
"Sis…" NihiLillie murmured, her gloved hand trembling as it brushed over Lillie's face in the picture. Though she couldn't shed tears in her current form, her voice cracked with the rawness of her sorrow. "If only I'd been there to protect you…"
Her soft sobs filled the quiet room, though she remained unaware of the three shadowy figures observing her from a hidden corner.
"Poor thing…" Voidpix whispered, sympathy thick in her voice. "She really misses her Lillie, doesn't she?"
Voidlie nodded. "Yeah. Hard to believe how different she is now, compared to when we first crossed paths." Her mind wandered briefly to their earliest encounters—ones marked by tension and misunderstanding.
The trio cast a glance across the villa toward the suite Ash's family occupied. Their gaze lingered briefly on Lillie's Pokémon, Snowy, snuggled up in her bed. Ensuring that the girl's lingering "Violet Depression" wasn't worsening had become something of an unspoken duty.
Deciding to check in, the Void trio vanished in a flicker of energy, reappearing to survey Ash's suite. It was still early morning, and they found Lillie curled up in her Pokémon bed alongside Snowy. The Alolan Vulpix nuzzled her trainer, fast asleep, while Lillie herself lay awake, her eyes half-open and her lips curled into a faint, wistful smile.
"That's my girl…" Lillie whispered softly, resting a hand on Snowy's silken fur. However, her gaze soon drifted across the room to Ash's empty bed. A frown formed.
"Where's Ash? And Serena? Pikachu too…" she muttered to herself, sitting up. Carefully slipping out of bed so as not to disturb Snowy, Lillie padded out of the room. Her search led her to the living area, where she found Delia sitting serenely on the couch, engrossed in a book.
"Good morning, Lillie," Delia greeted warmly without looking up. "Couldn't sleep?"
Lillie shook her head and hesitated before sinking onto the couch beside her. "I was just wondering… where did Ash, Serena, and Pikachu go so early?"
Delia's lips twitched into a knowing smile as she turned a page. "You'll see soon enough."
Lillie's brow furrowed at the cryptic response, but Delia's calm demeanor was oddly reassuring. For now, she decided not to press further.
"Oh, good morning, Lillie. How'd you sleep?" Delia greeted warmly, her nurturing tone as comforting as ever. But as she glanced up from her book, she noticed the worried expression on Lillie's face. "Lillie? Is something on your mind?"
Lillie hesitated, wringing her hands slightly. "Ash, Serena, and Pikachu… they're gone. They weren't in the room when I woke up, and I'm worried. His match isn't until noon, so it can't be that…"
Delia's smile faltered briefly before she quickly masked it, adopting an easy tone. "Oh, don't worry, dear. They were called into the office to help with something—just a small case that might help with a court matter. Nothing to fret about."
It was a lie, of course, but Delia's calm demeanor did its job. Lillie seemed to accept the explanation, though traces of unease lingered.
"Alright then," Lillie said with a soft sigh as she sank onto the couch beside Delia. "I just hope they get back in time for his match."
Delia reached over and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "They'll be back before you know it."
Meanwhile, in Levincia, Paldea…
"So, Levincia is where the Electric Infinity Gem is located, right?" Ash asked, his voice focused as he looked to Serena, Mark, and Golly, who were poring over a list of their targets.
"Yeah, according to this, it's directly beneath the battlefield where Iono hosts her matches," Golly confirmed, tapping a finger on the map they had pulled up. "Makes sense—it's pretty much the heart of the city."
Mark clenched his fists, determination flashing in his eyes. "The sooner we secure this gem, the sooner we can cure Lillie. We're running out of time, so let's get this done fast. Then we can move on to the Flying Gem in Area Zero."
"Right!" Ash nodded, his resolve matching Mark's.
"Pika!" Pikachu chimed in, sparks flickering from his cheeks.
The group didn't waste a moment, sprinting toward the location marked on their map. The bustling city of Levincia blurred around them as they neared the underground entrance to the Infinity Gem's hiding place. But as they approached, something immediately felt wrong.
"Wait," Ash said, stopping in his tracks. His sharp gaze scanned the open space ahead. "Why is the entrance wide open? Did someone already break in?"
Serena's brow furrowed as she glanced at the heavy doors, which had been forced ajar. "This doesn't look good. Whoever did this might already be inside."
"Then we need to move—fast," Golly urged, gripping his Poké Ball tightly. "We can't let anyone else get to that gem."
The group exchanged a determined look before charging into the cavernous entrance, their steps echoing in the tense silence.
"I think it's that Goomba guy," Ash said, his voice tense with frustration. "This time, we're getting answers. Like why he's here helping us and what his real goal is…"
"Ash, calm down," Golly said, trying to ease the tension. "He's clearly helping us get the Infinity Gems. Yeah, he might have another motive, but from what Ashlie told me, he's got a strong sense of justice. Maybe it's not as shady as you think."
Mark, however, looked visibly nervous, wiping sweat from his brow. "Oh man, Trenor and I are in serious trouble if he finds out we accidentally caused Lillie's Violet Depression… I just hope I can convince him I'm trying to make up for it."
"Hey, it's not just you, Mark," Serena said with a heavy sigh. She reached over and gently squeezed Ash's hand as they walked toward the chamber entrance. "What you and Trenor did might've been the tipping point, but if I'm being honest, I think the real reason Lillie ended up like this is how me and Ash treated her before this week."
Golly and Mark froze, astonished by the confession, while Ash and Pikachu exchanged guilty nods, their faces tinged with shame.
"What are you even talking about, Ash? Serena? Pikachu?" Golly demanded, incredulous. "Ash, you've treated Lillie with the same care you give Pikachu and Snowy—maybe even more! Why would you think you're to blame?"
Pikachu stepped forward, ears drooping slightly, and gave a reluctant sigh. "It's not about how much they cared—it's about the times they didn't step up when it mattered. Like when Sarah and Chase were too rough with Lillie, or when those two accidentally hurt her…"
"Wait, what?!" Golly exclaimed, his eyes wide. "What happened?"
"Last time Lillie babysat them, it didn't end well," Pikachu admitted. "Chase had this huge sneeze and accidentally used Boomburst right in front of her. When we got back, we found Lillie curled up and shaking, with Chase and Sarah trying to comfort her. We had to use Heal Pulse to help her regain some of her hearing. Since then, she's been afraid to be near Chase."
"Oh my gosh. Yikes!" Golly gasped in horror. "Why hasn't she said anything about it?"
Serena sighed heavily. "Lillie's not great at speaking up about what she's feeling. We told Mother Delia about it, and she suggested we keep it quiet until Lillie was ready to bring it up herself."
"You know," came a sharp, annoyed voice from the shadows, "that's the kind of secret that really shouldn't be kept from others."
The group turned, startled, as two figures emerged from the darkness. One was a man with mismatched eyes—a brown left eye and a glowing crimson right eye. An Alolan Raichu hovered at his side, its tail crackling faintly with electricity. Beside him stood a taller figure with spiky lavender hair, red sunglasses perched on his nose, and a matching gray jacket and jeans.
"Figured you'd show up," the crimson-eyed man said, his tone biting. "I had a feeling you'd come after the Electric Gem as soon as you realized I was involved."
"Well, well, Goomba Daybreak. We finally meet," Ash said, narrowing his eyes. "An Aura Guardian with a strong sense of justice and a friend to another version of me. I'll be honest—you don't look like mu—"
Before Ash could finish, Goomba teleported right in front of him and delivered a sharp Blaze Kick between the legs. Ash groaned in pain, collapsing to his knees.
"I'm so sick of hearing that same line from every version of you," Goomba snapped, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "It's really starting to get old!" He sighed, regaining his composure. "Anyway, unless someone else feels like being bluntly rude to my face, allow me to introduce my companion." He gestured to the sharply dressed man beside him. "This is Lear, creator of Pasio."
Ash blinked, his jaw dropping. "No way—you know Lear?!"
Still clutching his stomach, Ash groaned as Lear waved cheerfully. "So you've met another version of me, huh? Glad you remembered my name!" Lear said with a laugh. "Though, I'm probably not the same arrogant prince you knew before." He chuckled as his main partners, Donphan and Hoopa, appeared by his side.
"Lear and his partners, especially Donphan, have come a long way since then," Goomba's Alolan Raichu, Rai, chimed in, nodding approvingly. Then Rai turned his attention back to Ash's group, holding up a brown wool bag. "I'm guessing you're here for the Electric Gem? We've already secured it."
Ash's group stared, stunned. "Wait, you're just giving it to us?" Serena asked, skeptical.
"Not quite," Mark interjected, stepping forward. "Why are you really helping us? What's your real goal? You're way too suspicious for us to just accept this!"
Goomba smirked, crossing his arms. "Ooh, feisty—just like other versions of you, Mark. Alright, I'll come clean." He stepped closer, his expression softening slightly. "I have two reasons for being here. First, I know collecting all 18 Infinity Gems is going to be hard enough without worrying about missing tournament matches or getting evidence to clear Ash's name. So I'm lending a hand where I can."
He paused, his gaze shifting toward Golly. "But my second reason? It's because of you, Golly."
"M-me?" Golly stammered, taking a step back. "What do I have to do with this? Is this because I met Ashlie?"
"Partly," Goomba admitted, his tone dropping. "But mostly, it's about what I've seen across dimensions. Every version of you I've encountered has met the same fate. They all turned into cold, unfeeling murderers."
Golly froze, her eyes widening in shock. "W-what?"
"And let me tell you," Rai interjected, his voice sharp, "seeing you brutally destroy Clembot in front of Bonnie's eyes didn't exactly boost our faith. It's made us wonder if there's even a version of you out there who doesn't become… well, heartless." Golly's head lowered, shame washing over her.
"Wait, so that's why David has to fix Clembot?!" Mark shouted, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Golly, Clembot was just following its programming! It couldn't fight back even if it wanted to!"
"I know! And I already feel terrible about what I did to the poor robot in my anger, okay? I'm sorry!" Golly snapped, embarrassment and guilt mingling in her voice. She sighed deeply, then turned to Goomba. "So, why do you care so much about proving I won't end up as some emotionless killer?"
Goomba's expression softened as he sat down on a nearby step. "I'll be honest… it's because we have a version of you in our world," he admitted. "I need to find proof that my world's Golly isn't destined to become a cold-hearted killer who destroys anyone in her way."
"Hey, Golly isn't heartless!" Ash defended his sister, stepping forward. Then, with a sigh, he added, "But considering you've dealt with other versions of my family… I guess I can see why you'd be concerned."
Mark, still processing, furrowed his brow. "Wait, how did you manage to get past those Fire and Psychic creatures earlier—and what about the Electric monster this time?"
Goomba leaned back, smirking slightly. "We just used their proximity to one another to turn them against each other. They ended up fighting it out on their own."
"What about the Electric one?" Mark pressed.
Goomba shrugged. "Not sure, but if I had to guess, that thing probably turned itself into Levincia's power source."
"That… actually makes sense," Mark said, laughing a little. "It tried to use the gem to get stronger, and in doing so, became a power source itself. That's pretty on-brand."
"Alright, let's get out of here and keep moving," Serena said with a sigh, looking over at Goomba. "We still need the next Infinity Gem to help Lillie. You coming with us, Mr. Daybreak?"
Goomba nodded, and with that, he, Lear, and their Pokémon joined Ash's group. Together, they teleported to the castle in Sevestar.
As the group walked through the castle corridors, Ash turned to Goomba. "So, you and Rai are familiar with traveling between dimensions, right?" he asked. When Goomba nodded, Ash hesitated, then asked, "Have you met other versions of me before?"
Goomba and Rai both lowered their heads, an uncharacteristic silence falling over them. Serena frowned, stepping closer. "Goomba, is everything okay?" she asked gently.
Goomba sighed heavily, his voice quieter than usual. "We'd… rather not talk about it," he said. "They're not exactly pleasant memories."
Flashback to a previous timeline, across multiple worlds…
"Okay, this is the third time I've met an alternate version of you, Ash. Why are so many of you such assholes?!"
"You know, I normally don't use my Electric powers like this, but after what you did to Manaphy? I'll make an exception."
"You're sick in the head, you know that, Ketchum?! Taking the lives of billions of innocents just because a few specific groups pissed you off?!"
"Mr. Daybreak? Are you okay?" Trenor's voice cut through the haze of memory, bringing Goomba back to the present.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Goomba shook his head slightly. "Yeah… just remembering some haunting memories," he muttered, his tone distant. Without another word, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving the group in uneasy silence.
Infinity Gems Collected: Normal, Fighting, Fire, Psychic, Electric. (5/18)
Infinity Gems Remaining: Flying, Bug, Dark, Ghost, Dragon, Ice, Water, Grass, Poison, Fairy, Rock, Steel, Ground. (13/18)