----
If Professor Oak had seen them on the news… then surely Molly had seen them too.
Kai clenched his jaw.
So much for sneaking in.
They'd crossed half the forest with caution, trying not to be seen only for their efforts to be completely undone by one overly curious news crew and a public broadcast.
Just then, Oak's voice came over the line. He'd taken Erika's PokéGear from her.
"You snuck into the crystal tower without telling me? Why couldn't you wait until nightfall!?"
Ash looked guilty. "It's my fault, Professor! It was my idea, not Kai's. He and the others only came with me to keep me safe…"
Oak sighed on the other end.
He wasn't really angry not with Ash. Even if the boy set the world on fire, Oak would probably still find a way to forgive him. His frustration wasn't about disobedience it was about being left out of the loop.
He'd been treated like an outsider.
And the truth stung.
Still, he knew that if anyone had a chance of reaching Molly and stopping the Unown's power it was them.
"Fine," Oak said at last. "You're already there. I'm not going to call you back. Just… be careful. And bring Delia back safely."
Before the conversation could end, John Professor Hale's assistant interjected.
"Have you seen any Unown?"
"Unown? No," Kai replied.
John frowned. Oak took over again.
"We've been studying Hale's notes. Based on his research, it seems the Unown can read human consciousness. They don't just understand thoughts they manifest them. The crystallization, the dream world… it's likely all shaped by Molly's emotions."
Misty spoke up. "So it's all real? The Unown are that powerful?"
"Not individually," Oak replied. "But together, they're exponentially stronger. That's why we suspect there's a whole cluster of them inside the tower. And that's what's making this so dangerous."
He paused, then added gravely, "If things spiral out of control, promise me this don't be reckless. The rescue team will arrive tonight. You're not alone in this."
The call ended.
Ash exhaled with relief. At least the Professor hadn't scolded him too hard.
Still… he couldn't help but bristle.
"Rescue team? Hmph. As if we're gonna need that."
Kai gave a wry smile. "He means well. He's just looking out for us."
---
The group pressed on.
They moved through the last of the water channels and entered the manor's old greenhouse. From there, they passed through an arched hallway now transformed by crystal twisting like a mirrored maze.
Every hallway shimmered like glass. Every step echoed like chimes.
Eventually, they began to ascend, following the instinctual pull that told them where Delia and Molly would be.
Finally, they emerged into the top chamber…
And everything changed.
Gone was the crystalline cage.
Instead, they stood in the middle of a vast, rolling meadow with green grass swaying beneath blue skies, fluffy white clouds drifting overhead. It was warm. Peaceful. Beautiful.
Too beautiful.
"Is this… real?" Misty whispered, stunned.
"It can't be," Brock muttered. "We're inside the crystal tower…"
"This is Molly's dream," Kai said calmly. "It's like the Professor said. The Unown are projecting her wishes into reality. Look closer. You don't feel any breeze, do you? No warmth from the sun."
The others stopped to pay attention.
He was right.
Despite the vivid visuals, there was no sensation no wind, no heat. It was just still, like walking through a painting.
It was beautiful, yes but also hauntingly artificial.
Suddenly, Misty pointed. "Look! Over there a staircase!"
High above the field, a wide staircase wound upward toward another level.
"That's our way forward," Kai said. "Let's move."
But before they could reach it, a roar echoed above them.
Entei dropped from the sky landing with thunderous force.
And on its back, riding tall like a queen, sat a young woman.
She looked to be in her twenties. Blonde curls, flashy earrings, thigh-high socks, and a designer-style outfit. She was far too stylish for someone supposedly trapped inside a crystal prison.
The group halted.
Kai narrowed his eyes.
She looked… familiar.
Then it hit him.
The photo Delia had shown them of Molly as a child, standing with her parents. This woman looked just like her but older.
Too old.
"Who… is that?" Misty muttered.
John had said no one but Molly was inside the tower. But Molly was six years old. This woman couldn't possibly be—
Unless…
She was Molly.
The dream had given her the age she desired.
Perched on Entei's back, she looked down at them with a curious smile.
"You're Pokémon Trainers, aren't you?"
Her voice was confident. Mature.
Misty immediately tensed. "So what if we are? Who are you supposed to be?"
The woman ignored her, focusing on Ash and Kai. "I want a battle. You two—fight me."
Ash frowned. "Sorry, but we don't have time to play games. We're looking for someone my mother. Entei took her. Where is she!?"
At the mention of Delia, the woman's expression darkened.
She screamed, "That's not your mother! She's my mommy! My daddy's here too! You don't belong here!"
Ash recoiled in shock.
Kai's eyes widened.
There it was.
The truth in her words, irrational as it was, confirmed it.
She was Molly.
This illusion… this tower… all of it had been built from the mind of a lonely child who had lost everything—and used the power of the Unown to take it all back.
Even if it wasn't real.
----
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