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Dragonite and Latias carried their riders swiftly through the night. With their incredible speed, most of the city blurred past in seconds.
Within minutes, they touched down in the plaza before the Grand Sanctuary. But before Kai could even take in the surroundings, shadows lunged from the darkness.
The attackers were unmistakable: the fossil Pokémon they had seen revived in Latias's Dream Projection Aerodactyls and Kabutops!
The night concealed their true numbers. All Kai and the others could make out were shifting shadows and the eerie gleam of dozens of pale eyes watching them. The Soul Dew's power had revived every fossil in the city.
Several Kabutops rushed forward, scythes raised. Before they could strike, Gengar hurled a volley of Shadow Balls, forcing them back.
"Move!" Kai barked. He, Ash, and Erika leapt from Dragonite and Latias's backs.
Assessing the battlefield, Erika immediately took charge. "I'll hold them here! You two go save Lorenzo and Bianca!"
Ash hesitated. Even though Erika was a Gym Leader, facing so many revived fossil Pokémon alone was dangerous.
Kai, however, trusted her completely. Instead of arguing, he pressed several Poké Balls into her hands.
"Take these. You'll need them."
She accepted without a word. Alongside her own partners Leafeon, Vileplume, and Bellossom she released Kai's powerful Steelix, Tyranitar, and Scizor.
The combination was perfect: her Grass-types supported Kai's heavy-hitting tanks, more than enough to keep the fossil army at bay. Kai's Pokémon, well aware of his trust in Erika, followed her commands without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Kai sprinted toward the Sanctuary doors with Dragonite, Ash, and Latias.
An Aerodactyl swooped down at them, but Dragonite rammed it aside with a shoulder tackle. Immediately, more Kabutops leapt from the shadows.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded.
Electricity surged into the Kabutops. Normally their Water typing would leave them vulnerable, but under the Soul Dew's influence, the damage was far less than expected. Pikachu blinked in surprise, ears twitching in frustration.
The Kabutops staggered only briefly before slashing downward again. Just as their scythes descended, a massive steel tail slammed into them, sending the fossils flying.
Kai turned to see Steelix looming protectively behind him. Erika, though locked in her own battle further back, had clearly ordered Steelix to cover them.
"Stay sharp!" Kai shouted to Ash. "The Soul Dew's changed them. Get all your Pokémon out—now!"
Ash nodded, releasing Totodile, Bayleef, Cyndaquil, and his shiny Noctowl. Surrounded by their partners, the boys pushed forward, slowly forcing their way to the Sanctuary entrance.
But even here, razor-sharp hooks jutted out, sealing the doors like the city's earlier traps. At Kai's signal, Gengar blasted through them with another Shadow Ball, the explosion blowing the locks apart.
"Now!" Kai kicked the doors wide, ignoring the splintering wood. Together, he and Ash rushed inside.
The chamber was just as Latias's vision had shown. Lorenzo and Bianca were bound tightly in sticky webbing, muffled cries stifled by silk.
Their eyes lit up with hope as they spotted the rescuers, though they could only writhe and struggle to warn them.
At the center of the device, Latios hung helplessly in a series of glowing rings, his power siphoned away into the machine.
Annie, the blonde thief, stepped forward with a sneer. "You again. Always in the way. But this time, you won't stop us!"
Her words were punctuated by the rumble of heavy footsteps. A dozen more fossil Pokémon emerged, summoned from the shadows.
Kai realized with a sinking feeling that Annie and Oakley must have resurrected every fossil relic in Alto Mare.
Each one was a priceless specimen once meant for research and exhibition. Now, twisted by the Soul Dew's energy, they were weapons. Attacking them felt like destroying history itself.
But there was no time for hesitation. Saving Latios and the hostages came first.
Kai hurled two Poké Balls. "Gardevoir! Jolteon! I need you!"
Ash's Pokémon leapt into the fray alongside them, battling against the swarm of revived fossils. Overhead, Latias battered the machine holding her brother, ramming it again and again.
Oakley smirked at the effort. "Futile. The Soul Dew's power outclasses you. Twice we failed to capture you, Latias. This time you walked right into our hands."
At her command, an Espeon and Ariados darted forward to intercept Latias.
But while the thieves were distracted, Kai's Gardevoir teleported across the chamber. In a flash, she appeared before Lorenzo and Bianca, hands glowing as she prepared to free them from their bindings.
Kai hadn't forgotten for a moment that the hostages came first.
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