Pokemon: This Ash Is Too Versatile

"Sis, do you think Grandma Calaba will really tell us where Ursaluna is?"

On the way to the depths of the ruins, Ash couldn't help asking.

"That depends on how much Warden Calaba values this Plate Fragment."

Cynthia glanced at the fragment in her hand.

Calaba stubbornly guarded the incomplete Plate, which showed how important this ancient Plate was to her.

Since they couldn't change her attitude with words, they would first prove their intentions with actions.

Bringing this Plate in front of her would also show their sincerity; what happened next would depend on Calaba.

The two quickly returned to the deepest part of the ruins.

Calaba was still standing in front of the ancient Plate, intently studying the broken inscription.

Hearing footsteps, she turned around, a little impatient.

"Why is it you again? I already said I'll handle Ursaluna myself. Whether it's Team Galactic or the Pearl Clan…"

Calaba suddenly fell silent, her gaze landing on the Plate Fragment in Cynthia's hand.

"This is… the missing Plate Fragment from the Solaceon Ruins."

Cynthia held the fragment out toward Calaba.

"We just took it back from the Miss Fortunes."

Calaba stretched out both hands and carefully received the fragment.

Her aged fingers slowly brushed over the ancient writing on it, and an undisguisable excitement surfaced in her eyes.

This fragment had been missing for some time.

To find it, she had searched almost every possible place in the Crimson Mirelands, yet never found a single clue.

She hadn't expected that the two people she had just driven away would bring the fragment back to her in a little over an hour.

"How did you know I needed this fragment?"

"From the moment we entered the ruins, you've been standing in front of that broken Plate," Cynthia answered with a smile. "If we couldn't even notice that, we'd be far too dense."

Calaba fell silent for a moment, then turned and walked to the ancient Plate.

She raised the fragment in her hand, only to find that the missing section was much higher than she was.

Ash stepped forward immediately when he saw this.

"Let me."

He took the fragment from Calaba's hand, lifted his arm, and set it into the gap in the center of the Plate.

Click.

The Plate Fragment fit perfectly into the gap, and the previously broken ancient inscription reformed into a complete whole.

"There."

Ash turned around and smiled at Calaba.

Cynthia stood behind him, watching his back, and for a moment her gaze turned distant.

When she first met Ash, that boy only came up to about her chest.

But without her noticing, Ash had gradually caught up to her in height.

The child who had always followed at her side really seemed to have grown up.

Calaba didn't immediately study the restored inscription. Instead, she turned to look at Ash and Cynthia.

"Why go this far? I've already turned you down. Even if you found the Plate Fragment, I still might not agree to let you get near Ursaluna."

"Because we don't want Ursaluna to keep suffering," Ash answered almost without thinking. "We want to help Him, and that has nothing to do with whether you're willing to accept us."

"Ursaluna is currently under the influence of an abnormal power, so He must be in a lot of pain Himself."

"After losing His senses, He'll hurt the people and Pokemon around Him, but that's not what He truly wants to do."

"Since I have the power to help Him return to normal, I can't just turn my back and leave after being refused once."

Calaba stared blankly at Ash; the boy's answer was very simple.

He didn't use this chance to name conditions, nor did he demand that she immediately hand over information on Ursaluna.

He had recovered the Plate Fragment only to gain another chance to talk.

Calaba had always believed that Team Galactic only cared about their own interests.

And that those who used Pokeballs to capture Pokemon only treated them as tools that could be ordered around at will.

But the Ash before her clearly wasn't that kind of person.

"I see…" Calaba let out a soft sigh. "I've lived so many years, yet I nearly forgot something this simple."

"I always thought that as long as I stopped others from using force to approach Ursaluna, I was protecting Him."

"But how can leaving Him to endure that kind of pain be called true protection?"

Calaba looked back at Ash.

"Boy, you really do understand how to care for Pokemon better than I do."

As she said this, it also meant Calaba had finally acknowledged the two of them.

She turned away and set her gaze on the now fully restored ancient Plate.

With the missing inscription restored, the contents recorded on the Plate could finally be fully deciphered.

Calaba reached out to touch the Plate, reading out the words one line at a time.

"All lives touch other lives to create something new."

Cynthia froze for a moment… This line… so it came from this Plate?

In the Solaceon Ruins of the future, she had also seen this sentence, but it hadn't been on this Plate.

Otherwise, she would definitely have recognized it.

Calaba had no idea that Cynthia had seen the same words in a later era.

Looking at the fully restored ancient Plate, her expression grew more and more complex.

"All lives touch other lives to create something new…"

"Its meaning should be that different lives must come into contact with and help each other in order to bring about new change."

Calaba quietly repeated the words on the Plate, a hint of self-mockery in her eyes.

Just moments ago, she had still believed that refusing Team Galactic and outsiders access to Ursaluna was truly protecting Him.