@Scytherwolf; @Soups;

Episode 78a: Sleepless in Pre-Battle! (part 1)

"Lightless space gives way to your illumination, revealing a restricted, steeply sloping tunnel that is maybe 5 feet wide and 7 feet tall. Posts of green wood hold up the walls." Brock read the introduction to the group's second adventure.

The intercom snapped the group from their game. Now arriving in Canalave City.

"Oh, well...we can start this adventure again next time." Danielle mused as she helped Ash put away the game.

Please make sure your personal belongings are accounted for, and take small children and Pokemon by the hand. the announcement went on. Thank you for flying with us!

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"Welcome to Canalave City...the town that rises from the water." Brock mused as the group departed the airport.

"I can definitely see why." Ash smiled as he spotted ships approaching a harbor far off in the distance.

"In addition to the Gym, Canalave is home to one of the biggest libraries in Shinou." Danielle pointed out a majestic building that evoked an ancient temple in the distance. "Very handy for research, or just reading for fun. If I've never performed a play before, I like to come to the library and read it to get a feel for my role."

"What's the mythology and folklore section like?" Brock was intrigued.

"Huge." Danielle smiled. "Anything you ever wanted to know about the folklore and mythology of Shinou and elsewhere is in there."

"Nice--we may have to stop by and look around." Ash smiled.

[There's gotta be gazillions of picture books in there!] Tarina gasped, starry eyed over the library.

"I'm sure there's a good sized kids' section in there." Brock assured Tarina as the group rounded a corner near the Gym.

Ash suddenly heard a scream from inside the Gym. "What was that?"

He noticed a young man he assumed to be the referee hurrying outside. "What's going on, sir?" he asked.

"Everyone's been having nightmares, and no one knows why." the young man explained. "No matter what we do, most people never wake up. If someone does wake up, they're afraid to go to sleep again."

Then, he remembered something. "If you're looking for Byron, he is away training on Iron Island."

Dawn laid a hand on Ash's shoulder. "It's okay--there's bound to be more to do around here while we wait for Byron to get back. Besides, they say the shopping around here is very good, since it's so close to a harbor."

A smile formed on Ash's face. "Okay...I can at least take a look and see if GameWorld or Digiland have any deals or promos today..."

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"This is really weird...." Danielle mused as she, Dawn, and Ash wandered the deserted hallways of a mall. "It's not like the Canalave Plaza to be deserted like this...usually this place is bustling with millions of people! That, and there's always something going on on the central stage!"

"That explains why I've been playing to the empty hallways for the past fifteen minutes..." Brock sighed as he rejoined the group in the food court.

"Maybe we could ask Officer Jenny what's going on?" Dawn suggested.

"Yeah...she would know what to do!" Ash smiled. "Let's go!"

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"I'm sure you've noticed that all the people in town are having nightmares." Officer Jenny explained as she met the group in a lounge. "We're not 100% sure on the cause of the nightmares, but many of them are consistent with appearances of the Pokémon Darkrai."

She pulls out a familiar neon green feather that resembled a crescent moon from a drawer. "I paid good money for this Lunar Wing, but it doesn't seem to be working..."

"Is it okay if we can look at it under some kind of magnification?" Brock asked as he pulled out the magnifying glass attachment from a deep green survival knife.

"Sure..." Officer Jenny set down the feather on a table.

"Dawn, is it okay if I borrow your Lunar Wing for comparison?" Brock asked.

"Sure." Dawn quickly unclipped her Lunar Wing from her bag and set it on the table.

After turning to a chapter on how to identify Lunar Wings, Brock carefully looked over both Lunar Wings for a moment. "Based on what I can see here, the one Officer Jenny got is just a painted Pidgey feather."

He went on "Dawn's Lunar Wing is legit--it has the glowing aura and diagonal feather weave a real Lunar Wing should have. The fake Lunar Wing has the criss-cross pattern consistent with Pidgey feathers, and had some white splotches that you can only see under magnification, which was a clue someone had likely painted it."

"Detective Brock solves the case!" Ash smiled as Brock closed up his survival knife.

"The case isn't solved yet, everyone--the real question is who could've created this fake, and why." Brock replied. "The case of the city-wide nightmares is only just beginning!"

"If you need another lead, Detective, the library is always open for research." Officer Jenny smiled. "There may be a clue in the legend of Darkrai and Cresselia."

"This couldn't be the same Darkrai we met in Alamos Town...could it?" Ash wondered

"Let's pay a visit to the library and find out." Dawn suggested as she re-clipped on her Lunar Wing.

"I'll continue doing my due diligence as well." Officer Jenny offered. "If I find any more leads, I'll let you guys know!"

To Be Continued...