Chapter 4: Fragments of the Past and the Chaos Unfolding

The journey to Starlet Valley Village had been long, but the tension between the group was rising. As they traversed the forest towards their destination, a sudden noise behind them caught their attention.

"Did you hear that?" Mina asked, glancing over her shoulder.

Before anyone could respond, a familiar voice broke the silence. "Lester!" It was Trista, her voice filled with a sense of urgency. "We need to talk!"

Lester stiffened. "You again?" He gripped his fists, already on edge from the constant pursuit. "What do you want this time?"

Holt, who had been walking a little ahead, turned around with a glare on his face, his posture stiffening in irritation. "We should be done with these games. Why are you following us?"

But it was Holten, still silent, who was the first to react. His body tensed, a dark aura slowly rising around him, his eyes glowing fiercely with an intensity that spoke of his anger. He took a step forward, growling under his breath. The air crackled with his power.

“Holten, no!” Ecla shouted, rushing forward to try and stop him. "We don’t need to fight them!"

But Holten wasn’t listening. His anger flared, and he lunged at Trista, Holt, and Moreno. "Stay away from Lester!" he growled. His powerful, mixed Dark and Grass energy surged as he moved with lightning speed, ready to unleash his fury on them.

Ecla rushed to try and intervene, but the other three Pokémon hesitated, not wanting to escalate things further. "We don't want to fight, Holten!" Holt shouted, holding his arms up in a gesture of peace, but Holten’s aura was too overwhelming.

The chaos began once again as Holten’s rage consumed him. His body transformed briefly, becoming a twisted fusion of Grass and Dark energies, as his attacks became relentless. Ecla, Mina, and Carlson did their best to hold him back, but they couldn't get close enough. The power in the air made it hard to move.

Finally, after twenty hours of chaos and misunderstandings, a sudden, sharp snap of energy filled the air. Holten, exhausted, dropped to one knee, panting heavily. The air around them fell still, and Ecla took a step back, noticing the toll Holten’s anger had taken on him.

Lester, still reeling from the confrontation, suddenly felt a strange sensation wash over him. His eyes widened as his hand brushed against the fragment of an orb he had been carrying. As his fingers touched its smooth surface, an intense flash of light blinded everyone for a moment.

When the light faded, they all stood frozen, staring at Lester, who was looking at the orb in his hand in confusion.

"What just happened?" Carlson muttered.

Lester’s face was pale, and his hands trembled as he looked down at the orb. "I... I saw something." His voice was barely above a whisper, but it echoed in the silence around them. "I saw a memory... a brother... named Ecla."

Mina gasped, taking a step forward. "Wait… you… you have a brother? Your real brother?"

Lester shook his head slowly, trying to comprehend the strange vision. "I don’t... I don’t remember anything, but… I saw his face. I think he was my brother."

The entire group was silent for a moment as the weight of the revelation sank in. Ecla’s eyes widened in shock, his hand instinctively reaching out to Lester.

“Ecla…?” Lester whispered. His voice trembled with the weight of the truth. “Is it really you?”

Ecla stepped forward, his face a mix of disbelief and joy. “Yes, Lester... It’s me. I’ve been looking for you for so long.”

The moment was interrupted as a loud crash broke through the air. The other three—Holt, Trista, and Moreno—had stepped forward, still visibly uneasy, watching the reunion between the brothers with uncertainty.

Before anyone could speak, a realization hit them all: the bond between Lester and Ecla was undeniable, and the truth was clear now. Ecla had been with him all along.

But even as the reunion unfolded, something else stirred beneath the surface—something Lester had been unaware of. He turned slowly to look at Holten, who stood silently beside him, his gaze intense. For a brief moment, their eyes locked, and a sudden warmth spread through Lester’s chest. His heart began to beat faster, and he looked away, unsure of what was happening inside of him.

Holten’s face flushed red, and his eyes darted to the ground, as though embarrassed by the look Lester had given him. The tension in the air shifted. They had both felt it—something deeper, a connection they couldn’t quite explain. The silent bond between them was undeniable.

Ecla, who had been watching from the side, suddenly noticed the exchange between Holten and Lester. His expression turned dark. His protective instincts kicked in, and a sharp growl escaped his throat.

“WHAT!?” Ecla shouted, his voice filled with fury. “You don’t—!” His words trailed off as his anger rose to a boiling point. “You have feelings for my little brother!?”

Lester, taken aback by Ecla’s sudden outburst, tried to speak, but Ecla was already in motion. "You stay away from him!" Ecla shouted, charging at Holten in a fit of rage, his eyes blazing.

Holten, caught off guard by Ecla's sudden attack, quickly reacted. He grabbed Lester and, with remarkable speed, bolted into the forest, running to escape the chaos. Ecla chased after them, with the others close behind. The tension in the air was palpable, and the forest seemed to echo with shouts and frantic footsteps.

Lester held onto Holten, who ran like the wind, his Dark and Grass powers giving him an edge in speed as he carried Lester through the trees. "H-Holden, wait! Ecla’s mad!” Lester shouted, but Holten didn’t stop. He knew that they couldn’t let Ecla’s fury consume them, not when the truth was so close.

As they neared the edge of the forest, the group finally reached their destination: Starlet Valley Village.

But they weren’t alone. Overhead, a shadowy figure watched them from the sky, hidden in the clouds, its glowing red eyes following their every move.

The journey wasn’t over. In fact, it was only just beginning.

Epilogue of Chapter 4: The Search for the Memory Fragments

As the group finally reached the outskirts of Starlet Valley Village, their pace slowed slightly, though the air remained tense with both relief and anticipation. The fight, the chaos, and Ecla’s rage had taken its toll on everyone, but they knew they couldn’t afford to rest for long. The journey ahead still had many unknowns.

Dustan, who had been silently observing the group, suddenly spoke up. His eyes were thoughtful, his gaze fixed on the glowing orb in Lester's hand.

"Lester," Dustan said, his voice low but firm. "That orb... it’s not just a fragment of some random artifact. It’s your memory. If we can find the remaining pieces of the memory fragments, we can restore what you've lost."

Lester blinked in confusion, his hand still holding the orb tightly. "Memory fragments? You mean... this is part of my past?"

Dustan nodded, crossing his arms. "Yes. It's been scattered, lost throughout this world. But each fragment holds a piece of who you are—your life, your family, and... the truth about what happened to you."

A wave of realization washed over Lester as he looked down at the orb. It wasn’t just some object—it was his link to the past, a connection to the memories that had slipped away. "So... if we find all the pieces, I can remember everything?"

"Exactly," Dustan affirmed. "But we have to act quickly. The more time passes, the more unstable the fragments become. You need them all to restore your memory."

Without hesitation, the group nodded in agreement. They were already on their way to Starlet Valley Village to find the second piece of the memory fragment, and now, with Dustan's revelation, they were even more determined.

As they began moving again, a sudden wind swept through the trees. The hairs on the back of Lester's neck stood on end as he felt something unfamiliar—a presence, watching them from above.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared in the sky, moving fast but with an eerie calmness. It was a figure, too far to make out in full detail, but its silhouette was unmistakable. The group stopped in their tracks, watching as the mysterious figure soared through the clouds.

"Lester, do you feel that?" Mina asked quietly.

Lester squinted at the figure. "I... I do. But what is that thing?"

Dustan, too, noticed the figure and his eyes narrowed. "Whatever it is, it’s not here to harm us. Its movements aren’t hostile."

Before anyone could respond, the figure broke through the clouds, descending rapidly toward them. As it got closer, they saw a flash of blue, purple, and white—an elegant, bird-like Pokémon with gleaming wings and a sharp gaze.

The Pokémon stopped just in front of the group, hovering in the air, and with a soft flap of its wings, landed gracefully on the ground. It was a majestic and calm creature, with glistening feathers and an aura of mystery. Its large eyes blinked at them, filled with an intelligence beyond mere words.

"Wait... is that...?" Carlson began, his eyes wide.

"Yes," Dustan said with a small smile, "That’s Aetheris, a guardian Pokémon. It has the ability to sense the movements of the memory fragments. I had a feeling it would be tracking us."

Lester looked at the Pokémon in awe, unsure what to make of the sudden appearance. "You knew about this all along?"

Dustan nodded. "Aetheris has been watching over the memory fragments for a long time. It guides those who are worthy and helps them in their search."

Aetheris gave a soft, melodic chirp, almost as if affirming Dustan’s words. Then, it looked toward Lester, its gaze intense yet calming, as if telling him to follow. With a flutter of its wings, it took to the air once more, soaring toward the village.

Lester, feeling an unspoken connection with the Pokémon, nodded and followed its lead. "Let’s go. The second piece of my memory has to be close."

With renewed energy, the group rushed toward Starlet Valley Village, their footsteps light as they followed Aetheris’s graceful flight through the air. As they ran, Lester could feel a strange tingling sensation in his chest, almost as if something was calling to him, pulling him closer to the truth.

---

Meanwhile, high above, the mysterious Pokémon moved swiftly, its keen eyes already anticipating the group’s arrival. It knew what lay ahead—both the challenges and the revelations—and it was determined to help them find the memory fragments before they slipped away forever.

---

The race was on, and the path ahead was filled with both danger and hope. As they entered Starlet Valley Village, they knew the next step of their journey was near. Would they find the second memory fragment in time?

The answer lay ahead, just beyond the horizon.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***