Darkrai and Cresselia

Several things happened after Ash and Tomo received their fifth badge from Fantina. Tomo captured a wild Skuntank. Then Barry and the gang ran into Team Rocket again and they were sent flying. Barry then left the gang to do some training on Iron Island.

Today the gang arrived in Canalave City, the location of the sixth gym. The Canalave Gym was constructed out of iron and steel, so it resembled a factory.

"Hello!" Ash called out, but didn't receive a answer.

"Is no one here?" Dawn asked.

Before her question could be answered, a loud scream came from inside the gym.

"What on earth?" Ash exclaimed.

Just then a man came out of the gym and he looked very tired; he even had dark circles under his eyes.

"Oh hi there." The man said once he saw the gang.

"Hi there." Ash said. "Um, were you screaming just now?"

"Oh you heard that?" The man asked. "I'm sorry about that but I was having a nightmare and it was really horrible. To tell you the truth I haven't been sleeping well because of these nightmares."

"Oh okay." Ash said. "Um is the gym leader here by chance? My brother and I wish to battle him for a badge."

"Oh I'm sorry kid but I'm afraid the gym leader isn't here." The man said. "You see, he's training on Iron Island and he won't be back for a few days."

Ash and Tomo couldn't believe they had to wait again for another gym battle. Suddenly the man started nodding off to sleep and he ended up screaming because of a nightmare.

"Oh sorry about that, come back another time." The man said and he went back inside the gym.

"That man was acting weird." Tomo said.

"Yes especially since he said he hadn't slept for a while." Dawn agreed.

"Something's weird." Ash replied.

The gang walked through the city, but nobody was around and all the shops were closed.

"According to the guidebook, it's always busy around here in Canalave City." Brock said.

"Well it certainly isn't busy here. Something's not right." Dawn said.

"Hmm." Brock said, thoughtfully. "Let's go see Officer Jenny. I'm sure she can tell us what's going on."

Brock was right.

"Every year a Darkrai visits Canalave City and gives everybody nightmares." Officer Jenny explained.

"Well that's a big nightmare to have." Ash said.

He remembered what Darkrai was like.

"A Cresselia, who lives on Fullmoon Island near Canalave City appears at the same time as Darkrai and it would use it's powers to dispose of all the nightmares."

"But Darkrai appeared earlier than expected and we haven't seen Cresselia at all. So everyone kept getting nightmares for the last few days and they haven't been able to sleep." Officer Jenny said.

"That explains the man who just came out of the gym and why the town is completely empty." Ash said.

"Isn't there anything that can be done about this?" Dawn asked.

"Well truth be told everyone, including myself, obtained these Lunar Wings that are supposed to dispel nightmares because they come from Cresselia, but they don't seem to be working." Officer Jenny said.

"Do you have the Lunar Wing now?" Ash asked.

She showed them a light yellow and green feather.

"Mind giving that to me." Officer Jenny handed him the Lunar Wing.

He took one look at it and then faced Officer Jenny.

"This is a Pidgey feather that has been painted to resemble a Lunar Wing." Ash informed her.

Officer Jenny wasn't happy upon hearing that. She paid money for her fake Lunar Wing.

"It's arresting time!" She shouted, running out of the police station.

"Let's follow Officer Jenny said." Brock said. The others agreed.

In the park of Canalave City, Team Rocket who were disguised as merchant sellers, were selling fake Lunar Wings to people. Meowth gave out his last one to a man, but Jessie promised the remaining customers they would get some more. Jessie and Meowth went into the tent. In the tent James was making fake Lunar Wings by painting some Pidgey feathers.

"Hurry up James, we need more fake Lunar Wings." Jessie said.

"I could hurry up if you two were helping me. I've only got two hands you know." James complained.

"I have to say, this machine of ours has done really good." Meowth said.

In the tent was a strange looking machine; Team Rocket created it to make everyone in the city have nightmares.

"Yes it has, but we haven't had a good night's sleep ourselves since we created it." Jessie said.

It was true because the machine caused Jessie, James and Meowth to get nightmares too.

"Never mind." Meowth said. "After we sell all our fake Lunar Wings to all the people in this city we'll stop the machine and leave."

"You'll be leaving alright." A voice said. "You'll be heading to jail."

The voice belonged to Officer Jenny. She heard everything Team Rocket said and was ready to arrest them. Jessie, James and Meowth removed their disguises and revealed themselves.

"Why am I not surprised Team Rocket is behind this." Dawn stated.

"Because they're the type of people who like to take money from people unfairly." Brock answered.

Team Rocket was angered that their plan had been foiled again.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt." Ash ordered.

Not only was Team Rocket sent blasting off, but the nightmare inducing machine was destroyed.

Officer Jenny was grateful for the gang helping her solve the mystery of the nightmares and getting rid of Team Rocket's machine. She invited the gang over for dinner and to let them stay the night at her place. The gang instantly accepted.

*That night...*

Everyone was sleeping soundly but then Ash began to have a very scary nightmare. He dreamed that he and Pikachu got dragged into the ground and they went down a very long, dark hole. Then at the end of the hole there was a big, shadowy figure that Ash recognized right away.

It wasn't long until everyone woke up screaming. Dawn, Tomo, Brock and Officer Jenny had the same nightmare Ash was experiencing.

"Why are we having nightmares?" Dawn asked. "We destroyed Team Rocket's machine."

"It's Darkrai this time." Ash responded. "I saw it's shadow in my nightmare."

"If you're right, then we need to head to Fullmoon Island and find Cresselia." Officer Jenny said.

She had a police boat at the harbor and set off for Fullmoon Island with the gang right away.

What they didn't know was Team Rocket was following them in their Magikarp submarine.

"Fullmoon Island ahead." James said.

"Rumored to be the home of Cresselia." Meowth said.

"If we get our hands on Cresselia and give it to the boss, we'll get a big raise." Jessie said.

"What about the real Darkrai?" Meowth asked. "Will we get that one as well."

"Yes, the boss would like that." Jessie answered.

"Let's just hope it doesn't give anyone at headquarters nightmares." James said.

"If it does, that Cresselia will deal with it." Jessie said.

By now Officer Jenny had driven the boat through a cave that led to the entrance of Fullmoon Island. Everyone got off the boat and started to look for Cresselia. Officer Jenny explained that whenever Darkrai appeared, Cresselia would appear in a shrine on top of Fullmoon Island. Suddenly they saw a glow coming from some rocks. Ash went over to it and found a real Lunar Wing.

"Looks like Cresselia dropped this feather not that long ago." Brock said, admiring the feather.

Brock showed the feather to Growlithe and he sniffed it to find Cresselia's scent. Dawn sent out her Swinub to help find Cresselia's scent too. Growlithe and Swinub ran up some hills until they came to a big rock shaped like a crescent moon.

"There it is. Cresselia's shrine." Officer Jenny said.

At that moment what looked like the northern lights appeared in the sky and then a beautiful yellow, pink and blue Pokemon appeared. It was Cresselia.

"What a beautiful Pokemon." Dawn said.

She looked at Cresselia on her Pokedex.

"Cresselia, the Lunar Pokemon. Shiny particles are released from it's wings like a veil. It is said to represent the crescent moon."