Chapter 3: Fury Unleashed and Memories Unraveled

The group had finally arrived at the location, the place they believed Ecla, Mina, and Carlson were being held. It was an ancient, overgrown temple hidden deep in the forest, its stone walls covered in moss, and the air thick with tension. The place was eerily silent, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the distance.

Lester, Holten, and Dustan carefully surveyed their surroundings. Dustan's eyes glowed faintly, scanning for any signs of movement. "Stay close," he murmured, his voice as low as the wind. "We need to move fast."

They ventured deeper into the temple, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The silence was unsettling. But as they reached the heart of the structure, they found them—Ecla, Mina, and Carlson—tied up, their eyes wide in shock.

"Mina! Ecla! Carlson!" Lester shouted, rushing toward them.

Mina blinked, her expression filled with both relief and confusion. "Lester? Is that you?" She looked at him carefully, almost as if trying to confirm that he was the same Lester she once knew.

Lester nodded, though his expression was uncertain. "Yes, it's me... but... I don't remember much. Just my name."

Dustan stepped forward, standing between them. "Lester has lost his memories. He doesn't remember anything except for his name. We need to act quickly if we want to help him remember."

Ecla’s eyes widened. "He... doesn’t remember?" His voice was tinged with disbelief. "How is that possible? How can you not remember anything?"

Carlson stepped forward too, his feathers ruffled with worry. "This changes everything. If he doesn't remember, then he doesn't know what he's really capable of... or why any of this is happening."

Lester's mind raced. Ecla’s name... something about it felt familiar, like a piece of a puzzle he couldn't quite fit. "Wait... Ecla," he murmured, his brow furrowing. "That name... I feel like I've heard it before. Why does it feel so familiar?"

Ecla watched him carefully, his gaze softening with concern. "Lester... you don’t remember us, do you?" His voice cracked slightly, the weight of the situation hitting him all at once.

Lester shook his head. "I wish I could... but I don’t."

Dustan, standing silently in the background, had been watching the exchange carefully. “We need to hurry. If we don’t get his memories back, everything could fall apart. This is bigger than any of us.”

Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath them. A familiar, heavy presence loomed in the distance. Lester’s heart raced as he turned toward the sound of footsteps closing in on them.

"Not again..." Lester muttered.

Holt, Trista, and Moreno appeared, their eyes fixed on Lester with grim determination.

"This ends now, Lester!" Holt sneered, his hands crackling with energy. "You can’t escape us!"

Lester stepped forward, preparing himself for another battle, but it was Holten who acted first.

With a deep, guttural growl, Holten's body seemed to shift. His form rippled as a dark aura surged around him, the fusion of his grass and dark-type powers exploding outward. His eyes glowed with an intense shadowed fury. He was no longer the same Grovyle they knew—his form had changed. The transformation was terrifying, the raw power emanating from him like a storm.

Lester and Dustan both took a step back, startled by the sudden change in Holten.

“WHAT!? What is happening to him!?” Trista shouted, unable to comprehend the drastic transformation.

Holten’s shadowy eyes locked onto Holt and the others, his body pulsing with energy. Without warning, he lunged forward, slashing at Holt with blinding speed. His grass-type abilities collided with his dark power, creating a whirlwind of vines, shadows, and destruction. The ground beneath them cracked and splintered as Holten unleashed his fury.

“GET OUT OF MY WAY!” Holten shouted silently with his actions, his fists landing devastating blows on the trio.

The three of them were thrown back by the intensity of Holten’s attack. But they quickly recovered and circled around him, preparing to strike.

Lester, still shocked by the sight of Holten’s new form, knew that they had to escape. The battle raged on, but Holten was relentless. The other three were pushed to their limits, unable to keep up with Holten’s power. The battle seemed endless, but eventually, the trio staggered, battered and bruised.

“Enough!” Holt spat, wiping blood from his lip. “We’ll finish this another time, Lester.”

With that, they retreated, disappearing into the forest.

Holten’s body trembled as he reverted back to his original form, panting heavily. His energy had been drained, and he collapsed onto the ground, his muscles giving out.

Lester rushed to his side. "Holten... are you okay?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.

Holten didn’t answer. He simply closed his eyes, exhausted from the battle. But he had done it—he had protected them.

Dustan glanced at them both. “We’ve lost them for now. We should keep moving.”

---

As they walked back to Lively Town, the silence between them was heavy. Mina turned to Lester, her face full of quiet concern.

"Lester, do you remember anything yet?" she asked gently.

Lester hesitated, rubbing his temple. "I... still don't remember much. Just pieces here and there. Like... Ecla's name. And... I think I've seen you before, Mina, but it’s all so blurry."

Dustan turned to Ecla, Mina, and Carlson. "He doesn't remember," he explained. "Lester doesn't remember anything except his name. We need to act fast if we’re going to recover his memories. The longer this goes on, the harder it’ll be for him."

Ecla’s expression shifted from disbelief to concern. "This is... beyond what we expected," he said quietly. "But we can’t give up. We’ll get his memories back, I know we will."

Carlson nodded. "We’ll help him. We won’t stop until he remembers who he is."

Lester’s mind raced, even as he heard their comforting words. Something about Ecla’s name lingered in his mind, but it wasn’t enough to connect the pieces. It was as if his memories were just out of reach, floating on the edge of his consciousness.

Ecla’s name echoed again, stirring something inside him.

But Lester pushed the thoughts away. He had to focus. There was more to this than his lost memories.

He had to know the truth.

Epilogue of Chapter 3: Revelations and the Path Forward

As they made their way back toward Lively Town, the tension of the day seemed to lift, but it was replaced by a strange, growing unease. The path through the dense forest was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and distant calls of wild Pokémon. Lester couldn’t shake the feeling that something significant was about to happen.

When they finally emerged from the trees and approached Lively Town, the sight that greeted them was unexpected. The entire town was bustling with excitement—balloons hung from every corner, lights twinkled in the windows, and Pokémon of all kinds were celebrating in the streets.

Lester’s confusion deepened. “What’s going on here?”

Mina smiled, her voice full of warmth. "It looks like they’re celebrating you, Lester! You’re their hero."

Lester blinked. "Me? I... don’t understand."

The townsfolk were cheering, waving banners with Lester’s image on them. "Lester, the Hero of the Mystery Dungeon!" the crowd chanted, some even running up to shake his hand, their faces filled with gratitude.

Lester stood frozen for a moment, unsure of how to react. He didn’t remember being anyone’s hero. He was still struggling to understand who he truly was, but he couldn’t deny the warmth he felt from the people around him. It was comforting, but also unsettling.

"Why are they calling me a hero?" Lester muttered, his mind racing. "I haven’t done anything… not yet, anyway."

Dustan placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "They see you as the one who’s been leading them through the chaos. But the truth, Lester, is you’re much more than you realize."

Meanwhile, in the shadows, Holt, Trista, and Moreno limped back from the location they had barely escaped. Their bodies were battered and bruised, but there was a spark in Holt’s eyes—a new determination.

Holt’s gaze was fixed on something glimmering on the ground. It was an orb, glowing faintly with an eerie, mystical light. Slowly, he approached it, and as he did, a vision swept over him.

He saw a figure standing tall in the distance, a human figure with glowing eyes—a human who was none other than Lance. The vision showed Lance using powerful magic to create a wish—a wish to combine all of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon worlds into one. As the wish was made, a star glowed brightly, and Lester, the Riolu they had been chasing, vanished from sight.

“No... it was him...” Trista whispered, her voice shaking. “It was Lance who caused all of this.”

Moreno frowned, understanding dawning in his eyes. "We’ve been chasing the wrong one. It wasn’t Lester we should have been after—it’s Lance. He’s the true villain behind all of this."

Holt’s fists clenched in anger. “So all this time… we were wrong.” His voice was low, filled with regret and realization. He turned his gaze to the orb, the truth weighing heavily on his heart. “Lance has been manipulating us all along.”

The trio exchanged a look, the gravity of the situation sinking in. They had been chasing Lester, the innocent Riolu, while the true enemy, Lance, had been hiding in plain sight. Now, they understood that their mission had been misguided. They would have to turn their focus, but how could they undo the damage that had already been done?

Meanwhile, back in Lively Town, Ecla, Mina, and Carlson were standing by Lester, who was still trying to process everything that had happened.

"We’re in this together, Lester," Ecla said softly, his eyes filled with determination. "We’ll help you find your memories. And we’ll uncover the truth about this world."

Mina smiled warmly. "You’re not alone. We’re with you every step of the way."

Carlson nodded, a look of resolve in his eyes. "Together, we’ll find the answers. We’ll get through this, and we’ll make sure Lance doesn’t succeed in whatever he’s planning."

A voice suddenly interrupted their conversation. One of the town citizens approached them, holding a map. "Hey, we’ve heard rumors about a place called Starlet Valley Village. Some say there are answers there—answers about what’s been happening to this world. You should go there. It might be your next step."

Lester, still unsure of his path, nodded. "Thank you. We’ll head there. It’s as good a place to start as any."

As they prepared to leave Lively Town, Lester felt a strange shift in his mind. The fog that clouded his memories seemed to lighten, if only for a moment. He felt a brief flash of something—an image, a name, a place—something important, but it quickly vanished as soon as it appeared.

Still, it was something. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it was a start.

"Maybe we’re getting closer to the truth," Lester murmured, looking out toward the horizon. "Maybe I’ll remember soon."

As they walked toward Starlet Valley Village, Lester’s memories seemed to unblur, if only by a tiny fraction. The name Ecla still echoed in his mind, like a distant memory. There was a bond there, something he couldn’t explain yet, but it was there.

And no matter how much he didn’t remember, Lester knew one thing for sure: he was ready to face whatever came next.

---

The journey to Starlet Valley Village had just begun, but the truth was closer than ever.

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