"In other words, you need a Togepi as your partner to inherit the throne to this kingdom?" Ash finally figured out their current situation.
"Yes, since the ancient times, our kingdom has worshiped Togepi as the Guardian Pokémon of Freedom and Peace, so the person who will inherit the throne in our small kingdom has a mission to find a Togepi somewhere in the world to bless them as their partner!"
Sara's maid gave the group a detailed introduction to their kingdom's customs and ways.
"Then where is the Togepi that blessed the King now?" Indeed, since the King also required a Togepi to inherit the throne, he should know where they are. But something has been going wrong since he took over the throne to this kingdom.
"That Togepi has gone back to the distant place it came from."
"In the legend of our country, when a Togepi blesses the future King and gets ready to leave, the one who will inherits the throne will be officially recognized as a King worthy of the title by its populace. In other words, Princess Sara's father was also recognized by a past Togepi to officially became a King."
It also happened that it was also during the Kings time where they last happened to see a Togepi.
In short, people who are approved by Togepi are most likely not evil hearted people.
Ash and Misty knew Togepi very well to agree with this fact. Ash once read that Togepi's loses most of their vitality when they are around people with evil intentions.
This was the reason why Misty's Togepi was always so lively around them.
Not only do they stay at good health of they are with kind companion, but they also gain more power and especially luck from them.
On the contrary, this King was too gentle for the good of his own kingdom. His regent, Colonel Hansen, has obviously wanted to seize the throne, it was very obvious to even their own citizens, and yet he was still foolish enough to not do anything about that.
"So, you asked me to bring Togepi here for the throne succession ceremony?" Misty also understood the reason why she was invited to came here in the first place.
"I think that Colonel Hansen guy wants to use your Togepi to claim that he is the one who truly has the right to inherit the throne in front of the people!" Princess Sara also knows that their current situation was very critical, and the Colonel was planning to usurp the throne in a rebellion.
But she hasn't found her Togepi partner yet, so she wasn't qualified to inherit the throne like her father.
Brock rushed over to Princess Sara at the moment when she showed worry and sadness, "Please don't worry, my princess! I came here specially to save you from the hand of the evil villain, so do-!"
Before he could finish his words of loyalty and devotion, Misty grabbed his ear and threw him aside, "Princess Sara, is there anything we can do to help?"
However, Princess Sara shook her head and refused, "I can't involve you in this danger, don't worry about my affairs, there will always be a way. Yiu guys should leave here, it's for your own safety." She said softly.
As soon as she finished speaking, a strong wind blew, and Ash's whole body flashed with a bright blue hue, "Lets get out of here!"
It turns out that a magnificent mirage appeared in the sky of the place where they were at the moment.
No one noticed that since the mirage appeared, Togepi in Misty's arms was staring at it blankly, as if she sensed something.
Then, it flashed with blue light, floated, and headed towards mirage in the sky.
"What is that?"
"Togepi must have sensed the paradise on the other side of the mirage!" The main explained quickly.
The blue light on Togepis body was getting stronger and stronger, until it enveloped even Ash and everyone else in it. A blue light fell from a door of the mirage, and everyone realized that everything in front of them had changed.
"This is the Togepi Paradise!" The King confirmed, "I came here with the previous King a long time ago!"
Speaking of this, this maid has served two of the Kings already and will most likely serve Sara too in the future.
"Mirage Kingdom is the kingdom that is formed to protect the Togepi Paradise. The two areas that protect each others and have known of each other have always maintained a sort of balance, but the appearance of this here is very different from the last time I remember it to be." She said in a panicked voice.
Not far away from where everyone was, trees and grasslands were withered in large numbers, they looked like they can be shattered into powder when just being touched.
This was a very shocking scene to the people.
"It is said that the first Togepi was born in this paradise, grew up through spiritual contact with people from our region, and it was also said they will return to this paradise after their journey ends."
What the maid means in simple words is that this strange withering phenomenon is most likely related to the changes in the people's hearts of this kingdom.
At this moment, Togepi, who had been floating in the air, seemed to sense something and flew towards the withered place in a blitz.
Everyone hurried to catch up, only to see several Togepi lying under the withered trees. They were listless and even covered in many injuries.
"How? How could this happen?" May couldn't believe the scene in front of her. These Togepi all looked to be so pitiful.
"If the Togepi here can sense the hearts of people in the kingdom, then once someone with pure evil intentions appears in the kingdom, this place will also be heavily affected like the legend says." Ash analyzed with a heavy heart.
"Yes, I think it is that Colonel Hansen guy. His evil intentions must have affected this once serene place and put the Togepi community in pain." The wise maid also agreed with Ash's answer.
At the same moment, Colonel Hansen finally saw what he was waiting for; the opening of the Togepi Paradise he wanted so much. He stood in front of the temple and let his Shedinja blast the invisible door with a Solar Beam.
The door kept getting blasted with Shedinjas Solar Beam. And soon the Ninjasks began to use their own Hyper Beam.
They were all focusing the power of their attack at one single point to destroy it. He really wanted to forcibly open the powerful passage between the two worlds.
Misty's Togepi was the first to sense that the passage was opened and floated in that direction. Ash and the others hurried to follow it inside and found that the once picturesque grasslands and green trees along the area were all withered white.
When everyone came to a light screen, they saw Colonel Hansen attacking with his three cicadas. His evil intentions were really going to be the downfall of this paradise. Togepi felt this the most strongly.
It knows it must stop this before this got too out of hand for her.
Noticing that Togepi was about to rush over there, Ash was the fastest to react. He quickly lunged and crossed over with Togepi.
Everyone who reacted a second later also quickly tried to rushed over, only to be bounced away by an invisible force.
"Everyone, trust me! Misty, just wait there for me!" Ash turned around and left a message for Misty, then looked at Colonel Hansen.
Although he couldn't get through here, the voice could still be conveyed. Princess Sara shouted from the other side, "Colonel Hansen, your betrayal is not what the guardian Pokémon Togepi wants to see! How could you do this?!"
"Stop talking nonsense, hand over that Togepi obediently, and leave this country as soon as possible!" This guy must have been hit too hard in the head, because before he even did anything, it became "my country".
Ash held the Poké Ball and smiled, "Do you think you can defeat me?"
"Come on, Ninjask, Hyper Beam!" Colonel Hansen didn't say much, and immediately launched the attack. This time he actually started to direct the battle, and even directly treated Ash as if he were a Pokémon, which really wasn't far from the truth.
"Pika pi!"
Pikachu jumped down, and a Thunderbolt suddenly exploded out of him, not only destroying the Hyper Beam, but also hitting the Ninjask hard.
"How is that possible?!" Colonel Hansen was stunned. How could this Pikachu's attack be so powerful?
Ash gave a knowing smile, he was now ready to order his Pikachu to go up and really bully them.
"Damn it, Shedinja, use Solar Beam!" Colonel Hansen ignored it and immediately launched an attack on Pikachu.
He thought this Pikachu must not have any attacks that are effective on his prized Shedinja.