Chapter 641 - 638

The tower... had been conquered?!

Once the Trainers and assembled Pokémon inside the Dream Battle Tower realized what had happened, their voices gradually rose. Even Entei sank into stunned contemplation.

You really couldn’t judge a Pokémon by its appearance.

No, that wasn’t quite right. Calyrex’s truly broken qualities had finally begun to show. In other words, it had gone from being comic relief to becoming a genuinely invincible king of knights.

The king had been crowned.

[It appears that the first Pokémon to reach the summit has emerged. According to the will expressed above, it shall become the inaugural Pokémon Champion. Would that be acceptable?]

[Although the tower currently has only twenty-one floors, the Trainers who appeared in this battle are all among the strongest in their respective worlds.]

[The meaning behind this tower’s restoration—and the radiance it displayed when it first manifested—has finally seen the light of day again after one hundred and fifty years.]

[That individual is also exceedingly pleased and eagerly awaits the completion of the fiftieth floor.]

A joyful voice, its gender impossible to discern, rang through the preparation hall.

The being that appeared amid the radiance was naturally Arceus, the tower’s true master.

Of course, it wasn’t the Arceus of this world—the one known as almighty Sinnoh. This was the Arceus that had come here from the Pokémon Adventures world.

"The tower is too difficult," Entei said. "Calyrex only succeeded in clearing every floor by merging with the heroes of the Round Table."

"During consecutive battles, challengers can recover their physical strength through the power of the dream world and the tower, but their mental exhaustion still accumulates."

"As a battle facility, I don’t think we should simply keep piling on more difficulty. Considering the strength of the Trainers who have joined this tower, it will most likely become an impregnable fortress with a Champion-class Trainer guarding every floor."

"If challengers can’t make it through, the tower will lose its purpose. Wasn’t excessive difficulty the very reason the old tower collapsed and was ultimately hidden away?"

"I hear Hoenn’s Battle Tower has seventy floors, but then again, that Battle Tower is nowhere near as difficult as this one."

Entei was one of the tower’s builders. This entire structure had been reconstructed by Entei and the Unown, so as its chief architect, it naturally had opinions about the present difficulty.

[You have a point.]

The Arceus from the other world didn’t argue. Instead, it acknowledged the problem Entei had raised.

[Although I was not the creator of this tower, and the tower itself is something even I have never encountered before, I cannot guarantee that I would be capable of clearing all twenty-one floors.]

[After all, I do not possess the Legend Plate, and I also lack the Pixie Plate and the Blank Plate.]

[Therefore, opening different sets of floors during different periods, reducing the number and strength of the tower’s defenders, and implementing different battle regulations for each period may be suitable ways to limit the tower’s difficulty while keeping the experience enjoyable.]

[In addition, we will improve the rewards granted for clearing each floor by gathering and producing various materials and items from both the dream world and the real world.]

[As we previously discussed, the tower will offer more than training items. It will become a place where humans and Pokémon can freely interact and experience the customs, cultures, and ways of life found throughout different worlds and eras.]

As Arceus spoke, a strange piece of food appeared before Entei. Entei blinked, drew the food into its mouth, and began chewing.

"What is this?"

[Apparently, it is called potato mochi. A snack given to me by that individual, originating from Hisui one hundred and fifty years ago.]

[Although its preparation is extremely simple, it is said to be a treasure preserved from the distant past—a food created by the people of Sinjoh during an age when resources were scarce.]

[Old Verse 13.]

[Gather Sootfoot Root and peel away its skin. Once peeled, cook it however you please—fry it or boil it. When it is done, mash it down and knead the paste.]

[To help me understand the history of the people of Sinjoh, that individual brought many things from the past.]

[Did the potato mochi eaten several thousand years ago taste the same as the potato mochi eaten one hundred and fifty years ago?]

[I heard that the person who prepared this potato mochi was an outsider who came from a distant land. Why, then, was that outsider capable of creating such an authentic Sinnoh flavor?]

[Human migration also brought new Pokémon. In different regions, those Pokémon changed under the influence of humans, local customs, and their environments.]

[That is what it means for worlds to interact. By comparison, our world is far too isolated.]

[There are other foods connected to Sinjoh: wheat from the Valley of Creation, Sinnoh’s pearl-like Koshihikari rice, Hisui’s Hearty Grains, and the crops of Michina.]

[Whenever I think about such things, although I never experienced those eras or events, nor met the humans and Pokémon who lived in those times, nostalgia and sorrow always well up inside me.]

[And alongside them comes the pure happiness carried here from the distant past—the happiness of laughing and feasting with the lives that once inhabited those ages.]

"You wish to share that happiness with people from different eras?" Entei asked.

[Precisely. I have witnessed it in one possible future, and I have witnessed it in one possible past.]

[Allow me to borrow Damos’s words: What will the world be like a thousand years from now? What is the future in which you live like?]

[Some hope their era will never change, while others hope it will always continue changing. The events in Galar demonstrated this perfectly.]

"I understand," Entei said. "This would indeed be beneficial. Under different sets of regulations, even the weak would have opportunities to demonstrate their abilities, creating situations where the weak can overcome the strong."

"And if mysterious new rewards are added as well... since we’re already going this far, why not structure the rewards like wishes?"

"Before entering battle, challengers can make a wish and receive a corresponding blessing. After the battle, they’ll naturally hope to obtain the reward they wished for, so we can simply let them choose."

"That should be easy for a god to accomplish, shouldn’t it?"

The legend of Calyrex had given Entei a little inspiration.

There was another important point as well.

"If we need ingredients, we can simply have Calyrex grow them. As the first Champion of the Dream Battle Tower, it has responsibilities to fulfill."

"Besides, Calyrex already seems to enjoy farming and cultivating vegetables. In fact, you could say it’s an essential method through which it gathers faith."

[Then I shall leave it to Calyrex. This time, it will be official.]

[A Pokémon League consisting only of Pokémon... No, a Dream League led by Pokémon.]

[Hehehe. Does that not resemble an exploration society or guild from another world?]

[In that case, I shall also help gather treasures from even more distant worlds to serve as prizes.]

[Ah, and there is this.]

[A strange, unfinished item granted to me from a distant era. It is called the Infinite Satchel.]

[Apparently, someone from Hisui boasted that they would create such a treasure, only to ultimately fail.]

[Of course, even as a failed creation, this satchel can still hold a considerable number of items. At the same time, it is not as heavy or inconvenient as an enormous backpack. It is merely a small satchel worn at the waist.]

[Even across the many worlds, treasures like this are extremely rare.]

[For now, add it to the prize pool.]

[I must also give the Trainers who defended the tower this time more useful rewards, as thanks for setting aside their time to serve as its guardians.]

[Those who successfully defend the tower will receive extraordinary prizes. Those who fail to defend it will still receive conventional rewards.]

Arceus placed an ancient satchel in front of Entei.

Although this avatar possessed only the weakest portion of its power, it had already returned to its original body. The power to create these rewards and fulfill the challengers’ wishes would come from the strongest Original One.

It would also have the assistance of this world’s almighty Sinnoh.

[Then it is time to distribute the tower defenders’ rewards.]

[Thank you, everyone!]

———

The dazzling light disappeared alongside the defenders’ dreams.

Across different regions and different worlds, they awakened.

The first to receive his prize was the Hatcher favored by the Arceus from another world.

Gold’s performance while defending the tower had been poor. He had practically thrown the battle for free, but that was because the opposing Pokémon had attacked the Trainer directly. Even the creator deity could only express helplessness about that.

He liked fighting in the wilderness so much that he had actually dared to propose a no-rules free-for-all.

Gold certainly possessed some impressive skills when it came to wilderness battles, but this time, there had been no Time-Space Ball or similar item to enhance him.

Furthermore, he had used his flesh-and-blood body and a billiard cue to fight Pokémon such as Urshifu and Calyrex head-on. If he dared to do that in reality, that cue would surely—

Hmm.

Arceus paused to consider the matter. It examined Gold’s past experiences and discovered that the cue had once blocked Lugia’s Aeroblast.

That made even the creator deity interested in it.

[Then I shall give you a sturdier billiard cue, along with your favorite...]

Gold’s hobby was sampling local specialties from different places.

In his love of food, he was exactly like Larry.

"Arceus?!"

Gold jolted awake.

After hearing Arceus’s call, understanding his current situation, and remembering his disastrous defeat in the Dream Battle Tower, he repeatedly slapped himself on the forehead.

"Ow! What the heck was that? I’m never choosing those rules again!"

"Then again, losing unexpectedly during training is perfectly normal. I actually knew from the start that I couldn’t stop them. I was only going through the motions so I could collect the reward."

If Silver and Crystal had been there, they would undoubtedly have called him a liar.

But right now, Gold was alone.

Furthermore, the Pokémon Day Care had moved away from Johto to the distant Sinnoh region, so the Pokémon House where Gold had lived was gone as well.

Only now did the Hatcher realize something.

Compared with the other worlds, were the old man and woman he knew really the only people in his world who professionally raised Pokémon?

"No wonder that blonde woman and I lost so badly!" Gold exclaimed. "It’s because our world doesn’t have any professional breeders!"

"Now I get it. Every battle we’ve fought up until now has been nothing but guesswork!"

"Uh, but even if we don’t have a professional breeder, I’m still not opening a Day Care."

"Let’s see what Arceus gave me... Whoa, a billiard cue?! And it’s brand new! This is exactly what I wanted!"

"And—whoa! Cinnabar Volcano Burgers! My favorite Cinnabar Volcano Burgers!"

"Hey, Exbo! Aibo! Togebo! Wake up, all of you!"

"There are enough burgers to make a mountain! We can stuff ourselves!"

"Defending the tower is awesome. You even get free burgers! We’ve got to do it again next time!"

In another world’s Sinnoh region...

A Sinnoh with no history of Hisui, no true history of Sinjoh, and no heroes.

Ever since entering the Dream Battle Tower, the young Cynthia had found herself occasionally dwelling upon certain thoughts.

She had been unable to visit the Sinjoh Ruins and could not be acknowledged as one of the people of Sinjoh.

She was a descendant of traitors, yet the boys and girls of Johto had been recognized while confronting the creator deity.

"I couldn’t defeat the challengers. I was powerless when they defeated me inside the tower. This is the full extent of my current strength."

Beside her, Garchomp hung its head.

After awakening and discovering that it had evolved in reality as well, the sharklike dragon had initially been delighted. But then it remembered the battle inside the tower.

When the perpetually victorious king swept an unstoppable blizzard across the battlefield, Garchomp had been incapable of resisting it.

"Oh, Garchomp. I know you’re furious, but there was nothing we could do."

Its quadruple weakness to Ice wasn’t something it could easily overcome.

It might have been seething with boundless anger after its defeat, but because its strength truly fell far short of its opponent’s, it had nowhere to vent that anger.

Garchomp nodded.

It simply felt that it had suffered too many defeats lately.

It had also failed to help Cynthia gain an audience with the deity. As Cynthia’s primary Pokémon, it had been unable to answer its Trainer’s wishes.

That was the true source of its anger.

"Graao!"

Let’s go train!

Garchomp urged Cynthia onward.

There was the potential disaster Sinnoh might soon face, but more importantly, Garchomp wanted to fulfill Cynthia’s wish. It needed to work twice as hard.

It had been far too complacent in the past.

Cynthia smiled helplessly and stroked Garchomp, bringing this regrettable "lunchtime battle" to an end.

At that moment, however, both Cynthia and Garchomp heard a voice.

It sounded as though the dream had not yet faded away.

[You performed well. Demanding too much of yourself is unrealistic.]

[It is already enough to know that a sincere person such as you still exists among the remnants of the ancient people.]

[As for your reward for defending the tower...]

[Although the time has not yet come for you to meet me, I shall grant you permission to investigate the Sinjoh Ruins.]

[And if you intend to strengthen yourself...]

"Arceus?! Have you granted me the qualification to hear your voice?"

The young Cynthia remained perfectly still. Her emotions surged violently, but she stood quietly and listened with reverence.

Arceus continued.

[This is your reward: a revelation concerning Sinnoh’s future.]

[As Champion, you wish to fulfill your responsibilities. I have sensed that wish.]

[Although I have already said I will never return to that world which caused me such sorrow, my creations remain there.]

[I exiled the two who govern time and space to the earth, and I bestowed the one who conceals souls upon the reverse side of the world. I also promised to grant it the sunlight it had never seen.]

[I give you permission to enter the Distortion World.]

[In our world, the Distortion World must be entered through Turnback Cave. If a person’s soul is broken apart and torn asunder, it may continue to exist within the Distortion World in molecular form—or in particles even smaller than molecules.]

[Yes. Our world has no Spirit World.]

[Therefore, the Distortion World bears the crucial burden of holding souls. It cannot possess a sun, nor can it be reshaped or transformed. That world is filled with the countless souls of those who have died and vanished.]

[Go to the Distortion World. Travel to Turnback Cave—or to Sunyshore City, the sunlit place I promised Giratina it would be permitted to visit.]

[The boys and girls who represent emotion, willpower, and knowledge must set out across Sinnoh.]

[You must guide them properly, rather than leaving your meeting to mere chance.]

[Then, at the Spear Pillar, borrow Giratina’s power and return everything to its proper course.]

That Giratina was always causing trouble. It would even cooperate with a Team Galactic scientist in the future.

However, Arceus from the other world had already seen that future. During the battle at the Sinjoh Ruins, it would therefore agree to Giratina’s request.

It was only sunlight. There was nothing wrong with letting Giratina bask in it occasionally.

Although these three were newly born imitations of Arceus’s children, carrying only their ancient memories, perhaps the history of the past had indeed been too cruel to them.

[However, the boys and girls will not initially understand the destinies they represent.]

[Pearl. Diamond. And especially Platinum Berlitz.]

[That family has done many things in our world. The consequences of their thirst for knowledge have spread throughout several regions.]

[But that is the natural state of humanity in our world. There is nothing to be done about it.]

[You must therefore guide that girl and wash away the spoiled essence of a sheltered heiress.]

[Help her better understand the meaning of Sinnoh’s existence and prevent the sacrifices that would otherwise occur.]

[I hope she can become someone like "radiance"—or "light."]

[I entrust this child to you, and I place my wager upon the new era.]

The creator’s divine revelation came to an end.

After listening, Cynthia’s eyes changed.

"Sunyshore City—no, in our world, it should be called Lakeshore City!"

It occupied the same location, but subtle differences between the worlds had caused its name to change.

At least the abundant sunlight had never changed.

However, according to the history of other worlds, Sunyshore hadn’t been filled with light in ancient times. It had been a desolate land overflowing with ghosts and tormented spirits, known as the Deadwood Haunt and Sand’s Reach.

Perhaps that was another reason Giratina wished to reach that place.

"Platinum Berlitz..."

"If I remember correctly, she is Professor Rowan’s research assistant. The Berlitz family has a tradition of personally climbing Mt. Coronet to create their family crests."

"This young lady apparently intends to hire bodyguards. In other words, according to the destiny traditionally followed by Pokédex holders..."

"The real Pokédexes should not be given to the bodyguards. They should be entrusted to the other two children."

"The terrible event that once affected other regions must refer to the attempt to capture Rayquaza."

"According to the records, that was residual poison left behind by the former Pokémon Research Team—the product of restarting a fifty-year-old project called ’How to Freely Control Pokémon.’"

"My next task is to free Sinnoh from its past, regain the deity’s trust, and prevent the possible sacrifices and tragedies."

"Thank you for speaking with me. I will give everything I have the next time I defend the tower!"

Cynthia offered a sincerely reverent prayer.

She then received another reward.

A... bicycle?

A brand-new bicycle had appeared before her.

The young Cynthia blinked, her expression gradually becoming peculiar.

"A Mach Bike? This... really is something I like!"

Naturally.

In Pokémon Adventures, Cynthia had first appeared in Eterna City, where she had gone to rescue the kidnapped owner of the bicycle shop.

This version of Cynthia also possessed a secret skill that her counterparts from other worlds lacked.

Although her combat ability was the lowest among the different versions of Cynthia...

When it came to bicycle racing, Pokémon Adventures’ Cynthia could ride a bicycle fast enough to keep up with Garchomp’s high-speed flight—and race all the way up Mt. Coronet in one go.

During the final battle at the Spear Pillar, Cynthia let Platinum and the other two ride Garchomp while she charged ahead on her bicycle.

Cyrus flew toward the Spear Pillar aboard a Magnezone, yet Cynthia somehow cycled from Veilstone City to the summit of Mt. Coronet in an extremely short period of time.

To this day, no one knew the top speed of Pokémon Adventures’ bicycle-riding Cynthia.

Riding Skill EX!

In Aspertia City, in southwestern Unova, a girl’s voice echoed through the newly completed Aspertia Gym.

This building, which should not have been completed for another two years, had already opened.

Of course, it was still rather crude compared with the true Aspertia Gym of two years later. The school’s battlefield and dormitories had merely been renovated and assigned to the newly appointed Gym Leader.

The supporting facilities would gradually be completed later.

At least, that was what the school principal had said. They had also received construction funding from the Pokémon League.

"We lost!" Hilda exclaimed. "How did that happen? Mr. Alder, you were defeated too!"

"Wahahaha! I sure was!" Alder laughed. "That tower is really interesting. I’ve lost plenty of times since I started entering it."

"Ah, age really does take a toll on your energy. I didn’t use the Arceus set, but I imagine the result would’ve been the same even if I had."

Aspertia’s school had always hoped Alder would return to teach there, just as he had once instructed young people in Floccesy Town.

However, League challengers and experts from various battle facilities had recently begun flocking toward the plateau, leaving Alder with less time to return.

Even so, he had to visit for the opening of the new Gym.

Especially after making his agreement with the Paldea Champion, the astonishing old man increasingly felt that he had been somewhat irresponsible in the past.

Still, perhaps "irresponsible" wasn’t the right word.

Alder had always believed that guiding a new generation of Trainers and spreading the happiness of living alongside Pokémon were greater responsibilities than handling the League’s administrative affairs.

That was why he had decided to visit the school.

He wanted to see the child chosen by the divine dragons—and the other heroes who had yet to begin their journeys.

"Unova has a promising future," Alder assured the girl. "There’s no need to be discouraged because you lost today."

Hilda remained dejected.

"My team composition wasn’t good enough, and my own Pokémon weren’t strong enough, but... we had all three divine dragons on our side!"

"Unova’s founding legend was completely crushed. In the end, it must have been because my commands were inadequate."

"I thought everything would work out once I passed the Hero Interview, but my abilities still don’t measure up."

"As nothing more than a Gym Leader, I really wasn’t qualified to participate in a defense battle at that level."

"The only reasons I passed the divine dragons’ test before were because they were selecting heroes in the first place—and because Dawn was stronger than I was."

"She really is super strong! Seriously, unbelievably strong..."

"Fire and Water... I guess Water really is stronger."

"I want to enter the Hall of Fame, but right now, I’m nowhere close."

"Mr. Alder?"

Hilda blinked when she saw Alder close his eyes.

"Don’t worry," Alder said. "The deity is speaking. I’m merely listening."

"You can hear it too, can’t you?"

Alder raised a hand, signaling for her to stop.

The battle-loving girl in the cap shuddered as if she had received an electric shock. Her ponytail swayed, and an echo sounded inside her mind.

[I cannot offer suitable advice regarding Unova’s dreams.]

[Your dream is battle, and battle is also what you pray for. Because you have not yet reached the summit, you possess tremendous room for growth.]

[This region’s characteristic question is the relationship between humans and Pokémon.]

[So this is the first place where Pokémon were called "Pokémon" rather than "magical beasts," a custom originating with the fallen king of the Abyssal Ruins...]

[Then I shall grant you your prizes for protecting the tower. Thank you.]

[The "dreams" and "guidance" you seek shall be realized here.]

[This is a program from our world. I believe it may be of some assistance to this region’s future.]

[Yes. What matters is the future shared by humans and Pokémon.]

After Arceus’s voice vanished, Hilda blinked.

"Mr. Alder, what is this?"

"A blessing from the deity," Alder said. "Although that deity does not belong to our world, it has considerable authority when it comes to the relationship between humans and Pokémon."

"Look. Something appears to have changed in your Pokédex."

Hilda picked up her Pokédex and discovered a new feature.

"This really is a function related to the Pokédex. It’s called... Mood Mode?"

"Wait, it lets me see a Pokémon’s current emotional state?!"

"A machine that can understand Pokémon anywhere, at any time... This is exactly what those people from Team Plasma—oh! I understand!"

"’How does a Pokémon feel when accepting an order or taking action?’ With Mood Mode, anyone can understand their Pokémon’s emotional state!"

"This is a way to improve the relationship between humans and Pokémon!"

Mood Mode had originally been a program designed by Professor Oak and used exclusively on Pikachu.

However, its owner had been Yellow, who could already sense a Pokémon’s thoughts. As a result, the program had been shelved and abandoned.

Its potential, however, was practically limitless.

If it could be widely distributed and adapted for every Pokémon, Team Plasma’s arguments would no longer have a leg to stand on.

After all, if everyone could use this astonishing technology to understand their Pokémon’s thoughts, who would pay any attention to Ghetsis’s nonsense?

A machine capable of completely understanding a Pokémon’s emotions and thoughts had actually been developed in another manga.

In Snorlax’s Dream Gourmet, it was created by Kumura, a mechanically gifted female student from Paldea’s Naranja Academy.

Her title was the "Future Inventor."

Her device was called the Dream Scanner!

"This program doesn’t seem to be analyzable," Alder said. "Because it was bestowed by a deity, it must differ from the original program."

"Perhaps that person could examine it and uncover its principles."

"Either way, you received a generous reward for working hard to defend the tower, didn’t you, Hilda?"

A person capable of hearing Pokémon’s voices would defeat one who could not.

Perhaps that would be a good thing for Pokémon.

But the program had to be placed in the right hands.

It represented limitless hope.

Alder had received a prize as well. However, being able to fight alongside Pokémon and spend his remaining years participating in such intense battles was already the greatest happiness he could have wished for.

"My prize is a collection of survey documents," Alder said.

"I’m supposed to distribute them among different Trainers, conduct questionnaires, and give scores. It feels exactly like grading homework."

"But for me, this is the best prize possible."

Meanwhile, Hilda experimented with the new Pokédex function. When she used it on her Pokémon and discovered that she really could understand their present thoughts, her eyes widened in amazement.

"This... This is incredible!"

Hilda slapped her cheeks and took a deep breath.

"We only just finished defending the tower, but the future already seems clearer."

"Oh, that’s right. Someone is coming today for my first official battle as Gym Leader."

"This program came at the perfect time!"

As though sensing something, Hilda looked toward the Gym’s entrance.

The girl who had not yet reached the realm of perpetual victory still had to keep working.

In Italian, her name was derived from—

Athena.

And the name of the true hero, Hilbert, was derived from—

Alcides.

Someone shouted Hilda’s name outside the Gym, and three young Trainers entered the newly completed building, their hearts filled with anticipation.

Alder, who was preparing homework for them, was equally excited.

Hilda took a deep breath, focused her mind, and entered battle mode.

A girl with twin buns, accompanied by two boys—one with hair like a bird’s nest and the other with hair resembling a Qwilfish—had arrived with joy and curiosity in their hearts.

Hugh ground his teeth as he thought aloud.

"Not bad. Our city finally has a Gym!"

"This old school has a Leader now. We can train here, become stronger, and then wipe out those rats hiding in the shadows!"

Nate looked around.

"I hear Champion Alder is here too. Don’t forget what we wanted to ask him about battling!"

Rosa held up her Poké Ball and exchanged mischievous looks with the other two.

Amoonguss and Ferrothorn were already poised for battle.

Both Pokémon had evolved!

"Hey, hey!"

"Big Sis Hilda, we came up with a new strategy!"

"To celebrate the Gym’s opening, let’s have a Triple Battle!"

"You’ve got three challengers today!"

In Paldea, Geeta returned to reality after her busy period defending the tower. Her characteristic smile remained unchanged.

There was no need for further explanation. Luck was also part of battling.

Her luck inside dreams had simply always been terrible.

She returned to her office.

"Um, Top Champion," Rika said. "Larry says he wants to take a vacation."

"Does he?" Geeta replied. "Where would he like to go?"

"He says there’s no hurry. He only wants to apply in advance. His desired vacation destination is Alola."

"Hmm. Then prepare a set of clothes for him. I hope he enjoys his vacation. He can leave whenever he likes."

Rika stared at her.

"Huh?! You don’t have anything else to say? What about the tower? And you actually approved his request?!"

Geeta shook her head.

"Anything else? The tower?"

"Oh dear, I lost again, as usual."

"But losing during a challenge is an omen of good fortune in reality, isn’t it? That is the law of conservation of luck I have derived."

"And I wasn’t the only person who lost this time, so I’m in a reasonably good mood."

"How are matters progressing at the academy?"

"The documents... The subordinate battling organization, Team Star?"

"Everything has been finalized? Excellent."

Geeta’s eyes shifted, and her smile deepened.

"As expected, good things are always happening in reality."

"By establishing Team Star, we can sweep away the lingering poison in one decisive effort."

"As for the so-called ’battle gang’ those people established, it will serve as an excellent common enemy for uniting the students."

"Have Hassel coordinate the matter. The same applies to the construction of the frontier facilities."

"I’ve also decided to remodel the academy’s entrance hall so that students enter surrounded by books. I will design it personally."

"By the way, Rika, aren’t you curious about what I received this time?"

"Future tower challenges will offer all kinds of different prizes."

"A prize?" Rika said. "It isn’t some kind of talent directory, is it? Don’t tell me you got a headhunting list."

"No."

Geeta took out a bag of snacks.

"It is potato mochi, apparently a specialty from a certain era."

"One should occasionally bring back something interesting, shouldn’t one?"

"Since things have come to this, let us eat first. Call Larry over and have him take some to Hassel while he’s here."

At the summit of Mt. Silver, Mew and Leaf exchanged dejected looks.

Mew had decided this wasn’t fun anymore and began dragging Leaf away from the perpetually snow-covered mountain.

In Area Zero, Professor Sada reviewed the battle, recorded and transferred the data for analysis, organized her documents, and prepared to travel to Sinnoh.

In outer space, Aster comforted the displeased dragon deity and listened to its complaints.

Next time, it insisted, all three Rayquaza had to fight on the same floor.

Groudon and Kyogre should be summoned as well.

But if that happened, wouldn’t those two start fighting each other first?

In the region once known as Ransei, a land covered in ruins, Brendan continued his travels as usual.

Black Rayquaza, however, dreamed of a strange world.

It had clearly awakened from the Dream Battle Tower and received its reward...

[Rayquaza opened its eyes.]

Black Rayquaza heard a familiar voice. Its eyes snapped open.

It wasn’t inside a Poké Ball.

Instead, it saw the blue sky and white clouds of the distant past.

A man clad in black armor stood before it.

["The most worthy Warriors and Pokémon shall eliminate them all at once."]

["Enough. I will never forgive anyone who stands in my way. Not even my own sister."]

["I have awaited you for a long time. I shall create history."]

["The Mythical Pokémon will fall at my hands. Then I, Nobunaga, shall plunge Ransei into true destruction."]

["You have failed my expectations. I shall never forgive you."]

["So it has all vanished like foam... A human life lasts but fifty years. All that passes is no more than dream and illusion."]

The man in black armor became wreathed in flames and slowly disappeared.

Black Rayquaza remembered a fragment of its past.

It understood that this memory was the reward it had received for defending the tower.

A reward that would allow it to challenge the creator once more.

Signs of Chaos.

"So that’s what happened. Nobunaga failed."

"Our region possesses dozens of different histories, all thrown into utter chaos."

"Anyone who controls its seventeen kingdoms can summon Arceus and have their wish granted. Nagamasa’s appearance was only one of those histories."

"That is the truth behind the four hundred years of lost memories."

"In one of those histories, Nobunaga was killed by Mitsuhide... What a pity."

"Will I ever... see him again?"

The Arc Phone displayed the Dream Battle Tower’s latest update.

On Iron Island, northwest of Sinnoh, Hikaru finished reading the update and carefully considered it.

"I never expected that world’s alpaca to be so enthusiastic about this tower. No wonder they brought it over."

"They said it was to help the other Arceus understand happiness, but isn’t this basically unpaid labor?"

"Now it even has to visit other universes to earn money, support the household, and pay everyone’s salaries."

Almighty Sinnoh, so you’re Geeta too!

Still, as long as the alpaca itself enjoyed the work, it was a good thing for Trainers and Pokémon alike.

No matter how one looked at it, it was an effective way to motivate everyone.

Calyrex’s latest dump-truck charge had even forced the tower to introduce restrictions.

The Dream Battle Tower was finally improving and becoming a properly regulated facility.

After all, it needed to keep up with the times.

In the future, it would introduce standard Doubles, restricted Legendary battles, "Paralympic" low-tier formats, and other sets of regulations.

There would even be seasons and distributed rewards.

That would help limit power creep while increasing the participants’ interest.

Of course, anyone genuinely planning to climb every floor would still enter a no-rules battle and eventually face that unfair Calyrex.

But that was the tower’s ultimate challenge mode.

Far more people would prefer to play a few casual matches now and then instead of violently grinding the tower.

Battle fanatics such as Red, Leon, and Nemona would probably spend all day researching ways to clear it.

Then again, Leon might not have much free time at present.

"Anyway... potato mochi."

[Dish: Potato Mochi.]

[Description: Potato mochi passed down from the age of Sinjoh into the Hisui era. It was an indispensable staple food for people of that time and is considered a local dish.]

[Its primary ingredient is Sootfoot Root or the Topo Berry. Controlling the heat while roasting it is extremely important. If the flames are too strong, its flavor will be lost.]

[This is also recorded in Old Verse 13.]

[Sootfoot Root can also be used to prepare Old Gateau, Swap Snacks, and Smoke Bombs.]

[Effect: ?]

Numerous portions of potato mochi had appeared beside Hikaru as well. They were evidently small gifts from almighty Sinnoh.

The Hisuian potato mochi was still steaming. It seemed to have been delivered from the past only moments ago, filling Hikaru’s mind with further speculation.

Many people believed that Cogita, one of the three people of Sinjoh, was an incarnation or avatar of Arceus.

This was because Arceus had appeared as a widowed woman in a discarded concept, and Cogita was generally considered a reworking of that unused idea.

In reality, however, there was another mysterious individual in Hisui’s village: Charm Lady Lucille, who used protective stones and sold charms to the player.

The protective stone was strongly connected to almighty Sinnoh.

It should have been the treasure once enshrined at the center of the Temple of Sinnoh.

"How did it end up with the Galaxy Expedition Team?"

"And the three main kinds of charms sold by Charm Lady Lucille should be even more effective than the ones I make."

"Maybe that old woman is the real incarnation of Arceus."

"Akari probably spent nearly all the money she earned with the Galaxy Team at Charm Lady Lucille’s shop."

"After all, the charms become progressively more expensive. Eventually, they cost tens of thousands each."

"So almighty Sinnoh earned all that money and used it to buy little gifts for everyone else."

"Almighty Sinnoh depends on Akari for support, while the rest of us depend on almighty Sinnoh."

Hikaru put away his Arc Phone.

The sounds of enthusiastic feasting surrounded him.

Iron Island was very close to Canalave City. One could take a ship from here and reach the city directly.

Compared with Jubilife City, Canalave City seemed more reminiscent of the old Jubilife Village.

Even the village’s Canala Avenue had possessed the same name, and both settlements stood by the sea.

Iron Island had once been a prosperous mining island. The Iron Ruins sealing Registeel were located here, and the island had produced tremendous quantities of ore.

The mines had subsequently closed after the mineral deposits were exhausted.

From then on, the island had remained open as a training ground and habitat for wild Pokémon.

Many wild Pokémon lived here and gnawed on the ore. Most were Steel-type Pokémon.

The island and its mines belonged to Riley, one of the Aura Guardians.

No matter how one looked at it, Riley had done the best for himself among the descendants of Sir Aaron.

Not only had he inherited powerful Aura abilities, but he also owned a private island and mine.

By comparison, the starting point of the other descendant, Ash, had been far less impressive.

Then again, if that was true, didn’t it mean Ash’s never-seen father and Riley were relatives?

"Dawn has already visited Iron Island and taken the Lucario Egg with her. She’s progressing incredibly quickly."

"But after Team Galactic disappeared from the mainland, who knows where they went? I can’t determine Dawn’s current location either."

"Lucas has been staying in Canalave City for quite a while. Since he’s the professor’s assistant, he has to prepare for the conference."

"Before the plot’s final act, Professor Rowan should have summoned all three of them to a meeting at Canalave Library."

"Was it postponed because of the region-wide tournament, or have we simply not reached the point when it should occur?"

Behind Hikaru, the members of his team who "didn’t eat normal food" were noisily crunching on stones.

Archaludon, Celesteela, Garganacl, Deoxys, Aegislash, Cosmog, Regieleki, Iron Valiant, and Beldum.

Although the mineral resources had supposedly been exhausted, the soil and rocks still contained many minerals.

The island’s magnetic field was also highly unusual, making Beldum exceptionally active.

It was the cheapest Pokémon to feed, after all.

Before evolving into Metang, it only needed to absorb magnetic energy.

After evolving, its prey would become Nosepass.

Then again, nothing would really have changed, because a Nosepass was essentially a massive magnet itself.

Ore, electromagnetism, and cosmic dust—those were these Pokémon’s favorite things.

Better yet, Archaludon could liven up the occasion for everyone.

A Draco Meteor came roaring down from the sky, smashing into the ground and carrying high-energy particles from outer space.

The group became as excited as if it were attending a banquet.

Another one! Another one!

Archaludon’s Special Attack had fallen to minus six.

"Aren’t you eating?"

Hikaru glanced at Miraidon, which was lying idly off to one side.

Miraidon flicked its tail and rolled its eyes.

Normal food tastes much better than those iron rocks!

Machines do not necessarily share each other’s joys and sorrows. Just give me some potato mochi!

The electronic dragon licked its lips.

"Ruff."

Lucario was also eating normal potato mochi.

It glanced at the group holding a feast among the meteorites and ore, then shook its head helplessly.

Lucario might also be a Steel type, but it truly couldn’t eat rocks.

Whenever Hikaru received something good, he naturally had to share it with all his companions.

Ogerpon, Flutter Mane, Palafin, Falinks, Armarouge...

Urshifu, the Treasures of Ruin, Volcarona, Aerodactyl...

However, the potato mochi didn’t provide much energy for large, voracious dragons such as Walking Wake, Raging Bolt, and Gouging Fire.

They would be better off eating rare Berries directly.

They had already achieved unlimited access to Starf Berries!

What other Trainer’s Pokémon received treatment this good? They could eat their fill of mythical Berries!

Aside from Little Rotom and Shedinja, which didn’t eat such things, and Magearna, which was incapable of eating, every other companion received potato mochi from the past.

During the picnic, they formed a clearly separate group from the meteorite eaters on the other side.

There was also the "plant group" that provided additional food—Torterra and Lilligant.

"Weezing~"

Inside the cave, Galarian Weezing appeared to have discovered a location filled with poisonous gas.

Harmful gases could accumulate in enclosed caverns where the air didn’t circulate, and to Galarian Weezing, that was a feast.

It was overjoyed!

Living somewhere as beautiful as the Slumbering Weald certainly wasn’t bad, but something had always been missing.

Postwick was primarily an agricultural and livestock-farming town. It had no factories or enormous smokestacks, so Galarian Weezing couldn’t inhale large quantities of poisonous gas.

It had to survive on the carbon dioxide released by the forest each day.

Who could have expected it to find such delicious poison gas after traveling to another region?

"It absorbs poisonous gas as food, then releases clean air through the smokestacks on top of its head."

"That’s probably why Galar industrialized so early. Once the mutated Weezing appeared, people no longer had to fear toxic gases inside the mines."

"Cool~"

Beside Hikaru, Gimmighoul was counting its money.

At some point, it had brought several coins back from Galar—perhaps while they were in the Slumbering Weald.

In any case, the games never showed anywhere in Galar where ancient treasure could be found.

The fact that Gimmighoul had discovered these coins at the king’s resting place demonstrated its extraordinary talent.

After all, it was practically greed incarnate.

Gimmighoul was still complaining about what had happened earlier.

If we’d charged straight into the ancient Galarian royal family’s stronghold, we could’ve made them willingly hand over their entire fortune!

I could’ve collected the ancient coins, while you took the stolen money and became rich!

We could’ve had a bright future together!

But we didn’t do that. What a shame!

It looks like we’ll have to search the ruins of Alola’s ancient dynasty for the last few coins.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Gimmighoul counted the coins inside its treasure chest.

It wasn’t far from collecting one thousand.

The Roaming Form Pokémon then patted its chest and made a gesture of refusal.

Don’t call me when there’s fighting in the future. I’m afraid I’ll lose my money.

"I’ve never called on you to fight in the first place. You hardly know any moves!"

"Just don’t steal any of the professors’ wallets during the conference!"

Hikaru still remembered Gimmighoul’s previous attempt to steal Dawn’s wallet.

"But you can steal from Team Galactic."

"Ahem. What I mean is that I didn’t see anything. That Team Galactic member accidentally dropped their money on the ground, and you merely picked it up."

"Cool~"

Gimmighoul whistled.

As expected of the great Sage. His moral boundaries were remarkably flexible.

Then again, why bother behaving morally toward criminals?

But come to think of it, robbing people of modern currency is completely useless!

While Hikaru’s entire team picnicked on Iron Island, he received further information.

It mainly concerned their meeting place.

Professor Juniper was traveling to Sinnoh, and professors from other regions were arriving one after another.

The stars of human civilization were gathering here—the individuals who embodied the sum of modern wisdom.

Hikaru’s Poké Device rang.

The caller was Elaine from the Pokémon Rangers.

[Are you free right now? Are you on the Sinnoh mainland?]

[We’ve already reached the waters near Sinnoh. This is my first time here, but the climate seems rather similar to Almia’s!]

[Anyway, regarding the disassembly and inspection of that remote-control device, along with the development of the new program and machine...]

[Professor Hastings has something important he needs to discuss with you in person.]

[Could we arrange to meet at Canalave Library?]

"No problem," Hikaru replied.

"I imagine Canalave Library is already crowded with people."

"Let’s meet there. It will be an honor to meet the Ranger Union’s mechanic and Professor Hastings!"

Ships were steadily approaching across the sea, sailing around Sinnoh from the south.

They followed the edge of the land that remained undeveloped and continued toward Canalave City’s harbor.

At Canalave Harbor, Elaine finished her call aboard the Ranger Union’s ship and noticed another newly arrived vessel.

It belonged to another organization that, like the Ranger Union, possessed ships of its own.

"The Aether... Aether Foundation."

(End of Chapter)

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