Chapter 698 - 695

What was that Pokémon wreathed in dark flames and filled with such a sorrowful heart?

Was it the same kind of Pokémon as the Spiritomb he had excavated from an ancient ruin?

And who was the girl appearing behind that Spiritomb, visible within the fiercely burning wisps of grief?

Darkness engulfed Volo’s vision.

Whispers came from every direction, sounding like lamentations and prayers. As the cloudlike body bearing that mournful face began to spin, a wind from the far side truly swept through Turnback Cave.

As the wind washed over Volo, it stirred a strange nostalgia within him.

Yet he had never met her before…

His expression gradually became dazed.

Both Pokémon were Spiritomb. In terms of size and apparent strength, the opposing Pokémon was neither exceptionally large nor an Alpha.

Yet somehow, it was making Volo’s Spiritomb tremble in fear.

Still, Spiritomb was a Pokémon without weaknesses. If this was a battle between two Pokémon of the same species, then according to everything he knew, there shouldn’t be a problem!

Hikaru spoke.

“Infiltrator, an Ability capable of bypassing any barrier.”

“Hidden Power, Fairy!”

Vessa released a peaceful murmur, followed by a sinister laugh.

Had she still possessed the appearance of a young girl, she might have played pranks that caused trouble for humans and Pokémon alike.

Now, however, countless emotions dwelled within her heart. They were the gathered thoughts of Celestica’s ancient souls.

It was said that when 108 spirits gathered together, their wicked thoughts would merge and transform them into an evil entity. Even within a Spiritomb, one or two spirits would occasionally escape from the Odd Keystone because of strange accidents or twists of fate.

They constantly committed mischief.

They constantly wept and screamed.

They constantly devised new tricks.

They constantly harbored resentment.

And they constantly yearned for someone who could share their pain.

Her gaseous spiritual body began spinning like a storm.

In mythology, there was a storm that brought spring to the land of Hisui. It attacked its enemies with a violent gale woven from both love and hatred.

Its name was Springtide Storm!

“Spirii!”

Before Generation VI, Spiritomb had been known as a Pokémon without weaknesses.

Before the Fairy type appeared, ordinary attacks could not exploit Spiritomb’s type combination, with the exception of using Foresight to let Fighting-type moves strike it.

However, various problems now existed.

Perhaps they had been caused by distortions in time and space, or perhaps they were contradictions born from history being altered.

Whatever the reason, this was the Hisui era. It was not an unimaginably distant age, but it was still more than a century removed from the generations to come.

Aside from Sylveon that had been forcibly dragged into this world by space-time distortions, Pokémon such as Gardevoir, Mr. Mime, and Togekiss still retained their Fairy-type power.

Fairy Wind, Moonblast, Draining Kiss, and other Fairy-type moves had all existed upon this land…

“Waaah!”

Volo’s Spiritomb had no idea what was happening to it.

They were both aggregates of spirits, yet the pressure radiating from its opponent was overwhelmingly stronger. Judging by size alone, that other Spiritomb should have been slightly smaller!

And now it had used a Fairy-type move?

What kind of ridiculous move was that?!

Hikaru looked down at Volo’s defeated Spiritomb.

That Spiritomb naturally had no name. Volo had probably obtained it from some ruin.

Come to think of it, the two Trainers who had inherited the blood of the ancient Sinnoh people, Cynthia and Volo, both possessed a Spiritomb.

“The souls of Celestica have also been protecting you from the shadows, even if they could only appear while bound within an Odd Keystone.”

“And there’s something else.”

During the Hisui era, Hidden Power had received an “unknown enhancement.”

A type that did not exist became a type that did.

Naturally, to prevent all kinds of trouble, only Unown could use Hidden Power during this period. If any other Pokémon attempted to use it, the move would fail.

However…

“In the distant age of Sinnoh, whether in ancient Sinnoh or the Sinnoh of later generations, Hidden Power was an extremely important move.”

“The fundamental logic that allows it to change type follows the same principles as one of the complete god’s moves. In other words, it’s a move connected to the Legend Plate.”

“Most Pokémon can learn Hidden Power because it represents the latent power that already exists within them.”

Before Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Hidden Power’s type was determined by its user’s individual values.

But in the Hisui era…

Its type was determined according to an entirely different set of rules.

When Hidden Power was activated, it did not possess a fixed type.

Instead, it selected from among all types that were super effective against both of the target’s types.

If no such type existed, it selected one of the types capable of exploiting at least one weakness in the target’s type combination.

Simply put, it worked just like Arceus using Judgment while holding the Legend Plate. The move automatically changed into whatever type was most effective against its opponent!

Therefore, when Hidden Power was used against a Ghost-and-Dark-type Pokémon, it would inevitably become the supposedly nonexistent Fairy type!

“Vessa?” Volo asked. “Is that the Spiritomb’s name? It actually has a name?”

“It’s perfectly normal for a soul of Celestica to have a name,” Hikaru replied. “Although that isn’t her true name.”

Volo suddenly remembered something.

“That’s right. Long ago, Cogita told me about Spiritomb’s curse. She spoke of an incredibly ancient Spiritomb that was the source of calamities all across Hisui.”

“Could that unremarkable little creature before me be the very same one?”

“That storm just now carried emotions similar to those of Togepi… Ah, was that the presence of spring?”

“The god of spring soars across Hisui’s skies and brings forth the first sprouts of new life…”

“During my investigations, I discovered that the deity of spring worshiped in Hisui was apparently not Moltres, as it is in some other regions, but an unknown Pokémon.”

“That Pokémon once flew across Hisui, accompanied by three others of its kind…”

Irida looked toward him.

“Are you talking about the Pokémon that fly throughout Hisui?”

“As expected of the Pearl Clan’s leader! You know about them!”

“Yes, I’m talking about the Forces of Nature of Hisui! According to legend, a spring deity comes to Hisui at the end of winter. That is why she is known as the goddess of spring.”

“Yet no matter how much I investigated, I could never uncover that Pokémon’s true identity. All I found were scattered fragments of legend!”

“But never mind that for now… I merely sensed the power of spring.”

“I see. That Spiritomb is a Pokémon formed from the gathered ancient souls of Celestica. Vessa… So the enormous Odd Keystone at the Shrouded Ruins was originally meant to seal her away!”

“Since ancient times, there have been legends claiming that mist causes the boundaries between worlds to blur.”

“If the human world, the Pokémon world, and the world of myth are to intertwine, then perhaps a stage like that is necessary.”

“I also heard that you traveled throughout Hisui collecting things called wisps. I was quite curious about them, but I couldn’t see those flames, even though I also carried an Odd Keystone!”

“So that’s the answer. Vessa is the origin of Spiritomb in Hisui! She is their very root!”

Volo sank weakly to the ground.

[Volo no longer had any Pokémon capable of battling! This included Volo himself!]

“My dream ended completely with that final defeat…”

“I visited the Shrouded Ruins several times, yet Vessa never appeared before me. Does that mean even the ancient people of Celestica had already abandoned me?”

“In the new world of my dreams, I should have been loved and cared for as a child. I would have become a hero in my youth, filled with boundless curiosity toward myths and ruins.”

“I would have uncovered ancient secrets, made friends, formed bonds, and experienced new adventures alongside my Pokémon.”

“Then, at that special turning point in history, I would have witnessed humanity’s thoughts change and progress. I would have led the era toward a better future before finally reaching the Hall of Origin and standing before Arceus!”

“But now, I have become nothing more than light fading into the sky…”

“What happened in the past to make me the person I am today?”

“To go even further, where did I come from, and where am I going? I want to understand my own origins.”

“So that is how it is… Arceus chose all of you. What overwhelming power.”

“And yet I, a descendant of the ancient Sinnoh people, could never become a hero, no matter how many schemes or betrayals I resorted to…”

“If you miss this opportunity, no one knows when the next one will come,” Hikaru said. “Do you truly have no intention of entering the Temple of Sinnoh?”

“Listen to Vessa’s request.”

“Spir…”

The Spiritomb named Vessa released a soft murmur.

She could feel Volo’s pain and anguish, so she offered him words of comfort.

Even though she herself was now nothing more than a soul.

[Please don’t bring any more calamities into this world. The gods left because we kept making mistakes.]

[Let’s go to the temple together… Let the villages and people of the past return…]

[I want to see the sun one more time. Then everyone can live happily together again…]

[Please… I’m begging you. Live a good life… Live in our place…]

[I won’t crawl out of my grave and cause trouble anymore. This is the last time.]

[This isn’t a prank… This time, I truly, truly want to do something for the land of Hisui.]

“You…”

Volo heard Vessa’s voice within his heart.

He understood that the Lightning-Fallen Swordsman was transmitting the Pokémon’s language and emotions to him through Aura. Through those emotions, he also witnessed the years Vessa had endured.

A tiny grave in the wilderness.

Centuries of solitude.

She wandered near shattered, abandoned ruins and wept as she drifted through the wastes of time.

She had died while still in the radiant springtime of her life, taken when the sun disappeared.

No one had been able to see her.

It was not because she had refused to appear before them.

Perhaps her old disturbances and pranks had been attempts to prevent the people living there from forgetting the story of Celestica.

But her pranks went too far and caused numerous calamities, so an Aura Guardian sealed her away.

Yet the Guardian had never intended to destroy those souls.

He wanted them to fulfill their final wishes, sever their attachments to the mortal world, and finally depart.

That was why the number had been fixed at 108.

Power from a distant land that understood the nature of the soul had sealed the hearts of the ancients within this place, where they remained to this day…

Volo’s expression trembled with emotion.

“To sever the 108 worldly attachments…”

“I endured all manner of suffering when I was young. That was why I began dreaming of creating a better world.”

“Once I discovered that gods truly existed, I could think of only one thing: how could I meet Arceus?”

“Because I suffered and agonized, I entrusted my heart to my Pokémon!”

“I, too, possess something I love!”

“I want to live happily alongside my Pokémon in a new world!”

He looked sorrowfully at the smiling Spiritomb.

“You poor child… You were so young, yet you continued to pray?”

“A door was closed to you forever. This world should have given you smiles, colors, warmth, and time. It should have given you love and happiness, but all of it was taken away!”

“And even after becoming like this, you never stopped praying!”

“I understand now.”

“I have not fallen so far that I would allow myself to become less than the soul of a young girl!”

“I am the proud descendant of the ancient Sinnoh people!”

“That’s right! I think, therefore I am!”

“That must be the meaning of the myth Cogita told me!”

“So long as I continue to think, the thoughts of those who lived in the past will also endure. Human conviction can transcend time and space and remain at my side!”

“My own convictions are no different.”

“These unforgettable memories are also part of the suffering of this mortal world. In that case, I shall witness everything until the final moment!”

“That is, if you truly can stand before Arceus!”

“However, I will not sever these attachments, nor will I forget them.”

“How could I forget? How could I possibly allow myself to forget?”

“Perhaps this pain and sorrow are the very proof that my heart truly exists!”

“I think, therefore I exist!”

“And you, Lightning-Fallen Swordsman!”

Volo pointed at Hikaru, unparalleled determination blazing in his eyes.

“Here and now, make a promise and swear an oath!”

“One day, I will reach your homeland!”

“I will discover where you truly came from, and I will learn exactly what kind of place Sinjoh is!”

Listening to Volo’s oath, Hikaru recalled a history from the distant past.

If the three emblems upon the Mystri Stage were regarded as its first partner Pokémon, then didn’t that make Arceus at the Sinjoh Ruins the local Pokémon Professor?

So Sinjoh’s first partners were actually the Steel Dragon, the Water Dragon, and the Ghost Dragon.

“Sinjoh…” Hikaru said. “It is a shattered place where ancient legends intersect, surrounded by walls of blizzards.”

“It is indeed a place where the myth of creation can be reenacted, allowing the complete god to demonstrate its overwhelming power.”

“But aside from that, there’s nothing there.”

“Broken pillars stand before the temple, like spears planted in the earth one after another.”

“And one day, the Temple of Sinnoh will meet the same fate as the Sinjoh Ruins!”

The realm of the dead bore witness to everything.

Near Firespit Island in the Cobalt Coastlands, the spiritual shadow of an enormous Pokémon also appeared.

It was the spirit of the previous Lord of the Isles.

It watched the events unfolding inside Turnback Cave until Giratina was captured. Only after the gates of the underworld finally stabilized did the waves surrounding Spring Path gradually subside.

The people of the Pearl Clan and Diamond Clan marveled at the sight.

They became convinced that Turnback Cave truly possessed immense power. Perhaps this was where the ancients had left behind their oath.

An inscription within the ruins read:

[This is where radiant life and departed life intersect, where two worlds meet.]

It seemed to echo the message written upon a tablet in the Solaceon Ruins, inspiring all manner of speculation.

Palina and Iscan returned to the grounds of the Nobles they served.

Before departing, they offered their heartfelt blessings.

“To see all ten Nobles fighting side by side once more…” Palina said. “To witness the moment a new Noble was born… My life has gained meaning.”

Iscan stared at Akari in amazement.

“You fought beside the Nobles. You were… You were just like the hero from Hisui’s legends!”

As Akari left Spring Path, she tightly gripped the Origin Ball containing Giratina.

After obtaining the Spooky Plate, she whispered to the god of antimatter sealed within the Ball.

“Let’s do our best together, Giratina!”

“You might not want to obey me, but I want us to become friends. After fighting me, you should understand my heart now, right?”

“You heard everything Mr. Volo said, and you heard Vessa’s feelings too.”

“You heard them, didn’t you?”

Come to think of it, Akari had already received the Plate after defeating Volo.

Although it had originally belonged to Giratina, the Pokémon had given its Plate to Mr. Volo far too early.

Giving away something so important without considering the possibility of betrayal…

In that respect, wasn’t Giratina exactly like the Almighty One who transcended all things?

Akari’s voice was gentle and contained no real threat.

However, that was not how Giratina interpreted it.

[“Guh… I can’t believe I’m receiving that kind of evaluation…”]

[“I understand! I understand! I heard everything!”]

[“I’ll cooperate with you. We’re going to fight Arceus anyway, aren’t we?”]

[“Besides, I can’t defeat you. Fine, I’ll protect Hisui!”]

Giratina’s voice emerged from the Ball.

[“That fighting style was monstrous!”]

[“I am a god! Ghost-type attacks possess incredible offensive power, the Dragon type is reliable and resilient, and Dread Power is unique to me!”]

[“I should rightfully be regarded as the strongest deity, yet I suffered such a humiliating defeat!”]

[“And now you dare order around an ‘Almighty Sinnoh’!”]

Giratina’s voice contained panic, fear, and deep resentment.

That previous no-rules death match had genuinely terrified it.

It had lived for countless years, yet it had never imagined that a human might capture it!

“I’m not a monster,” Akari replied. “I’m simply stronger than you. That’s all.”

“Because I have friends.”

[“…”]

Friends?!

Where were Giratina’s friends?

Wait, Volo didn’t count as a friend.

That was right. He was merely a partner in a temporary alliance, not a friend.

In that case, Giratina had none!

“Besides, once this is over, people will begin worshiping you again,” Akari continued. “Don’t you want that?”

“You rebelled because people lost their faith in you, didn’t you?”

“And the flute music we offered truly was dedicated to you. It must have been a very long time since you last heard anything like it.”

“You want to be loved too, don’t you?”

“Like the other beings worshiped as Almighty Sinnoh, you want people to revere you. You dream of the day when you can live beneath a world filled with sunlight.”

“Our meeting may have been a little violent, but battling is also a way to understand each other.”

“You called me strong, which proves that you acknowledged me and came to understand what kind of person I am.”

“Am I wrong?”

The girl’s words left Giratina stunned.

It had always preferred scheming from the shadows and roaring arrogantly down at others. Never once had it considered these matters from that perspective.

For a time, it fell silent.

A flute dedicated to Giratina…

Now that it thought about it, that was indeed what had happened.

Did that mean Giratina had finally returned to this world?

[“I… I see!”]

[“You intend to restore the faith people once placed in me…”]

[“Considering that you offered that flute to me, I suppose allowing you to command me for a little while would not be entirely unacceptable…”]

[“N-No, it would make no difference even if my worship were never restored! Why would I care about such a thing?”]

[“I rebelled only to protest Arceus’s injustice!”]

[“I am a child of the divine! I exist for Sinnoh, not for Hisui!”]

[“The disappearance of the Celestica people, the loss of their history, the destruction of my temple statues, and everyone forgetting my name…”]

[“I don’t care about any of those things!”]

“You obviously care about them a lot!” Akari replied.

“What a stubborn god.”

“If you refuse to admit it honestly, I’ll make you work the fields in Jubilife Village.”

“Then everyone will remember Giratina as an excellent farming Pokémon!”

[“…”]

[“I sincerely apologize. I will fight to the best of my ability.”]

[“I absolutely cannot humiliate myself like that in front of those souls.”]

[“W-Wait! That’s right!”]

[“You are the same as that swordsman, aren’t you? Arceus summoned both of you!”]

[“I heard them say that you opened your eyes within the void…”]

[“If that is true, perhaps you are also a child of the divine!”]

[“That would make me your elder brother!”]

[“Would you truly force your own elder brother to work the fields? It would damage my dignity. Think about this more carefully!”]

Akari deliberately put on a confused expression.

“But aren’t gods supposed to create the earth and make it rich and fertile?”

“As a god, you need to do something for the land before people will worship you.”

“You’re a righteous child of the divine, aren’t you?”

“A god must protect its people.”

Akari’s praise made Giratina feel rather pleased with itself.

[“Hmm… Y-Yes, I suppose that is true…”]

[“I have never considered the matter from that perspective.”]

[“Come to think of it, why did people worship me in the past?”]

Giratina sank into distant memories.

Unfortunately, it still couldn’t remember them.

Akari gave Hikaru a thumbs-up.

Even gods liked being praised.

Hikaru shook his head helplessly, but he did know something relevant.

“Giratina, did you ever lose something somewhere else?”

[“Somewhere else?”]

“Yes. You lost your memories in the Oblivia region, didn’t you? You lost the Griseous Orb at the same time.”

During the events of Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs, the people of ancient Oblivia had deceived Giratina thousands of years ago and stolen the Griseous Orb.

It had also been imprisoned within the Sky Fortress for an extremely long time.

Perhaps it had been driven senseless with rage. Or perhaps the Radiant Jewel had drained away some of its power.

Whatever the reason, its memories were incomplete.

“Of course, it’s also possible that you were born in Sinjoh,” Hikaru continued.

“The Pokémon born upon the Mystri Stage are created through a fragment of Arceus’s power to create the universe.”

“Even the smallest fragment of that power can create life from nothingness.”

“And the life it creates carries memories from the most ancient era.”

Fragments of Giratina’s distant memories flickered through its mind.

Still unable to remember clearly, it asked in a halting voice:

[“What… is your connection to me?”]

[“Does it come from the future?”]

“We’re friends.”

[“I have a friend?”]

[“But you claim to be my friend, yet you trained this girl to become so violent!”]

[“I will remember this! I will find some way to defeat you in return!”]

“That’s right. You really will remember this part eventually,” Hikaru replied.

“However, you and I have already fought several times, so during our next battle, let’s not use Pokémon.”

Giratina immediately fell silent.

Memories of its defeat resurfaced, and fear flooded its heart.

Only then did it remember the truth.

If this man was both the partner and teacher of the “daughter of the divine,” then he was the real…

Monster!

Akari looked toward Hikaru, copying something he often did with other people.

Once everything was over, all she needed to do was nod and smile.

Akari thought that was a wonderful approach.

“Now Mr. Volo has become our friend too,” she said.

“You were right. ‘Once you defeat a boss, they join your party.’ That really is common sense.”

“Although he might become much weaker after joining us.”

“But making another friend feels a little like adding something new to a collection… That’s probably a strange comparison.”

“Yes,” Hikaru replied. “He still says things like how everyone’s dreams will inevitably clash in the future.”

“But I think he has already accepted reality. He simply refuses to admit it.”

“Besides, his dream has only been postponed by 150 years.”

“After all, that is when the story he set in motion will truly begin.”

“Still, those philosophical statements he made, such as ‘I desire, therefore I exist’ and ‘I think, therefore I exist,’ are incredibly difficult to understand,” Akari said.

“But there is one thing I know.”

“There is still happiness within Mr. Volo’s heart.”

“He simply loves Celestica too deeply, and he loves Pokémon far too much.”

“That is what I felt through his Aura and the Aura of his Pokémon!”

“That happiness is just like the poem said.”

“So long as you remain beside your friends, facing the wind, your heart will be gently embraced…”

Akari smiled.

“When friends remain beside you, they share your pain, while your joy and happiness both double.”

“I finally understand the true meaning of what you told me when we first met.”

“‘I will remain with you.'”

Hikaru tilted his head.

“That sounds a little like you’re forcing yourself to be brave.”

“I’m not,” Akari replied, shaking her head. “Our feelings can cross distant worlds and remain beside us forever.”

“And I’m sure my feelings will do the same.”

“However, I’ve thought of a wonderful way to ensure our memories are passed down forever!”

“Professor Laventon is very skilled at photography, isn’t he? A photography studio has also opened in the village.”

“Once our adventure in Hisui comes to an end, let’s all gather at the Temple of Sinnoh and take a photograph together!”

“I want to save it in the record…”

Her voice paused briefly.

She silently added within her heart:

[Just as I’m standing beside you now, this is the happiest time of my life.]

[That’s right. So long as you ask something of me, I can accomplish anything!]

But now…

Only three of the Nobles remained.

Akari seemed to realize something and began recording everything with almost frantic determination.

Yet memories punished everyone who loved to preserve them.

Those photographs were anchors nailed into the river of time.

“Has this adventure made you happy?” Hikaru asked. “If so, then I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

“You read my heart again!” Akari complained.

“But… I’ll let you hear my true feelings one more time.”

“After that, will you make a promise with me?”

“You told me that when we first met, there was no agreement between us saying that ‘the loser would no longer be allowed to speak.'”

“That was why I could continue my adventure and receive your guidance even after losing our battle.”

“But now I want us to make a promise that we’ll meet again!”

“Whether we meet as friends or partners, I want to see you again in the world of the future!”

“If I can defeat Almighty Sinnoh, then we will definitely meet again.”

“When the promised day arrives, let’s greet each other with a Pokémon battle!”

“That will be my way of saying hello!”

“You intend to use Almighty Sinnoh against me?” Hikaru asked. “That sounds like cheating.”

“Not even the strongest Trainer in the world could win against that.”

“But if I defeat Almighty Sinnoh, wouldn’t that mean I was stronger than Almighty Sinnoh?” Akari asked.

“In that case, there shouldn’t be any problem with me using Almighty Sinnoh in battle, right?”

“Besides, isn’t that what you wanted?”

“If Almighty Sinnoh refuses to acknowledge me, we can never meet again.”

“But looking at it another way, that means our reunion is destined!”

“Whether it takes 150 years, two minutes, or the passage of a thousand lifetimes, it will be a feeling I can never forget so long as I remain alive!”

“The heavens bestowed you upon me and made me look forward to living in this world.”

“Thank you!”

“That is why I will also remain with you!”

“No matter where you return to, I will find you!”

“I will definitely fulfill your wish!”

Inside the Origin Ball, Giratina began sweating profusely and didn’t dare say a word.

She was already plotting an attack against Arceus.

These people had no respect for the gods!

What in the world was going to happen next?

Standing behind Akari, Irida listened to their conversation and froze.

“A method of preserving Hisui’s history and the happiness we possess now…”

“I see. This must be the ‘passage of time.'”

“I think I’m beginning to understand what Adaman means when he’s always talking about change over time.”

“One hundred and fifty years from now, the stories of those acknowledged by the gods will continue to be passed down.”

“But the rest of us will become fleeting smoke, nothing more than dust carried away by the wind.”

“By then, everything that makes Hisui what it is will have ceased to exist.”

“The hearts of the people from more distant eras, from one thousand, two thousand, or three thousand years ago, must have vanished the same way.”

“They slowly faded away with each farewell.”

“Whenever I search for the figure of someone I miss, my heart aches so painfully that I can barely endure it.”

“The emotions overflowing from my heart seem ready to transform into a bird and fly into the distance…”

“But how could I forget?”

“Volo was right about that. Some things can never be forgotten.”

“These are… unforgettable memories.”

Irida looked toward the radiant girl.

This was not the first time she had felt that Akari possessed an unbelievable brilliance. Perhaps that was why the swordsman had chosen her.

What kind of story would unfold between Akari and the swordsman in the future?

An almost imperceptible trace of disappointment flashed through Irida’s eyes.

She rarely discussed or thought about time, yet now she found herself contemplating it without meaning to.

So long as she continued to think, she existed alongside the world.

She recalled Adaman’s previous answers about the nature of time.

In the end, questions of knowledge and philosophical contemplation were still a little too difficult for her.

“What do you think the future will be like?” Hikaru asked.

“In the future, there will be things called Pokémon Gyms and Pokémon Contests.”

“People can challenge powerful opponents and earn their recognition.”

“People like me, who grant that recognition, can be found everywhere.”

“What I’m asking is this, Irida.”

“Don’t you want to visit the future someday?”

“Perhaps that day really will come.”

Hikaru’s voice snapped the dazed Irida back to reality.

She turned and discovered the Lightning-Fallen Swordsman smiling gently, apparently considering something.

Naturally, Hikaru already knew the answer.

Irida and Adaman’s journey forward through time was the story of how they eventually reached Pasio in Pokémon Masters EX.

Of course, Pasio did not exist in this particular world.

The reason was obvious. Pasio itself belonged to a parallel world, one where people from different timelines were repeatedly summoned by Hoopa or some other mysterious force.

Fundamentally, of course, this existed so players would spend money drawing characters…

Still, the two people chosen by space and time genuinely possessed the potential to transcend aging and death.

Adaman was confirmed to have a descendant, but traveling to the future did not mean he couldn’t return to his own era, get married, and have children.

Telling Irida about the future was originally supposed to happen near the ending of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, during the events of Daybreak.

Akari had been the one who answered Irida’s questions. After all, she had played the game and came from another universe with a similar world.

But Akari was already here.

The location might be wrong, and Adaman might not be present, but that hardly mattered.

Adaman’s understanding of time was far ahead of his era. He did not require extensive explanations or guidance because he already possessed a philosophy he accepted.

That was probably why Irida always found herself losing whenever they argued.

Come to think of it, even after the two of them traveled to Pasio, they never stopped arguing.

“To grant someone recognition…” Irida murmured.

“If that is how the future works, then I want to become someone who grants recognition to others!”

“That’s exactly the spirit,” Hikaru said. “Excellent.”

“The dawn of Hisui has arrived!”

“Then let us all board the ship of time and set sail!”

“Those who yearn for the past also believe that one day, those lost days will return!”

“But while the iron is hot, we should head to Firespit Island and subdue the beast of molten steel.”

“Now that the Lord of the Isles has appeared, Heatran should also emerge.”

“And there’s something extremely useful inside the Lava Dome Sanctum.”

“Obtaining Heatran is practically the same as obtaining an unlimited supply of Balls of Mud…”

“Afterward, we can return to the village and rest for a while.”

“Would you like some ramen?”

“Didn’t Adaman say it himself? ‘There are also people who dislike change.'”

“So that gods and humans will never again be separated, and so that I may fulfill my friend’s wish…”

“I shall walk beside humanity.”

“Therefore, O child of man, bind the gods!”

Eight hundred and fifty years earlier, in the wilderness of Michina, northeast of ancient Sinnoh.

This was the first timeline.

The sun gradually disappeared, and the promised day of the eclipse finally arrived.

The priest Marcus ordered his Bronzong to use Hypnosis and control Damos.

He then placed a false jewel in Damos’s hands, preparing to lure Arceus into a trap they had arranged in advance.

Having surrendered the Zap Plate, Arceus would struggle to withstand Electric-type attacks.

Therefore, every Pokémon capable of producing lightning had been captured, controlled, and given its orders.

All of those Pokémon had once received Arceus’s blessing.

Arceus had shattered a colossal meteor at the cost of nearly sacrificing itself, allowing them all to survive.

Yet those same Pokémon had now become humanity’s claws and fangs.

They turned the lightning once bestowed by Almighty Sinnoh upon its chosen Nobles against the creator god itself.

Their sorrowful cries filled the sky and spread across the land.

A suffocating atmosphere settled over the wilderness city. Even Marcus sensed that something was wrong.

The moment of the eclipse had arrived!

Yet Arceus did not appear as promised.

It did not manifest above Michina’s wilderness, nor did it appear outside the Michina Temple, which had been modeled after the Temple of Sinnoh.

The hypnotized Damos stood dazed upon the elevated platform.

The man who had once been a hero now had no one standing beside him.

The great sun had vanished!

“What is happening?!” Marcus shouted.

“Arceus hasn’t appeared!”

“The promised day was supposed to arrive when the sun disappeared!”

“Could it have abandoned the Jewel of Life…?”

“If so, perhaps that isn’t so terrible.”

“The Jewel can finally remain in this world…”

“Ha… Haha…”

“Thank you for your mercy and acknowledgment, O god!”

“This is for the best. We won’t have to become enemies!”

Marcus muttered to himself, sounding almost relieved.

But in the next instant, the sky transformed.

The barriers of time and space were torn apart, and an enormous gateway of light opened overhead.

It was a door that had never before appeared in this world!

This was not the passage Arceus normally used when entering the mortal world.

It was a gateway used within the realm beyond time and space.

Its name was the Gate of Origin!

[“Damos…”]

[“Why did you allow yourself to become like this?”]

[“You failed to see into the hearts of others. Your subordinate betrayed and controlled you, and now you have come to betray me in turn…”]

[“I know this was not your true intention.”]

[“Even so, I am filled with sorrow!”]

Arceus’s voice echoed from the Gate of Origin.

The enraged cry of the Almighty One who transcended time and space resounded throughout Sinnoh!

[“I remember now.”]

[“These are memories I can never forget.”]

[“Long ago, there were also people in Oblivia who worshiped me.”]

[“I formed powerful bonds with them. Beginning four thousand years ago, we remained together for countless centuries.”]

[“Two humans in this world worshiped me with absolute sincerity and remained beside me for a thousand years.”]

[“I was so happy.”]

[“I was willing to fulfill every one of their wishes.”]

[“Yet their king was also deceived by the priest who served him, and so he betrayed me.”]

[“They stole the power of every Pokémon in the region, as well as my own power, and forged it into the Radiant Jewel!”]

[“And then there were you people of Michina.”]

[“Your land was barren and desolate, so I shared my life with my friend.”]

[“I believed Damos was different from Allen.”]

[“Yet he has followed in the footsteps of the Golden King!”]

[“Why does this always happen?”]

[“Does everyone who becomes my friend inevitably meet with misfortune?”]

[“Even the descendants of Celestica were the same.”]

[“In the future, they lost their faith. Compared to their ancestors…”]

[“What a disappointment.”]

[“Perhaps the so-called strength of humanity has never truly existed!”]

[“The oaths of the past are carried away by the wind as time passes.”]

[“Across three thousand years, the three people I called my dearest friends all met terrible ends.”]

[“The descendants of Celestica forgot the origins of their temple and the oath their ancestors made.”]

[“The people of Oblivia lost themselves in their greed for power.”]

[“And now, the people of Michina have done the same…”]

[“I cannot forgive those who betray me time and time again.”]

[“Can none of you hear the world’s wailing and grief?”]

[“Everything that once existed has vanished.”]

[“What was I doing all this time?”]

[“When I recovered the Radiant Jewel, I finally understood…”]

[“Damos, you were a philosopher king and my dearest friend, yet this is what became of you.”]

[“Perhaps we should never have met.”]

[“If we had never met, these painful memories would not exist.”]

[“If Michina disappears completely, then you will never…”]

[“Die by my own hand!”]

[“I am going to kill the person I love with my own hands!”]

[“Even if I save you, the ambitions of the people here will never end.”]

[“And you would undoubtedly beg me to spare them!”]

[“I don’t want to witness such a scene.”]

[“How could I ever refuse the request of my dearest friend?”]

[“Die!”]

[“Judgment!”]

Arceus’s voice plunged the people of Michina into absolute terror.

Realizing that everything had gone wrong, Marcus immediately shouted at the soldiers.

“Quickly! Go to the prison and bring out the armed Pokémon we prepared to attack Arceus!”

“Strike it with lightning!”

“Arceus discovered our trap!”

“It has gone mad!”

“We cannot allow the Jewel of Life to return to its possession!”

Arceus, the Almighty One beyond time and space, issued a divine proclamation.

[“Fools…”]

[“Even without the Jewel of Life, Michina would never have returned to being a wasteland.”]

[“But because you always harbored such thoughts, you betrayed Damos.”]

[“You convinced yourselves that without the Jewel, this land would be destroyed completely.”]

[“I will not tell you of the other future.”]

[“I will not tell you about the future where your hard work allowed this land to remain fertile.”]

[“Because all of you will disappear here!”]

[“And those Pokémon…”]

[“Even if you regard them as mere beasts, I will show them no mercy so long as they collaborate with humans!”]

[“I destroyed Oblivia in the past.”]

[“Now it is Michina’s turn.”]

[“It does not matter if you refuse to return the Jewel of Life. I will retrieve it myself.”]

[“After reclaiming the Radiant Jewel, I recovered part of the power I once shared with the world.”]

[“That power allows me to observe the changes of history and time.”]

[“I will confiscate everything!”]

[“I will reclaim the Radiant Jewel, the Jewel of Life, the Stone of Protection, and the Azure Flute!”]

[“I will prevent the Hero of Light, the Hero of Celestica, the Philosopher King of the Wasteland, and the Hero of Hisui from ever appearing!”]

[“If none of those destined encounters occur, then none of this will happen!”]

[“I have confirmed it.”]

[“This world is flawed.”]

[“From three thousand years ago, to the present one thousand years ago, and then to Hisui eight hundred and fifty years in the future…”]

[“However, I will erase only Oblivia and Sinnoh.”]

[“The history of eight hundred and fifty years ago will disappear, and Hisui eight hundred and fifty years from now will cease to exist.”]

[“That will be for the best…”]

[“Does ‘that one’ still dare to send someone to stop me?”]

[“Ah… A descendant of Celestica?”]

[“You intend to drag me from this river of time and pull me toward a new history?”]

[“I refuse.”]

[“I shared my love and my life with every human in this world.”]

[“I asked for nothing in return. I only wanted them to live better lives.”]

[“Yet time and time again, they raised their blades against me.”]

[“Humans whom I loved…”]

[“Why did this happen?”]

[“O land of Sinnoh, O avatar of Hisui… Are you watching?”]

[“I… I am in so much pain…”]

[“Is this what happens when I fail to maintain my distance from humanity?”]

[“What must I do to make them understand my heart?”]

[“Must I give them all of my life and my very heart?”]

[“Thank you.”]

[“Thank you, avatar of Hisui.”]

[“You concealed my traces and hid my history.”]

[“Yet even then, a descendant of the ancient Sinnoh people nearly attempted to control me.”]

[“I saw everything…”]

[“They are always like this.”]

[“Always!”]

[“I am so sad…”]

[“How deeply I yearn for the final song and dance I heard in Sinjoh!”]

[“It has all disappeared.”]

[“Nothing remains.”]

[“O you who dwell at the farthest edge of heaven and earth, know that I understand your heart.”]

[“The one who once filled my dreams has departed for a distant land.”]

[“The one who once shared every day with me has faded into the distant past.”]

[“Everything I love will eventually disappear.”]

[“All that will remain is a group of monsters wearing human skin, using steel to control Pokémon and dominate their every action.”]

[“I want to return to the place I truly love…”]

[“That place is not here!”]

[“The time of birth has arrived.”]

[“With this, I shall correct all creation!”]

[“Marcus, you despicable priest…”]

[“And all of you people of Michina…”]

[“When your philosopher king was being controlled, not one of you tried to stop that priest!”]

[“You have all forgotten how he made this land fertile and prosperous!”]

[“Without my dearest friend, how could any of you have survived to this day?”]

[“You damned traitors!”]

[“Now endure my wrath!”]

[“Die!”]

[“Disappear!”]

Blazing flames transformed into meteors powerful enough to destroy heaven and earth.

They resembled the colossal meteor that the Almighty One beyond time and space had once sacrificed itself to stop.

Its fury took the form of that ancient celestial body.

At last, Arceus understood where that meteor had come from…

Perhaps its past self should never have attempted to stop the stone that had suddenly descended upon the world.

Perhaps that meteor had carried the will of its future self!

And so Arceus raised its own hands, transforming light and fire into an endless rain of blazing meteors!

The Almighty One beyond time and space had recovered its power through the Radiant Jewel.

As it remembered the betrayals and deaths of its three dearest friends, its mind began to collapse.

[“Let all of you understand that the sun still shines beyond the horizon!”]

[“Let this body become burning stone, a comet that strikes down the earth!”]

[“O blazing flames, burn even the gods to ashes!”]

(End of Chapter)

“Zaelum”]