Dark clouds churned across the sky above Spear Pillar. The oppressive storm clouds seemed capable of blocking even the light leaking from the space-time rift as torrential rain began pouring down.
The scent of water filled the air.
Rain team—deploy!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Red Chain lashed through the air. Every time Cyrus tried to use his chains to reset his command, the genuine chain—with a Gigaton Ball attached to its end—slammed into him!
"[Return to this world and fight]!" Cyrus commanded.
"[Leave this world and stop fighting]!" Dawn countered.
The conflicting commands came one after another. The tremendous energy even affected the raging wind and rain, causing them to spiral into a vortex!
Under the rain, the power of Water-, Flying-, and Electric-type attacks rose exponentially!
"Gyarados, use [Waterfall]!" Cyrus ordered.
"Rotom, use [Thunder]!" Dawn shouted.
Rotom would never attack Cyrus himself.
However, when it came to the other Pokémon Cyrus sent into battle, that was an entirely different matter!
Rotom transformed into Wash Rotom and aimed its hose at the roaring Gyarados charging toward it.
The Atrocious Pokémon faced the Plasma Pokémon.
I see. Is this Gyarados the partner Cyrus trusts now?
Rotom could see absolute obedience and trust in Gyarados's eyes.
Although instinct drove it to destroy everything in its path, Gyarados would still obey the Trainer it truly trusted.
The rain boosted Waterfall's power by fifty percent. At the same time, surging electricity poured into the sea of clouds.
A dazzling pillar of lightning descended from the heavens!
It resembled the furious bolt that had struck the summit of Mount Coronet in Hisui 150 years ago!
That lightning had contained the overlapping power of several universes, driving the rulers of that era into a frenzy.
But the lightning falling now contained nothing but sorrow and regret!
Waterfall crashed into Rotom, sending the little washing machine flying. Thunder exploded across Gyarados, but even with its battered body crackling from the electricity, it continued charging toward Dawn!
Its four-times weakness to Electric-type attacks left white smoke rising from its body. Lightning crackled across it as thunder boomed all around.
Then the dragon lurking within the shadows stepped forward. It summoned the wind and rain as a storm of jagged rocks plummeted from the sky!
Houndoom.
Crobat.
Honchkrow.
Weavile.
Rotom couldn't understand why its old friend had become like this.
It should have been overjoyed to reunite with Cyrus. It had even made a new friend in Dawn.
Those two sources of happiness should have combined into something even greater.
Cyrus!
Do you...
Do you hate me now?
(The Pokémon hovered in the air, held aloft by a power unseen. As if curious and unafraid of my presence, it floated toward me.)
(Crackling sounds accompanied it, as if from static electricity in the air.)
(In alarm, I flinched, certain that my face would be subjected to a shock.)
(Much to my surprise, the Pokémon seemed to favor me with a smile.)
(Finally, I came to realize that the Pokémon only wished to be friends.)
[Wasn't that what you said back then? You said we would always, always be together.]
"Roto...?"
"Shut up!" Cyrus roared. "Enough!"
He didn't know what Rotom was saying.
And yet, he understood!
Its expression, its appearance, and its actions conveyed everything.
It was the bond Cyrus had personally severed.
They could never return to the past!
But just as the Cyrus from Alola had once told Selene during Episode RR...
[Had I met you sooner... would things have been different for me?]
"Grrr... You wretched girl!" Cyrus snarled. "You brought Rotom here to throw my spirit into chaos! You know Rotom has a connection to me! Can you understand what Rotom is saying, or did someone tell you about us? Who was it?!"
"And you keep swinging the Red Chain—the sacred artifact connecting worlds—as though it were a weapon!"
"What is that black iron ball?! As a Trainer, you're far too capable for your own good! How long do you intend to continue interfering with me?!"
It was hard to believe someone so small could possess such strength!
Dawn raised an arm to shield her face from the rain.
"Your diary... It was something [Charon] hid!"
"Someone once told you, didn't they? That you would someday reunite with your friend...!"
Cyrus froze.
He immediately remembered a conversation from long ago with someone Dawn also knew.
However, there was another important matter.
"The interference in Jubilife City and at Valley Windworks. The investigation into Team Galactic. The Sinnoh Champion's relentless pursuit... As I suspected, the Unova Champion was guiding all of you."
"Charon's plan to destroy Team Galactic... So he truly did devise it! Now I understand—in more ways than one. Charon hid the diary about Rotom!"
Abandoning Charon as bait for the International Police had been the correct decision after all.
That man had dared investigate Rotom and even found Cyrus's diary!
Who read someone else's private diary?!
Charon had dragged out the past Cyrus had already discarded—the last traces of hope and happiness he had left behind in this world!
That was unforgivable!
"Hurry! All of you, attack!"
Under Saturn's command, the Team Galactic Grunts joined the chaotic battle.
"Help Boss Cyrus! Take the Red Chain from that girl!"
Giratina released a deafening roar!
[Impressive enthusiasm, but how could I possibly allow that? Grunts should know when it is time to leave the stage!]
"[Hyper Voice]!"
Light gathered within Giratina's mouth. It unleashed a colossal wave of sonic energy, producing a tremendous explosion!
Its attack range encompassed every opposing Pokémon it could reach!
[This is Spear Pillar! I may not have cared whether this place was damaged in the past... but if someone attacks it a second time, I will become very angry!]
Giratina spread its wings. Ghostly energy surged forward, overwhelming everything in its path!
A violet cyclone carried the wails of antiquity!
[Ominous Wind]!
Power: 60.
Accuracy: 100.
The user attacked with a repulsive, bone-chilling gust of wind. It had a ten-percent chance of raising the user's Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed by one stage!
"Piplup! Use [Whirlpool]!"
"Piplup!"
Dawn released the rest of her Pokémon.
Piplup hurled out a Whirlpool, trapping a large group of the Grunts' Pokémon inside a violently spinning current.
Then Saturn—the blue-haired man whose pointed head made him look somewhat feline—sent out his Pokémon.
Several of them charged forward!
"Buizel, use [Switcheroo] on that Toxicroak!"
Buizel slapped its flotation sac.
[Leave it to me! Time to show them what I can do!]
Its Ability activated beneath the pouring rain!
However, its current Ability wasn't its original [Swift Swim]!
A wicked grin appeared on Buizel's face. When Toxicroak threw a vicious punch, Buizel raised its own fist to block!
"Croak!"
Toxicroak regarded it with contempt.
It was one of Commander Saturn's strongest Pokémon. What could a mere pure Water-type like Buizel possibly do to it?
Its Ability was [Anticipation]!
It wasn't shuddering at all, which meant Buizel knew no move that posed a serious threat!
Anticipation also allowed it to predict its opponent's attacks in advance and respond quickly during battle!
Croak! Come at me!
Toxicroak used its flexible body to evade Buizel's guard. It darted into the other Pokémon's reach and thrust its poisonous spike forward!
[Feint Attack]!
The attack was guaranteed to hit!
Toxicroak slipped past Buizel's defense and struck it with a backhanded punch.
Just as Toxicroak began croaking victoriously, flames suddenly erupted across its body!
"Croak... Croooak?!"
"What happened, Toxicroak?!" Saturn exclaimed.
His ace had landed only a single punch before crying out in agony. Flames were now burning across its body!
Meanwhile, the opposing Buizel was even making a [Taunt] gesture!
"[Switcheroo] exchanges the held items of my Pokémon and its opponent!" Dawn explained. "And my Buizel's current Ability is [Water Veil]!"
"Swift Swim might be more effective in the rain, but a proper battle team needs greater versatility. Water Veil wraps the Pokémon in a veil of water, preventing it from being burned. If a burned Pokémon gains this Ability, its burn is cured."
"That's right. The item I gave Buizel to hold was a [Flame Orb]!"
"Switcheroo transferred the Flame Orb to your Toxicroak and inflicted it with a burn!"
"It doesn't matter if Toxicroak touched it for only an instant before dropping it. The Flame Orb had already activated!"
Lava Golem, the token of my love!
Here, have a wonderful gift!
A Flame Orb burned its holder. Under ordinary circumstances, only Pokémon with the Abilities Guts, Quick Feet, Marvel Scale, or Thermal Exchange would deliberately carry one.
If the orb was given to an ordinary Pokémon...
The burn would cut the damage of its physical moves in half! It would also lose one-sixteenth of its maximum HP at the end of every turn!
Saturn stared in disbelief.
"You shameless scoundrel!"
Hearing that accusation from a member of a villainous organization was almost incomprehensible.
Dawn blinked, then immediately nodded.
"Thank you for the compliment! The angrier you become, the more effective that proves my strategy is!"
A Pokémon battle required two participants.
But only one of them could leave with a smile!
Saturn gritted his teeth.
"Kadabra, use [Embargo]!"
Embargo prevented the target from using its held item for a certain period. The Trainer was also unable to use items on that Pokémon!
In ordinary battles, NPCs and roadside Trainers rarely used many items. Only stronger Trainers tended to equip their Pokémon with Berries.
So who would waste a move slot on a strange move that seemed almost completely useless?
Saturn.
In the original games, Saturn's Kadabra already knew Embargo. It could practically be called his signature tactic.
The move had been intended to catch players off guard. Unfortunately, by the time most players battled Saturn, their Pokémon were already so overleveled that Kadabra could be knocked out with a single punch.
Embargo never even had the chance to activate!
"Boss! I sealed the opponent's—"
Saturn was preparing to coordinate with Cyrus when a blue figure suddenly appeared.
It leaped over Dawn from behind!
"[Copycat]!"
The blue puppy grinned and swept both paws forward!
Kadabra's held items were sealed—including the spoon it naturally carried!
"I'll be borrowing your [Embargo]!" Dawn declared.
This was the Pokémon that had hatched from the Egg Dawn received on Iron Island.
Naturally, it was Riolu, the Pokémon obtainable during a standard Pokémon Platinum playthrough!
"Kabutops! Use [Fury Cutter]!"
Before Kadabra could react, the armored prehistoric Pokémon swung its scythes!
Kabutops had been revived from a fossil discovered in the Oreburgh Mine. Under the rain, its Swift Swim Ability activated!
Its Speed rose past 160!
A flash of steel swept past.
Kadabra's spoon snapped in half. Even its whiskers were severed as numerous slashing wounds erupted across its body.
The violent cutting current knocked it to the ground!
Bug-type moves were super effective against Psychic types!
"B-Boss! I...!"
Saturn hadn't expected his own strategy to backfire.
Giratina's enormous body was already upon him. The spectral dragon unleashed a violent Dragon Breath with a casual swipe, blasting Saturn into the draconic storm and throwing him out of Spear Pillar's battlefield!
Rain continued pouring down Cyrus's face, making it appear as though he were weeping as his expression collapsed.
"The Pokémon within the shadows... The Pokémon depicted on Eterna City's missing third inscription! Is that you?!"
"Are you trying to claim that you—a creature whose full story was never passed down—exist as some sort of counterbalancing force? How could such a thing be possible?!"
"You protect those two, yet even a creature like you—one that radiates terror—understands emotions such as [helpfulness] and [kindness]?! Those very emotions are the reason we have come into conflict! They are the source of all contradiction!"
"If you don't want to fight, Mr. Cyrus, then why don't you surrender?" Dawn asked.
"Why should I endure everything alone, as though I were fleeing from this world?!" Cyrus retorted. "Rage, hatred, and sorrow are also parts of the spirit! When the new world is born, this incomplete and imperfect version of me—this being incapable of controlling his emotions—will disappear with it and become something perfect!"
"That is my justice!"
"This world, you, the Champions of Sinnoh and Unova... All of you are imperfect things!"
Dawn caught the key detail.
"You didn't mention Rotom. Does that mean Rotom is perfect in your eyes?"
The one thing he cared about—
[Hydro Pump]!
Wash Rotom unleashed Hydro Pump, blasting away the charging Weavile!
Hydro Pump beneath the rain, combined with the same-type attack bonus, reached a power of 247!
(So many words were overflowing inside me...)
(But the friend who would listen to them was nowhere to be found...)
(Curiously, our eyes met, then the robot waved a hand as if in greeting.)
(I knew then that I had found my lost friend. I ran to it...)
Light shone within Rotom's eyes.
(The robot's eyes lit up happily whenever I spoke.)
Whose memories were crossing through time and space?
The electricity shining in Rotom's eyes formed a bond that connected the hearts of humans and machines.
To Rotom...
Its memories had remained frozen at the moment before they separated.
"It also has so many things it wants to tell you," Dawn said. "But the friend who would listen to them was nowhere to be found."
"Silence!" Cyrus snapped. "What could you possibly understand? You and Rotom merely— Do you believe that battling alongside it is enough for you to understand everything in its heart? Humans use Pokémon as tools for battle...!"
To Cyrus's astonishment, the girl before him nodded and smiled confidently.
"That's right, Mr. Cyrus. I understand Rotom better than you do."
"I truly exchanged hearts with it. With the help of a certain Pokémon's move, [Heart Swap], I was able to communicate directly with Pokémon through our hearts."
"I know its thoughts, and it knows mine. That means it can certainly sense your closed-off heart right now!"
"What are you thinking?"
"Say it aloud in front of the Pokémon you treasure. This battle will continue until you're willing to tell us."
The fury within Cyrus threatened to burn every last emotion inside him to ashes.
Ever since the incident at Valley Windworks, he had once again been forced to experience this uncontrollable torrent of searing emotion!
This rage.
This sorrow.
This pain!
"I don't treat Pokémon as partners like you Trainers do! Nor do I treat them as tools like the other members of Team Galactic! I intend to transform the power of Pokémon into my own power."
"Fighting through Pokémon battles is fundamentally wrong! This meaningless battle between you and me proves it! You're only fighting to obstruct my ideals!"
"Do you not possess a dream of your own? If your dream does not conflict with mine, then you have no reason to stand before me!"
"Do you truly know what the most important thing shining with [light] is? Do you understand what happiness gleaming with a beautiful [radiance] truly means?!"
"Such things are nothing but lies used to deceive people! Invisible things are uncertain, and they will eventually disappear! Once something dies, it ceases to exist!"
"That is why I abandoned every emotion! I am simply not yet complete... Not yet perfect!"
"The loneliness of being alone... I am not doing this because other people's expectations forced me!"
"I am doing this for myself!"
"I don't need it! I don't need to say anything to Rotom! I have nothing to say to you either!"
"You're wrong, Mr. Cyrus." Dawn shook her head. "You want to create a new world by destroying the old one. If that happens, our dreams can never come true. That is why contradiction and conflict arose between us."
"You claim your world will be better, but your theory has never been proven. We cannot trust you."
"That makes your plan imperfect."
Cyrus's emotions became even more uncontrollable!
"Imperfect, imperfect! Yes! The perfect Plan A could not be activated, so I resorted to the imperfect Plan B! And now even that is being rejected!"
"Houndoom, use [Dark Pulse]!"
"Honchkrow, use [Night Shade]!"
The howling hellhound and the gentlemanly black-feathered crow launched their attacks.
Behind Dawn, Giratina's massive body was suddenly enveloped in black mist and vanished!
"Giratina! Use [Shadow Force]!"
A Ghost-type signature move with 120 power.
The user disappeared on the first turn and attacked on the second.
It could even strike through an opponent's protection!
Giratina plunged into its own shadow.
That shadow instantly appeared beneath its opponents. Black spear-like objects erupted from the ground like an entire forest of lances!
They ruthlessly impaled their targets!
Ghostly energy erupted alongside the black spears, launching Houndoom and Honchkrow into the sky.
After receiving a blessing at the Sinjoh Ruins, Giratina's colossal body and nearly immovable physical strength had become even greater!
"[Dragon Claw]!" Dawn commanded.
Giratina didn't perform clawing moves with the short, centipede-like legs beneath its body.
Instead, it transformed the pitch-black wings on its back and used them to tear through its opponents.
Shadow Claw and Slash worked the same way!
That made Giratina's claw attacks far more versatile. It could strike from close range or a distance, granting it unexpected suppressive power!
The dragon's claws tore through the Pokémon standing before Cyrus!
Next came Crobat, a four-winged Pokémon whose body resembled the letter X!
Crobat evolved from Golbat through high friendship. To pursue faster and quieter flight, even its hind legs had developed into wings, dramatically improving its flying ability!
"Use [Zen Headbutt]!" Cyrus ordered.
"[Ancient Power]!" Dawn countered.
"Graaaah!"
Giratina didn't hesitate. A vast quantity of ancient stone gathered behind its back!
A halo of energy appeared behind it. Tremendous power surged from its body and transformed into a massive beam filled with ancient fossils, which tore toward its opponent!
Every Pokémon on Cyrus's team was weak to Rock-type attacks.
A Rock-type move alone could tear through his entire team!
To compensate for that weakness, Cyrus's team in Pokémon Adventures included Magnezone and Probopass.
Unfortunately, he possessed neither of them in this world!
Rumble!
Ancient fossils formed from Rock-type energy flew beyond Spear Pillar.
Giratina watched Crobat evade the attacks while flying through the sky at tremendous speed. Its draconic eyes narrowed.
Base Speed: 130!
Cyrus clenched his hand into a claw and issued another command.
"Crobat can freely control all four of its wings! Even inside a narrow cave, it can maintain its speed as it flies! No matter how tremendous that brute's power may be, it cannot hit Crobat!"
"[Tailwind]!"
"[Air Slash]!"
Blades of wind swept across Spear Pillar, carving countless scars into the ancient ruins.
Giratina placed its body in front of Dawn and released a deafening roar!
"Crobat evolves through friendship, doesn't it?" Dawn asked. "I'm not very familiar with this Pokémon, but that is how the Pokédex describes it. It was first discovered in the Johto region."
"You claim to have abandoned the spirit, yet one of the last Pokémon you sent out is connected to friendship."
"That proves something. Even if you do not need a heart, the Pokémon who possess hearts still need you."
"It must have been so happy when it evolved!"
A new Poké Ball appeared in Dawn's hand.
Beneath the gentle rain, the Prince of the Sea entered the battlefield with a cheerful cry.
"Mana!"
"Perhaps the people of the Fiore region entrusted this Egg to me—and Mr. Hikaru recommended that I hatch and raise it—not because of my ancestor, but because of this moment."
"Prince of the Sea, Manaphy! Please use [Heart Swap]!"
"We understand the happiness brought by joy because we can also feel sorrow and loneliness."
"Hatred is born when something precious is taken from us. Before it was taken away, it was something we loved—something that brought us joy."
"That is what I believe!"
Heart Swap exchanged every stat change between the two sides.
It could also exchange the consciousnesses of humans or Pokémon.
The opponent's speed didn't matter.
Heart Swap would always hit!
For Cyrus, this was the most dangerous moment of his entire life.
"Don't move!"
Cyrus suddenly roared and produced a remote control!
"Wait, Manaphy!"
The prince stopped, looking toward Dawn in confusion.
Cyrus stared at Dawn and her Pokémon before speaking solemnly.
"The new world I seek will unquestionably be more beautiful than the current one! That is precisely why I must pursue this matter to its ultimate conclusion!"
"Battle is meaningless. Every act of violence makes this world uglier."
"However, you are powerful! You allowed something as vague and incomprehensible as emotion to guide you here. Is love for Pokémon the source of your strength?"
"Then I acknowledge it! I acknowledge the strength and courage you displayed by standing here alone to stop me!"
"I'm not alone," Dawn replied. "My Pokémon are here beside me."
Cyrus fell silent.
"I had no intention of harming anyone. Such harm would also be meaningless. Once the new world was formed, the people and things you treasure would disappear in an instant. Temporary life or death in this world would not matter."
"However, it appears that such naïve thinking must be discarded."
"Look at this remote control."
"It was originally prepared to trigger an explosion above Spear Pillar, further expanding the space-time rift and pouring more energy into it. That was why I brought Saturn here—to initiate the third detonation at the critical moment."
"The first impact blasted open the Stone Portal."
"The second impact created the space-time rift."
"What will the third impact bring?"
"I extracted all the energy from Stark Mountain. After obtaining technology from the Hoenn region and discovering ancient records in my grandfather's home, I spent the last several months researching [time and space]. Combining all these elements will produce a result far more reliable than my original calculations."
"Volcanic eruptions created the three great lakes, while the cosmic explosion that gave birth to the universe created Mount Coronet."
"Therefore, Mount Coronet and Stark Mountain share a close connection. Fragments of spacetime fell upon Stark Mountain and became Heatran. That proves Stark Mountain is also one of the mountains from the beginning of the world!"
"Life Orbs, Star Pieces, and... this [Plate]!"
A red stone tablet appeared in Cyrus's other hand!
"That... That's a Plate!" Dawn exclaimed.
[When the universe was created, its shards became this Plate.]
[The powers of Plates are shared among Pokémon.]
[The rightful bearer of a Plate draws from the Plate it holds.]
It was a crimson Plate—
The Flame Plate.
[The power of defeated giants infuses this Plate.]
"Ancient records describe these Plates," Cyrus said. "A red Plate possessing the power of fire was discovered on Stark Mountain, with an incomprehensible inscription carved into its reverse side!"
"Using Team Galactic's advanced technology and meteorites as material, we created a certain replica. It became one of the energy sources powering the new Galactic Bomb!"
"Furthermore, it appears that similar Plates without inscriptions can occasionally be excavated within Sinnoh's [Grand Underground]!"
"You seem familiar with them. You may even be carrying one yourself!"
"According to my investigation, these are undoubtedly [fragments of spacetime]! They are remnants from the birth of the universe!"
"The situation has now been reversed. If you do not surrender, I will activate the bomb here and initiate the third impact!"
"Of course, I have no habit of threatening another person's family. The bomb is here. There is no fourth device, nor do I possess the means to attack the other lakes. But none of that matters anymore."
"Once this bomb detonates, the power of the space-time rift will pour down uncontrollably—just as it did during an incident 150 years ago!"
"You and I will both die. Everyone else here will die as well."
"However, the seed of a new universe will be born as a result."
"You are still so young. Are you truly willing to die here?"
"Are you not afraid?! As a human—and for the sake of your Pokémon—are you not frightened?!"
"You still have a family and a home to return to, don't you? Will you force your mother to endure the pain of losing her child?"
"That despair and sorrow... Yes. Once something dies, nothing remains!"
"Just like my parents!"
"Go home! Return to your hometown and stop fighting here!"
"Do you truly want to die?! Even if death is inevitable, would it not be better to die without suffering?!"
"If the detonation begins, even that Pokémon from the shadows will be annihilated by the energy of the space-time rift!"
"Graaaah!"
Giratina roared!
Hold on. Hadn't Giratina once done something very similar?
[He truly underestimates me!]
It had overlapped and detonated the power of several universes, provoking the twin gods of time and space into a furious frenzy.
It had collected the Plates and exploited their conflict to enter the realm where Arceus lived.
It had even attempted to open the [Hall of Origin]!
Stop dragging its past mistakes into this!
Dawn remained silent for only a moment.
Just as Cyrus began believing that the girl before him had finally succumbed to her fear of death, she issued an order to Rotom.
"[Trick]!"
Dazzling light appeared around Cyrus's hand and Rotom's body.
Trick exchanged the held items of the user and its target, causing one or both of them to lose or change their held item.
Even if only one side possessed an item...
The move still worked!
The remote control vanished from Cyrus's hand!
"You?!"
Cyrus's expression changed violently.
She had used Trick on a human!
No, such a thing was certainly possible!
But could Rotom even use that move?!
"Because I understand Rotom's abilities, I knew exactly when to use this move," Dawn said. "You no longer understand Rotom as it is now, Mr. Cyrus."
"That is why I could so easily take the item from your hand."
"Now, Rotom! Use this opportunity to charge forward!"
"Prince! Once more—[Heart Swap]!"
The dazzling plasma abandoned its washing-machine vessel and returned to its original form—that twitching, grinning light bulb!
Electricity coursed through the air with a loud crackle.
"You... You actually...!"
Cyrus roared.
Clutching the Flame Plate, he ordered his Pokémon to rise from the ground and use Fire Blast on the Galactic Bomb.
The rain weakened Fire-type moves.
However...
"Honchkrow! Use [Heat Wave] on Houndoom!"
Houndoom's Ability—
[Flash Fire].
When struck by a Fire-type move, the Pokémon absorbed the flames.
Its own Fire-type moves then became fifty percent stronger!
The rain's weakening effect had been canceled out!
"[Fire Blast]!"
Houndoom unleashed Fire Blast at the Galactic Bomb.
Cyrus's eyes nearly split from their sockets.
He raised the two counterfeit Red Chains toward the sky.
Just as he had anticipated, the girl possessing the genuine chain was forced to issue another command to suppress the counterfeit chains.
Yes.
Exactly like this.
Amid the conflict between their commands, the Galactic Bomb would detonate on Mount Coronet.
Everyone would disappear.
Nothing would remain.
Spear Pillar.
Giratina.
Rotom.
Cyrus himself.
Even the girl named Hikari.
Light... The light of happiness.
A light that could exist only within a new galaxy—a new universe.
The bolt of electricity racing toward Cyrus continued calling out to its former friend, even as the energy approached detonation.
(Rotom and I became fast friends. We were perpetual companions.)
(The electricity from its body forbade contact, however.)
(We could not touch, let alone hug or hold hands, but we cared not.)
(For we were bonded on a much deeper, incorporeal level.)
(Don't chastise yourself.)
(The fault is mine. No harm done.)
(Let us play as we always have.)
Rotom collided with Cyrus.
Heart Swap struck both Rotom and Cyrus.
Cyrus heard Rotom's heart.
And Rotom heard the heart of its friend.
Memories of the past flooded over them.
(It happened while I was searching for Rotom.)
(At the town's rubbish heap, I found my old toy robot.)
(Curiously, our eyes met, then the robot waved a hand as if in greeting.)
(I knew then that I had found my lost friend.)
(I ran to it and hugged Rotom tight, talking on and on.)
After Heart Swap, Cyrus's mind separated from his body and exchanged places with Rotom's.
Through Cyrus's body, Rotom spoke the words from so long ago.
I haven't forgotten our promise from that day.
Did you forget?
"The robot's eyes lit up happily as I held it."
"I'm certain that, within it, Rotom was emitting lots of electricity."
(Somehow, I felt I could understand Rotom's thoughts better than before.)
(Also, I realized something else.)
"We would remain friends throughout our lives."
Rotom's voice rang out.
It was the voice of a heart connecting a human and a machine.
The brilliant electricity was the greatest amount of power Rotom had ever released.
Because that was what its friend had once believed...
The electricity Rotom released—the golden lightning—was what connected their hearts.
Long ago, they had embraced one another while electricity surged between them.
If its electricity disappeared, then its friend could hold it forever and ever. Every barrier and divide between their hearts would vanish!
Yet the closer their bodies became, the more that electricity would hurt them.
The same principle applied to humans and Pokémon.
Was that how it worked?
"If there were no hearts, perhaps there would be nothing painful or unpleasant."
"But happiness and joy would disappear as well."
"I am very happy when I am with Dawn."
"But I was just as happy when I was with you."
"Cyrus! I hate a world without hearts!"
"Because if I lose my heart..."
"I can no longer be Cyrus's friend!"
That was Rotom's voice.
Beyond the lightning, the girl's voice also seemed to reach him.
"Mr. Cyrus, you can still reunite with your friend."
"Both humans and Pokémon make mistakes. Even if things can never return to exactly how they were, recognizing those mistakes and refusing to repeat them can prevent everything from becoming worse."
If Cyrus possessed an unshakable will...
Did this girl before him possess one as well?
She had merely learned about Rotom. She had come into conflict with him only because she wanted to fulfill her own dream.
Yet her will seemed just as immovable as his.
(Why is she so naïve? How can she possess such a naïve yet unwavering will? Humans should be ugly creatures tamed by this world, because this world despises naïveté.)
(She answered my long speech with only a few simple sentences... Is it because the simplest dreams create the strongest will?)
(As I thought... We are different. Both the girl and Rotom... You and I can no longer understand one another.)
(People grow up. The person I am now will never change.)
(Humans can survive only by forgetting their memories.)
(Dialga and Palkia will unleash their greatest fury within this energy. The conflict among the three chains will destroy these mythical artifacts. In the end, even they are imperfect things.)
(From Mount Coronet—from the Sinnoh region—a new hope will be born for the new world.)
(This despairing torment ends here.)
Those were the thoughts Cyrus "spoke."
Yet tears of blood continued flowing from his eyes as he truly embraced his former friend.
That diary Charon had hidden...
I dedicate this book to recording my childhood.
It was a happy time, though not without a few regrets.
"Rotom... Forgive me."
The Galactic Bomb erupted in flame.
The Red Chains guided the resulting tide of energy toward the heavens.
The counterfeit chains—technological creations unable to withstand the overwhelming power—finally exploded into countless fragments.
After the counterfeits were destroyed...
It was the genuine chain's turn.
Even the true Red Chain could no longer control the energy.
The twin rulers of Sinnoh had been empowered by the overlapping energy of multiple universes.
The instant they manifested—
The Red Chain silently shattered.
Dawn stared at its broken pieces.
She froze, then revealed an expression of bitter frustration.
The Red Chain was not indestructible.
The lake guardians had revealed that long ago!
"Space-time rift!" Cyrus shouted. "Take me with you! Carry me to a universe without spirit!"
"Wherever you go, Dialga and Palkia—twin sovereigns of Sinnoh—you no longer require my commands!"
"By your very nature..."
"You will inevitably battle one another!"
"Somewhere within that boundless galaxy, there must be a place where I belong!"
Light surged into the sky.
Cyrus and Rotom were swept away together, carried toward the heavens by the torrent erupting from the Red Chains.
Then the twin divine shadows roaring from the space-time rift followed some primordial instinct and raced toward that ancient world!
They departed from the distant Mount Coronet and transformed into a vast meteor shower that resounded across the farthest reaches of the sky!
The remaining heat and light produced neither explosion nor wind.
They simply swallowed everything in their path.
All sound vanished.
The world fell deathly silent as the radiance spread across Spear Pillar!
[This is exactly like the scattered memories of what happened in Hisui!] Giratina roared.
[Even the Red Chain could only calm the rampaging energy of one "Almighty Sinnoh," and it shattered almost immediately! That was the overlapping energy of more than two universes!]
[Did I ever mention that time and space reside in two entirely separate worlds?!]
[Dawn! Get behind me!]
Giratina spread its shadowy wings and placed its enormous body in front of Dawn!
The shadows tore open the heavens.
Space distorted and erupted with a tremendous shock wave!
The other Team Galactic members and their Pokémon were swallowed by the silent light of the energy explosion.
Until—
A streak of light shot from the caves and crossed the heavens!
"Ten Probopass—capture complete."
"Move recalled."
"[Wide Guard]!"
Massive, rocklike Pokémon flew from the mountain caves!
Drawing upon Mount Coronet's magnetic field, they created a "Coronet Wall" capable of blocking every ray of light!
Like stone giants standing in formation, they simultaneously raised shell-like barriers capable of defending against every area attack.
Countless barriers overlapped until they resembled an airtight force field formed from the power of the heart!
Wide Guard.
Rock type.
Status move.
Priority: +3!
Pokémon protected by Wide Guard would not be affected by moves targeting every ally or every Pokémon on the battlefield!
"If there is one Pokémon found in greater numbers than any other on Mount Coronet, I believe it must be Nosepass," Hikaru said.
"The crucial [Stone Plate] can be found within Mount Coronet. From that, we can infer that the Rock type was the first type to appear in the world."
"Through Mount Coronet's magnetic field, large numbers of Nosepass evolve into [Probopass]. They resemble stone-carved human heads standing roughly one meter tall, and they can freely manipulate the large quantities of iron sand accumulated around them like thick beards."
"They emit powerful magnetism, causing electrical appliances in the surrounding area to become unusable."
"And the colder the season becomes, the stronger their magnetism grows!"
Hikaru's Fine Styler had completed the captures instantly.
The Probopass had been drawn out or startled by the tremendous energy. After [recalling] an important defensive move, they obeyed Hikaru's command and formed a living wall capable of blocking any explosion!
Wide Guard wasn't their only protection.
Even if the explosion's shock waves broke through Wide Guard, the Probopass could physically block them!
Their Ability—
[Sturdy]!
When at full HP, a Pokémon with Sturdy could not be knocked out by a single attack.
One-hit knockout moves also had no effect!
"All Team Galactic devices have stopped functioning," Hikaru said. "Elita, start dismantling them immediately! Make certain there aren't any other devices waiting to detonate!"
"The Galactic Bomb is not particularly large, yet it contains tremendous energy. Inspect everything carefully."
"M-Me? You want me to dismantle them?!"
Elita had been brought here with him. She stared nervously at Team Galactic's advanced machinery.
The thought that another bomb could be hidden inside made her swallow repeatedly.
"From a purely physical perspective, isn't the Sinnoh region much more dangerous than Almia?"
"Cyrus was even willing to blow himself up. What was that man thinking?"
"He wasn't trying to conquer the world. He didn't care about money or Pokémon. Was he truly acting only for the sake of some lofty ideal?"
"It feels as though he never belonged in this world."
"I believe that is exactly what makes Cyrus so unusual," Hikaru replied.
The two climbed down from Genesect.
An astonished voice echoed from the sky.
"You captured ten Probopass in an instant! So this is how Pokémon Rangers fight. It certainly is convenient at times!"
"More importantly, you arrived even before I did. Is that [Extreme Speed]?"
Cynthia arrived astride Garchomp.
Despite departing first, she had reached Spear Pillar after Hikaru.
Garchomp was supposedly capable of flying at the speed of sound.
However, Genesect possessed Shift Gear and Extreme Speed. Its flight speed could be compared to that of Dragonite—a Pokémon capable of circling the planet at tremendous speed!
Besides, Garchomp couldn't use Dragon Dance...
It naturally couldn't compete against a Genesect with Shift Gear!
Behind Hikaru, an enormous "starship" strained upward.
Celesteela roared as it flew from Canalave City to Mount Coronet.
The professors clinging to Celesteela showed no signs of panic. Instead, they were fascinated by its physical structure!
They had only just discussed this Pokémon in detail during the conference, yet now they were already seeing one in person!
And it truly did resemble a rocket!
With thrust like this, interstellar travel clearly wouldn't be difficult!
"If we could unravel the secrets of Celesteela, human spaceflight technology might experience explosive progress!"
"Just as humans invented industrial gears after observing the Klink family?"
"Humans supposedly learned to make concrete from Conkeldurr, which enabled us to construct skyscrapers."
"Indeed. This could be extraordinarily significant!"
The professors talked over one another.
The massive explosion atop Mount Coronet still forced them to narrow their eyes!
Surging energy poured into the rift in the sky.
Naturally, Celesteela didn't dare fly any higher. If it continued upward, it might cross into another world!
Of course, traveling through a space-time rift wasn't compulsory.
Compared to an Ultra Wormhole, which actively pulled people inside, space-time rifts were remarkably "considerate."
"The powerful magnetism released by the Probopass has disabled every electrical device in this area," Hikaru explained. "Other technological creations will also malfunction. As for the bomb's energy..."
The living wall of Probopass had protected the defeated Team Galactic Grunts and their Pokémon.
That included Saturn.
Giratina had taken the energy explosion head-on and was now severely injured.
However, for such a colossal HP sponge, it wasn't quite on the verge of fainting.
"Dawn! Are you all right?!" Cynthia shouted. "You really were at Spear Pillar! Giratina must have brought you here!"
Cynthia jumped down from Garchomp and hurried toward Giratina and Dawn.
Dawn climbed out from behind Giratina. Although dust and fragments of stone covered her body, her condition appeared relatively stable.
"Cough, cough! Miss Cynthia?! Of course—Mr. Cyrus broadcast everything, so everyone must have seen it... Huh? Mr. Hikaru is back too!"
"Then... everything will be all right."
"Giratina was right. There's nothing to worry about. Nothing... to worry about anymore."
"Although Spear Pillar has been damaged even more severely."
The moment Dawn saw Hikaru, the heavy stone pressing down upon her heart finally disappeared.
She hadn't felt that way even when Cynthia arrived.
But now that Mr. Hikaru was here, everything would soon be over.
Yes.
Regardless of what problem or crisis appeared...
He could solve it!
Dawn coughed repeatedly from the dust, but her expression had already relaxed.
Her unease, confusion, and pain had completely vanished.
"I'm sorry. Although I defeated Mr. Cyrus, I couldn't prevent the rift from forming."
"I don't know how to handle this situation... The Red Chain exploded. All three chains were destroyed."
"Mr. Cyrus was swept away by the energy of the space-time rift and disappeared somewhere beyond the sky."
"But the Pokémon from Sinnoh's legends..."
Hikaru looked toward the fractured sky.
The shadows of Sinnoh's twin gods roared and fought as they tore the heavens apart.
He sighed as he turned back toward Dawn.
"You did very well. But waiting here alone for Cyrus and then fighting beside Giratina was still too dangerous, regardless of how much you trained."
"I couldn't contact Giratina. Perhaps the space-time rift interfered with our connection."
"Or perhaps this was another of Giratina's fanciful ideas."
Although Giratina was half dead, it still possessed enough strength to roll its eyes.
Whatever anyone said...
This was the version of Giratina that had finally accomplished something!
Occasionally, it needed an opportunity to act as the hero.
After all...
[I fulfilled my promise to her!]
[I remember now! Although I was forced into it, I am fairly certain we truly made a promise!]
[Dawn! I stood beside you and stopped something that threatened the world!]
[This time, the promise shall unquestionably be fulfilled! The loser must honor the agreement! That is how it works!]
Giratina shook its head, then looked toward the space-time rift above.
Within the violent temporal vortex and spatial energy, Sinnoh's furious twin sovereigns tore through the universe.
After absorbing the third torrent of energy detonated by Cyrus, they descended upon Spear Pillar with their power greatly increased and their fury entirely unrestrained!
Countless meteors poured from the space-time rift.
Some of the energy flowing into it crossed the distant reaches of spacetime and traveled to the world of 150 years ago.
In the present, the two Almighty Sinnoh had not completely regained their great power.
And yet, they also appeared to have recovered something resembling it.
They were entirely different from the beings Hikaru had previously encountered.
The Shiny titans of time and space had been event-distribution Pokémon.
The beings created at the Sinjoh Ruins in Pokémon Adventures were merely instruments for a trial. They were not regarded as the genuine children of a god.
But the two creatures before them were completely different!
The boundless explosion of energy overwhelmed their minds with a frenzied aura.
Roaring furiously, they descended into the mortal world!
[Take us... "there"... The towers...!]
A broken voice flowed through their minds like a stream.
It resembled telepathy.
No one knew whether time or space was whispering, but the current situation was clearly dire.
"After being flooded with this frenzied energy—and with the power of multiple universes, at least two of them, overlapping—their abilities will increase dramatically," Hikaru explained.
"They may even regain their [great power]."
"Great... power?" Dawn repeated.
"A Pokémon in a great-power state takes only half the normal damage from status conditions and other status changes."
"If the energy continues increasing, even the Red Chain will become useless. Energy from the rift will overflow in the form of strange lightning, driving Pokémon into a frenzy."
"It will be just like the incident that occurred during the Hisui era."
"Even the genuine Red Chain cannot suppress this power."
"But if it's you, Senpai, then you'll find a way," Dawn said suddenly.
She was breathing lightly as she tried to recover from her exhaustion.
Her gaze rested upon her senior without the slightest hesitation or doubt.
Then she produced three Poké Balls.
"Besides, I saved something important."
"For some reason, they spent the entire battle waiting..."
The three lake guardians Dawn had captured to protect Sinnoh appeared at Spear Pillar!
The three gods stared at Hikaru.
They hadn't appeared during the previous battle.
However, because Dawn had carried them with her, she would never have been harmed by the bomb regardless of what happened.
This had been Giratina's [contingency plan].
(End of Chapter)
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