Various instruments filled the conference hall in Canalave City. The data curves that had been fluctuating violently were finally returning to normal.
The fiercest fury in the world—a destructive force capable of unleashing a catastrophic shock across the entire Sinnoh region—had finally been calmed.
Professor Burnet reported, "According to our monitoring data, space is stabilizing. The flow of time is also returning to normal."
"The energy is spreading steadily throughout Sinnoh at the wavelength of light," Sonia said. "How should I describe it? It feels... incredibly gentle."
"Like a river."
A "waterfall of light" descended from the heavens, stretching from Alamos Town to Mount Coronet.
"The power of the space-time rifts carried it from Alamos Town into the light cone, and from there, it entered the spiritual worlds of living creatures," AI Sada said. "No, this has already surpassed the limits of quantifiable science. It is the song of a miracle."
Artificial intelligence also fell within the realm of the mind. As AI Sada watched this sight, she suddenly found herself questioning the true nature of her own heart.
"More importantly, we detected fluctuations identical to those found in dreams within the previously unstable space-time," Fennel said. "In other words, if a Pokémon capable of utilizing dream energy were present, its dreams would produce an effect similar to the Dream Mist released by Musharna."
"It would make dreams real!"
"This is extremely important data!"
That was precisely what had happened during The Rise of Darkrai, and it served as proof that space and dreams were strongly connected.
When Palkia isolated Alamos Town and Dialga disrupted the flow of time there, the dreams of every Pokémon and human trapped in nightmares began manifesting in reality.
Some experienced something resembling an out-of-body experience. Others underwent physical distortions caused by their Pokémon's dreams.
Baron Alberto, for example, had been transformed into a Lickilicky because of his Pokémon's nightmare.
The mythology of Sinnoh...
And the final portion of their previous discussion concerning regional environments.
All living beings—Pokémon and humans alike—had been born from the wish of a certain Pokémon.
Professor Magnolia closed her eyes. She repeated the concluding passage from Hikaru's academic presentation, causing every researcher who had remained in Canalave City to listen carefully.
"Two were given matter. Three were given spirit."
"From this, prayer was born."
"And thus, the world took shape!"
Prayer.
That was the true meaning of Oración.
"Oración..." Bill murmured thoughtfully. "Is that Ancient Paldean—or Spanish?"
"Then was it something left behind by ancient people who migrated from Paldea to Sinnoh?" Brigette asked.
"I'm not certain," AI Sada replied. "Unfortunately, the architect named Godey appears to have moved here only a century ago. Although the Paldean Empire had already collapsed by that time, the expeditions into Area Zero had begun much earlier."
"The Great Exploration led by Heath began two hundred years ago and continued until approximately one hundred and forty years ago. During that period, explorers discovered Pokémon shrouded in mysterious light—Pokémon undergoing natural Terastallization."
"Those Pokémon were brought back from Area Zero, but the light surrounding their bodies disappeared."
"From then onward, our region began researching those crystals. Approximately eighty years ago, people gradually began constructing research stations inside Area Zero. The people of that period were probably suffering greatly because of the Terastallized Pokémon."
"Come to think of it, Hisui existed one hundred and fifty years ago. That was only ten years before we began bringing crystalline Pokémon out of Area Zero."
"Then Godey migrated here one hundred years ago. That also corresponds with the period when explorers in the Lental region published their records... No, that must merely be a coincidence."
"We must record these space-time fluctuations. If the waveform produced during the birth of the world resembled this one..."
Professor Juniper recalled part of their earlier discussion.
"Then everything matches, doesn't it?"
"Two hundred years ago, Pokémon mutations occurred in Galar. Changes to the regional environment made it impossible for the ancient inhabitants to adapt to the rampaging Pokémon, beginning a great age of maritime exploration. From that point onward, more and more people began migrating to other regions."
"It must be exactly as Hikaru said—they were searching for a new land free of conflict!"
"Could this data also be applied to research involving space and energy?" Samson Oak asked.
"Different times and spaces created a vast range of regional environments. We even caught a glimpse of humanity's history of migration through them. I never imagined that here in Sinnoh, we would witness and hear..."
"The origin of the world," Professor Juniper finished.
"I'm just as astonished. Wouldn't you agree, Dad?"
"Well..." Cedric Juniper stroked his chin. "I once witnessed something similar in Unova, although that portion of the incident was never recorded. That being the case, perhaps different universes possess different versions of Sinnoh's legends."
"How astonishing."
"Chargestone Cave in Unova possesses a magnetic field similar to Mount Coronet's. Could there be some connection between them? Hmm... If we want to discuss origins, perhaps conducting research in Sinnoh would be more appropriate."
Professor Juniper tilted her head back in thought.
"Although our research into origins and ecology doesn't refer to the literal beginning of the world, but rather where each Pokémon species came from, perhaps launching a joint investigation into regional environments would be worthwhile."
"More importantly, this unexpected incident has further supported our theory concerning regional environments. This vast universe contains Pokémon of every imaginable kind!"
"And we've discovered the mythical Pokémon that connect time and space! However, we should leave that portion of the research to Professor Rowan so he can enter it into the Sinnoh Pokédex."
"Everyone, the security forces around Mount Coronet should have been mobilized by now," Principal Lamont said.
Through coordination by the Ranger Union's leadership, local police departments were obligated to assist Pokémon Rangers with their operations—especially when the order came from the very top.
This had been demonstrated in both the Advanced Generation and Diamond and Pearl eras. However, the police forces depicted in the animated series were incredibly understaffed.
Aside from Kanto, Unova, and Galar, which possessed relatively large police forces, the other regions seemed to have only Officer Jenny available for every operation.
In an official animated short depicting an attempt to arrest Giovanni, Looker had led the operation while the International Police deployed an unusually large number of officers.
However, Looker had never visited Kanto in the games, so that short only proved one thing:
Police manpower was like water trapped inside a sponge. If you squeezed hard enough, quite a lot would come out.
The researchers, professors, and assistants began talking among themselves. They analyzed the known information and current situation while comparing the incident with events from other regions.
"To ensure that their plan proceeded smoothly, Team Galactic apparently stationed a large number of people around Mount Coronet."
"Unbelievable. The Sinnoh League had been investigating them continuously, yet they still managed to slip through during the confusion?"
"Perhaps they were skilled at disguises and infiltration. Team Rocket used to muddy the waters the same way. Even when police were deployed to investigate, they couldn't find any clues. Lance was the one who finally discovered their secret underground base in Mahogany Town."
"True. According to what I heard, even Pryce and the others only felt slightly unwell and never realized something was wrong. But Pryce often went to Ice Path and rarely remained in town, so it makes sense that he didn't notice."
"Uh, but I heard Team Galactic normally acted very openly. They were a legitimate corporation that had operated for many years. Aside from their uniforms making them resemble astronauts with terrible fashion sense, there didn't appear to be anything wrong with them."
"Are you suggesting that because they were confident in their fashion choices, they wouldn't willingly change uniforms? Team Rocket's uniforms actually looked pretty good..."
"Ahem. Apparently, Team Galactic even had a rule stating that children weren't allowed to join. I don't know whether it was true, but I saw it posted outside their building in Veilstone City."
"So we should be wary of people wearing strange uniforms? Our region also has many people dressed in red suits... But every organization has its own uniform. That makes this extremely difficult to judge."
The Battle Zone was relatively close to Veilstone City, but no harbor route connected the two. The Battle Zone's harbor only received ships traveling from Snowpoint City.
Veilstone had no harbor because the entire city had been carved into rocky terrain. It stood upon tall mountains and cliffs, making harbor construction impossible.
"They must have traveled through the air. Whatever happened, they certainly didn't arrive by sea."
"An aerial vehicle? Something like a flying car?"
One researcher remembered that unusual form of transportation, although it was not something ordinary people could use.
Anyone traveling in such a vehicle was either the wealthy president of a large corporation, someone affiliated with a Pokémon Center or the Pokémon League, or...
A major poaching syndicate, mysterious organization, or suspicious individual.
"Lawrence III, the Pokémon Collector arrested over the waters near Johto, used an enormous flying machine capable of capturing Legendary Pokémon. Team Rocket apparently possessed similar vehicles."
"Come to think of it, the female thief arrested in Alto Mare also possessed a jet-powered flying car capable of long-distance travel."
The researchers continued talking, shaking their heads as they remarked that flying cars had originally been developed for ecological surveys.
In fact, one of their earliest developers had been Professor Oak!
It had been created as a versatile, multipurpose vehicle for surveying Pokémon Island.
The ZERO-ONE!
"I never imagined that machine would become the source of so much evil... But the machine itself wasn't at fault. As technology advances, the development of more large-scale aerial vehicles is inevitable. The problem is that people with malicious intentions keep using them."
"Sinnoh's regional environment also appears worthy of sampling," Director Cyrano said. "Could we take some stones from Mount Coronet back with us? Our original plan was to recreate several important Unovan locations within the Terarium, including Chargestone Cave."
"If Mount Coronet's stones and magnetic field resemble those of Chargestone Cave, perhaps they could provide valuable data for the construction and development of the Terarium?"
Briar stared at him in astonishment.
"Director... You actually made a useful suggestion!"
Cyrano fell silent.
Her unspoken meaning was that he had managed to avoid acting senile today!
Director Cyrano cleared his throat, expressing his displeasure.
What was that supposed to mean, young lady?
At an important gathering like this, he was operating at full capacity. He had even cleared plenty of memory space in his brain!
The principal of the Ranger School was watching from nearby. As a fellow member of the "principal class," how could Cyrano embarrass himself?
He naturally had to offer valuable and practical advice regarding Blueberry Academy's development. Wasn't that his entire job?
"No, I sincerely believe your suggestion is correct," Briar said. "Then what type of energy crystal naturally carries electromagnetic force?"
"The answer is a Thunder Stone!"
"I still remember what Scholar Hikaru told us about Sinnoh's past. If we record the wavelengths and data produced by this collision of space-time energy, then combine that information with Thunder Stones excavated from Mount Coronet, could we recreate the regional environment of Hisui from one hundred and fifty years ago inside the Terarium?"
"As an expert on energy, that is my hypothesis. Of course, it is still only speculation."
Briar had already begun envisioning the future, although she mentioned the idea only briefly.
"If different regional environments are mixed, it could cause energy to run rampant or produce inexplicable phenomena. For safety reasons, the Terarium Core can only recreate a limited number of environments. That is how the current system was designed, and it has no additional capacity."
"Still, the original design did include four planned environments: the Savanna, Coastal, Canyon, and Polar Biomes."
Naturally, Briar's plan and assumptions were completely correct.
In The Indigo Disk, she would nearly succeed in accomplishing precisely that. She would combine energy from different regions with their respective environments, creating artificial ecosystems resembling the originals.
However, those environments would be imperfect. Briar's primary specialty was not regional ecology. Although she could simulate those environments, significant flaws would remain.
Aside from the Polar Biome, which did not have a specific original region...
The Savanna Biome corresponded to Kalos.
The Coastal Biome corresponded to Alola.
The Canyon Biome corresponded to Hisui, Sinnoh, and Unova.
However, Terastal energy was overwhelmingly dominant. Aside from the Coastal Biome, whose climate closely resembled Alola's, the unique characteristics of the other regions were not particularly obvious. They could only be identified through geological features and certain unusual Pokémon inhabiting the Tera crystals.
For example, the Canyon Biome had undeniably been constructed with soil from Unova's Nature Preserve and Black Augurite found only in ancient Sinnoh.
The system's major flaws became most apparent in the Coastal Biome, despite its climate being the closest to the original region.
When Pokémon from Alola laid Eggs there, the Pokémon that hatched did not possess their Alolan forms.
That was probably because Paldea's regional influence prevented Alola's energy from manifesting completely.
Blueberry Academy did not care much about that problem, however.
Its students were primarily interested in battling with Terastallized Pokémon in Double Battles.
"Ultimately, regional environments were never part of our field of study," Cyrano said. "We couldn't connect all these ideas until this conference."
"We'll have to revise our plans after this!"
"Everyone, the network signal has returned!" Celio announced. "The interfering magnetic field is gradually disappearing. We should now be able to communicate remotely with the Mount Coronet area."
"According to the message we received..."
"The scheme of Team Galactic's leader was stopped at the Spear Pillar ruins atop Mount Coronet!"
"The Trainer who defeated all of Team Galactic was... a girl named..."
"Dawn!"
Celio's expression froze for a moment before he turned toward Bill.
"One person destroying an entire organization single-handedly..."
"That's almost exactly like..."
"Red," Bill finished.
Red three years ago.
Ethan three years later.
Brendan in the Hoenn region...
So that was how it was.
"Powerful young Trainers just keep appearing! Before we knew it, more than three years had passed since Red's adventure. No, it has almost been four years now."
Their conversation stirred the surrounding researchers. Some remembered the recent news from Galar and turned toward Sonia.
"A young girl stopped an organization's conspiracy..."
Among the researchers stranded in Canalave City was a white-hatted girl who had remained only as an observer.
Longing appeared in Lillie's eyes.
A girl slightly older than her possessed that kind of incredible power?
A strong and fearless heart...
Lillie was not a Pokémon Trainer. There were so many things she could not do.
"Trainers really are incredible. They cross difficult roads, endure the sight of their Pokémon being hurt, and defeat powerful enemies trying to overthrow the world."
"Oración feels so warm... And this light is different from the brilliant light of Alola."
"Sometimes, you have to... remain confident. If you intend to act, you cannot hesitate."
"Nebby..."
Opening the doorway to the future together with Pokémon—that was Lillie's first impression of a Trainer.
The light illuminating the land of Sinnoh seemed to extend from this region toward another land protected by a different kind of light.
Alola!
————————
Spear Pillar.
The ancient ruins had suffered a second round of destruction.
For archaeologists and historians, this was incredibly painful. Scholars like Professor Oak and Professor Rowan were similarly heartbroken by what had happened.
They immediately began collecting data and scanning Spear Pillar, determined to record every detail of the ruins in a computer while they still could.
If someone like Team Galactic ever destroyed the ruins again, they would at least possess sufficient data to restore them at their original scale.
Fortunately, Team Galactic's machines included scanners suitable for this purpose.
Professor Oak began assembling one by hand. As someone who had built countless devices over his career, he had long ago unlocked the achievement of "Master Craftsman."
"Place this here and give me the connecting cable," Professor Oak said. "Probopass, please activate your magnetism and charge it... There! Finished!"
"You practically developed an entirely new instrument on the spot, Samuel," Professor Rowan remarked.
"We used to build all our instruments by hand. Scientific advancement has made manufacturing and developing equipment much more efficient. In other words, rearranging their components and combining them into new devices has also become much easier."
"Now, let me compose a senryū with a heart filled with prayer and gratitude!"
"Probopass."
"If it wishes to evolve..."
"It must remain on Mount Coronet."
Professor Rowan regarded the Probopass with equal curiosity.
To research Sinnoh's new evolutionary phenomena and study the region, he had finally returned to his homeland after spending many years in Kanto.
Now it appeared that he had far more to investigate than he had anticipated.
"Professor Hastings's technology is astonishing. So this is the result of his research into the heart!"
"I heard Capture Stylers weren't supposed to keep Pokémon under their influence for this long. Yet these Probopass still haven't left."
Hikaru's voice rang out.
"Pokémon captured with a Fine Styler will not leave until they receive a release command. Compared to an ordinary Capture Styler, it provides tremendous improvements in both operational duration and capture speed."
"The maximum level of emotion it can transmit is three times greater than the original. In other words, it can immediately establish a temporary relationship of exceptionally high trust with a completely unfamiliar wild Pokémon."
"Of course, once the release command is issued, that relationship returns to normal and the Pokémon depart on their own."
"There is a Sinnoh myth that says..."
"[Long ago, when Sinnoh had just been made, Pokémon and humans led separate lives.]"
"[That is not to say they did not help each other. No, indeed they did. They supplied each other with goods and supported each other.]"
"[A Pokémon proposed to the others that they should always be ready to help humans. It asked that Pokémon be ready to appear before humans always.]"
"[Thus, to this day, Pokémon appear to us if we venture into tall grass.]"
"That myth, preserved in the Canalave Library, is said to have originated from an old verse. The person who wrote it was describing something that happened in a barren wasteland being reclaimed."
"That wasteland..."
"Is now Floaroma Town."
"The white rock of gratitude may also have been one of the gifts exchanged. It can be found on Route 224, on Lily of the Valley Island, where the Sinnoh League is located."
"You previously asked me where the legendary flower fields could be found. They include Floaroma Town, the far end of Route 224, and possibly Ten'i Village near the snowy mountains north of Snowpoint City."
"Shaymin must reach that place in time to join the other Shaymin, transform into Sky Forme, and fly toward distant lands to create new gardens."
"The Gracidea!" Professor Rowan exclaimed.
He finally understood the connection between Floaroma Town's story, the long-standing Sinnoh legend of the Gratitude Pokémon, and everything Hikaru had previously mentioned.
"So that's it. Gratitude is the bridge that connects humans and Pokémon. A Fine Styler can immediately produce that effect because humans and Pokémon feel gratitude toward one another. That is why they devote their full strength to helping each other."
"It verifies Sinnoh's mythology."
"Senior, welcome back!"
Dawn stood beneath the radiance of Oración. The same light now poured across all of Sinnoh.
Dressed in her red winter clothes, the girl stood within the glow like warm sunlight in the heart of a frigid winter.
"Yes, Dawn," Hikaru replied. "I'm back."
"All of Sinnoh is now bathed in bright, warm sunlight."
"[Harmony—the state in which all things remain united and balanced.]"
The light flowed onward. Wherever it passed, all things returned to their rightful harmony.
Harmony...
Hikaru could not help thinking that Oración resembled something else.
That was right.
It was strikingly similar to Almia's legend of Vatonage.
"This is incredible..." Dawn whispered. "I can't believe I'm seeing something like this. The light is flowing like a river beneath the sun... It looks like something that could only exist in a dream!"
Music had been transformed into the most fundamental of elements and used to influence the world.
It was no longer something merely "heard."
It was warmth that every part of the body could feel.
"Yes... That's exactly what it is!"
"Light is the first glow of morning—gentle, yet capable of piercing through everything. Water is the source of life, cleansing every impurity. Time is an eternal river capable of soothing every wound."
"All of it feels perfectly natural, like sunrise dispelling the darkness."
"After all, rivers also possess a special meaning in Sinnoh's mythology," Hikaru said.
"Are you going to tell me the legend of the rivers here?"
Dawn nodded with a smile.
"Yes! I want to hear it."
"Then I'll tell you a little."
"Old Verse Nine."
"[I set the bones of Pokémon adrift upon the river. I let my memories flow on, adrift upon the river.]"
"[And to the ocean they will flow, perhaps around the world they go.]"
"[How many bones in days now gone have I now set adrift from me? How many bones in days to come will I yet set adrift to sea?]"
"[While every gift with which I part takes a sliver of my heart.]"
"For the frigid and unforgiving land of Hisui, the vibrant and radiant Sinnoh is this land's spring."
"Boss?!"
Saturn lay nearby under Garchomp's watch. He had also seen Hikaru and Cyrus return through Teleport.
He immediately called out, only for Garchomp to roar at him.
Do not move—or your throat is next!
As one of Sinnoh's most powerful Pokémon, Garchomp did not possess a gentle temperament. Its rough and violent disposition was recorded directly in the Pokédex.
Even though Cynthia had personally hatched and raised this Garchomp, it retained its ferocious nature.
When facing an enemy, it would never show mercy.
Cynthia looked toward the blue-haired Saturn.
"Saturn... That is your codename, correct?"
"Don't move."
"You were fortunate to survive. The same is true for the others."
"Even with an explosion occurring at such close range, your leader showed no concern whatsoever for your loyalty."
"When you chose to follow him, had you already foreseen an ending where the energy tide would swallow you and take your life?"
"Ultimately, Team Galactic was merely another version of Team Rocket, wasn't it?"
Saturn's eyes flickered.
He could not answer.
Even in the games, he had admitted that he could not understand Cyrus's feelings.
He had come to Spear Pillar because he was Charon's replacement—
No, that was wrong.
Before Charon ever joined, Saturn had already been responsible for developing the bombs. He had always served as Team Galactic's scientist, so how could he be considered anyone's replacement?
Still, of the four Commanders, only Saturn remained here. Everyone else was merely a grunt.
That was rather miserable.
"When I joined Team Galactic, the organization was developing cosmic energy," Saturn said. "We claimed our objective was to create a better world. I believed in that ideal."
"But it was merely a deceptive slogan."
"Internally, we were told, 'Take everything we require and discard everything without value.' Even that was not the truth."
He paused, his expression suggesting that he had finally seen through everything.
"Cyrus despised the human heart because he regarded it as inherently flawed. Yet he still manipulated other people's hearts with passionate speeches."
"It was completely contradictory."
"I became curious, so I approached him to understand him better. That was how I eventually became a Commander."
"But... who would ever wish for a world without spirit?"
"Everything has limits. This time, we truly went too far."
Perhaps Saturn really was better suited to Team Rocket.
No. Team Rocket had already collapsed.
When it came to manipulating people's hearts, their leader was apparently second to none, but Giovanni had vanished some time ago.
Still, the remnants of Team Rocket continued operating.
Would Team Galactic also have surviving remnants?
"Saturn."
A weak voice came from the distance.
Although it was faint, Saturn heard it. The Commander with blue hair resembling cat ears abruptly raised his head.
Cyrus slowly opened his eyes.
Leaning against the rubble of a ruined pillar, he released a long sigh.
"As of today, Team Galactic is officially disbanded."
"You and Mars may do whatever you wish with your lives."
"Even so..."
"I failed to give any of you a decent life. As your leader, I could not fulfill my responsibility to the end."
"That, too, was a flaw."
Saturn's expression became remarkably complicated.
He was not like Mars or Jupiter. He would not question or pursue Cyrus's decision because of sentimentality. Saturn was more rational than either of them.
That was precisely why he understood how extraordinary this was.
For a man who despised emotion to speak with such feeling was inconceivable!
"Are you... really Boss Cyrus?"
Was this truly the same man who had sought to create a new galaxy?
The man who had been beaten to his knees by a girl wearing a hat?
The man who had abandoned his convictions and detonated a third Galactic Bomb by any means necessary, intending to let the energy vortex devour Spear Pillar?
The man who had treated the lives of all his subordinates as tools and discarded waste?
Could that man truly say something like this?
"Oración... Boss Cyrus, did this song change you?"
Saturn raised his head and listened to the melody still drifting above Spear Pillar.
It had come from Alamos Town and was being carried throughout Sinnoh by the three lake guardians.
It was the voice of a god capable of soothing all grief and suffering and calming even the most violent fury.
Cyrus glanced at Saturn.
Before him, the healed Rotom had begun flying again. Just as it had during his childhood, it gazed at its old companion.
"Meeting someone... is the beginning of parting."
"That's correct," Cynthia said as she approached him. "Next, you will receive the harshest punishment possible and be sent to prison. Are you prepared for that?"
"Of course, I'll tell Mars to visit you both. She did not follow this path until the bitter end and was stopped before it was too late. Otherwise, she would have appeared at Spear Pillar as well."
Cyrus merely continued looking at Rotom.
"I have no complaints about this outcome."
Both humans and Pokémon made mistakes.
As long as someone stopped them in time, even if the consequences could not be reversed, the situation could still be prevented from growing worse.
"Before that... Rotom."
"No—the girl named 'Light.'"
Cyrus looked toward Dawn, who had been encouraged by Oración and was talking with Hikaru.
Their eyes met, and Cyrus expressed his thoughts.
"You are Rotom's Trainer."
"To Rotom, I am merely a friend who exists in the past."
"No matter what I do, that childhood is already beyond my reach."
"So I entrust Rotom's future to you."
It was an official request.
Yet Cyrus found himself wondering...
As someone who could not even be considered Rotom's Trainer, did he truly possess the right to entrust it to anyone?
Still, the words had already left his mouth.
Memories were pearls.
Pearls represented the vastness of space.
No matter how great the distance separating them, memories would never fade.
Friendship was a diamond.
Diamonds represented the ever-changing flow of time.
No matter how much time passed, friendship would remain unbreakable.
"I was too weak."
"Roto!"
Rotom felt Cyrus's heart, and it became unhappy.
They had only just reunited.
Did they already have to part again?
But this time, Cyrus said something that stunned Rotom before making it cry out in delight.
"You don't have to worry about me."
"I'm completely fine."
The familiar verbal tic was missing.
Even so, those were unmistakably the words Cyrus had spoken to Rotom during their childhood!
But did that mean they could no longer play together as they had before?
"Goodbye."
Hikaru looked toward Rotom.
The Pokémon raised its head in confusion.
What did "goodbye" mean?
At that moment, Hikaru's own little Ro poked its head out of the Capture Styler, giggling mischievously.
"Goodbye means that both people hope they will meet again."
It was also a famous line from Evangelion.
For Cyrus, a man possessing such an immense "Wall of the Heart," it was probably the perfect phrase for parting.
If Cyrus ever entered that universe, his Wall of the Heart would probably be as thick as a city wall.
Strictly speaking, the proper Japanese expression for a temporary parting should have been ja na. Everyone in Konoha knew that.
Sayonara, meanwhile, was used for farewells involving death, long-term separation, or the ending of a relationship. It carried the implication of a final goodbye.
But this was the world the llama had dreamed of.
Incomplete souls continually sought one another for support.
How could a permanent farewell exist here?
Even someone blown to pieces by a cannon might have a chance to win the resurrection bracket.
The so-called dead existed only as part of this particular world's background. In their own respective timelines, they were still perfectly alive.
It was just like Episode RR.
Traveling through time was not particularly difficult as long as one found the correct method.
As the old woman in Oblivia's past had once said:
"[Time is like a river. Sometimes, the past and future do not influence each other.]"
In a certain sense, that was also eternity.
Influence the timeline when convenient, and sever it when not.
That was extremely common in the Pokémon world, and even in the other Mystery Dungeon world.
After Primal Dialga regained its senses, it had even recreated the protagonist—a being who no longer existed—with its bare hands.
"Good morning. Good night. Thank you. Goodbye," Hikaru said.
"Ro~! Tom!"
Again! Meet!
Cyrus! We'll meet again! Thank you! Good morning!
Through their electrical connection, Rotom completely understood Hikaru's words.
The innocent Electric Ghost began giggling again.
When Cyrus saw the second Rotom, his expression filled with astonishment.
Then he relaxed.
"However, before you enter prison, there is something I must tell you," Hikaru said.
"You broadcast a message throughout Canalave City and made a declaration on television. That means you knew about the conference taking place there, correct?"
"Yes," Cyrus replied.
"Then one of the academic conclusions reached during this conference is that you have officially been recognized as the person who named Rotom."
"You contributed a tremendous amount of information regarding Rotom's unique behavior. As the discoverer of a new Pokémon species, your name will remain permanently recorded in the history of humans and Pokémon."
"There is one more important matter—the motor."
"The motor capable of allowing Rotom to change forms was manufactured by Team Galactic's Charon. Defective versions later became unsold clearance products at Shopping Mall Nine on Unova's Route 9..."
Cyrus's expression changed again.
This time, it was because of rage!
"This world contains many imperfect things. But machinery is the one exception!"
"Team Galactic's craftsmanship had an impeccable reputation!"
"Charon not only devised a plan to eliminate Team Galactic, but secretly sold defective products that disgraced our organization."
"He truly was an agent of the International Police!"
"I suspected him, so I abandoned him as bait for that policeman... As expected, they made contact!"
Even if Charon needed operational funds, he could not do something like that!
If he really was an agent of the International Police, everything made sense.
He had damaged Team Galactic's reputation, exposed their organization, and made contact with the Unova Champion standing before Cyrus...
As a child, Cyrus had discovered "beauty" within machinery.
Machines had been the only perfect things in this world.
Yet even they had been corrupted.
"Ahem. Please don't become agitated. Your physical condition is still poor..."
Hikaru restrained Cyrus when he tried to rise, then revealed his true proposal.
"During the academic conference, Professor Samson Oak suggested an idea. It was also something I had considered in the past."
"Rotom can enter many different electronic appliances."
"In other words, if we develop the special motor into a universal specialized component that can be fitted inside different appliances, could we create highly intelligent machines of countless forms for everyday life and industry?"
"Rotom inhabiting those appliances would also be able to communicate freely with humans and Pokémon."
"That is what it truly means for machinery to serve as a bridge connecting people and Pokémon."
"Our preliminary idea is to allow Rotom to enter a Pokédex."
"If we accomplish that, it should be called the Rotom Pokédex!"
"In another world, a special Pokédex function once existed called Feeling Check. That program is currently installed in the Pokédex belonging to one of my friends."
"Using that program as a reference, we should be able to develop the new Pokédex we envision."
"Therefore, even if you will be working from prison... I would like to invite you to assist us with designing and manufacturing this Pokédex."
Admittedly, arresting someone, sending them to prison, and then ordering them to work overtime from their cell sounded extremely Geeta-like.
But Cyrus was a villainous team boss.
Wasn't prison labor perfectly normal?
Besides, building machines was probably something Cyrus would enjoy.
Someone had once pointed out that if Cyrus had not disappeared, he should have been the one to develop the Rotom Pokédex.
Instead, the task had eventually been given to Clemont, who possessed almost no connection to Rotom, while Professor Kukui delivered the related explanation.
During Episode RR, the Cyrus from a parallel world had indeed seen Elio or Selene's Rotom Pokédex and reacted with great astonishment.
"[Why are you able to transform the bonds between hearts into strength?]"
The Rotom Pokédex had given him a rather vague answer.
"[Because Elio/Selene treats every Pokémon with kindness, roto!]"
Well, Selene's unwavering, artificial smile could indeed be considered considerate.
After all, she showed the exact same expression to everyone, even if a mountain collapsed directly in front of her.
Afterward, Team Rainbow Rocket's Cyrus had delivered his famous line.
"[Do not worry. I will do nothing to Rotom's world. I will return to the perfect world I desire.]"
"If Rotom enters the Pokémon Storage System, it becomes Rotomi. If it enters a drone, it becomes Drone Rotom. If it enters a Poké Device, it becomes a Rotom Phone."
"The provisional collective name for machines of this type is Rotom Information Devices."
"You want me to help... I see."
Cyrus briefly imagined the scene in his mind.
"Develop specialized components that allow Rotom to function within any electronic device, expanding endlessly like an electrical circuit and using the power of science to enable conversations with Pokémon..."
"Machines would no longer be cold, lifeless objects. They would become living beings possessing both vitality and intelligence."
"Hmm... I see. I finally understand!"
"We would bestow hearts upon machines!"
"When a person's heart contains no emotion and is filled only with emptiness, that heart possesses no purpose beyond circulating blood."
"But now..."
"Two were given matter. Three were given spirit!"
"The world was created, blessed, and given form!"
Something exploded within Cyrus's mind.
It seemed to create an exquisite and entirely new world.
A new world as warm as bathing in the radiance of Oración!
(End of Chapter)
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