The giant beast of Firespit Island had been defeated. Hikaru had long since lost count of how many Heatran he had encountered, and no matter where they appeared, the Lava Dome Pokémon always possessed formidable strength. They also seemed to show up in every kind of bonus story imaginable.
This one lived deep within the Lava Dome Sanctum. The Heatran of this era also possessed a unique enhancement: a veil of scorching flames surrounding its body. The fiery barrier melted any items thrown at it, shielding Heatran from outside attacks.
Yet even flames that powerful...
Could still be defeated by Balls of Mud and Sticky Globs.
The Lava Dome Pokémon's humiliating defeat quickly became the hottest topic on Firespit Island. Every passing Fire-type Pokémon was talking about how the legendary Guardian of the Volcano had been beaten to its knees by mud. That human girl had unleashed the power of the earth against a Pokémon with a quadruple weakness to Ground, caught it, and was undoubtedly planning to...
"Gwo-bo-bo-bo!"
[You can have the Iron Plate! Take it! Just stop hitting me!]
What was that little device capable of launching dirt? The relentless barrage had been brutal. Didn't she know it was four times weak to Ground?!
"We did it!" Akari exclaimed. "We've secured the help of Heatran, the Guardian of the Volcano!"
Heatran: "..."
If it refused to help, it would probably be beaten to death. What choice did it have?
Still, if they had come for the Plate, they must have been sent by Almighty Sinnoh to retrieve it. Out of respect for the nobles...
Command me as you wish. I shall harbor no disloyalty!
As an embodiment of a fragment of space-time, Heatran found Akari's face vaguely familiar, though it had no actual memories of her. When it sensed Giratina and the other nobles inside the Origin Balls, even the steel of Heatran's body felt as though it were about to melt.
Its Speed had dropped by ten points from sheer terror. Unfortunately, its Special Attack had not risen to 175, so this was nothing but a straight nerf.
Still, what did this little girl want it to do?
She was merely gathering Balls of Mud from around the Lava Dome Sanctum, and now she wanted Heatran to use Earth Power to make more of them...
She wanted a Fire/Steel Pokémon with a quadruple weakness to Ground to manufacture items made of dirt?
I possess such tremendous power, yet you're treating me like a wholesale Ball of Mud supplier?!
Catching every Pokémon was also a necessary condition for reaching the Temple of Sinnoh. Whenever Akari arrived in a new region, she did her best to expand the Pokédex, catch the local Pokémon, and fulfill her mission to "seek out all Pokémon."
Some Pokémon could only be caught inside space-time distortions. However, most of those Pokémon could also be obtained through evolution. For example, if she wanted to catch a Scizor, all she needed to do was use a Metal Coat on a Scyther.
As day and night passed, Heatran sensed the changing world from inside its ball and was occasionally sent out to battle. Only then did it begin to realize something.
After Akari finished surveying the Cobalt Coastlands, returned to the human village for food and rest, and later traveled through the Coronet Highlands at night, she arrived at Moonview Arena.
There, she encountered Hisuian Electrode, Lord of the Hollow; Cresselia, the embodiment of sweet dreams beneath the crescent moon; and Darkrai, the embodiment of nightmares in the night.
All three appeared at Moonview Arena at the same time!
Heatran was stunned. Only then did the Fire/Steel Pokémon finally understand what was happening.
As if they were gathering to welcome the girl before it, legends from across Hisui were revealing themselves at this very moment.
Even "Dream and Moon" had appeared together!
Though their lineup was imposing and terrifying, the number of Pokémon on the opposing side was also...
It was time for an interview.
Heatran: [You claim a human could never defeat a Pokémon using her own strength?]
[You want to know why I'm still trembling? Nonsense! A battle on that level would terrify anyone, no matter how many times they remembered it!]
[Humans are supposed to be creatures that Pokémon can easily crush. I once believed that without question. Humans capable of fighting Pokémon are extraordinarily rare. Most ordinary Pokémon simply wonder how this human can possess such an agile and powerful body.]
[But I am the embodiment of a fragment of space-time, and I am at least one of the Pokémon entrusted with guarding a Plate. I can perceive many things. Pokémon like us who guard the Plates, including the nobles, all possess certain unknown secret techniques.]
[Yes, I have a quadruple weakness to Ground, but I still possess a fiery veil that protects my body. That veil can form walls and rivers of flowing magma. I merely lost to a device called a launcher that fired dirt at me.]
[The three Pokémon at Moonview Arena possess even more extraordinary powers. The Lord of the Hollow can continuously release homing balls of electricity, while also triggering endless explosions of its own.]
[Cresselia is the embodiment of the crescent moon. In this world, anyone who approaches the field it creates and is touched by its particles of moonlight will fall into confusion.]
[As for Darkrai, it may not guard a Plate, but the world calls it the Pitch-Black Nightmare. It constantly disappears before attacking from the darkness. It lives near Clamberclaw Cliffs and shares an inseparable connection with Sneasler.]
[Yet that girl defeated all three Pokémon!]
[I saw it clearly. When Darkrai used Dark Void against her, I was watching them with every ounce of my attention. I never relaxed for even a moment. Then...]
"Dark Void missed, didn't it?" Hikaru said. "You shouldn't put too much faith in that move. Of course, it would be a different story if Darkrai used Strong Style Dark Void."
"The survey of the Coronet Highlands has also reached its conclusion. The fact that three legendary Pokémon gathered together means they must have sensed the approaching danger. Still, even though all three tested Akari at once, she defeated them with ease. Just look at her now."
"That's right!" Akari said. "We gathered so many materials in the Coronet Highlands. King's Leaves, Vivichokes, Iron Chunks, all kinds of medicinal herbs and vegetables. It's incredible. Those eastern mountains look so barren, but there are so many wild vegetables growing near the foothills where the Lord of the Hollow lives."
"Could you help us carry them back? I'll help too, of course! Let's take everything back to base camp!"
"There was once a strange incident in which everyone in a village suffered nightmares on a moonless night," Hikaru said. "Darkrai, you're the Darkrai from Newmoon Island, aren't you? Aside from the one that wandered into Alamos Town, you should be the only Darkrai in Sinnoh."
After all, if it had appeared near Mount Coronet alongside the embodiment of the crescent moon, they had to be the Pokémon from Newmoon Island and Fullmoon Island.
In Pokémon Platinum, the Darkrai of Newmoon Island had said that it did not want to bring nightmares and death to those around it, which was why it remained alone on the island. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the Pearl Clan had also spoken about the many victims claimed by the nightmares on Mount Coronet.
Therefore, this could only be the comparatively weaker Darkrai from Newmoon Island.
Darkrai of Newmoon Island and Mount Coronet asked, [Have we met somewhere before? Or have you encountered other Darkrai?]
"I've met Darkrai in other regions that were stronger than you," Hikaru replied. "You also seem unable to control your Bad Dreams Ability, which is why victims keep appearing around you. Should I say your power is too great for you to control, or that you simply aren't strong enough yet?"
"Several of the Darkrai I've met could freely suppress Bad Dreams. They could remain inside shadows or the dark world of nightmares without affecting anyone else."
Darkrai was visibly startled, and its curiosity was immediately piqued. If it could freely control its power, then it would no longer need to live in self-imposed exile.
When Hikaru told it the story of a Black Guardian protecting a crystal in a distant land, Darkrai was amazed.
[My Bad Dreams cause sleeping humans and Pokémon around me to suffer nightmares. Terrifying scenes appear within those dreams. If the victims cannot wake up in time, their lives may be placed in danger.]
[That is why other Pokémon have hated me for so long, forcing me to wander Mount Coronet. Judging from what you've said, perhaps the problem truly is that I'm too weak. If the Black Guardian could peacefully coexist with people for seventy years without a single incident, its strength must be far beyond mine.]
[How can I restrain this Ability?]
Other Pokémon were always thinking about how to strengthen themselves. Darkrai alone wanted to weaken itself.
Hikaru smiled, nodded, and opened a Poké Ball.
A Galarian Weezing emerged in a rush of fresh air, wearing its tall capitalist smokestacks like a formal hat, and appeared before Darkrai.
[Um... I'd like to confirm something. This time, I only need to release some gas, right? I don't have to blow myself up?]
During the previous Johto tournament, Weezing had been forced to follow Wo-Chien's commands for the sake of victory. The result had been a Misty Explosion that ended the battle on the spot.
They had technically won. After all, the blast had taken down Korrina, who had been competing at the time. As the saying went, directly attacking the opposing Trainer was a valid path to victory.
Records of this event could even be found within the Paldean Empire.
The Treasures of Ruin: carefully selected for nation-destroying power, with battle records available for verification!
"Pichu!" cried the Spiky-eared Pichu.
"Ti!" Victini chirped.
[Uwah! Lightning and fire! Stay away from me!]
Galarian Weezing immediately fled when it saw Pichu and Victini emerge to play. Then, noticing the contemplative look on Hikaru's face, it hurriedly explained itself.
[No, I'm not actually afraid of blowing myself up. It was just miserable having a mouthful of rotten leaves and wet garbage stuffed into me. I like absorbing poisonous gases, bacteria, and dust from trash to sustain myself, but I'm not Muk. I don't actually eat that stuff...]
[Sometimes, blowing myself up is unavoidable if we want to win. I'd just prefer a gentler method!]
"Of course. I know you blew yourself up last time for that little Flittle," Hikaru said. "Sacrificing yourself to protect a weaker companion, giving up every last bit of your remaining strength for the sake of a friend, is unquestionably an act of justice!"
[What?! I-Is that so? So I'm a champion of justice too! Ahem. Protecting a child is simply what any Weezing would do.]
Galarian Weezing did not entirely understand the concept, but being praised certainly felt nice.
It did not, however, hear the quiet conversation between the Spiky-eared Pichu and Victini.
[We already talked about this several times while we were mining on Mount Coronet,] the Spiky-eared Pichu said. [When it comes to blowing herself up, Big Sister Kaguya probably enjoys it more. Apparently, she resisted it at first, but after exploding enough times, she actually started having fun.]
[Wo-Chien's methods were probably too underhanded, so Weezing still can't let it go,] Victini replied. [It'll probably complain about it for the rest of its life. But Wo-Chien used to be a calamitous Pokémon, so isn't it normal for it to use bizarre tactics? It destroyed an entire nation. Don't worry about it. Want a macaron?]
When Galarian Weezing sprayed Neutralizing Gas over Darkrai, the latter froze briefly before clenching its claws.
It was gone!
Darkrai could clearly sense that some form of power had been erased. The effect appeared to be temporary, but...
[Incredible! Bad Dreams is gone! How did you do that?!]
[I merely released a little gas,] Galarian Weezing replied. [I'm mostly interested in all-you-can-eat buffets, so I'm not very useful in battle. But I can nullify the Abilities of other Pokémon, including Abilities with negative effects.]
"No, you're actually extremely powerful in battle," Hikaru said. "My Galarian Weezing was a Pokémon I happened to encounter in Galar. It once went berserk and caused quite a disturbance, but Beldum defeated it instantly."
Galarian Weezing: [...]
"Of course, even though it was knocked out in a single attack, it played an enormously important role in everything that followed. Neutralizing Gas is an incredible Ability. Darkrai, you've seen the settlements where humans gather, haven't you? Their headquarters is a red building with a very strange smokestack on top."
[N-Now that you mention it! I understand!] Darkrai exclaimed. [So you're that unusual smokestack Pokémon! Pokémon from foreign lands use the most extraordinary moves! Your gas is incredible. If I could store enough of it, I think I could stay home for a hundred years without ever leaving!]
[You've helped me tremendously. I owe you a great debt, and I will fight with all my strength to repay it!]
"Cresselia's help goes without saying, and now Darkrai has joined us too!" Akari said. "The next time you battle, remember to use Strong Style before Dark Void to improve its accuracy."
Stripped of Bad Dreams, Darkrai became more energetic than ever. It voluntarily began working, feeling wonderfully liberated.
Neutralizing Gas really hit the spot!
As the nobles, Legendary Pokémon, and Mythical Pokémon were quelled and actually began doing farmwork under Akari's direction, Melli, the warden responsible for Moonview Arena, looked utterly shaken.
"She's commanding the nobles and legends of Hisui to work for her!"
Melli had been the first warden to object to Irida crossing the battlefield, and he had discussed the matter with Adaman. Though he now understood the situation and had agreed to let Akari come here to quell and capture the Lord of the Hollow, the sight before him still produced the absurd sensation of watching his faith collapse.
"The lord's frenzy is a blessing from Almighty Sinnoh! Its power has grown stronger! Isn't that something worth celebrating?"
"I believed we had to let the lord rampage to its heart's content so Almighty Sinnoh would understand that the Diamond Clan was right! You could even say I, Melli, was born into this world for that very purpose."
"But now the frenzied lord has been quelled and ordered to do farmwork! No!"
Melli looked as though his dreams had died and his soul had burned down to ash. He slumped against the stone platform where offerings of Berries were placed and lost all strength to speak.
No one paid his behavior any attention.
Adaman, who had accompanied them to provide support, gave Melli an exasperated look.
"That fool Melli gathered Voltorb all over Mount Coronet and dragged me into a difficult battle! Three Pokémon appeared inside the arena and started fighting one another. Anyone could see that wasn't normal, yet he still insisted on obstructing the trial at a time like this!"
"Well, I suppose those are his beliefs. Fortunately, my Leafeon resists Electric-type attacks. By combining that with a Weather Ball empowered by harsh sunlight and launching blasts of fire, I was able to clear the obstacles. Coming prepared really does make a difference."
"Enough with the miserable face! After the nobles are quelled, they seem capable of turning the power of their frenzy into their own strength. In other words, they can assume those golden forms whenever they wish. This farmwork is merely another way of tempering their bodies and minds!"
"All the nobles and legends of the Coronet Highlands have now been quelled or subdued. Only one final step remains before we head to the Temple of Sinnoh: the Alabaster Icelands."
"Only two nobles remain, and aside from the Almighty Sinnoh themselves, only one Legendary Pokémon is left!"
"You probably already know this, but I'll explain anyway."
Adaman began speaking about Snowpoint Temple.
"No one knows how long that temple on the snowy mountain has existed. They say an enormous Pokémon dwells inside it, a legendary being that once dragged the southern land into place. I've never seen it myself, of course."
"We also made a new discovery on the temple's first floor. We once thought those statues were the only important things there, but we recently found a slab tucked away in a corner, similar to the one at Heights Camp. Once deciphered, it revealed images of Arcanine, Dialga, Palkia, Heatran, Manaphy, and a Pokémon called Arceus."
"Brother Hikaru, what do you think the pictographs on that slab say?"
"Plates of stone, eternal prayers, reaching all four corners," Hikaru recited. "Fragments of power, faith, and spirit, completing all creation and everything within it."
"So that's how it should be interpreted..." Adaman murmured. "Wait. Did you already know what was written on the slab? What exactly does it mean? Is it connected to human faith?"
"I believe so. The Pokémon sleeping within Snowpoint Temple has a close connection to the Plates. It safeguards the Blank Plate, the Plate of a type that never existed. The Normal type is the origin of all things, so I suspect the slab inside Snowpoint Temple bears the same words as the Old Verses."
"It's a brief passage, but it records the bond between the Plates and the birth of the universe."
....
Time passed.
Near the Pearl Settlement in the Alabaster Icelands, Irida continuously fanned herself, looking overheated, exhausted, and utterly drained.
"Whew... Other places really are unbearably hot. When Heatran is around, that temperature is more than I can handle. The Alabaster Icelands are so much more comfortable..."
"You're saying strange things again, Irida," Akari replied. "Are you truly not afraid of the cold?"
"I'd actually prefer it if it were even colder. Anyway, our settlement is just ahead. Let's go there and rest."
"Unlike the other regions, the Alabaster Icelands don't experience torrential rain. We get blizzards instead, so you must be careful. Even without swarms of alpha Pokémon, a blizzard can make people lose their way and freeze to death in these merciless mountains."
"That's why I really have considered catching an Eevee and evolving it into a Flareon. Without a Fire-type Pokémon, it's almost impossible to withstand a cold snap."
"This disaster is particularly severe. A cold snap, widespread Pokémon unrest, and constant blizzards are all occurring simultaneously. Nothing this terrible has ever happened in our recorded history."
"This snowfield has a lord, the largest of all the nobles. Thanks to its blessings, the Pearl Clan can survive here without suffering from the disasters of the snowy mountains."
"Can you see that distant mountain? Even from the Pearl Settlement, after traveling through the bitter wind to reach this desolate place, you can see that enormous iceberg. They say it was formed from the body of a Lord of the Tundra that died long ago."
"Not even Sneasler can climb it. But Warden Gaeric once climbed all the way to a point only two meters below the summit in a single attempt. Muscles truly are justice. Akari might even be capable of climbing it without relying on the Diamond Clan's Hisuian Braviary."
"Fortunately, we gathered the Eternal Ice ahead of time, so you won't need to undertake that challenge. First, quell Hisuian Braviary. Then we'll head to Icepeak Arena, where the Lord of the Tundra awaits."
A freezing blizzard began to howl.
Near Icepeak Arena, a deafening roar shook the heavens and earth, making the entire Alabaster Icelands seem to tremble.
The Lord of the Tundra was the Pokémon most capable of restraining its frenzy. This was probably because its enormous body already contained immense strength.
In the Pokémon world, size could not serve as the sole measure of a Pokémon's strength in conventional battles. However...
A wild Onix, for example, normally possessed a pitiful base Attack of only 45. Yet most Pokémon that encountered an Onix in the wilderness would still flee in panic.
That was because size was power, and power was justice!
In the Hisuian era, Onix was described like this:
Its body, formed from boulders joined together, resembles a great serpent. It causes heaven and earth to tremble as it burrows deep underground!
Yet the Lord of the Tundra was even larger than Onix. When it roared in earnest, its voice could carry across the entire vast snowfield.
"They say the ancient Lord of the Tundra and the current lord both stand more than thirty meters tall," Hikaru said. "Even my Celesteela is considerably smaller."
"Come to think of it, Lady Kaguya has never encountered such an enormous Pokémon. It can continuously launch gigantic balls of ice, bombarding the earth like artillery fire. It can raise forests of crystalline ice spears from the ground and gather intense frozen light within its mouth before firing it like an energy cannon."
[Um... Isn't that like the creature President Mew transformed into?] Celesteela muttered from inside its ball. [Maybe I'd be better off never meeting a monster like that! It's terrifying! Thirty meters tall? I'll be crushed to death! No!]
Celesteela could scarcely imagine something even larger than itself.
What did thirty meters mean? If that creature were stood upright, it might reach nearly eighty meters! Was it planning to become a deep-space rocket?
How terrifying!
Celesteela had thought it already qualified as a heavyweight Pokémon, only to discover that an even greater expert existed.
"However, it has a quadruple weakness to Steel."
[A quadruple weakness...? Eek! You should've said that sooner!] Celesteela cried. [Now it's time for the Rocket Hero to make her grand entrance! Wait, if I hide underneath the Lord of the Tundra, won't anyone even notice me? That would be heaven!]
[Victory is guaranteed!]
It seemed Lady Kaguya had abandoned the problem of her social anxiety, since her body was simply far too large to conceal. Under the shelter of the Lord of the Tundra, however, perhaps the problem could finally be resolved...
Could it?
"You still jump between utter despair and wild optimism without warning," Hikaru remarked. "That part of you hasn't changed."
Unfortunately, Celesteela would not get a chance to participate in this particular quelling battle.
Among the ten nobles, the battle against the Lord of the Tundra was an indispensable heavyweight event in Akari's adventure. Compared to the infuriating battles against the Lord of the Hollow and the Lord of the Isles, the Lord of the Tundra's attack patterns were easier to predict.
Because it also resembled Ukanlos and entered the field like a giant monster, many people regarded its appearance as the most spectacular moment of the entire era.
...
The snowy mountain collapsed and the freezing wind scattered.
As the balms melted against its body, golden lightning drifted into the sky. The Lord of the Tundra shook its head and slowly awakened from its rage.
The final noble had been quelled.
The sleeping Hisuian Avalugg regained its peace and became the final hero's companion. The ritual was finally complete. The people rejoiced, believing the disaster would soon be brought to an end.
Their visits to the lakes also came to a close.
The lake guardians seemed to have foreseen this event long ago. This time, they naturally offered more than the materials needed to forge the Red Chain. They also presented a Draco Plate engraved with an inscription.
Ordinarily, this strange Plate did not appear within the world. It could only be obtained by completing the trials of the lakes.
Yet in later generations, the Draco Plate would somehow end up being used as a paving stone beneath the statue in Eterna City.
"The legendary ten companions shall once again fight side by side in this era. They have transformed their frenzied power into strength of their own and will soon challenge Almighty Sinnoh."
"The people have also prepared themselves for the eclipse. It will surely be a terrifying day."
"Power continues to spill from the space-time rift. The nobles' frenzies, raging storms, and blizzards now occur almost without pause. If this continues, Hisui will be plunged into endless darkness. Our settlements will be buried beneath the snow, then trampled flat by armies of alpha Pokémon."
"Perhaps the ritual truly has produced an effect. The legendary Celestica hero displayed his strength to the heavens alongside ten Pokémon. Quelling the nobles must therefore be a necessary part of demonstrating that power."
"Meanwhile, the people have been responding actively and stockpiling food. With the help of Pokémon, they can change the weather, till the earth, enrich the soil, and melt the snow, allowing them to control the growing seasons and improve their harvests."
"In only a few short days, the people gathered several times more food than they had in previous years. We can endure even the harshest winter. We can drive away even the darkest night and fiercest blizzard."
"As the nobles were quelled and those providing support became increasingly active, the people of every settlement gradually found peace of mind. They witnessed the strength and conviction of those carrying out the ritual, and they began praying with genuine faith. They believe these people will surely close the space-time rift and end Hisui's abnormal climate."
"They will preserve this precious land and allow its ancient customs to continue for generations."
"The people have never been so united or prayed with such devotion. Everyone has placed their hopes in the final ritual. But when the Almighty Sinnoh descend into this world filled with rage, how will we face them?"
"Palkia, answer me... Can you hear me?"
Irida recorded these words during the frigid daylight, speaking them silently within her heart.
Over this period, the inhabitants of the ancient settlements had begun gathering around the Diamond and Pearl Clans. Some had also begun trading with the Galaxy Team.
However, one place remained closed to the outside world.
"They should be back soon," Hikaru said.
"Back?" Irida asked.
"The Staraptor and Starly flying overhead told me that the Miss Fortune sisters have left the Michina wilderness. As expected, they found the treasure buried beneath the earth. They're currently approaching Jubilife Village."
"I've already spoken to Cyllene. Once their task is complete, she will revoke their wanted notices. Then Cyllene can bring the jewel and meet us."
"And after that..."
At that instant, a powerful voice surged into Irida's heart.
Palkia's voice had finally reached her.
[I hear you! You have done well! Bring the Red Chain and the Origin Balls to the Temple of Sinnoh, then capture us!]
[The enraged creator has arrived. If you do not wish for this history to disappear, and if you do not want this world to become a world without spirit, then prepare yourselves! Reach the proper future and ready yourselves for the battle yet to come!]
[The universe does not develop according to the sequence of time, nor does it follow the order of space. Bring the treasures of the Pearl and Diamond Clans. With those treasures, we shall assume our Origin Formes!]
At the same time, Adaman clutched his head.
Dialga's voice had also begun echoing within his heart.
[The balance of power has collapsed. The frenzied creator is coming! It was for this moment that we descended into this world!]
[I shall transcend time and send an important person eight hundred and fifty years into the past! Change history! Although we stand beside humanity, our creator shall pass judgment upon us as well!]
[The history I see has already descended into chaos! To seek the future beyond the future, to explore the world beyond the world's end. We shall forever accompany Almighty Sinnoh!]
[The revelation of all creation begins now!]
The sky dimmed.
All things lost their color, turning into the faded image of an ancient photograph. Trees and land began disintegrating like corrupted data, gradually losing their original forms.
Irida stared blankly upward.
Everyone who had come to the Alabaster Icelands, including Adaman, Akari, and Professor Laventon, who had arrived to conduct ecological field research, looked at the sky in horror.
"What's happening?" Irida asked. "The light is disappearing, but the sun is still in the sky!"
"That isn't the sun!" Adaman replied. "It's a solar eclipse! Something has begun covering the sun. But the eclipse has arrived earlier than our calculations predicted! Professor!"
"Theoretically, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the planet and the sun," Professor Laventon explained. "Some form of solar eclipse occurs somewhere in the world every one and a half years on average. However, for the same location to witness an identical eclipse again, it may take approximately four hundred years."
"This eclipse may not be a simple astronomical phenomenon. It holds tremendous significance in Hisui's history. The fact that it has arrived early means that unless someone moved the sun or the moon, the very laws of nature and the heavens have been altered."
"Legends from the distant Alola region speak of beings capable of such things. The power of Pokémon can be terrifying, especially if the Almighty Sinnoh are themselves Pokémon."
"Giratina has already displayed astonishing strength, yet there is still a being above it that possesses even greater power."
"Such power is an expression of divine authority, not mere combat ability. From this moment onward, we shall experience the same crisis faced by the ancient Celestica people."
"To pursue the sun, all the people journeyed far from their homeland."
"This must be the moment those words described."
Near the Pearl Settlement, everyone waited nervously for what felt like an eternity.
Yet the black sun showed no sign of disappearing.
"A black sun," Adaman muttered. "What a terrible omen. It's practically a proclamation that Hisui is about to be destroyed."
"That voice just now was Dialga speaking inside my head. No, it spoke directly to my heart!"
"So that's it. When the ritual was completed, the Almighty Sinnoh worshiped by the Diamond and Pearl Clans both appeared within this world!"
"The Almighty Sinnoh we each worship are both genuine," Irida said. "After observing us for so many years, they must finally believe we can be trusted. At last, we have heard their voices and can show them our faith."
"Now we must prepare to confront the creator!"
"It's almost impossible to imagine. I felt a power beyond anything ordinary, as though the world itself had been born at that very instant!"
Akari remained silent for a moment.
"But we've already been waiting a long time. The temperature is falling, the sky has darkened, the stars are appearing, and a hazy mist is covering the distance. Birds are confused by the sudden darkness. They're flying everywhere, desperately searching for their homes."
"The shadows have come alive. They're crawling across the earth!"
Receiving the guidance of the two Almighty Sinnoh after demonstrating their faith was undoubtedly a good thing.
Yet an overwhelming fear had begun to grow within every heart.
At this moment, the space-time rift above the Temple of Sinnoh had become one of the few sources of light remaining in the darkened world.
The people of the settlement were terrified.
The sun showed no sign of returning. The black disk hung high above the world, blocking everything. The warmth that had touched their skin only moments earlier vanished instantly. A chill that penetrated to the marrow rose from the earth, like suddenly stepping into a cellar or tomb.
The air became heavy and silent.
A suffocating stillness enveloped all creation.
"It's as though the universe itself has died," Hikaru said.
"The people are chasing the light. Can you hear them? Some have already proposed traveling to the Temple of Sinnoh to pray. The light and lightning escaping from the space-time rift can at least illuminate the darkness."
"The Galaxy Team and Diamond Clan might be able to survive in relatively warm regions, but the Pearl Clan cannot."
"The Alabaster Icelands are already freezing. Near Lake Acuity in the north, glaciers have remained motionless for ten thousand years. If the temperature continues to fall, every plant in the Alabaster Icelands will freeze to death. Crops and Berries will no longer grow."
"Still, even at a moment like this, we have a way to respond."
"If we have lost the sun, then we shall let a new sun illuminate the earth."
"Ordinarily, we would need the Red Chain to summon the legendary Almighty Sinnoh from the space-time rift. This time, however, they should appear of their own accord."
"And even if we must visit the lake guardians first, Lake Acuity, followed by Lake Verity and then Lake Valor, would be a perfectly suitable order!"
A Poké Ball opened.
Brilliant light replaced the sun and illuminated the earth.
At first, the heavens had resembled a cold sheet of lead stripped of all luster.
The frozen earth lay silent. The prolonged, merciless cold had scraped away every trace of color. Only the wailing wind remained, carving shapes of despair across the gray-white wilderness until they became faint whispers within legend.
Then it appeared.
It did not rise.
It awakened.
At the heart of the world, atop an ancient glacier believed to be devoid of all life, a point of gentle light pulsed like a heartbeat.
Then its halo blossomed.
Warm orange-red radiance spread in every direction, scattering darkness and shadow. The sun proclaimed its dominion, its light cutting through the night like a sword.
Three pairs of blazing wings beat against the air.
Like an incarnation of the sun itself, Volcarona descended upon the world.
Volcarona flew high into the sky.
"Drought, followed by Sunny Day!"
"When the earth is engulfed in darkness, Volcarona's flames replace the sun. In cold regions, it is worshiped as the incarnation of the sun and depicted in ancient murals as a god of fire. Its light saves humans and Pokémon suffering from the cold."
"Without it, countless Pokémon would disappear and die. Countless humans would become nothing but bones, carried away by the rivers."
Warmth returned.
The world regained its rich layers of color.
Pale moss turned green again. The frozen soil loosened, and tender sprouts pushed through shells of ice. Their leaves trembled as they reached toward the light.
Withered branches drank in the warmth carried within the flowing radiance.
The silence broke.
Icicles struck the ground with crystalline notes. Meltwater converged with a gentle murmur. Unknown creatures stirred tentatively in newly warmed corners.
"As the world began to cool, a tiny sun rose into the sky," Hikaru said.
"But a single Pokémon's power is limited. It won't be able to sustain this for long."
"Hmm? The Arc Phone is reacting!" Akari exclaimed.
She examined the phone. An extraordinary message had appeared across its screen.
"The first history is about to disappear. Seek out all Pokémon, then travel to the Hall of Origin...? Ah! This is a message from Almighty Sinnoh!"
"But I still haven't completed the entire Pokédex!"
"That's right," Hikaru replied. "During the first history, the sun disappeared. The creator's body and spirit endured tremendous sorrow and pain, causing it to conceal itself for a thousand years."
"If we also consider ancient myths and stories from other regions, none of the three friends the creator made over several thousand years appear to have met a peaceful end."
"However, history can be altered by the future. Someone from the future will return to the past. A hero of light will rewrite the history of Oblivia, while young people from modern Sinnoh will travel into the past and rewrite the history of ancient Sinnoh."
"But there is a problem."
"The transcendent Almighty can reject changes to history. It must understand and accept what happened before a new history can take form."
"That is exactly what we are witnessing now. History is disappearing."
"Speak of the beginning, when heaven and earth were divided. Even nothingness offered its congratulations. The hell in the heavens marked the end of creation's eve."
That was precisely what occurred near the end of Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life.
Even after Michina's past had been altered and Marcus had been defeated, the transcendent Almighty of the future continued unleashing its fury, violently striking its own creations and children.
Only when Ash called out to it did Arceus remember the altered past.
In that single instant, everything it had destroyed was restored. Collapsing mountains and shattered earth returned to their fertile state.
Divine authority and combat power were sometimes entirely different things.
After losing the Jewel of Life, the transcendent Almighty should have become weaker. But reclaiming the other shining jewel not only compensated for the loss, it strengthened Arceus even further.
This was its true form within the universe, before it shared its energy with the world.
The areas transformed into nothingness, along with the world swallowed by darkness, resembled the twisted void shown in The Rise of Darkrai.
They were "disappearing."
"It's normal that you haven't completed the survey," Hikaru said. "You've even caught several Unown. Of course, anyone who has seen the slabs in the Solaceon Ruins can find them. Those Pokémon even appear on the roof and gates of Jubilife Village."
"But the final Pokémon have been hidden away. They are Hisui's Forces of Nature, and the last among them is called Enamorus."
"We must ask the person who possesses those Pokémon to come here. That person is the ancient hermit Cogita. She also holds the final Plate."
"Just as the legend foretold, people are now piling stones upon the summit of Mount Coronet."
"Use the Capture Styler to capture Pokémon, then ask the Staraptor to deliver a message to Cogita. Tell her to meet us at the Temple of Sinnoh."
"And then..."
"And then?" Akari asked.
She suddenly noticed light gathering around Hikaru.
"Light of Time, your body is glowing. Where are you going? Wait! It shouldn't be time for you to leave yet!"
"Aren't you coming with me to the Temple of Sinnoh?"
"I must return to the Michina wilderness eight hundred and fifty years ago and begin the second history," Hikaru replied. "That was always the plan. The day of judgment will also arrive in the future. From the past to the future, time must be joined into a single line."
"Hisui's history is quite wonderful, isn't it?"
"Besides, haven't all of you constantly complained that I carry too many Pokémon, as though I were preparing to besiege a city?"
"Well, you were right."
"Now it's time to go back and besiege one."
Dialga would send an important person back to the night before Arceus descended into its rage.
However, in the second history, Sheena would return from the future and naively reveal the purpose of their journey to the priest Marcus.
That would place Arceus in even greater danger than it had faced in the first history.
Ash had saved Damos and fought with everything he had to keep Arceus from dying. Otherwise, the next being to descend into fury would not merely be the transcendent Almighty.
It would probably be the true body of Almighty Sinnoh itself.
That ending would be even more tragic than the fate suffered by Arceus in another world, and it was the source of its anger.
After reclaiming the shining Jewel of Life, the transcendent Almighty had probably witnessed every branch of history. It now possessed power equal to the God of Sinnoh, the God of Hisui.
"That is why I must return and stop Sheena during the second history, eliminating the enemy at the source."
"Timelines are difficult to understand in this universe. Sometimes they connect, while at other times they do not interfere with one another at all. Everything follows the will of the gods. How could humanity possibly resist?"
"If a god wishes to make you travel through time, you will travel through time. If it wishes you to leave, you will leave. Even if you fall into another universe, it can still bring you back."
"Divine authority and combat power are two different things."
"Akari, defeat Almighty Sinnoh. Reach the Hall of Origin and obtain its aid."
"Remember this: overcome every hardship, leave the mundane world behind, and travel to the space-time beyond all boundaries!"
"That is my final wish."
"The time has come for us to part. Here and now, I bid farewell to the world!"
...
"It's too ominous! No other words could possibly describe the sky!"
"Natural disasters, violent storms, and blizzards cannot compare to this. The sun has disappeared, and the land of Hisui is being swallowed by darkness!"
"Does that mean it's being reduced to nothingness?"
Inside Galaxy Hall, Cyllene, who had been promoted from captain to commander, stared grimly and fearfully at the darkened heavens.
The black sun had hung in the sky for an entire day.
No violent storms or torrential rain had occurred, but once night fell, the true horror revealed itself.
The sky turned red.
The stars gradually vanished, and a prism-like phenomenon covered the heavens above Hisui. All light disappeared. The endless night seemed to proclaim that disaster and divine wrath had descended upon the world.
The land of Hisui was not especially fertile, but humans and Pokémon still struggled to survive upon it.
Now that land was steadily being consumed by darkness, disappearing into nothingness.
"So, do you really think this jewel will be enough to settle everything?"
Inside Galaxy Hall, the bandits who should have been wanted criminals placed a green jewel in front of Cyllene.
"This is the treasure the Lightning Blade asked us to retrieve," Charm explained. "He specifically told us that the jewel currently preserved in ancient Michina was a fake, though it's completely impossible to tell from its appearance."
"They say the Jewel of Life is an extension of the transcendent Almighty itself, which means it can't be easily destroyed."
"Gengar sensed the power within this jewel, which was how we identified it. It was buried deep inside a canyon and hidden inside a sealed scepter, within the shadows and flowing water of an underground temple's storage chamber."
"Not even the people of Michina knew a second jewel existed. How foolish."
"In other words, their ancestors deceived their own descendants. Their descendants spent generations trembling as they waited for the promised day of reconciliation, only to drag us into the disaster as well. They're rather pitiful. Now they'll have to endure divine judgment all over again."
Cyllene stared at the green jewel.
Ordinary humans could not sense any power from it unless they possessed some special qualification.
Still, perhaps this jewel truly was genuine.
Her Abra was staring intently at it.
Well, Abra's eyes were always closed, so it was impossible to tell from looking at it. Yet Cyllene could sense its expression.
She turned toward the Miss Fortune sisters.
"You recovered the jewel and came to the Galaxy Team first because you want your wanted notices revoked, correct? I can agree to that request."
"The Jewel of Life is one of the most important treasures in all Hisui. The transcendent Almighty and Almighty Sinnoh will both return to reclaim it."
"You successfully brought it back instead of keeping it for profit. I will therefore honor my promise, as well as the promise I made to the Lightning Blade."
"However, you must promise that you will no longer rob or steal from travelers in the wilderness."
"Even if you choose not to live among the Galaxy Team, now that you understand how to use the power of Pokémon, even the three of you should be able to survive freely in Hisui."
Charm narrowed her eyes.
"So the promise you're honoring is the one you made to the swordsman. Someone as rigid as you can occasionally show a flexible side after all."
"Or perhaps you've always been this way and simply never allowed anyone to see it. Either way, these terms are acceptable."
"Keep the jewel for profit?" Clover snarled, baring her teeth.
"Fine, we did consider it at first! But that damned swordsman has eyes and ears everywhere, from the Pokémon in the sky to those beneath the earth."
"We realized long ago that those Pokémon were looking at us strangely!"
"Every time we thought about taking the jewel for ourselves, they attacked us! It was like they were protecting the jewel while forcing us to escort it!"
"That's exactly what happened," Coin said coldly. "We were forced into this."
"Hisui has now fallen into endless darkness. If this cannot be resolved, our future lives won't matter. We'll all freeze to death outside."
"What a terrifying ending."
"We came to the Galaxy Team instead of searching for the swordsman because we're afraid of him. What other reason could there possibly be?"
"I never want to see that terrifying monster again for as long as I live. I would even farm for the Galaxy Team if that's what it takes."
Cyllene's expression remained stern.
"The three of you will temporarily stay with the Security Corps. Don't even think about stealing anything here. We will watch you carefully, and if you cause trouble, your wanted notices will be enforced even more aggressively."
"Now I must take the jewel to Mount Coronet."
Before leaving Galaxy Hall, however, she had one more matter to address.
She turned toward Bagin, who was guarding the interior of the building.
Bagin was the man who claimed he would someday develop an infinite satchel. He was also a Security Corps member skilled in expanding satchels and increasing their storage capacity.
He used that technique to make money everywhere he went. He had even taken Akari's money.
Still, what exactly was going on with his storage technique?
Akari spent all the rewards from her surveys on expanding her satchel. Bagin then spent that money inside the Galaxy Team or handed it over to fund team activities. Eventually, some of it was paid back to Akari as wages and mission rewards.
Wait...
Hadn't that simply become a circular flow of money?
"Bagin, come here!" Cyllene ordered.
"What is it, Commander?" Bagin asked. "I'll keep an eye on these three bandits. Former Commander Kamado is here as well, so you don't need to worry!"
Cyllene wore a deeply uncomfortable expression. After hesitating, she gritted her teeth.
"Fighting-type moves don't affect Ghost types... No, that isn't what I wanted to say."
"I need to leave the building. Tell the guard at the front gate to take his... to take his Wurmple somewhere else!"
Having a Pokémon partner while guarding the main gate was a good thing.
But did that partner have to be a Wurmple?
The guard knew perfectly well that Cyllene was afraid of fuzzy caterpillars, yet he still brought one to stand watch at the entrance!
Was this Galaxy Hall or a prison?!
...
Northeastern Sinnoh, at the foot of Mount Coronet.
The Ancient Retreat.
After being defeated, Volo still had not returned to the Ginkgo Guild.
If he went back now, he would inevitably receive a vicious scolding. He had neglected his work for the Ginkgo Guild, run off into the wilderness to become a boss encounter, and then been beaten to a pulp.
How could he possibly admit that now?
It was better to keep slacking off.
Slacking for a single day was still slacking, and so was slacking for half a month. In any case, he had no desire to conduct business at the moment.
Yet when Hisui fell into darkness and eternal night began, Cogita rose to her feet in her black clothing.
Volo, who had been studying and calming his mind here, looked at her in surprise.
This woman appeared to know everything, yet she rarely left her small home.
For her to rise and depart now was extraordinarily unusual.
"Cogita, Hisui has fallen into such darkness," Volo said. "Are you going to Mount Coronet?"
"Why, of course," Cogita replied with a sigh. "Where else would I go?"
"Volo, you made a promise, did you not? You must travel to the Temple of Sinnoh at the summit of Mount Coronet as well."
"Surely you do not intend to forsake your promise and agreement. Let me warn you in advance: betrayal is absolutely forbidden. A promise must always be honored."
"Otherwise, the ancient Celestica people will truly never return."
"You always act as though you know everything, yet you refuse to explain anything," Volo said. "Wait. What are you holding? Is that a Plate?!"
"This?" Cogita asked. "Food sliced upon this slab tastes considerably better. You might call it a legendary cooking utensil. Its shape is certainly similar to one of those Plates."
She sighed again.
"Yes, I suppose it truly is a Plate."
"That's enough. How much longer do you intend to keep pretending?"
"What Plate is that? It's the Pixie Plate, the Plate of the lost Fairy type, isn't it?"
"That Pokémon of yours that flies across Hisui is the god of spring, correct?"
"The other Forces of Nature are also said to fly across the region. Yet ever since the space-time rift appeared, no one has seen any of them. I asked around. That isn't normal!"
"In other words, all the Forces of Nature are currently in your possession, or you temporarily drove them from this land."
"And now you're traveling to the Temple of Sinnoh because you intend to bring them back into this world."
"If I'm correct, Hisui's Forces of Nature may not be native to this land, but they are still part of the Pokédex."
"If someone wishes to seek out all Pokémon, encountering them is absolutely essential!"
"Cogita, who are you?"
"I've wanted to ask you that for a long time."
"You claim to be seventy years old, but what seventy-year-old woman looks like you?"
"As one who inherited the blood of the ancient Celestica people, I now understand that people like us possess extraordinarily long lives!"
"At this apocalyptic moment, when Hisui has been swallowed by darkness and the black sun hangs in the sky, what are you still hiding?"
"How many years have you lived? One hundred? Five hundred? One thousand? Two thousand?"
"You witnessed the Aura Guardian sealing Vessa away. You saw the disappearance of the sun, the betrayal of Michina's people, and even the Celestica hero's challenge against the creator!"
"The ancient verses that constantly appear in the legends recited by the Lightning Blade were written by you, weren't they?"
"'You have dwelled here for ages, awaiting the arrival of one who bears a mission.'"
"Isn't that identical to the Lightning Blade's recitation?"
"And you've been to the Sinjoh Ruins, haven't you?"
"If the complete god can produce two separate individuals, the transcendent deity and the deity of Sinnoh, and they aren't merely Dialga and Palkia in disguise, then the creator god must possess limitless manifestations!"
"I think, therefore I am!"
"Because you believe yourself to be human, you are able to appear before us in this form!"
"Did the real Cogita exist? Of course she did. But perhaps the woman before me is not that person. Perhaps the true Cogita disappeared into the dust of history long ago."
"That is how mythology works. It uses incomprehensible methods to show humanity the world as it once was, forcing us to think more deeply about Almighty Sinnoh and the world in which we live."
"I've spent the past half month thinking without pause, and I have finally reached an answer."
"Even you may be Arceus!"
"You've always been watching me. You've always guided me and used me as a stepping stone to awaken curiosity."
"All this time, you have been watching that girl from another world and the swordsman who arrived with the lightning!"
Cogita's gaze grew ambiguous, filled with emotions too complicated to put into words.
She watched Volo until his fiery momentum gradually disappeared. Then she shook her head, though the serene smile never left her face.
"The people are gathering and traveling to the Temple of Sinnoh, just as those in the past once did."
"They are piling stones upon the summit of Mount Coronet."
"Humans and Pokémon carry those stones together. The people carve the gathered rocks into the shapes of Pokémon."
"The ten Pokémon they carve are the same ten once illuminated by the light of Almighty Sinnoh."
"Stones..." Volo murmured. "Could that refer not only to ordinary rocks from a quarry, but to the Plates as well?"
"That's right! The hero and the ten nobles received Plates from Almighty Sinnoh!"
"How many more secrets are you hiding?"
Beneath her hat, Cogita's face seemed frozen within that moment. Her ambiguous smile appeared to transcend time itself.
"It is everywhere, and it is nowhere."
"That is all I know."
"You do exaggerate so terribly. What secrets could I possibly possess? I merely inherited the knowledge and mission of my ancestors."
"Beyond that..."
"I know nothing."
(End of Chapter)
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