Chapter 419: Akari's Wishes
~Third POV~
[Hisui Region, Coronet Highlands – Moonview Arena]
The crisp mountain air of the Coronet Highlands bit at their cheeks, but the silence was peaceful—a stark contrast to the apocalyptic storms of the past week. The Moonview Arena, usually the domain of the Noble Electrode, was empty and bathed in the pale light of the afternoon sun.
Azure Sky descended from the clouds, riding atop his massive Salamence. The Dragon-type touched down gently, stirring up a small cloud of dust. Azure hopped off, adjusting his jacket. Pikachu sat perched on his shoulder, Eevee balanced lazily on his head, and a small Pichu (Mew) poked its head out from his inner pocket.
Waiting for him was Akari. She looked different now—lighter, free from the burden of saving the world. The celebrations in Jubilife Village had finally died down, giving them a moment of respite.
Akari smiled, crossing her arms as she stated, "You really know how to make an entrance. So, why did you ask me to come all the way up here? Is there another space-time rift opening?"
Azure laughed, shaking his head as he replied casually, "No more rifts. Actually, I needed a favor."
He reached for a specific Ultra Ball on his belt as he said, "Come on out."
*Pop*
With a flash of light, Dialga, the Lord of Time, materialized. It wasn't in its terrifying Origin Forme anymore, but its standard form. It looked at Azure calmly, awaiting his command, curious what he had in mind.
Azure addressed the god of time in a respectful tone, "Dialga. I need you to do me a favor. Jirachi is in a deep slumber, one that usually lasts a thousand years. I need you to focus your power on this ball—accelerate the time within its immediate vicinity. Bring us to the moment of its awakening."
Akari's eyes widened blurted out loud, "A thousand years?!!"
*FLASH*
Dialga tilted its head, its chest crystal glowing with an intense, rhythmic pulse. A sphere of blue energy enveloped the Luxury Ball in Azure's hand, focusing on the Pokémon that resides inside.
To Akari's eyes, it looked like a blur of motion, a flickering light that lasted only seconds but felt like centuries passing in a vacuum. The ball vibrated violently, aging a millennium in a split second…
*PING*
With a soft click, the Luxury Ball popped open.
*Pop*
A small, star-shaped Pokémon floated out, rubbing its eyes with tiny white hands and letting out a long, adorable yawn. Jirachi looked around, blinking at the harsh mountain light, before its gaze settled on Azure.
It let out a chirrup of joy and nuzzled into his chest, "Ji… Achi!! (Ahh… good nap. Huh? Oh, it's you again!)"
Azure whispered, stroking the Pokémon's head, "Hey there, sleepyhead. Didn't think you'd see me again, huh?"
He turned to Akari, who was watching with wide, mesmerized eyes. He said, "Akari, I wanted you to meet Jirachi. And I wanted to give you something?"
Akari stepped closer, awestruck as she asked curiously, "Is that... Jirachi? And what do you want to give me? You've already done so much. You helped me catch Palkia, you helped me survive against Dialga—"
But she was then cut off as Azure interrupted, his face darkened slightly, a flicker of guilt crossing his features as he explained, "That's exactly why. I'm a traveler, Akari. I've been to many worlds, many times. I have the power of Aura and Psychic abilities because of a wish I once made to this little one. But when you were exiled... when Kamado threw you out of Jubilife and left you to die in the wilds... I wasn't there. I was off doing my own thing. I should have been there to protect my friend."
Akari stepped forward, reaching out to touch his arm as she said softly, "Azure, no. I grew stronger because of it. I found my own path."
Azure looked at her kindly but sighed as he said gently, "Maybe. But as an apology, I want you to have three wishes. Jirachi is awake now, and its power is yours to use. I've already cleared it with it."
Jirachi chirped in agreement, the three yellow tags on its head fluttering in the wind. Akari looked at the mythical Pokémon, then back at Azure.
She saw the sincerity in his eyes that cared about a girl from a small village as she whispered, "Three wishes? Is that even... is that allowed?"
Azure laughed as he casually stated, "Yup! In this world, we make our own rules. Go on. Think about what you need. What would help you, not just as a member of the Survey Corps, but as a Trainer?"
Akari looked at the floating star Pokémon, then back at Azure. She saw the sincerity in his eyes. She smiled, a genuine, warm expression as she replied happily, "Okay. I won't waste your kindness."
She paced the arena floor, thinking hard. Her eyes drifted to Azure's wrist—specifically, the Key Stone embedded in his Mega Glove. She remembered the power of Mega Dragonite, Mega Darkrai, and Mega Mewtwo Y during the fight against Palkia and Dialga.
Akari declared, "I know my first wish."
She looked at Jirachi as she stated excitedly, staring into its true eye, "I wish for the power Azure has. I want a Mega Glove with a Key Stone, and the Mega Stones for all my Pokémon that can use them!"
Jirachi fully opened its eyes, revealing the "true eye" on its stomach. It nodded as it spoke telepathically, 'Wish Granted.'
*FLASH*
Glowing text appeared on one of Jirachi's blue tags. A flash of light enveloped Akari's hands. When it faded, a sleek, white glove sat on her wrist, a Key Stone sparkling in the center. A small pouch appeared at her waist, heavy with colorful marbles—Garchompite, Lucarionite, Lucarionite Z, and others.
Akari squealed, examining the stones as she stated, "This is incredible! Garchomp is going to be unstoppable!"
Azure reminded her, "Two left."
Akari pulled out her Arc Phone as she explained, frustratedly, "This thing is useful for maps, but... Hisui is boring, Azure. There's no TV, no internet, no nothing."
She looked up as she thought carefully of her second wish, as she declared, "I wish for my Arc Phone to be upgraded! I want movies, novels, training guides for Pokémon, and music! And... I want to be able to text and chat with Azure, even across dimensions and timelines!"
Azure chuckled as he commented about her second wish, "A bit of modern comfort in the ancient world. I like it."
Jirachi spun in the air. The second tag glowed as it mentally spoke into their heads, 'Wish Granted.'
The Arc Phone buzzed. The screen shifted, the UI becoming sleek and modern. An icon labeled [Inter-Dimensional Link] appeared.
Akari tapped the screen in disbelief, "No way! Does it work?"
Azure promised with a smile as he stated happily, "I'll send you some movies and novels from my collection tonight when I get back to my airship. You haven't lived until you've seen 'The Rise of the Dragonite'. You won't be bored again."
She whispered, her eyes misty, getting emotional, "Thank you, Azure… This means more than the stones, honestly."
Azure reminded her as he said calmly, "You still have one more."
But then she hesitated as she whispered, "But now I have all that I need, I don't really know what to wish for next…"
He leaned in closer, whispering into her ear as he said happily, "For the last one, trust me on this. Ask for the Orbs. Just wish..."
Akari looked confused but nodded. She had learned to trust Azure's instincts above all else as she stated her final wishes, "For my final wish... I request the Lustrous Orb, the Adamant Orb, and the Griseous Orb."
Jirachi didn't hesitate. The third eye flared with a brilliant, blinding light.
*FLASH*
Three orbs materialized in the air, floating like miniature suns. One was a deep, oceanic blue, one a vibrant, temporal diamond, and the last a swirling, ghostly violet. The air in the arena grew heavy.
From inside Akari's ball, Palkia hummed in recognition. Besides Azure, Dialga let out a low, pleased rumble, eyeing the Adamant Orb.
Akari asked, holding the Lustrous Orb, "What are these?"
Azure explained casually, standing back as his Dialga let out a roar of recognition seeing the orbs, "They are the essences of the gods themselves. The Adamant Orb for Dialga, the Lustrous Orb for Palkia, and the Griseous Orb for the one who dwells in the shadows—Giratina. These items don't just power them up; they allow them to access their true Origin forms. With these, no one in this world, or any other, will ever be able to threaten you or Hisui again."
Akari looked at the orbs, then at her new glove, and finally at her upgraded phone. In the span of ten minutes, she had gone from a girl surviving the past to a trainer with the tools of a goddess.
She said curiously, using his full name for the first time in a while, "Azure Sky… Why go to all this trouble for me?"
Azure looked up at the sky, where the rift had once been. Azure's playful smile faded, replaced by a look of serious, hardened experience.
He walked to the edge of the arena, looking up at the highest peak of Mount Coronet. Azure said sternly, his voice low, "Because the finish line isn't catching Palkia or Dialga. Your mission—'Seek out all Pokémon.' That means… Him."
*GULP*
Akari swallowed hard, whispering, "The Original One."
Azure turned back to her as he continued, "Fighting Origin Forme Dialga was tough. We needed a team of Legendaries, Mega Evolutions, and divine intervention to pin it down. But listen to me closely, Akari: compared to Arceus, that battle was a warm-up."
Akari froze. The weight of his words settled on her shoulders.
She had thought, with these new gifts, she could breeze through the rest of her mission. Azure continued, "If you want to meet the Creator and find a way back to your true home, you need to be stronger than you are currently. You need every advantage. The Mega Evolution, the Orbs, tactics, the knowledge from the future... you're going to need all of it to earn His respect."
Akari clenched her fists. The temptation to relax had vanished, replaced by a steel resolve as she uttered, "You're right… I can't slack off. If I want to go home... I have to conquer... The Original One."
Azure nodded, "Exactly."
Then, his expression softened as he stated calmly, "But don't burn yourself out. That's why I'm sending the movies. Heroes need rest, too. Balance is key."
He turned his attention back to the floating, sleepy Jirachi. The Wish Pokémon was drifting, its eyes heavy. Azure commanded, "Alright, Dialga. One more favor. Fast-forward Jirachi's personal time stream. Another thousand years."
*FLASH*
Dialga, standing stoic and powerful, grunted in affirmation. The diamond on its chest flashed blue once more.
The beam of time energy enveloped the small Wish Pokémon. Jirachi's eyes snapped open. It blinked, looking around in confusion.
It saw Azure. It saw Akari.
It saw the sun in almost the same spot. Jirachi cried out, confused, "Jira? (Already? Why are you alive?!)"
It rubbed its head, utterly bewildered. To Jirachi, it had just woken up, granted wishes, gone to sleep, and immediately woken up again a millennium later. Azure chuckled as he explained, "Sorry, buddy. False alarm. Just getting you ready for the next time I need a miracle. You can go back to sleep now."
Jirachi let out a groan that sounded suspiciously like a complaint, but its nature took over. It curled into a ball, wrapping its tags around itself, and instantly began to snore, turning into a crystallized comet once more.
Azure carefully picked up the slumbering Jirachi and placed it safely away, recalling it into its Luxury Ball. Then, he unclipped the Ultra Ball containing Dialga after recalling it from his belt. He held it out to Akari as he said, "Here."
Akari blinked as she asked, "You're... giving him to me?"
Azure explained as he nodded, gesturing to the Ultra Ball, "Dialga belongs to this time. Dialga and Palkia are two sides of the same coin. They need to be together to maintain the balance of Hisui. I can't take him to the future with me."
He looked at the Ultra Ball as he said calmly, ordering his Pokémon, "Dialga, listen up. I'm entrusting you to Akari. She's got the spirit of a Champion. Watch over her, and help her reach the summit."
*Rmbl*
Inside the ball, the Lord of Time let out a rumble of agreement. The ball shook once in Azure's hand before settling.
Akari took the ball with trembling hands. She now held Space in one pocket and Time in the other as she promised, "I'll take care of him. I promise."
Azure grinned knowingly and replied, "I know you will."
Azure reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a gold and silver Poké Ball—the GS Ball, as he stated, "Time to go."
*Pop*
He threw the ball upward. A swirl of leaves and green light erupted, revealing Celebi, the Time Travel Pokémon.
It circled Azure happily, sensing the intent to return home. Azure grinned, climbing onto his Salamence as Celebi began to open the time portal, "Don't be a stranger! Check your phone in about five minutes."
Akari shouted, waving as the green vortex consumed him, "Safe travels, Azure!"
*SWF*
With a flash of emerald light, Azure Sky vanished from the ancient past. Akari stood alone in the Moonview Arena, but she didn't feel lonely.
*BEEP*
She looked down at her Arc Phone and saw a notification pop up.
[Azure: Sending 'The Chronicles of the Kanto Champion' (Vol 1-10). Enjoy the read, Akari. I certainly did!]
[Azure: You wanted to know what a real Pokémon battle looks like? Start with the file labeled 'Red vs Azure. And the Ninth and Tenth Pokémon League Tournament battles. Enjoy the popcorn. You got this. Entertainment_Pack_Vol1.zip.]
She smiled, tucked the orbs into her Satchel, and began the long walk back down the mountain. The hero of Hisui had a lot of reading to do and a new power to master. The sky above Coronet was clear, a brilliant, piercing blue—an Azure sky that felt, for the first time, like it belonged to her too. Akari stared at the screen.
For the first time since falling from the sky into this strange, ancient land, the crushing isolation lifted. She wasn't alone.
Smiling, she tapped the download button and prepared for movie night. Her eyes shimmered with light as she whispered, "… Thank you."
/////
A/N: Hope you guys liked the chapter. And I know the MC giving away Dialga looks bad but he literally can't keep it with him. At the very least he can come back whenever he wants to abuse his time manipulation to recharge Jirachi.
But after this... Anime Worldline folks!