The mouse-like Pokémon's cream-colored body and big pointed ears form a V; the ear outline is orange. Its little wings on its back can't move under the restraint.
Its big blue eyes dart anxiously—like a culprit caught red-handed.
Lucas triple-checks he isn't seeing things. It really is Victini.
Wait—he hadn't even gone to look for Victini yet, and it delivered itself? How abstract is this?
As Lucas, wearing an odd expression, approaches, Comfey and the others finally realize they'd accidentally overlooked Mimikyu again.
Caught, Victini panics. Wild Pokémon hiding nearby are anxious too, but don't dare show because of the fearsome aura from Luxray and Mimikyu.
As the standoff drags and Victini's energy starts to roil with tension, Lucas meets Mimikyu's gaze and smiles. "Mimikyu, let it go."
Mimikyu nods; Shadow Claw's grip eases. But Victini, still struggling at full force, launches like a cannonball into the air.
Realizing it's free, Victini brightens and moves to vanish and bolt.
Then Lucas's voice sounds again.
"Aren't you going to try the taste?"
Half-faded, Victini freezes. Its little nose twitches, a rush of sweetness hits its brain, and its eyes glue to the cream-drenched Puff in Lucas's hand—drool leaking shamelessly.
Two thoughts wage war in its head.
I want it… but that doll Pokémon is scary.
I want it… but that big cat Pokémon is scary.
Want it… scary… want it… scary—
Forget it. First dessert, then fear.
Appetite wins. Victini zips to Lucas, reaches out, and takes the Puff—no shame at all.
Seeing Mimikyu and Luxray aren't attacking, it grows bolder. Maybe flying while eating is tiring; it plops onto Lucas's shoulder, cheeks flushing, happily munching.
"Vee—nii~~"
In no time, Victini covers its cheeks, moaning in bliss.
Sweet with a subtle, just-right tang—so good!
Victini turns shiny eyes to Lucas. The simple little thing drops all guard the moment it eats—one breath away from begging for seconds.
Lucas accepts another Puff from Comfey' vine and signals Alcremie to drizzle its signature cream, then offers it to Victini.
"Try this one—the cream's flavor is a bit different."
"Vee-nii~"
Victini kicks its little feet, wings fluttering with joy, savoring the new flavor.
Lucas takes the chance to observe Victini up close.
It's about Vulpix's size at this growth stage, very light. Hard to imagine such a tiny Pokémon holds infinite energy inside.
Remarkable.
A few more Puffs later, Victini rubs its belly, satisfied—then finally focuses on Lucas, the nice human who gives it great desserts.
And then it can't look away.
It senses a strong wave of victory coming off Lucas. In all these years of watching trainers pass by, it's never seen such a dense victory aura.
As if… victory has become routine for him.
When Lucas invites it—"We're going to dinner later; want to come?"—Victini nods immediately, forgetting entirely that it's supposed to be confined to the Sword of the Vale's area.
If dinner were far from the castle, it couldn't go.
Perhaps it's exactly this sunny nature that lets Victini endure the loneliness of a thousand-year confinement.
When Lucas returns to the stall, he finds everyone chatting happily. Besides Nemona's group and Juanita, there's a young woman about Lucas's age, wearing the same red knit cap—like a younger Juanita.
Seeing him, Nemona runs over first, eyes sparkling. "Teacher Lucas! Tomorrow the town is holding a battle festival to celebrate the Harvest Festival. Let's enter together, okay!"
"Huh? Sure—wait, me too?"
He nods reflexively. Generally, he won't stop students from joining safe events.
Then realizes—Nemona and the others entering is fine, but why would he join? To go fish for easy wins?
The young woman steps over as she speaks. Meeting Lucas's eyes, she bows slightly. "Mr. Lucas,I'd love to have a Pokémon battle with you. Please, do enter the festival—I'm asking you."
Juanita comes over to introduce her. "This is my daughter, Carlita. If it's a bother, don't worry—just say no."
"It's fine. I can participate."
Lucas figures it's harmless and doesn't want to spoil the mood. Treating it as casual fun is nice too.
Carlita's eyes sparkle; she thanks him repeatedly. Nemona eggs her on—maybe she'll even get to face Lucas!
Arven and Penny squat off to the side, determined to be chill tomorrow—not entering at all.
Juanita starts packing up the stall and smiles. "You probably haven't booked lodging or dinner. I'm borrowing the mayor's castle kitchen tonight to make a Harvest Festival feast. If you don't mind, join us?"
"You came all this way with the letter—I really want to thank you."
Lucas doesn't refuse. "Then we'd be honored… But Mrs. Juanita, we might have one more mouth. That okay?"
At her puzzled look, he calls to his seemingly empty left shoulder, "Victini, come on out."
…
In the Sword of the Vale castle dining hall, Nemona, Arven, Penny, Eri, and Carlita sit together, peeking curiously at Victini playing with the Pokémon. Even after a while, they're still stunned.
Victini—just appearing like this, and having dinner with them?
To Nemona's group, Victini is a rare cute Pokémon. To Carlita, Juanita, and Mayor Mannes, it's a childhood legend becoming real before their eyes—like a dream.
Carlita and Mayor Mannes are busy in the kitchen. Hearing that the castle kitchen only uses firewood and Pokémon flames surprises Nemona and the others.
Lucas sits aside, paging through the histories of Victini, Eindoak, and the People of the Vale that Mannes found for him.
He quickly notices problems.
The broad strokes follow the movie's plot, but key points diverge.
For instance, Victini wasn't the People of the Vale king's Pokémon—it merely played in the royal gardens, fed by the king and on good terms.
When the two princes with Reshiram and Zekrom clashed over their ideals and damaged the ancestral ley lines, the king asked Victini to help lift the Sword of the Vale.
After flying to today's Eindoak, the king died of exhaustion before he could release Victini's borrowed power, leaving Victini trapped—that matches.
But then comes the big twist.
When the regret-stricken princes brought the Dragon Stones—their dragons' transformed forms—underground to the castle, the dragons, apparently disappointed in them, blasted through the rock and vanished into the distant sky.
So the Light Stone and Dark Stone are no longer beneath the Sword of the Vale.
Which means Damon (Juanita's son traveling abroad), the movie's antagonist, can't stir trouble without the dragons' power.
Reading this history so different from his memory, Lucas thinks deeply.
His head suddenly feels heavier—Victini sits atop it, eyes distant as it gazes at the pop-up history book.
Clearly, it stirs its memories.
Lucas looks up at Victini, thoughtful.
Before long, Juanita's Eindoak specialties conquer everyone's tastebuds. After feasting, Mayor Mannes proposes they lodge in the castle.
If there's one thing the castle has, it's rooms. His wife and child are traveling in other cities; rather than searching for inns, they can stay here.
They accept his hospitality and each choose a room.
…
Night falls.
In Lucas's room, Victini—who's stuck to him half the day and mooched plenty of food—has no intention of leaving. It looks ready to cling to him for the next few days.
As Lucas changes into pajamas and leisurely brushes Luxray's and Vulpix's fur, Victini scoots over with sparkling eyes, begging for dessert.
Lucas pauses, grabs the small Victini. Despite appearances, it has a soft layer of cream-colored fur.
Catching it, he brushes its fur while calling to Serperior. "Serperior, pass me a few Pecha berries—the kind the Grubbin ripened."
Serperior sighs, snakes a vine into the pack, and flicks three Pecha berries accurately into Lucas's hands.
Holding one, Lucas says sternly, "You ate at least ten cream Puffs today. Any more and you'll get chubby. Berries are tasty too—try it."
Victini looks dubious. It steals berries from the mayor's orchard all the time—of course it knows what berries taste like.
Yet the moment this slightly different berry bursts in its mouth, its eyes widen.
Why is even the berry this good—
Victini clutches its cheeks, purring with happiness.
The cream-drenched Puff, this unusual berry—Victini's never had food this delicious.
It makes up its mind again: for the next few days it will stick to Lucas for the food.
As for after he leaves—Victini hasn't thought that far.
…
Late at night, outside the Sword of the Vale, four figures silently step onto the grounds.
"…So this is the castle said to be left by the royal line once served by two great dragons?"
A flat, calm voice comes from a tall young man under a cloak.
Green strands peek from his hood, swaying in the night wind. His dim, tranquil eyes regard three ninja-like figures kneeling at his side.
"Father sent you to aid me in seeking the Real Dragon and the Ideal Dragon—but I have one more order. In your scouting, do not harm innocent Pokémon."
"As you command, Lord N."
The trio known within Team Plasma as the Shadow Triad bow their heads.
In the next instant, they vanish—like an unseen wind.
N doesn't enter yet. He'll wait for the Triad's intel, judge whether the dragons slumber somewhere in this castle, and then go inside to awaken them.
Once he gains the power to peacefully change Unova, he'll create the world of his dreams.
…
Inside the castle, in the library.
Mayor Mannes, a bit portly, carries an oil lamp as he pores over histories he's read who knows how many times.
That Victini might be the key to fulfilling Damon's lifelong dream.
Borrow Victini's infinite energy to drive the Sword of the Vale, free the sealed ley lines, make the Vale fertile again—then the scattered People of the Vale could return home.
But the king's death by exhaustion to move the castle worries Mannes. Does using a Mythical Pokémon require a life in exchange?
If so, until a solution is found, Damon mustn't learn of Victini…
Just as he means to keep searching, a chill wind sweeps the stacks. Something icy presses against his neck.