The world of Pokémon is a place that sits halfway between the natural and the supernatural.
Why say that?
Because Pokémon themselves are fundamentally supernatural beings. In essence, they are no different from the so-called magical beasts that appear in fantasy worlds.
However—humans in this world, at the end of the day, are still normal humans.
Compared to the human beings of Earth from Lucas's previous life, the humans of this world do possess somewhat superior physical fitness. But no matter how much better they may be, they are still ordinary people.
Even though a small number of humans have special abilities, those are mostly auxiliary in nature. They cannot, like the people from isekai worlds, take on an entire army alone, fight against the defenders of a whole city, or stand against an entire nation by themselves…
Better not even think about it.
Even those who were blessed by Arceus such as the people of the Arche Valley while they could use their special abilities to seal Unbound Hoopa, this did not mean that their personal combat ability was very powerful.
Arceus's power of creation, in their case, was more like a supportive type of ability.
Thus, humans could not possibly live for millennia as legends describe.
But… there is one exception.
Yes—there really exists an immortal human being in this world!
Three thousand years ago, a devastating war broke out in the Kalos region. During that time, the close friend of a king, a beloved Floette, lost its life to the conflict.
The king, tormented by grief over Floette's death, sought desperately to revive his friend. And from that desire, the Ultimate Weapon was born.
The Ultimate Weapon succeeded in resurrecting Floette, and in doing so, changed it into the Eternal Flower, granting it eternal life. At the same time, the king who activated the weapon was bathed in its light, and he, too, received an unnaturally long lifespan.
This king… was AZ.
But even though Floette had revived, AZ, whose heart had been entirely consumed by hatred—modified what had originally been a revival device for Pokémon into a weapon, intending to take revenge on those who caused his friend's death.
He wanted to obliterate both sides of the war and bring the conflict to an end.
However, activating the Ultimate Weapon required an enormous amount of energy.
And how did AZ manage to activate it?
He used the life energy of countless Pokémon.
But because of that, the Eternal Flower finally realized that, in order to revive it, AZ had sacrificed so many innocent Pokémon. Filled with sorrow and disappointment, it left him.
AZ, devastated by Floette's departure, lived in unending pain. And after being exposed to the weapon's light, he found that he could no longer die—even if he wished to.
With no relief from his endless life, he could only wander the Kalos region in misery, becoming an unkempt vagrant, drifting aimlessly for three thousand years.
And after three millennia, AZ was still wandering somewhere within Kalos.
As for the Ultimate Weapon, AZ's younger brother had buried it in an unknown location. The machine created by AZ was simply too terrifying.
His brother called it a "Tool of the Gods."
And for that very reason, it must never appear again.
It granted the power of eternal life—a power all humans dream of.
But it also held the power to destroy the entire world.
It was something that should remain only within the pages of history.
…
"Ultimate Weapon… Immortality…"
Inside the helicopter, Lucas looked down at the scenery passing rapidly beneath them. Yet his mind was not on the view at all.
He was remembering everything he knew about the Ultimate Weapon.
AZ and the Eternal Flower truly lived for three thousand years—that, Lucas could confirm.
In the games, AZ's past was always present in the Kalos storyline. Not only in X/Y where he finally reunites with Floette, but AZ also appears in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
Whether AZ will continue to live eternally, Lucas could not say for certain.
But what could be stated without doubt was that AZ had already lived three thousand years.
Three thousand years!
Ordinary humans have a lifespan of barely one hundred. That is their limit.
And yet, the Ultimate Weapon allowed a human to shatter this limit.
Just how much life energy from Pokémon did AZ use to power the weapon back then?
Lucas did not know.
But he did know that in the games, Lysandre used the entirety of Lumiose City's power grid plus the energy of Xerneas (or Yveltal) to activate the Ultimate Weapon!
Based on that alone, the required energy must have been… immense.
Still, it was not an unsolvable issue.
"So, in the end, this region is full of treasures."
Lucas's lips curled upward faintly.
The Ultimate Weapon, Hoopa sealed within the Arche Valley, and the Zygarde scattered throughout Kalos…
"There's just one thing I'm not sure of—has Lysandre already found Xerneas or Yveltal?"
The two functions of the Ultimate Weapon corresponded perfectly to Xerneas's power of life and Yveltal's power of destruction.
In the games, the Ultimate Weapon required the energy of these two legends to operate—even though this contradicts the conditions under which AZ activated it three thousand years ago.
Still, Lucas didn't mind.
Being safe was better than being sorry.
"Well, as long as I can find Hoopa, I don't need to worry too much about the locations of Yveltal or Xerneas."
Normally, Yveltal slumbers within a cocoon of destruction. And Yveltal's infamous "waking temper" came from the Diancie movie's iconic scene—when disturbed, Yveltal does not hesitate to unleash true, indiscriminate annihilation.
Among all legendary Pokémon, the one most dangerous without question is Yveltal.
Even Kyurem, as irritable as he can be, would not casually begin a massacre.
Yveltal, however…
Once angered, it disregards everything and uses Oblivion Wing like a passive skill firing nonstop.
And the power of Oblivion Wing is simply too overwhelming for ordinary lifeforms to withstand.
Well—Xerneas is always there to clean up Yveltal's mess. Any stolen life, Xerneas can restore.
But Lucas didn't care.
Worst case scenario, he would simply teach Yveltal a lesson—that morning temper was unacceptable behavior.
As for Xerneas, it usually sleeps in the form of a tree. Unlike the explosive, short-tempered Yveltal, Xerneas, the embodiment of life, was gentle and benevolent.
Unless Yveltal appears and causes chaos, Xerneas will not show itself.
…
Dahara City—an oasis metropolis built in the midst of a vast desert.
"To think such a prosperous city could exist in the middle of a desert… The people here must be ridiculously rich."
Upon stepping into the city, Green looked around with wide eyes, expressing her amazement.
Skyscrapers filled the skyline, showcasing rapid development. But this was a desert!
"Dahara City was just an ordinary small town a hundred years ago. A single Pokémon changed everything for them."
Lucas chuckled as they headed toward the rendezvous point with the Rocket members.
"One Pokémon?"
"Yes. A Pokémon called Hoopa. It brought immense wealth to the town, and that's what allowed it to develop so rapidly."
Hoopa possessed spatial rings capable of transporting anything, anywhere.
When it arrived in the town a century ago, the townspeople fed it, and in return, Hoopa used its rings to bring them enormous riches.
That was how such a desert oasis grew into the luxurious metropolis they now saw.
Though later, after being manipulated by humans, Hoopa tried to show off its strength by fighting other legendary Pokémon—causing catastrophic damage to the town…
The wealth remained in the people's hands.
And with enough money, rebuilding the town was easy.
"There's really a legendary like Hoopa?"
Hearing this, Green froze. She exchanged a puzzled glance with Marnie. Both could see the confusion in each other's eyes.
Even Sabrina and Archer were deep in thought—they had never heard of this legend.
Legendary Pokémon were usually recorded in every major region. Even if the records were minimal, there were always traces—ancient ruins, temples, historical texts.
But Hoopa?
Nothing like that existed in Kalos.
"Of course it exists. Hoopa is special, it rarely appears before the public. Its only known appearance was a century ago. But…"
Lucas's expression grew slightly odd. Strictly speaking, Hoopa's story was indeed known by some people—certainly by those in the Arche Valley, and of course by the old residents of Dahara when it was still a town.
However, because Hoopa's fight with the legends destroyed the town so badly, perhaps the residents simply wanted to forget the entire incident.
"You'll get to see it soon enough. Hoopa is an incredibly powerful and unique legendary Pokémon."
He smiled mysteriously.
As they spoke, the group reached a street corner—where two people were already waiting.
"Boss!"
A man and a woman jogged over and bowed slightly to Giovanni.
These two were Cassidy and Butch, Team Rocket captains assigned to Kalos.
Compared to Jessie and James, who excel at everything except actual criminal work, Cassidy and Butch were far more professional.
"Have you tracked the targets?"
Giovanni wasted no time.
"They haven't left Dahara City yet, but we've been following their movements closely."
"We've also confirmed—they are indeed residents of the Arche Valley."
Cassidy reported respectfully.
"You have pictures of the targets?"
"Yes, right here."
Cassidy handed Giovanni a phone.
Lucas took a glance—it was two unfamiliar men, not the caretakers Meraz or Baraz from the movie who suppressed Hoopa.
"Lucas?"
Giovanni lifted his eyes toward Lucas. The plan had been designed by him, so the next steps naturally awaited his decision.
"Do they show any intent to leave Dahara City?"
"Um… not at the moment."
Cassidy hesitated slightly. From her observations, it seemed the two men were simply sightseeing.
"Do you know their exact location now?"
"Yes, someone is tailing them."
"Good. Take us there."
Lucas decided immediately.
He had no interest in wasting time. Who knew how long these two residents would stay here?
If they didn't go back, were they supposed to wait indefinitely?
Lucas wasn't that free.
…
With Cassidy and Butch leading, the group soon found the targets strolling through a commercial district.
After waiting for an opportunity when the two ducked into an alley, Cassidy and Butch immediately subdued them.
"W-Who are you people?"
The blue-haired young man trembled in fear at the sight of the group surrounding them.
"Don't worry, we mean no harm. Could you tell us where your hometown is located?"
Lucas bent down slightly, offering a gentle smile.
He suddenly realized—it had been some time since he last played the villain like this.
"Our… hometown? This is what you kidnapped us for?"
"Yes. Well… I prefer the more direct method."
Seeing the young man's hesitation—understandable, considering how suspicious they appeared—Lucas shook his head and tossed out a Poké Ball.
With grunts like these, direct methods were best.
"Gardevoir. Hypnosis."
Just hypnotize them and ask. Simple.
Some time later, the group walked out of the alley.
"You're planning to send this information to Team Flare next?"
Giovanni asked as Lucas lit a cigarette. Now that they had the Arche Valley's location, things would become much easier.
"That's right. Lysandre is a dreamer obsessed with cleansing humanity. There's no way he can resist Hoopa's temptation."
Lucas nodded.
He didn't care whether Team Flare had already found Yveltal or Xerneas.
Hoopa's ability to summon legends through its rings was irresistible to any megalomaniac.
Lysandre's dream was to eliminate most of humanity and leave behind only the "worthy."
To accomplish this, he needed power.
The Ultimate Weapon was his ideal choice.
Zygarde was also among his goals.
Hoopa would be a shortcut—just like when Lucas gave Cyrus information about the Lustrous and Adamant Orbs. Once such people hear a rumor, they always take the bait.
"You really are something, Lucas."
Giovanni smirked.
Human greed and wishful thinking always disrupt rational thought.
Even when they know there might be danger—they simply cannot let go of temptation.
So Giovanni was certain: the moment they delivered information about the Arche Valley and Hoopa…
Lysandre would absolutely take action.
"Well, someone has to play the villain. If we can't, we'll let someone else do it for us."
Lucas shrugged, entirely free of guilt.
After all…
In his eyes, Team Flare had always been nothing more than a bad joke.
(End of Chapter)