"'So that's what happened at Spear Pillar all this time——'"
With the incident concluded, that evening back in Celestic Town…
Aiden recounted everything to Cynthia—earning a soft sigh of wonder.
"I never imagined the Creator Deity who brought all things into existence… would develop emotions akin to humans."
"And that He chose you, Aiden, as His emissary."
Sitting on the grass beneath the starlit sky, Cynthia suddenly blinked in realization.
"Could this be why you keep encountering Legendary Pokémon?"
"Probably. Or maybe not entirely."
Aiden pondered—declining to confirm outright.
After all, before arriving in Sinnoh, Legendaries like Mew and the black Rayquaza likely had no connection to Arceus, right?
"But from now on… I'll probably have no choice but to meet even more Legendaries. After all—I'm basically running errands for Arceus now."
Arceus's instructions had been deliberately vague. Aiden could only guess which beings counted as "His creations."
Beyond the known box-art Legendaries, several Mythicals likely qualified too.
When he calculated it like this… the workload was massive. Scattered across all nine known regions—and even upon arrival, encounters weren't guaranteed——
He had a sinking feeling Arceus had totally set him up.
"To be acquainted with every Legendary in this world… that's a dream countless people cherish."
Noticing Aiden's conflicted expression, Cynthia smiled—gently smoothing the furrow between his brows with her fingertips.
"If Grandma knew this… despite her age, she'd probably volunteer to follow you 24/7—just for a chance to witness more Legendaries."
For humans—especially Professors passionate about Pokémon—they held such profound allure.
"That's why I only told you."
Aiden caught her hand—using her fingers to form a playful "V."
"A secret known only to us two~"
"Syl——"
Sylveon—who'd been deliberately minimizing its presence nearby, front-row spectating the scene—let out a dissatisfied sound.
"You don't count. You're not human."
Aiden chuckled, ruffling its head.
Come to think of it—he'd once wondered how an Eevee could learn Smeargle's Sketch. Even with its tail as a brush… that defied logic!
Now the mystery was solved.
If Arceus could create Pokémon from nothing… granting an Eevee Sketch hardly seemed difficult.
In a sense, Sylveon had even "studied under" Arceus—earning the affectionate nickname "Arcevee."
"Sylveon! (#`A')"
Though sensing no malice in his words, Sylveon still felt vaguely insulted.
"So adorable, Sylveon."
Watching them, Cynthia's gentle eyes held a trace of envy.
"Perhaps typings do influence behavior. My Glaceon was quite clingy before evolving… but afterward, it became less fond of cuddling."
"Hmm——it probably just worries its cold body might make you uncomfortable during cuddles?"
Aiden, confident in his Pokémon intuition, offered this explanation.
"And Sylveon doesn't really cuddle much either. This is likely just… the headache of growing up~"
"You're probably right."
Cynthia nodded.
"By the way—your Sinnoh business trip is nearly over, isn't it?"
"When do you plan to return?"
Her eyes held unmistakable reluctance.
"Hm? Already?"
Aiden blinked—startled. Only now did he recall: he'd only taken a half-month vacation to Sinnoh.
If he lingered without reason… Chairwoman Geeta might personally storm into Celestic Town—
"Then—tomorrow I'll visit Snowpoint Temple. The day after, I'll prepare to return to Paldea."
"Snowpoint Temple?"
Cynthia repeated—then instantly understood.
"To meet that legendary giant?"
The legend of Regigigas was no secret in Sinnoh.
Said to have single-handedly dragged continents into place—shaping today's landmasses. Sinnoh itself was brought to its current location by its efforts.
Moreover, upon each awakening, it crafted a Pokémon resembling itself using era-appropriate materials.
Yet its last activity was lost to pre-history—certainly not within recorded human history.
Though aware Regigigas slumbered within Snowpoint Temple, Sinnoh residents remained ignorant of how to awaken it—leaving understanding even more limited.
"Mm. Though I'm not entirely certain if it even qualifies as Arceus's creation——"
Aiden nodded.
Whether Regigigas was created by the Creator… or was the very giant documented as having battled Arceus during Creation—he couldn't say.
But it was undoubtedly "recruited" into this world's framework. Otherwise, it wouldn't exist here.
Thus—before returning to Paldea—he had to visit Regigigas first. Give it some "warm-up time."
Otherwise, his next Sinnoh trip might require waiting ages for its slow boot-up——
Counting this legendary giant… he'd nearly encountered all of Sinnoh's Legendaries.
As for Heatran, Cresselia, Manaphy and others—they'd wait for his next visit.
—
The Next Day
With work concluded, Aiden's schedule normalized.
Rising early, he noticed Cynthia hadn't awakened—realizing she'd likely stayed up late reviewing archaeological materials again.
Come to think of it—he'd been in Sinnoh nearly half a month already——
Why had he never seen Cynthia visit the Sinnoh League? Wasn't she the Champion???
Praying that Lucian's holding strong.
——
Aiden sincerely sent mental support to the hardworking Elite Four Volkner.
Being an Elite Four… sometimes weighed no less than being Champion!
Recalling a certain Paldean workaholic counterpart, Aiden shook his head. Just as he prepared to exit the institute—mounting Salamence for Snowpoint Temple——
The moment he opened the door—an unexpected visitor stood before him.
"Long time no see, Aiden."
"Or should I say——must I now address you as Teacher Azure?"
At the doorway stood a middle-aged man with blue hair, dark circles under his eyes, clad in what appeared to be a refined corporate uniform.
His name instantly surfaced in Aiden's mind—Cyrus!
(Team Galactic's "Big Boss," Cyrus)
Though curious why he'd say "long time no see"——
Given Cyrus's identity as Team Galactic's leader and Sinnoh's most notorious villainous organization head… Aiden was far more concerned with why he was in Celestic Town.
Cyrus seemed to sense Aiden's wariness—nodding understandingly.
"I see."
"So you don't remember."
"Then allow me to reintroduce myself."
Cyrus straightened his attire—speaking with calm clarity.
"Hello. I am Cyrus—Chairman of the Galactic Corporation and Galactic Tech Company, and discoverer of Rotom's form-changing phenomenon."
???
Not Team Galactic?
Aiden blinked—visibly bewildered.
"Your expression… resembles our first meeting."
Cyrus smiled faintly.
"When you were ten years old… in Sunyshore City… you wore this same look upon seeing me."
"As if—you felt I shouldn't be like this now."
Aiden felt perplexed. He genuinely lacked childhood memories.
But—
This triggered a recollection.
Cynthia had mentioned—the Adamant Orb was a gift from "Team Galactic."
Initially, he'd suspected another Cyrus scheme—a "mantis catching cicada, unaware of the oriole behind" maneuver.
But later… so many events unfolded—he'd completely forgotten.
And indeed—until Spear Pillar's emergence and his journey to the Hall of Origin… Cyrus and Team Galactic never appeared.
So… he wasn't the villain aiming to create a heartless world after all?
"Would you like to come in?"
Aiden relaxed slightly—but remained cautiously vigilant.
"No need. I merely stopped by to see you."
Cyrus's tone carried unexpected lightness.
"Seeing you so energetic… I assume your Spear Pillar project succeeded?"
?
Aiden's eyebrows lifted—internal alarms blaring.
"What do you want?"
"Nothing. Simply checking in while passing through."
"Because—"
Sensing Aiden's tension, Cyrus injected deliberate mischief—leaving the sentence hanging.
But soon—under Aiden's increasingly suspicious gaze—he completed it:
"Because… you are the one who saved my Rotom."
"Rotom?"
The keyword triggered mental recall.
Cyrus—the villain whose popularity rivaled Giovanni's—left a deep impression.
In the Gen IV games, his goal was to create a perfect world devoid of human hearts, believing hearts caused imperfection.
But such a thing was impossible.
Even Cyrus himself—upon his plan's collapse—would emotionally shatter. Hardly a "perfect human" without a heart.
The deeper reason behind his ideology—
The games never explicitly stated it. But an old diary hinted:
As the discoverer of Rotom's appliance-possession ability, the young Cyrus had bonded deeply with a Rotom.
Yet in-game… he never used this Rotom.
Thus—one could deduce: the Cyrus of old wasn't seeking to reshape the world. Only after experiencing certain events—likely involving this Rotom—did he turn extreme.
Therefore—if his past self had deduced this… and had the chance to prevent it—
Aiden believed he would have acted—to stop Sinnoh's future antagonist from emerging.
This way… he began to understand.
"How is that Rotom doing now?"
Aiden's question made Cyrus's eyes widen in surprise.
But quickly—his expression softened into genuine warmth.
"It is very happy now."
"Since form-changing was discovered… people's perception of Rotom improved greatly. Many non-Trainers now welcome Rotom into homes as intelligent housekeepers."
"And our Galactic Corporation dedicates itself to providing every Rotom with the most suitable dwelling."
"In this process… both Rotom and I found joy. My previously aimless life finally gained purpose."
"All of this… is thanks to you, Aiden."
Cyrus bowed deeply—sincerity radiating from his posture.
In that moment, Aiden felt a profound sense of "I truly belong in this world."
Even with painful memories erased… efforts made by his past self had already taken root and flourished.
Was this why his Sinnoh journey had been so smooth?
"I'm glad to hear that."
Aiden smiled—voice softening.
"Perhaps… this is the very reason I appeared in this world?"
Arceus had once said—He hoped to see a future where humans and Pokémon coexisted harmoniously, trusting one another.
The absence of either would be a loss for the entire world.
Thus—beyond ensuring Legendaries could enjoy this world… he held another hidden objective: preventing extremists among villains from walking destructive paths.
Like Giovanni—who was persuaded to reform—and this seemingly content "Chairman of Galactic Corporation," Cyrus.
Cyrus, who never turned extreme… ultimately found his own happiness.
And Giovanni would, after reorganizing Team Rocket, eagerly anticipate his son Silver "overthrowing" him—to bear the consequences for his past mistakes.
The ending might not be perfectly happy… but it was far better than a world-ending tragedy.
Though not every villain leader would understand his perspective—
It doesn't matter. Teacher Azure's specialty has always been "persuading with reason," hasn't it? (smile)
After a brief, meaningful exchange, Cyrus took his leave.
As stated—he'd merely stopped by to confirm Aiden's safety.
And Aiden soon mounted Salamence.
Before departing Sinnoh… one final task remained.
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