[Steven Stone:] Woohoo, the long-awaited question is here. By the way… this question comes at just the right time, doesn't it? Why did it appear right when we were giving out rewards for the routine answer session?
[Steven Stone:] Could it be… if Latios really is resurrected if Kanon answers correctly?
[Lance:] Who can say for sure? With the magical power of this live stream, resurrecting Latios isn't impossible. But this is a random reward, after all, not a wish. Can Latios truly be brought back? It probably depends on how strong the desire in your heart is.
[Cynthia:] Right. After answering questions these past few times, we've almost figured out the live stream's reward mechanism. The rewards seem random, but there's actually a pattern.
[Cynthia:] It's based on personal needs. It won't give useless or unnecessary things to the answerer. However, this reward is only guaranteed to be one of the things the recipient needs.
[Professor Oak:] Yes. If you truly want the answer reward to be Latios's resurrection, then at least Kanon… or others who wish for it, must hold a very strong desire in their hearts.
[Professor Oak:] That way, the live stream might lock the reward within the scope of resurrecting Latios. Even if a '500' reward isn't enough for a full resurrection, it could at least partially resurrect Latios, or provide the hope of a resurrection!
Regarding the live stream's answer rewards, everyone had previously summarized a rule: the rewards are given according to people's inner needs. For example, the enhancements Ash received for Charizard, Bulbasaur, and Pikachu at the beginning were, fundamentally, rewards for his desire to become stronger and win the Indigo Plateau Conference!
Later, when Ash got the Charizardite, it was a reward for his inner need to evolve after learning Charizard had a higher form. Including Steven's Diancie crystal, Cynthia's Key Stone, and Professor Sycamore's Mega Evolution research, they all stemmed from their inner needs. So now, to resurrect Latios, one naturally needs to desire it deeply. On that point… Kanon was absolutely certain. As long as she could answer correctly, there was at least an 89% chance the reward would be about resurrecting Latios. However, for now, she could only wait for the experts to analyze, as there were four options. If Kanon had to choose, she truly didn't know which one was right; each one seemed plausible.
[Lance:] Let's discuss the options now. We haven't chosen yet, and just thinking about the rewards is getting ahead of ourselves… First, we can eliminate A, right?
[Cynthia:] Well, based on Black World Ash's behavior, arresting the two women immediately would be logical. But… I feel that would be too straightforward. Given how plots develop… it shouldn't be that smooth.
[Steven Stone:] Right. If it were that simple, a thirty-episode series would end in three! Usually, the good guys catch up, the villains escape; good guys catch up again, villains escape again! Back and forth until the finale in episode 30!
[Giovanni:] Have you watched too much TV? Why can't the good guys just defeat the bad guys who then flee?
[Lance:] Well, no matter which way you run, good triumphs over evil in the end… I'm getting off track. So, let's reject option A first, okay?
[Professor Oak:] I think that's fine. Let's set aside option A. It's not completely impossible, given the live stream's history of curveballs, but the next three options are actually connected.
[Professor Oak:] So, to summarize, I don't think option A is the correct answer.
If you looked at option A alone, it wasn't necessarily the least likely choice. In fact, considering the live stream's mischievous nature, option A might even be the most probable! But now, with options B, C, and D all being connected, option A became unlikely.
[Diantha:] Then it's option B's turn… Judging from the last two options, the thieves must have escaped, and Ash probably didn't take them too seriously, so… they would definitely invade the Secret Garden later.
The so-called Secret Garden naturally referred to the place where Latios and Latias lived.
[Diantha:] Up to this point, all three options are the same, but they diverge later. For option B, Black Ash couldn't stop anything in the end, and events unfolded exactly like in the White World.
[Diantha:] Option C: Although the two thieves invaded the Secret Garden, Black Ash discovered them first, so they ultimately failed.
[Diantha:] Option D: The two thieves still managed to cause the same disaster as in the White World, but not completely. At the last moment, Black Ash still rescued Latios and suppressed the raging tsunami himself…
[Elite Four Flint:] We can rule out B, let's look at C and D.
Why B was ruled out, Flint didn't say, but anyone with a brain knew. Black Ash's team… had Dark Lugia! Even facing a tsunami capable of submerging all of Alto Mare, with Dark Lugia's power approaching Legendary-tier, how could it be impossible to suppress? Would that still require sacrificing a Mythical Pokémon that, at best, was comparable to a sub-Legendary like in the White World? That was no joke!
[Ash:] C and D… both seem hard to choose, because both could happen!
Black Ash was only human, not a god. Furthermore, even a real god couldn't be omniscient and omnipotent. Someone as powerful as Arceus lost the Plates for unknown reasons. So… option D was possible, and option C was also possible. The turning point between them depended on whether Ash would stay in the Secret Garden permanently!
If Black Ash went back to the Pokémon Center to sleep at night, then option D was more likely, and vice versa. The reason was simple and didn't need explaining. Black Ash didn't keep his Aura senses active all the time, nor could he predict that the thieves would find the Secret Garden. So if he didn't spend the night there, he naturally wouldn't be able to catch the Phantom Thieves attacking under cover of darkness.
[Elite Four Flint:] Time's almost up. Which one to choose?
[Ash:] D! Choose D!
[Kanon:] Okay!
Of course, the one who knew himself best was himself. Since Ash said to choose D, Kanon would naturally believe him! Even if she didn't know the reasoning behind choosing D. Seeing Ash choose D, the others thought for a moment too. As the countdown reached its final seconds, many silently placed their hands on the virtual screen in front of them… Only the top three responders got rewards, so… even if D was correct, you still had to be quick!
[Time's up. The respondents for this question are as follows:]
[A: None, B: None, C: Steven Stone, Flint, D: Ash, Korrina, Kanon… Subsequent respondents will not be announced.]
[The correct answer is — D.]
[Congratulations to Flint for answering incorrectly.]
[Congratulations to Ash, Korrina, and Kanon for answering correctly.]
[Penalty for incorrect answer has been issued.]
[It has been detected that Ash and Kanon shared the same wish, so their wishes have been combined — to resurrect Latios and grant Latios the power to protect the water city. This power can only be used with Ash's aid.]
[Reward for Korrina — Lucarionite.]
[...]
Rewards and penalties were handed out one by one. When Kanon saw Latios resurrected, her pupils constricted, her lips parted slightly, and her face was filled with disbelief. It actually… really happened! Her wish, her hope, had been slim, almost impossible. When the answer question appeared, the reward for answering correctly was what she desired. Except for the first time, for the next two… it was basically impossible for it to be her turn. Never mind whether the analyzed answer was right or wrong; first, everyone's response speed was incredibly fast. Even if the answer was correct, she might not be able to answer quickly enough. However, she didn't know if it was because her desperate desire to resurrect Latios affected her. Her response speed this time was unprecedentedly fast! Then… the answer was correct, and then… Latios was resurrected. Everything felt like a dream. If it was a dream… Kanon hoped she would never wake up.
However… on the pool in the Secret Garden, the Heart Dew, which shone with an eternal light, now emitted an even more brilliant radiance! It was so dazzling it illuminated the entire Secret Garden! In the garden, Kanon and Latias couldn't help but close or shield their eyes. After about ten seconds, the light slowly faded. Then, a somewhat confused blue jet stood quietly on the pool's surface, his face full of confusion and bewilderment. What was going on… wasn't he dead? To resist the devastating flood, he had expended all his energy… What was happening now… Was this the afterlife?
"Woohoo~~"
"Latios!!"
Kanon rubbed her eyes vigorously and, after confirming what she saw, shouted and ran towards Latios. Latias, stunned for a moment, also quickly flew towards her brother. Before the confused Latios could figure out what was happening, he received a flying tackle from his sister and his playmate. Although he didn't understand what had happened… it was just great to be back...
...
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