The millennial return of the stars was exactly as Hikaru had told everyone.
What returned was not merely stars, wishes, and love.
Light and dark night returned as well.
Light wrapped around the planet's atmosphere, flickering high above Alola and Oblivia, far from every other region.
In a region filled with radiance.
The Aether Foundation. Aether Paradise.
The blond woman was filled with fanatical hope and mad love.
Adorable Pokémon were to be protected with that deep, deep love...
But things that were not beautiful enough had no place in her world.
This old world, full of natural environments and primitive atmosphere, was precisely an "ancient paradise" where love could be released.
She rejoiced over the success of a certain research project. She rejoiced over the joining of a professor who researched space. Yet she was also troubled by the runaway behavior and abnormal performance of certain "artificial life-forms."
Then, after meteors streaked across the sky above this region and brought with them endless light, one of the projects under study was abruptly halted.
It was a research project related to her missing husband.
The test had suddenly failed.
The wavelength of light began to vanish and mutate, while the aura of the entire region was greatly strengthened.
The beautiful golden-haired woman showed an expression of fury and slammed her fist violently against the machine in front of her.
The analysis of the "Star Child" had clearly been growing brighter and clearer!
"Nothing is going smoothly."
And the dark night fell into a certain region neighboring Kalos.
In a region filled with the dark of night.
This was a place where stories of the "Darkest Day," the counterpart to "radiance," had been passed down since three thousand years ago. Its people were descendants of those who once grew greedy and followed the first king's younger brother in invading the Kalos region.
However, Galar's scarcity of resources was an undeniable fact.
Energy was still abundant in this millennium, but the next millennium would not be the same.
In the Galar region, the legendary Wishing Stars descended beside those who truly possessed dreams.
And so, a black-haired man in a suit picked up the Wishing Star that had fallen to the ground and prayed from the bottom of his heart.
"Everything will go smoothly."
Even if this region was not beautiful, he still loved it deeply. In this new world filled with dazzling energy and industry, this was the starting point of a future built from steel and steam.
My heart and actions are utterly unclouded. Everything I do is justice.
And so, even though one place was in daylight and the other was under night, even though their times were different, two voices rang out at the same moment.
The woman was named Lusamine.
"I only want to live in a world filled with the things I love! Anything that isn't beautiful enough to deserve my love is nothing but garbage."
The man was named Rose.
"Everything I do is to protect Galar's future. I love Galar so much that this is how I think, and this is how I act."
Among the meteors at the edge of the sky, stars of light and darkness fell into different worlds.
When light and darkness crossed, it seemed almost inevitable that they would one day mirror each other.
Who, in the end, would call radiance back?
And who would bring the Darkest Day down upon the world?
Like two subjects in the same experiment, the pair raised their heads to the sky at the same time, opened their arms, and spoke in unison.
"O stars!"
"Grant my wish!"
————————
The tall foreign man opened his eyes slightly, staring blankly in Hoenn's direction with a stunned expression.
What had happened in the universe of that distant world?
This energy felt the same as a certain power he had sensed long, long ago.
"To finally become friends, only to part immediately... If that is how it was going to be, perhaps it would have been better never to meet at all."
"So what is wrong with reviving a beloved Pokémon? If it can be brought back to life, then the lives of other Pokémon are meaningless."
"When I see meteors, I remember the words I said to my younger brother long ago. Even his face has already grown blurry."
"In the past, I heard of Wishing Stars. That was why I came to Hoenn."
"But I still cannot be forgiven... Precisely because I once had such thoughts, the stars would not answer me."
"To wish upon the stars and have any wish granted—that is impossible."
"The wishes made by those with ambition will never be granted."
"[None of this will happen.]"
"Even so, before that distant era, I truly did witness the act of wishing, along with the deep bonds and love between Pokémon and humans."
"Rayquaza, was it?"
"I have seen the heroes of truth and ideals. I have also encountered a greedy king who sought treasure. I have seen a world that lost its sun, its people forced to leave their homes behind. In the ruins of Ascania. On the ice fields of the Arctic. In a temple blooming with flowers..."
"And even now, there is only one thing I do not understand."
"What exactly is a true Trainer?"
"If I meet the person who stirred the stars once more, perhaps I will know the answer. But not now."
"Still, perhaps returning to Hoenn for a short while would not be so bad... Is the second Eternal Flower still in bloom?"
He shouldered his pack.
Crossed the forest.
Left the city-state behind.
And so, the giant set out once more.
————————
The man who dug for stones corresponded to the land.
The artist who loved water corresponded to the sea.
The girl who gazed up at the sky corresponded to the universe.
The stars seemed to still be influencing more regions.
Jirachi returned to Forina. With the machine repaired by Team Magma, it dissolved the Monster of the Earth and injected all the natural power it possessed back into the land, maintaining the balance of the world.
Afterward, Jirachi was a little tired.
It had seen the seventh short night in space, but on the ground, it was only the evening of the sixth day. Jirachi counted on its fingers, but it could not make the numbers add up.
Forget it, forget it. No need to think so much!
"Anyway, I'm so happy. So very happy."
"I'm really tired. I'm tired from playing, so I'm going to... sleep. Mm. I might wake up tomorrow, or I might not."
"Good night, Jirachi," May said.
"Jirachi, I'm really glad I got to meet you," Ash said.
Jirachi looked at everyone.
"I really like all of you too, because you were all so kind to me. We'll always be good friends."
"I'm going to the dream world Hikaru told me about now. Everyone, we'll definitely meet again. We have to!"
Amid the song of meteors sung by This Shore and Far Shore together, Jirachi turned into crystal and returned once more to its thousand-year slumber.
But this time, it could laugh forever in its dreams.
Until the next millennium arrived, it would never again be lonely.
"In the end, it fell asleep before it could wait for the seventh long night," Steven said.
"Mr. Stone, how do you feel now?" Brendan asked.
Steven sensed the condition of his body. "The stamina I lost has returned. It feels as if I've been given a second life."
"I was truly lucky. I have Jirachi to thank, along with Hikaru's starship and Far Shore's wish."
Although astronauts should not move around so quickly after returning from space, everyone had not actually stayed in space for long. Add in the extremely unusual physiques of "Poké-people" and the excellent performance of their spacesuits, and fighting in space before coming back felt almost as if nothing had happened at all.
"I knew this matter would be resolved. Still, even so, I never expected such a magnificent sight to happen at the end... It's a shame I didn't see it."
Steven gave a helpless smile, but he still raised his thumb toward Hikaru .
He said nothing more, but everything was conveyed in that silence.
In the end, the dream in which he had exhausted himself and died did not become reality. The future where Hoenn was struck down by a meteor had not happened in this world either.
That strange headache seemed to have recovered as well, but Steven still felt strangely hollow inside.
"Hikaru ... Perhaps the one who allowed me to meet you was another version of me who had already died in another world."
"That's a pretty frightening thing to say out of nowhere," Hikaru replied. "But as the island king responsible for souls, I feel... it isn't impossible."
Steven suddenly laughed.
"This time, as Champion, I finally managed to be useful, didn't I?"
He looked at the broken fragments of the Galaxy Ball in his hand. The shards of the first Galaxy Ball had also been brought back. Steven gripped them and decided to preserve them forever.
"Right, island king."
May, Brendan, and the others all looked curious.
Hikaru had used that title before over the communicator, when he made his declaration to that cosmic monster.
On the journey back to Hoenn, Hikaru also explained to everyone the relationship between island kings, Alola, and the monster that had suddenly appeared. To put it simply, this was another matter involving events from several thousand years ago.
A so-called king was "a Pokémon Trainer invincible in commanding Pokémon battles." At the same time, in Alola's traditional society, the term also referred collectively to craftsmen, monks, pharmacists, teachers, and other wise people.
Kings also had the side job of handing out first partner Pokémon to children. Moreover, the first partner Pokémon given by different island kings were completely different. For example, Nanu, the island king of Ula'ula Island, actually gave out three Meowth as starters!
And they were all identical Alolan Meowth!
In later generations, where a Pokémon's nature could be freely adjusted with Mints, wasn't there no difference between those starters at all?
That was far too insincere!
At the very least, it should have been a choice between Kantonian Meowth, Alolan Meowth, and Galarian Meowth!
May adopted a thoughtful expression. "So, in the Alola region, people greet each other using the region's name? That sounds kind of new. What does it mean?"
Brendan spread his hands and gestured. "The meaning of Hoenn's name is... 'a place rich in bonds,' I think. Something like that, right?"
Hikaru smiled. "The word [Alola] means [sharing life] and [nurturing]. It also carries meanings such as 'hello,' 'goodbye,' 'I love you,' 'hope,' and 'happiness.' It is a word with very rich meaning."
"In terms of local culture, the Alola region is called a [paradise]. Within the same broad area, there is also a [lost paradise]—Oblivia."
"Because its climate is so different from other regions, the earliest discovered regional forms came from the Alola region. In terms of research, this is still a new subject. Forms different from anything discovered so far... Since long ago, differentiation within the same species had already begun to appear."
"Still, I won't be going there to take office just yet. I need to wait a while longer. If any of you are interested, you can go to Poni Island for a vacation. It's a place battle experts really love—no, I should say it's a secret vacation spot!"
"A secret vacation spot?" everyone asked.
Hikaru smiled and nodded. "That's right. Deep within Poni Island, in a jungle area no one can find... Ahem! In short, it's a very secret place. A mysterious great tree stands there, one absolutely impossible to see from the outside. That great tree is called the Battle Tree!"
"There, you can battle Trainers who have completed the island challenge, as well as Trainers whose strength rivals theirs, or even far surpasses them. The Trainers encountered in that facility all seem to be powerful opponents!"
The Battle Tree storyline was basically a vacation story about Red and Blue. They abandoned Leaf and Green so the two men could run off on vacation together...
In the games, however, the Alola period takes place at least seven years after FireRed and LeafGreen. If one followed certain parts of the old official timeline that had been practically abandoned, the upper limit could even be over ten years.
That was why Red and Blue appeared as young adults. How should one put it? Blue was still as handsome as ever, but Red had really lost his looks.
Perhaps it was because the creators realized that having such a clear timeline was somewhat inconvenient and made it harder to bring back previous-generation characters to sell their personas that the side work Pokémon Masters EX simply pulled people from every era together and let them all clash at once.
During Sword and Shield and Scarlet and Violet, there was no longer anything like FireRed and LeafGreen leading into HeartGold and SoulSilver, or Black and White leading into Black 2 and White 2, where two, three, or even nearly ten years could pass at the drop of a hat.
Add in the fact that Ash in the anime had more or less connected all the regions from the first eight generations, and in the Ash-centered timeline—even in "The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!"—the ending theme still showed that he would later meet the companions from every region during his travels as normal.
So compressing journeys through eight regions into three or four years, or even one or two years, or pulling off the ridiculous operation of having "twenty-five years of Trainer experience while still frozen at ten years old," was also official.
That said, considering Ash had already died twice and been revived, that guy probably was not human anymore. Age was something one could glance at and move on.
Just like Cynthia. Ten years could pass and she would not change in the slightest.
Of course, that was the correct choice. Otherwise, for later players and viewers, it would feel like "old friends withering one after another, like leaves in the wind."
"Of course, recommending the Battle Tree is just me casually fulfilling my duties as island king. I also have a special battle facility of my own."
"Dream Heavenly Battles."
"Just as Jirachi can enter Pokémon's dreams... you will dream dreams that belong to yourselves. In Dream Heavenly Battles... you can transcend time, space, life, and death, and battle Pokémon Trainers from different universes, as well as people from the past and future. You can even encounter Legendary Pokémon guarding towers or issuing challenges."
Hoenn's group should have been pulled into Dream Heavenly Battles long ago. This time happened to be a good opportunity. Aside from Master Wallace, everyone else was here. As for Wallace himself, compared with Pokémon battles, he preferred Contests, so whether Master Wallace joined or not did not really matter.
If he wanted to enter, he could naturally tell Steven and go in. If he did not want to enter, he could focus on the Wallace Cup instead.
In this incident, Wallace had also been sitting in for Steven at the League. Steven was Wallace's backup, but Wallace was also Steven's backup.
In Pokémon Adventures, one could say that Master Wallace voluntarily gave up the Champion title and Steven inherited it by order of succession. But in the game world, there was no such explanation.
Steven was the proper previous Champion. Master Wallace rose into the position in Emerald.
Sure enough, after hearing about Dream Heavenly Battles, this group showed not even the slightest doubt. Mainly, they had already experienced far too many supernatural events, so nothing that appeared now would surprise them. Their ability to accept the bizarre had become very strong despite their young age.
Even Ash asked, "That sounds like an awesome facility! Can I go too?"
"Of course. But if you go there, Ash, you probably won't even clear the first floor. I know saying this might hurt you, but with your current strength, you're still far from their level."
"And to bring back the powerful Trainers of the past, I'll need your help too."
"You need me?" Ash was a little stunned. He did not understand what Hikaru meant by those words. Afterward, he suddenly heard May say:
"Ash! Do you remember what I told you before? About wanting you to challenge the Champion's road, not just aim to win a tournament?"
"To challenge a higher level and fight stronger people! Here in Hoenn, there's actually a place called the Battle Frontier!"
In ORAS, the signboard at the Battle Tower in the Battle Resort mentions that the Battle Frontier is under construction. This is different from the original Emerald world. In Emerald, the Battle Frontier had already been completed and put into operation, making it one of the earliest challenge facilities after Johto's Battle Tower in Crystal.
Johto's Battle Tower was later redesigned into a Frontier as well. That was where the four Frontier Brains of Sinnoh once worked. They accepted challengers in both Johto and Sinnoh, constantly traveling back and forth between the two regions for work.
Although it looked like this was actually a lazy design choice, it somehow matched the historical feature of cultural fusion between Sinnoh and Johto.
"Two years ago, the Battle Frontier was still under construction, but now it's already open! All seven major battle facilities are not only on an island in the Hoenn region, they're also distributed throughout the Kanto region!"
"During special times every year, the seven Frontier Brains go to the Kanto region to operate there! This is also to promote Hoenn's culture and battles. They say the owner of the Frontier, Scott, is also actively communicating with the Frontiers in Sinnoh and Johto about operation and development!"
"So I have an idea!"
May took a deep breath. She looked at Ash, then suddenly turned toward Brendan.
"To catch up to you, I want to start my journey over from the beginning too."
"Eh?" Brendan and Ash both said.
The meaning of those words was self-evident. Even a blockhead could understand what May meant. Speaking of which, game May and game Brendan were counterparts and close friends by nature, with even feelings resembling love mixed in.
May said, "I want to chase someone's back and fulfill my wish."
"And that wish is to challenge me..." Steven smiled helplessly. "Still, that's not bad. Starting again from the beginning in order to temper your strength... I received help from many people when I traveled in the past too. If you can pass the Battle Frontier's tests, you should be able to arrive before the Champion's Hall."
"Looking at it this way, Hoenn is about to have its fourth Champion! That's worth celebrating. In that case, I can finally relax and—"
"Ahem! Mr. Stone." Brendan's soft cough cut off Steven's beautiful dream. "Are you planning to abandon your Champion duties again and go to other regions to look for stones?"
Although Brendan was also a Champion, he was actually running all over the place too. So Steven's dream of "legally going out" was still essentially skipping work.
Let Brendan suffer a little, and let Master Wallace take the blame.
"To be honest, I'm going to leave for a while after this too. I also plan to travel to a certain region."
Brendan looked toward the black Rayquaza in midair.
"The Ransei region is pretty interesting. I want to leave for a while with this Rayquaza."
Brendan and Drake had been trapped in the Kingdom of the Dragon God for so long that they could not leave, which was why they had arrived in Hoenn so late. Seeing Steven's somewhat disappointed and confused expression, Brendan immediately took out certain things he had brought back.
However, after looking at Steven, he shook his head again.
"Mr. Stone probably doesn't know what these are either. It was precisely because I discovered these that I decided to travel."
"So I should ask Mr. Hikaru instead."
"Ahem! Although I don't know what those things are, I can ask Hikaru too." Steven laughed despite himself and coughed lightly to cover his awkwardness.
After all, this time, the information and method for responding to the crisis had also come from Hikaru .
"I see. Asking the all-knowing king. All right, then. What exactly is this?"
Surely it was not experience plus three.
Uh... It really was "water"?!
"It's water!" May said. "It's a bottle of water."
"Water?" Ash asked.
"Hoenn is covered in water," Zinnia said. "There's no need to bring something like water back."
Aster chuckled. "It seems to be a different kind of water."
Brendan scratched his head. "As expected of Miss This Shore. You noticed what's different about this water immediately. The locals call this water Mystic Spring Water!"
Then he looked toward Hikaru . "Inside the trap-filled Infinite Tower, I encountered many Pokémon. Most of them were no different from Pokémon in other regions, but a small number of them showed astonishing power."
"The locals said those Pokémon became like that because they drank Mystic Spring Water."
"After Mr. Hikaru told me that the reason Shiny Rayquaza is different from other Rayquaza is because its Ability is [Sky Energy], I thought about it on the way back. Could those difficult Pokémon I encountered also have undiscovered Abilities, and be so powerful because of that?"
Hikaru said, "Heh. That's right."
"It seems the influence of Ransei's local climate allowed the Pokémon there to retain part of the power they possessed five hundred and four hundred years ago. Thanks to the flow of this spring water, the Pokémon of that region gained new Abilities."
"Sometimes, new Abilities are also an important cause of regional forms. They can arise from ancient environments. It is said that during the Hisui era, and in ancient times across the world, many Pokémon were different not only in their Abilities, but even in their types."
"Just like Aerodactyl. Sixty-five million years ago, it possessed the Dragon type."
"Ransei's data can also be written into the new materials for the academic summit. Brendan, this information should also be sent to Professor Birch, or you can have May pass it along. It will be immeasurably valuable to Professor Birch's academic research."
"Although Professor Birch mainly studies habitats and distribution, this is precisely the preliminary subject leading into regional forms."
"Come on. Take out your Pokédex."
Hikaru took out his own Pokédex. Under Brendan's confused gaze, he transmitted a special piece of information to Brendan's Pokédex.
It was part of the information on [Bloodmoon].
"T-this is?! Ursaring? No, its appearance is completely different!"
Hikaru said, "It is Ursaluna's Bloodmoon form."
"It is a new appearance produced by enduring harsh environmental changes from the distant ancient past. Its original form is Ursaluna, an evolved form of Ursaring. But in this current era, Ursaluna is also a Pokémon that can no longer be seen at all."
"The layered influence of different environments and survival conditions changed both its Ability and its appearance. Of course, no matter where you search, you will not find it."
"In the past, there were even more Pokémon like it with regional forms."
Steven said, "Right. That Lilligant of yours is the ancient Hisuian form, isn't it? Ancient environments are preserved only in a few distant regions."
"I see. If it's an investigation, then there's no reason to stop you..."
Steven could only give up on the idea of going out to wander around and leaving a child to fill in for him.
Alas. In the end, only his good friend Wallace could help him bear this burden!
Hoenn's dozen-plus cities, thirty-four routes, and two Champion titles were all being carried on Wallace's shoulders!
[Secret Item: Mystic Spring Water!]
[Description: Special spring water from the Ransei region. Its sources are in the kingdoms of Ignis and Valora. It is a special facility excavated and constructed by ancient people. This wondrous spring water can change a Pokémon's Ability. It seems this water can allow Pokémon from other regions to manifest Abilities from the Ransei region.]
[As time passes, the effect of the local environment within the spring water will gradually disappear.]
[Effect: If a Pokémon already has three Abilities, a fourth Ability will appear, and it will become a special Pokémon. It is still unclear what unknown Abilities may appear, and which Pokémon can use them. However, for a certain period after drinking it, it seems possible to select a specific Ability for a Pokémon.]
[Pokémon you can use this on, for example: Lucario.]
[New Ability: Parry—The Pokémon can evade direct incoming attacks.]
[New Ability: Sprint—Movement Speed increases, similar to a nature adjustment.]
It could evade direct contact attacks.
Ultra Instinct?!
However, Parry was actually one of the weaker of the three evasive Abilities. Similar Abilities included [Instinct] and [Dodge].
"We left too quickly and didn't bring anything else, so I only brought this water. There are many other similar springs. Mr. Drake said this stuff is a rarity in other regions, so I brought a lot!"
Brendan enthusiastically gave the spring water to Hikaru and said that Mr. Drake was currently on a ship heading to Mossdeep City. Everyone would go to Mossdeep later, so they could all receive some spring water. Maybe it would come in handy someday.
The spring water did not seem to spoil. If poured into a spring or water vein, after a long time, new spring water seemed to appear. However, no one knew whether it would work in Hoenn.
"If this spring water is affected by local climate," Hikaru said, "then in the Hoenn region, it may gradually lose its power as time passes."
Victini and Pichu returned to his side. Iron Valiant, responsible for guarding the backpack, quietly gazed at Hikaru . Its body, which resembled both Gardevoir and Gallade, immediately drew everyone's attention the moment it appeared. When they learned it was a Pokémon from the future, they were quite surprised.
So the future would actually become something like this!
[I understand.]
Iron Valiant spoke to Hikaru through telepathy.
[In the Paldea region, I witnessed a mad love. In the Sinnoh region, by listening to a story, I learned of the love of friendship between Rotom and a boy.]
[In the Unova region, I learned of enduring love between an old man and his partner.]
[In Kitakami, there was Pecharunt's love of desire, and Ogerpon's love of family and attachment.]
[And finally, I came to Hoenn.]
[The love here crosses the stars. It is noble love. My system has completely understood it now.]
[Perhaps this steel body was created from the moment of its birth in order to reach eternity.]
[So the protocol was always deep within my heart. It was the most fundamental program setting. I, who possess no heart, have already found the thing I was searching for.]
[I also wish to be like This Shore, accompanying you until my program breaks down and your life reaches its end.]
Iron Valiant turned into light and returned to its Premier Ball. Hikaru froze for a moment, then looked at the Premier Ball in his hand and gently stroked it.
"Then congratulations."
"That Pokémon seems to love you very much too." Aster gazed at Hikaru with gentle eyes. After Hikaru turned around, she placed a hand over her chest.
[An extraordinary pattern has been sensed. It has been drawn!]
[Obtained the Trail of Light of Rayquaza (Dragon God) and Aster (This Shore)!]
[When summoning Rayquaza (Dragon God), This Shore's consent is required. At the same time, This Shore will become one in heart and body with Rayquaza and the summoner.]
Rayquaza. Twelve Stars. Wind attribute. Dragon type.
ATK 4500. DEF 2500.
While this card is on the field, the effects of Ground- and Water-attribute Pokémon are negated and destroyed. When attacked, it can prevent its own destruction and switch to Defense Position. It can be Tributed to summon Mega Rayquaza and... Special Search from the Extra Deck... This Shore!
"This Shore's you?" Hikaru asked.
Aster closed her eyes. "Even after death, my heart is still here."
"The light you possess within your heart—I felt it too through the time I spent with you."
"Far Shore was right. Only when we become one can we truly be inheritors capable of doing everything."
"I am now one with the Dragon God. No matter where you are, call my name. When the pattern in my heart and the pattern in yours shine together, no matter where you are, I will appear before you."
"What are fear, hesitation, and loneliness? What does it mean to descend deep into darkness?"
"I am no longer afraid."
"When you wish to turn those happy childhood days and everything you have experienced into your own power of light, please call me at the place where the blessing resides. Let me touch you."
"Thank you, elder brother of the Draconids. My soul's dearest friend, the one who made my wish come true... the eternal king from Alola."
After being stunned for a moment, Hikaru glanced at Zinnia, only to find that her expression held nothing but satisfaction and gratitude.
Noble love.
So I'm Hokuto, and you're Minami Yuko.
Hikaru made that retort in his heart and could not help shaking his head with a laugh.
In that case, the Dragon God that could only be summoned through combined strength was Ace, wasn't it?
But was there still any opponent in this world that required the Dragon God to fight? Aside from the final bosses of several other regions, perhaps.
But that might be another story.
The members of Team Magma also found Butler. The latter felt deeply ashamed over creating the Monster of the Earth. After being swallowed by that powerful natural energy, there had been only one person in his mind—his girlfriend, Diane.
"Perhaps revenge really was a foolish choice... What exactly was I doing? I want to stay in Forina and research technology that can bring barren lands back to life."
"Only at the brink of death did I realize what was truly important to me. Yes... in truth, I was never really a scientist. I was just a magician who loved science."
"Hah..." Maxie sighed from afar, then looked toward Butler.
"Last time, you were expelled. But at that time, we were also extremely radical. And now, both of us have realized just how foolish our actions were."
"Therefore, Butler, I will give you my final notice."
Butler seemed to sense what was coming. A relieved yet ashamed expression appeared at the corner of his mouth. "What is it you wish to say?"
Maxie pushed up his glasses. "We will make up for the previous loss in research funding."
"So, starting now..."
"Butler, you are officially fired."
While things were happening with Team Magma, the black Rayquaza was also staring at Hikaru . It continued until Hikaru heard its voice.
[Since a moment ago, I have been thinking about something very important... You can hear it, can't you? My voice?]
The black Rayquaza stared at Hikaru .
[Why does the power of a hero of Ransei come from you? That power is 'Brave Heart.']
[You... were once the one who accompanied Nobunaga, traveled across the land, and tried to rewrite history...]
[Are you Nagamasa, the Warlord of the Kingdom of Aurora?]
[It seems some people call him Azai Nagamasa. Are you him, or are you not him? Or perhaps you are the reincarnation of his soul?]
[The history related to that person has also begun to blur... Why? Is it related to Arceus? Have you also met Arceus?]
Hikaru looked at the black Rayquaza and suddenly smiled.
"I have. And not just once."
"But I have never been to the Ransei region."
Shiny Rayquaza stared at Hikaru for quite some time. Finally, it blinked.
[Is that so? Then, nice to meet you.]
It did not keep pressing, and seemed to feel that it had indeed been somewhat rude.
At that moment, Zinnia walked over and began to ask:
"What should we do with the cosmic monster? Should we find a place to seal it away, or find a suitable Trainer for it?"
"Its core was shattered, and it's already on the verge of death. Even if it regains its power, it won't be able to return to its previous state."
Zinnia looked toward the three cosmic supermen nearby, who were communicating atop the stone spires.
"It definitely won't be stronger than them."
"That thing has fallen too, hasn't it? From the distant zenith."
Steven thought for a moment. "The types that restrain Psychic are Bug, Dark, and Ghost... In the Hoenn region, the place with the strongest Ghost power is Mt. Pyre. That is the place where life ends."
"But having the old couple of Mt. Pyre watch over this thing feels somewhat dangerous."
"And [light] is everywhere. The light representing the Psychic type fills the entire world..."
"Then, wise shopkeeper, surely you have a suitable sealing method?"
Hikaru coughed lightly. "I do indeed possess a secret sealing art. It is a sealing technique powerful enough to last a thousand years. Not long ago, I had just sealed away a dangerous troublemaker."
"However, it is exactly as Zinnia said. This creature's core has already been completely shattered. Even if it recovers its power, it cannot return to its previous form. It will become quite weak, but ultimately, it did receive the light of the Millennium Comet. So for it, absorbing light may be a way to rapidly restore its strength."
"The Galaxy Ball can seal its abilities and make it obey the commands of whoever holds the ball. However, if we want to suppress radiance, or the Psychic type, there is another method. As it happens, the thing we saw in outer space before was also something that doubly resisted the Psychic type—in other words, an existence capable of absorbing light."
"So for this, we need to learn a new [sealing art]. Though calling it a sealing art isn't quite accurate. It should be [inverse power]."
"The person who possesses this ability is, like me... a [shopkeeper]."
"Through special psychic power and the creation of a corresponding machine, Pokémon type matchups can be inverted. Psychic's resistance against its own type will become super-effective damage."
Among Hikaru's original plans for coming to Hoenn was the idea of finding this shopkeeper to learn psychic powers, then taking the evaluator exam.
This time, he could finish that along the way. It would not waste too much time.
"Perfect timing," Hikaru said. "The five uncles I told you about, the ones who once shared star power with Hoenn, live in the same city as that strongest Psychic-type user. That city is... Mauville City!"
"Steven, you plan to meet them too, don't you? To ensure that Hoenn's people can continue to be filled with dreams, and to find them a true successor."
"After we watch the meteor shower in Hikaru City, May, Ash, and Brock will set out on new journeys."
"Then Brendan, Mr. Stone, and I will go together."
"Zinnia, Miss Far Shore, as for you, you should want to spend more time with This Shore. Don't worry. This Shore has already received my spiritual power, and she is with the Dragon God as well. You and she will also... never be separated."
Zinnia opened her mouth, but in the end, she only smiled and said nothing.
Thank you, elder brother of the Draconids.
In her heart, she had thanked him like this more than once.
In the language of a distant region, Far Shore was triste, meaning sorrow. In another region's language, its initial was Z, representing the end.
This Shore was felicia, meaning happiness. In another region's language, its initial was A, representing the beginning.
"I am with my elder sister now. I am very happy."
At the same time, a new Trail of Light appeared in both Hikaru's and Aster's hearts.
Inside Hoenn's three stone chambers, mysterious light appeared, overlapping with the images of the three companions in Hikaru's memories.
The voices that appeared in his heart were:
"Our will. O inheritor."
"In the center. Let light shine."
"Relicanth begins. Wailord ends."
"Everything shall open in the end."
[An extraordinary pattern from the [Sealed Chamber] has been sensed. It has been drawn!]
[After forming a bond with Rayquaza / This Shore, the past trails of the City of Gods seem to have resonated with Hoenn's trails. This place seems to be the starting point of all the titans.]
[Obtained the Trails of Light of Regirock, Regice, and Registeel! (All three are old friends from the City of Gods. The three titans of Hoenn's stone chambers cannot be summoned.)]
[By handing cards engraved with Trails of Light to the corresponding people, the binding seal can be bypassed, the stone chambers can be opened, and the eternal Pokémon can be summoned.]
[Learned: Sealed Chamber Sealing Art!]
"That is..." Aster closed her eyes slightly, sensing three mysterious beams of light. Hikaru , meanwhile, drew three traces onto iron cards.
"This Shore," Hikaru said, "take these three cards. They are gifts from the ancient people of the Sealed Chamber."
"Engraved upon these cards are your history and mine, as well as the flow of time in Hoenn."
(End of Chapter)
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