Steven slowly closed his eyes and drew upon his Aura, reaching out in an attempt to establish a connection with Regigigas.
Regigigas looked down at the three Regis, who stood frozen like stone monuments at his feet. After a long moment of silence, he chose to accept the connection Steven had opened.
By nature, Regigigas was not an unkind being. But when angered, that gentleness vanished entirely. Toward humans, his usual attitude was one of quiet indifference — if left alone, he would leave them alone in return.
"I apologize for disturbing your long slumber," Steven said.
It was the least he could offer — a sincere apology to the Colossal Pokémon before him, a show of goodwill toward the one they called the Pillar King.
"It is of no consequence."
Regigigas's voice came through the connection slow and deep, smooth in a way Steven had not expected at all. He had anticipated something mechanical, like the hollow tones of Regice, Regirock, and Registeel. Instead, the voice was almost mellow — though the emotion behind it was as cold as the temple walls around them.
"Human," Regigigas continued. "What is it you wish to say?"
"Only a simple apology," Steven replied. "And, if it is possible — please restore the three Regis."
"Naturally."
Not a trace of feeling colored that single word. The three Regis had ended up in this state because they had moved to shield him from an attack. Whether or not they had been strictly necessary in doing so was another matter, but he was satisfied with these three. They had proven themselves dependable subordinates.
Besides, if these three Pillars were ever truly lost to the world, he could simply create new ones. He had done so before, after all — more than once.
"Thank you, Regigigas!"
A beat of silence followed Steven's thanks. Then Regigigas spoke again.
"Thank you, as well."
Clap.
The connection ended.
Steven opened his eyes. He did not fully understand what Regigigas had meant by those parting words, but he set the question aside and signaled Metagross to fall back.
The dots on Regigigas's face flickered in a slow, rhythmic pattern. Then he brought his massive hands together with a single, resonant clap. He spread his arms wide, and a soft blue light began to radiate outward from his body. The light drifted like mist across the frozen ground and poured itself into the petrified forms of the three Regis.
"Hmm?"
Steven felt a small sphere of that same blue light pass into him as well. He let out a quiet sound of surprise but did not pull away.
Whoosh.
Within two or three seconds, Regirock, Regice, and Registeel were fully restored. The stone that had encased them crumbled away, and the three Legendary Pokémon stood whole once more.
"Thank you, Regigigas!"
Brandon stepped forward and offered his gratitude sincerely. Regigigas responded only by letting the dots on his face flicker once more. His gaze swept slowly over everyone gathered at the temple. Then, without another sound, his massive body dissolved back into a glowing blue orb.
It fell gently to the ground.
Steven stood still for a moment, one hand pressed lightly to his chest, lost in thought. Perhaps someday, in the far future, when Regigigas stirred from his slumber again — it would not be to fight. Perhaps, when that day came, it would be to stand alongside humanity.
He hoped so.
"Steven, Cynthia — thank you both, truly." Brandon approached with a grateful expression and extended his hand.
Mikoto stepped forward beside him, clasping her hands together at her waist and bowing deeply. "We are deeply grateful to you both."
"Not at all," Steven said with a soft laugh. "It's what we're here for."
"It's our responsibility," Cynthia added with a small nod.
Steven exhaled slowly. At least this time it hadn't ended like it nearly had just days ago, when he had come frighteningly close to not walking away at all. Xerneas had not been here today. And he certainly couldn't count on a passing photographer to have a Sacred Ash on hand whenever things went wrong.
"The rest, I'll see to," Brandon said, lifting the blue orb carefully from the ground. "The land here will need to be cleared and resettled. Snowpoint Temple will need to be rebuilt."
He paused, glancing back at where the three Regis now stood. "Perhaps this confirms the old legend after all — that Regigigas is watched over by Regice, Regirock, and Registeel, his three guardians."
Steven nodded. "You've got a great deal ahead of you, Mr. Brandon. We appreciate all you do."
"As for the Hunters," Brandon continued, turning back to the two Champions, "I'll leave them in your capable hands." He extended his hand to Steven, and they shook firmly. Then he and Mikoto turned, the blue orb held carefully between them, and made their way back toward Snowpoint Temple.
Steven watched them go. Then he turned and looked down at Hunter J, who lay motionless on the cracked earth below. Blood was still seeping steadily from the wound on her head, spreading into the fissures in the stone.
He reached over and gently took Cynthia's hand. "It's over," he said quietly.
"Yes," Cynthia murmured. She gave a small nod, her eyes still fixed on Hunter J.
Although what had happened to the Pokémon hunter was, in a direct sense, a result of Cynthia's own actions, she did not regret it. If Hunter J had walked away without consequence — if Regigigas had pursued her all the way to Snowpoint City — the destruction that followed would have been devastating. Sometimes there was no outcome that left everyone whole. Cynthia understood that, even if understanding it didn't make it easy.
Steven turned his gaze toward the far end of the clearing, where Hunter J's Salamence lay on its side. Its scales were scorched and blackened from the earlier battle, and then it had taken the full force of Regigigas's Hyper Beam head-on. Its stamina had to be completely spent. He was honestly surprised it—
Wait.
"Cynthia, hold on a moment."
Steven released her hand and crossed quickly to where Salamence lay. He crouched down and looked it over carefully. After a few seconds, the corner of his mouth curved upward.
"Tough one, aren't you."
Salamence was still breathing. Just barely — but it was there.
Steven raised his hand and channeled a small flow of Aura into the dragon's battered body. His current control over Aura wasn't enough to heal something this severe on its own, but combined with a Hyper Potion, it might be enough to stabilize Salamence and keep it alive for now.
Across the clearing, Cynthia had noticed what Steven was doing. She walked quietly over to where Hunter J lay and knelt down, pressing two fingers gently beneath the woman's nose.
A faint breath. Barely there, but present.
The human body in this world was more resilient than it had any right to be. Fallen from a great height, a serious head wound still bleeding freely — and yet Hunter J clung to life.
But if the bleeding wasn't stopped, that wouldn't last.
Cynthia pressed her lips together, then looked over at Steven. "Steven, do you have any bandages?"
"Of course." He reached into his bag without hesitation.
Together, the two Champions knelt beside Hunter J and carefully bandaged the wound, slowing the bleeding as much as they could. Whether she lived or died after this was no longer in their hands. If she recovered, she was fortunate. If she didn't make it, then her time had come. And if she woke with lasting damage — well, that too was a consequence of the life she had chosen.
Cynthia stepped away and placed a call to Officer Jenny at the Snowpoint City station.
Meanwhile, Steven checked on the Hunter grunts nearby. The ones inside the off-road vehicle that Diancie had overturned were unconscious but otherwise uninjured — no serious harm done. He felt some relief at that. Diancie had been careful, or at least careful enough.
He then walked through the wreckage of the destroyed aircraft. The explosion had not been kind. He found only two Hunter grunts still breathing in the rubble. The others—
Were gone.
Steven stood quietly among the wreckage for a moment. Some of those people had likely come from difficult circumstances, pushed into the Hunter organization out of desperation. Others might have genuinely wanted what the organization offered — the thrill of it, the profit. He couldn't know. It didn't matter now.
Whatever had led them here, this was how it had ended. He allowed himself three seconds of quiet sorrow, then moved on.
Officer Jenny arrived not long afterward, leading a convoy of police cars through the snow. Her response time was, as always, impressively fast.
The surviving Hunters were loaded carefully into the vehicles — Hunter J and Salamence included. Those who had lost their lives would require a separate team to recover later.
Steven watched the car doors close on Hunter J and Salamence. Their survival from here was out of his hands.
Life and death are determined by fate.
He had done what he could. He had given the lesson, and he had given them a chance. What happened next was up to them — and to fortune.
Officer Jenny turned and gave both Champions a sharp, respectful salute. "Thank you for everything you've done here. Would you both be willing to come to the Snowpoint City station and give a full account of what happened?"
Steven and Cynthia exchanged a glance, then both offered Jenny a small smile.
"Of course," Steven said.
"Lead the way," Cynthia added.
And with that, the three of them turned and walked away from Snowpoint Temple, leaving the cold and the wreckage behind.