Smack!
Just as the two myth researchers were fighting for the right to be chosen by the gods—
Inside the Distortion World, Giratina suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of anxiety.
It had just returned from patrolling several ancient floating isles. The ancient Pokémon living there were in great shape, happily sunbathing beneath their "mini-sun," munching on prehistoric Star Pecha Berries and freshly cultivated premium apples. The ferocity that once filled their hearts had gradually faded.
They truly seemed to love life here.
Good. If the inhabitants are content, then I am fulfilled.
After finishing patrol and charging up the weather sensors with Sunny Day and Heat Rock, Giratina flew back toward the abandoned workshop's nearby apple orchard.
A group of Applin bounced toward it, cheerfully carrying a heap of pristine apples fallen from the trees. Like an offering of tribute, they presented the fruit to their guardian.
Giratina didn't hold back—it ate a few, then shared the rest among the eager Applin. The orchard rang with joyful crunching.
After the snack, it was time for training.
A Scizor, having finished planting its saplings, challenged Giratina again. Though it kept losing, it could feel its body growing tougher and more resilient. That steady, hard-earned progress gave it an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and joy!
But just as the battle began, Giratina suddenly felt it—its contractor was being watched. Not just watched—oppressed by something terrifying.
Where was this pressure coming from?
Wait! This had happened once before!
Back during the Crystal Tower incident in Johto, it had seen a battle unfold through the reflection in the crystals—but that had just been between the Legendary Beasts. No need to act.
But this was different!
"GAAAH! (You train with a tree stump for now!)"
Giratina bolted from the orchard, leaving behind Scizor and the startled Applin.
Soaring through the void, it stared into a warped reflection in the air—its eye appeared on the surface of some kind of shield?
Through the curvature of this mirror-like surface… Giratina saw a battle taking place.
Wait—wasn't that Volo?!
What the—two Volos?!
Centuries ago, Giratina had fought alongside Volo, seeking to rebel against Arceus and fulfill his ambition. That dream, however, had been shattered by a single human—obliterated on the spot.
Even now, Giratina could hear Volo's angry shouting in its mind:
"You're running away?! Pathetic! I helped you because you wanted to challenge Arceus!"
Back then, when Giratina appeared at the Sinjoh Ruins, it had been described as a terrifying presence… but the real nightmare was that mortal—the one who fought Pokémon barehanded.
Pathetic? YOU try fighting that guy without getting wrecked!
And it wasn't even Giratina's fault—they only brought it out at the end, after the entire team had been obliterated!
"Gaaa?"
As Giratina watched the scene, it realized something.
Wait… that second "Volo" was female.
Ah—so it wasn't Volo split in two. It was someone who just looked a lot like him.
Why were they fighting at the Sinjoh Ruins?
"Gaa?"
Volo had once been its contractor. So if there was going to be a showdown at Sinjoh, shouldn't it be between the current and former contractor?
Who was that woman who looked just like him?
Even their team comps were similar—Garchomp, Lucario, Togekiss…
Oh, they just swapped—Hisuian Arcanine vs. Spiritomb, huh?
Suddenly, Giratina's view shifted. A large purple eye blinked, staring straight back at it!
What kind of Pokémon was that?! Never mind that—get the view back!
[???: Giratina, bear witness.]
WHA?!
The sudden divine voice scared Giratina into blinking—its reflection vanished from the mirror.
It looked around the Distortion World nervously. Aside from the lit areas, everything was unchanged.
Was that… them?
"Gaa? GAA?"
Had its terrifying god-parent awoken…?
Listen, I've been behaving for over a hundred years!
Back at the Sinjoh Ruins, what was its contractor up to?
Giratina turned again, resuming the spycam view.
"Gueh!"
Aegislash had just seen Giratina's eye appear on its shield.
Wait—was its shield a mirror now?
Anyway, that wasn't important—Aegislash raised the shield high and declared a Pokémon defeated!
Cynthia: "That Hisuian Arcanine… I've never seen that kind of power before!"
"It's the ancient form of Arcanine that once lived in Sinnoh!" Volo grinned. "With the Choice Band, its Double-Edge gets pushed to its limits. That item's stronger than I imagined. Brilliant!"
His ambition and zeal surged.
Both he and Cynthia now had two Pokémon left.
Cynthia hadn't used her final trump card yet—but Volo knew what it was:
Lucario.
The last stand—who would be chosen to ascend the Stage of Light?
"Good job, Spiritomb. Return."
Though the Hisuian Arcanine was still standing, it had taken a beating—not from recoil, but from Spiritomb's last-ditch effort!
Its ability—Rock Head!
When Cynthia learned of its typing, abilities, and moveset—she had a headache.
Rock Head + Choice Band + Double-Edge?!
If that move hit, anything would suffer—even Lucario. On top of that, it had Extreme Speed and a Fire-type move called "Raging Fury"!
This ancient Arcanine was terrifyingly strong.
She'd tried to wall it with Milotic earlier, but Volo, ever cautious, never engaged with a type disadvantage. He didn't let that matchup happen.
In the end, Milotic used Blizzard to defeat Volo's Garchomp. Cynthia considered that a huge win—one of Volo's aces, gone.
"Go, Garchomp!"
Cynthia re-sent her Garchomp, which still had enough fight left in it.
Volo, as expected, immediately withdrew Hisuian Arcanine.
Cynthia gave him a slightly annoyed smile. "You really don't fight type-disadvantaged, huh?"
"Of course not! I'm all about calculated moves." Volo's grin sharpened. "Go, Togekiss!"
A round body covered in soft, white fur. Broad triangular wings. A fluffy, flying triangle with a three-pointed crest on its head.
Togekiss—the bringer of blessings.
From ancient times, it's been seen as an omen of good fortune, said to bless those who live in harmony and avoid meaningless conflict.
Fairy vs. Dragon. On paper, the outcome was obvious.
"…Who was your starter Pokémon?" Cynthia asked.
Volo looked at his Togekiss and smiled softly—an expression filled with warmth and memory.
"It's Togekiss. I've been with it since it was a Togepi. We traveled together, defeated countless enemies, endured hardship, and faced disdain from others…"
"It was my first partner. And also… my strongest fang and claw."
"By the way, the Garchomp you beat earlier? That was my second partner."
"…My starter was a Gible." Cynthia was reminded of her own beginnings. "I hatched it from an egg."
"When it was still a Gible, it chewed on everything—fabrics, books, tables… It was tough, but adorable."
"Thinking about it still makes me laugh. Who would've thought that mischievous little thing would become my ace? But it's the bond built over all that time… that makes us who we are now."
"My history… can't be summed up in a sentence. But it's a history built together—with my Pokémon. That's what makes our bond so precious."
"All of my Pokémon are just as important as my first partner. Every one of them is my treasured comrade and dearest friend."
"Our teams may be similar, but our starters are very different, Volo. I think I finally understand you a little better. You say Pokémon are claws and fangs… but deep down, you still believe in bonds. That must be why Arceus chose you."
Volo shook his head. His usual smile still lingered, but his tone was heavier.
"You have no idea what I've been through."
"It must've been terrible." Cynthia breathed softly. "But all life meets other life—and something new is born."
"You are not alone. Your partners are with you."
"In sorrow, you share the burden. In joy, you laugh together. You journey, grow, love, support, and evolve together. That is the bond between Trainer and Pokémon."
"I can feel your dream—and your fighting spirit. You're at your happiest when battling. You give it your all because this is your passion. And battling is how you chase your dreams."
"Your Pokémon are strong because you believe in them. And when Pokémon feel trusted, they fight with all their heart."
Volo had lived over a hundred years. He wasn't just "partners" with his Pokémon anymore—they were extensions of his very being.
He'd experienced loss—not every Pokémon lived as long as a Dragon or a Fairy.
When one passed, he would raise another in its place. Yet every time he saw a new face, he'd be reminded of the ones he had once nurtured and farewelled.
One day, our souls will meet again.
"Johto's legends, the tales of ancient Sinjoh—you know them, don't you?" Hikaru returned to Aegislash's side. His work was done, and the full battle was nearing its end.
Listening to the chosen ones speak, Hikaru's mind returned to the day he first met Honedge.
"Ancient people were gifted life by Pokémon—and entrusted their lives to them in turn. Their every move was intertwined with Pokémon."
"Volo, your story with Togekiss… is proof of that legend."
"A Trainer and their Pokémon… entrusting life to one another. You say you're alone—but you've always had someone beside you. That Pokémon has never left you. You've always walked together."
"You're already strong. But if you can accept your bond with your Pokémon, you'll grow even stronger. That's what Arceus wants to see."
"After all your wandering… after your failure with Giratina… you must realize it by now. This is what it desires. Mutual understanding between humans and Pokémon. Companions. Friends. Parts of each other. That's the only way different species can share this planet's future."
"You know about my past… you even know about Giratina…!" Volo looked calmly at Hikaru. He still couldn't recall where they'd met—but it didn't matter anymore.
Hikaru smiled. "Do you know about Arceus in other worlds?"
That stunned both Volo and Cynthia.
"What did you say?" Volo's voice tensed.
Arceus—god and creator… multiple versions?
What was this mysterious artisan saying?
"In another world, Arceus nearly destroyed everything. It can create anything… but when betrayed, it shows no mercy. There, humans were twisted—controlling Pokémon, enslaving even legends."
"Arceus descended in wrath at the Sinjoh Ruins. It pretended to be captured and lured all those evil humans to one place. They brought Plates meant to control creation itself."
"Betrayed, Arceus lost all trust in humans… and began to attack them in a frenzy."
"But even then, it held onto the hope of seeing humans whose hearts still shone."
"In the end, the world was saved by a rather unreliable hero. Whenever history teetered, someone always rose to meet it."
"Volo, you may not be seen as evil in Arceus's eyes. You were abandoned, twisted, isolated—but you still carry a light that cannot be extinguished."
"Even that cruel world wasn't destroyed."
"In the future Arceus promises… you have a place."
"This new world doesn't need to be created—it already exists in everyone's future."
"That's just my own belief… but it seems the Unown agree."
Hikaru looked at the Unown circling around. They glanced at each other—then burst into joyful dancing.
They didn't know Arceus's will—but Hikaru's aura was good. That meant he was right. And if Arceus chose him as spokesperson, well… that was all the confirmation they needed!
"Whew… You two really can talk." Volo chuckled. "Compared to you, the chosen one I once knew was much quieter."
"A new world, huh? Just how many secrets do you have? About Arceus, the ancient myths, Sinjoh and Sinjoh Ruins… Are you from another dimension? Like… that person I met long ago?"
"Tell me more. But only after I win this battle!"
Volo closed his eyes—and when he reopened them, the ambition and zeal had faded. Replaced by pure resolve.
A calm smile touched his lips.
He wanted to win—not for power or vengeance—but to share the story of him and his Pokémon.
"My past… I've never forgotten it. And I'll walk forward on its ashes."
"Togekiss, I will win. Fight by my side!"
"Togekiss!!" Its eyes lit with the same passion. It wouldn't let Volo down. It would respond to his heart!
He always said he was alone.
But Togekiss would always stay by his side—until the end.
Even just a little—if it could make him feel not alone, then that was enough.
(End of Chapter)
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