"Looks like if I don't go, you won't let this drop… Fine. Just like we agreed earlier—if I can get your bodily materials, and then add the Mirage Berry—"
Before Hikaru could even finish, Tapu Fini couldn't wait any longer and splashed him with purifying water.
It was as if she were impatiently declaring her "ownership."
This, apparently, was one of the rites for becoming Poni Island's Island Kahuna. The true succession ceremony would also require wearing local ceremonial attire, putting on a Z-Ring, and performing a traditional dance—or striking a full-power pose.
"Fii-ni~"
From now on, you're a candidate for Island Kahuna. Come to Alola, and I'll issue you a Sparkling Stone immediately!
With that stone, plus your craftsmanship, you can make a Z-Ring!
I've already made a huge concession, so you have to come. No backing out.
"So now I'm not only a temp Elite Four… I'm also a temp Island Kahuna…"
And the thing was, Island Kahunas didn't even get paid.
Still, in a few years, the people who were supposed to inherit and appear would more or less arrive on schedule anyway. For Hikaru, it wasn't a job he'd be doing long-term.
When the time came—
The three-year term will be fulfilled!
Giratina said:
[So you're an Island Kahuna of Alola now… Not bad. No matter where you go, you end up with an exalted status. Talented people always get fought over by the Legendaries.]
Calyrex said nothing, only puckering its lips toward the radishes.
Goddess Mewtwo chuckled, finding the whole "job hot potato" scene extremely amusing.
Only Ogerpon didn't have much of a reaction. The little "orange" was just thinking about what Hikaru had said earlier.
Could she really meet someone who had already passed away again?
Even though the island guardian had confirmed it, it still felt unbelievably unreal.
Kitakami, Kitakami… Legendary Craftsman—when are you coming to Kitakami?
Are you going to get the Mirage Berry that can cure any poison first?
"You don't need the Mirage Berry to go," Hikaru said, snapping his fingers at Ogerpon. "Detox is just a precaution. Besides detoxing, I just so happen to have recently learned how to make Holy Stakes."
"In other words—a sealing technique!"
The Paldean Empire's sacred sealing art from a thousand-year-old legend, used by the legendary tamer. With eight stakes, two chains, and a lid of the countering element, even the Treasures of Ruin could be sealed for a thousand years. A mere Pecharunt, by comparison!
When the time came, he'd drive all eight stakes into the Timeless Woods. Bloodmoon Ursaluna would be the perfect natural jailer. Aside from the Scarlet/Violet protagonist, no one would be able to undo the seal.
Of course, seals were always meant to be broken eventually. It could solve the problem for now, but not perfectly forever. In the end, you still had to treat the root cause.
"Earlier I said it's inconvenient to repair the mask in the Dream World because there aren't any Terastal materials here."
"And the mask is a real-world object. Even if I fix it in a dream, the real mask won't be restored—unless I forge a brand-new mask here and bring it out."
"But there still aren't any Terastal materials here."
"Once my investigation work in Paldea is finished, I'll make a trip over. We agreed, didn't we? I won't make you wait too long."
Because the Reverse World still didn't have a door left behind, the "Colossal Gate" that led there couldn't be opened yet. And in Paldea, Giratina's power didn't reach either.
So they had to return to Sinnoh first.
"Ponii!"
Ogerpon was overjoyed. She hopped in place, her whole future suddenly filled with anticipation.
Fine. As long as you remember!
She would meet her former master again.
Those precious masks would return to her hands.
Her broken mask would be repaired!
Yes!
It felt like a dream.
And she was, indeed, dreaming right now.
But this dream could become reality!
"Oh, right," Hikaru said. "Depending on which mask you wear, you can change your type and Ability, right?"
"Even though the root of that phenomenon is the mask embedded with Terastal energy, you yourself are also a special Pokémon with an attribute-shifting capability."
The little "orange" tilted her body, puzzled.
"Gao?"
Hikaru immediately smiled. "I mean—do you want to try even more masks?"
"The craftsmanship of the masks themselves is simple. Their power comes from you—and from the spiritual and emotional energy of humans. Using Terastal gemstones as a medium, they draw on the natural energy of different types and convert it. Over hundreds of years, it even influenced you."
If Bloodmoon's changes were any reference, Ogerpon's mask-based type/Ability conversion might not have been innate at all, but something formed later.
Ogerpon's four masks corresponded to four emotions: joy, anger, sorrow, and delight.
If you injected more emotions, used different attributes, then you could expand the range of masks.
And Hikaru had collected most of the plates in Unova. He could use their transformations as a reference for crafting.
"By collecting different Terastal fragments, we can carve more masks. Your special power really interests me… It reminds me of the Pokémon called a god."
"Did you know? The four masks representing joy, anger, sorrow, and delight also have another four that correspond to them: love, hatred, shame, and fear."
In Hikaru's mind, a brand-new mask blueprint was already taking shape.
Joy, anger, sorrow, delight—love, hatred, shame, fear. These eight are the ways living beings connect with others and convey emotion.
Joy, fury, grief, pleasure; affection, loathing, embarrassment, terror.
And then there was a ninth emotion—awe.
Joy corresponds to Grass; fury to Fire; sorrow to Water; delight to Rock.
So what would love, hatred, shame, and fear correspond to…
Giratina finally reacted, utterly stunned.
[Wait. You're saying this little girl can change her type and Ability depending on the mask? How can there be a Pokémon like that?]
Even Calyrex stared, dumbfounded.
"Unheard of… Even I, after merging with my steeds, only gain two Abilities at most."
Giratina added:
[Right! Even in Unova, after you repaired Regigigas, it only switches between Abilities—the type doesn't change. How can there be a Pokémon that can freely change its type?]
Hikaru laughed. "A Pokémon that can freely change its type isn't just Arceus… Besides Ogerpon, there's also a man-made Pokémon in Alola."
"Man-made?" Goddess Mewtwo's brow furrowed slightly. That keyword hit a nerve.
Hikaru said, "It's man-made, yes—but it wasn't created to be the strongest. It was created to deal with Ultra Beasts from another world."
Tapu Fini: "?"
We have that kind of Pokémon in Alola? Why don't I know?
"Of course you wouldn't know," Hikaru said. "It was manufactured in secret. It might already be completed by now."
The so-called "Little Arceus"—Silvally.
An Aether Foundation artificial Pokémon that could switch its type by swapping memory discs.
"Changes in form, changes in Ability, changes in type… Past and future forms—don't you yourself have both an Origin Forme and another form? So there's no need to be so shocked."
Hikaru patted Giratina's big foot and looked at Ogerpon, who was visibly eager to try.
She seemed very interested in his suggestion.
But Ogerpon soon looked conflicted again.
Changing types and Abilities sounded fun, sure…
But masks had originally been meant to hide her identity.
Those old masks contained precious memories, so she couldn't do without them. And when she had no friends, she had needed those masks to fight those vicious monsters.
But now, she had so many new friends.
If she used new masks… who would she even be fighting?
Hikaru said, "Of course—you'll take on challenges in the Dream World!"
"Listen carefully. Your brand-new world and life are only just beginning. Once the ancient battlefield called Dream-Sky Consecutive Battles reopens, every Legendary in the world will be stirred by it!"
"Team up with friends, challenge stronger opponents, and temper your strength."
"Travel to an unknown new world—or stay in your old homeland. Either way, if you don't want malicious people to covet you, then becoming strong is essential!"
"This world has no shortage of villains. And it also has no shortage of disasters. If you have power, you can help others and do what you want to do—just like Unova's legendary Swords of Justice."
"Ogerpon, do you want to hear it? The ancient legends of the Legendary Pokémon?"
"Ponii!"
Ogerpon was extremely curious, so Hikaru sat down and began telling the ancient stories of distant places—
Not just for Ogerpon, but for everyone here.
Even Giratina, who had peered at the world for thousands of years, still didn't recognize many Legendary Pokémon. They hid in faraway lands and lived through stories no one knew—just like Alola's island guardians, each with their own secrets and past.
Tapu Fini also found it fascinating. As a land guardian of an island, she wouldn't leave Alola. Her knowledge of other regions' Legendaries—creations from the world's beginning like Giratina—was only shallow. As for outside visitors like the black-and-white dragons, she didn't recognize them at all.
The sea goddess listened as if she were hearing juicy gossip and fairy tales, and casually snatched up Calyrex's radish, popping it into her mouth. Calyrex widened its eyes, about to complain—but thinking about "Poni Super Radishes," it forcibly swallowed its words.
Hmph. For the sake of future super radishes, I'll let it slide with this "friendly competitor"!
The scroll of fantastical legends slowly unfurled.
"From the different ways Legendary Pokémon live, and the angles from which they view the world, you'll definitely gain insights."
"Some delight in helping others. Some are violently destructive. Some grant us eternal happiness. And some—like the island guardians—simply stay put, guarding their homeland."
"Chase what you love. Stay away from what you hate. That's the simplest way to live."
"For humans, it's hard to do. But for Pokémon, it should be easy."
"Ponii!" Ogerpon listened happily, because the man from long ago had said similar things. It was precisely because life in their original homeland had been unbearable that they had imagined finding happiness in a new land, crossing the sea to come here.
But the new land had not been beautiful.
She had lost so much.
Maybe… she needed to leave that place.
Ogerpon chewed on her radish, smiling in bliss at the delicious Radiant Radish—while, deep in thought, she gradually made up her mind.
She would see that man once more!
And then, she would pour out her longing, letting him know how, for these hundreds of years, she had missed him—so, so much!
And she would tell him—
Don't worry about me anymore.
I've already made so many, many new friends!
And then, she would bring the rest to an end.
All of it—fully concluded.
"Ponii!"
I… want to go on an adventure too!
To unknown places with friends.
Crossing mountains and seas with the Legendary Craftsman!
Just like long ago, when that man and I were together. Back then, life was hard—but we were happy.
"The pain of the past is also a precious memory," Goddess Mewtwo said gently, stroking Ogerpon. Her voice was warm and richly resonant. "But you can't keep carrying it and live inside it forever."
"The world is very beautiful—and very vast."
No matter which Mewtwo it was, they all had a terrifying gift for philosophy. The only difference was the angle from which they viewed things.
That made Hikaru think again of the original Mewtwo from Mewtwo Strikes Back.
If everything went smoothly, then perhaps the crisis of Oblivia would never happen.
If everything went badly—
If the "Mewtwo" that emerged from the ancient fortress's incubation tank wasn't the original Mewtwo, but "Unit Three"…
When a Pokémon is born into the world, it isn't unusual for several of the same kind to appear. Sometimes it's due to human intervention; other times, perhaps it can only be attributed to some rule of the world—just like Pokémon Eggs, sacred things that always seem to appear out of nowhere.
Everyone chatted together about ancient stories, looking forward to the future. Hikaru checked the time on his C-Gear within the dream.
It was about to be dawn.
But then—
There was a splash, like something falling into a nearby pool.
In the Dream World, the only thing that could fall into this place was a Pokémon's dream.
Tapu Fini drifted over in confusion and dove underwater. A moment later, she surfaced even more confused—lifting a blue Pokémon into the air!
"Fii-ni?"
As an island guardian, she could sense a dense aura of Water around this Pokémon, yet it didn't seem to have the Water type. She'd never seen this Pokémon in Alola, so she brought it over for everyone to look at.
In such a short time, Tapu Fini—moody by nature, yet among the four island guardians considered relatively "good-tempered"—had already become somewhat familiar with them.
Pokémon friendships worked like that. One moment you could be at odds; a little conversation later, you might become friends.
"Hm. I don't recognize it," Calyrex said. "Streamlined body… looks like it can fly."
Giratina said:
[Hey. This thing looks familiar… Isn't this the one that appeared in Driftveil City?!]
Everyone gathered around. The Pokémon's body twitched faintly, yet even in the dream, it remained unconscious. In general, this meant the Pokémon had temporarily lost awareness.
But Hikaru recognized it—just as Giratina said.
"Latios?"
Hikaru frowned, looking up at the sky above the island. In a dream, there couldn't possibly be an Ultra Wormhole, so why would Latios fall here?
Or was it—
Giratina narrowed its gaze.
[Its life-force is weakening… This is a sign of impending death.]
[Maybe so. Because I and Tapu Fini are both here, even in the Dream World, a dying Pokémon will instinctively drift toward our vicinity?]
Even though Giratina didn't "manage" the spirit world, its real-world base—the Turnback Cave—was seen as a place where the living and the dead intersected. The stones there were also hard currency in the spirit realm.
And Tapu Fini went without saying.
"I'll heal it!" Calyrex declared. "Healing in the Dream World can affect reality too—this is exactly why I think this place is excellent!"
Calyrex used Heal Pulse!
This Heal Pulse was exceptionally potent. Clearly, Calyrex was gradually returning to its "Fii-ni-powerful" state!
If this kept up, maybe later it wouldn't even need its steeds—maybe it could directly become "Fii-ni-God" again! Though Grass/Psychic was kind of a questionable typing…
"Lati—!"
Under the influence of Heal Pulse, Latios snapped its eyes open!
A strange ceiling—no, there wasn't any ceiling at all!
Where was it? Who were these Pokémon—and this human?!
Latios's mind filled with alarm. It tensed up, scanning left and right.
I was caught!
Its gaze met Goddess Mewtwo's.
In that instant, its memories were read.
Goddess Mewtwo said, "I've read it. Latios from Alto Mare, the Water City—legend says it's a city that reveres Latios and Latias, located in the seas south of the Johto region."
"This ability is really convenient," Hikaru muttered, rubbing his chin. No matter how many times he saw it, Goddess Mewtwo's "memory reading" was absurdly strong as a setting.
No explanation needed. Just through eyes and a single look, she could extract the situation.
Psychic-type was a bit underwhelming in battle, but in daily life, no other type could compare.
"A Latios from Alto Mare… then are you the one from the Secret Garden?"
"Relax a bit. You're not fully awake yet. This is the Pokémon Dream World—an alternate dimension formed by the dreams of Pokémon."
Hikaru sprinkled a handful of sunlight, and Latios's frantic agitation gradually calmed.
What… is this power?
The anxiety and fear in Latios's heart faded. It could now observe the world clearly.
Only then did it realize that not only were these Pokémon unfamiliar, they also didn't seem to be this human's "party Pokémon."
Giratina mused:
[Even Johto's Pokémon can enter the Dream World… How rare.]
[If that's the case, then the places the Dream World can cover now include Unova, Paldea, Galar, Sinnoh, Johto…?]
"No, Galar doesn't work," Calyrex refuted. "I've never seen a single Pokémon enter besides me."
In other words—
Back when the Entree Forest was in poor condition, the signal was bad. Pokémon from distant regions were basically stuck on 2G—laggy beyond belief.
Now that the Entree Forest was alive again, even if it wasn't at its peak, it should at least be, what, 3G? 4G?
"Poni~" Ogerpon offered Latios the radish in her hand. Latios froze for a moment. Seeing Ogerpon's sincere, friendly smile, it couldn't bring itself to refuse. It lowered its head and silently accepted the radish, chewing.
…Huh. It's actually pretty good.
No—this isn't the time to think about that!
"Lati!"
How do I leave here? You don't seem like bad people, but I have something urgent!
I was captured by two humans. They're going to do something terrible!
I have to—have to find a way to stop them!
"This is a sudden incident," Hikaru said, pressing a hand to his forehead. "But I already expected it."
Pokémon 4Ever had ended not long ago, and that movie also involved a time paradox—namely, the event where "young Professor Oak disappears."
So after the Celebi incident ended, Johto's timeline should, in theory, have undergone a correction.
Which meant that after that movie, what followed next was the most classic movie in cinematic history—
Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias.
And its stage was the town praised as a city of art and water—
Alto Mare.
Its real-world inspiration was the water city of Venice.
(End of Chapter)
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