Stepping inside the ship, Axel instantly felt a sense of "another world within."
The largest room here had actually been recreated by Caitlin as an exact one-to-one replica of the entrance to Dragon God Park.
If he hadn't known for sure that Palkia wasn't messing with space right now, Axel might've thought he'd been teleported straight back to Aurient.
Every kind of food Axel used to eat at the park was here, arranged exactly as it was at Dragon God Park's night market.
The only difference was, there were no hawkers shouting their wares tonight.
Everyone around looked almost feverishly toward where Axel and Gardevoir had appeared, their eyes practically blazing.
These past few days, Emberpine City had been covered in banners of Axel's name.
Whether it was the wet market or any of the city's business districts, every corner was filled with praise about how Axel fought the Time-Space Twin Dragons and saved Sinnoh.
No exaggeration. Right now, maybe some people in Emberpine didn't know the Pokémon Center's chairman, but there wasn't a single person who didn't know Axel.
"Axel, do you still remember me? Back when Ralts was small, you two always loved buying sausages from our stall."
"My oysters weren't bad either, Axel used to buy them and pack some to take home!"
"Hmm?", Cynthia and Caitlin both instinctively turned to look at Axel.
Especially Cynthia, her eyes flickered with sudden alarm.
'With that kind of battle power, why would Axel need oysters?'
"Cough! Cough!", Axel coughed hard, waving his hands repeatedly.
"Those were for my uncle! I never even took a bite myself."
"Hahahaha!"
Seeing Axel's flustered look, everyone burst out laughing.
Axel grinned too, unable to help but laugh along.
"Gardevoir, go find something good to eat, and take the little Gible with you. He's greedy, let him try some Aurient cuisine."
"Also take Gholdengo with you, have him sprinkle some money around if needed."
["What about you, Master?"], Gardevoir tilted her head, staring blankly at him.
Axel skillfully pulled some utensils and ingredients out of his bag, "Well, since there are so many Pokémon here today, might as well let them taste our cooking."
———
[Sinnoh League]
Giratina held the red chains in one hand, and with the other casually slapped Dialga flying, all while taking a happy sip of soda, feeling absolutely refreshed.
'Following Axel is so damn satisfying."
Compared to his previous dark, endless existence, now he not only ate and drank well, he could also beat up Dialga every day.
In the past, he wouldn't even have dared dream of a life like this.
Giratina was even beginning to suspect that if this continued too long, he might not even want to destroy the world anymore.
["But beating him like this every day is kinda boring..."]
Looking at the helpless Dialga, Giratina suddenly felt the fun drop off a cliff.
Maybe he should loosen those red chains a bit?
Giratina thought about it seriously and decided that as long as Palkia didn't join in, he'd be fine.
No sooner said than done, he slowly floated up into the air, hovering above Dialga.
As he threw out a Shadow Ball, Giratina simultaneously released the red chains.
"ROAR!", Feeling his divine power return, Dialga let out a mighty bellow and immediately unleashed a massive blast of time-infused Dragon energy—
Roar of Time!
This move could unleash power strong enough to distort time itself. Apart from a brief stiffness after use, its only real weakness was a slightly low accuracy rate.
Giratina curled his lips and slipped into the void for a moment, easily dodging the Roar of Time.
When he reappeared, the chains were already fastened back onto Dialga.
["Bleh~ useless trash, can't even hit me!"]
Dialga: [○･｀Д´･○]
'Aaaargh! I want to see Axel!'
["What do you need Axel for? I can unlock you myself!"], Giratina patted his chest proudly, tone full of smugness.
["I'm Axel's deputy general now!"]
["Bleh~ I just unchained you again, come on, one more time!"]
Watching Giratina's annoying face, Palkia shivered slightly on the side.
But seeing that Giratina wasn't going overboard, each time he deliberately guided Dialga's Roar of Time toward the sea. And since he only loosened the chains for an instant, Dialga never had time to gather truly dangerous power.
Even if it did hit something, it would just cause a brief localized time stop on an individual target, not any serious damage.
Thinking that, Palkia stayed quiet.
More importantly, Axel's Pokémon were too dirty. Better not provoke them if he could help it.
———
"Everyone, we're here!", As they neared the shore, the huge ship came to a smooth stop.
Caitlin looked mysteriously at Axel and Gardevoir, making a gesture inviting them outside.
Axel and Gardevoir exchanged a glance, both curious about the new place Caitlin had prepared.
But as soon as the doors opened, both froze.
Gardevoir even covered her mouth in shock, staring wide-eyed at Caitlin beside her.
On the small island in front of the ship, a familiar city spread out before them.
It was half of Emberpine City.
From the neighborhood where Axel lived, to Dragon God Park, even the Pokémon daycare where he first met Gardevoir, everything was there.
Even the motorcade parked at the island entrance was the exact same one from the first time Caitlin had met Axel and Gardevoir.
["Caitlin... thank you...",] Gardevoir's gaze landed in the direction of the daycare, the corners of her mouth curving upward slightly.
"Now that we've eaten and are feeling a bit lazy, why don't we go relax at that hot spring over there?"
Following her gaze, Axel froze hard.
That hot spring was the same one he'd gone to with Gardevoir and Pheromosa the first time.
'Is this really a place to bring other people?'
'Gardevoir, wake up! Don't get brainwashed by that domineering Caitlin!'
Sensing Axel's resistance, Gardevoir smiled faintly.
["If Master doesn't like it... you can wait in the room next door."]
["I brought the tablet Mewtwo-sis used before, I'll play you a movie."
Axel looked longingly at Gardevoir and Cynthia, his expression full of despair.
'Damn it, Caitlin, you vixen, give me back my cold and aloof Gardevoir!'
Still, Axel only grumbled. Deep down, he actually wanted Gardevoir and Caitlin to get along, and hopefully solve Caitlin's issues soon.
Before, he'd been wary, afraid Caitlin might be some kind of villain who'd try to steal Gardevoir.
But now, both sides knew each other clearly, and Axel had enough confidence.
Who would dare steal his Pokémon?
Might as well let Gardevoir help Caitlin work through her problems, so she'd stop pestering him.
Soon, they arrived at the hot spring.
After parting ways, Axel released a few water-loving Pokémon into the big pool, then turned to head for another room.
He planned to have Pheromosa give him a good massage to ease the fatigue of the past few days.
Suddenly, a rainbow-colored light sphere streaked across the sky, shot cleanly through the window, and struck Axel.
He froze completely, his body gradually sinking into a time-freeze state, his last thought before everything stopped was, 'Dialga, you damn bastard, just you wait!'
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