Ding~ Ding~ Ding-ding-ding!
"Pokémon for Julian of Sandgem Town have been fully restored. Please come to the front desk to collect your partners."
The broadcast chimed through the lobby like a choir of angels. To me, it was the ultimate "Get Out of Jail Free" card. One second I was sweating under the suspicious, squinted gaze of a highly-trained puppy detective, and the next, I was saved by the bell.
"Oh, look at that!" I said, standing up with the speed of a Ninjask. I let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of my head while trying to look as innocent as possible. "That's the rest of the gang, Growlithe. You haven't met them yet, have you? They've just finished their nap. Let's go say hi!"
"Woof?"
Growlithe tilted his head, his little mohawk of fur flopping slightly. He watched me walk toward the counter with a dazed expression, his police-dog instincts telling him I was definitely hiding something, but his curiosity about his new pack won out. He stood up and trotted lightly after me, his nails clicking on the polished floor.
I took the tray from Nurse Joy, feeling the familiar hum of the three Poké Balls. With a practiced flourish, I released them all at once.
"Everyone, come on out! We've got a new friend!"
Three bursts of white light flooded the area.
"Floe~? (Wait, did I miss dinner?)" Floette mumbled, rubbing her eyes with her tiny green hands. She looked incredibly groggy; apparently, the Chansey massage team had been a little too effective.
"Fly-ah! (Finally, a new face~)" Sylveon chirped, her ribbons immediately snapping into a defensive-yet-curious posture. She did a quick lap around me, her feelers twitching as she zeroed in on the orange figure behind my legs.
"Toge~! (New friend! New friend!)" Togepi cheered, waving her stubby arms in the air with pure, unadulterated joy.
Growlithe poked his head out from behind my boots, his ears pinned back slightly as he took in the strange assortment of creatures. A floating flower-fairy, a ribbon-draped dragon-slayer, and a walking egg. It was a far cry from the rows of Arcanine and Growlithe he was used to back at the precinct.
"Woof!" he barked, assuming his 'Dignified Officer' stance.
"Alright, settle down everyone," I said, crouching down to facilitate the introductions. I reached out and, taking advantage of the distraction, placed my hand directly on Growlithe's head.
Finally! I flattened the exploding yellow fur on his crown, my fingers sinking into the warmth. The yellow fur was a bit coarse, like sun-dried grass, but the orange fur on his neck was like velvet. He was like a living space-heater.
"This is Growlithe," I told the group. "He's a Fire-type and our fourth partner. Growlithe, this is Floette—she's the boss. That's Sylveon, our heavy hitter. And the little one is Togepi. She's the baby, so no roughhousing around her, okay?"
As I spoke, I gave Growlithe's head a vigorous, messy rub.
[Hehe, got him! He's so warm. I'm going to have the best foot-warmer in the world this winter.]
I reluctantly withdrew my hand before Growlithe could realize I was just using him as a stress ball. While the four of them began to sniff each other and exchange Pokémon-speak, I closed my eyes and focused my Aura.
Since my encounter with the Lucario statue and my training in Eterna City, my connection to Aura had deepened. I could feel the "rhythm" of my team—Floette's was like a gentle spring breeze, Sylveon's was a bright, shimmering ribbon of light, and Togepi's was a chaotic bubble of pure happiness.
Growlithe's Aura, however, was steady and flickering, like a well-tended campfire. It was disciplined but held a hidden spark of wild energy.
"It usually takes a few weeks to fully translate a new partner's thoughts," I muttered, chin in hand. "But I think we're off to a good start."
The four of them seemed to be getting along.
"Floe~! (Do you know how to fetch the spicy berries?)" Floette asked.
"Woof." (Only if they're Evidence.)
"Syl-veon sound~ (He's so fluffy! Can I wrap my ribbons on him?)" "No-wing!"
"Alright, team," I interrupted, recalling them one by one as the lobby began to get crowded. "We've got a big appointment. Tonight we can have a proper feast, but right now, we're heading to the Institute."
The Celestic Research Institute was an imposing building made of weathered stone that blended perfectly with the ancient town. After checking in with the guard, a young assistant in a crisp white lab coat led me through a maze of corridors lined with glass cases containing pottery shards and ancient scrolls.
"I apologize, Dr. Julian," the assistant whispered. "Professor Carolina and Miss Cynthia are in the middle of a delicate observation. They've been at it since dawn."
"It's no problem," I said, offering a polite smile. "Researchers and their coffee—I know the drill."
We entered a wide, circular laboratory filled with the hum of expensive machinery and the smell of old paper. In the center of the room, standing over a high-tech obsidian-glass table, were two women.
Professor Carolina, Cynthia's grandmother, was hunched over a computer terminal, her fingers flying across the keys with the intensity of a master pianist.
Cynthia, the Sinnoh Champion, stood beside her. She wasn't wearing her battle cape today, just her signature black coat, her long blonde hair cascading over her shoulders as she flipped through a massive, leather-bound tome.
On the table sat a single object that seemed to pull all the light out of the room. It was a pearl—smooth, polished, and glowing with an iridescent, blue-white luster.
I stopped at the doorway, my breath hitching. Even from ten feet away, my Aura was screaming. The space around that pearl felt... thin. Like a bubble about to pop.
[That's it. The Lustrous Orb. Palkia's catalyst.]
Cynthia was the first to notice me. She closed her book with a soft thud and looked up, a bright, genuine smile crossing her face.
"Julian! You're finally here. I was starting to think the mountain had swallowed you whole."
Professor Carolina looked up from her screen, adjusting her glasses. Her eyes were sharp, evaluating me with the same scrutiny she'd give an ancient artifact.
"Dr. Julian," she said, her voice commanding yet kind. "I've heard much about you. Finding the Fairy-type is one thing, but my granddaughter tells me you have a 'unique' perspective on our region's creation myths. It's a pleasure to meet a young man who looks at the world with more than just a Pokédex in his hand."
"The pleasure is mine, Professor," I said, walking forward. "I apologize for the delay. There was a bit of a... Rock-type misunderstanding at the tunnel. It took a week to clear the snow."
"No matter," Carolina waved it off, gesturing to the table. "You've arrived at the perfect time. This is what I wanted you to see. It was unearthed from the deepest chamber of the Celestic Ruins years ago, but it remained a mystery. It sat on an altar dedicated to the 'Ruler of Space,' yet it remained dormant."
She looked at the pearl, her expression becoming solemn.
"Ever since Cynthia shared the stories you told her—about the division of Space and Time, and the specific names of the deities—we've applied new scanning frequencies. This item... it isn't just a gemstone. It's a focal point. It reacts to high-energy spatial distortions."