May 6th, Thursday.
The early summer air remained pleasantly cool.
Today marked the first day after the Labor Day holiday.
Pokémon had already become a cultural phenomenon.
As more players discovered the Easter Egg, Natsume-sensei's in-game avatar grew increasingly iconic.
"Now THIS is what I call a 'balanced' Champion!"
"Natsume-sensei cheats... but not enough to ruin the fun."
"Worth every penny! The dream team of licensed characters delivers!"
With Pokémon dominating both sales and review charts,
The viral "I Choose You!" theme song—perfected by Jigglypuff and Meowth's vocal coaching—reclaimed its spot atop music rankings.
The game's success wasn't just organic; even professional trainers joined the hype train.
Including grind kings like Steven Stone.
Devon Corporation took the initiative to approach Pokémon Company for negotiations.
They proposed a mutually beneficial collaboration with the remarkably young Natsume.
The plan was to create synergy between Pokémon: Battle and Pokémon, carefully balancing narrative, combat systems, and gameplay mechanics.
With this partnership, developing an open-world Pokémon game featuring real-time battles and free-form catching might actually become feasible.
Natsume delegated these matters to Oleana.
As the Labor Day holiday quietly came to an end,
He packed his bags, preparing to depart for Johto Region.
This trip was at Professor Oak's behest—to assist Professor Hale with field research.
From Natsume's recollection,
The finale of Sinnoh's trilogy, Arceus and the Jewel of Life, took place in Michina Town, a small settlement in Sinnoh Region.
The gist of the plot:Arceus received help from a human named Damos. To repay him, Arceus used five Plates - Ground, Water, Grass, Electric, and Dragon - to create the Life Orb and lent it to Damos to prosper Michina Town, with the agreement to return it during a lunar eclipse.
However, when the eclipse came, Damos was betrayed by his subordinate Marcus and imprisoned. Arceus never got the Plates back as promised and was severely corrupted by mercury exposure, causing it to fall into a deep slumber.
As time passed, Arceus's impending awakening caused Dialga and Palkia's spatial dimensions to collide, triggering the events of the Sinnoh trilogy.
Natsume always thought this plot was ridiculous.
The mighty Arceus nearly got taken down by... mercury poisoning?!
Upon reflection, this Arceus might just be one manifestation among countless parallel worlds. That would at least explain the inconsistencies.
"This... probably doesn't involve me, right?"
Natsume thought with a complicated expression. "I'm already in Johto Region... Would Arceus actually follow me here?!"
While the probability wasn't high,
It was better to err on the side of caution.
Invoking his status as the "Rainbow Hero,"
Natsume made his decision:
First take shelter in Johto Region under Ho-Oh's protection and lay low for a while!
Unova Region, Undella Town.
A cool summer night.
Cynthia sat on the patio recliner, her golden hair veiling her profile, revealing only her elegant, high-bridged nose.
Scrolling through her mobile phone, she noticed Pokémon was selling phenomenally well, and a faint smile curved her lips.
The golden-haired loser (scratch that)... Caitlin wore soft pink-and-white pajamas, her long golden hair cascading down to her calves as she hugged a pillow.
"Cynthia," Caitlin murmured, delicate as a porcelain doll. "Let's sleep together."
Cynthia smiled gently. "Of course."
"I want a story," Caitlin said, her tone flat despite the childish request.
"Let me think." Cynthia tapped her chin, pondering for a long moment.
After nearly twenty minutes of deliberation, she made her choice and said with a soft smile:
"Tonight, I'll tell you a story about the Ancient Ruins of Sinnoh."
The golden-haired girl's expression remained unchanged as she turned and used Confusion to slide open the glass door. She padded back to her princess bedroom and curled up like a small animal on the pink canopy bed.
Cynthia settled Caitlin onto her lap, stroking her hair as she began the tale in a soothing voice:
"From the void of legend, a single Pokémon Egg was born—and within it slumbered the most ancient deity, Arceus..."
"Centuries ago, those who migrated from Sinnoh to Johto, after mingling with Johto's people, built the Sinjoh Ruins in the Ruins of Alph to honor their longing for home."
"The Sinjoh Ruins bear elements of Spear Pillar, yet also carry Johto's rich history... A true fusion of two cultures."
"Will Arceus appear?" Caitlin murmured, nestling closer.
Cynthia blinked, then chuckled in surprise. "Why do you ask?"
"My intuition tells me... something is about to happen."
Caitlin spoke calmly, though her eyes dimmed slightly.
"I've been seeing things... like when I was little... I can't stop the thoughts."
Caitlin possessed terrifying psychic abilities.
Sometimes, she struggled to control this power, leading to headaches and outbursts. But since becoming one of Unova's Elite Four, these episodes had grown rare.
"Lately, the headaches have returned," Caitlin whispered.
Cynthia smiled, gently stroking Caitlin's hair until drowsiness weighed her eyelids down.
"Leave it to me," Cynthia murmured. "If it concerns Sinnoh's deity, then Sinnoh's Champion should handle it..."
Caitlin nestled against Cynthia's lap, her sleeping face sweet and serene.
But as Cynthia tried to rise, Caitlin grasped her slender fingers, murmuring in her sleep:
"Do you really have to go?"
Cynthia paused, then smiled. "I have no choice."
"You'll face something terrifying."
Caitlin's eyes squeezed shut as fragmented clips flashed through her mind, sweat beading on her forehead. "Something... horrifying!"
Cynthia sat back down, brushing damp strands from Caitlin's forehead. She met Caitlin's wide green eyes, now brimming with rare, intense emotion.
Fear. The unknown. Something even a Kalos Elite Four would dread.
"What did you see?" Cynthia asked softly, her smile gone, gaze deadly serious. "Tell me, Caitlin."
Her psychic power was so immense that Caitlin could glimpse the future like a Pokémon using Future Sight.
But these fleeting visions brought her agony.
Caitlin took a deep breath.
For Cynthia... I have to endure.
The clips flickered violently—a cataclysmic distortion of time and space, as if the world itself were crumbling.
"I... saw hatred."
A colossal beast, its back radiating a halo of light, majestic yet tainted. Its crimson eyes burned with malice, as if forged from all the world's darkness.
Caitlin shut her eyes tighter.
She saw figures of sapphire and rose, winged shadows darting past.
Time and space fracturing, collapsing into a warped void.
A man who faced defeat yet returned.
An old man lost in the river of time, finding his way back.
A young man who defied death to challenge a deity...
And a vaguely familiar black-haired young man, standing firm against the crumbling world, his Key Stone blazing with radiant light.
Caitlin opened her green eyes, reflecting Cynthia's solemn yet tender face.
"Cynthia."
Her eyes grew warm as she whispered:
"I saw hope."
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