The sky roared with thunder.
Arceus hovered midair, its body radiating blinding light as countless beams of judgment gathered around it.
Then—Judgment rained down like a storm!
Debris exploded as Giratina shielded Natsume and the others with its massive body, its hellish wings spread wide.
Gale-force winds howled. Fire and destruction erupted in waves. Giratina let out a pained screech!
Arceus's gaze remained unwavering. Space rippled around it.
Dialga's Flash Cannon, a massive beam trailing white light, vanished into the distortion without a trace!
"We need moves of Dragon, Water, Electric, Grass, and Ground types!" Natsume shouted.
Hearing this, Palkia's shoulder pearls gleamed violet. It swung its bladed arms—
Spacial Rend!
The sky itself tore apart.
Arceus hovered unmoved, its golden ring glowing as a spherical barrier enveloped it.
The spatial blades shattered against the shield!
Arceus didn't flinch. It reared up, gathering a blizzard of unimaginable cold in its maw—
Blizzard!
A tidal wave of razor-sharp ice shards surged toward the temple platform!
"ROAR!!" Giratina's crimson eyes flashed. A Delibird darted out from beneath its wings, frost gathering in its beak.
Pryce tapped his cane. "Ice Beam."
A glacial wall erupted, intercepting the barrage. Ice daggers thunked into the barrier, sending up plumes of frost.
The wall shattered.
The golden-haired beauty crossed her arms. Behind her, Garchomp roared, a brilliant red light gathering in its jaws—
Draco Meteor!
The beam streaked into the sky—exploding into a meteor shower that rained down upon Arceus!
Arceus lifted its head, eyes filled with sorrow.
"Humans… how pitiful."
A single golden hoof tapped the air. Every meteor vanished into rippling space.
Then—Arceus's halo flared. Crimson light surged upward before crashing down like the apocalypse itself!
Suddenly, Arceus's eyes flickered with surprise.
The Judgment beams froze midair. Time itself had locked—ripples of Roar of Time distorting reality.
Dialga and Palkia flanked the platform, their presence subtly deferring to the humans at the center.
"Giratina." Natsume commanded. "Shadow Force."
Behind Arceus—crimson eyes ignited in the dark.
Giratina materialized, its six platinum claws screeching as they stabbed toward Arceus!
"Shadow Force… hits even through protection."
Natsume locked eyes with Arceus. "So you'll switch to the Ghost-type Plate."
Arceus met his gaze… and smiled. Its barrier dissolved, reverting to Normal-type's white glow.
And now? It sneered, turning its back to Giratina's charge.
Giratina phased straight through Arceus, vanishing into the shadows.
Then—
BOOM!!
A Spacial Rend ripped through the air—slamming into Arceus from the side!
"No Protect?"
Natsume exhaled, grinning. "Then you're wide open."
Arceus's wounds slowly healed as it hovered, eyes burning crimson.
Humans… how cunning.
Arceus's golden hoof tapped the void—
WHAM!
Giratina was hurled from the Reverse World as if struck by a warhammer, smashing through rows of marble pillars!
BOOM—!!
Natsume grimaced, his ears ringing.
Damn it, this llama Move is not legal either!!
His back slick with sweat, he froze—as slender yet strong fingers suddenly clasped his hand.
Cynthia tilted her chin up, a fierce grin on her lips. "Palkia. Trust me this once."
Commanding a deity was a burden no Trainer should bear... let alone against Arceus itself.
But she was the Sinnoh Champion. The undefeated Cynthia.
Natsume stared at her golden hair, her profile half-veiled—
Palkia's telepathy echoed in his mind.
Perhaps... you humans might just succeed.
The spatial deity floated before the golden-haired warrior, its pearl-armored blades gathering a deadly glow.
"How much longer?" Natsume yelled to Dialga. "We need that warp point!"
"I must survive the next assault first!" Dialga roared back.
The sky blazed white. Arceus, now weary, summoned Judgment—its oppressive aura suffocating.
Giovanni stood motionless, hands in his coat pockets, calmly observing Arceus. He glanced down at Giratina amidst the rubble.
"Can you still fight?"
"You expect my obedience?" Giratina's voice was hoarse, laced with scorn.
"No. I don't."
Giovanni raised his palm—Viridian Aura shimmering, identical to Yellow's power, its light gently mending Giratina's wounds.
"I simply..." His voice was quiet, yet steel-edged. "Have something I must protect."
Giratina fell silent. Its crimson gaze flickered between Natsume, standing defiant before a god... and Giovanni.
"Our interests align, human."
With a hellish wingbeat, Giratina took to the skies.
Before it—Giovanni stood unwavering, coat billowing, his piercing gaze locked onto the storm as lightning split the heavens.
...
Gold tossed the unconscious Temple Guardian Sheena toward Ash. "Little buddy, it's on you now!"
"Whoa—!" Ash fumbled to catch her. "But I wanna fight too!"
"Senior Gold!!" Ash shouted.
Gold adjusted his cap with a determined flick, sending Togebo charging straight at Arceus.
A wall of ice materialized, blocking Gold's path. Delibird stared him down coldly.
"Move!" Gold snapped. "Or I'll take you down with the rest!"
Pryce wheeled forward in his chair. "You have a more important mission now."
Before them, Dialga roared as temporal shockwaves barely held back the raining Judgment beams.
"You must return to the past—reclaim Arceus's trust in humanity."
Pryce turned, locking eyes with Gold. "I believe you can do this."
Gold clenched his pool cue tightly. "And what about now? Just watch?"
"Do you know who that young man is?" Pryce glanced at Natsume's back. "A Champion? An impostor? Or a fool?"
Gold fell silent for a long moment.
Then—with a practiced spin of his cap—he flashed a roguish grin.
"He's the Strategist. Professor Oak's chosen Pokédex Holder!"
BOOOOM—!
The aftershock of Judgment obliterated the temple, leaving only the space-barriered platform intact.
Natsume stood on the platform, locking eyes with Arceus, a strange understanding rising in his heart.
"You believe I won't strike you down." Arceus intoned.
Natsume's shirt fluttered in the wind as he exhaled deeply, steadying his frantic heartbeat. He exchanged a glance with the golden-haired beauty beside him.
Then, he stepped past the spatial barrier, standing at the edge of the windswept cliff, and declared to Arceus:
"I bet you won't."
Arceus hovered silently in the sky, its voice tinged with sorrow. "Perhaps the me of old would not have."
Raising its hoof high, Arceus gathered a devastating Hyper Beam in its maw!
A brilliant spatial warp erupted before the cliff. Natsume sighed softly.
"Then I guessed right."
The earth trembled violently as ruins burst from the ground. The Ancient Colossi rose, their massive forms shaking off the dust of history, awakening from an ancient kingdom.
BOOOOM!!
"Regigigas—!" Regigigas's signal lights flickered crimson.
Under the total eclipse, Regigigas stretched out a titanic hand, blotting out the sun—and seized Arceus in an unbreakable grip!
A deathly silence fell over the battlefield.
Ash yelled, "Regigigas!"
Hiding in the rubble, the shivering Trio cheered in unison: "Hooray! The Executive caught that annoying guy!"
"Regigigas—!"
Regigigas tightened its grip—those same hands that once dragged continents, now crushing like mountain ranges.
It strained to Crush Grip Arceus's golden rings, then slammed its other palm atop the first, its signal lights flashing wildly!
"Regigigas!!"
"He summoned Regigigas," Giovanni murmured, eyes glinting.
"A reckless, bold strategy."
Giratina felt another surge of respect for this human's courage. 『But it will only buy a little time.』
Regigigas's hands compressed to their limit—then could tighten no further.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
A series of shattering sounds erupted as the metal of Regigigas's palms splintered apart, revealing Arceus's blinding radiance.
Encased in a spherical barrier, Arceus levitated midair—then unleashed a point-blank Hyper Beam!
The flames lit up the night. Regigigas toppled backward, crashing into the cliffside and carving out half the mountain in an earth-shaking impact!
The cliff where Natsume stood now hung precariously, its connection to the platform crumbling.
A Teleport glow flashed.
Mew's pink tail tapped Natsume lightly, and both vanished—reappearing safely on the platform.
"Thanks." Natsume affectionately ruffled Mew's head.
"Mew~~(^▽^ )" Mew giggled, utterly carefree, circling Natsume twice in delight.
"Since when did you two know each other?" Cynthia pressed a hand to her chin, astonished.
"Mew~~" Mew lifted its head, snickering mischievously.
"Now's not the time for small talk!" Natsume groaned. "Did you even see how cool I looked earlier?"
Cynthia blinked.
Natsume gritted his teeth. Dammit! So close to the perfect moment!
On the cliff, Regigigas rose again, its fist blazing with light as it swung at Arceus.
"Hmph… Regigigas, freed from its shackles, bowing to a human."
Arceus's gaze turned icy. It warped through space, evading Regigigas's strikes.
Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina advanced, surrounding Arceus in a pincer formation!
"Mew?" Mew tilted its head, watching the scene in confusion.
"You don't need to join the battle," Natsume said, ruffling Mew's head. "Just protect everyone."
"Mew!" Mew puffed out its chest confidently.
A flicker of deep bewilderment crossed Arceus's eyes.
Brilliant white beams of Move shot forth, vanishing into the rippling space around Arceus.
Its gaze pierced through the clouds, locking onto the black-haired young man on the platform.
Arceus closed its eyes. The golden rings on its back pulsed with light—and Judgment erupted in a devastating barrage!!
The four Legendary Pokémon roared in agony as explosions shook the sky. The once-confident Trio cowered back into the rubble.
"Let's just run for it, meow~"
"Yeah, yeah! The Executive can handle this!"
"Wobbuffet!!"
Giovanni's voice cut through the chaos. "Giratina, Earth Power!"
A shockwave of energy erupted from Giratina as Palkia, under Cynthia's command, slashed toward Arceus.
Cracks spiderwebbed across Arceus's barrier. Pryce's voice was cold. "Temporal Dragon, Blizzard."
A howling blizzard, razor-sharp Ice Shards lashing within it, smashed into the fractures—and the barrier shattered.
"Different trainers, different command styles," Natsume muttered, his shoulders relaxing slightly.
Above the chaotic battlefield—
Arceus raised its golden hoof and tapped the air lightly. A shockwave of energy burst outward, flinging Palkia and Giratina back like ragdolls!
"The Arceus Sigil—the singularity at the dawn of creation."
Cynthia's voice was pensive. "This may not be the revered deity… but an avatar born from negative emotions…"
Natsume frowned, sensing a familiar aura nearby.
"An old friend's here," he said, looking up.
"You… shall not interfere!"
Arceus fired a Hyper Beam at Regigigas—only for the sky to tear open, swallowing the attack whole.
Darkrai tumbled out of the space rift, covered in soot. It opened its mouth to curse—then froze.
Holy hell. It's really freaking Arceus?!
"Yo!" Natsume waved. "I thought you weren't coming!"
Darkrai's eye twitched. Dodging a glowing projectile from Arceus, it summoned twin black holes in its claws and roared:
"I'll settle the score with you later!!"
Its black ribbon fluttering, Darkrai shot toward Arceus. Dialga retreated from the fray, addressing Natsume:
"The origin point for the time warp is located! Will you go yourself?"
"I'll do it!" Ash hefted Pikachu onto his shoulder. "Natsume-sensei and I will go together!"
Gold tightened his grip on his pool cue, eyes blazing. "Don't leave me out of this!"
Natsume rubbed his temples. I know how this plays out. If I go, we can end this faster.
But…
"Don't underestimate me," Cynthia said coolly, her gaze sharp.
Natsume took a deep breath. "Understood."
After this battle, I will go back home and get married... (scratch that)
Dialga roared, and a pillar of time-warping light erupted.
Gold glanced at Silver, who stood silent before finally speaking. "I'm staying."
Silver turned—his eyes meeting Giovanni's—and added:
"I'll fight. With him."
Gold grinned, shouting to Ash: "Quit dawdling, little buddy!"
Ash sprinted toward the portal, Pikachu clinging to his shoulder, as if he meant to barrel through spacetime itself.
Natsume's gaze met Cynthia's. Her noble, gentle features softened for a moment as he said solemnly:
"Don't use those Orbs."
Cynthia blinked—but the light swallowed Natsume, his words lingering in the wind:
"I'll be back soon."
"What was that about?" Pryce asked.
"The Lustrous Orb and Adamant Orb. They amplify the power of the Temporal and Spatial Dragons."
Cynthia tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear, smiling faintly. "I didn't think he'd know…"
"People often act blindly," Pryce murmured, nostalgia in his voice. "Trust matters more than doubt."
Cynthia's smile deepened. She lifted her chin, her proud eyes fixed on Arceus in the sky.
Amid the storm of battle, streaks of light tore through the heavens.
Darkrai tanked a Flamethrower head-on, howling as it charged: "This ain't over till I get my damn compensation!!"
"?" Arceus visibly paused.
Giovanni and Silver stood in silence.
"Fighting Arceus… until he returns, huh."
Giovanni's lips curled. "Always the impossible tasks…"
Silver's red hair shadowed his face as he stared at Giovanni.
"I'll give you a haircut when this is over," Giovanni said. "A buzz cut. Like mine."
"No."
Father and son locked eyes. After a long moment, Giovanni's wrinkles eased into a smile.
"I trained hard."
"Trained what?"
"Giovanni's techniques," Silver said.
Giovanni studied him silently—then smiled.
Giovanni's techniques…
The same fire that burns in Red and Natsume runs in my veins too.
I am—
Giovanni's aura shifted. A king's presence emanated from him.
He removed his cap, unbuttoned his black coat, revealing a sleeveless undershirt—scars and muscle etched across his frame.
"As long as I stand upon this earth—!"
Arceus's Judgment blotted out the sky, crimson light streaking down like the apocalypse itself.
Father and son stood beneath the warring deities, the roar of battle threatening to rend spacetime apart.
Giovanni planted his feet, grinning.
"—I won't lose!"
...
Ancient Times, Michina Town.
Natsume blinked his eyes open, shielding them from the harsh sunlight as birdsong echoed softly in the distance.
"Did we... just time travel?" Gold adjusted his cap, patting his arms in disbelief.
"Looks like it," Ash scratched his head. "If I remember right... Miss Sheena said it was her ancestor who betrayed Arceus."
Natsume marched straight toward the temple. "No time to waste. Follow me."
Their top priority now was finding the Life Orb before the solar eclipse.
But... Natsume doubted Arceus would calm down so easily.
These humans posed no real threat—Arceus was simply lashing out from disappointment.
"We'll figure it out as we go."
Natsume scanned their surroundings. "If I recall... there's supposed to be a Spiky-eared Pichu around here."
"You mean this little guy, Natsume-sensei?" Gold pointed toward a shaded grove.
Gold's Pikachu—nicknamed "Pibu" and far better-tempered than Togebo—was currently being playfully tackled by an energetic Pichu.
"Pikachu..." Pikachu sighed in exasperation.
Pop! Togepi burst out of its Poké Ball and joined the fray. "Togepi doo-ee~~"
Togebo tried to emerge too, but Gold quickly shoved it back in. "You'll scare them!"
"Togekiss!! (╬◣д◢)"
In the grove, Pichu, Pikachu, Togepi, and the Spiky-eared Pichu tumbled about. Ash blinked.
"1, 2, 3, 4... Huh? There's four of them?"
"That's the time-traveling Spiky-eared Pichu!"
Having read the script, Natsume crouched down. "Take us to your Trainer, will you?"
The Spiky-eared Pichu paused—then dropped into a playful stance, wagging its tail. "Pichuu~!"
"Togepi doo-ee~" "Pikachu!" "Pichu pichu!"
A parade of tiny Pokémon followed the Spiky-eared Pichu toward the grand temple.
The guards crossed their halberds—only to crumple instantly as Gengar delivered a swift chop to their necks.
"Learned that from TV?" Natsume asked.
"GengarGengar!" Gengar grinned, fangs glinting.
"Let's move, Gold. Hop on Exbo."
Natsume tossed a Luxury Ball. Arcanine roared, flames flickering. "Time to mow through this place!"
...
The Spiky-eared Pichu led the charge into the dungeon where King Damos was imprisoned. "Pichuu!"
"Togepi doo-ee~ ヽ(￣▽￣)ノ"
Togepi waved its tiny fingers—Hypnosis effortlessly put the guards to sleep.
Damos sat slumped in his cell, tormented by guilt—until a horde of tiny, furious faces appeared before him.
"Togekiss! (╬◣д◢)" Togepi mimicked a battle cry.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu shattered Damos' chains with Iron Tail, snapping him out of his stupor.
"Thank you... I must stop Marcus. I can't let Arceus lose faith in Michina Town!"
...
Marcus stared in shock at the two intruders who had boldly entered the palace-style ruins, gripping his staff tightly.
"You... how did you get in—"
His words died as he saw the unconscious guards strewn across the steps. Wisely, he shut his mouth.
"No time for chatter," Natsume said coldly. "Hand over the Life Orb."
Marcus clenched his teeth. "Never!"
He slammed his staff down. A red light burst forth—Heatran emerged, scorching steam billowing from its body.
"A Volcanic Disaster Pokémon?" Gold muttered. "This guy has one of those?"
Then—thud.
Natsume's Blastoise landed with ground-shaking force, adjusting its sunglasses.
Heatran and Marcus instinctively stepped back.
"Hydro Pump."
Blastoise's cannons glowed—then unleashed a devastating torrent of water, swallowing Heatran whole.
Then the second cannon fired.
"Wha—since when does Hydro Pump have a parental bond effect?!" Gold sputtered.
Heatran collapsed, steam hissing as swirls filled its eyes.
"One-shot?!" Marcus's worldview shattered. "He just... one-shot our guardian beast?!"
A second later, Gengar's Hypnosis dropped him like a sack of potatoes.
Natsume picked up the staff. At its tip, the Life Orb shimmered with an otherworldly glow.
"So this is the Life Orb?" Gold whispered.
"Yeah," Natsume said grimly. "But... things might not be that simple."
...
Natsume rejoined King Damos, staff in hand, expression tense.
"Skip the gratitude."
He spoke low. "Just return the Life Orb to Arceus. Now."
Damos hesitated—until the Spiky-eared Pichu on his shoulder chirped. The Power of One reassured him these strangers meant no harm.
"Tonight is the solar eclipse."
Damos gazed at the distant clouds from the temple platform. "The day of my promise to Arceus."
The platform felt eerily familiar—as if he could see through time, to where Giovanni and the others were battling Arceus.
A faint tremor rumbled beneath their feet.
Natsume's frown deepened. Ash suddenly pointed skyward.
"Natsume-sensei, look—Arceus!"
The clouds split. A space rift tore open—and a majestic being descended.
Its eyes locked onto Natsume, as if sensing the distant battle across time.
"By our pact, I return the Life Orb to you!"
Damos offered the orb. It split into five Plates, merging back into Arceus's golden rings.
Arceus nodded—then addressed Natsume, its voice devoid of emotion.
"You have disturbed time and space, Human."
Damos glanced at the black-haired young man in surprise.
"Better than letting a wrathful Arceus destroy the world," Natsume said flatly.
"...So in another time, I succumbed to hatred." Arceus's gaze turned sorrowful.
"Can you set things right, Arceus?" Ash shouted. "Stop the war between humans and Pokémon!"
Arceus studied Ash and Pikachu—then shook its head.
『I cannot.』
『But I can return you to your time... and grant you a chance.』
Its eyes met Natsume's. The resolve in this human's stare gave it pause.
"A chance to prove... the bond between humans and Pokémon."
...
Sinnoh Region, Michina Town.
Arceus's eyes burned crimson as it raised a golden hoof. The air rippled—time itself froze.
Dialga and Palkia flinched, unease flickering in their gazes.
Judgment beams rained from the sky, apocalyptic flames illuminating the ruined town!
Giovanni wiped blood from his lips, still smirking defiantly—
—until his eyes caught movement near the rubble. Three familiar figures stumbled into view.
"Team Rocket?" Giovanni muttered.
"BOSS GIOVANNI!!!"
The Trio burst into tears, scrambling toward him through the debris.
"Idiots, stop!" Giovanni barked.
A meteorite wreathed in crimson light hurtled down—
—only for Wobbuffet to leap forward, saluting sharply. "Wobbuffet!!"
The attack pinged off its barrier, exploding harmlessly midair.
The Trio gasped in relief. Giovanni blinked.
Since when did Team Rocket have elite operatives like this...?
"Boss! Boss!" Meowth thrust forward a glowing Life Orb. "We found dis in da ancient ruins, meow!"
Every eye on the battlefield locked onto the orb. Even Arceus paused.
Giovanni stared—then chuckled. "...Well done."
He exhaled, shoulders slumping.
"So... Mentor succeeded after all."
The Life Orb floated upward, splitting into five Plates that streaked toward Arceus.
"Dat was my treasure, meow!" Meowth wailed.
As the Plates returned, the crimson in Arceus's eyes faded—
『A chance...』 it murmured.
A space rift tore open. The battlefield fell silent.
Cynthia's exhausted eyes lit up with hope—
—as a black-haired young man stepped through.
Wind swept across the war-torn field. Deities stood still.
Natsume's hair fluttered as he locked eyes with Arceus.
"Arceus—I'm here to negotiate terms!"
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