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After nearly fifteen rushed minutes, Ael finally reached his destination.
The Pokémon Center.
Though the name remained traditional, the building itself was anything but. Instead of a modest two-story structure, a towering skyscraper bearing the iconic red-and-white Poké Ball emblem rose into the sky. Sunlight flashed across its glass exterior, giving it a sleek, futuristic presence.
Calling it a Pokémon Center almost felt outdated.
In this golden era of League prosperitywhere humans and Pokémon lived in harmony the Pokémon Center had evolved into a comprehensive complex. League administration, trainer task management, Pokémon recovery and boarding, regional security coordinationit all operated under one roof.
Even in the early morning, when foot traffic was at its lowest, the first-floor lobby buzzed with activity.
Children around Ael's age stood beside parents and guardians, speaking eagerly with staff likely here for their own starter Pokémon.
Sharp-dressed professionals hurried past while speaking into comm devices, stepping briskly into elevators.
But most noticeable were the League trainers moving confidently through the hall, each accompanied by their Pokémon partners.
Ael watched them with shining eyes, a flicker of envy in his chest. The anticipation for his own partner intensified.
He did not stop at the reception desk.
Today was a day he had been preparing for since childhood. He already knew the procedure.
The starter selection floor was on the thirty-sixth level.
Once there, a staff member would guide him.
Fortune favored him the elevator doors slid open the moment he reached them.
"Ding."
The metallic doors parted with a crisp sound.
Stepping out were two trainers who looked like a couple.
A silver-haired girl with soft features.
A young man with a close-cut hairstyle and steady eyes.
Their fingers were intertwined.
They noticed Ael waiting. Understanding what today meant, they offered him warm smiles and slight nods before walking past.
Ael returned the greeting politely and stepped inside.
There was no jealousy in his expression. Romance was still distant to a ten-year-old boy.
Right now, his mind was entirely focused on the Pokémon he would meet.
The elevator interior was simple—just the Poké Ball emblem decorating the walls—but it moved with impressive speed.
Six or seven seconds later, the display jumped from "1" to "36."
He wasn't early.
Several children his age were already there, laughing and running around excitedly.
"Are you Ael?"
A cool, pleasant voice came from his side.
He turned and nodded firmly.
"Yes!"
Standing before him was a League staff member in uniform. Her violet hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, and her sharp eyes carried a faint trace of unspoken frustration beneath their calm surface.
"I'm Ami."
"Come with me, I'll show you the Pokémon."
Ael followed obediently.
He had done his research.
She was the designated starter selection coordinator.
The floor was vast. After winding through corridors, they stopped before a plain-looking door.
Ami entered a code, pressed her fingerprint against the scanner, and the door clicked open.
"Go on."
Ael took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The room was quiet.
Only the low hum of machinery echoed faintly.
Within the fifty-square-meter space stood over a dozen glass enclosures.
Inside each, a Pokémon watched him curiously.
Above every enclosure hung a Poké Ball, button facing downward.
Starter selection was mutual.
His desire alone would not decide anything.
Only when a Pokémon chose him by pressing the Poké Ball button from within would the partnership be sealed.
Ael's breathing quickened.
His eyes scanned eagerly across the room.
In a sand pit, a Sandile lounged lazily beneath artificial sunlight, casting him a sharp glance.
On a grassy mat, a Munchlax stuffed berries into its mouth without a second look in his direction.
In a small pool, a Poliwag swirled happily through the water.
Ael had long envisioned what kind of Pokémon would suit his dream of becoming a top League trainer.
As he studied their personalities, he compared each to the image in his heart.
Then—
He stopped.
Near the corner of the room.
Something tugged at him.
A subtle, inexplicable pull.
Before him stood a dark-blue Pokémon.
Its yellow, half-lidded eyes showed little emotion.
White band-like markings wrapped around its waist.
Orange cheek sacs pulsed gently as it breathed, letting out a soft croak.
"Croagunk…"
Ael blinked.
It wasn't exactly what he had imagined.
Yet the moment he saw it, he knew.
Whatever invisible thread guided him, it felt undeniable.
He knelt down, meeting its gaze sincerely.
"Croagunk."
"Will you… Come with me?"
—
Far beyond mortal sight, Arceus stood in silent observation.
The restored planet turned peacefully beneath its gaze.
Under its power, the shattered world had not only been repaired, but the timeline itself had been rewound to the moment before the nightmare's invasion.
It was as though the catastrophe had never occurred.
The Creator inclined its head slightly, satisfied.
Its hooves shifted as it prepared to depart.
It could not devote all attention to a single planet. After centuries of slumber, much required tending across the cosmos.
Then—
It paused.
Through Xerneas' final message, Arceus had learned of everything.
Including the key figure.
"A soul from another world…"
A flicker of interest stirred within its emerald eyes.
Its awareness extended, following the direction of that soul's departure.
Instantly, it sensed something peculiar.
A force—eternal, half-illusory like a macrocosmic law wrapped around the soul, blocking all external probing.
Even Arceus could not fully perceive it.
The Creator did not press further.
The universe was vast beyond comprehension. Strange phenomena were inevitable.
Still—
That foreign soul had awakened it.
Without that intervention, the nightmare might have destroyed the world completely. Restoring it later would have demanded far more divine power than this simple temporal reversal.
Even with its rational mind, Arceus understood reciprocity.
A gift deserved a return.
A soft hum rippled through space.
From its radiant aura, a single strand of golden divine light separated.
Guided by its will, the light drifted like a living current through the cosmos, heading toward where the foreign soul had vanished.
In the blink of an eye, it disappeared from this star system.
Arceus watched for a moment longer.
Then turned away.
Its figure faded into the depths of space.
Silence returned.
Only eternal stars continued to burn quietly.
—
Darkness filled Kael's vision.
A drifting sensation wrapped around him.
Unpleasant.
But familiar.
The system icon expanded suddenly, dissolving into countless blue particles that illuminated the void.
Scenes flickered before him like a projection reel:
A frail Machop lying on a cold operating table, surrounded by humans holding scalpels.
A still lake under starlight, a shadow seated quietly as azure wind drifted around him.
A ruined wasteland beneath a sandstorm, where a lightning-wreathed figure was swallowed by white light.
A towering armored warrior raising four arms as a crimson blade pierced the sky.
Memory after memory flashed.
Kael's dark pupils glowed faintly.
Ripples stirred within his heart.
Melancholy.
Confusion.
Joy.
Pain.
This life as Machamp had been his longest cycle yet.
Filled with struggle.
Danger.
Meaning.
Though shorter than a human lifespan, it had been rich beyond measure.
Most importantly—
He had understood something.
The purpose of endless reincarnation was not power.
It was the elevation of the soul.
The blue light faded.
"Ding."
A familiar chime echoed.
Blue characters materialized before him.
Final Evaluation in Progress.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!