The aircraft continued to shudder beneath the repeated attacks.
Another impact struck the fuselage, tipping the plane sharply to one side. Passengers screamed as anything not properly secured slid across the cabin.
"Help!"
"Mom, I'm scared!"
"Are we going to crash?"
"What are those things outside?"
"How can wild Pokémon even fly this high?"
One man clutched his seat belt with both hands.
"I can't die! I still have three college girls spending my money!"
No one had the composure to question that confession.
The cabin dissolved into crying, shouting, and desperate prayers as explosions continued to thunder against the aircraft's hull.
Aaron alone remained calm.
Then a clear, ethereal voice reached him.
"Aaron... I can sense it."
The voice belonged to the miniature Arceus sleeping within the Zap Plate.
"It carries the presence of the Inner World."
Aaron's expression changed.
The Inner World? Wasn't it sealed?
"The seal has not completely broken," Arceus replied. "The presence is still faint. A small rift must have opened somewhere nearby, allowing several Shadow Pokémon to escape."
Aaron looked through the window at the dark creatures repeatedly diving toward the plane.
So those things came through the rift.
"Yes."
Arceus's voice grew grave.
"If cracks are already beginning to form, then the seal is weakening faster than I expected."
"Aaron, you must find the remaining Plates."
"We are running out of time."
Aaron exhaled quietly.
All right. A small rift is better than the whole seal collapsing.
He leaned back against his seat.
Don't worry. Even if collecting those Plates ruins any chance I have of ever getting married, I'll find them all.
Arceus did not answer.
Apparently, the conversation was over.
A familiar chime immediately sounded inside Aaron's mind.
[Ding~ Quest Triggered: Steal the Spotlight!]
[Ten thousand meters above the ground, an aircraft full of terrified passengers, and hostile Pokémon attacking from every direction—could anyone ask for a better entrance?]
[Objective: Defeat the Shadow Pokémon and save the aircraft.]
[Rewards: Sceptilite ×1, Key Stone ×1]
The System's excitement made Aaron suspicious.
You really enjoy putting me onstage, don't you? Is this some weird obsession of yours?
Her irritated voice immediately snapped back.
"You do remember that I can hear your thoughts, correct?"
"I am a perfectly respectable System. Stop projecting your issues onto me."
Aaron immediately adopted a solemn tone.
My apologies. Clearly, I misjudged your pure and selfless motives.
"Keep talking, and I'll remove the rewards."
Aaron wisely fell silent.
The plane had begun losing altitude.
Warning alarms blared throughout the cabin as passengers screamed for their families. The sharp smell in the air made it clear that more than one person had lost control of their bladder.
The masked woman beside Aaron was trembling uncontrollably, cold sweat running down her forehead.
The elderly couple in front of him had already fainted and now hung limply against their seat belts.
Aaron calmly unfastened his own.
Despite the aircraft's violent movements, he rose without stumbling. He adjusted his balance with each sudden lurch as though the floor beneath him were perfectly stable.
His actions immediately drew the attention of the surrounding passengers.
Aaron made his way down the aisle toward one of the flight attendants, who was holding tightly to a support handle.
"Could you open the emergency exit for me?"
She stared at him.
"What?"
"I need you to open the door."
Her eyes widened.
"You're planning to jump?"
She raised her voice over the alarms.
"That's suicide! We're still thousands of meters above the ground. Even with a Flying-type Pokémon, the air is too thin and the wind is too violent."
Her grip tightened around the handle.
"Unless your Pokémon is Champion-level or stronger, it won't be able to fly safely out there."
Aaron met her frightened gaze.
"I'm not trying to escape."
His voice remained steady despite the chaos around them.
"I can save the plane."
The flight attendant stared at him, unsure whether she had heard correctly.
Aaron continued:
"Those creatures will keep attacking until the aircraft breaks apart. If I stay inside, everyone dies."
He glanced toward the emergency exit.
"Open it and let me deal with them."
The confidence in his voice made her hesitate.
She studied him for several seconds, remembering how calmly he had handled the earlier confrontation and the strange pressure he had released inside the cabin.
"You're serious," she whispered.
"Yes."
The aircraft shook again, nearly throwing her from her feet.
Aaron caught her arm and steadied her.
"We don't have much time."
The flight attendant swallowed hard.
Then she nodded.
"All right."
Her voice still trembled, but her decision was firm.
"If the alternative is waiting for the plane to come apart, then we'll take the chance."
She began making her way toward the emergency controls.
The surrounding passengers immediately erupted.
"What are you doing?"
"You can't open that door!"
"The pressure will tear us out of the cabin!"
"There are monsters outside! You'll let them straight in!"
"Stop her!"
Several passengers reached for their seat belts as though preparing to intervene.
"The door stays closed!" someone shouted. "We'll all die if you open it!"
Aaron turned toward them.
The cabin was already shaking itself apart around them.
Yet once again, the passengers who understood the least were shouting the loudest.
...