Chapter 202

Slap!

That was fast! While the two myth researchers were fighting each other to become the "Chosen One"!

Giratina in the Inverted World suddenly felt a sense of panic and confusion!

At this time, Giratina had just returned from patrolling several ancient floating islands. The ancient Pokémon there were in good condition, happily basking in the "little sun," eating star berries from ancient times and high-quality apples planted in the present. The cruel fighting spirit they originally had was gradually fading; they seemed to like life here very much.

That's good. If the residents are satisfied, that is its greatest honor!

Because this is its world!

Thus, after finishing the patrol and using "Sunny Day" and "Heat Rock" to light up more floating islands and recharge the weather boxes, Giratina returned to the apple orchard next to the abandoned workshop.

The busy Applin gathered together, jumping up and down, carrying a pile of high-quality apples that had fallen from the trees, offering them to Giratina like tribute.

Giratina was not stingy either. After eating a few, it gave the remaining apples to everyone to share. The Applin gathered around Giratina, jumping up and down, enjoying the fruits of their labor, making satisfied clicking sounds.

Then, after eating the berries, it's time for training.

After finishing the routine tree-planting work, Scizor challenged Giratina. Although it lost repeatedly, it truly felt its body becoming sturdy and resilient. This steady progress made Scizor feel unprecedentedly fulfilled and happy!

But just as it was preparing to enter the sparring session, Giratina suddenly felt that its contractor seemed to have been targeted by something. Where did that gaze, which made even it feel great pressure, come from?!

Hmm! Something similar seemed to have happened last time! Through the reflection of the crystal, it saw the "battle" that took place near the Crystal Tower in Johto, but that was from the three legendary beasts of Johto. The battle between them was not worth its intervention.

But this time seems different!

"Gaa~ (You go hit the tree stump by yourself first!)"

Giratina immediately took off from near the apple orchard, leaving Scizor and the Applin behind. In the void, Giratina found a direction and widened its eyes. Small ripples appeared, and on a certain "mirror surface," Giratina's eyes emerged!

Hmm... this mirror surface is a bit strange, with a clear curve, like a... shield?

Through the mirror, Giratina saw a "battle," but the two sides of the battle were...

Oh my! Scared me to death!

Isn't that Luo! Why are there two of them!

Hundreds of years ago, it and Luo joined forces, intending to resist Arceus together and fulfill his wish, but this wish was blown to pieces by a human, and since then, it never wanted to think about these things again!

The words Luo used to insult it back then were still ringing in its ears!

【You actually want to run away, you're really spineless! It's because you wanted to challenge Arceus that I helped you!】

Back when it appeared in the Sinnoh Temple, that was also described as an "awe-inspiring" aura, but in fact, that human who fought monsters with their bare body was the one who truly made Pokémon awe-inspired!

What do you mean spineless?

You're the one with backbone! Your whole team was blown away by the opponent, and only then did you find me to come out as the final trump card to save face. You didn't beat the opponent, and you didn't look for your own command problems, you blamed it all on me. If you have the ability, you should take that guy down yourself.

"Gaa?"

Giratina watched the live broadcast for a long time and finally discovered that the "other Luo" seemed to be a woman.

Ah, so it wasn't that Luo turned into two, but that someone who looked very much like Luo was battling... Eh? Why are they fighting in the Sinnoh Ruins?

"Gaa?"

Come to think of it, Luo can be considered its former contractor. If they were to decide the winner in the Sinnoh Ruins, shouldn't it be a duel with the current one? Who is this woman who looks so much like Luo?

Hmm... even the team configuration is almost the same! Garchomp, Lucario, Togekiss... Oh, they rotated, Hisuian Arcanine VS Spiritomb?

Giratina was peeking when suddenly the "screen" moved, and following that, it saw a large purple eye blinking, staring at it!

Eh? What Pokémon is this? No, come to think of it, now is not the time to worry about Pokémon, hurry up and turn the screen back!

【???: Giratina's Witness】

Oh my!

The sudden appearance of the voice of God scared Giratina into closing its eyes, and the mirror ripples in front of it also disappeared. Giratina looked around in the Inverted World with suspicion. Except for the lit-up areas, the scenery in other places remained the same as before, with no changes.

Something was talking just now?! That voice... so familiar! Could it be...

"Gaa-gaa-gaa?"

Has that terrifying old father/old mother awakened?!

I haven't done anything for over a hundred years!

What is its contractor doing in the Sinnoh Ruins? Giratina changed direction and continued to peek.

————

"Gee!"

Aegislash was just staring at the shield because Giratina's eyes appeared on the shield!

Can my shield be used as a mirror now?

Ah, come to think of it, this is not important! Aegislash swung its shield and declared the "defeat" of a certain Pokémon!

Zhu Lan: "Hisuian Arcanine, a Pokémon I've never seen before! Hmm, the power of the move is full."

"Arcanine that lived in Sinnoh a long time ago were in this form! The Choice Band can amplify the power of Arcanine's Raging Fury to the extreme. The power of this item is far beyond my imagination, it's truly great!"

The ambition and fanaticism in Luo's eyes grew more and more inflated. And now, he still had two Pokémon, and Zhu Lan was the same. She still had one last Pokémon that hadn't appeared, but Luo knew what it was!

It's "Lucario"!

Hmph, keeping the final trump card, who will be the one to step onto the Stage of Light!

"Phew, well done, come back, Spiritomb."

Spiritomb, which had been knocked to the ground, returned to the Poké Ball. However, that Hisuian Arcanine's stamina was also consumed a lot. Of course, that wasn't recoil, but it was weakened by his Spiritomb with all its might!

That Hisuian Arcanine's ability is "Rock Head"!

When Zhu Lan learned about this Pokémon's ability, type, and moves, she only felt a headache!

Rock Head + Choice Band + Raging Fury?!

As long as it doesn't miss, any Pokémon that takes a hit will be injured, and it even knows Extreme Speed and a fire-type move called 'Big Resentment'! The strength of this ancient form of Pokémon is truly strong!

Although she tried to use Milotic to intercept it before, using the Choice series of items, the core tactic lies in rotating and switching moves. Luo is of course very steady and would not use an unfavorable type to deal with Milotic!

Finally, Milotic used Blizzard to break Luo's Garchomp. In Zhu Lan's view, it could be considered defeating one of the opponent's trump cards!

"Go, Garchomp!"

Zhu Lan sent Garchomp back onto the battlefield. Her Garchomp hadn't fallen yet and could continue to fight!

And Luo, unsurprisingly, immediately recalled Hisuian Arcanine. Zhu Lan showed a slightly annoyed smile: "You really never fight against unfavorable types."

Fire + Rock type is quite afraid of Ground types!

"Of course, I am quite cautious!" Luo smiled, and then his gaze sharpened: "Go, Togekiss!"

Egg-shaped body, covered in white fluffy fur, with broad triangular wings, like a chubby white airplane, with a three-part feather crown on its head.

Togekiss is known as the Pokémon that brings blessings. Since a long, long time ago, people have regarded it as a lucky charm, believing that it will bring various blessings to those who recognize each other and do not engage in unnecessary fighting.

Fairy VS Dragon! On the surface, the outcome is decided!

"Who is your initial Pokémon?"

Luo looked at the back of his Togekiss, and a rare touch of nostalgia and warmth appeared in his eyes.

"I am Togekiss. When it was still a Togepi, I took it traveling everywhere. We defeated countless strong enemies together, constantly experienced training, and suffered criticism and terrible treatment from others..."

"It is my first partner, and also my most powerful claws and fangs!"

"By the way, the Garchomp you defeated is my second partner!"

"Is that so... My initial partner was Gible." Zhu Lan was reminded of memories by Luo: "It was hatched from an egg by me."

"When it was still a Gible, it would bite everything, whether it was cloth, books, or tables. Although it was very hard at the time, it was really cute."

"Sometimes thinking about it makes me laugh. I didn't expect that it, who was so naughty before, has now become my excellent trump card. Because of the accumulation of the past, we have the present... In other words, our future is created by our present."

"My history... Hmm, although it cannot be perfectly expressed in one sentence, this is created by me and my Pokémon. It is incomparably precious to me. This is my bond with it, and the importance of other partners is by no means inferior to the initial companion!"

"Every one of them is a precious partner and close friend to me!"

"Although our teams are similar, our initial partners are very different. Mr. Luo, I probably know what kind of person you are. You are not like what you say, only treating Pokémon as claws and fangs. You also have bonds in your heart. This is why Arceus also chose you!"

Luo shook his head. Although he still wore a feigned relaxed smile, his tone was inexplicably heavy:

"You don't understand what I've been through at all."

"That must be a very terrible thing." Zhu Lan breathed lightly: "But all life will meet other lives and give birth to new things."

"You are not alone. Your partners are still by your side, with you."

"Sadness will be borne together, happiness will be laughed at together, traveling together, experiencing tests and training together, loving each other, leaning on each other, relying on each other, improving together—this is the relationship between a trainer and a Pokémon!"

"I can feel your dream and fighting spirit. You look very happy when battling, giving your all, because you are doing what you like, so you can be so enthusiastic, and battling is an important way for you to realize your dream."

"Isn't the reason why your Pokémon are so strong because you trust your Pokémon very much? In order not to live up to the expectations they receive, Pokémon's motivation will naturally surge!"

"I..." Luo has been pursuing mythology for hundreds of years. His mindset has long been different from what it was back then. If living with Pokémon for decades is just partners, then after living for hundreds of years, these Pokémon are like the extension of Luo's limbs, an indispensable part of life.

He has also experienced the passing of partners. Not every Pokémon can be as long-lived as Dragon and Fairy types.

Then, after the old partner died, he started training new ones again, new partners exactly the same as the past. Looking at the faces of the new partners, the images of those Pokémon that he had cultivated and sent away with his own hands would clearly appear before his eyes.

One day, our souls will meet again!

"The legend of the Johto region, the story from the ancient Sinnoh people, don't you know it too?" Guangtai walked to Aegislash's side. The work that should be done has been finished, and the full battle has also come to an end.

Listening to the conversation between the two chosen ones, Guangtai's thoughts couldn't help but return to the day he met Honedge.

"Ancient people obtained the life of Pokémon, and at the same time entrusted their own lives. Correspondingly, people and Pokémon established a bond deeper than the present. Every move of people is closely related to the power of Pokémon."

"Mr. Luo, your experience with Togekiss is exactly the verification of this legend."

"Trainers and Pokémon who entrust each other's lives, you say you are alone, but you actually have companions by your side long ago. That Pokémon silently protects you and walks side by side with you to this day."

"You who think you are alone are already very strong. If you can face the bond between yourself and your Pokémon, you will definitely move toward a stronger and higher realm, and that is exactly what Arceus wants to see."

"After long wandering, and the failure of cooperation with Giratina, you should have noticed it too, right? It likes this, and what it wants to promote is this. Only by letting humans and Pokémon understand each other, support each other, and become partners, friends, and even part of life, can different species continue in the history of this planet and move toward a better future."

"You really know my past, even Giratina...!" Luo looked at Guangtai calmly. Although he still couldn't remember where he had met Guangtai, but... that kind of thing is fine, it doesn't matter anymore.

Guangtai smiled: "Do you know about Arceus in other worlds?"

Luo and Zhu Lan were stunned at the same time. Luo even had a stiff tone: "What did you say?"

Arceus is the existence called God and Creator. How can there be "Arceus in other worlds"?!

What on earth is the mysterious craftsman in front of me talking about!

"In one world, that Arceus almost destroyed everything in that world. It can create all things, but it will not show mercy when it is disappointed in humans. The humans there are hateful and dark, using Pokémon, controlling them, and even Legendary Pokémon fall into their poisonous hands one after another, becoming their slaves."

"Thus, Arceus descended its wrath in the Sinnoh Ruins. It feigned capture, lured those ferocious people to gather. Those people brought the plates that can create all things, and they wanted to use Arceus's power to control the whole world."

"Arceus, who was betrayed, began to distrust humans and showed strong hostility toward humans, and therefore would attack humans unreasonably and violently."

"Despite this, Arceus still held a glimmer of hope to see humans shining with brilliance again, waiting for someone to be able to open their hearts to it. That world was finally protected by a not-so-serious hero. Whenever history undergoes drastic changes, there will always be a young person with firm beliefs standing at the center of history!"

"Mr. Luo, you may not be considered a bad person in Arceus's eyes. Although you were abandoned by humans full of hatred, twisted, and fell into a lonely self-pursuit, you still retain brilliance that cannot be erased."

"Even such a vicious and cruel world was not destroyed."

"In the new future promised by Arceus, there will definitely be a place for you. The new world does not need to be created; it is in everyone's future. This is my own little thought, but... the Unown also agree, right?"

Guangtai looked at the Unown surrounding him. These Unown looked at each other and then jumped up and danced happily!

They don't know Arceus's thoughts!

But the spiritual power on Guangtai is very positive! So, he is right, then Arceus chose him as the temporary spokesperson, this must also be Arceus's opinion!

"Phew, what a glib pair of people. Compared to them, the person chosen by God I knew before was more taciturn."

"A new world?! How many more secrets do you have? Everything about Arceus, everything about ancient mythology, everything about the Sinnoh people and Sinnoh Ruins, are you a human from another dimension, just like the person I once met?"

"Tell me more after I win this battle!"

Luo closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the fanaticism and ambition in those eyes had been restrained, replaced by purity. There was a smile on the corner of his mouth unconsciously.

A pure heart that wants to win here and show his history with Pokémon!

"My unbearable history, I have never forgotten it. I want to step on its wreckage and move forward. Togekiss, I must win! Fight with me!"

"Toge~!" Togekiss's eyes were also full of fighting spirit. It didn't want to live up to Luo's expectations; it wanted to respond to its master's heart!

Although the master has been saying that he is lonely.

But I will always be by his side until the end of life!

Even if it's just a little bit, if I can let the master feel that I am always with him, then that is enough!

(End of chapter)