Chapter 725: Heaven-Bestowed Divine Man

Compared to All Baimu.

Salamence and the others were clearly far more persuasive.

In just a few short sentences, Banette gave up its reckless attempt to seal the Spirit World entrance a second time — which showed that deep down it understood All Baimu was not Ryowa.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't run off, if…"

"Roooar."

"Raii~"

Salamence and the other Dragon Pokémon came before the self-blaming Banette, each extending a claw or wing to comfort it in low voices — how could they possibly blame Banette?

Banette was their partner; everyone had long since acknowledged that. No matter how dangerous it was, if a partner went missing, they would go looking.

If they blamed it for the chain of consequences that followed, they could never forgive themselves either — and it would be tantamount to insulting their dragon-tamer, shaming Ryowa, who had sacrificed himself for his partner and for the greater good!

Their dragon-tamer had already passed away; they did not want his death to be further tarnished, nor did they want Banette to keep drowning in self-reproach.

The partners' consolation swept away Banette's earlier stubbornness and frenzy entirely.

It knew very well that Salamence and the others, who had grown up with Ryowa since childhood and shared the same sky with him, could not possibly feel anything but worse right now — they would only be in more pain.

None of them wished more than anyone that Ryowa could come back to life.

But for its sake, Salamence and the others suppressed their grief, held back their tears, and comforted it — so weak and so useless.

"—I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Banette clung to Salamence's face and began to wail.

In an instant.

It turned back into the Banette from decades ago — timid and helpless, always able only to cry silently, always gently comforted by Ryowa's soft voice.

Yet seeing Banette like this.

Salamence and the others actually showed relieved expressions.

Banette hadn't changed; it was still the familiar partner, and to them that mattered more than anything.

The three Dragon Pokémon and Banette held each other tightly, just as their dragon-tamer had loved to do. He had said that a hug could pass on warmth, could let the other person feel your kindness and warmth.

"…"

All Baimu watched the scene and couldn't help stroking the Pokémon gathered around him, taking what little comfort he could.

Furong gently dabbed at the corner of her eye and looked up at the Spirit World entrance above. As a great number of lost souls flew in, it grew smaller and smaller, about to vanish.

"Little Hu Pa, please send my grandmother back for me."

She turned and said to Hu Pa.

"Huh? Okay, Hu Pa understands." Hu Pa, easy-going as always, nodded and opened a light-ring leading to Shenshan.

Before Furong's grandmother stepped through, she kindly patted its head. "Little Hu Pa, thank you. You must come visit Shenshan when you get the chance."

"Eh? Huh? Does Shenshan have doughnuts?" Hu Pa asked, licking its finger.

"Doughnuts?" Furong's grandmother clearly didn't know what that was and laughed. "We don't have any, but you tell Grandma what they are and Grandma will make them for you."

Hu Pa nodded eagerly.

Shanren had been watching the Spirit World entrance overhead the whole time. When the last lost soul slipped into it, the entrance — already reduced to the size of a pinhole — vanished without a trace.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the whole process had been rather winding, at least the ending was fairly decent…

Should count as decent?

He looked at Banette, weeping in the embrace of the three Dragon Pokémon, sighed and shook his head.

The dead cannot be brought back to life.

Even if they were, they would no longer be the same person.

All Baimu's experience had made him abandon a few idle thoughts, and when he looked at this friend of his again, his expression turned a little strange.

Essentially speaking, All Baimu was both Ryowa and not Ryowa.

So the earlier grandfather theory was simply invalid — if there was no middle generation, how could there be a grandfather? But outwardly, they would most likely have to claim it that way.

A human resurrected jointly by Arceus and Ho-Oh.

All Baimu's situation was exactly like those ancient rulers who styled themselves "Heaven-Bestowed Divine Men."

Except most of them were fakes, while All Baimu was real.

Make use of this identity?

…Well, All Baimu would most likely not agree.

Shanren knew very well that this friend of his had little interest in fame; he simply loved Pokémon battles and wanted to defeat every opponent and reach the very top.

The center of the field.

Salamence and the others released Banette and looked at All Baimu standing off to the side.

The nearly identical appearance made them daze for a moment, but they quickly came back to themselves and each let out a friendly low croon toward him.

Even though his looks, voice, and gentle manner were all alike, they would not treat All Baimu as Ryowa.

Because eyes cannot be faked, and neither can habits.

Ryowa's gaze at them always carried trust, passion, and warmth, while All Baimu's eyes held regret, kindness, and… strangeness.

This was not their dragon-tamer.

Helpless yet unable to refuse, Salamence and the others had learned everything from Hu Pa — knew that this was a child born from Ryowa's remains.

"Roooar…"

Salamence stepped forward, its rough claw gently stroking All Baimu's face, its eyes complex, as if reminiscing.

Suddenly.

Its face scrunched up and its neck stretched forward in a retching motion, startling every person and Pokémon present.

Baimu and Happiny were about to check its status when a large and a small, wet bead were spat out by Flygon.

"Roar."

It licked off the gastric fluid with its tongue, then bit the beads and passed them to the person before it.

Undoubtedly.

These are Flygon's Fossil and Key Stones.

Baimu had assumed that Dragon and had never passed the Trial of the Meteor, and thus possessed no Super Stone or Key Stone—yet Dragon and had hidden them inside Flygon's stomach.

But given the conditions of the underground arena at the time, revealing a Mega Evolution would have been troublesome.

Limitations of the environment.

Just as Dragon and had no fourth Poké Ball to store Cursed Doll, that era predated Professor Oak's time, and Poké Balls were likely not consumables as they are today.

"I will properly return this legacy to Meteor Village—along with the wooden tablet and the memorial tomb—and of course, you as well."

Baimu looked at Flygon, and at Sceptile and Dustox gently patting Cursed Doll's body with their wings.

After a Dragon Tamer dies, their Dragon Pokémon take up residence in the Long Chao, which lies closest to where the Meteor People bury their dead.

Flygon and the other two Dragon Pokémon nodded slightly, then nudged Cursed Doll, who was wiping away tears.

He said: "I understand."

Cursed Doll had forcibly flooded him with so many memories; honestly, not being angry was impossible—but to strike back or beat it up felt unnecessary.

After all, it simply didn't feel satisfying.

Perhaps because he understood that accepting Dragon and's death transcended all pain; no amount of torment could make Cursed Doll feel any deeper anguish.

Then.

Everyone departed through the gradually crumbling gap.

Marshadow had long vanished; this guide of Ho-Oh likely still had duties to fulfill.

Hu Pa took the three Dragon Pokémon and Cursed Doll to the Silvally City Pokémon Center for further treatment; once Dragon and's relics and the unnamed skeleton were separated, they would be sent together to Meteor Village.

Baimu concealed part of the truth, informing only Miss Xijiana in Hoenn via PokémonLine about discovering Dragon and's memorial tomb and the Dragon Pokémon.

It was morning in Orre, afternoon in Hoenn.

Miss Xijiana saw it immediately and reported the matter to the Elder.

By the time Baimu, Shan Ren, and Furong began breakfast, she replied that the Elder planned to summon all Meteor People abroad to prepare for Dragon and's return.

Dragon and was a generation older than the Elder; all Dragon Tamers his age had already returned their souls to Meteor Village.

Now that he had returned from Orre, his homecoming held great significance for the entire Meteor People, and thus the funeral to welcome Dragon and home would not be small.

"..."

Baimu finished reading the message and put down his phone.

Shan Ren asked: "Are you struggling over how to explain your identity?"

"Something like that." He truly didn't know how to tell the Elder all of this—perhaps he shouldn't tell at all; what meaning would telling even hold?

He had been born from Dragon and; wasn't he, in a sense, Dragon and's descendant?

Furong downed her MooMoo Milk in one gulp and said: "Baimu, don't worry about people looking at you with prejudice—I won't tell anyone your situation, not even to Champion Dawu or the others!"

"Actually, it's not—"

Baimu had wanted to say he didn't care about others' glances, but upon reflection, his condition might indeed be mistaken for something monstrous, inviting troublemakers to exploit it.

Shan Ren, ever attentive to his friend's expression, spoke up: "You can rest easy—none here will blab. Brito and the others don't know anything. Everything about you will be buried in that destroyed gap."

"Thank you."

Baimu gave a slight nod.

Breakfast was finished.

Furong did not return directly to Hoenn.

She borrowed Baimu's hoverbike, saying she wanted to tour Orre, since her Champion League appearance was still far off.

Shan Ren didn't even have time to pay her; he had to contact someone in Hoenn League who knew Furong to deliver payment on his behalf.

"Another potential threat eliminated—Huang Tie Town's development is unstoppable!"

He punched the air; the disappearance of the Spirit World entrance lifted a burden from his heart—next came how to convince that bastard N.

That's right.

Since his last argument with N, Shan Ren always added "that bastard" whenever mentioning N—seeming especially childish.

Baimu had hoped to mend their relationship, but both busy men never even got a chance to meet.

Looks like it'll have to wait until the Creation Valley begins growing food for Orre.

And as for the great contributor Hu Pa—

That poor little demon, forcibly dragged into serving as a portal, received a lavish donut feast from Baimu, accompanied by a Shiny Haunter to compete for the treats.

Sometimes, food tastes better when you're fighting over it than when you eat alone.

Hu Pa lived up to expectations, eating over thirty donuts before stopping; had its belly not swollen to bursting, one might suspect it had teleported the donuts away with its Light Wheel.

Later, Mei Mei Yali scolded Baimu for indulging Hu Pa's gluttony—even though he was her idolized Coordinator—finding an opportunity to give him a stern lecture.

This gave Baimu a full taste of how frustrating it was to be scolded by a younger sister, strongly resonating with Barza.

A day passed.

News arrived from Silvally City that the relics and the skeleton had been fully separated.

Baimu had planned to send them directly, but Meteor Village asked him to wait a little longer—the Meteor People overseas had not yet all returned.

Easy!

Just have Hu Pa help!

So Baimu went ahead to Meteor Village with Hu Pa, discussed matters with the Elder and several elder Meteor People, and began using the Light Wheel to retrieve them.

With everyone's help, all the Starfall folk who had left returned to Starfall Village.

Then.

After waiting for decades, Dragon He finally received his homecoming ceremony…

And his funeral.

The elder held a box containing Dragon He's robes and wooden tablet, singing a mournful ancient folk song aloud.

The lyrics, unlike the current language, moved the Starfall folk trailing behind to tears; even the most rowdy young Dragon Tamer wiped away tears with his arm.

The great dragons raised their heads and roared to the sky; the same roar echoed from the dragon nests on the horizon, and countless wild Pokémon watched curiously.

In the long procession.

Dragon He's Pokémon, Dragon and Cursed Doll, walked alongside the procession.

Besides the three Pokémon—Dragonite and two others—Dragon He had kept other Dragon Pokémon, all of which were present this time.

The three exceptionally strong Dragon Pokémon wept uncontrollably, each step heavier than the last.

Baimu, walking beside them as their descendant, felt his heart ache; though he had never cried before, his eyes now felt slightly damp.

He could not imagine how Dragonite felt.

Having once been heart-to-heart with Dragon He and achieved Super Evolution, its master's death was like losing half its soul.

Could it truly accept this?

Baimu knew he could never accept the death of any Pokémon—he would exhaust every means to bring it back to life.

Surely, in "The King's Ritual," when Small Mao faced the mortally wounded Raticate, he suffered the same pain.

The elder walked on until reaching Starfall Village's former homeland, Starfall Hollow, and the oldest Dragon Shrine.

She placed Dragon He's wooden tablet inside, then brought his relics into the Starfall folk's ancestral burial ground.

The Cursed Doll tried to follow inside but was stopped.

The Soul Tomb of the Starfall folk holds the ancestors of generations past—only the elder and the deceased's direct blood relatives may enter—

Not out of cruelty, but because the Soul Tomb is too small, and Dragon Pokémon are mostly enormous; if one entered, all would want to, so none were allowed.

The homecoming ceremony ended.

Starfall Village would hold a festival on this occasion; the Starfall folk had not gathered so fully in many years.

Baimu gave the Super Stone and Key Stone to the elder.

He had already received one Key Stone from the Starfall folk; he could not keep this one for himself—that would be too heartless.

"Won't you use your grandfather's Key Stone?" the elder asked gently.

Baimu refused: "I already have my own Key Stone. My grandfather Dragon He's Key Stone shall, according to Starfall folk tradition, be passed to the next one."

"Very well."

The elder smiled and took them away.

Coming out of the Dragon Shrine.

Baimu exhaled a long breath; his origins were finally clear, but he didn't know whether he should be glad.

A human created by Arceus…

Theoretically, he should be on par with the Spatial and Temporal Dragons, the Antimatter Dragon, and the Lake Guardians—no wonder his pure Dragon Heart suddenly mutated into a Divine Heart.