In the hidden realm beyond the fog, Arceus stood silently, eyes watching the unfolding scenes.
Even with their memories sealed, they still remembered each other.
The bond between them ran deeper than Arceus had expected.
Just how much does Naoki love Pokémon?
Before Arceus could reflect further, Tapu Fini let out a surprised cry beside him.
"Fin-fin!"
Following its gaze, Arceus turned to look—and saw it too.
The illusions surrounding the other Pokémon had begun to change as well.
—
'No. This wasn't right.'
Staring at the human trainer in front of him, Cyclizar's heart pounded in panic.
This person… wasn't his trainer.
A surge of unease flooded his chest. Something was wrong.
He took a step back, then another.
Mayor Thomas and the others stared in confusion as Cyclizar suddenly turned and bolted.
He ran down the road, hooves striking the earth as he searched, without direction, without rest.
He had to find that person. The one who truly mattered.
The sun rose. The moon followed. Seasons came and went. Still, he wandered.
Snow blanketed his scales, then melted away.
Through valleys and forests, cities and cliffs, he searched. But no matter how far he went, no matter how long he traveled, he couldn't find that person.
Not anywhere.
One day, Cyclizar stood on a cliff, gazing at the sun as it dipped below the horizon. His chest ached, his eyes heavy.
He threw his head back and roared, a long, echoing cry filled with sorrow.
Like a dog who had lost its owner, he wandered on.
Tail low. Heartbroken.
Eventually, he found himself back in Kosaji.
But he didn't return to Thomas's house.
He went straight to the ranch from his dream.
The place where he had once been happy.
It wasn't the same anymore.
What was once a lonely patch of land had become a luxurious manor, lined with gardens and marble fountains.
But Cyclizar didn't bother the people who lived there.
He simply settled nearby.
And waited.
Day after day, he stood watch.
Waiting for the boy who had once called his name.
Years passed.
The wind grew colder. His steps became slower.
And on a rainy afternoon, while lying beneath a tree on that hill above the ranch, Cyclizar quietly closed his eyes.
And never opened them again.
...
In the Paldea region, nestled in the heart of Levincia, stood a well-known Pokémon Research Institute.
Ever since the kind-hearted girl had brought Pawmot here, it had settled into life much like the other Pokémon at the institute, eating the meals provided by the professor and quietly waiting for the day a worthy trainer might choose it as their partner.
One by one, the other Pokémon who had become close to Pawmot were chosen by new ten-year-old trainers, setting off on their own adventures as starter Pokémon.
At first, the professor had considered Pawmot for this very role. But after examining its condition and records, the truth became clear.
Due to the prolonged trauma and physical toll of its time at the abandoned ranch, Pawmot's body was in poor shape. Its natural talents were stunted, and it could barely summon a weak electric current, something that took several minutes to charge.
For an Electric-type Pokémon, that kind of impairment was nearly insurmountable.
The professor knew this. So did the trainers.
None of them chose Pawmot.
Even so, Pawmot didn't give up. It longed to grow stronger and often thought back to those days at the ranch, standing on the roof of the old barn, watching Flying-type Pokémon soar overhead.
Pawmot used to dream of flying too.
Of spreading its limbs and soaring through the clouds.
But dreams like that were far out of reach.
And so, Pawmot remained behind in the research institute's ecological park, unchosen and unnoticed.
Decades passed.
The once small and timid Pawmot, now gray and frail, died of heartbreak in the same quiet park it had lived in its entire life.
It never saw its parents again.
...
Dragonite returned to that cliff every single night for the rest of its life.
Being a Dragon-type, it lived far longer than most Pokémon, so long, in fact, that it eventually forgot why it kept visiting the cliff in the first place.
Over the centuries, Dragonite encountered many humans.
Some of them were seasoned trainers. Some were strong. Many tried to capture it.
Occasionally, a few succeeded.
Dragonite would awaken inside a Poké Ball, only to break free moments later and flee with all its strength, ignoring its captor's commands.
It didn't know why it resisted.
It just had to.
Eventually, some trainers realized it wasn't meant to be. They released Dragonite, respecting its will to remain free.
Over time, rumors of a reclusive Dragonite living near Casseroya Lake began to spread.
More trainers came.
But Dragonite no longer cared.
It withdrew deeper into its world, always following the moonlight back to that same cliff.
The moon waxed and waned.
Years turned to decades.
Decades turned to centuries.
And on a silent night, with the stars twinkling softly overhead, Dragonite finally lay down for the last time.
It closed its eyes, still uncertain, still holding questions it could never answer, and fell asleep forever beneath the sky it loved.
...
On the western bank of Casseroya Lake.
A Gogoat stood beneath the shade of a fruit tree, nibbling on grass alongside two companions. They had traveled far from their usual grazing spot in search of fresher, juicier forage.
The fruit here looked delicious, plump, ripe, glistening in the sunlight.
Excited, the Gogoat approached the tree, eager to grab a bite.
But before it could, a wild Pokémon leapt from the underbrush.
It was strong. Aggressive.
Startled, Gogoat tried to fight, but the attacker was too powerful.
Overwhelmed, the Pokémon turned and fled, darting between the trees in a frantic panic.
It had hidden itself in a cave, its body battered and bruised. But without proper care or healing, the injuries became too severe. In the end, the Gogoat lost its life quietly, alone in the darkness.
When all the illusions faded, Arceus stood still, silent for once, staring into the mist where the scenes had played out.
Was this what they called the bond between humans and Pokémon?
At that moment, Arceus could clearly perceive it—an unseen force flowing through Naoki and his Pokémon. A force not of power, but of connection. Of trust. Of something deeper.
The Gogoat's life had been so short. Without ever meeting that human, it would have perished long ago in obscurity.
That, Arceus understood. In the wild, life and death came and went like waves. It was nothing new.
But what had truly astonished the Creator were the stories of the other three Pokémon.
The Dragonite, even with its memories sealed, still followed the same path to the cliff every single night. It didn't know why. It couldn't remember what it was waiting for.
And yet, it went.
Then there was the timid Pokémon—Pawmot—who had once been frail and frightened, yet through its bond with that human had grown strong, brave, and resilient. A reliable partner in every sense.
That too was extraordinary.
But the Pokémon that touched Arceus the most… was the one named Koraidon.
No, not Koraidon. Its true name was Cyclizar.
The bond between Cyclizar and Naoki ran deeper than memory, deeper than instinct. It had turned into something far greater.
Even after its memories were sealed, even after being flung into an illusionary world, Cyclizar's longing never faded. Its heart remembered what its mind had forgotten.
Not even time or space could erase it.
When Arceus had heard Cyclizar's cry, a cry of helplessness and sorrow for the trainer it could no longer find—even He, the god of all creation, had felt a stir in His heart.
And beside Him, Tapu Fini was no longer watching in silence.
Tears streamed down the eyes of the guardian deity of Poni Island.
"Fin fin..."
'It's wonderful that they were able to reunite!'
Thinking of what the God of Creation said before, Tapu Fini turned and asked softly, "Fin-fin?" (My lord, have they passed the test?)
Arceus, who had been quietly watching, returned from His thoughts and gave a gentle nod. "Yes. They have passed."
"Fin-fin!" That's great!
Tapu Fini let out a joyful cry, the sound light and relieved.
Arceus continued to gaze at Naoki and his Pokémon, who were now slowly beginning to awaken within the mist.
Within his mind, a silent resolution formed.
With this, the task could be entrusted to him.
But... the time had not yet come.
After a moment of stillness, a quiet ripple of divine power stirred the air. Then, several glowing Z-Crystals—Z-Pure Crystals—appeared, descending slowly from the sky and landing before Tapu Fini.
Tapu Fini blinked in surprise. "Fin-fin?" (These are…?)
"They will need these," Arceus said calmly. "And you shall give them to him in My place."
Tapu Fini hesitated, then tilted its head. "Fin-fin?" (You're not going to meet them yourself?)
Arceus slowly shook His head. "The time is not yet right. I will be leaving shortly. I'm entrusting this place back to you. And one more thing, please do not tell them I was ever here."
Tapu Fini paused, then gave a small, solemn nod. "Fin-fin."
Arceus glanced at it one last time, then vanished in a radiant burst of light.
As His presence faded, so too did the thick mist that had enshrouded the ruins.
The sun broke through the fog, casting warm rays across the ancient stone floor.
Naoki stirred, groaning softly as he rubbed the side of his head. His vision adjusted—and the first thing he did was whirl around, eyes wide with worry.
But then he saw them—just ahead, not far from him.
Koraidon.
Dragonite.
Pawmot.
Gogoat.
They were waking up too.
Relief surged through him like a wave, and he exhaled with a deep, shaky breath.
It really was all an illusion created by the fog.
At that moment, Koraidon and the others blinked awake. For a moment, they seemed disoriented—but the instant they laid eyes on Naoki, their expressions shifted.
Tears instantly welled up in their eyes.
Without hesitation, the four Pokémon cried out and ran straight toward him, their faces full of fear and sorrow.
Dragonite gave a low, trembling roar as tears spilled down its cheeks. Its wings flared out as it rushed to Naoki, throwing its arms around him with a loud, sniffling wail.
"Woo…"
It had waited for so long. It had cried so much. And Naoki hadn't come for it. That pain, it still clung to its heart.
But before Dragonite could even finish hugging him, a shadow passed over its shoulder.
Koraidon, usually the proudest of the group, now wore a pitiful expression. It gently but firmly nudged Dragonite aside and buried its head into Naoki's chest.
"Ah... gash..." came the muffled, shaky cry from the giant Pokémon.
Even Gogoat and Pawmot were openly crying now.
"Bamo…" Pawmot whimpered, its fur damp with tears.
Since Koraidon had claimed Naoki's chest, Pawmot dove right into his lap, sobbing like a child.
Naoki looked at them, utterly speechless. His arms slowly lifted, wrapping them all in a warm, protective embrace. His hands gently wiped the tears from their faces, one by one.
He didn't need to ask. He didn't need to hear their stories.
Whatever they had experienced in that dream world… it had been painful.
Just like he had missed them, they had missed him too.
They had waited for him.
And he had come back.
Eventually, the sobs quieted. The Pokémon sat close to him, sniffling now and then, but their emotions finally at peace.
Naoki stood up slowly, his eyes lifting.
In front of them, Tapu Fini now hovered gracefully, bathed in soft light.
The guardian deity of Poni Island looked at Naoki with gentle, approving eyes.
Then, it raised one arm.
A soft glow swirled around its hand, and several crystalline objects began to float toward him, each one radiating a gentle light.
Z-Pure Crystals.
Naoki reached out quietly as they drifted closer, his heart pounding softly with wonder.
...
Bonus @2000PS