Floating above the lake, Uxie let out a soft call, and two other tiny, ethereal Pokémon emerged in a shimmer of light.
"Aio~ei!"
"Aha~ya!"
The Pokémon to the left had a deep crimson head with four small braids, a grayish-blue body, and a red gem embedded in its forehead. Its golden eyes brimmed with emotion.
The one to the right had a triangular head, mostly sky blue, sharing the same body color and gem as the others. However, its gaze was steely and unyielding, filled with unshakable resolve.
"Mesprit and Azelf!" Irida called their names. She recognized them instantly—back in the great calamity, the Red Chain they created played a vital role.
Summer, too, was surprised. In a single day, he had encountered Mythical Pokémon, Legendary Pokémon, and the Lords of Hisui. And now, the Legendary Lake Guardians appeared before him. Hisui truly lived up to its reputation as an era of legends.
The three guardians of the lakes, embodiments of knowledge, emotion, and willpower—had they come to seal Regigigas?
The Red Chain they once forged could even subdue the rulers of time and space, so surely it could bind Regigigas as well.
The three Pokémon turned to Summer, their gazes scanning him.
Wisdom to understand the nature of the Plates.
Emotion to protect his companions.
Willpower to stand against overwhelming odds.
Yes—he was worthy.
The three Pokémon nodded to one another, then extended their hands. The fading energies of the shattered Plates began to swirl around them—steel, rock, and ice merging together.
A chain of three colors took shape in midair.
"GUGAAA!"
From below, Regigigas let out an earth-shaking roar, shattering the ice that bound it. The longer it remained active, the stronger it became.
But before it could move—
The three guardians vanished in a flash, reappearing around the titan in a perfect triangular formation.
The tricolored chain flew skyward, then came crashing down, wrapping tightly around Regigigas' colossal body.
"...Ah...urgh...grrhh...ssskkk…."
Regigigas let out a distorted, guttural groan, its white body losing its luster, slowly turning into a statue of earth and stone.
It stopped moving.
A long silence.
Then—
"Phew... It's finally over!" Irida collapsed onto the snow, fanning herself with her hands. "Ugh, the moment I relaxed, it suddenly feels hot… Ahhh, peace is the best!"
"But is it really over?" Sabi leaned in way too close, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "You can't just leave a giant legendary Pokémon lying around, you know~. And then there's rebuilding the temple, and—"
"Stop! Let me enjoy this moment first, okay, Miss Sabi?" Irida groaned, waving a hand to cut her off.
"Ooooh~ 'Miss Sabi'?" Sabi beamed, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I like that! Everyone still treats me like a kid, even though I'm not the youngest Warden anymore."
"Yuuyaa~"
"Aio~ei!"
"Aha~ya!"
The three Lake Guardians drifted back toward the group, their task completed.
Mesprit waved its tiny arms excitedly, clearly waiting for praise, while Uxie and Azelf remained calm and composed.
Irida bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. If it weren't for you, I don't know how we would've stopped it."
The guardians nodded in acknowledgment.
Mesprit turned toward Summer, about to speak—only for Uxie to shake its head, stopping it.
Reluctantly, Mesprit pouted, then vanished in a shimmer of light.
Azelf lingered for just a moment longer, its golden eyes meeting Summer's gaze.
"This willpower… I acknowledge it."
Then, it too disappeared.
Irida exhaled deeply before looking at the others. "And of course, thank you—Summer, Rei, Sabi. Without you, this crisis would've been impossible to stop. The Pearl Clan will always remember your help."
"As for Warden Brin… I'll go thank him later. Hopefully, he's not doing push-ups on an ice pillar again…"
"It's not over yet, though," Summer reminded her.
Irida's smile froze.
"The one who manipulated Darkrai—they're still out there."
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Rei clenched his fists. "If we don't find them, there's no telling what kind of disaster they'll cause next…"
"And then there's still rebuilding the temple~" Sabi added cheerfully.
Irida let out a deep groan, then—after a brief pause—sighed with a resigned smile. "Still, no matter what… Everyone is safe. And we protected our home. That's what really matters."
"So rebuilding? Piece of cake!"
"Heh, you're fired up, huh, Irida?" Sabi grinned. "I'll help! Braviary can carry all the little rocks~."
"Sabi—"
"Miss Sabi!"
"Fiiine, Miss Sabi… Ugh, if only we could find that scheming bastard, I'd throw him straight into Firespit Island's volcano! …Then again, maybe freezing him solid would be more fitting…?"
Now that the crisis had passed, Irida was fully relaxed, even talking to herself.
It was clear—she was genuinely happy.
Meanwhile—
Far atop a distant snowy peak, a golden-haired man lowered his spyglass, smirking.
"Interesting… So Regigigas truly holds such power."
Beside him, a shadowy figure flickered, barely visible against the snow.
"But without intelligence, it makes for a poor partner. Don't you think so, Darkrai?"
Darkrai remained silent, its glowing blue eyes filled with resentment. The burns from Okidogi's club were still fresh, making it look battered and humiliated.
"Heh… upset, are we?" The man—Volo—spread his arms wide, a contemplative look crossing his face.
"That brilliant crystal light… and that strange battle technique… Perhaps I should investigate further."
"Yes… all of this is necessary… to make Arceus kneel before me."
Then, he turned toward Darkrai.
"Ah, but I must take my leave for now." He chuckled. "Tell your 'master' that I was very pleased with this arrangement. After all, his goals align quite nicely with my own."
Darkrai glared at him, its hatred palpable.
Volo's smirk widened. "What? Does your 'master' control you, just like a mere trainer would?"
He let out a mocking laugh.
"How pathetic."
Then, with a wave of his hand, he tossed a Poké Ball—a Togekiss emerged, catching him mid-air.
"Well, I look forward to our next meeting."
And with that—
Volo soared into the skies, vanishing into the snowfall.
Darkrai stood there silently, before melting back into the shadows.
And once more—
The icy peaks of Hisui fell silent.
(End of Chapter.)