The Pokémon had overheard everything from earlier. They knew exactly what these bracelets were for.
Treecko cheered excitedly, "Chafu!" (Now we don't have to worry about danger anymore!)
If something went wrong during an expedition, the bracelets would instantly return them to the safety of the World Tree.
"Chansey!"
Chansey nodded in agreement. When everyone returned, she would use Oran berries, Gogoat milk, and Sacred Ash to heal their wounds properly.
The temporary guild leader, Wigglytuff, beamed with pride. He would venture into other worlds with Charizard, collect mission requests, and pin them up on the guild's request board for everyone to accept.
Excited chatter broke out all around.
Gyarados growled that he'd properly manage the supply shop, ensuring everyone had the items they needed for adventures.
Pawmot's parents pledged to take care of their hens and collect fresh eggs to prepare nutritious meals for the team.
Pikachu and Meowth said they'd do their best running the Pokémon Tavern, serving refreshing berry wines to weary explorers returning home.
Tropius announced he'd grow delicious bananas to treat everyone.
The Treecko family said they'd work hard on the guild's orchards and fields, growing fruits and veggies to make sure no one went hungry.
Naoki listened to the flood of Pokémon voices planning their contributions and felt a mix of helplessness and quiet pride.
He understood their enthusiasm. It was like they'd finally found a reason to use all the skills they'd trained so hard to learn.
If Arceus had truly guaranteed their safety, then there was no need for him to worry.
Still, Arceus had mentioned that other humans could pass through the time-space gate as well.
While Team Rainbow Rocket had been barred from entry, what about Red and the others?
Naoki briefly imagined a scene where Red wandered into the World Tree and began systematically challenging every legendary Pokémon one by one.
That would be too chaotic.
Unless a Pokémon served as a guide, it was unlikely anyone would end up here at random.
After giving a few final instructions to the guild Pokémon, Naoki left the expedition building.
He still needed to find Mew and Teddiursa and explain everything that had happened. When Arceus appeared, he'd left in such a hurry that he hadn't taken his Rotom Phone, and the Arceus Phone didn't have any calling function.
Now that Arceus had gone, time in this world returned to normal.
When Naoki got back to the ranch, he found Koraidon and Cyclizar anxiously searching for him.
As soon as they spotted him, a group of Pokémon rushed over, bombarding him with questions about where he had gone.
Naoki patted Cyclizar on the head and explained with a wry smile, "Me? I just met a pretty incredible Pokémon. He wants me and everyone on the World Tree to help Pokémon from other worlds who need saving."
Koraidon nodded with a serious look, while Cyclizar tilted its head in confusion.
So Naoki walked alongside it, patiently explaining the encounter in detail as they entered the house.
"He was Arceus, but not the one we fought before. This was His true form."
...
In the Reverse World
Arceus had not returned to His own realm just yet.
He hovered silently above the skies of the distorted dimension, gazing down at Giratina.
The Renegade Pokémon lay on the floating island of skyflowers, sprawled out, flicking through videos on a Rotom Phone like it had nothing better to do.
Since returning from "teaching a lesson" to Arceus, Giratina felt its entire mood had reached a new level. It no longer felt as irritable as before.
Now, sprawled lazily in a bed of skyflowers in the Reverse World, it nibbled an apple and prepared for its favorite part of the day, listening to fan messages.
"Rotom, read me the human comments!" Giratina said with a pleased grunt.
"Right away, Rotom!" Rotom buzzed as it pulled up Giratina's social media page. With a few zaps, it started reading aloud the latest fan messages pouring in.
"A user named [Black Rose] said: Ahhh, Giratina! Tell us what happened! What was the result of that battle?"
"[Flaming Red Lips] says: Who won that fight? You totally defeated the God of Creation, didn't you?"
"[Invincible Charizard] says: I knew it! You had to win! If you didn't, Michina would've been completely destroyed!"
"..."
Giratina nodded with smug satisfaction.
Of course they won. That so-called Creator God wasn't all that scary in the end.
That being said, even Giratina itself hadn't expected things to turn out like they did.
In the past, it had challenged Arceus countless times—sabotaging, provoking, even ambushing Him—but had always failed.
But this time… this time it succeeded.
For the first time, Giratina felt like Arceus wasn't unbeatable after all. Even the Creator of the world could be overcome by Pokémon and humans born of that very world.
As Rotom scanned the trending feed, it suddenly gasped in excitement.
"This is crazy, Rotom! The popularity of your battle against the Creator has surpassed 100 million views! People all over the world are talking about you and Cyclizar Mask!"
"Also—wow! Your follower count just shot up by 12 million in the last few hours, Rotom!"
Giratina's red eyes snapped open, a gleam of pride flashing in them.
"Did I surpass Calyrex?" it asked expectantly.
Rotom quickly pulled up Calyrex's profile, then reported with a sheepish tone:
"Nope. Calyrex gained 20 million fans."
Giratina froze.
"..."
Well, fine. That Pokémon isn't like the rest.
Besides, Calyrex really had been the star of the battle against Arceus. Those fans? Deserved.
Giratina admitted defeat on that front. No bitterness.
But just as it was about to relax again, Giratina suddenly felt a strange sensation, as if something was watching it.
"Hmm? What's that?"
It immediately sat up and looked around, eyes narrowed and scanning the skies.
There was nothing in sight.
"Was that just my imagination?" Giratina muttered, frowning slightly.
But in the very next second, out of the corner of its eye, Giratina spotted a figure floating high above, one that looked unmistakably like Arceus.
Giratina's pupils shrank.
Wait, no. Forget "looked like." That was Arceus.
The sudden realization sent a jolt through Giratina's body, and in an instant, a thousand thoughts flashed through its mind.
Was Arceus here for revenge?
Was He planning to imprison it in the Reverse World forever?
Just then, a deep and ancient sigh echoed across the skies, resonating through the fabric of the dimension itself.
Hovering in the air, Arceus gazed down at Giratina.
His thoughts wandered back to the moment He created Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina.
The world could not function without all three.
Dialga ensured the flow of time.
Palkia stabilized the fabric of space.
And Giratina. Giratina was not a mistake.
It and the Reverse World were vital, serving as the mirror that maintained balance and stability. Only when all three worked together could the Real World remain intact.
But Arceus had not foreseen one thing. Giratina's resentment.
It was believed it had been banished. Cast away.
Three centuries ago, Giratina had caused distortions in time and space across the Hisui region. And even then, Arceus hadn't punished it. He had simply summoned a human to resolve the chaos.
Now, centuries later, Giratina had joined forces with humans once again.
And this time, it challenged His own avatar.
That was the final straw.
Sacred light began to radiate from Arceus's body, blinding and overwhelming.
The energy rippled across the sky, washing over the Reverse World with divine pressure.
Giratina's body stiffened. It was pinned to the ground, unable to rise, crushed beneath the weight of that radiant power.
On the side, Rotom zipped around in panic, frantically trying to help.
It tried contacting Naoki. Nothing. The signal was completely blocked.
Giratina gritted its teeth.
Then, a deep voice boomed through the air. The voice of the Origin.
"Do you understand what you've done wrong?"
Arceus's divine tone echoed across the Reverse World, leaving no room for escape, no chance to defy.
Giratina clenched its jaws.
"Wrong? What did I do wrong?"
Giratina's thoughts were spinning.
Wait! Could it be that Arceus found out about the slanderous words it posted on the Internet?
Oh no. Giratina froze like a child caught red-handed. It lay flat against the ground, eyes wide with panic.
Arceus looked down at the trembling Pokémon and spoke slowly.
"I had hoped you would understand everything on your own. But you have disappointed me."
Those words pierced Giratina's heart like a blade.
To it, Arceus wasn't just the Creator. He was like a father—mighty, unreachable, but deeply respected. Even if Giratina always talked about making trouble or seeking revenge, deep down, it had always regarded Arceus as its fatherly figure.
And now, that same father was saying He was disappointed.
"I... I understand now," Giratina whispered.
After everything that had happened recently, the truth finally clicked.
Arceus hadn't exiled it out of punishment. He had placed it in the Reverse World for the same reason He entrusted Dialga with time and Palkia with space. Giratina was created to keep the balance, to support the real world alongside them.
Arceus let out another sigh, ancient and heavy.
"You are all important to me," He said. "Without Dialga, time would cease to flow. Without Palkia, space would fall into chaos. And without you, the real world would lose its foundation."
Giratina lay still, stunned.
He had never said those words before.
"So please," Arceus added gently, "do not betray the trust I placed in you."
With that, His golden figure glowed brightly, then slowly faded until it vanished completely.
This time, He had truly left.
The weight on Giratina's body lifted, but it didn't rise right away. It remained silent for a while, lost in thought.
Only after what felt like an eternity did it slowly take flight once again.
"What do we do now?" Rotom buzzed beside it, still shaken.
"That was terrifying, Rotom..."
Giratina turned its head toward its partner and gave a serious look.
"Help me write a clarification."
Rotom blinked. "Clarification? Clarify what, Rotom?"
"Clarify that Arceus isn't an evil Pokémon," Giratina replied, tone solemn. "He's the greatest god in the world."
...
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