"Viree~"
After kicking Aggron's sturdy body, Electivire scratched its head in confusion.
Even at full power, it hadn't managed to knock it out in a single blow. For a moment, it wondered if something was wrong with its own strength.
But now, it seemed that this opponent was just an exceptional tough Pokémon.
"Rotom, scan it."
"Roto!"
At this moment, Paul already had enough Pokémon with him, he had no intention of capturing it first and then scanning it like before. Instead, he simply pulled out his Rotom Phone.
Rotom floated up, emitting a beam of light that enveloped Aggron, swiftly performing a full-body scan.
"Scan complete. Data are as follows."
Returning to Paul's hand, the Rotom Phone displayed Aggron's information:
Aggron
Type: Steel, Rock
Gender: Male
Ability: Rock Head (Prevents recoil damage from moves that cause self-inflicted damage)
Moves: Heavy Slam, Metal Burst, Iron Defense, Double-Edge, Rock Tomb, Rock Polish, Earthquake, Endure
Height: 2.7 meters
"Not bad, a battle-hardened Pokémon."
After reviewing the data, Paul nodded slightly.
Compared to the Metagross he had captured which was still in its early stages of growth, this Aggron was clearly a seasoned warrior.
The scars covering its body and the powerful moves in its armory were clear indicators of its extensive combat experience.
Most intriguing was its Rock Head ability rather than Sturdy.
Initially, when Paul saw Aggron using Metal Burst, he had assumed it had Sturdy, allowing it to survive a fatal blow and retaliate.
But upon seeing its moves, he realized how absurdly resilient it was—it had managed to use Endure and Metal Burst in succession, preventing a one-hit KO while counterattacking at the same time.
If Electivire hadn't reacted swiftly and blocked most of the damage with Protect, it might have actually been taken down despite being at full health.
In terms of raw strength, even the Metagross he had trained for a long time might not necessarily be a match for this Aggron.
"Worth keeping."
Paul pocketed his Rotom Phone, then took out a Poké Ball and tapped it against Aggron.
The ball clicked open, engulfing Aggron in a beam of red light before sealing shut.
Perhaps due to the overwhelming damage from Electivire's attack, the Poké Ball barely shook before it stopped.
Aggron successfully captured!
The moment the capture was completed, the Poké Ball shimmered slightly before disappearing into the Pokémon training facility.
Since Aggron was now secured, Paul decided to leave its training for another time when he returned to Veilstone City.
For now, his priority was understanding the strange behavior of the Unown.
The Mystery at Spear Pillar
After some searching, Paul caught up with the swarm of Unown, but the more he followed them, the more puzzled he became.
"Spear Pillar? What are they doing there?"
Paul had some knowledge of Spear Pillar's current state—after the collapse of the distortion space within it, it had supposedly vanished entirely from this world.
Moreover, following the Team Galactic incident, several mysterious ruins had emerged across Sinnoh, revealing traces of ancient power.
However, with nothing left to uncover at Spear Pillar, most people had lost interest in it.
When Paul reached the entrance of Spear Pillar and took a quick glance inside, he discovered that the interior was exactly like a man-made cave, with nothing inside—completely empty.
Yet, the Unown swarmed within, filling the space with their cryptic glow.
"…Should I go in?"
Paul, ever rational, didn't rush in recklessly. Instead, he observed from a distance.
Suddenly, at a certain moment, he felt a powerful presence resonate within his heart—a calling so immense that he instinctively recalled Electivire and stepped forward into the cave.
When he came back to his senses, Paul found himself standing in the center of the cave.
Around him, countless Unown hovered in formation emitting a radiant glow. Strange patterns on the ground flickered with mysterious energy.
Before Paul could react, the fabric of space rippled, and fragments of red chains materialized, dissolving into dust upon touching the glowing symbols on the ground.
A surge of crimson light erupted, growing in intensity until it turned into golden radiance, completely engulfing Paul's vision.
In that instant, Paul felt himself soaring through the vast expanse of the cosmos, drifting amidst swirling galaxies and endless chaos.
From the depths of the void, a blinding golden light emerged—a presence of limitless power appeared before him.
A being beyond all comprehension.
At that moment, his Rotom Phone flew out of his pocket on its own.
Rotom, seemingly unconscious, detached from the device while the mysterious golden light enveloped the phone.
As the light faded, the phone had undergone a transformation—a divine golden ring embedded itself into the back of the device.
Rotom, now reabsorbed into the phone, pulsed with a light glow before settling once more.
Paul instinctively reached out and grasped the phone, but found himself unable to speak.
Then, a voice—echoed within his mind:
"When you attain true enlightenment and stand at the peak of the world, I shall appear before you once more…"
And then—darkness.
Awakening in Hisui...
Hisui Region, Mount Coronet Foothills
A lone figure lay unconscious on a desolate mountain ridge.
Paul, gripping an unusual phone tightly in his hand.
"…Where am I?"
Paul slowly regained consciousness.
As he opened his eyes, he was met with a sight that instantly snapped him awake—a massive distortion in the sky, swirling like a black hole, warping the fabric of space itself.
Yet, despite its ominous presence, the anomaly remained eerily stable, causing no disasters or destruction.
Paul sat up, taking in his surroundings.
The spatial distortion spanned only a few dozen kilometers, as if restricted to this specific area, while the rest of the sky remained normal—though dim and overcast.
His eyes then fell upon the device in his hand.
"…An Arc Phone?"
After calming down for a while, Paul looked at the phone in his hand and instantly recognized it.
It looked exactly like the modified phone used by the protagonist in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Shaking the phone slightly, he called out:
"Rotom, are you alright?"
"Reporting to Trainer! Rotom feels better than ever! Both the phone and I have undergone a complete transformation—I feel strong, energized, and… powerful!"
On the screen, Rotom's face appeared, its eyes gleaming with newfound confidence.
Paul frowned slightly. "So it really did alter you. What's different about the phone now?"
Though the memory of his strange transition into this world was still fresh in his mind, his priority was understanding the new functions of this Arc phone.
Rotom proudly explained:
"Roto~ Here's what's new!
No charging required! It absorbs ambient energy from the world to sustain itself.
Processing speed and memory have increased tenfold! And I can evolve further as my power grows.
Three new features unlocked:
Map Function – I can scan the surrounding terrain using psychic energy and generate detailed maps covering kilometers of distance.
Quest System – Currently empty, but new missions may appear over time.
Time-Space Travel – The phone can enable time travel, but it requires a vast amount of special energy to activate."
After finishing the explanation, Rotom puffed up smugly and added:
"Oh, and one more thing! I'm the only Rotom in existence that can merge with this phone—no other Rotom can enter it!"
Paul gave a rare smirk. "Not bad."
As he pondered the implications of these new functions, a thought weighed on his mind.
"But… how am I supposed to get back?"
Just as Paul was contemplating on how to return, Rotom's voice chimed in once more:
"Important reminder, trainer! You have less than 15 hours left before your return to your original world. Please take note!"
"Can I return directly?"
"Yes, Roto! According to the information from your phone, since you traveled through it, you will be able to return after a certain period of time."
"Of course trainer, you also have the option to refuse to return. However, if you choose to stay, there is no guarantee of when you will accumulate enough energy to travel back."
After some thought, Paul asked, "You said 'original world.' So, that means… I didn't just travel back to the ancient past of Hisui—I actually ended up in another world?"
Even though everything around him strongly resembled the so-called Hisui region, different worlds weren't necessarily the same. The Hisui of this world might not be the ancient Sinnoh of his own world.
"That's correct, Roto! This world is not the past timeline of the original world—it is a completely different one."
"Got it. Let me know if there's any other important information."
With that, Paul put the Rotom Phone back into his pocket.
"Understood, Roto~"
After responding, Rotom once again activated its Natural Meditation Technique and went into a deep meditative state.
As for Paul, now that he knew he didn't have to worry about being stranded here, he immediately began planning how to make the most of the "opportunities" in Hisui.
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