In Burgh's art warehouse.
Torterra lay comfortably on the ground. Those faintly glowing clovers had been transplanted onto its soil shell, becoming even more verdant after absorbing nutrients. Lilligant carefully tended to the clovers and also found a gleaming golden leaf on the spiral tree growing from Torterra's back.
Another golden leaf appeared. They seemed to emerge on any plant—what power could be producing them?
Aegislash was using its psychic power to manipulate two star fragments, carving them into different shapes with its mental blades. At the moment, they were simply oddly shaped pieces of stardust, not yet charms with effects. To make them into talismans, special runes would need to be inscribed and paired with other stones.
Embed a Hard Stone to create a Charm of Hardness.
Embed a high-quality crystal to create a Charm of Power.
[Craft Item: Charm of Hardness]
[Effect: A talisman forged with mysterious craftsmanship and activated stardust that reduces all sources of damage by 20%.]
[Craft Item: Charm of Power]
[Effect: A talisman forged with mysterious craftsmanship and activated stardust that increases the power of all moves by 20%.]
Hikaru pondered for a moment, then placed the two charms on the rock embedded in Torterra's back. That rock bore the mark of Regigigas, making it quite unique. As soon as Hikaru placed the new charms down, the stone emitted a faint glow.
[Source: Remote blessing from the Guardian Stone]
This surprised Hikaru.
The Guardian Stone had been left back in Sinnoh, but Torterra's stone could somehow "connect remotely." Thinking back, when the Guardian Stone evolved Turtwig into Grotle, perhaps it had been preparing for this day.
[Under the Guardian Stone's blessing, the effects of the Hardness Charm and Power Charm are further boosted by 10%.]
"Now Kame-kame really is a big toolbox."
Hikaru smiled, stroking Torterra.
This guy had become his mobile workbench, a node of the Linking Tree, a herb garden, a charm forge. Who knew what functions it might gain next? Right—didn't it gain the special move Shell of Sunshine before? If he installed a solar panel on its shell, wouldn't it be able to recharge anytime?
Photosynthesis instantly refilling its battery—plus Torterra was Ground-type and wouldn't fear electric leaks. Truly perfect.
Next, Hikaru began repairing the Key of Giants.
He thoroughly cleaned away the decayed surface, then used Liberation Orbs to mend the fully destroyed parts. The ancient key regained its crystal-clear glow.
[Craft Item (?): Key of Giants]
[Description: A treasure once used by an ancient kingdom to worship the King of Giants. It opens the sealed Moon Gate. Though rotted and powerless, the mysterious craftsman's restoration has partially revived its function.]
[Note 1: A being with special aura can use this key to open the Moon Gate and travel between worlds, but it requires understanding the true nature of aura. To fully restore the key's power, three minerals from the depths of Mt. Rose are needed: Sun Stone, Moon Stone, and Dusk Stone from Mt. Rose. With them, a full deep-world traversal is possible.]
[Note 2: Even if you try to fake these minerals with Liberation Orbs, they will not work; Mt. Rose's minerals are unique and cannot be replicated to activate the key.]
[Note from the Linking Tree:]
[Long ago, a king used the Key of Giants to create a wondrous painting that summoned the King of Giants from another world. Using its power, he waged war against a civilization, leaving behind countless stone giant statues in the ruins of his city.]
Even with repairs, it was only half-finished. Hikaru handed the key to Riolu.
"Can you sense anything from it? Try releasing your aura."
Riolu hugged the key, ears lifting as it closed its eyes. Its unique aura began resonating with the key.
Then—
The aura-vision flew past Castelia City, crossing cities and mountains, reaching deep beneath cold, towering Mt. Rose. Something down there was stirring.
A colossal ancient gate remained tightly sealed, alongside a massive frozen boulder and collapsed statues—silent remnants of time, or perhaps of war.
Huge structures sank from the mountains into the earth.
The shadow of a giant fought with dragons.
The scenes were hazy, unclear. Riolu tried to understand aura's essence within these illusions…but hadn't it already mastered three kinds of aura? Was that not enough?
Aura resides within my heart.
Riolu sat cross-legged, placing its small paw on its chest, silently meditating.
"Riolu!"
Suddenly, Riolu felt a strange aura. Its cosmic star aura began glowing intensely.
Then it slipped into a dream.
"Eh?" Hikaru sensed the shift in Riolu's mind. Though it looked like it was simply meditating, it had fallen asleep, making him chuckle helplessly. Looking around at the other Pokémon, only Aegislash remained active by night; the rest were yawning widely.
Well, it seemed it was time to rest.
Hikaru took a Dream Bloom from Lilligant, combined it with stardust from the Trial Rock, ground down a meteorite into powder, and brewed two new secret medicines using techniques similar to crafting Revival Herbs.
[Medicine: Max Revive]
[Description: Appears as a transparent Revive with multiple star-shaped angles, radiating wondrous light. It far surpasses standard Revives, instantly restoring any Pokémon's life, vitality, and energy to full.]
[Effect: Use on a fainted Pokémon to remove all negative effects and fully restore its life, vitality, and stamina. Even near-death Pokémon are revived completely. It is less a medicine and more a "gift of life."]
[Medicine: Ultimate Evolution Potion]
[Description: An orange-yellow liquid resembling orange juice. Despite being called a Level Potion, it does not max out growth but instantly evolves a Pokémon into its final form. However, its level remains unchanged despite the evolved appearance.]
[Effect: Use on any first or second-stage Pokémon to instantly evolve it into its final form. Its base stats change to final stage values, but other stats remain. This is akin to premature evolution. For Pokémon with special pre-evolution forms, it may trigger unique birth phenomena.]
"Haaah…"
After finishing the secret medicines, Hikaru lay down to sleep.
As he drifted off on his bed, a familiar pink dream world swayed into view…but then, black mist began spreading across it.
The Mystic Keystone in his bag began glowing on its own.
"Huh?"
Aegislash noticed the glow, staring at it for a long moment.
When mysterious objects began glowing, it always meant something unexpected had happened. Seeing its sleeping companions, it quietly pushed open the warehouse door and floated outside, where it witnessed something unbelievable.
Above Castelia Museum, auroras shimmered. As a Ghost-type Pokémon, Aegislash could sense the agony from the surrounding "souls." It was shocked.
When they checked in, everything was normal. Why were there so many suffering souls now? Was the entire city trapped in nightmares?
And from the museum's entrance, a force radiated outwards—a mental power similar to its trainer's!
Spreading from the museum, it enveloped the entire sleeping city.
Aegislash drifted closer to the museum. It saw the silhouette of a Pokémon, but as it approached, the figure vanished instantly like a phantom that had never existed.
But Aegislash was not afraid of such things—after all, it was Ghost-type itself.
Finding nothing, it floated to the Pokémon Center. Inside, all electronics had malfunctioned. On the flickering static screens, black letters slowly appeared:
[I want to be born.]
[I want to die.]
"Are you…a Pokémon?"
The sudden human voice made Aegislash turn. A tall woman in a lab coat stood at the entrance: Professor Juniper.
She had rushed here overnight and immediately sensed something wrong—Castelia City had become a ghost town. Graffiti that once teemed with life now crackled eerily in the electrical static, and the streets were completely deserted.
Professor Juniper felt an intense unease. When she reached the museum, she found Aloe the curator, vice-curator Lenora, and many others in nightmare states.
She knew something about dreams thanks to a friend who studied them, but that friend wasn't nearby right now.
So she came to the Pokémon Center—only to encounter Aegislash.
Seeing its massive size, she tensed. This Pokémon looked formidable.
Could it be the one causing all this?
Of course, as a Pokémon professor, Juniper knew some Pokémon acted with specific goals. If their needs were met, they would leave peacefully. Thus, she asked what Aegislash wanted.
Aegislash: "???"
Ah! It wasn't me! Aegislash shook its ribbon arms.
Juniper blinked. "You're saying…this isn't your doing?"
Aegislash confirmed, giving a ribbon-thumbs-up.
Seeing such human-like gestures, Juniper relaxed. This Pokémon seemed reasonable—communication would be possible.
Aegislash floated closer. The Pokémon following Juniper trembled before its royal presence.
But as Juniper got a clear look at Aegislash, she gasped:
"Wait—you're that Pokémon from the news before!"
Oh! You saw that report? Unova's information network is impressive! Aegislash gave another thumbs-up.
"I'm going to investigate what's happening here. Will you help me?"
"Your trainer must be around too—please, lend me your aid."
Juniper lifted her case, sighing, "But honestly, my instruments are mostly failing. There must be a strong electromagnetic field here."
"Everyone in the city seems to be asleep, trapped in nightmares. I believe some Pokémon's power is synchronizing these nightmares across all minds."
She frowned at the flickering screen.
Wanting birth and death…what did it mean?
Aegislash pondered.
Then indicated it could help!
They just needed an electromagnetic shield.
Wait…if everyone in Castelia City was trapped in nightmares…
Uh oh!
"This isn't the dream world."
Hikaru gazed upon a deep black void, a monochrome cosmic starfield. Cold, lonely light drifted for untold ages. Beside him were Riolu and Lilligant.
"Lilli?" She was shocked to find herself here.
Riolu pointed at the glowing sphere ahead.
That orb! It created this place!
It dragged us in!
The blue puppy glared at the orb, telling Hikaru it was the source of the voice it heard calling earlier.
This place lacked color, empty and terrifying. Though white light shone, there was no warmth at all—it felt like the realm of the dead.
["Life is so beautiful. Tell me, is it fun to exist in this world?"]
["Before I was born, I was already dead. I crossed the endless stars, yearning for my birth. Each time I neared a new world, I thought, 'I will finally be born.'"]
["Why reject my call? Without birth, I stepped into death. The world rejected me. Life rejected me. I hated you all—hated all life. Must I die here alone in this desolate nightmare?"]
["Why me…why only me…how long will this endless journey last?"]
["How long will this endless death last?"]
["Someone, anyone—help me. Kill me, or free me from this nightmare. I no longer desire birth; I only wish for a peaceful death."]
["I left my homeland, crossed countless years, but never found the ending I sought. Should I hate the lives who possess the universe's gifts? But it is meaningless. Some lives are born. Some are destined to die."]
["If I was never to be born, why give me wisdom? I was captured by humans, placed in that museum. Its halls were filled with memories and knowledge, allowing me to understand myself."]
["But why…only at the moment of my fading did I come to understand the world? Who awakened me as I was about to vanish?"]
The orb darkened. Scenes of drifting through space flashed before Hikaru and Riolu.
It was a meteorite bearing a cosmic virus. After countless ages adrift, it found a brilliant world—but lacked the power to be born.
Its mind and body were split between worlds. Its mind remained in this black-and-white realm while its body lay in the colorful world. Pain, hatred, anger—a Pokémon had turned its nightmare into reality, trapping it here forever.
Lilligant sensed something.
A strange, powerful force was projecting the orb's memories into everyone's minds!
"The Pokémon trapped in a nightmare…so it was you."
Come to think of it, Castelia Museum's exhibits included a meteorite carrying a cosmic virus.
Bringing a certain Pokémon to investigate would trigger its form change.
"And only one Pokémon is born from the cosmic virus."
Hikaru understood the orb's true identity.
"You're Deoxys!"
At that moment, the Linking Tree's power surged into the nightmare world.
[Link Quest: The Life That Never Was (One of Cresselia's Requests)]
[Reward: Liberation Orb x5, Unknown Badge x2, Nightmare Energy x1, Cosmic Power x1]
[Note 1: A never-born Pokémon from space briefly revived from your Trial Rock's cosmic shockwaves. But it cannot stop dying—its mind is shattered, leaving only madness and pain. The meteorite's trapped memory spreads nightmares to all minds through Darkrai's power.]
[Note 2: The Linking Tree has increased the rewards. Use the Lunar Wing's power to let this life rest, or…help it to be truly born.]
(End of Chapter)
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