After being released by Nathan, the three legendary Pokémon still looked somewhat confused. Did Nathan bring them out to participate in a match?
"Huh? A battle? Why would it be held in a place like this?"
Entei asked, glancing suspiciously at the eerie surroundings.
This place looked nothing like a battlefield.
"This isn't a match. We're inside a mysterious realm,"
Nathan explained after hearing Entei's question.
A mysterious realm?
The three legendary Pokémon – Entei, Suicune, and Raikou – all glanced around. Not far off, they could see the glowing boundary of what seemed to be the realm's exit.
If it was just a mysterious realm, why did Nathan summon them all here?
Curious, Suicune walked over to a nearby tree. It extended a claw and gently tapped the bark. Then it leaned in, using its nose to sniff the surface.
"This...!"
Suicune looked at the tree in shock.
There was no sign of life whatsoever!
All three legendary beast began to feel an eerie unease about this place. Inside this mysterious realm, it felt as though life itself had been outlawed—completely purged, forbidden from existing.
"...Nathan, can you bring out Volcarona for us to examine?"
Suicune asked thoughtfully after a long pause, a certain realization beginning to form in its mind.
Nathan nodded and released Volcarona from its ball.
Suicune walked over to the weakened Pokémon, studying it carefully. When it saw the injuries Volcarona had sustained, it frowned in confusion.
Something wasn't right.
These weren't wounds caused by a special move or a powerful ability. They were merely external injuries—bruises and blunt trauma. If the one responsible was the Pokémon Suicune had in mind, Volcarona should have been obliterated, not just wounded.
But if it wasn't that Pokémon… then what exactly was going on in this place? Could it be that creature allowed others to roam freely in its domain?
"What is it? Is there something strange about Volcarona's injuries?"
Nathan asked, noticing Suicune once again falling into deep thought.
Ever since it had examined the dead tree, Suicune had been unusually silent.
"Nathan, haven't you noticed anything different about this place?"
Suicune asked instead of answering directly.
Nathan looked around once more. Aside from the darkened trees and soil, there didn't seem to be anything especially unusual. Was that what Suicune meant? The dead vegetation?
When Nathan didn't reply, Suicune sighed.
"Sigh… I suppose it was a bit much to expect you to notice something like this."
"But you two," Suicune said, turning toward Entei and Raikou, "you've figured out which Pokémon this realm belongs to, haven't you?"
Both legendary beasts nodded solemnly. They had come to the same conclusion: if their suspicions were correct, they had stumbled upon a truly formidable foe.
"You mean… Yveltal?"
Raikou asked quietly.
Yes, it had to be Yveltal—the Destruction Pokémon, said to represent death itself.
Only a being like Yveltal could twist the environment into such a lifeless wasteland.
Yveltal…!
Hearing the name, Nathan felt a wave of fear—and relief. It was a miracle Volcarona was still alive.
If what Suicune suspected was true, and the creature that attacked them was truly Yveltal, then surviving its wrath was nothing short of a blessing.
Yveltal, the Destruction Pokémon, the god of death—was said to drain the life force from all living things whenever it spread its wings. Legends claimed that when Yveltal's lifespan reached its end, it would absorb the life energy of everything around it, cocooning itself in a dormant state—essentially becoming immortal and eternal.
"That's right,"
Suicune confirmed with a nod. "That's why I was surprised Volcarona didn't die—only sustained injuries."
If the attacker really had been Yveltal, Volcarona's survival was an incredible anomaly. Or perhaps… Yveltal had been toying with them all along, deliberately holding back.
"Nathan, I understand that you're upset about Volcarona being attacked by Yveltal,"
Raikou said with empathy, "But I must advise you—leave this place. Even for us, defeating Yveltal would be nearly impossible."
It wasn't easy to admit their limitations, especially as legendary Pokémon, but the truth was that even the combined might of all three would fall short.
Nathan scowled.
"What, are you saying Yveltal is invincible or something?"
Seeing his beloved Pokémon injured while protecting him, and now being told to retreat—it was unacceptable. It burned at him from within.
"No, it's not invincible,"
Suicune said calmly. "But defeating Yveltal with just the three of us? That's simply not feasible."
"Unless… unless you could find the Pokémon that represents life—Xerneas."
Suicune's eyes sparkled as it spoke the name, a glimmer of hope beneath the solemn mood.
Unlike Yveltal, who symbolized destruction and death, Xerneas was the embodiment of life. Legend said that whenever it appeared, it would share its life energy through its shimmering antlers—like a living miracle. A traveling blessing.
But locating Xerneas wasn't so simple. It only appeared once every thousand years… unless someone could find the sacred tree where it slumbered.
That alone made the task nearly impossible.
"System,"
Nathan asked silently in his mind, "can you help me find Xerneas?"
He had no clue where to begin, but maybe the system could guide him.
[As long as the host completes tasks diligently, there is a high probability of locating Xerneas.]
For once, the system didn't outright reject his request.
"Really!?"
Nathan exclaimed in excitement.
But after that, the system fell silent again—clearly unwilling to reveal more details.
Still, the mere phrase "high probability" coming from the system was practically a guarantee. Normally, it only stayed silent if something was impossible. The fact that it had responded positively meant this path was very much open.
"If I can find Xerneas… does that mean I'll be able to defeat Yveltal?"
Nathan turned and asked Suicune.
But Suicune shook its head.
"You're oversimplifying things. Their power is balanced. Life and death are not about strength or weakness. They are opposing forces—neither can easily defeat the other."
Indeed, both Yveltal and Xerneas were immensely powerful. But when they clashed, their strength only ever seemed to cancel each other out. They stood in perfect opposition, two halves of a cosmic scale.
"Then what if I help Xerneas?"
Nathan pressed.
Now that question caught Suicune off guard.
True, the two Pokémon were evenly matched. But if a human—a particularly special human—were to assist Xerneas, the balance could tip.
A human like Nathan, who had casually acquired Ho-Oh's feather... someone like that might actually make a difference.
"…Maybe one day, you will be able to defeat Yveltal."
Suicune said slowly, staring at Nathan in awe.
It was realizing that it could no longer fully understand this human. When it had first met him, Suicune had sensed something unusual—three mysterious marks on Nathan's body.
But now… it seemed as though the world itself was favoring this boy.
Maybe one day, any of Nathan's Pokémon would surpass even legendary beings.
"Let's go,"
Nathan said at last, his voice calm and steady.
Having come to a realization, he was finally able to let go of his anger—for now. Against Yveltal, he was indeed still too weak.
Even with the help of Entei, Raikou, and Suicune, the Destruction Pokémon still loomed ahead like an insurmountable mountain.
Hearing Nathan's decision, Suicune breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
When they had agreed to help Nathan, they'd known that a confrontation with Yveltal might be unavoidable.
But none of them truly wanted to fight it. One misstep… and they could lose their lives.
Even defeating Yveltal wouldn't mean victory—it would simply be reborn again. Fighting it now would be meaningless.
And so, they turned and left the lifeless realm.
(End of Chapter)