"Easy now... it's alright..."
Victini once had a trainer.
A king, long forgotten by time.
Lin Feng remembered that scene from the movie. In barely three minutes, it portrayed the final farewell between the old king and Victini. Victini had looked up at him with joy, proud that it could help. But when it saw the king's hand slowly fall still, panic had filled its eyes.
After that day, Victini had stayed behind, guarding his kingdom for over a thousand years.
A millennium of devotion. Nothing could speak more clearly of the bond they shared.
The film version never captured the true weight of that sorrow. In that moment now, the truth was painfully clear. Victini loved the king far more deeply than anyone had ever realized.
After all, it had accompanied him through his entire life.
Lin Feng gently stroked Victini's back, channeling the calming power of the Everstone into its tiny body. With that warmth, its trembling finally began to settle. The sobs quieted little by little as Victini tried to collect itself.
"Meow?"
"Jirachi..."
Jirachi and Meowth approached, wrapping Victini in a gentle embrace. They didn't ask questions. They simply stayed beside it.
Alolan Vulpix hesitated, then gathered her courage and whispered quietly, "I... I will share half of my trainer with you."
She nudged Lin Feng's hand with her head.
Lin Feng smiled and scratched her warm fur. Then he looked at Victini. "Do you want to see him again? I mean... your trainer."
Victini froze, eyes widening with hope. "Vi... ctini?"
"If you wish to see him, then dream of him."
Lin Feng checked the time.
6:12 PM.
He wasn't sure when the Millennium Comet would arrive, but he needed to prepare. He lifted Victini into his arms and stood.
"Alright everyone. Dinner time. Let's eat in the garden."
He asked Eldegoss to fetch Dragonite and the others from their Poké Balls.
By the time they reached the garden, Gardevoir had already set the table. Warm light glowed beneath the trees. Outside the town, night had fallen early in the late-autumn cold, leaving the world beyond pitch black. Only the garden remained bright, like a small island of warmth against the night.
Still, the comet had yet to appear.
Lin Feng released Blaziken, Dragonite and the others from their Poké Balls.
"Cha-mo!" Blaziken cheered at the sight of dinner.
It had missed all the earlier chaos, and at the sight of the table its eyes shone, wide and hungry. Lin Feng ignored its eager stare, and Blaziken raced toward the food with a triumphant cry. Goodra, Salamence and Dragonite followed quickly. Milotic and Brionne swam over and climbed onto the bank, while Butterfree and Pidgeot found their spots in the branches above.
Everything felt peaceful again. Almost normal.
Hattrem carried Sprigatito over and set the sleepy kitten gently on the table. Sprigatito blinked groggily, then noticed Lin Feng and trotted over with a small mew. He picked her up, rubbing her ears softly.
He looked at Jirachi, Victini and Mew lingering close by.
Jirachi seemed quieter than usual. Understandable. It knew its thousand-year sleep was approaching. Jirachi was always thoughtful. It hid its sadness so others wouldn't worry, but the weight was still there, behind those starry eyes.
Lin Feng pulled out two remaining bottles of Dream-Spinach Juice. "Drink this. Both of you. It lets you shape your own dreams."
Jirachi brightened immediately. It fluttered forward to take the bottle. Victini perked up too.
But Lin Feng stopped them gently.
"Wait. First, I have one more wish to make."
Jirachi blinked curiously.
"I wish that after you fall asleep, you can roam freely through the dreams of everyone you know and care about. So even while you rest, you won't be alone."
He pressed his hands together, facing Jirachi like a prayer.
Jirachi froze. Its eyes trembled.
"You don't want that?" Lin Feng teased, poking its cheek softly.
"No, I do."
The tiny Wish Pokémon understood perfectly. Lin Feng wasn't asking for power or miracles. He was giving Jirachi something precious. Connection. Company. A way to never feel forgotten.
Jirachi summoned its inner starlight. Gentle sparks flickered around it. This kind of wish wasn't difficult. There had even been a Darkrai once who connected dreams in a similar way.
Light shimmered for a moment, then faded.
Jirachi's eyes widened in delight. "It worked. It worked!"
If it could visit everyone in dreams, sleep wouldn't be lonely anymore. It looked genuinely excited for the first time that evening.
"Not done yet." Lin Feng chuckled, pulling out a small white energy cube.
"This cube gives you two choices. One, you give up your ability to grant wishes, and you will wake and sleep like any normal Pokémon without needing the Millennium Comet's energy. Or two, you keep your power, but your thousand-year sleep will shorten to one year. The comet's energy transfer accelerates a thousandfold."
"One year... I could wake in only one year?" Jirachi's voice trembled. It skipped straight past the first option.
Lin Feng nodded.
Jirachi snatched the cube and ate it without hesitation.
At that very moment, a brilliant streak of light carved across the sky.
The Millennium Comet had arrived.