To wield the power of the Plates is to grasp the creation of all things!
This is roughly one of the lines translated from the library texts in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. To Arceus, the Plates are not only the source of its life, but also the symbol of its supreme authority!
Anyone who dares to covet the Plates of Creation will never be spared by Arceus!
With Arceus standing before them now, and with such a terrifying aura radiating from its body, even Green, who had already experience countless legendary clashes, could not help but feel nervous.
Though its body was not large, that earlier Judgement attack alone had already proven Arceus's overwhelming power.
"Of course. I have been keeping the Plates safe for you all this time, Lord Arceus."
Lucas bowed slightly toward Arceus, expressing his respect for the Creator God.
By all logic and reason, Arceus was the origin of this world. One could say that without Arceus, the very concept of the world would not exist.
And as for what Arceus had suffered…
Lucas could only say that this alpaca really was rather unlucky…
"Return the Plates."
Despite Lucas's courteous attitude, Arceus's gaze remained icy cold, without the slightest change.
Ever since the events of a thousand years ago, Arceus had already come to understand the vile nature rooted deep within humanity.
Wasn't even the gentle and kind Damos driven to betray it in order to monopolize the Life Jewel?
He had even gone so far as to try to kill it outright!
Toward humans as a species, Arceus no longer held even the faintest shred of expectation.
"Of course I can return them. They are originally yours. However, I hope that you can forgive the harm our ancestors inflicted upon you."
Lucas did not immediately take out the Plates. Instead, his expression grew solemn as he spoke seriously to Arceus.
If fighting could be avoided, that would naturally be the best outcome.
"Ridiculous!"
Arceus sneered coldly, its gaze growing even darker as it looked at Lucas and the others.
"That which was already mine, and you still dare to use the Plates to threaten me?"
The crimson in Arceus's eyes deepened further, its ancient telepathic voice filled with chilling coldness.
Humans were still humans. Even after a thousand years, they were just as sly and despicable as ever.
"This is not a threat, but a request. Arceus, I know you despise us because of what happened back then."
"But the events of a thousand years ago were a misunderstanding. Damos did not betray you."
Sensing the intense cold radiating from Arceus, Lucas clenched the Poké Ball hidden in his sleeve.
At the slightest sign of danger, he could protect himself immediately.
Upon hearing this, Sheena stared at Lucas in shock. A misunderstanding? As a descendant of Damos, how had she never known this?
"A misunderstanding?"
Arceus stared coldly at Lucas.
"Pathetic human. Even at this moment, you still attempt to deceive a god in order to survive?"
The pressure in the air continued to rise. A faint golden glow flickered around Arceus's body—it was already growing impatient.
A misunderstanding? There was no misunderstanding at all!
It had personally witnessed Damos giving the order to attack it!
How utterly pitiful humans were.
"No—back then, Damos he—"
"Enough! Return the Plates."
Arceus cut off Lucas's words coldly, having no interest in listening to the so-called 'lies' this human was spinning.
"Humans who dare harm a god must pay the price. There is no room for mercy."
Arceus gazed indifferently at the people before it, its blood-red eyes devoid of emotion.
Even after retrieving the true Plates, the fury in its heart would not subside. Such filthy humans deserved to be cleansed.
The world it created should not harbor such despicable and revolting creatures.
Hearing this, Cynthia and the others felt their hearts tighten, while Sheena's face turned deathly pale without a trace of color.
This was the sin of her ancestors…
"So, it really comes to this."
Lucas shook his head helplessly. Though he had expected this outcome, only by facing Arceus directly could he truly feel the depth of its anger and resentment.
The official lore had long defined Arceus's personality. According to ancient Sinnoh records, it was both the embodiment of supreme good and supreme evil.
Throughout the long history of the world, Arceus had always watched over and protected Pokémon, even saving humanity multiple times from catastrophic events such as meteor showers.
When faced with humans who respected and were grateful to it, Arceus would respond with equal kindness. However, Arceus despised deception above all else.
Yes—Arceus utterly loathed deception. Once deceived, it would resort to violence and harbor deep resentment.
As the Creator God, Arceus's temperament might seem overly simple, but it was precisely because of this simplicity that Arceus could be both a guardian deity and a calamity capable of destroying everything.
"I'm very sorry, but I cannot return the Plates to you right now, Arceus. What the eyes see is not necessarily the truth."
"I think you should—"
Lucas gestured for Cynthia and the others behind him to retreat as he spoke solemnly to Arceus.
"Human, are you lecturing me?"
The blood-red light in Arceus's eyes suddenly flared. A tide of overwhelming malice burst forth, cutting off Lucas mid-sentence.
A mere human dared lecture it?
"Do not be so arrogant!"
"Since you refuse to return the Plates, then disappear!"
Arceus slowly levitated upward, looking down upon Lucas and the others from above as terrifying energy gathered over its head.
It had lost all patience and had no interest in continuing dialogue with these filthy, greedy humans.
They could all be… erased.
"Get inside the ruins, now!"
Lucas's gaze sharpened as he shouted to Cynthia and the others.
"Be careful!"
Cynthia pressed her lips together, feeling the oppressive terror saturating the air. She knew that staying would only be a burden.
After giving Lucas a final warning, she pulled Sheena, Caitlin, and the others back toward the ruins.
"Meaningless struggle."
Arceus cast them a cold glance. No matter where they hid, it would be futile.
God's judgement would erase everything!
But at that moment—
"ROOOAAAR—!"
A deep dragon's roar rang out as a spatial vortex suddenly formed before Arceus.
Arceus's blood-red eyes narrowed.
Bathed in pink-purple light, Palkia emerged from the vortex and slammed heavily into Arceus.
Arceus did not dodge. It coldly stared at Palkia as its body was knocked backward a distance before stabilizing itself again. The energy gathering above its head dispersed from the sudden impact.
A time vortex and a deep spatial rift opened, from which Dialga and Giratina appeared.
The Sinnoh Creation Trio had arrived simultaneously!
"You intend to stop me?"
Arceus's telepathic voice rang out, thick with fury, its gaze growing ever more dangerous.
It could not accept that the children it had created now stood in its way.
"ROOAAAAR—"
Dialga and Palkia let out deep roars, seemingly trying to persuade Arceus.
"Good! Very good!"
Arceus laughed in extreme rage, its chilling blood-red eyes staring directly at the three gods.
"For the sake of those filthy humans, you dare stand against me?"
"We are not opposing you, Arceus. Damos did not betray you—the truth you believe is wrong."
Reshiram ascended into the air, Lucas riding upon its back as he spoke solemnly to the enraged Arceus.
"Absurd! What I saw is the truth. Human, who do you think I am?"
Arceus's aura grew colder as it faced the four top-tier legendaries.
"I am a god—the Creator God!"
"The world began with me! The laws were born of me! Life was created by me!"
"A god does not err—and cannot err!"
Arceus's telepathic voice echoed across the sky, ancient and majestic, divine might surging.
"And you are merely beings dwelling within my world, yet you coveted the belongings of a god and even set a trap to harm me."
The cold words carried nearly a thousand years of hatred.
Arceus could not forgive.
Deception and betrayal were what it loathed the most!
It had trusted Damos so deeply that it even lent him its very life source—yet what it received in return was betrayal and harm.
How could Arceus not hate this?
Lucas fell silent. Though Arceus had indeed misunderstood Damos, it could not be denied that the true culprit was still human.
Human greed was undeniable.
"Die!"
Seeing that Lucas no longer 'argued,' cold light flared in Arceus's eyes as it raised its head high.
"Accept divine judgement!"
Immense energy condensed, forming a red sphere that shot skyward.
Judgement!
Not only humans—but those three as well!
Creatures it had created now dared oppose it—unforgivable!
"ROOAAAAR!"
Palkia roared loudly, slashing spatial energy toward Arceus with a massive arm.
Arceus did not dodge, merely watching coldly as a semi-transparent spatial cage instantly formed, trapping it within.
This was Palkia's spatial power!
Seizing the opportunity, Dialga gathered dreamlike blue-violet energy in its mouth.
Time Roar—an attack that could distort time itself!
"Using the power I granted you against me—so you truly are traitors!"
The crimson in Arceus's eyes deepened almost to the point of overflowing.
Space and time—these were powers it had bestowed upon Dialga and Palkia!
And now they dared turn them against it!
Rage—uncontainable rage!
Arceus roared, a terrifying shockwave erupting outward and shattering the spatial cage instantly.
"As expected, it can't be restrained at all."
Reshiram retreated slightly as Lucas stared at the enraged Arceus.
Arceus's strength was far beyond what its in-game base stats suggested.
In the movies, whether it was Palkia's spatial cage or Dialga's time prison, they were utterly useless against Arceus—shattering almost instantly.
Even without its Plates, Arceus still beat the Sinnoh trio like a parent disciplining children.
Fiery Judgement rained down like blazing meteors. Reshiram immediately adjusted its position to evade.
One Judgement struck the ruins but was blocked by a multicolored psychic barrier.
Mew was protecting Green and the others, allowing Lucas to fight without distraction—one of the reasons he dared bring Green and Marnie along.
Though Mew disliked fighting, its psychic power was extraordinarily strong. As a bodyguard, it was perfect.
"Traitors! Unforgivable!"
Arceus paid no attention to the ruins. Its focus remained on Lucas and the Sinnoh gods.
The Plates on Lucas's body were something it could not ignore.
And the Sinnoh trio…
These three traitors!
Pitch-black destructive energy gathered in Arceus's mouth and slammed head-on into the incoming Time Roar.
Hyper Beam versus Time Roar!
BOOM!
The two attacks collided violently in midair, but Hyper Beam quickly overwhelmed Time Roar.
The black energy surged forward, exploding heavily upon Dialga's body.
Dialga cried out in pain as it was blasted toward the ground.
After knocking down Dialga, Arceus turned its blood-red gaze to Palkia and shot forward in a streak of white light.
"ROAAAAR!"
Palkia roared, energy gathering on its massive claws.
But before Spacial Rend could fully form, searing pain spread throughout its body as it was sent flying backward.
Arceus's Extreme Speed!
A flickering shadow appeared behind Arceus as Giratina fired a draconic beam at its back.
Arceus sensed it instantly. A platinum-colored barrier enveloped its body.
This was defense formed from its own energy.
Dragon Pulse struck the barrier but failed to break through.
"Unforgivable!"
Arceus turned coldly toward Giratina.
Lowering its head slightly, a tornado burst forth, smashing heavily into Giratina, which failed to evade in time.
Giratina cried out as it was blown away!
In just a short span of time, all three Sinnoh gods were struck down by Arceus!
Reshiram's beautiful dragon eyes twitched repeatedly at the sight.
The three dragons of creation… were they really this weak?
No—Reshiram knew it wasn't that they were weak.
It was simply that Arceus was too strong!
"Lucas—this is getting tricky!"
"What are you scared of? I'm not sending you in to fight."
Lucas snapped back irritably, then narrowed his eyes at Arceus standing calmly in the air.
He wasn't worried about the Sinnoh trio. Though battered, top-tier legendaries were notoriously durable.
He hadn't acted earlier simply to accurately assess Arceus's strength.
Now, he roughly understood.
"Well then—time to start the group fight, brothers!"
Without hesitation, Lucas threw out several Poké Balls.
The beatdown… began!
(End of Chapter)