Gast could feel a powerful force sealed inside the Tera Orb.
Ever since she'd decided she wanted to get stronger, she'd been hunting for every way to do it—and a fierce intuition told her that if she could gain this power, she'd become even stronger than she was now.
Jason walked up to Iono as well. Iono looked at him with a very "praise me" expression, a touch smug, and held the last Tera Orb out to him, voice full of credit-claiming pride.
"Here—this last one's yours."
"But I need to say this up front." She cleared her throat deliberately and pushed out her very generous chest. "Originally, Chairwoman Geeta hadn't prepared one for you at all. You are a Pokémon, after all."
"It was me!" She jabbed a finger at herself, stressing each word. "I'm the one who kept at her and wore her down. Only then did she agree to make an exception and give you one! You'd better thank me properly!"
Seeing her "I'm amazing, right?" face, Jason felt a small warmth. He hadn't interacted with Geeta much—and every time he had he'd roasted her. She wouldn't necessarily have thought of him; it really might have been Iono who pushed it through.
He stretched out his soft body and gently brushed the glowing Orb. Then he looked up and said, "Got it! Iono-sama is the best!"
"Hmph—obviously!" She sniffed, chin up, but the tilt of her lips and the light in her eyes gave away how pleased she was.
Jason took the Tera Orb into his own hands. As a Pokémon, the moment he touched it he really felt it—beneath that crystal shell was a vast, pure energy. It felt like it could react with his own, catalyzing a qualitative leap and change in an instant.
But Jason didn't test it right away. A Tera Orb needed to be recharged after use—better to save it for a critical moment. And for him, it was a bit limiting anyway. He fought by transforming; each form's ideal Tera Type wasn't fixed. To use Terastal effectively, he'd need to prep Tera Shards and cuisine ahead of time and swap types on demand.
Possible—but fussy.
He thought for a moment. Better to see if there was a way to get Stellar shards and unlock Stellar Terastal—go all-in on burst. That would be the most convenient path.
As he marveled at the Orb, a jealous gaze drifted over—Liko's. She stared at the Tera Orb in his hand, eyes full of yearning. To her it wasn't just a powerful tool—it was proof that a Trainer was officially recognized by the League. Exactly what she longed for most right now.
Jason noticed and smiled. He held the Orb out. Liko blinked, then carefully took it with both hands, almost flustered. She cradled it and studied it; the pulse of energy into her palms made it hard to let go.
But she knew it wasn't hers—not yet. After a moment's reluctant admiration, she handed it back.
"So jealous, Jason~" she said, voice plainly wistful. "When I have my own Pokémon, I'm going to pass the exam and get my Tera Orb."
Her eyes were steady with resolve.
"Mm-hmm!" Jason nodded hard. "You've got this, Liko!"
With the orbs distributed, the air sobered. Iono shelved the playfulness and began a proper briefing for Cynthia on Terastalization.
"Miss Cynthia, 'Terastallization' is unique to Paldea. Using a Tera Orb, a Pokémon's body becomes gemstone-like, and it can erupt with greatly amplified power for a short time."
"And its most special feature is that it can change a Pokémon's type…"
Nemona, as Orange Academy's student council president, already had the theory down cold; Iono was mainly speaking for Cynthia and Jason. Cynthia listened intently; the scholar in her stirred to life. She even peppered in sharp questions:
"What's the source of Tera energy?"
"Is the Tera Type fixed or can it be changed later?"
"Does Terastallization increase stamina drain compared to normal?"
Between Iono's clear explanations and Cynthia's comprehension, Cynthia had the usage and principles of the Tera Orb well in hand.
Then came final prep. Iono walked to the sealed gate and slid a special clearance card through the reader.
Vonnng— Metal rumbled as the massive doors isolating Area Zero from the outside began to rise.
Jason watched the opening gap and called, "Gogogo—let's move!"
Three Trainers, a curious girl, and a Haunter eager for action fell in behind him and stepped through into Area Zero.
What greeted them was a landscape far beyond expectation—lush, vivid, alive. The air was crisp and clean. A few Sawsbuck grazed in the grass. On treetops, Braviary chattered and chased. By the creek, a Psyduck clutched its head, tilted, as if pondering deep philosophy.
So quiet. So beautiful.
Jason, however, stopped short, eyes confused. "This isn't right…" he muttered by thought alone. "Last time I came here, there were no outside Pokémon."
Back then, aside from the fearsome Paradox species, there were no other creatures at all.
Iono heard and answered for him—and for Cynthia and Liko, who were just as curious. "Mm, you remember right. What you're seeing now were brought in recently by the League in batches—on purpose."
"The idea is to maintain ecological balance—keep the aggressive Paradox population from completely overrunning the zone." Pride warmed her voice. "That said, the ones we've introduced so far are pretty timid. They stick to the very top, near the entrance. None dare go deeper."
She pointed out ahead. "It's obvious—the Paradox species in the depths are too strong. Their presence alone keeps the outsiders from crossing a line."
Jason nodded, enlightened. So this was just the outermost ring. The real adventure lay ahead.
They pushed on. The air grew thick with visible motes of peculiar energy—glittering dust drifting slowly. Light refracted strangely through them, cloaking everything in a dreamy halo. Plants and rocks took on a surreal texture—ancient trees laced with crystalline veins; roadside stones shining with a metallic sheen.
The girls couldn't help themselves.
"Finally inside!" Nemona strode at the front, excitement radiating. "I've heard the Pokémon down here are crazy strong! I can't wait to fight them!"
She flexed; battle lust rolled off her. Liko, a foil, clutched Jason to her chest, black eyes curious but timid as they roved the weird sights.
"Jason…" she whispered at his ear. "This place feels scary. You have to protect me."
"Don't worry." Jason nuzzled her arm, comforting.
Iono, already live, swung her Rotom toward Jason in Liko's arms and leaned in with an exaggerated shout, "What's that? Did I hear it right—our Jason is afraid?"
"Don't be! No fear!" She slung an arm around Liko and thumped her own chest at Jason. "With Iono-sama here, I'll protect you!"
Jason rolled his eyes. "When did I say I was scared? Liko's scared, okay?"
"Okay, okay," Iono waved him off, ignoring the correction to address chat. "Family—see that? Our Jason likes to act tough. But don't worry—I'll protect him and the adorable Liko!"
"And me! Me too!" Gast zipped in, circling Iono. Iono couldn't understand Ghost speak, but seeing who she hovered around, and remembering Jason's notes about her, she got the gist. She reached out and patted Gast's head. "Don't worry—you're included. Otherwise Jason would come after me."
Cynthia couldn't help a smile—but it faded fast. Her field instincts kicked in. "Alright—no more lapses. From here on, danger can appear anytime. Send out your partners. Be ready."
She led by example; Lucario flashed into being at her side. Iono and Nemona sobered too—Bellibolt popped in with a bloop, and Nemona's partner—now fully evolved Pawmot, orange fur puffed and lively—bounded out.
Jason glanced at it with a private sigh. Last time it had still been Pawmi. It hadn't been long—but now it was final stage. No wonder the Chair rated the girl so highly.
Nemona caught his look and grinned. "Hehe—how about it, Jason? I've been leveling fast!"
Jason snorted, not taking the bait, nestling lazily in Liko's warmth. "Trust me—no one here is getting hurt."
He turned to the least predictable element. "Nemona—reel it in. Don't go charging every strong Pokémon you see. Don't be the first to faceplant."
"And you too," he added to Iono. "Don't get lost in your stream—pay attention to the surroundings, unless you want to embarrass yourself on camera."
The two shot him matching glares. Cynthia glanced over, amused.
"Oh?" she teased. "No pep talk for me?"
Jason coughed, eyeing the inscrutable Champion. "Sis Cynthia… you do you."
Liko, surrounded by Lucario, Bellibolt, and Pawmot, felt the last of her nerves melt. She rubbed her cheek into Jason's soft body—this felt like the safest place in the world.
They pressed on to the first marked outpost—a silver-white round building, weathered under rust and time. Strange faintly glowing plants pushed stubbornly through cracks.
They edged closer—
KA-THOOM!
A deafening blast boomed from the bottom of the yawning pit beside the station. The metal superstructure shuddered.
"Wah!" Liko and Nemona yelped, feet skidding. Iono's live feed shook violently; chat exploded.
Earthquake?!
WTF is happening—are you okay?
That shockwave is nuts—I'm getting motion sick!
Before anyone could recover, a purple bolt streaked up from the abyss with sublime speed. The air tore behind it, screaming; even the floating energy crystals it passed ignited in crisp crackles from the charge flooding off its body.
In barely a second or two it was level with the station. Only then could they make out its shape—
A Pokémon none of them had ever seen.
Most of its body was deep purple; its cheeks, claws, belly, and long tail shone metallic gray. Pale blue circuit-like traces lined its shoulders and legs. Twin, jet-like legs folded under its body let it hover as if gravity didn't exist. A deep-violet helm hooded its head; its cheeks were round; from either side sprouted two pairs of antennae sparking with electricity. An inexhaustible energy seemed to stream inside, glowing through skin—gathered in its throat, tail, and those crackling antennae.
"What… what is that?!" Nemona gasped—then battle-fire roared up; fear never crossed her face. She didn't know what it was, but the might coming off it was apocalyptic. She wanted—badly—to fight it now.
Iono, also stunned, stared—she prided herself on knowing Paldea's roster, but this? Never seen. Never heard. But instinct sent her into host mode—she locked her lens on the rising purple form and shouted, voice shaking with excitement:
"Family—look! This Pokémon—it looks like the 'Iron Serpent' I read about in an old text!"
"A terror said to call the sky's lightning and turn the land to ash!"
While she narrated, the other partners reacted. Pawmot and Bellibolt trembled under the pure top-tier pressure, edging behind their Trainers. Gast let out a thin cry and plastered herself to Jason.
Only Lucario stood steady—though even his calm face was grim. He sank into a fighting stance, red eyes fixed on the oncoming foe.
"Everyone—caution." Cynthia's cool voice cut across the platform. "The aura from this one is no less than the legends I've faced in Sinnoh."
Jason hummed. "She's right. Its name is Miraidon."
"It's a legendary Pokémon."
"The rightful God of the Future."
At that, Cynthia's gray eyes lit. God of the future? The phrase made her warrior's blood sing.
She tensed to step forward, eager to meet the "god"—but Jason's urgent thought hit her mind.
"Sis Cynthia—wait! Don't move yet!"
"Something's off!"
Everyone blinked—then looked back. The violet "god" had floated up level with them—hovering in silence, unreadable eyes meeting theirs.
~~~
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