Lusamine gazed tenderly at Lillie, her eyes filled with guilt and affection. Lillie stood there, bewildered by this sudden display of maternal love, unsure of how to react.
"Lillie," Lusamine began, deciding to be honest, "she is your real mother, and I am your aunt."
"What?" Lillie took a step back in shock. "You're not my mom? Then... what about my father?"
Lusamine hesitated for a moment before replying, "You don't have a father."
Everyone present was taken aback by this statement. Lillie's eyes widened, while Cynthia and Serena exchanged confused glances.
"Am I like some kind of miracle birth?" Lillie asked, incredulous.
Cynthia raised her eyebrows thoughtfully, and Mewtwo smirked, intrigued by human reproduction. Though it didn't know much, it understood that, unlike Pokémon, humans required both egg and sperm for conception.
"Mom, that's not funny at all," Lillie's voice trembled. She had no feelings towards the father she had never met, having only seen his photograph since she was three. Her mother's dedication to research made her believe her father was exceptional.
"Sweetheart, let me explain, okay?" Lusamine said gently, her eyes full of apology. Lillie's heart tightened; it was the first time she had seen her mother with such an expression.
Thinking about Lusamine possibly being her aunt, yet raising her alone as a mother for years, Lillie felt both guilty and heartbroken. "Go ahead, Mom," she whispered.
Hearing the word "Mom," Lusamine's eyes glistened. "Actually... you are the child my sister, Lusamife, gave birth to."
"Sister!" Lusamife interjected quickly, "We agreed not to tell her. A child needs a father!"
Lusamine sighed inwardly. It seemed Carl's memory seal on her sister was thorough.
"But without the truth, how can Lillie accept you?" Lusamine insisted.
Lusamife shook her head firmly. "As long as Lillie is well, I don't care."
Carl admired the woman's acting skills before interrupting, "Excuse me, may I have a word?"
The bystanders, both people and Pokémon, turned their attention to him.
"Why are you butting in?" Cynthia asked seriously.
She was simply curious; after all, things were getting interesting, and the interruption was unwelcome.
"Where's your elegance?" Carl couldn't help but retort.
"What did I say wrong?" Cynthia looked innocent.
Carl was speechless, realizing he had overthought things.
Ignoring Cynthia, he turned to Lusamife. "Ms. Lusamife, you seem to have forgotten that Lillie is already sixteen. For the past thirteen years, she hasn't received this so-called father's love, and even her mother's love was an act by your sister."
The statement hit Lusamife like a hammer, leaving her frozen, then she burst into tears. "It's all my fault! I shouldn't have researched Ultra Beasts, shouldn't have been obsessed with the Ultra Space... it's all my fault!"
The crowd fell silent at her heartfelt confession.
Lusamine quietly gave Carl a thumbs-up, cleared her throat, and said, "Sister, can I speak now?"
"Your original plan is no longer possible. Don't you want to make it up to Lillie and fulfill a mother's responsibilities?"
"I do! Of course, I do!" Lusamife promised hastily, then lowered her head. "Go ahead."
Lusamine nodded in satisfaction and began to explain.
She omitted the details about the Life Lake water, only mentioning that her sister wanted a child but didn't want to rely on a man, so she used a special method to conceive Lillie.
The part about Mohn was also left out, as it held no emotional value or significance for Lillie.
As for Lusamife, she had already put it behind her.
Meanwhile, in the Sinnoh region...
Zygarde's hound form, number seven, replaced number ten's task, arriving at Mount Coronet.
"Hey! Palkia, Dialga, come out and meet your guest!"
Mount Coronet in the Sinnoh region soared into the clouds, its peak shrouded year-round by lightning, blizzards, and torrential rain. Ordinary people couldn't even reach halfway up, and even champion-level trainers struggled to reach the summit.
At the summit stood a mysterious temple, untouched for centuries, forever bathed in a rainbow glow, where time seemed to stand still. Not long ago, a Mew visited, and now it welcomed another guest.
A green and black hound-shaped Pokémon appeared in the temple, a form composed of Zygarde's core and some of its cells, representing Zygarde's essence.
With Zygarde's low growl, the space within the temple began to warp, the powers of time and space manifesting simultaneously, tearing open a dimensional rift from which two pairs of majestic golden eyes emerged.
"What do you want here?" Palkia's voice came from the rift. The deity of space was exploring spatial laws, eager to transcend its current role and become the true master of space.
"You're not here to ask for help, are you?" Dialga asked next, recalling Mew's recent visit.
"Also?" Zygarde caught the word sharply. "Someone else came before me?"
"Just that meddlesome Mew," Palkia answered openly. Although Zygarde's power was on par with Giratina, it maintained a respectful dialogue.
"Ha, Mew must have come to play," Zygarde skipped the topic. "I'm not here for help but to report something you might find interesting."
Though it was indeed seeking assistance, as the god of order, Zygarde couldn't bring itself to admit it.
Palkia and Dialga exchanged glances, skeptical of Zygarde's words. These ancient beings were well aware of each other's tendencies.
"What is it?" Dialga asked.
"First, try sensing Groudon and Kyogre's presence. I bet you can't find them," Zygarde said confidently.
This comment irked Palkia and Dialga, feeling as if their abilities were being underestimated.
What a joke! They mastered space and time, respectively—how could they not locate those two?
While they acknowledged difficulty in defeating them on their turf, claiming they couldn't even trace them was an insult.
"Let's see about that!"
Sure enough, Palkia and Dialga sprang into action.
In Palkia's unique dimension, time was entirely still. Countless images floated before it, displaying various forms of Groudon and Kyogre—large, small, differently colored, with varying strength. Some were causing rain, others triggering earthquakes.
The Groudons scattered across the land, some draining rivers, causing droughts, others instigating earthquakes to create land. Without exception, they all possessed godly powers. Now, gathered before Palkia, they left it with a puzzled expression.
Palkia scrutinized this group of Groudons and Kyogres, realizing the most powerful pair wasn't among them. For divine creatures of their caliber, only that particular duo would command such attention.