Hoopa suddenly remembered Meray and nervously bit its finger, trying to think.
It had sensed Reshiram's aura and rushed over without even telling Meray where it was going. All it wanted was to catch up with its "old friend."
Wait—oh no! I have to run!
"Hoopa!!"
Suddenly, an exasperated voice growled behind Hoopa.
Hoopa froze in midair. Without even turning around, it tried to bolt.
But a hand shot out and grabbed the golden ring on Hoopa's belly, yanking it backward.
"Waaaah!!"
"Wah what! You little rascal, running off like that. Did you forget what I said before we left?"
"Meray is scary!"
"Oh, so now I'm scary? You made me run all over the place, and now you want to play dumb?"
The black-haired girl named Meray twitched at the corner of her mouth. Then she flipped Hoopa upside down and leaned in close with a sinister smile.
"Looks like someone needs a little punishment!"
"Ahhh! Help! Reshiram's Trainer, save me!!"
Hoopa stretched out its tiny arms toward Dylan, begging for help.
"Hm?"
Only then did Meray notice Dylan and the others—and realized they weren't just random bystanders.
"I can't help you with that, Hoopa. Naughty kids have to be disciplined," Dylan said with a warm smile, looking toward Meray.
The boy's clean, gentle smile startled Meray for a moment. First impressions matter, and his looks certainly made an impact.
"Er… hello, I'm Meray," she said, tossing Hoopa aside and giving a slight bow to the group.
"I'm Dylan," he replied, then took the time to introduce Lillie, Leaf, and Ilene one by one.
"I'm Hoopa! Dy-lan~!" Hoopa quickly floated back over, blinking its big eyes and speaking in a lively, adorable voice.
And yes—it wasn't telepathy. Hoopa actually spoke human language.
"It's Dylan, Hoopa. I know who you are," Dylan corrected gently.
"Huh? Mr. Dylan, you know Hoopa?" Meray looked surprised.
She had brought Hoopa with her on many trips into Desert City, but no one had ever recognized it before.
"I do! Look, the Pokédex even has my data!" Hoopa chirped proudly before Dylan could reply.
"Really?"
"Yes, I'm familiar with Hoopa's past," Dylan said with a smile.
"You know what Hoopa did before?" Meray's interest was piqued.
Hoopa had been with her since she and her brother Baraz were children. To her, Hoopa wasn't just a companion—it was family.
Even though Ash had shared many adventures with Hoopa in the movie, it was clear that Meray and Baraz were the ones Hoopa loved most. That was why, when it used its most treasured memories to touch the heart of its dark self, they were all moments shared with Meray and her brother.
Knowing that bond, Meray and Baraz had wanted to return Hoopa's sealed power—but no one expected that sealed power to form its own consciousness and resentment.
"Of course. Let's sit over there for a bit."
Dylan gestured to a shaded pavilion nearby.
Once seated, Dylan pulled out some donuts, which Hoopa took happily. With its big eyes squinting in joy, it nibbled contentedly.
"Hoopa is so cute~"
Both Lillie and Leaf sparkled with joy. The mischievous little guy was just too adorable.
"Hehe~ Hoopa is also super strong!"
Hoopa proudly placed its hands on its hips, grinning.
"Really? So how do you compare to Reshiram?" Leaf asked slyly, tilting her head.
"Reshiram? Not a match! Hoopa could beat three of it at once!"
Hoopa pouted, clearly still bitter about Reshiram's chilly attitude earlier.
"Seriously?" Leaf asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's true! Hoopa used to be super strong!" Hoopa puffed up its little chest.
Leaf and Lillie both looked at Dylan. They knew he'd know whether it was true or not.
"Well… Hoopa really did cause a major incident long ago. Just how strong it was—I'm not entirely sure."
Meray's eyes sparkled. From what she and Baraz knew, Hoopa had been brought to the Valley of Creation by their great-grandfather, Ghris, after wreaking havoc. Ghris had sealed Hoopa's power as punishment.
"Hoopa's power was definitely immense."
Dylan gently pinched Hoopa's cheek as he explained:
"A hundred years ago, Desert City was just a poor, remote town. Hoopa arrived in its Unbound Form."
"It took some of the villagers' food and repaid them with vast wealth. Thanks to Hoopa's generosity, the town flourished, and the people adored Hoopa."
Hearing this, Hoopa puffed up its chest with pride.
"Life improved, and people began to seek entertainment. Eventually, they asked Hoopa to show its power by battling other Pokémon."
"Being the show-off it was, Hoopa agreed. It defeated many powerful Pokémon, and the more it fought, the more it got carried away."
"Using its dimensional rings, Hoopa began summoning legendary Pokémon and defeating them—just to prove how strong it was."
Dylan scratched Hoopa's chin fondly.
That was Hoopa in a nutshell—immensely powerful, but obsessed with attention and admiration. That desire for recognition defined both Hoopa Confined and Unbound.
"Reshiram, Zekrom, Regigigas, Kyogre, Groudon… Hoopa beat all of them. And it wasn't even 1v1."
"But all that fighting brought destruction to the town. That was the disaster Hoopa caused."
"Eventually, a traveler named Ghris confronted Hoopa and sealed away its powers."
Dylan told the story calmly. Hoopa scratched its head sheepishly—not exactly regretful, but clearly a little embarrassed after a hundred years of reflection.
"You were really that strong, huh?" Leaf stared in awe at the small Pokémon before her.
"Hehe~ Hoopa is amazing!" Hoopa grinned from ear to ear.
"But something's bothering me… if Hoopa was that strong, how could a human seal it?" Ilene asked curiously.
"It's not so strange. Ghris was a follower of Arceus—the creator. He may have actually received Arceus's blessing."
Dylan shook his head. In the Pokémon world, humans could wield many kinds of power.
But the strongest of them all likely came from the lineage of the Valley of Creation—those who worshiped Arceus.
The movie never explained Ghris's origins, but the valley housed a statue of Arceus. That made their faith clear.
"Arceus…?"
The girls blinked. They'd never heard of that one—but clearly, it was an immensely powerful Pokémon.
"Miss Meray, you're aware of this, aren't you?"
"Yes. My family has always worshipped Arceus. Ghris was my great-grandfather… but Mr. Dylan, how do you know all this?"
Meray stared at him in astonishment.
"I like to study regional legends and histories. Just a hobby."
"…I see. You're very knowledgeable," she said, still confused but choosing not to press further.
"Then is there really no way for Hoopa to return to its original form?" Lillie asked curiously.
"Nope. My power's all sealed. I need to get it back first."
Hoopa's voice dropped as it pouted.
"Ghris said I had to understand the meaning of 'punishment.' But I still don't get it."
It scratched its head in frustration. The concept of "atonement" was beyond its mischievous mind.
Still, after a hundred years in the valley, Hoopa had grown used to life without power.
"Great-grandfather did it for your own good. You were out of control."
Meray sighed and ruffled Hoopa's head affectionately.
"Hmmph~" Hoopa crossed its arms and looked away.
"Honestly, I think Hoopa's matured a lot. Even if it got its powers back, I doubt it'd go wild again."
Dylan smiled. If the shadow Hoopa didn't interfere, Hoopa Confined would never lose control again—not with Meray and Baraz by its side.
"True. My brother and I have been considering it. But we'll need time to locate the Prison Bottle."
Meray gently patted Hoopa's belly, looking down at it with soft eyes.
"Really? You mean it?" Hoopa's eyes lit up.
"Of course."
"Yay! Meray is the best!!"
Hoopa twirled happily in the air.
Dylan smiled at the heartwarming scene.
After chatting a bit more, the group went their separate ways.
Dylan had come to Desert City specifically to learn more about the Valley of Creation and find Hoopa.
He hadn't expected to meet it so soon, let alone with Meray. It was a pleasant surprise—but not the right time yet.
After checking into a hotel and dropping off their luggage, Dylan and the others set out to explore the exotic desert city.
But they hadn't gone far when Hoopa drifted lazily toward them.
"Dy-lan~"
"It's Dylan. What is it, Hoopa? Where's Meray?"
"She went shopping by herself. I got bored, so I came to find you."
Hoopa didn't have many friends. Aside from Meray and Baraz, it didn't get along with most others.
But it liked Dylan—mainly because of the familiar "old friend" auras clinging to him.
"You want something fun to do?"
"Yeah!"
"I have an idea—but Hoopa, can you still summon legendary Pokémon?"
"Of course! But I only have three rings now, so I can only summon three. And I don't have my power, so if they're not happy about being summoned, I'm in big trouble."
Hoopa looked troubled.
Its rings still worked, just not as well. The forceful summoning could anger the legendaries—and nowadays, Hoopa didn't have the strength to handle their wrath.
"Then… can you summon Yveltal?"
A smile slowly curved across Dylan's face.
"I can… but right now Yveltal is just an 'egg,' you know. Why do you want that angry bird?"
Hoopa blinked, puzzled.
It knew all about Yveltal—Kalos's deathly legend.
"And Yveltal's temper is the WORST. If you wake it up, it'll go berserk. I hate grumpy Pokémon like that."
Even Hoopa thought Yveltal was a pain.
(End of Chapter)