South of the Kanto region, near the Sevii Islands, on the southern sea beyond Six Island, in a stretch of ocean distantly connected to the Hoenn region...
Amid mist and auroras, there existed a large triangular island. Since ancient times, legends had claimed that something would be born there.
That island was Birth Island.
It was an exceedingly unusual place. Its actual location was indeed within the Kanto region, but whenever mist and auroras appeared over the sea, the island would sometimes surface in Hoenn's waters.
That was because, whether in FireRed and LeafGreen or in Emerald, one could reach the island by using the special Aurora Ticket. However, its specific location could not be found on Hoenn's map.
To the north of the island lay Six Island and Seven Island. Six Island, in particular, offered the clearest and most beautiful view of Kanto's night sky, and many ancient legends had been passed down there.
Ruin Valley, Altering Cave, and the Dotted Hole, whose Braille puzzles had once stumped countless players.
Braille was carved into the front door of Dotted Hole. The method to open that door was to use Cut.
Afterward, inside the cave, ancient legends concerning the Ruby and Sapphire were inscribed:
[The red and blue lights, joined in perfect harmony, connect the past. When their light shines forth, a brand-new world shall appear before your eyes.]
[The red gem symbolizes passion.]
[The blue gem symbolizes sincerity.]
[Is that so? According to the investigations and messages left by "humans," that world is the "Hoenn region."]
Meanwhile, on neighboring Seven Island stood the Tanoby Ruins, filled with Unown. Its age was 1,500 years, exactly the same as the construction date of the Ruins of Alph.
Thus, Seven Island, Six Island, Birth Island, and the Hoenn region, along with two gems and their corresponding orbs, formed a mystery of ancient migration. It also seemed to indirectly confirm the construction era of the Embedded Tower, as well as legends related to the cosmos and stars.
Near the Tanoby Ruins, a figure that resembled a human yet was not human appeared in that place filled with Unown. It moved swiftly, and after a certain grand [Final Ultimatum] was issued, it immediately flew back from the Tanoby Ruins to Birth Island.
[And this place even has a "Lucky Dance" that can restore stamina. What an incredible place.]
[A Final Ultimatum? Such powerful telepathy... even we heard it! It also made the Unown in the Tanoby Ruins tremble. Because they became agitated, I came here to investigate.]
[As an outsider from Pleroma, being born into this world should have been a cause for joy.]
[But now, a crisis from my homeland is approaching this planet.]
The owner of that figure was another Deoxys.
It was the cosmic superhuman from the Sevii Islands that appeared in FireRed and LeafGreen. Like its kin within the supergiant meteorite, before its birth, it had once existed in the form of a [triangular meteorite].
Approach the moving meteorite by the shortest route, make it slowly turn red, and when it finally shatters, that instant is the [birth of a star].
Deoxys of Birth Island gazed up into the distant universe.
Stars and auroras appeared. The Sevii Islands entered night. When night fell, cosmic energy surged upward in abundance. Then...
That magnificent silver comet was slicing through outer space, illuminating the entire dark starry sky.
[So that is the Millennium Comet... What astonishing energy. Merely passing by this world's outer space from who knows how far away is already causing the natural energy of the Sevii Islands to rise.]
[But for the time being, there are not many more Deoxys in this world. Four years ago, one of our kin landed on the northern ice field and was defeated by Rayquaza from a distant region. Two purple cores fell on the northern ice field, while the green one was taken to the Hoenn region.]
[Human activity on the Sevii Islands was already dangerous enough to begin with, and Rayquaza has considerable conflict with us. I had no wish to involve myself in these matters, but now I have no choice but to depart and stop this. However, with my power alone, I cannot seal that thing away.]
[...]
[Stop at once! The energy of that comet is not something you can control! Push the meteorite away immediately!]
Deoxys of Birth Island sent telepathic communication into space. Borrowing the radiance of the brilliant aurora, it was able to transmit its message like ancient writing.
As life-forms from space, there was another species of Pokémon that could use this strange method of communication: Starmie.
Starmie would take the messages it received and draw them in the air using ancient, or perhaps cosmic, characters. This method of sending messages was called [Star Signs].
When it released powerful psychic energy, the organ known as its core would emit rainbow-colored light. From the red core at the center of its body, it would fire mysterious radio waves into the night sky as if communicating with something. If one came too close, it might cause a headache.
After all, Staryu, Starmie, and Deoxys all had certain Giants of Light as references in the prototypes behind their creation.
Of course, this kind of Star Sign was also very similar to the crest of light projected across the sky in a faraway region.
Very soon, the Deoxys on Birth Island received a reply from space.
Deoxys of the Supergiant Meteorite:
[What? There is actually another of my kind capable of sending me a message. I never expected one of us to be born successfully in this world... However, in this world's Deoxys population, no, among all Deoxys in the universe, one is enough!]
[This supergiant meteorite is the ultimate celestial suppression weapon capable of destroying this planet!]
[Once I master this power, I will seize the natural energy upon that land and return to the Realm of Light!]
[I will become the strongest in that nation!]
[You, too, shall sink and vanish together with this world's land beneath the power of the Millennium Comet!]
That merciless reply left the Deoxys of Birth Island silent for a long time.
But it did not intend to sit and wait for death.
If dialogue could not solve the matter, then it could only resort to force.
[If there are others of our kind in this world... then by borrowing the power of the aurora... Our species communicates through the aurora in the sky!]
[Announcement to all born ones, and to all outsiders yet unborn!]
On the third night, Hikaru arrived in Olivine City.
At the same time, he wrote an entry record for Spiky-eared Pichu and prepared a Poké Ball for her: a [Timer Ball].
"Spiky-eared Pichu, an ancient Pokémon from Michina who crossed a thousand years of time."
"She has cute jagged ears and was encountered before the sacred shrine in Ilex Forest."
"Locked as having a Naughty nature, female."
"Because she fused with the Zap Plate, all her Electric-type moves receive an additional 1.2x boost."
"She cares deeply about her companions and cannot evolve."
After all, she was a Pokémon who had crossed through time, so using a time-related Poké Ball was perfectly reasonable. The Timer Ball also had quite a good-looking design. Moreover, the company that had developed that kind of Poké Ball was neither Kanto's Silph Co. nor Johto's Kurt, but Hoenn's Devon Corporation.
Not only the Timer Ball, but also the Premier Ball, Dive Ball, Nest Ball, Luxury Ball, and a series of other well-known Poké Ball types were products Devon Corporation had created to compete with major companies from other regions.
When one thought about it that way, Devon Corporation actually covered an extremely broad range of industries.
"They cover [Poké Ball] and [Detector] technology, making them competitors with Silph Co. However, Silph Co.'s advantage lies in creating the Master Ball and Porygon."
"They developed the [PokéNav], making them competitors with the Pokétch Company."
"They research [battle items], making them competitors with the Battle Company."
"They develop [natural energy], mine iron ore, refine steel, and created a machine that generates energy using magma as fuel, making them competitors with Macro Cosmos."
"They studied [dreams]. Although they did not succeed, they were still competitors with Professor Fennel."
"They even have research cooperation with the Mossdeep Space Center. Employees who defected from them joined Team Magma and Team Aqua, and even developed extremely high-performance space suits."
"At the same time, they also research fossil restoration engineering projects, competing with Cinnabar Lab and even the New Island Research Institute."
"And then there's... the submarine Explorer 1, rocket drive components, and so on..."
For the Hoenn region, which was relatively rural and had far more nature than cities, Devon Corporation could truly be called an incredibly powerful dark horse.
In other words, if Devon Corporation continued to develop, its ultimate form would essentially be Macro Cosmos.
"Pichu!"
Spiky-eared Pichu lay on Hikaru's shoulder, gazing at the surging sea in the distance and the brilliant starry sky as she cried out happily.
The local climate and customs here were completely different from those of ancient Sinnoh. The climate in the Johto region was comparatively warm, especially the farther south one went.
"If you cross the sea from Olivine City, you reach Cianwood City, which connects to Route 47. If you don't cross the sea and instead go the opposite way, continuing south, that way is Goldenrod City, and..."
"Greenfield."
From that direction, a black shadow sped over at high speed, rolling white clouds of smoke across its back. It was none other than the phantom Entei, who had not come out of its Poké Ball for quite some time.
"I thought that since you went home this time, you probably wouldn't come back."
"I thought the same at first." Entei turned its head and glanced toward Greenfield. "But Professor Hale's wife has also returned."
Hikaru thought for a moment.
"Mm. That did happen, didn't it?"
"...Not long after the incident ended, Professor Hale's wife came back. Although it was publicly said that she passed away from illness in a hospital, in reality, it seems she had also disappeared while investigating Unown."
Entei said, "...Their entire family researches Unown. Although I warned them last time not to keep digging into it, when I went back this time, I saw that Professor Hale seemed to still be deciphering Unown script."
"That is the stubbornness of researchers. There's really no helping it. I reminded him a little... He was very surprised when he saw me."
"I suppose he didn't expect this [false father] of mine to come back."
After all, the daughter he cared about already had her true parents. Even if a fake father like him never went back, it would not matter.
Of course, he would eventually return to her side. Just not now.
"After her mother returned, Molly won't be lonely anymore. A [mother] is always better than a [father] at taking care of a child."
Entei's expression clearly relaxed, though there was also some loneliness and regret in it.
"I told Professor Hale that when Molly turns ten, I will return to her side and let her become a true Pokémon Trainer."
"So it seems I will have to stay with you for a while longer. After all, I am currently responsible for operating the Dream Heaven Gauntlet. I am very busy. If I had to take care of Molly, I would have no time to keep running it."
"By the way, tonight's aurora is beautiful... Hm?! Why would there be an aurora in the Johto region?"
The entire sky was dyed a dreamlike pinkish purple by the aurora, so beautiful it seemed unreal. However, this was not something that should be visible in the Johto region.
"Mm. This aurora is a little strange, but it is indeed beautiful. Before the supergiant meteorite falls, perhaps it is a phenomenon caused by that Deoxys in space."
Hikaru set down his backpack and adjusted the angle of the Poké Balls, allowing all of his partners inside their balls to see this beautiful scene through Deoxys's psychic network.
As Entei, Hikaru, Victini, and Spiky-eared Pichu all watched the dazzling aurora together...
Deoxys, who had originally been maintaining the psychic projection, had left the Master Ball at some unknown point and appeared beside everyone.
Entei said, "Hm, Deoxys. Did you come out because of the aurora? Speaking of which, about when you went with Calyrex to battle in the dream before..."
Deoxys said, [Originally, it was because Calyrex had experience fighting meteorite life-forms that I teamed up with it. The result was total defeat. The king's power still wasn't strong enough. We lost terribly. The king was left hanging its head because of it.]
Deoxys spoke of the result of that previous challenge. Naturally, they had gone in standing and come out lying down.
[Calyrex suffered a heavy blow. Its dream of becoming a member of the Elite Four and using a mount system to rule the battle environment vanished like a bubble.]
[But a king never gives up!]
[That fellow had originally already given up on cultivating the Flower of Radiance, but now it seems to have returned to its old path again. The faith power it had accumulated over this period has all been used up, but it stubbornly says it wants to find some reliable partners or something.]
Entei said, "What reliable partners? Obviously, it means six mount Pokémon. You can't find that kind of thing here. Didn't they say the Alola region has a tradition of Ride Pokémon? But those are only ordinary Pokémon, aren't they?"
"Could Calyrex be planning to ride Unova's Three Swords of Justice? Is riding Keldeo not enough? Hm. Now that I think about it, if you add Calyrex's original two steeds, doesn't that make exactly six?"
Deoxys said, [Not six. Twelve. It insists on promoting the mount system.]
Entei said, "Hey! That's getting greedy! What ambition. With six, it already has enough to form a team and take on challenges. If it adds another six, will there even be enough types to divide among them? A small handful of Pokémon capable of freely changing their own type, like Arceus and Ogerpon, is already more than enough... Don't you feel that there are more and more Pokémon that can change types?"
"And its dream has completely changed. Is it no longer planning to [let ancient glory bloom once more]?"
"The Radiant Vegetables were clearly selling very well, yet it wants to return to the battle track and disrupt the environment again. What a wicked king."
Calyrex often shared things with everyone in the dream world. In truth, it was reminiscing about its former brilliance and bragging about it. Of course, being smashed by a meteorite until it lost its memories and collapsed unconscious, then being humiliated by Eternatus, were eternal sore spots it could never shake off.
Moreover, Calyrex's current actions were making even the phantom Entei, a mage, feel pressure.
Could anyone really blame him for becoming a mage?
These Pokémon capable of freely changing types were appearing in bunches, and every single one of them had that attitude of "you should have seen me in my prime."
Then look at the Ho-Oh Guard that served as his own prototype. Speaking of which, shouldn't they ask Ho-Oh for some kind of buff?
The world was growing larger and larger. Who knew what even more ridiculous Pokémon they might encounter in the future? Beings even more outrageous than magical Pokémon.
Deoxys said, [We can leave the king's affairs until we reach the Crown Tundra. Calyrex said that once we arrive at the snowfield, it will immediately awaken and reclaim its two steeds. Since it wants to promote the mount system, now is the time to make up its mind. But cultivating vegetables and cultivating the Flower of Radiance at the same time is still too much for its current self.]
[When Radiant Vegetables become a world-famous product, it will probably obtain power that surpasses everything. By then, the Flower of Radiance will likely bloom everywhere as well, turning the land into a place like a field of Gracidea flowers.]
[Now, I will explain the aurora phenomenon appearing here.]
After finishing its explanation of Calyrex's situation, Deoxys looked solemnly toward the aurora on the horizon and pointed across the sea.
[Across the sea is...]
[Ah, sorry. Not that direction. This way. Toward the Kanto region!]
[The aurora is coming from this direction. What lies there? On the sea of the Kanto region, and very far south... No, it should be described as a place where the customs and climates of two regions meet.]
Hikaru said, "If you go south from the Kanto region and continue deep into the southern sea, you reach the [Orange Islands]."
"But besides that, there is also the [Sevii Islands]!"
Deoxys said, [The aurora is coming from that distant sea. This is... a Pokémon like me transmitting information to outsiders of our kind!]
["Kin of the supergiant meteorite... extremely dangerous... power of the Millennium Comet... issuing warning..."]
["It has touched the power of the Millennium Comet... Its energy is rising, and it still hopes to obtain all the comet's power... It intends to destroy our entire species, along with the distant land!"]
["Open your eyes, outsiders! I am speaking to you now from Birth Island. I am from Pleroma... If you can see this... gather immediately!"]
Deoxys translated the message within the aurora, causing Hikaru to fall into thought.
Ah... Birth Island?!
"Hm. Red and the others never obtained the Aurora Ticket. That makes sense. Birth Island was never likely to be found in the first place. It was a distribution event story and not a mandatory trigger."
He had drawn a fake one before, though.
Wait, wasn't this basically an Ultra Sign?
Moreover, there was precedent for Birth Island being hard to find.
For example, in Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, which was to say the Mystery Dungeon world, the two places where Deoxys appeared were called Meteor Cave and Luminous Hill.
The description of Meteor Cave said:
A ring of strange light surrounds this rocky island, separating the sea from the island's sides. The island may be an entirely different dimension that does not match its surroundings at all.
Beep, beep, beep.
While Hikaru was thinking, his Pokégear rang. After he connected, Steven's call came through.
He then gave a detailed explanation of what had happened at dusk and after night fell.
[The Millennium Comet... That's it! The massive light that can be seen even in this night sky!]
The Pokémon looked toward that silver celestial body, which continued to shine even amid the aurora.
Hikaru said, "It is said that comet appears for seven days once every thousand years. Because of that, in Hoenn and other regions, it is also called the seven-night Wishing Star. At the same time, those regions sell charms modeled after the Millennium Comet called [Wishmaker Stars]."
"To resonate with the energy of the Millennium Comet, the Mythical Pokémon Jirachi is said to awaken at this time. According to legend, if it hears a pure song once every thousand years, it can remain awake for seven days."
"At the same time, the [true eye] on its belly will open. Through that true eye, Jirachi absorbs the energy of the Millennium Comet, then releases that energy into Forina's mountains and waters over the thousand years it sleeps. With the Hoenn region as the central node, it maintains the energy balance of the Pokémon world and preserves the abundance of the entire Hoenn region."
"This legend has been passed down since the distant past. When it awakens from its thousand-year sleep, it will grant the wishes written on the wish tags on its head. According to the legend, any wish can be granted!"
"On the comet night that comes once every thousand years, wishes will come true. And the number of wishes that can be granted is three!"
Three wishes. Wasn't that basically Shenron?
And at this moment, Hikaru was also thinking:
This new Delta Emerald had ultimately developed into something he no longer recognized.
"If it obtains the power of the Millennium Comet, even a Mega-Evolved Rayquaza may not necessarily be its match."
"The Millennium Comet is basically the Plasma Spark Tower. To distinguish them, how about giving the one in space a new name?"
"Belial."
Hikaru had actually wanted to say that for a long time.
[A name?]
Deoxys seemed puzzled. [Our name is Deoxys.]
[That is a good idea. To stop the kin within the supergiant meteorite, I went with Calyrex to battle in the tower of the Dream Heaven Gauntlet. However, in the end, events could not be stopped.]
[Now, in this world, aside from the first one on Birth Island, the one killed on the Arctic ice field, and myself, have no other Deoxys successfully been born? How many of our kin will be able to see this Star Sign?]
[Then my name is...]
"Zoffy?" Hikaru pondered for a moment, then smiled and suggested it to Deoxys. "The name Zoffy is actually Sophia."
"Your homeland is the divine world of Pleroma. In the legends of certain places, Sophia fell into the mortal world together with the souls of humanity. In other words, it means the soul of the mortal world and the god of wisdom."
"Her fall caused the universe to transform from sacred light into chaotic matter. A certain sect believes that through meditation and revelation, one must break the duality, free the soul from the cage of matter, and ultimately reunite with the light of Pleroma."
"Therefore, humans are both light and mortal lives."
Gnostic mythology originated from Greek culture, and it was said that the tenth generation was connected to Greece. Of course, that region was still shrouded in mist for now.
Deoxys said, [I see. Using mortal wisdom directly as a name. And as the third born one...]
Hikaru suddenly caught the key phrase.
"Wait. You're the third born? In terms of order, that does seem right!"
Although the one on the Arctic ice field had been born and then killed, the Fiore region actually still had another cosmic superhuman. That mission could be accepted through the Ranger Net.
So no matter how one looked at it, the outsider beside him could be regarded as the third in sequence.
Meanwhile, in the past world of the Oblivia region, four Deoxys appeared all at once, and they possessed a special skill that ordinary cosmic superhumans could not learn. After being rescued by the Hero of Light in the past, they would travel from the past world to the current world.
Three plus four.
That was already enough to form an Ultra Guard.
"If it is the sacred three..."
"Then it could also be called... Tiga!"
Moreover, Deoxys itself possessed the ability to change forms. In battle, Attack Forme Deoxys was used relatively often and completely outperformed its Normal Forme. Was that not also a kind of, "Wouldn't it have been better to fight in red form from the start?"
"From this moment on, we enter a seven-day, seven-night race between life and death!"
"The power of the Millennium Comet will rise to its peak over these seven days. Deoxys Belial is waiting as well! Waiting for the moment Jirachi opens its eyes!"
Entei said, "Then one of the keys to letting Jirachi become light and awaken from its thousand-year sleep is..."
Hikaru sent Steven a reply:
"That would be a pure song, namely [the Hoenn region's lullaby, a song passed down only in Littleroot Town]!"
"'Make a Wish.'"
Although this world's May was the game version of May, her younger brother Max did in fact exist as well. In the games, he would appear on the road outside the house and tell the protagonist that Professor Birch was being chased by a Poochyena.
However, because he shared a name with the male protagonist from Generation VIII, Max would probably never appear again later.
"Although I plan to set out right now, we should still rest properly here tonight. The final meteorite hasn't been transported yet, and if something truly unpredictable happens, Steven and the others will definitely need Jirachi's power."
"Listen to the voice of the stars and [make a wish] upon the shooting star!"
In the skies above the Fiore region...
Because of the time difference, it was still dusk there. Zinnia had tamed Rayquaza, who had been staying at the Fiore Temple, and was now heading toward the Hoenn region.
Suddenly, she sensed something and abruptly looked back.
From near the Fiore region, she saw the shining aurora. Beyond the land, beneath the setting sun, a powerful beam of light shot into the sky and vanished at the end of the heavens.
[Can you see it too... the Star of Light beyond the universe?]
(End of Chapter)
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