Noodles were beloved throughout the world and had a long, storied history.
As for the meat in them... Naturally, it came from renewable sources that fell from certain Pokémon. The most famous example was the Slowpoke Tail.
Galar also had vacuum-sealed Sausages made from coarsely ground meat, tinned meat, and Precooked Burgers. Convenience and speed were the entire point.
However, for ancient Pokémon, such as those inhabiting the Lental region, hunting had always been a natural part of their ecology. The more primitive a region's ecosystem was, the more prominent hunting and the food chain became.
Humans were the dominant species in this world, after all. If Pokémon society ever developed into something like the world of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, then the concept of a food chain would cease to exist.
That really would be the mercy of almighty Sinnoh.
"Let me add a little more... Oh, sorry. I can't add salt. You're a Ghost type, aren't you? Purifying Salt might affect you, so you'll have to eat it like this. I'll add some soy sauce instead."
The Hisuian Zoroark had never imagined it would encounter such a strange food, but the delicious aroma rising from the bowl was unquestionably real.
Canines could eat noodles, rice, and fruit without any trouble. Hisuian Zoroark was also a Ghost-type Pokémon, which made it even less concerned.
You could put a Toxic Orb in these noodles and I'd still take a few bites. It's not like I'd drop dead right away!
By the time the dog finished licking up the noodles, the chicken finished pecking up the rice, and the fire burned through the lock...
It had met one very strange human.
Zoroark had experience interacting with humans, so its curiosity gradually gained the upper hand. A peculiar feeling began to well up inside it.
Without knowing why, it accepted the bowl of noodles. Only then did it suddenly realize how close it had allowed itself to get to a human.
However, this person truly lacked that familiar sense of distance possessed by other humans.
It was almost as if he had always been part of nature itself.
["...This is delicious... It's so warm. I've lived in this forest for so long, but I've never tasted anything like it. Is this the kind of food humans create?"]
"That's right," Hikaru replied. "Don't underestimate a bowl of ramen."
"Humans discovered grains that could be eaten. They planted them in spring, tended them through summer, harvested them in autumn, and stored them for winter. They removed the husks from the surplus grain, ground it into flour, then mixed and kneaded the flour..."
"Grain or bean flour is mixed with water to form dough. The dough can then be pressed, rolled, or stretched into sheets before being cut, pressed, rubbed, pulled, or pinched into long strands."
"The passage from planting to harvest symbolizes the long history of Hisui, while the land that allows people to cultivate and harvest those grains symbolizes Hisui's boundless space."
["I don't understand... But there's something very strange about you... Who exactly are you?"]
The Hisuian Zoroark found the human before it truly fascinating.
Unfortunately, there were far too many things it could not understand.
The curiosity it had possessed as a child had been stirred once more. It thoughtfully touched the mask atop its head.
Then an enraged dragon's roar suddenly resounded from deep within the distant forest.
It was drawing closer.
It approached at astonishing speed, accompanied by... accompanied by violent lightning and distorted fractures appearing across the sky!
Zoroark abruptly rose to its feet. Its expression became solemn as its narrow eyes tightened.
That sight meant...
It was happening again!
"A space-time distortion caused by the space-time rift," Hikaru explained. "Put simply, it can infuse Pokémon with tremendous life force, turning some of them into Alpha Pokémon."
"It can also cause Pokémon from distant eras, along with certain unusual items, to suddenly appear here. That creates temporal paradoxes, but those aren't a particularly serious problem in this universe."
"The location where a space-time distortion occurs will be enclosed within a dome-shaped force field..."
Hikaru set down his bowl and chopsticks.
"Once you finish eating, you should get some exercise. Anyone who interrupts someone else's meal has no manners."
"That creature is headed this way. It was drawn here by the golden lightning, and the energy of the space-time rift has driven it into a frenzy..."
"Under normal circumstances, you would have faced it while still in perfect condition."
"But you're seriously injured right now. Even with that Medicinal Leek, you won't recover completely. Use this."
Hikaru tossed over a Max Revive.
The Hisuian Zoroark stared in astonishment at the star-shaped item in its claws. It could sense the immense life force contained within it.
The earliest Max Revives, aside from certain naturally occurring minerals, were medicines manufactured by humans.
As for why they were always made in the same shape...
The answer was that the artists had been too lazy to draw anything else.
"Ordinarily, a space-time distortion shouldn't cause such a massive infusion of energy," Hikaru continued. "This is an accident. It's a sign that different worlds are colliding and that Transcendent Space-Time is about to awaken."
"The appearance of the space-time rift is another symptom of the same thing."
Leaking energy from Transcendent Space-Time had strengthened the space-time rift of the Hisui era because an additional, enormous universe now overlapped with it.
According to the Space-Time Instrument's readings, the Human World, the Distortion World, and even the twin realms of time and space were not as vast as Transcendent Space-Time.
After all, it was the heavenly realm where Arceus resided.
["Wait! I still don't understand what you're talking about, but you're human! A human can't fight a Pokémon! Wait until I recover, then we can go together!"]
["You're a good person, so stay back... It's extremely dangerous ahead! Come back!"]
The Hisuian Zoroark stretched out a claw, attempting to stop Hikaru.
The enormous Garchomp had already descended nearby, becoming a pitch-black shadow of violence!
The Eevee, Munchlax, and Ambipom living in the forest had begun fleeing!
Hikaru turned his head and gave Zoroark a thumbs-up.
"A human can't fight a Pokémon?"
"That's normally true."
"But I have Pokémon companions of my own. And as for what I can do personally..."
"Let me quell their anger. While I'm at it, I'll have your friend come here. You should wait for him."
"Besides, this place is my home too."
"Today is the day I defeat a Pokémon without using a Pokémon battle!"
.....
Elsewhere in the Alabaster Forest, not far from the sudden space-time distortion, a group of humans spotted the campfire and smoke rising through the woods.
They had also seen the enormous bolt of lightning that flashed earlier.
Confused, they approached the area.
They had already been heading this way to investigate the forest, treat injured Pokémon, and search for medicinal herbs.
The young doctor in their group had been the one to propose the expedition.
He had returned to Hisui after many years because he wanted to search for a medicinal herb from his childhood memories. However, upon his arrival, he witnessed the space-time distortion.
Then he encountered injured Pokémon.
The villagers feared those creatures. They did not want Pokémon entering the village, nor were they willing to treat them.
That was perfectly understandable.
When the young doctor proposed entering the forest to treat Pokémon, the villagers vehemently opposed him.
[Why should we go to all that trouble to save Pokémon?]
[They've kept us out of the forest and caused us so much suffering.]
[Exactly! It would be better if all those monsters disappeared!]
The villagers accused and complained, each of them having experienced attacks by Pokémon.
Unlike people in other regions who lived under organized kingdoms, everything in Hisui remained primitive.
Those who came here had either left their homeland behind, fled after their homes were destroyed, or sought the chance to begin a new life...
They were neither powerful nor privileged. Naturally, they felt no affection for the creatures once known as magical beasts.
As the young doctor fell silent, however, a blue-haired woman from the village voiced her opinion.
[The Security Corps will accompany him. We aren't going there to rescue Pokémon, but the recent situation in the forest truly is unusual. To protect the village, we need to conduct an "investigation."]
The proposal came from Cyllene, captain of the Security Corps. It was perfectly reasonable, leaving the villagers with no way to object.
Anvin, the young doctor's father, asked him a question.
[Why are you so fixated on Pokémon?]
The doctor answered:
[I don't know. But I want to learn more about Pokémon...]
As Alec spoke, he remembered the day a shiny Zorua saved his life.
That memory, forever etched into his heart, rose once more to the surface.
And so, the Security Corps, the doctor, and Anvin set out together to investigate the Alabaster Forest.
They crossed snowfields and forests, traversed deep ravines and suspension bridges, and passed along treacherous cliffs.
At last, they reached...
The Alabaster Forest.
[Aren't you afraid?]
Captain Cyllene asked the doctor that question.
It was a question from the moon to the morning star.
Alec shook his head.
[There's a friend I want to see again.]
And now...
A space-time distortion suddenly erupted.
The Pokémon in the forest began howling in terror and fleeing in every direction. Abomasnow and their Snover young scattered in panic, along with Pokémon such as Abra.
Then the furious black shadow appeared, throwing the entire situation beyond anyone's control!
The humans prepared to retreat, loading the injured Pokémon onto sleds so they could escape.
But the ferocious Garchomp locked its crimson eyes upon them!
Why was a Garchomp with a quadruple weakness to Ice able to repel two Abomasnow and withstand an Ice Punch without suffering any apparent harm?
The people of this era did not understand.
Of course...
People in the future would not understand either!
However, Garchomp merely glanced at the humans preparing to flee.
Its savage aura poured out without restraint.
Then it suddenly turned its head and stared in another direction!
Golden lightning had fallen into the forest.
The space-time rift had released tremendous life force, driving Pokémon into a frenzy. If that process continued, Garchomp would receive some of the energy leaking from Transcendent Space-Time!
When that happened, its entire body would overflow with golden light.
It would "become a noble!"
"Garrrr!"
Some kind of "creature" radiating immense energy and pressure stood ahead!
Garchomp's instincts for slaughter and hunting boiled over. It could no longer control itself.
More accurately, it was not conscious of its actions at all!
Anything alive, anything capable of movement...
Everything had to be subjected to an indiscriminate...
Attack!
But before Garchomp could strike, it heard the peaceful melody of a Grass Whistle.
The music crossed the ages, seemingly arriving from the distant future.
It was a Grass Whistle, yet it carried no sleep-inducing power. It was simply a beautiful melody...
The frenzy within Garchomp's heart and the surging power coursing through its body immediately faltered.
Garchomp stopped its charge.
The humans and forest Pokémon also came to a halt, their panic gradually subsiding.
What was that sound...?
It was gentle and peaceful, yet slowly rose in intensity...
"Oración can quell even the fiercest rage in the world."
"Let go of your pain and return to where you belong."
Hikaru played the Celestica Flute.
Naturally, playing the melody with a true Celestica Flute was far easier than using a leaf.
The crimson-eyed Garchomp stood rigid as it listened.
Its heart gradually calmed, but the tremendous power swelling within its body could not be suppressed.
It lowered its body and assumed an attacking stance once more.
That power had to be released!
Give me peace!
Give me true peace!
"Dragon Claw!"
Clang!
The dragon's claws could split towering trees. They tore through the air at the speed of sound, yet when they struck the "sword," the collision produced a deafening metallic crash!
The human had put away his flute.
A "greatsword" had appeared in his hands!
What exactly was this human?
He looked human, yet possessed strength and power completely incompatible with the human species.
That last attack should have sent the small figure flying and torn apart his internal organs...
So why did he appear completely unharmed?
Then an unprecedented radiance erupted from the greatsword!
"The way to stop a rampaging Pokémon is to weaken it by depleting its stamina."
"In other words, defeat it."
"I'll return your Dragon Claw to you."
"Combat Art: Reprisal!"
The Greatsword of the Instant had been forged from meteorite and possessed the ability to reflect all attacks.
Its blade had properties similar to Reflect and Light Screen. It could not only weaken the power of Pokémon moves, but also return those moves with even greater force!
The greatsword swept across Garchomp's chest with a thunderous impact, tracing a circle of light across the ground!
At that instant, both Garchomp's body and mind suffered a devastating blow!
.....
"A human defeated a Pokémon!"
"Who is that man? He's dressed strangely, and he's carrying an enormous sword!"
"He has a large backpack. Is he a member of the Ginkgo Guild?"
The members of the Security Corps witnessed the astonishing scene.
They had also noticed that the rampaging dragon initially intended to attack them, but abruptly changed directions.
The creature had clearly been drawn toward that human!
They had expected to witness a human being killed and perhaps carry the psychological scars for the rest of their lives...
But what was this?!
Someone certainly seemed likely to emerge from this with lasting trauma, but it probably would not be the Security Corps.
It would be the dragon!
A human was forcing it steadily backward in a contest of blades!
That same Garchomp had just defeated several Pokémon as powerful as Abomasnow!
"I'm a renowned master of hard-blade swordsmanship from the Hoenn region," Cyllene said. "But the sword that man is using... Could it be a foreign greatsword, like the one wielded by Captain Kamado, who came from Galar?"
"That would make him... a swordsman from a foreign land!"
"A human can defeat a Pokémon barehanded with a weapon..."
"In the distant past, many regions called Pokémon magical beasts. When did the name 'Pokémon' begin spreading?"
"I heard it was coined by a king from the Unova region three thousand years ago... But the truth has long since been lost."
"It's only something I heard in passing..."
Even so, Hoenn's hard-blade swordsmanship could not be used to fight Pokémon.
Attempting such a thing was nothing more than reckless bravado.
Yet they were now witnessing a sword technique that truly could fight Pokémon!
"He's like someone from an ancient legend..."
Cyllene turned toward the young doctor.
"Alec, is that the friend you wanted to meet?"
"No, I don't know anyone that incredible...!"
The question left Alec completely bewildered.
But he quickly noticed that the stranger's fighting style had changed!
A swing of the greatsword unleashed a current of air that frightened the dragon, forcing it several steps backward.
Then the swordsman suddenly drove the greatsword into the ground.
Cyllene shot to her feet!
At the sight, she could not stop herself from shouting.
"You there, swordsman!"
"Idiot! What are you doing?! If the sword is your means of fighting, how could you release your weapon in a life-or-death struggle?"
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
As a fellow master of the sword, Cyllene knew that losing one's grip on a weapon meant placing oneself entirely at the enemy's mercy.
Worse, his opponent was an extraordinarily dangerous wild beast.
It was no different from suicide!
Then Cyllene suddenly froze.
After planting his sword in the snow, the foreign swordsman had somehow produced a staff from nowhere!
A diamond-like gem was embedded at the tip, releasing powerful waves of energy!
"Gar... chomp?!"
When he wielded the greatsword, Garchomp had sensed overwhelming force behind every broad and decisive technique.
Now, however, the wind and lightning had gone still.
Even the waves of energy released by the space-time distortion seemed less pronounced.
Yet this made the Alpha Garchomp tense with fear!
It appeared to have regained a small measure of reason.
The sword was undeniably dangerous. It was a human weapon, serving the same purpose as fangs and claws.
But this human now...
["He has neither claws nor fangs! Humans are supposed to be helpless before me! That is how it should be! Then why... why does he frighten me?!"]
"That's enough," Hikaru said. "You've nearly exhausted your strength, haven't you? Calm down and engrave the sound of Oración into your heart."
"In other words, it's time to capture you."
"Aura Seal!"
The staff released a blinding radiance and a tremendous wave of energy.
The Alpha Garchomp let out a howl as its body was enveloped by the light of the diamond-like gem.
In the next instant, the dragon transformed into particles of light!
It was sealed inside the Staff of the Hero!
Today was the day Hikaru defeated a Pokémon without using a Pokémon of his own.
The dust settled.
The roars faded.
The anger and hatred came to an end.
The clouds and mist subsided as the immense energy began to disperse.
Once the empowered Garchomp disappeared, the source of the forest's panic and unrest vanished with it.
The space-time distortion remained in the sky, but it would disappear before long.
"It... It vanished! After that flash of light, the dragon disappeared!"
"I saw it! The staff absorbed the dragon and turned it into light..."
"How could something like that be possible? Who is that strangely dressed man?"
"Was that some kind of spell? I think I once heard stories from other regions about something called 'magic'..."
"Those stories were true? I thought they were all made up!"
The members of the Security Corps whispered among themselves.
Cyllene stared blankly as everything came to an end.
She murmured:
"A 'flute' capable of quelling fierce anger."
"A 'sword' capable of defeating savage Pokémon."
"And a 'staff' capable of sealing rampaging Pokémon..."
Cyllene remained dazed as the storm around the space-time distortion dissipated.
Only when the melody of the flute sounded again did she finally stir.
The terrified Pokémon gradually calmed under the flute's soothing music and returned to the forest.
The Garchomp that had been sealed away was released as well.
It was no longer berserk.
The humans immediately cried out in fear, but the swordsman merely fed Garchomp a small piece of some strange medicinal herb.
The exhausted dragon immediately regained its vitality!
Garchomp nodded to the swordsman, seemingly thanking him. Then it lowered its body and gathered strength.
It transformed into a meteor and soared into the sky!
In moments, it disappeared from sight.
"It's healed!" Alec exclaimed. "It recovered instantly!"
"What kind of medicine did you use? What just happened? What was that medicinal herb?"
Hikaru looked at him.
"Alec... Your friend is waiting for you in the forest."
"As for that herb, it's the legendary medicine said to cure every injury and illness. Haven't you heard the stories from the Johto region?"
"I thought someone from Johto would recognize it."
Captain Cyllene finally returned to her senses.
"You... Who are you?"
"Swordsman, answer me. Where did you come from, and what are you doing here?"
Hikaru glanced at Cyllene, then pointed in another direction.
"Other people are coming."
"As for us, our meeting here was only a coincidence."
"But if you want to know who I am, would you care to hear an ancient poem and a myth?"
Hikaru began:
"In the distant past, there was once a town called Celestica."
"In time, its people scattered, and none remained who spoke the name Celestica."
"None know how many years passed before a group of people who worshiped almighty Sinnoh crossed the sea and came to this land."
"They divided into two factions, each worshiping a different almighty Sinnoh."
"Thus began their opposition."
"Thus began their conflict."
"To proclaim themselves the rightful heirs, both factions claimed the name of the Celestica people."
"The name Celestica returned to the world, but the hearts of its ancient people were no more."
At the far end of the forest, Sneasler and a golden-haired girl appeared as though guided there by an unseen force.
They crossed the accumulated snow and approached.
Even from a great distance, they could hear the voice of the traveler from afar.
....
The girl who arrived was naturally Irida.
She had no idea how many days it had taken her to reach this place.
The Pearl Settlement was located in the Alabaster Icelands, while Sneasler's noble territory lay in the southeastern reaches of Mount Coronet.
The arrangement was somewhat peculiar when one thought about it.
Irida, wearing her distinctive headband, came to a stop.
Other people were here...
They were members of the Galaxy Team!
But the person telling that story, the most important person present...
She did not recognize him!
"How could this be...?"
"The Celestica Flute."
"Did Sneasler sense that flute and come all the way here?"
"Was this guidance from Sinnoh... from almighty Sinnoh?!"
Irida stared in shock at the flute in Hikaru's hand.
Only members of the Diamond and Pearl Clans possessed such instruments.
Although the flutes themselves were not exceptionally valuable, they served as symbols of those descended from the Celestica people. Lending one to an outsider was extraordinarily rare.
Her expression became intensely solemn.
"Since ancient times, thunder has been called the voice of the gods!" Irida declared. "And the melody of the flute is what summons the noble and ride Pokémon!"
"Its sound can travel across the entire land of Hisui, reaching even the farthest corners of the world..."
"If the golden lightning was divine guidance, then why do you possess a Celestica Flute?"
"I am Irida, the Strategic Leader of the Pearl Clan!"
"And you?"
"Who are you?!"
"The lands of Hisui and Sinjoh are pure and solemn, filled with an indescribable power," Hikaru replied.
"I, too, am one of the Celestica people. I am a traveler through space and time who came from Sinjoh, the land where the ancient Sinnoh people were reborn."
"Sinnoh represents time, space, and matter... It is the true almighty being who presides over the entire universe."
"As for me... In my world, people have given me many titles."
"The Legendary Craftsman."
"The Foreign Swordsman."
"The Sage of the Snowfields."
"The Pokémon Champion."
"The Island Kahuna of the Fourth Island."
"The Hero of Aura..."
"And the Strongest Master in the World!"
"At a moment like this, I suppose I should say it this way."
["I have passed countless ages in this place, awaiting the arrival of the one who bears a great mission!"]
(End of Chapter)
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