Giratina kept a vigilant eye on its surroundings as it forced Dialga and Palkia to open a passage for its escape.
This time, it had taken extra precautions, looping in wide arcs through shadow sneak attacks, jumping through several locations within the Distortion World before arriving near Spear Pillar.
Even that pesky fox would need considerable time to track it down.
Surely she'd have to painstakingly inspect all those places with my aura to pinpoint my final location, right?
Giratina refused to believe Zoroark's luck was so good that she'd find it at the first or second try.
With this reassuring thought, Giratina felt slightly calmer.
As long as it managed to enter the real world, it would finally shake off Zoroark's pursuit for good.
"Roaar—!"
At that moment, Dialga suddenly roared, raising its front legs and stomping forcefully, attempting to flee.
Seeing this, Giratina wasn't flustered at all.
It launched a fully charged [Dragon Breath], striking Dialga and causing a deafening explosion upon impact.
Dialga, who had barely risen, couldn't even unleash its signature move, [Roar of Time], before being forcefully pushed back down.
Suppressing Dialga's thoughts of escape, a cruel sneer flashed through Giratina's savage eyes.
In the Distortion World, handling these two idiots was as effortless as it was for Arceus to subdue Giratina itself.
Reluctantly, Dialga stood up again, resuming its work on the passage.
Initially, it had merely followed Palkia out of curiosity, hoping to find out why its rival was leaving in such a hurry.
If something good was happening, Dialga had intended to snatch a share.
But who would have guessed...
Palkia's stupidity had exposed them both to Giratina, and now Dialga was forced into this miserable, unpaid labor.
Dialga now desperately wished a human or Pokémon would appear and defeat Giratina.
Though it seemed highly unlikely, if it really did happen, Dialga would generously reward them.
Time passed second by second, and the passage above Spear Pillar steadily grew larger.
A dazzling white crack, like a tear splitting the very fabric of space, gradually took shape in mid-air.
...
At the same time, the other end of the passage successfully opened into the real world.
Looking up at the fissure that had suddenly appeared overhead, Cynthia's eyes narrowed.
Her situation here was now stable.
After Snorlax and Tornadus turned on Cyrus, Team Galactic quickly lost any ability to resist, easily defeated by the legendary Pokémon.
But what made Cynthia want to toss Cyrus from the mountaintop was his final order before being subdued—destroying all the capture devices.
His remaining Pokémon had frantically smashed the equipment. Despite Mew and Metagross's best efforts, only a few machines survived intact.
"Miss Cynthia, wouldn't it have been better to join me in achieving this ideal?"
"This whole mess was avoidable," Cyrus taunted, despite kneeling after being struck by Lucario's [Bone Rush].
Cynthia coldly glared at him.
She no longer intended to turn this man over to the League.
His ancestor, Cyllene, had been open-minded and capable—a devoted follower of Elias.
But her descendant…
Cynthia felt that Cyrus's only similarity to Cyllene was their appearance.
Their names perfectly illustrated how utterly opposite they were in character.
Watching the passage slowly widen, Cynthia sighed softly.
The oppressive aura spilling from the crack told her Giratina was most likely behind it.
Previously, she would have felt excitement, fully prepared and confident.
But now…
"Lucario, do you think these remaining capture devices could hold Giratina?" Cynthia asked quietly.
As expected, Lucario shook his head.
His claws tightened slightly, clearly revealing his frustration.
With Team Galactic's interference, their entire plan was effectively ruined.
Seeing Lucario's response, Cynthia lowered her gaze.
After today, who knew when she'd get another chance to avenge Elias?
The thought of simply watching Giratina slip away, possibly even retaliating against them, filled Cynthia with bitter frustration.
"Lucario, do you think... Zoroark might still be in the Distortion World, fighting Giratina day after day, never resting?"
As if struck by sudden inspiration, Cynthia narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
Lucario tilted his head in confusion at first.
But soon after, he understood what Cynthia intended.
"Leave this kind of thing to me," Lucario insisted, shaking his head firmly. "You and Garchomp don't need to go into the Distortion World."
Cynthia's emotions were obviously running high.
She wanted to mimic Zoroark, entering the Distortion World herself to directly confront Giratina.
And the timing she chose was excellent.
With Giratina's massive body, crossing through that narrow passage would severely limit its mobility.
If properly exploited, they might indeed deal severe damage to it.
However, the downside was equally clear—charging in now would risk the passage collapsing at any moment.
Unfortunately, Lucario's dissuasion didn't seem effective.
Cynthia anxiously glanced back at the sky.
After returning from Hisui, she'd expected to gradually overcome her lingering shadows.
But reality proved just the opposite.
Feelings of regret and longing continuously resurfaced, cycling endlessly in her heart.
This relentless pain made her want to momentarily escape reality, rather than face it again.
"Garchomp," she softly called out, taking a deep breath.
"Graaar!"
Garchomp roared in agreement, fully supporting her trainer's decision.
Seeing his attempts fail, Lucario resignedly shut his mouth, silently gripping his bone staff and preparing himself for battle.
Just as Lucario dropped the bone staff to his side, the rift in the sky expanded dramatically again.
From afar, it seemed half the sky itself trembled.
Here it comes.
Lucario's eyes sharpened instantly.
At the same moment, however, a sudden gleam caught the corner of his eye.
He reflexively turned toward the light—coming from none other than the [Mega Stone] around his neck.
For an instant, his mind went blank.
"Wait!"
Realizing something crucial, Lucario urgently shouted toward Cynthia.