Cosmog, the Nebula Pokémon, a pure Psychic-type with the Ability "Unaware." In Lucas's memory, its base stat total is only 200.
Even the moves it can learn are limited to the Magikarp-esque move originally translated as "Splash," here as "Leap," and the Psychic-type move "Teleport," which even among Psychics is learned by relatively few Pokémon.
It's said its gaseous, easily dissipating body is so light that even a breeze can blow it away.
It can't learn a single attacking move—doesn't that make it look very weak?
But Cosmog is a Pokémon with two evolution stages. Its second stage, Cosmoem, doubles its base stat total to 400, while its 0.2 m body bizarrely weighs a full ton.
It sounds outlandish, but once Cosmoem completes its final evolution, it undergoes a transformation perhaps even greater than Magikarp evolving into Gyarados.
Cosmoem's final evolution splits into two branches: Solgaleo, the Beast that Devours the Sun, or Lunala, the Beast that Summons the Moon—legendary Pokémon of the Alola region.
Their status is like Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza: the legendaries of their era.
At that stage, their base stat total soars to 680, characteristic of legendaries, with Solgaleo being Psychic/Steel and Lunala being Psychic/Ghost.
But why would Cosmog appear here in the Crown Tundra?
Judging by Calyrex's demeanor, it seems it picked up Cosmog and is currently caring for it.
This time, perhaps because he was too shocked, Lucas didn't lower his voice, and Calyrex caught his mutterings.
Calyrex glanced at Lucas curiously and asked via telepathy, "Cosmog? Is that its name? Do you know it?"
Lucas hugged Victini tight, signaling it not to wake Cosmog.
Otherwise, that ear-splitting wail from the anime might start echoing in the Crown Shrine.
Faced with Calyrex's three questions in a row, Lucas nodded lightly. "Its name is indeed Cosmog—more precisely its species name, like how you call us Humans as a group."
"But… could you tell me where you found it?"
"Strictly speaking, it's a Pokémon from another world—an Ultra World."
"From another world? No wonder." Calyrex's eyes widened slightly, as though that day's scene was reflected within them. "To be frank, on the day I found it, the sky seemed to shatter and a hole appeared."
"That void looked as if it had collapsed in on itself, sinking toward some unknown place. Iridescent halos enveloped it like an aura. Mysterious blue-white filaments wove a web-like passage. The aura from within was unknown, alien, utterly foreign to this world."
"After that, in the wind and snow, I rescued the Cosmog that emerged from the opening."
From Calyrex's description, and given Cosmog's identity—
Lucas instantly concluded the hole Calyrex saw must have been an Ultra Wormhole.
Its far end should be the Ultra Space.
By rights, Ultra Wormholes should only appear in Alola—the land bathed in Necrozma's light.
For an Ultra Wormhole to appear in the Crown Tundra… there are precedents.
At least in Lucas's memory, in the anime Lillie's father, Mohn, was brought to the Crown Tundra by a Nihilego through an Ultra Wormhole.
By the timeline, Mohn might be living somewhere in the Crown Tundra now, in solitude.
As for the games, aside from Ultra Wormholes opening in Max Lair by setting, Lucas distinctly remembered that a Cosmog nicknamed "Fwoofy" appears in Freezington, adopted by an old woman.
Could that Fwoofy be the very Cosmog Calyrex rescued?
And is the old woman's Fwoofy in the game somehow related to Calyrex?
For a moment, everything added up for Lucas.
Glancing at Cosmog, then at Calyrex, Lucas said with certainty, "So the reason you frequently went to Freezington to try to possess people was…"
Calyrex gave Lucas a long look, seemingly pleased with his perceptiveness, and nodded. "I sought someone worthy of entrusting this child to."
"Uh—"
Lucas's eyes widened slightly. He'd guessed Calyrex was possessing villagers, but not that it was doing so to find someone to entrust Cosmog to.
No wonder the first thing it asked was whether he could babysit.
Thinking of this, Lucas couldn't help asking, "Entrusting it to me—are you sure that's okay?"
Calyrex gave Lucas a peculiar look, gaze falling on Cosmog. A soft light passed through its eyes, recalling its brief time with the little one. Then it steeled itself and spoke.
"It is not one of my subjects. In this perilous land of extreme climate, I have sheltered it for months—that is mercy enough. This is what's best for it."
As Calyrex finished, before Lucas could respond, Cosmog seemed to have slept its fill. Its tightly shut eyes trembled; after a soft childlike hum, it slowly opened its eyes.
The first thing it saw was Calyrex.
After this time together, Calyrex had become Cosmog's closest and most dependable presence.
"Mo-gu~!"
Cosmog's tiny body, seemingly ignoring gravity, floated up to Victini's surprise, and happily launched itself to dive into Calyrex's arms.
From how practiced it looked, Calyrex must have been holding it often.
A trace of embarrassment flashed in Calyrex's eyes. Its psychic power surged instinctively, freezing Cosmog's pounce midair and subtly changing its trajectory.
The adjustment was minute—testament to Calyrex's exquisite control—so Lucas didn't notice. Only fellow Psychic-type Victini sensed a faint ripple.
But Victini was scatterbrained and didn't care about a disturbance like a needle dropping in a noisy market.
With Calyrex's tweak, the eyes-closed Cosmog didn't notice and flew straight into Lucas's arms, shoving Victini aside.
As for Lucas, who realized Cosmog had flung itself into his embrace—he was baffled.
Since when was his charm this potent?
A legendary's baby form just threw itself at him on first meeting?
Lucas felt Cosmog nuzzle a bit in his arms. It felt like cotton—curiously soft and almost weightless—surprising and novel.
Knowing the lore was one thing; experiencing it was another.
But after nuzzling, Cosmog seemed to sense something off and opened its eyes—right into Victini's friendly wave and attempt to make friends.
"Vi-niii~"
Faced with Victini's greeting, Cosmog froze for a beat—then, to Lucas's horror, let out that terrifying, ear-splitting cry that rang through the Crown Shrine.
"Mmm—Mmm—!"
Crying at a volume like Supersonic, Cosmog panicked, looking left and right as if searching for a familiar figure.
Victini forgot how to fly, fell onto the dusty shrine floor, and stared blankly at the wailing Cosmog, its V-shaped ears ringing with sonic shockwaves.
Lucas didn't know where he found the willpower to endure. Half-squinting in pain, he looked around for Calyrex to soothe Cosmog.
But aside from the spotless yet broken throne, in the dust-laden, long-neglected shrine, Calyrex's figure had vanished completely.
His eardrums throbbed, but Lucas couldn't worry about that. He scanned carefully, but found nothing.
In disbelief.
Calyrex… just left?
At that moment, Victini couldn't stand it anymore. It pulled out a secret stash—a sweet orange Pokéblock—from itself, flew up, and stuffed it into Cosmog's open mouth.
In an instant, the unique sweet aroma of the orange Pokéblock burst across Cosmog's tongue.
Its cries gradually subsided.
Eyes widening, tasting this unprecedented flavor, it spaced out—forgetting it meant to cry—though it kept chewing.
Lucas: "…"
Another foodie!
After finishing the Pokéblock, Cosmog's mood stabilized.
"Mo~"
It floated curiously up to Victini, dopey-fond, sniffing with its seemingly nonexistent nose, as if searching for more of that flavor.
"Tini!"
Since its only Pokéblock had just gone into Cosmog, Victini was mourning, pouting and not letting Cosmog sniff it—then chose to fly away.
But Cosmog stuck to it like a shadow, trailing closely, and soon the two rare Pokémon were circling Lucas in loops.
After a while, seemingly dizzy, they stopped. Panting, they exchanged a glance and burst into happy giggles.
"Vi-nini" "Mo-mogo"
Joyful laughter rippled through the shrine. In just a bit, Victini and Cosmog already looked like they'd become friends.
This is why Lucas felt many Pokémon are like children: their emotions don't linger; they live more freely and straightforwardly.
A moment later, Victini allowed its new friend Cosmog to sniff it.
That said, when Cosmog had cried to no avail earlier, Victini's eyes had spun with a sudden idea.
Grabbing Cosmog's hand-like nub, Victini led it to Lucas, then righteously asked for food.
"Tini!"
This time, it stood ramrod straight when asking!
Cosmog blinked and imitated Victini, stretching out its hand and straightening its not-quite-there waist, every bit as righteously demanding.
"Mo-go!"
Lucas: "…"
Seeing through their little scheme at a glance, Lucas shot Victini a warning glare.
After Victini sobered a bit, Lucas set down his pack, took out a sealed fresh box of Pokéblocks he'd prepped, and handed it to Victini to share with Cosmog.
As for Lucas himself—he had things to confirm. Calyrex's abrupt departure was suspicious, especially its attitude toward Cosmog…
"Mo-go Mo-go Mo-go~"
Cosmog happily feasted on the different flavors of Lucas's Pokéblocks with its new buddy Victini, while listening in a daze to Victini complain that when Lucas lured it to the farm, he'd promised unlimited treats, but now rationed its meals in the name of balanced nutrition.
Sadly, Cosmog didn't absorb any of Victini's griping.
It latched onto one key point:
"Pokéblocks were made by Lucas—and he can make lots of equally delicious things."
Listening to Victini's chatter, Cosmog kept glancing at Lucas, who was pacing the shrine, curiosity budding. In its childishness, it even forgot Calyrex for the moment.
Maybe the Pokéblocks were just too good; when Lucas finished exploring the main hall and returned near the throne, Cosmog showed no fear—in fact, it acted affectionate.
"Calyrex seems to have temporarily entrusted you to me. If we stay here, it probably won't show. Want to come back with me for now?"
"Don't worry—I'll reunite you."
Lucas stroked Cosmog's cotton-soft body and promised gently.
Hearing Calyrex's name, Cosmog had no conscious memory, but perhaps due to Psychic intuition, it equated "Calyrex" with the figure in its mind.
Cosmog was a bit lost, not understanding why Calyrex had vanished.
But it still nodded bravely. Seeing Victini perch on Lucas's shoulder, it burrowed into Lucas's arms for more security.
Lucas took one last long look at the dust-choked shrine, went to the entrance, called out Dragonite, and flew off toward Freezington.
Only long after they left did Calyrex's small figure reappear in the ruined shrine.
Approaching the broken throne, Calyrex sat slowly, eyes lingering on the direction Lucas had gone.
"…"
On the empty throne, the forgotten king let out a barely audible sigh.
…
On the way back, perhaps luck was bad—Lucas flew into a heavy blizzard.
He and Dragonite could just about endure it, with Victini's warmth.
But in his arms was the frail Cosmog.
After weighing it, Lucas and Dragonite found an abandoned cave mid-mountain and stayed until morning, only continuing to Freezington when the blizzard eased, bodies cozy from a night by the fire.
He barely slept, instead pondering Calyrex and Cosmog's relationship, the obvious holes in its words, and Calyrex's true intent.
Calyrex said it found Cosmog at an Ultra Wormhole—meaning it's at least unrelated to "Nebby," and is most likely the game's "Fwoofy."
Calyrex's frequent possessions in Freezington—breaking its years of seclusion to communicate—likely mean it felt it couldn't properly care for Cosmog; in its current state, without even telepathy, it couldn't watch over Cosmog's growth.
As for why Cosmog pounced on him—disappointing as it was—Lucas suspected Calyrex's doing.
After all, he'd had Victini charge Calyrex with endless energy, letting it subtly change Cosmog's pounce angle.
Judging by Cosmog's attitude toward Calyrex, and Calyrex's seemingly cold words that actually hid its true feelings—
Lucas inferred Calyrex was reluctant to part.
But because it felt powerless, it would rather swallow that reluctance to find Cosmog a good home, ultimately choosing Lucas, who was good at taking care of young Pokémon.
Thus, in Lucas's eyes, Calyrex's image shifted—from an empty, betrayed legendary king to a tragic old father willing to bear the pain of parting to secure a future home for his child (Cosmog).
Legendaries may lack gender, but Calyrex is a king—so "old father" fits, right?
As Dragonite cruised, Lucas looked down at the peacefully sleeping Cosmog in his arms, eyes thoughtful.
If he'd previously been unsure how to reasonably bring Calyrex back to the farm, now he had a lead.
"Calyrex, you wouldn't want Cosmog to—"
Calyrex merely thinks it lacks the strength to raise Cosmog now.
So Lucas's next steps are simple.
Faith aside—given Calyrex's past—he just needs to follow the game's flow: help Calyrex tame Glastrier and Spectrier and regain its power.
And what will Calyrex use to tame them?
Isn't there a living power bank—Victini!
But first, Calyrex must clearly realize it no longer has any followers.
Otherwise it won't resolve itself to act.
It'll keep enduring its body's decline and fading power day after day, waiting for audiences from followers who no longer exist.
"Drago~"
Dragonite's cry pulled the planning Lucas back.
He glanced down to see Freezington's outline below.
He patted Dragonite's back, signaling a slow descent.
Even from above, there were signs of activity in the village.
A Dragonite landing is eye-catching in a remote place like Freezington.
Beyond curious villagers—who looked in even better spirits than when Lucas first arrived—Nemona, Arven, Penny, Eri, Peony, and Peonia rushed him back indoors.
Nemona clasped her hands, delighted. "Teacher must have completely solved it!"
Arven exhaled, relieved. "That's great!"
Eri eyed her fists, a bit frustrated.
So the case got solved before she could learn Foresight or Odor Sleuth?
Penny was thrilled inside but kept a straight face, clearing her throat. "I can book flights back to Paldea right now…"
She clearly couldn't wait to leave—or to get away from her jump-scare of a dad.
In his ears, Peony's wails at the news of his daughter leaving mixed with Peonia scolding him.
Lucas tapped the table to gather everyone's attention before speaking. "Let me share what I learned last night."
"The haunting had nothing to do with Ghost-types."
"Have you ever heard of the legend of the King of Bountiful Harvests?"
Peony stroked his chin, thoughtful. "One of my purposes here was to investigate whether the King of Bountiful Harvests is real or just a fairy tale the villagers made up."
"In earlier digging, an old lady told me that as a child she heard from her granny: if kids misbehaved in the fields, the king would take their bodies and souls and they'd never go home again—one of those scare-the-kids stories."
"That made me doubt the king's existence. Unfortunately, when we made progress on the Snowy Slope ruins, I put that aside."
Nemona and the others pondered.
Sitting on the table, leg crossed, Peonia chimed in. "Last time I went to pay rent, I overheard the village chief say, 'We can only rely on the King of Bountiful Harvests to attract tourists.'"
"Hey, dumb dad—did they scam you?"
"…"
Without solid evidence, Peony didn't know how to rebut her.
Lucas suddenly said, "The King of Bountiful Harvests—Calyrex—exists. I met it last night."
"It entrusted a Pokémon to me."
The instant he said it, everyone gasped.
"Wha—!?"
As if on cue—or just woken by the noise—
Cosmog, who'd been snoozing under Lucas's clothes, yawned and poked its head out from his collar.