Dialga was plunged into deep turmoil—it knew Arceus' power all too well.
Even with five of its Plates missing, it was no exaggeration to say that not even Dialga, that irritating Palkia, and Giratina combined would be a match for Arceus.
But would returning the Jewel of Life really be enough to quell Arceus' fury? That seemed highly unlikely.
Though Arceus was known as the God of Creation, Dialga understood his nature well. Arceus, existing somewhere between good and evil, had no clear moral compass.
He could be the embodiment of light, gentle and worthy of praise, yet also the epitome of darkness—cold and terrifying.
But could it really just stand by and watch Arceus take revenge on this world?
Dialga couldn't bring itself to do that.
"This is only a last resort. If there's another way to resolve Arceus' wrath, then of course, we won't have to use it."
Seeing Dialga fall silent, Lucas immediately understood what it was thinking and said with a faint smile,.
"I must say, you're quite clever for a human."
Dialga's dragon eyes flickered, and after a moment, it raised its head and gave Lucas a long, searching look before responding calmly.
Yes—going back in time to change the course of events might indeed have a good chance of preventing the apocalypse Arceus would bring. But…
Hadn't it just said it would never allow any lifeform to touch the taboo of time!?
Wasn't it a matter of dignity for Dialga, the God of Time!?
"…If… if this method truly can succeed… then I'll give you one chance."
After a brief pause, Dialga spoke through telepathy, trying to maintain a calm tone.
Though it felt like swallowing its pride, compared to the impending disaster from Arceus, such matters were trivial.
If even returning the Jewel of Life wouldn't work, what else could they do? Count on the Sinnoh Trio to stand up to Arceus under divine judgment light?
They'd probably get their heads smashed in.
Time travel was a desperate measure—but also the most critical backup plan. If there was no other way, it would have to be done.
"Of course. But I still hope we don't have to use it. After all, changing history might have unforeseen consequences in the present."
Lucas's smile widened as he emphasized the importance of time. Sure enough, with a concrete example, Dialga wasn't so rigid anymore.
"If you understand that, then all the better."
Dialga's eye twitched slightly. For some reason, it felt like Lucas's words were oddly grating to hear.
Wasn't that something it should have been the one to say?
"State your name, human."
But Dialga quickly pushed away the strange feeling, lifted its dragon head high, and spoke with a resonant mental voice.
With a possible solution to stop Arceus' wrath, Dialga felt like a burden had been lifted from its shoulders—it was in high spirits!
Even the pain from earlier didn't seem to register anymore!
"Lucas. Lucas Blackthorn~ It's an honor to meet you today, Dialga."
Lucas gave a polite smile and responded gently.
He understood—this meant Dialga had acknowledged him.
To be recognized by the Dragon of Time itself was, for any human, a rare and immense honor.
"Indeed. The energy within your body is quite comforting to me. We shall meet again."
A beautiful blue divine radiance flowed from Dialga's body, a streak of light surging into Lucas.
At the same time, a swirling vortex of time opened behind it.
With those parting words, Dialga turned and disappeared into the vortex, returning to its own dimension.
"What a fine dragon… such a shame, though~"
Feeling the new energy within him, Lucas raised his eyebrows—this was Dialga's power.
Through it, he could now communicate with Dialga.
However, it was a one-way connection. Whether Dialga chose to respond would be up to it.
The Dragon of Time… truly an awe-inspiring and tempting legend.
But unfortunately, it couldn't become his partner.
Lucas shook his head—not because he didn't want to try, but because Dialga would never accept.
The Sinnoh Trio were fundamentally different from the other legendary Pokémon in other regions.
They were true gods.
They maintained the balance of time, space, and the Reverse World. Their responsibilities were simply too great.
Just as Dialga had said—it protected the balance of the entire world.
Could he really ask Dialga to abandon its duty of guarding time and go on an adventure with him? Impossible.
So even though Lucas loved dragons to an extreme degree, he never planned to recruit Dialga from the start.
Still, building a good relationship with it was worthwhile.
Who knew? Maybe one day, he could call upon Dialga to help out during a critical moment, right?
"Come back, Eternatus. You've really helped me out today."
Snapping out of his thoughts, Lucas pulled out the Heavy Ball and smiled at Eternatus behind him.
It was thanks to Eternatus.
If it hadn't overpowered Dialga, Lucas would've never had a chance to communicate with it afterward.
After all, in the eyes of legendary Pokémon who had existed since the dawn of creation, unless someone had been through extraordinary circumstances, only beings on the same level could speak with them as equals.
Eternatus gently shook its head to show it was fine and happily returned to the Heavy Ball.
…Was that its first real win, maybe?
Looking at the Heavy Ball in his hand, Lucas had a rather impolite thought and muttered to himself.
It had come to this planet twenty thousand years ago and slumbered until awakening three thousand years ago—only to get smacked down by Zacian and Zamazenta.
Then it woke up again recently in Hammerlocke City, almost got chopped up by Zacian again…
Its fight in the Crown Tundra with the Ice Rider Calyrex was interrupted, too.
Now that he thought about it, maybe this really was Eternatus' first proper victory?
Eternatus: "..." Can you please show me some respect?
-------------------------------------------------------
"Dialga's gone?"
Far in the distance, outside the ancient temple, Sheena and the others watched as Dialga entered the time vortex, exchanging puzzled glances.
They were too far away to hear what was said between Lucas and Dialga.
"Cynthia?"
Caitlin walked up beside Cynthia and called softly, wanting to know what she thought.
After all, Dialga appeared to have left, the fake Jewel of Life was destroyed, and what now of Lucas?
He was a member of Team Rocket. As the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia had no reason to let him go.
But… how could she deal with that Eternatus?
"We'll wait and see for now."
Cynthia frowned slightly—this really was a difficult situation.
Eternatus' overwhelming power had been made painfully clear in its battle with Dialga just now.
Every Champion was a prodigy in their own right, carrying with them unshakable belief in their strength and willpower.
But that belief was relative.
Cynthia, a calm and rational fighter, welcomed a challenge—but she wasn't foolish.
When the gap was this huge, it wasn't bravery. It was stupidity.
Just then, Cynthia seemed to realize something and turned toward the temple.
"They didn't run?"
She was surprised to see that Team Galactic was still huddled inside the ancient temple, especially Cyrus.
Their attention had been fully captured by the battle between Eternatus and Dialga.
They hadn't had the presence of mind to escape when they had the chance.
"Boss…"
Saturn looked like he was about to cry, staring at the speechless Cyrus.
It was too late to run now…
He didn't even know why their usually sharp and cunning boss had been standing there like a statue for so long.
"Draa~"
A soft, melodious cry rang out as Dragonair descended from the sky.
Lucas leapt down from its back, scanning the area before finally locking eyes with Sheena.
Feeling his gaze, Sheena tensed and bit her lip nervously.
To be honest, her feelings toward Lucas were complicated.
But after witnessing the terrifying might of Eternatus firsthand, what she felt now was more fear and anxiety than anything else.
"Relax. Don't be afraid. I'm not a bad guy, you know."
Noticing her tension, Lucas chuckled softly and spoke gently.
Sheena: "…"
Cynthia and the others took it in stride, but Marnie rolled her eyes rather dramatically.
Not a bad guy? That was being too generous.
"I just spoke with Dialga. When Arceus descends, I'll return to assist you."
Paying no mind to the strange looks he was getting, Lucas said with a smile.
"Eh?"
Sheena was stunned.
Thinking back to everything since they met, her impression of Lucas was that he was arrogant, sharp-tongued, and overly self-confident.
Even Cyrus—the head of Team Galactic—had been mocked by him until he was speechless.
But… he was strong.
Even Dialga had been… ahem—not beaten—but suppressed by that terrifying Eternatus.
Forgive me, Dialga, please don't take offense at my poor choice of words…
Sheena silently repeated her apology in her heart.
"Really?"
Coming back to her senses, Sheena's eyes sparkled.
An enemy turning into an ally—was this really happening to her?
If someone like Lucas became a friend… even if he was arrogant and sharp-tongued… he'd be an incredibly dependable one.
"Of course. But you'll have to hand over the Jewel of Life to me for safekeeping."
Lucas's smile deepened as he made his demand without the slightest hint of modesty.
"But… the Jewel of Life…"
Sheena's brows knitted together instantly.
Leaving aside how important it was, they didn't even know where the real one was.
She had just confirmed with Dialga through her aura—only to be told the Orb was with Lucas.
"The real Jewel of Life is inside the temple. Didn't Dialga tell you?"
Lucas gave Sheena a strange look.
Dialga had told him right before it left—the true Orb, originally one of Arceus' Plates, was within the temple.
Dialga would never mistake the aura of a Plate.
"…Heh."
Sheena forced a dry laugh.
So, in Dialga's eyes, even as a descendant of the Aura Guardians, she wasn't as close as this rotten Team Rocket grunt?
Why, exactly!?
"Gather your trusted people and search the temple. The Jewel of Life can't stay in your hands—it's beyond your ability to protect."
Lucas's tone was firm and unyielding, and his authoritative demeanor made Sheena's eye twitch slightly.
Who's in charge here, again?
"…Okay."
Still, Sheena responded meekly and a little resentfully.
She didn't have much choice.
This guy might be with Team Rocket, but his strength was real.
"Just because you're strong doesn't mean you can act like this…"
Lucas's words really stung, and Sheena felt indignant.
But she couldn't deny it—she was weak.
This whole Team Galactic incident had been a wake-up call.
Neither she nor Professor Karbin had been able to protect the Orb from the invading enemies.
So… maybe giving it to Lucas really was for the best.
After all, even Dialga acknowledged him—that meant he could be trusted.
"Oh right—Miss Cynthia. I'm really grateful for your help today. I can't imagine what would've happened without you."
As if remembering something, Sheena quickly turned to Cynthia and bowed deeply in gratitude.
Cynthia had saved her twice today. Now that everything had calmed down, she had to properly express her thanks.
"You're too polite. It was nothing. But…"
Cynthia gently helped Sheena back up, smiling softly before turning her gaze back to Lucas.
What a troublesome man.
"Miss Cynthia, is there something you want to say?"
Noticing Cynthia looking at him, Lucas's eyes flickered slightly, and he smiled.
"You possess unparalleled strength. I hope you'll use that power in the right way."
Cynthia was silent for a moment before speaking slowly, her elegant and refined aura radiating as always.
She was the Champion of Sinnoh League, while he… was part of an evil organization—Team Rocket.
Two opposing camps, and yet here they were, talking so "cordially" face-to-face.
Who would ever believe such a thing if they heard about it?
But reality… always outdoes fiction.
(End of Chapter)