The night air was heavy as Tharion returned through the mountain paths, the dark silhouette of his hidden villa glowing faintly under the moonlight. Gardevoir walked beside him, her aura flaring gently to keep Darkrai stable as the weakened being floated behind them — its form flickering like smoke in the wind.
The mountain garden, vast and serene beneath the stars, came alive at Tharion's arrival. Pokémon of every kind stirred — from the calm aura of Lucario to the soft, healing light of Gardevoir's kin. Even the night-blooming flowers seemed to sway as if greeting their master.
"Everyone," Tharion called softly, his voice calm yet commanding, "we have a guest in need of help."
As the Pokémon gathered, Darkrai's form trembled. "You… would help me? A creature of shadow?"
Tharion glanced over his shoulder, meeting the being's single blue eye. "Darkness and light mean nothing here. In my home, power is only judged by intent — and yours isn't evil."
He gestured toward the center of the garden — a crystalline pond surrounded by silver-leafed plants. The water shimmered faintly with psychic resonance.
"Lay him near the pond," Tharion ordered. Gardevoir nodded, lowering Darkrai gently as Audino, Blissey, and several other healing-type Pokémon emerged from the villa, their soothing cries echoing through the night.
Lucario took position at the edge of the group, reading the aura flow. "(His life force is unstable, but… not fading. Just fractured — like it's been torn by something immense.)"
Gardevoir's hands glowed a soft emerald hue. [I sense dimensional energy burns.] She looked to Tharion. [This wound… was not made by any Pokémon from this world.]
Tharion frowned. "Dimensional energy?"
Darkrai's body flickered again. "Yes… it came from… him."
"Him?" Tharion asked, eyes narrowing.
The air pulsed, as if in response. The wind stilled. Even the stars seemed to dim for a heartbeat.
"Giratina," Darkrai whispered, voice echoing faintly. "He emerged from a tear in the veil between worlds. I thought it an Ultra Wormhole invasion… so I attacked. I was wrong. He… struck back only to defend himself."
Gardevoir's aura rippled in understanding. [So it was a misunderstanding born of fear.]
Tharion sighed quietly. "Then we fix it, not fuel it."
He turned toward the gathering of Pokémon. "Everyone — full healing formation. Gardevoir, synchronize your aura with Blissey and Audino. Lucario, maintain his aura channel so the healing flow doesn't overload his essence."
A radiant hum filled the garden. Pink and blue energies intertwined, threads of life force weaving through the dark mist that cloaked Darkrai's body. Slowly, the shadow's trembling subsided. The burns began to seal — not entirely, but enough for the pain to ebb away.
For the first time, Darkrai's gaze softened. "...I had forgotten warmth could feel like this."
Tharion smiled faintly. "Remember it, then. You're not alone anymore."
Darkrai floated higher, its form steadier. "You have my gratitude, Champion. My dreams will never touch those who dwell under your care. May I… remain here? Among those who do not fear the night?"
Tharion looked toward the far side of the garden, where his ghost and dark-type Pokémon often gathered near the obsidian stones — Mismagius, Dusknoir, Spiritomb, and several Umbreon raised their heads, curious yet calm.
He nodded. "This mountain's big enough for everyone. Stay here as long as you wish. No one will harm you."
Darkrai bowed slightly — a rare gesture of reverence.
Yet even as peace settled over the garden, Gardevoir's expression grew tense. Her aura flared suddenly, rippling across the range like a shockwave.
[Master! The second shadow signature… it's spiking!]
Tharion's gaze snapped toward the east — toward the lake near the edge of his property. The readings on his Pokégear began to skyrocket, the numbers turning red as the air above the lake warped like glass under heat.
A rift — dark, fluid, and shimmering — began to open, spreading outward in slow, rhythmic pulses.
From within, the faint outline of a serpentine figure twisted in distorted light. Six crimson eyes gleamed for a moment — not in hostility, but in silent curiosity.
Lucario braced himself. "(It's here… the source of the dimensional tear.)"
Darkrai floated forward, alarmed. "That energy… I know it! Giratina!"
Tharion raised a hand, steady and composed. "Stand down. No one attacks until I give the word."
The portal shuddered, then stabilized. A massive, spectral form emerged — black and gold, wings like rifts in space. The Renegade Pokémon, Giratina, stepped through with a deep, echoing growl that rattled the air.
But his voice — low, resonant, and oddly polite — carried across the field. "Peace, mortal. I come not to harm. I was… drawn here. The barrier between realms weakened, and I merely wished to see your world."
Darkrai drifted closer, lowering its head. "I wronged you… in fear. I mistook your presence for an attack."
Giratina's six eyes blinked slowly. "Fear is not sin, little shadow. Curiosity and chaos are my nature, not malice."
Tharion stepped forward, calm amidst the godlike presence. "Then we have no quarrel. Rest here, if you need. But do not draw more attention than necessary. This world isn't ready for your full form."
Giratina's wings folded slightly. "You… remind me of someone once blessed by creation itself. Very well, Champion. I shall stay unseen."
With that, the rift dimmed — closing slowly as Giratina's form faded, leaving behind only rippling distortion and faint golden light that drifted into Tharion's hands.
The System's chime followed.
[Quest Complete: "The Dream That Binds Worlds"]
[Reward Granted: G-Max Band & Z-Ring (Championship Class)]
[Additional Effect: All Pokémon under your command can now access Gigantamax and Z-Power synchronization when conditions are met.]
Tharion smiled faintly as he examined the two gleaming items — power and balance embodied.
He looked back at Darkrai and the silent lake. "A new age of connection… between shadow and light."
Darkrai bowed once more, its eye glowing softly. "This world may yet find harmony, thanks to you."
The wind carried the scent of peace through the mountains.
But deep within the fading distortion where Giratina had emerged — another ripple pulsed faintly, unseen by all.
A whisper — low, distant, and curious.
"A mortal who bridges worlds… interesting."
The soft glow of dawn crept across the mountains as Tharion stood at the edge of his villa's balcony, the world below bathed in golden mist. The newly acquired G-Max Band and Z-Ring gleamed faintly under the sunlight — one radiating the energy of gigantification, the other pulsing with condensed resonance of Z-Power.
He slowly slipped them on — the Z-Ring fitting perfectly around his right wrist, and the G-Max Band clasping onto his left like it had been made for him. The moment both locked into place, faint streams of light arced between them, harmonizing for a heartbeat before settling into stillness.
Even the wind felt different.
Lucario glanced up from the garden below, sensing the surge. "(Your aura… feels heavier. Balanced. Like two opposite forces blending together.)"
Tharion flexed his hands once and smiled faintly. "Guess this is what happens when you get blessings from both ends of creation."
He turned toward the path descending from the mountain. "Let's go. Selene deserves to know what happened. And Professor Oak needs to be informed before someone mistakes a legend for a threat."
By late morning, Pallet Town shimmered under a calm sun — the nightmare haze completely gone. The villagers were cheerful again, and children ran with their Pokémon through the fields, laughing like nothing had ever happened.
Tharion landed near the outskirts astride his Flygon, dust swirling around as the emerald dragon lowered itself. He dismounted, the G-Max Band catching the sunlight, and walked toward the villa he shared with Selene.
Inside, Selene was sitting near the cradle, gently rocking little Aster, who was sleeping peacefully for the first time in days. She looked up, relief flooding her features the moment she saw him.
"Tharion…" Her voice was soft — half awe, half exhaustion. "You're back."
He smiled and approached, brushing a strand of hair from her face before kissing her forehead. "I told you I'd end the nightmares."
Her gaze drifted to his wrists. "Those bands… are new."
He chuckled lightly. "You'll hear the story soon."
Setting his coat aside, he began explaining everything — from finding Darkrai near death, to discovering Giratina's accidental appearance, and the truth behind the misunderstandings that nearly caused a catastrophic clash.
Selene listened quietly, eyes wide with every word. When he described Giratina stepping out of the rift — massive, terrifying, yet strangely calm — she exhaled a soft gasp.
"So… Giratina wasn't trying to invade?"
"No," Tharion replied gently. "He was just curious. Wanted to explore this dimension. Darkrai mistook him for an Ultra Beast."
Her shoulders eased with a deep sigh. "Then everything that happened… it wasn't anyone's fault."
"Exactly."
She looked down at Aster, who gurgled softly in his sleep. "Then I'm glad. Because this little one deserves a peaceful world."
Tharion smiled faintly, leaning closer to his son. "And he'll have one. I promise."
Later that day, Tharion arrived at Professor Oak's lab, where the old researcher was busy cataloging data from the previous night's energy fluctuations.
The moment Oak saw him, his eyes widened. "Tharion! You felt it too, didn't you? The readings last night were unbelievable — interdimensional distortions, aura spikes, even dream resonance patterns off the charts!"
Tharion laughed softly. "Yes, Professor. I was… in the middle of it."
Oak blinked. "What do you mean?"
And so Tharion told him everything — the appearance of Darkrai, the healing ritual in his mountain villa, and the emergence of Giratina himself. But when he reached the part about the gifts, he smirked slightly and raised both his hands.
"These," he said, showing the shimmering G-Max Band and Z-Ring, "were Giratina's parting gifts — tokens of respect."
Oak nearly dropped his clipboard. "Giratina gave you those?! Do you realize what this means, Tharion?! The G-Max Band is bound to Galar's power core — and the Z-Ring, only Alola's strongest trainers possess one! To have both… it's unheard of!"
Tharion shrugged modestly. "Guess Giratina wanted me to balance both extremes — Gigantamax energy and Z-Power."
Oak chuckled, half in disbelief, half admiration. "You've truly become something else, my boy. First Champion of three regions… now the only human to earn Giratina's blessing."
Tharion grinned. "Let's just call it mutual respect between worlds."
He stepped to the window, watching the peaceful hills of Pallet Town. "For now, the rift is sealed, the nightmares are gone, and both Giratina and Darkrai are resting peacefully in my mountain garden. I'll keep watch, but it's calm again."
Professor Oak smiled, eyes softening with relief. "Then Pallet Town — and perhaps the world — owes you another debt of gratitude."
Tharion turned back, his expression calm but resolute. "Just make sure no one starts poking at the energy readings. The last thing I need is the League sending a team to 'study' Giratina."
Oak laughed heartily. "You have my word."
As Tharion left the lab, the sun began to dip behind the horizon. He flexed his hands again, feeling the faint thrum of power between the two artifacts — the G-Max Band and the Z-Ring pulsing in sync like twin hearts.
The world was quiet again. But beneath that peace, he could feel it — a subtle vibration, faint but constant. The remnants of the dimensional veil still humming from Giratina's passing.
He glanced at the sky, a soft smile playing at his lips.
"Another balance restored. But for how long?"