The jet touched down smoother than Cyrus expected.
The runway lights of Divide City stretched out beneath the wheels in clean, geometric lines — white on the left side, amber on the right. Even the tarmac was split down the middle by a faint seam, as if someone had once drawn a line and the world had decided to respect it forever.
The engines powered down.
No applause.
No chatter.
Just the low hum of a city holding its breath.
Cyrus stepped off the jet first, duffel slung over one shoulder, Ditto still draped around his neck in scarf form. The air hit him immediately — not cold, not warm, but different. Charged. Like the moment before a storm breaks, except the storm couldn't decide which way to blow.
To his left, the glow of bioluminescent flora spilled into the air like soft lantern light. To his right, shadows clung stubbornly to steel and stone despite the lamps.
The border checkpoint stood directly ahead.
Not a wall.
A gate.
Two identical towers rose side by side, one grown over with luminous vines and crystalline leaves, the other wrapped in dark metal lattice threaded with red-gold energy lines. Between them stretched a wide plaza paved in alternating stone — pale marble and dark slate, perfectly interlocked.
A sign hovered overhead in clean, official lettering:
DIVIDE CITY — EXTERNAL ACCESS POINTBadge Verification Required
Cyrus rolled his shoulders once.
"Well," he muttered, "that's welcoming."
Ditto squeezed lightly at his collarbone, a soft reassuring nudge.
As Cyrus approached, his Pokéballs vibrated in sequence.
First — Gengar.
The ball clicked faintly, then went still.
Second — Ceruledge.
The internal heat sensor spiked briefly before settling, like a knight standing at attention.
Third — Tyrunt.
An excited pulse. Curious. Restless.
Fourth — Meltan.
A low, steady hum — metal resonating with something deep beneath the city.
And last…
The heavier ball at his belt shifted.
The Bloodmoon Ursaluna didn't stir.
Not asleep.
Aware.
Watching.
Cyrus slowed his steps.
"You feel it too," he murmured.
A presence brushed against his senses — playful, lazy, pleased.
Hoopa did not speak.
Two officers waited at the center of the plaza.
Not trainers — rangers, by the look of their gear. One wore pale green and silver, her uniform accented with glowing leaf motifs. The other wore charcoal and crimson, eyes sharp beneath a hood traced with ember lines.
Fairy-side.
Dark-side.
Balanced.
The Fairy-side ranger stepped forward first, offering a polite nod. "Welcome to Divide City. Please present your badges for verification."
Cyrus unclipped the case at his belt and opened it.
The Specter Badge caught the light immediately — silver crescent etched with ghostly flame patterns, cold and heavy in his palm.
The Dark-side ranger's eyes narrowed.
"Ghost-type," he noted. "Noctopolis."
Cyrus nodded. "Trial complete. Badge verified."
The Fairy ranger scanned it with a hovering device. The air chimed softly.
VERIFIED.
But the sound didn't stop.
The device pulsed once.
Twice.
Then both towers reacted.
The luminous vines on the left flared brighter, curling toward Cyrus like curious fingers. On the right, the red-gold lines along the metal tower ignited, shadows pulling inward as if bracing.
The ground thrummed.
The Bloodmoon Ursaluna's ball twitched.
Cyrus's jaw tightened.
"That's new," the Fairy ranger said carefully.
The Dark ranger's hand moved closer to his belt. "Your Pokémon are reacting unusually."
"They've been through a lot," Cyrus replied evenly.
The ranger lifted his gaze — sharp, assessing. "So has this city."
For a heartbeat, the plaza held still.
Then Ditto shifted — just slightly — its fabric-like body tightening around Cyrus's neck.
The hum beneath the city deepened.
And something — someone — laughed very softly.
Not aloud.
Inside the space between seconds.
The scanners stabilized.
The towers dimmed.
The Fairy ranger exhaled. "Access granted."
The gates parted soundlessly, revealing the city beyond — the clean divide continuing straight down the main thoroughfare, glowing life on one side, brooding shadow on the other.
The Dark ranger watched Cyrus as he passed. "Word of advice," he said quietly. "Don't linger on the line."
Cyrus paused just long enough to glance between both halves of the city.
"I don't plan to."
As he crossed the threshold, the air shifted again — subtle, but undeniable.
Hoopa's voice finally drifted in, cheerful and low.
"See~? Nothing bad happened."
Cyrus didn't smile.
Behind him, the gate sealed shut.
Ahead, Divide City waited.
Balanced.
Watching.