"...And that's what happened, Brother Hu. I'll have to trouble you and the Bureau again."
With an ample supply of Moon Stones, along with a large stock of Poké Blocks that Chen Mo had deliberately chosen for their long shelf life, the Clefairy tribe no longer had any worries.
They finally agreed to Chen Mo's earlier proposal.
From now on...
This sinkhole would serve as both the Clefairy tribe's home base and a liaison station between humans and the tribe.
Whenever their food or fuel began running low during their journeys through space, they would return here to replenish their supplies.
At other times...
The Countermeasure Bureau would be responsible for protecting the area.
After all...
Not only was this the Clefairy tribe's habitat, but it also contained an enormous Berry orchard.
Chen Mo's livestream had already revealed the existence of countless rare Berries.
Where there was profit, there was greed.
If the Bureau didn't step in, this place would inevitably descend into chaos.
"Clef!"
Just as Chen Mo stood gazing thoughtfully at the blue sky...
The large Clefable who served as the tribe's leader hurried over on its short little legs, wearing an excited expression.
Hearing the cheerful cry, Chen Mo turned toward it with a smile.
"Finished packing everything?"
"Clef!"
The Clefable nodded enthusiastically.
Then, before Chen Mo could say anything else, it waved at him before pointing toward the spacecraft behind it.
"Hm?"
Chen Mo looked puzzled.
He had already toured the spacecraft while the Clefairy were loading supplies aboard earlier.
Now...
The leader was clearly asking him to board it again.
Though curious...
Seeing the urgency on Clefable's face, Chen Mo brought Pikachu and Gengar aboard once more.
Inside the sleek, futuristic spacecraft...
Countless Clefairy fluttered through the air on their tiny wings, performing final inspections before launch.
That's right.
The little wings on their backs weren't merely decorative.
They really could fly.
Though they couldn't fly particularly high...
They were perfectly suited for moving around inside the spacecraft.
Not long afterward...
Chen Mo saw another Clefable approaching.
Accompanied by several Clefairy...
It carefully carried Jirachi's Cocoon of Slumber in its arms.
At the leader's instruction...
The Clefable reluctantly handed the cocoon over to Chen Mo.
"You..."
Chen Mo looked at the leader in surprise.
Since Jirachi had originally been found by the Clefairy...
Chen Mo had briefly considered taking it with him.
But after seeing how reverently the tribe cared for Jirachi as their deity...
He had abandoned the idea.
In exchange...
Chen Mo and the Countermeasure Bureau agreed to provide the Clefairy with food and fuel for their future space voyages.
The Clefairy, in turn, entrusted the sinkhole—their current home—to the Bureau for research and management.
It was an entirely fair trade.
Chen Mo had his own principles.
Whether emotionally or morally...
He had no right to take Jirachi away.
So he had already given up on the thought.
Yet now...
As they prepared to part ways...
The Clefairy had voluntarily chosen to entrust Jirachi to him.
"Clefable~"
The large Clefable smiled warmly.
After more than two hours of constant communication...
Chen Mo had gradually become able to understand much of the Clefairy language.
He no longer needed Pikachu to translate.
The leader was explaining that...
Although they had finally found the deity who had always protected them...
After discussing it among themselves...
The tribe believed that Jirachi truly belonged to this planet.
If they secretly carried Jirachi into space while it remained asleep...
That would amount to disrespecting their god.
Besides...
Space itself was dangerous.
After careful consideration...
They decided it would be better to leave Jirachi on Earth.
"I see..."
"I have no objections."
"But Clefable..."
"I can tell your tribe likes humans very much."
"You trust us."
"As a human..."
"I'm honestly happy you think so."
"...However..."
As Chen Mo accepted the Cocoon of Slumber, he continued,
"Humans are far more complicated than you imagine."
"In the future..."
"When you return to Earth..."
"You'll meet all kinds of people."
"When that happens..."
"I hope you'll remember what I'm about to say."
"No matter what..."
"Always keep a certain degree of caution."
"Don't trust humans too easily."
"...Including me."
Pokémon were becoming increasingly integrated into human society.
A species as extraordinarily rare as Clefairy was already enough to attract enormous attention.
Combined with how innocent and trusting they had appeared during the livestream...
They would undoubtedly become targets for people with ill intentions.
Chen Mo felt obligated to give these adorable extraterrestrial visitors one final warning.
However...
The first part was fine.
The leader nodded repeatedly.
But the moment Chen Mo added "including me"...
The Clefable immediately shook its head vigorously.
Then...
It looked directly at Chen Mo with utmost seriousness.
"Clef! Clefable!"
"You are our god as well."
"No matter what happens..."
"No matter when..."
"We will always believe in you."
July 15th, 5:38 PM
Riding atop Pidgeotto...
Chen Mo stood on the edge of the sinkhole, watching as the Clefairy spacecraft slowly ascended.
Higher...
Higher...
Until it became nothing more than a tiny shining point against the blue sky.
Then...
It disappeared completely.
Just then...
Chen Mo suddenly remembered something.
Compared to modern human rockets...
The Clefairy's spacecraft was vastly more advanced.
Given their level of technology...
Simply landing on Earth shouldn't have damaged the vessel so severely.
"...Unless..."
According to legend...
The eternal ruler of the skies—Rayquaza—dwelt within Earth's ozone layer.
Whenever beings from outer space entered Earth's atmosphere...
If Rayquaza judged them to be invaders...
It would launch a merciless attack.
The events of Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys had begun precisely because Rayquaza pursued Deoxys after it arrived on Earth.
"...Damn."
"I completely forgot about that."
Chen Mo frowned.
At that moment...
Marshadow's voice sounded in his mind.
"Don't worry."
"Given that one's stature..."
"It wouldn't go so far as to slaughter a group of Clefairy."
"The damage to their ship before was likely nothing more than a casual test."
"...You're right."
Chen Mo let out a soft sigh.
Rayquaza was said to feed on meteorites.
There had never been any stories of it hunting Clefairy.
Besides...
Other Pokémon from space—such as Solrock and Lunatone—also existed.
As far as anyone knew...
The only extraterrestrial Pokémon Rayquaza had relentlessly pursued was another Legendary on its own level:
Deoxys.
From that perspective...
Rayquaza probably had little interest in weak Pokémon arriving from space.
Still...
The Clefairy had already departed.
Even riding Pidgeotto...
There was no way Chen Mo could catch up.
All he could do now...
Was silently hope they wouldn't encounter the Sky High Pokémon on their way out.
"Still..."
"No matter how many times I see it..."
"This place is unbelievable."
Standing once more above the sinkhole...
Chen Mo looked down at the sparse forest and dry yellow earth outside...
Then compared it with the lush greenery within.
The contrast was simply astounding.
Chen Mo had already asked the Clefairy about the orchard.
The seeds had been gathered from the wild...
Or gifted by friendly Pokémon.
The Clefairy themselves had never cultivated Berry trees before arriving on Earth.
Initially...
They had failed miserably.
Even common Oran Berries died in large numbers.
Only after discovering Jirachi's Cocoon of Slumber...
Did the Berry orchard begin flourishing.
There was little doubt.
Jirachi was deeply connected to the orchard's existence.
"So."
"It seems you've figured out that little one's ability."
Marshadow spoke again.
Chen Mo nodded.
"More or less."
"It still feels unbelievable."
Without the Eye of Insight, the first thing Chen Mo recalled was Jirachi: Wish Maker.
In that movie...
Jirachi never truly demonstrated the power to grant wishes from nothing.
When Max wished for lots of candy...
Jirachi simply used Teleport to gather candy from nearby shops.
Much like the Moon Stones that had seemingly fallen from the sky for the Clefairy.
But...
Teleport couldn't explain the Berry orchard.
Only after Marshadow reminded him...
Did Chen Mo remember another scene.
During Ash's journey through Unova...
They met another Jirachi.
A local resident wished for Jirachi to restore his mountain to its former lush beauty.
Before the wish could be fulfilled...
Team Rocket interfered.
Jirachi was forced to use Doom Desire, was injured...
And fell unconscious.
It was then...
That the man's father made an important observation.
"Jirachi seems capable of becoming one with the earth veins and water veins."
Later...
Jirachi resonated with those veins...
Recovered...
And restored the mountain's life.
Clearly...
Jirachi possessed the ability to manipulate the planet's leylines.
Chen Mo speculated...
The sinkhole flourished because...
Even unconsciously...
Jirachi had been using that power.
It drew energy from the surrounding earth and water veins...
And transferred it into the sinkhole.
The extraordinarily fertile environment allowed the Clefairy to grow countless Berry trees effortlessly.
It was incredible.
Yet...
It also raised another question.
According to established lore...
After absorbing the power of the Millennium Comet...
Jirachi would fall asleep, returning that energy to the land until its next awakening.
The paradise of Forina was beautiful precisely because of Jirachi.
However...
Neither the movie nor the anime had ever shown Jirachi using its abilities while still inside the Cocoon of Slumber.
Yet here...
Even while asleep...
It had repeatedly used its powers.
Frankly...
This completely overturned Chen Mo's understanding of Pokémon.
"Marshadow."
"You're also a Legendary."
"Any thoughts on why Jirachi can still use its powers while asleep?"
"What 'Marsha-Doraemon'?"
"My name is Marshadow."
Marshadow sighed helplessly.
"As you once told me..."
"I don't know everything."
"I've never met a Jirachi before."
"Lord Ho-Oh never mentioned anything like this either."
"...Fair enough."
"...What's with that look?!"
Marshadow flared with shadowy flames, looking ready to punch Chen Mo right then and there.
Fortunately...
Realizing they were still high in the sky...
It reluctantly held itself back.
After a moment...
It asked,
"So..."
"What are you planning to do with Jirachi?"
"Hand it over to the Countermeasure Bureau?"
"No."
Chen Mo shook his head.
"The Clefairy entrusted Jirachi to me."
"I can't betray that trust."
"Besides..."
"Jirachi isn't like Meloetta."
"From everything I've seen..."
"It's probably even more innocent than those Clefairy."
"So..."
"I'll take care of it for now."
"I just wonder..."
"Whether I'll live long enough..."
"To see it awaken."
"Pidgeotto."
"Once we're over the mountains..."
"Let's land for a bit."
"I want to make a few arrangements for Jirachi first."
Pidgeotto answered with a clear cry.
Then...
It folded its wings and dived toward the sparse forest below.
After landing...
As always...
Chen Mo released his Aura to scan the surrounding area.
It had become second nature during his travels.
Aura... is with me!
Invisible waves spread outward from his body.
At that exact instant...
The Cocoon of Slumber in his arms emitted a faint glow.
Every Pokémon...
Including Marshadow hidden within his shadow...
Immediately turned toward it.
The world...
Fell silent.
Infinite darkness swallowed Chen Mo's vision.
An overwhelming loneliness surged forth.
Then...
Within that endless solitude...
A voice rang out.
Clear as wind chimes.
Soft.
Pitiful.
Filled with unbearable loneliness.
"...Why..."
"...Why won't anyone answer my call...?"
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