Manaphy quietly watched the scene unfold.
Over the countless centuries, there had been no shortage of humans—or even Pokémon—who pursued Jirachi.
In fact...
Far more had sought Jirachi than almost any other Pokémon.
Why?
Naturally...
It was because of Jirachi's title as the Wish Maker.
Even the human Manaphy had once known—the one who possessed extensive knowledge about Jirachi's secrets—had devoted his life to finding Jirachi for the sake of making a wish.
He wanted to correct a mistake he had made long ago.
Compared to most...
He had been fortunate.
He found Jirachi's Cocoon of Slumber early on.
Then, carrying the cocoon with him, he traveled the world.
Using music...
He accelerated Jirachi's absorption of comet energy.
Combined with the comet fragments he had painstakingly collected over many years...
He finally succeeded in awakening the sleeping Jirachi before reaching the end of his own life.
Unfortunately...
He had made one fatal mistake.
Or rather...
It was the same mistake made by countless others who chased after Jirachi.
The miracle said to grant any wish...
Was not omnipotent.
Returning to the present...
In Manaphy's eyes...
Chen Mo had spent an enormous number of comet fragments awakening Jirachi ahead of time.
Surely...
There was some heartfelt wish he wished to entrust to the Wish Maker.
Perhaps...
He wanted to find the missing Dragon of Ideals.
Or perhaps...
Something else entirely.
It had nothing to do with morality.
Nor with good or evil.
Every living being capable of independent thought harbored desires.
Some great.
Some small.
Some burning intensely.
Others quietly lingering.
Even Manaphy itself was no exception.
It too had wishes it longed to see fulfilled.
However...
Just as Manaphy expected Chen Mo to state his wish...
The young man, after falling silent for a moment as though carefully considering it...
Suddenly asked an entirely unexpected question.
"Jirachi."
"This isn't the first time you've awakened from the Cocoon of Slumber, is it?"
Jirachi blinked.
A puzzled expression appeared on its face.
It clearly couldn't understand why Chen Mo would suddenly ask such a question when he was supposed to be making a wish.
Still...
Being as innocent as ever...
It honestly nodded.
Chen Mo continued,
"Do you remember how many times you've awakened?"
Jirachi looked even more confused.
Holding up its tiny white fingers...
It began counting while trying its hardest to remember.
"Three times..."
"Four times..."
"...Maybe five?"
Jirachi looked dejected.
"I'm sorry, Chen Mo..."
"Jirachi can't remember..."
"It's okay."
"You already tried your best."
Chen Mo gently rubbed Jirachi's star-shaped head before asking softly,
"Jirachi."
"One last question."
"Could you tell me what you did during the times you were awake?"
"I'm curious."
"When I was awake...?"
Jirachi looked blank for a moment.
Then suddenly brightened.
"I remember!"
"Jirachi remembers!"
"They gave Jirachi lots and lots of delicious food!"
"And then..."
"Jirachi granted their wishes!"
"And after that?"
"And after that..."
"...Jirachi had to go back to sleep..."
Its tiny hands slowly drooped.
At that moment...
Having vaguely guessed what Chen Mo was thinking...
Manaphy spoke through telepathy.
"When Jirachi absorbs enough comet energy..."
"It gains the power to create miracles."
"That is the origin of its title as the Wish Maker."
"However..."
"Jirachi is born with the responsibility of regulating the world's ley lines and water veins."
"That duty requires the enormous amount of comet energy it accumulates over centuries."
"So..."
"Once enough of that energy is consumed granting wishes..."
"Jirachi instinctively accelerates the process of returning to slumber."
"That..."
"...is the true reason why the legends say Jirachi can remain awake for only seven days."
The room fell silent.
"...Chen Mo?"
Jirachi looked worried.
It repeatedly waved its tiny white hands in front of Chen Mo's face.
"...Sorry."
Coming back to himself...
Chen Mo smiled gently.
"If it's delicious food you're talking about..."
"Then this land beneath our feet has plenty."
"Jirachi."
"I'll take you all over this country."
"We'll eat every delicious thing there is."
"Believe me."
"Really?!"
Jirachi's eyes sparkled.
"Really."
"Chen Mo is the best!"
Overjoyed...
Jirachi zipped around Chen Mo before happily rubbing its little face against his.
"I like Chen Mo the most!"
"The most, most, most!"
Chen Mo smiled warmly.
"I like you too, Jirachi."
Only after a while...
Jirachi suddenly remembered something.
Reluctantly ending its affectionate cuddling...
It asked,
"Oh right!"
"Chen Mo!"
"Your wish!"
"Jirachi still has to grant your wish!"
"Jirachi."
"Hm?"
"Just as you're happy to finally meet me..."
"I'm happy to finally meet you too."
Chen Mo smiled softly.
"I didn't wake you from the Cocoon of Slumber because I wanted a wish."
"Everything I did..."
"Had only one purpose."
"I wanted to meet you."
"...Meet me?"
"But..."
"...Your wish..."
Jirachi looked utterly lost.
According to legend...
Jirachi possessed the miraculous power to grant wishes.
Because it was the Wish Maker...
Every human and Pokémon who had sought it over countless ages had approached it for one reason.
To make a wish.
To have that wish fulfilled.
From the moment it was born...
The innocent Jirachi had accepted that as perfectly natural.
It had never questioned it.
Nor had it ever thought to.
Everything...
Had simply become the expected order of things.
The established process.
And now...
After all that time...
The one who had searched for it...
Awakened it...
Had suddenly told it—
He hadn't come for a wish at all.
He had simply wanted to meet Jirachi.
Panic.
Jirachi didn't know what to do.
It liked Chen Mo.
In fact...
It cared about him even more than itself.
Precisely because of that...
It believed the only thing it could do for Chen Mo...
Was grant his wish.
That...
Was all it could offer.
But now...
Sensing something was wrong with Jirachi...
Chen Mo was just about to speak—
When Manaphy acted even faster.
Its telepathic voice echoed inside the minds of Chen Mo, Jirachi, and every Pokémon present.
"Lord Chen Mo."
"I have a question."
"You still have plenty of comet fragments, don't you?"
Chen Mo paused.
Then nodded.
The next instant...
Realizing what Manaphy was getting at...
He quickly looked toward it for confirmation.
Having already read Chen Mo's thoughts...
Manaphy gently nodded.
Then explained,
"Although Jirachi is born bearing the responsibility of regulating the world's ley lines and water veins..."
"No responsibility outweighs the will of the life carrying it."
"Besides..."
"This is no longer the world where Pokémon originally lived."
"This new world..."
"Has not yet reached the point where Jirachi must shoulder such responsibilities."
"So, to put it simply..."
"Lord Chen Mo."
"You don't need to worry about Jirachi being forced back into slumber."
"Making wishes is perfectly fine."
"As long as you can continue supplying enough comet fragments to replenish its energy..."
"There won't be any problems."
Manaphy looked gently toward Jirachi.
"I think..."
"Repaying your kindness..."
"Has already become Jirachi's own wish."
Although there were still parts it didn't fully understand...
Jirachi knew Manaphy was helping.
It looked gratefully at the Prince of the Sea.
Its affection toward Manaphy shot upward.
Among everyone in the room...
Manaphy had now climbed to second place.
Right below Chen Mo.
"I understand."
Chen Mo finally nodded.
He wasn't a stubborn person.
Since Manaphy had explained things this clearly...
There was no reason to hesitate any longer.
As long as Jirachi was happy...
And wouldn't suffer because of it...
Then comet fragments were hardly an issue.
He had as many as he needed.
"Yay!"
"Hurry!"
"Make a wish, Chen Mo!"
Jirachi was bouncing around happily once more.
Watching the scene...
Manaphy couldn't help feeling emotional.
If this had happened in the old world...
It would have become the stuff of legends.
In the past...
People chased after Jirachi, begging to make wishes.
Now...
Someone was being chased by Jirachi...
Begged to make one instead.
"Perhaps..."
"That's why Jirachi became so fond of him after meeting him for only such a short time."
Silence settled over the room.
Every Pokémon waited expectantly.
What kind of wish...
Would Chen Mo make?
Meanwhile...
Chen Mo himself looked rather conflicted.
"...My wish."
To be honest...
He had many.
Countless wishes.
Right now...
His greatest dream...
Was simply to retire as soon as possible.
To find a beautiful place with mountains and rivers...
And quietly spend the rest of his life together with his Pokémon.
However...
To achieve that dream...
He first had to change humanity's overall attitude toward Pokémon.
And uncover the true source behind the Pokémon invasions.
Almost absentmindedly...
Chen Mo glanced toward Jirachi.
The little star was gently swaying from side to side.
Clearly...
It was in an extremely happy mood.
"Chen Mo?"
"Have you thought of one yet?"
Jirachi was remarkably sensitive to Chen Mo's gaze.
The moment it noticed him looking...
It tilted its head and met his eyes.
"...Not yet."
"Give me another moment."
"Mhm!"
Jirachi nodded seriously.
After pondering for quite some time...
A certain image suddenly flashed through Chen Mo's mind.
He slowly asked,
"I want to know..."
"The being that attacked Zekrom..."
"Was it a Pokémon named Giratina?"
Manaphy, quietly listening nearby...
Froze upon hearing that name.
Many Legendary Pokémon...
Had never even heard it.
But with Manaphy's vast social network...
It naturally knew a little.
Giratina.
The ruler of the Reverse World.
A mysterious existence said to watch over the real world from its shadow.
Yet...
Such a supremely powerful being...
Had attacked the Dragon of Ideals?
Could that be why Zekrom had disappeared for over a thousand years?
Too terrifying!
Manaphy felt that in over a century...
It had never received so many earth-shattering revelations in a single day.
Meanwhile...
Finally hearing Chen Mo's wish...
Jirachi happily spun through the air.
"Jirachi has received Chen Mo's wish!"
It clasped its tiny hands together.
Closed its eyes.
A mysterious energy immediately spread from its body.
The three wish tags attached to its star-shaped head gently fluttered.
After a moment...
The tags became still.
Jirachi opened its eyes.
Then happily circled Chen Mo once again.
"Jirachi checked!"
"The one who attacked Zekrom really is a Pokémon called Giratina!"
"Chen Mo!"
"That wish was super easy!"
"Make another one!"
"Alright."
Chen Mo didn't hesitate.
"My next wish."
"I want to know..."
"Why did Giratina attack Zekrom?"
"Received!"
Jirachi clasped its hands again.
Closing its eyes.
This time...
The wish tags shook violently.
Jirachi's expression gradually became strained.
A long while later...
It slowly opened its eyes.
It looked on the verge of tears.
"...Chen Mo..."
Already understanding what had happened...
Chen Mo gently rubbed Jirachi's head.
At the same time...
Manaphy quietly explained through telepathy, speaking only to Chen Mo.
"Jirachi's wish-granting power is not omnipotent."
"The human I once knew..."
"The one who devoted his life to researching Jirachi..."
"He was fortunate enough to awaken a Jirachi as well."
"But in the end..."
"That Jirachi couldn't grant his wish."
"Because..."
"Jirachi cannot overturn predetermined life and death."
Chen Mo's expression remained unchanged.
He continued comforting Jirachi.
He wasn't surprised.
Ordinary people regarded Legendary Pokémon as omnipotent.
But...
As the world's foremost Pokémon expert...
After studying countless Pokémon...
And journeying alongside multiple Legendary Pokémon...
Chen Mo understood something very clearly.
Since Jirachi's wish-granting power came from comet energy...
Then naturally...
It couldn't grant absolutely any wish without limits.
Otherwise...
Where would that certain Pokémon hailed as God—
The llama—
Stand?
That was precisely why Chen Mo hadn't immediately voiced his deepest wish.
Because...
Jirachi wasn't truly a god.
It was simply...
The Wish Maker.
"There, there."
"Jirachi."
"This isn't your fault."
"I still have wishes."
"I have lots more things I'd like your help with."
"So..."
"You have to cheer up."
Encouraged by Chen Mo...
Jirachi gradually recovered.
"The third wish..."
"The third wish..."
"Oh!"
"This one's important too!"
"Jirachi."
"I want to know..."
"Where is the Relic Crown that Meloetta lost?"
"Received!"
Filled with confidence once again...
Jirachi closed its eyes.
Thirty seconds later...
It burst into tears.
"I can't do it..."
"Jirachi..."
"Jirachi can't do anything..."
This...
Was something Jirachi had never experienced before.
Its wish-granting power...
Had failed.
Just moments ago...
It had confidently promised Chen Mo that it could grant any wish.
So...
Jirachi...
Was actually just a liar...
Watching the utterly heartbroken little star...
Chen Mo couldn't help feeling a headache coming on.
But at the same time...
He had also arrived at a preliminary understanding of Jirachi's abilities.
"Looks like my guess was right..."
"Once a wish involves beings on the level of the Legendary Pokémon..."
"Jirachi's wish-granting power runs into all kinds of limitations..."
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