Michina, Sinnoh Region.
Dylan returned here once again with Lillie and the other two girls. Months had passed, yet Michina looked exactly the same.
The green mountains and clear waters still exuded peace and harmony—but Dylan knew, that peace wouldn't last.
"Champion Dylan!"
At the foot of the Michina Ruins, Dylan and his group saw Sheena and Kevin waiting for them.
Especially Kevin—seeing his idol again left him trembling with excitement.
"It's been a while, Miss Sheena, Mr. Kevin."
Dylan greeted them with a smile.
"Not that long, actually."
Sheena shook her head, her face clouded with worry. It was clear she had a lot on her mind.
Of course, it made sense. The news that Arceus was about to awaken had hit her like a thunderbolt.
Though she had long known this moment would come, now that it was really happening, panic overwhelmed her.
She had called Dylan the very moment she heard, desperate for someone she could rely on to calm her nerves.
"Don't be afraid. Leave it to me."
Dylan could read the fear in her heart and smiled reassuringly.
"Yes… please, Dylan, no matter what, you must stop Arceus." Sheena took a deep breath, bowing earnestly to him.
There had been times when she'd wondered—why her?
Why must it be her generation that faced Arceus's awakening? But Sheena knew complaints were meaningless—they would only consume her further.
The only thing she could do was find a way to stop Arceus… to make it forgive the sins of their ancestors.
Even if she knew she couldn't do much—perhaps nothing at all.
But that was fine. As long as someone could.
Dylan and the others followed Sheena and Kevin back to the Michina Temple.
"Dylan, is there anything we should prepare?"
"Call Dialga and Palkia."
Dylan thought for a moment before replying.
In truth, he already had a plan—one he had worked out long ago.
"Understood." Sheena nodded. She clasped her hands before her chest, and waves of mysterious Aura Power began to ripple outward.
Transcend time and space!
Soon, two great vortices appeared in the sky—one of time, one of space.
With deep, echoing roars, Dialga emerged from the vortex of time, its body shimmering with a faint blue glow, while Palkia stepped forth from the spatial rift.
The twin gods of time and space lowered their heads, gazing upon Dylan and the others.
"Hi~!"
Dylan waved cheerfully.
They weren't exactly close friends, but they'd met enough times to be familiar.
Come to think of it…
Dylan glanced at Palkia, who returned a subtle look of its own.
Back then, after their brutal clash, Palkia had once asked him to help it "teach Dialga a lesson," promising a satisfying reward.
But that was before Giratina dragged Palkia into the Reverse World.
Their eyes met briefly—seems the offer still stood, though today clearly wasn't the right time.
Dialga eyed the two of them suspiciously. Why did it feel like they were plotting something behind its back?
"When will Arceus fully awaken?" Dylan asked bluntly.
"The ripples between beginnings are growing stronger," Palkia answered through telepathy. "By noon tomorrow, the Father shall descend."
"You don't think you can persuade Arceus, can you?"
"The Father is… obstinate. We will try, but don't expect much," Dialga said gravely.
No one understood Arceus better than these two—it was their creator, after all. Once Arceus decided on something, its will was unshakable.
Everything depended on how it viewed humanity after awakening.
If Arceus refused to abandon its hatred and sought vengeance, then the two dragons were prepared to stop it themselves.
"The Father's power is absolute. But He's missing five of His Plates—that gives us a chance.
Dylan, as long as Arceus doesn't forgive humanity, those five Plates must never be returned to Him. If He regains them before letting go of His hatred, it's over."
Dialga's telepathic tone was stern. Palkia nodded in agreement.
Hearing that, Sheena lowered her head in shame, lips pressed tightly together, not daring to speak.
After all, her original plan had been to return the Jewel of Life to Arceus to ease its anger.
"Why? What would happen if Arceus got the Plates back?"
Leaf asked curiously.
"This world was born of the Father. The Plates are fragments of the original cosmic law, under His command.
All Pokémon born afterward were granted a portion of that power—Palkia and I included. But no matter how strong we are, that power cannot harm the one who wields all Plates," Dialga explained.
"What do you mean?" Leaf blinked, confused.
"When the universe was born, its fragments became the eighteen elemental Plates—the very foundation of existence. Every Pokémon born afterward inherited their 'types.'
Arceus, who can truly wield all Plates, becomes immune to every kind of attack—because He is the supreme origin of them all."
Dylan added, elaborating further.
The inscriptions on the Plates said it all:
"The Wonderous Plate: Before the universe was born, it breathed alone."
"The Insect Plate: From where the universe began, it began as well."
"The Earth Plate: When the universe came to be, its fragments became Plates."
"The Meadow Plate: The Pokémon born after were blessed with its power."
Those ancient words explained both Arceus's and the Plates' origin—and the very concept of Pokémon "types."
Every Pokémon's type traced back to the creation Plates themselves.
Arceus, being able to fully command them, could nullify any elemental force that opposed it.
That was why, in the Pokémon world, Arceus was truly invincible.
In gaming terms—Arceus was basically the GM. How could a player ever beat the GM of their own world?
"Wha—?"
Leaf's jaw dropped, forming an "O."
Lillie and Irene were equally stunned.
Now that they understood, the realization hit hard.
A fully plated Arceus was literally unbeatable.
Every attack type would be nullified. What could possibly harm it—Tackle? But even Tackle carried Normal-type energy, however faint.
And with the Blank Plate, even that would be immune.
"That's just unfair…"
"No wonder it's the God of Creation…"
The girls could only gape in disbelief.
Sheena, meanwhile, felt a wave of relief. Thankfully, things hadn't gone that far yet—and thankfully, Dylan was here.
If she had returned the Jewel of Life to Arceus while it still bore hatred, the world truly would've been doomed.
(Though, well, her Jewel of Life had turned out to be fake… but the point still stood.)
"So to stop the Father, the Plates must never be returned," Palkia said grimly.
"An incomplete Arceus can still be challenged. Dylan—your power will be essential."
Dialga fixed its gaze on him. Honestly, even with the Plates missing, neither it nor Palkia felt confident about facing their creator.
They had never once fought Arceus—but its power was engraved in their very being.
And Dylan's strength… was something they could trust.
"I understand. Let's get ready."
Dylan nodded. To battle Arceus itself…
As the twin dragons vanished back into their realms, a faint smile tugged at Dylan's lips.
A long-forgotten heat stirred in his chest—an indescribable excitement.
He had already reached the peak. From every perspective, Dylan now stood at the very summit of the world.
And precisely because of that… this god of creation was the perfect opponent.
Time slipped away.
By noon the next day, Dylan and the others stood before the temple ruins.
No one spoke.
Sheena bit her lip tightly, clutching her clothes, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead.
She was terrified—because the time had come.
Even the three girls beside her were tense. After all, they were about to witness the descent of the legendary God of Creation itself!
At some point, the gentle wind stilled.
In the empty sky above, a radiant white gate slowly unfolded—the Gate of the Beginning!
It was here!!
Dylan raised his head as the very air trembled. A suffocating pressure spread across the land as the gate opened.
A divine being stepped forth, each step echoing across heaven and earth. Its cold, emotionless gaze swept across the familiar yet distant land of Michina.
"That's… Arceus?"
Lillie clutched Dylan's sleeve, trembling. Even just looking at it filled her with overwhelming pressure.
That suffocating hatred radiating from its body was far more intense than the shadowed fury of Hoopa Unbound.
Its form was white—part horse, part qilin, part centaur. Its hooves gleamed gold, and around its torso spun a golden ring shaped like a cross—its Thousand-Arms of Creation.
Beep—Arceus. Normal-type. The Original Pokémon.
Ability: Multitype
Moves: Judgment, Perish Song, Hyper Beam, Extreme Speed, Gravity…
*Description: Born from an egg in the void, it created the world itself.
Its light shone upon Hisui, guiding and protecting Pokémon. In Hisuian myth, it is revered as the creator of all things.*
Silence.
The entire world seemed to hold its breath as Arceus gazed upon Michina.
Its deep green eyes began to glow—flickering violently between green and a terrifying crimson.
Michina… Jewel of Life… Damos… betrayal… Damos… betrayal!!
The crimson of rage and hatred filled its gaze completely.
Yes—Arceus had loved this land deeply. It had trusted Damos with all its being, even entrusting him with its own life source.
But…
Damos had betrayed it. Tried to kill it.
That hatred burned hotter than ever.
And it was burning still.
(End of Chapter)