The fire in the Wild Area camp had dwindled to glowing embers, casting soft orange halos around the small clearing where Niyah and her team sat. The sky overhead deepened to indigo, stars twinkling faintly above the treetops. The tall grass nearby rustled gently in the nighttime breeze; the crickets and the low murmur of night-Pokémon formed a lullaby of the wild.
Niyah had tucked herself into a roll of sleeping blanket, the new Togepi curled beside her in a small nest of soft leaves, Mimikyu draped in a little shadow-cocoon at her side, and Litwick hovering low, his blue flame flickering gently to ward off insects. Roty perched nearby in recharge-mode, its screen dim but still blinking faintly.
All was peaceful or so it seemed.
Niyah stared up at the stars, thoughts drifting lazily. She could feel the warmth of the day's victories, Togepi's mastery, the unity of her little team, the sense of growth. She smiled softly. "We're doing good," she whispered. "You're all doing good."
Togepi yawned, her little shell nestled into Niyah's lap. Mimikyu sighed faintly, her ragged cloth fluttering. Litwick's flame cast moving shadows on his tired team around the camp.
As sleep began to hover, Niyah's eyes flickered open again. Something felt off. It was subtle, a faint vibration in the air, a stillness in the rustling grass. The wild calls of Pokémon had quieted. The breeze seemed to pause.
She sat up slowly, blinking into the darkness. "Guys…" she murmured. "Wake up. Something isn't right."
Mimikyu's eyes opened, glowing faintly under the cloth mask. Litwick's flame pulsed a little brighter. Togepi stilled, wide-eyed.
Niyah rose, leaving the blanket behind and standing in the center of the clearing. The embers flickered in the small firepit; the shadows of the trees lengthened across the ground. She scanned the treeline. Nothing moved… but the feeling remained.
Then a silent rip through the air. A hush so deep the night seemed to hold its breath. And then, from the edge of the clearing, stepped a figure.
Tall. Majestic. Bathed in pale moonlight. A wolf-shaped creature of azure fur, eyes shining like polished gemstones, carrying a rusted piece of metal in its mouth. Its mane rippled like silk, its posture regal. The grass bowed beneath its paws.
Niyah's heart hammered. She recognized the legend. The stories. The warrior of old. Zacian.
She swallowed, but didn't flinch. The creature approached slowly, not aggressively more curious, watchful. Litwick floated protectively closer, Mimikyu slid behind Niyah's shadow, Togepi edged to her side.
Zacian stopped a few meters away, its eyes focused on Niyah. The sword in its mouth gleamed with a faint rust-tint, the metal ancient and scarred, yet deadly.
Silence stretched. The only sound: the slow hiss of the fire dying out, the distant croak of a frog. Niyah stepped forward just a little, voice soft. "Who… are you?"
Zacian's ears flicked. It lowered its head, then gently placed the sword on the ground before Niyah. The metal touched the grass with a soft clink. It watched her with those shining eyes, as though offering something.
Niyah's breath caught. The sword it was the Rusted Sword. In the games, the relic that allowed Zacian to assume its Crowned Sword form.
She reached out, trembling slightly, and touched the hilt. A surge of energy rippled through her, warm, ancient, humming with power. The air around them flickered. The stars overhead seemed to brighten.
Zacian nudged the hilt gently toward her, then stepped back, then vanished into the darkness before her eyes not running, not hiding, but leaving. A whisper of wind. A faint glow that faded.
Niyah stared at the sword in her hand. The team behind her watched silently. Mimikyu's eyes glowed faintly. Litwick's flame burned strong. Togepi's shell reflected a little glint of metal.
Roty beeped softly. "Object detected: Rusted Sword. Legendary signature item. Unknown status: registered/qualified."
Niyah exhaled, bowing her head to the relic. "Thank you," she whispered. "I won't let this go to waste."
She lifted the sword carefully and sheathed it gently in her backpack. The metal felt heavier than it looked, but settled snugly. She turned to her team. "Okay. That was… something. But it's us. Our mission just got bigger."
Togepi chirped excitedly, Mimikyu let out a soft giggle, and Litwick's flame flickered with pride.
The night air shifted, the breeze returned, the wild calls resumed. The moment ended but the presence of the legendary wolf lingered like a shadow behind her thoughts.
Niyah lay down again, the stars above. Her mind raced. This encounter would change everything.
And as the fire died, the Wild Area settled again into soft darkness but the ripples of destiny had already begun.