Hearing Arceus' words, Aiden smiled faintly.
"That isn't necessarily true."
"I have a complete set of Creation Plates as well."
As the conversation ended, Aiden and Cynthia were enveloped in golden light and returned to their original timeline.
When they reappeared in present-day Sinnoh, Arceus had already returned to its original state.
All eighteen Creation Plates now floated around it.
Thanks to the restoration of the timeline, Arceus also understood everything that had transpired.
The Jewel of Life had failed to be returned because Marcus had interfered.
It was Aiden and Damos who had personally brought it back.
In other words...
Arceus had once again recovered its perfect form, possessing all eighteen Creation Plates.
When it saw Aiden again, Arceus stood high in the sky before slowly descending until they were face-to-face.
The moment Arceus moved, Mega Mewtwo Y, Mew, Lugia, the two Rayquaza, the two Deoxys, Groudon, Kyogre, Giratina, Palkia, Dialga—
Along with all of the secondary Legendary Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon—
Immediately gathered behind Aiden, staring at Arceus as if confronting a great enemy.
Seeing how wary they were, Arceus merely smiled.
"Aiden."
"At first, I believed your Creation Plates had come from me."
"The Jewel of Life contains five Plates, but as for the others..."
"I still do not know where they originated."
"However..."
"I now understand one thing."
"You willingly returned to the past and gave the Jewel of Life back to me instead of keeping it for yourself."
"That allowed me to see an entirely new side of humanity."
"There are selfish humans."
"But there are also people like Damos, who honor their promises."
"And people like you."
"You have formed countless bonds with Pokémon."
"You have even earned the wholehearted loyalty of so many Legendary Pokémon."
"Aiden."
"You have shown me a new future."
"I... Arceus... acknowledge you."
As those words fell, Arceus' body gradually dissolved into light.
The brilliant radiance shot away from Earth.
Then—
An unimaginably terrifying presence descended together with that beam of light.
Slowly, the golden radiance condensed into the familiar silhouette of Arceus.
"Aiden."
"I'll be waiting for you in space."
Though puzzled, Aiden nodded toward Rayquaza.
Escorted by the Legendary Pokémon, he flew into outer space.
Then...
He witnessed an astonishing sight.
An enormous Arceus stretched across what seemed to be the entire universe.
Its body was so immense that it dwarfed everything around it.
Giratina.
Palkia.
Dialga.
Lugia.
Mew.
Mewtwo.
Both Rayquaza.
Every one of them stood frozen in shock.
How could an Arceus this gigantic possibly exist?
Seeing Aiden's bewilderment, the colossal Arceus spoke with a voice that echoed throughout the cosmos.
"Aiden."
"I am the true Arceus."
"My avatar acknowledged you."
"That is why I have personally descended into this universe."
"Unfortunately..."
"This universe cannot withstand my full power."
"I cannot casually enter Earth."
"If I did..."
"My power alone would likely cause the planet to explode."
Aiden was momentarily stunned.
Only now did he truly understand the terrifying might of the creator deity.
Within the true Arceus' domain existed countless universes.
Every universe contained its own world.
Some were utopias.
Some followed the television series.
Some reflected the movies.
Some were modern Pokémon worlds.
Some were apocalyptic Pokémon worlds.
Yet there was one constant.
No matter the universe...
Pokémon always existed.
And in every single world, an avatar of Arceus maintained balance and protected that universe from destruction.
"Aiden asked, "Then why did you come to see me?"
Looking up at the Arceus that filled nearly the entire cosmos, he swallowed nervously.
Arceus smiled.
"I am Arceus."
"As the creator deity, creating worlds is both my duty and my joy."
"From my perspective, countless universes exist."
"In every universe, different protagonists write their own legends."
"But regardless of the universe..."
"Not a single Trainer has ever defeated one of my avatars through their own strength."
"You alone have accomplished that."
"That is why I came to meet you."
Arceus smiled warmly.
"Across countless universes..."
"You alone are worthy of my making this journey."
"You have earned my recognition."
"So tell me."
"What reward would you like?"
Aiden was momentarily speechless.
"A reward?"
"To be honest, I already possess many Legendary Pokémon."
"At this point, even capturing every Legendary Pokémon in the world wouldn't be particularly difficult."
"So if you ask what I truly want..."
"I honestly can't think of anything."
"If there is one thing..."
"I'd like to capture you."
"Unfortunately, it seems your avatar can't be captured."
Arceus burst into hearty laughter.
"Capture me?"
"That goal is still rather far away."
"However..."
"I can give you a special gift."
As it spoke, Arceus gathered a portion of its power.
The energy slowly condensed into the shape of a Pokémon Egg before floating into Aiden's hands.
Aiden examined the mysterious Egg curiously.
"System."
"Analyze this Pokémon Egg."
Ding! Analysis complete.
Pokémon Egg
Level: None
Type: Unknown
Hatching Requirement: The Pokémon born from this Egg will be determined according to the Host's future choices.
Looking at the status panel, Aiden froze.
Even the system couldn't identify it?
Could it be...
That this Egg would hatch into an entirely new Pokémon?
Still carrying countless questions, Aiden watched as Arceus' true body gradually shrank before returning to the familiar form of its avatar.
"Aiden."
"I cannot remain in this world for long."
"If you have anything else to say, speak with my avatar."
"I must continue creating other universes."
"We will certainly meet again someday."
As the true Arceus disappeared, Aiden looked at the avatar standing before him.
Then he made an unexpected decision.
"Arceus..."
"My system... could it be..."
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