With a loud smack, yet another heavy blow landed. Yveltal's bird-like face had swollen into a pig's head, and the corners of its puffy eyes seemed to glisten faintly with tears.
"Um… Brother Stephen, maybe… that's enough?"
Even Serena, who had initially rallied her group of friends to cheer for Stephen, now felt a pang of sympathy.
She had heard the rumors about Yveltal.
In her view, this Pokémon, which woke up each time only to frantically drain the life force of others like a madman, was utterly unforgivable. And this time, it had nearly brought the entire Vaniville town to ruin.
But seeing the pitiful state it was in now, Serena couldn't help but soften her heart.
Bewear grabbed Yveltal by the neck and slammed it down hard onto the ground, instantly leaving the so-called Destruction God seeing stars.
The newly recruited Kartana swallowed nervously.
At this moment, Xerneas stepped forward, activating its life-giving power to restore the grass and trees that had been destroyed by Bewear and Yveltal's battle.
"Thank you so much, Xerneas."
Diantha placed one hand on her chest and gave a slight bow of respect to the Eternal Pokémon.
As for why Xerneas hadn't arrived in time earlier, Diantha didn't dare ask. After all, it was already doing them a great favor by cleaning up the mess. Questioning it would just be ridiculous.
[Apologies.]
Suddenly, Xerneas' soft, feminine telepathic voice echoed in the minds of everyone present, as well as the wild Pokémon that had just been freed from petrification.
Even Stephen was stunned for a moment.
"Wait, what? Why are you apologizing?"
[I failed to arrive in time.]
Xerneas looked down, a hint of guilt in its eyes.
At this point, Stephen could barely hold it together.
"You're way too kind, aren't you?"
"In the end, this is my fault. I moved you to Alola without considering the possibility of Yveltal's revival."
Stephen stepped forward to help Xerneas save face.
"Moved Xerneas to Alola?"
Hearing this, everyone present looked confused.
What was that supposed to mean?
Even Xerneas glanced curiously at Stephen.
Now that she thought about it, she also found it odd. Why hadn't she noticed that troublesome bird waking up this time? And why had she been carried back here by that bear?
Stephen explained the sequence of events to everyone present, including the legendary Pokémon in attendance. It wasn't something he needed to hide—he had a legitimate reason after all.
Whether or not anyone would criticize him for it didn't matter to Stephen. He had no intention of pretending to be some flawless saint from the very beginning.
"This is a coincidence. But, Dr, Stephen, you don't need to feel too guilty about it. Who could have predicted something like this would happen?"
Steven walked over and gave Stephen a pat on the shoulder.
No, I don't feel guilty at all…
Stephen thought to himself.
"I never imagined that the stone I gave Dr. Stephen would turn out to be something like this…"
Diantha, on the other hand, was shocked by Stephen's explanation about the origins of the Mega Evolution Stone and Key Stone.
"How does he know so much about secrets that only descendants of the Kalos royal family are supposed to be aware of?"
Malva, who had just walked over, was equally stunned.
After all, her superior, Lysandre, was a descendant of the ancient Kalos royal family. He had learned about these secrets only after poring over ancient texts left behind by his ancestors.
How could an outsider like Dr. Stephen possibly know so much?
As everyone mulled over their thoughts, another telepathic voice echoed in the minds of the people and Pokémon present.
[Causing such a commotion for your selfish desires—humans are just as selfish as I thought!]
Unlike Xerneas' mature, feminine tone, this voice sounded like that of a young boy, still in elementary school.
Everyone looked around, trying to locate the source of the voice. Eventually, their gazes landed on the Pokémon standing behind the Eternal Pokémon—Zygarde, the Order Pokémon.
"Wait… was that voice just now coming from him?"
Steven asked in disbelief.
"No way…"
Drasna also looked stunned.
Considering Zygarde's prehistoric serpent-like appearance, the young boy's voice just didn't seem to match at all.
But Xerneas had already demonstrated its mature, feminine voice, and Yveltal was still unconscious. That left Zygarde as the only possible source.
Stephen couldn't hold back his chuckle.
In his previous life, when he watched the anime, he had always thought Zygarde's boyish voice was hilariously mismatched with its appearance. The sheer incongruity was comedic gold, rivaling the absurdity of Doflamingo's henchman, the burly guy with a flamboyant, high-pitched voice.
It was just too much.
"Brother Stephen, you're being so rude…"
Serena covered her mouth and gave Stephen a sideways glance, scolding him.
But her clear eyes had narrowed into slits, and the corners of her eyes were filled with mirth.
Stephen playfully ruffled her light brown hair and teased, "Oh, come on. You're laughing too, aren't you?"
[What are you laughing at, human?!]
Seeing Stephen's expression, Zygarde became annoyed.
Xerneas' exasperated voice rang out in everyone's minds:
[Don't. Zygarde is very sensitive about its voice…]
"Ahem, my apologies."
Stephen made a gesture of apology and forced himself to return to a more serious expression. He addressed Zygarde, now in its 50% form:
"Order Pokémon, I'll admit this incident was partly my fault. But what's done is done. All I can do now is try to make up for it. If you're still upset, you can fight me. Though just to be clear, I will fight back."
As soon as he said this, Bewear, who had been sitting on Yveltal like a cushion, stood up. It stared at Zygarde with a menacing glint in its eyes.
For some reason, Zygarde gulped. After a long pause, it replied in its boyish voice:
[F-Fine. Since you've already taken steps to fix things, I won't pursue the matter further. I'll be leaving now…]
With that, the Order Pokémon's body began to emit a brilliant green light. The intense radiance transformed into countless beams of light, which shot skyward like a meteor shower, scattering across the Kalos region.
"They say Zygarde's body is made up of 'cores' and 'cells,' which it usually disperses throughout Kalos. When the ecosystem is in danger, it gathers them to form its true shape. So it's true after all."
Drasna, a Dragon-type specialist, marveled.
She hadn't expected to witness such divine phenomena twice in one day.
"Very distrustful of humans, huh… That must've been the blue core."
Stephen mused inwardly.
Even someone like Drasna, who had studied Zygarde extensively, didn't know that what they'd just seen was only its 50% form. Zygarde had an even more powerful 100% Gundam-like form.
And there wasn't just one core—there were two: a blue core and a red core.
They can both absorb cells and transform into a 50% serpent-like form.
Moreover, they possess independent personalities.
However, the two cores have vastly different attitudes, particularly toward humanity.
The blue core believes humans are untrustworthy, disruptors of order.
The red core, on the other hand, thinks humans can be trusted and can change for the better.
Judging by the words and actions of the giant serpent Zygarde just now, it's almost certain that this is the blue core.
...
After Zygarde left, Stephen recalled the task at hand and once again approached Xerneas, saying:
"As I mentioned earlier, the reason I brought you to Alola is to ask you to grant my partners new strength—just like the power you bestowed upon Diancie. Could I trouble you for this favor?"
The Key Stones and Mega Evolution Stones in the Kalos region were mutated due to the influence of the ultimate weapon.
And Xerneas and Yveltal, in a sense, are also part of the ultimate weapon.
Therefore, they should logically possess the power to create Key Stones and Mega Evolution Stones as well.
As for Yveltal—this lunatic—Stephen wasn't sure.
But Xerneas definitely could.
After all, Diancie, Xerneas's little follower, gained Mega Evolution powers from Xerneas.
Xerneas glanced at Bewear—or, more accurately, at Yveltal, who was being used as a cushion under Bewear's rear. After some thought, Xerneas communicated telepathically:
[Very well. But, strong human, I too have a request to ask of you. Would you agree to it?]
"Oh? Please, go ahead."
Stephen was a little surprised. After all, in his impression, Xerneas was a super benevolent being.
He thought she'd agree outright without asking for anything in return.
[I hope you can take care of Yveltal.]
Hearing Xerneas's words, Steven, Diantha, and the others didn't react much.
However, Malva's face turned pale. Her lips parted slightly as though she wanted to say something, but she forced herself to remain silent.
'Xer… Eternal God, are you saying you want Dr. Stephen to capture Yveltal?'
Diantha was about to address Xerneas directly by name but changed her wording out of respect.
[Capture? Is that the term you humans use?]
Xerneas was momentarily confused but then explained:
[3,000 years… It's been too long. To be honest, I'm tired.]
As she spoke, a fleeting trace of weariness flashed through Xerneas's eyes.
For 3,000 years, the relationship between Xerneas and Yveltal had been a constant cycle:
Yveltal awakens, wreaks havoc, and steals the lives of humans and Pokémon → Xerneas senses Yveltal's awakening, awakens herself, defeats Yveltal, and forces it back into its cocoon form → Xerneas shares her eternal energy with those turned to stone by Yveltal, exhausting herself and reverting to her tree form to slumber → Yveltal awakens again and repeats the destruction → Xerneas senses this and awakens once more to stop it…
Like an endless Möbius loop, their fates kept intertwining, repeating over and over again for 3,000 years.
To be honest, no matter how kind Xerneas was, she was getting tired.
And now, a powerful human capable of keeping this lunatic in check had appeared.
Xerneas felt that this must be Arceus's way of giving her a break, and she couldn't let this opportunity slip by!
"Honestly, I don't want him at all."
Stephen raised an eyebrow as he looked at Yveltal, who was currently a cushion for Bewear.
Not to mention that Yveltal's attributes overlapped with Shadow Lugia, but its personality was terrible. Stephen genuinely didn't want it.
Steven, Diantha, and the others were stunned.
That's a Legendary Pokémon. Can you give it some respect?
Malva, on the other hand, felt an urge to shout, 'If you don't want it, I'll take it!'
Yveltal was a crucial part of Team Flare's plans.
If Stephen took it, things would become very troublesome.
But Malva held back.
If she spoke up now, Team Flare might be exposed.
Xerneas fell into deep thought again.
This human had a point. If that's the case…
Xerneas then walked gracefully toward Bewear.
Bewear, still sitting, raised its head slightly. The two legendaries locked eyes.
At this moment, Xerneas raised her right forehoof slightly, and a soft pink glow began to gather under her foot.
Was this… Play Rough?
The onlookers were shocked.
Was she about to attack?
But why…
The next moment, Xerneas suddenly stomped her right forehoof downward.
However, her target wasn't Bewear—it was Yveltal, who was being used as a cushion under Bewear.
Bewear remained unmoved, not even activating Observation Haki.
Because there was no killing intent from the deer.
With the ground caving in, Yveltal's body sank slightly.
The unconscious Yveltal suddenly coughed up some unknown fluid, possibly saliva or stomach acid.
Moments later, Yveltal's entire body began to emit a dark, ominous glow.
It was similar to what had just happened with Zygarde.
However, unlike Zygarde, who transformed into light and flew away, Yveltal's radiating light began to condense and shrink.
Eventually, it turned into a volleyball-sized dark oval orb with three devil-like horn spikes protruding from the top.
Serena exclaimed in surprise, "Is that…?"
Drasna explained, "Just as Xerneas reverts to her tree form to slumber and gather energy, Yveltal, the Destruction Pokémon, turns into the legendary "Cocoon of Destruction" form while in slumber. This must be it…"
[Now, will you accept it?]
Xerneas turned her head and asked.
"…Fine."
Since she had gone to this extent, Stephen couldn't refuse.
And besides, he still needed her help for something.
"Um, excuse me…"
Malva finally found an opportunity to speak, redirecting everyone's attention to herself.
With some hesitation, Malva said, "Yveltal is still a legendary Pokémon of Kalos. Is it appropriate for Dr. Stephen to take it away?"
"Huh? I don't see why not."
Steven scratched his head. "Unlike Zacian and Zamazenta, Yveltal isn't a guardian deity of Kalos."
Zacian and Zamazenta had the duty of protecting Galar, so they wouldn't leave—or at least not for an extended period of time.
Even if they found a strong trainer they liked, they would only follow them if the trainer stayed in Galar.
Yveltal, however, was completely different.
Xerneas was the actual guardian deity of Kalos. Yveltal was just a destructive force.
Most people in Kalos would probably be thrilled to see this calamity leave.
"But…"
Malva gritted her teeth in frustration.
To be honest, she wanted to retort with, "A legendary Pokémon from the Kalos region should be captured by a Kalos trainer."
But looking at Diantha like this… does she look like someone who could handle Yveltal?
She could, though.
Within the Kalos League, aside from Chairman Lysandre, no one knew the truth: Malva, who was publicly considered the weakest of the Kalos Elite Four, actually possessed Champion-level strength!
She was someone who might be able to hold down Yveltal.
But if Malva suddenly declared, "I'm done pretending, let's lay it all out—I'm Champion-level,"
Diantha and the others would immediately respond with, "Are you an undercover spy or something?"
There was no way around it—the painful lesson from Aldous' betrayal was still fresh in everyone's minds!
Seeing that Malva couldn't come up with anything reasonable to say, everyone's attention shifted back to Stephen and Xerneas.
"I'll keep an eye on him for you, so… please, grant my partners new power."
Stephen gestured to the row of Poké Balls on his belt.
This time, Xerneas didn't waste any words.
Its entire body radiated a dazzling greenish-blue rainbow light, which surged into the Poké Balls on Stephen's belt.
Then, Xerneas turned its gaze to Steven, Diantha, and the others and suddenly said:
"Your Pokémon are injured. They, too, have the potential to awaken their power. I will help them awaken as well."
When Xerneas had rushed over earlier, it had seen Diantha and the others fighting to protect the town, and it felt a bit of goodwill toward them.
Since it was going to give power anyway, it might as well give it all at once.
"Th-thank you so much, Eternal God!"
Diantha was so excited she could barely speak properly.
"Could… could you heal my Metagross's old injuries?!"
Steven, on the other hand, was more concerned about healing Metagross's old wounds than awakening new power.
The miraculous light flowed into the Poké Balls of the trainers present. After a long while, the light gradually dimmed.
"This… this is…"
At that moment, Diantha, Steven, and the others were shocked to discover something inside the Poké Balls holding their Pokémon—two mysterious stones.
They were none other than a Key Stone and a Mega Evolution Stone!
Even Drasna's Altaria had the same.
"Is this enough?"
Xerneas looked at Stephen again.
"More than enough. Thank you."
Stephen glanced nonchalantly at the last Poké Ball on his belt.
Inside it was a Beedrill.
"No problem. Over the next hundred years, I'll leave him in your care."
With these final words, Xerneas gracefully stepped forward, its hooves barely touching the ground as it glided like it was walking on water, disappearing into the forest behind them.
This time, it had deliberately avoided fighting Yveltal directly, conserving much of its energy.
This meant it wouldn't need to revert to its tree form and fall into a deep slumber anytime soon.
And with Stephen keeping an eye on the Cocoon of Destruction, Xerneas could finally take a long break.
Xerneas thought to itself: Life is good—this feels like the peak of my existence!