But soon, as if realizing something, Professor Oak asked in surprise, "Wait, is this the same Jirachi that Ash encountered before?!"
Professor Oak clearly remembered. Last year, while traveling through the Hoenn region, Ash had met a Jirachi. Later, Ash had called him via video phone, explaining how Mr. Naoki had helped Jirachi so that it wouldn't have to fall back into another thousand-year sleep.
"That's right," Naoki nodded calmly as he continued folding paper boats, gently placing them one by one into the river, where they floated downstream under the glow of fireflies.
"But…" Professor Oak frowned, thinking back to Jirachi's known behavior. "How did you manage that? Isn't it said that Jirachi must sleep for a thousand years after awakening?"
Throughout history, there had been rare sightings of Jirachi, but it was well-established that after awakening, Jirachi would only stay conscious for seven days before falling back into its millennial slumber.
Professor Oak's first instinct was to wonder whether the old legend was wrong, after all, no human could live long enough to personally verify such ancient claims.
"How should I explain it?" Naoki looked down at his hands thoughtfully, then turned back to Professor Oak. "Maybe… it's because of the incredible power inside me."
"Is it your cooking power?" Professor Oak asked immediately. He had heard Naoki mention it once before.
It was said that if Naoki poured his energy and emotions into his cooking, the food would gain extraordinary effects, similar to how special abilities like Aura, the power of Dragon Heritage, or the power of Bonds worked for certain Pokémon and humans.
Naoki nodded. "Yes. Back then, I just thought... it would be wonderful if Jirachi didn't have to sleep again. Maybe my feelings resonated with the cooking power, and somehow, the food I prepared helped Jirachi stay awake."
Professor Oak was stunned into silence.
Beside him, Gary murmured under his breath, "Then doesn't that mean... if Mr. Naoki were around, all the Jirachi in the world could stay awake?"
Naoki shook his head with a small smile.
"No, it's not that simple," he said. "Creating magical food doesn't just rely on my cooking power. It also depends on my emotions and my wishes at that very moment. Everything has to align perfectly: my mood, my intentions, the environment around me. Only under those special conditions could the food have that kind of miracle effect."
He chuckled softly, adding, "After that day, I tried recreating the same dish several times, but I was never able to produce the same effect again."
Hearing this, Professor Oak muttered thoughtfully, "It sounds less like cooking power, and more like heart power."
"Heart power?" Gary tilted his head in confusion.
Even Naoki was a little surprised.
Professor Oak nodded seriously.
"Yes. Heart power," he said. "The heart, emotions, and thoughts, they can all manifest as a form of energy. Some Pokémon are even able to turn that energy into moves. There are records of this in very rare cases."
He continued, "I've researched it before. Humans usually can't consciously manifest their emotional energy. But based on what you've described, Naoki, it's very possible that you're a rare individual—one in a million—who can turn their emotions into real, tangible power."
Naoki blinked in surprise.
He hadn't expected that the random explanation he'd come up with would lead Professor Oak to such a profound conclusion.
But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
After all, in a world like this, where ideals, bonds, and dreams could become real power, nothing seemed truly impossible.
Bonds. Emotions.
Hadn't Ash's Greninja transformed into a special form because of the powerful bond between Trainer and Pokémon?
"I never imagined… that something like this could actually exist in our world," Professor Oak murmured, gazing at Naoki with awe.
In the past, some Pokémon scholars had even proposed a controversial theory: that humans themselves might be a kind of Pokémon, just shaped differently over time.
Maybe Naoki was that special "Pokémon."
Gary stared at the little paper boats drifting downstream, then asked curiously,
"Mr. Naoki, what are you doing?"
Before Naoki could answer, Jirachi, still floating happily nearby, spoke up first.
"Jirachi and Naoki are making wishes!"
"Making wishes?" Gary blinked in surprise.
Jirachi nodded enthusiastically.
"Yep! Naoki said there used to be a terrible fire here, and many Pokémon lost their lives because of it."
"So Jirachi, Naoki, and Indeedee folded lots of little paper boats and wrote messages on them."
"Maybe, by sending the boats down the river, the wishes can reach those Pokémon, and they can become happy Pokémon in their next lives!"
Naoki gave a small, helpless smile.
In truth, this idea had come from Jirachi after hearing stories from Ho-Oh at the World Tree.
Whenever Ho-Oh traveled the world and returned to perch among the ancient branches, Jirachi would love to listen to its tales of distant lands. One of the stories was about a human tradition, floating paper boats down rivers to send prayers to lost souls.
As for where exactly that tradition came from, Naoki wasn't entirely sure.
But hearing Jirachi explain it so earnestly, and seeing the scene before him, Gary felt something stir deep inside.
Thinking back on everything he'd witnessed today, the bonds between humans and Pokémon, the way Naoki treated all Pokémon with such care, Gary finally understood why Ash was so determined to befriend every Pokémon he met, regardless of strength, rarity, or status.
Without hesitation, Gary stepped forward, picked up a piece of paper from the pile beside Naoki, and carefully folded a simple paper boat.
"In that case," Gary said softly, "let me make a wish with you too."
Jirachi beamed brightly.
"Okay!"
Professor Oak stood nearby, smiling warmly as he watched.
Compared to the brash, proud boy of a few years ago, Gary had matured so much. His travels had truly helped him grow.
...
At the same time, in a mysterious dimension wrapped in dead silence—
Arceus stirred.
Its closed eyelids twitched slightly, and in the next moment, a massive, terrifying energy surged out from its body, shaking the very fabric of the dimension.
The immense shockwave spread outward, rippling across the void, causing the entire plane of existence to tremble.
It was a sign unmistakable to those who could sense it.
The god of all Pokémon... was beginning to awaken.
The energy pulse continued to surge, spreading farther and farther across dimensions.
Soon, it reached a blue-hued dimension—and then a lavender-hued one.
As the shockwaves collided with these realms, they triggered an immense reaction.
Beings who should never have met... sensed each other's presence.
Two powers, entirely different yet equally mighty, clashed fiercely in the space between dimensions.
In that instant, time itself seemed to halt.
Space froze into solidity.
...
Meanwhile, in the Sinnoh region.
On the rooftop of two ancient towers shaped like musical instruments, two small Pokémon gazed curiously at the bustling village nestled on the cliffs below.
One was the Mythical Pokémon Mew, its pink tail swaying gently as it floated playfully in the air.
The other was a small Pokémon, Teddiursa, the Little Bear Pokémon, sitting beside Mew, its eyes filled with wonder.
...
"This is Alamos Town, meow!"
On the bustling streets of Alamos Town, Team Rocket, the notorious trio who had been trailing Ash and his friends, hid quietly around a corner. From their hiding spot, they carefully observed Ash and Pikachu battling with other trainers nearby.
"Alright! Team Rocket, it's time to move!" Jessie exclaimed eagerly, clenching her fist in excitement. "Our Pikachu capture operation officially begins now!"
"Right now, meow!" Meowth extended his paws, revealing dozens of sharp claws gleaming menacingly. "We'll catch Pikachu, give him to the boss, and earn the boss's praise, meow!"
"Let's go!"
Meowth, Jessie, and James simultaneously tossed smoke bombs onto the battlefield. With a loud "bang," dense clouds of white smoke enveloped the area.
This sudden disruption immediately grabbed the attention of Ash, Brock, and several other nearby trainers.
"What's going on?!"
Amid the confusion, three silhouettes emerged from within the mist. Pikachu's cautious voice rang out clearly through the smoke, "Pika!"
Fortunately, at the critical moment, a quick-thinking trainer called out, "Drifloon, use Gust!"
Powerful gusts of wind surged from Drifloon's mouth, scattering the thick smoke and clearing the battlefield in an instant.
As the smoke lifted, everyone spotted three figures standing next to Pikachu: a woman, a man, and a Meowth.
To everyone's shock, they had already trapped Pikachu inside a sturdy cage.
"Pika-chu!" Pikachu cried out, gripping the metal bars with both paws. Electricity crackled around him as he unleashed a powerful shock, desperately trying to break free.
However, James chuckled smugly. "It's useless! That cage is specially designed to block Electric-type moves!"
They looked every bit like devious Pokémon poachers.
Seeing this, a trainer stepped forward with a deep frown and demanded loudly, "Who are you?!"
"Huh?"
Hearing those words, as if someone had pressed a secret switch, the Rocket trio's eyes gleamed mischievously.
"Since you asked so sincerely;"
"We'll answer with great generosity!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"And Meowth, that's right!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right!"
Ash frowned deeply. "You three again!"
"Hey! You little twerp! We weren't finished with our motto, meow!" Meowth protested indignantly.
"Let Pikachu go!" Ash shouted, already gripping a Poké Ball tightly in his right hand.
"Too late!" James declared proudly. "Meowth Balloon No. 3, make your debut!"
With the press of a button, a giant Meowth-shaped hot air balloon descended from the sky.
Seizing the moment, the trio grabbed Pikachu and latched onto the ropes dangling from the balloon, quickly ascending into the air.
Ash hurled his Poké Ball with precision.
A burst of white light flashed, and Staravia appeared midair, wings spread wide.
"Staravia, use Wing Attack!" Ash commanded sharply.
"Guu!" Staravia chirped determinedly.
Locking onto the target, Staravia's wings shimmered with a bright white glow. With a powerful flap, it launched itself straight toward the balloon.
The Rocket trio scrambled to send out their Pokémon to defend themselves, but because the balloon hadn't yet fully taken off, they fumbled clumsily with their Poké Balls.
Before they could react, Staravia's Wing Attack struck the balloon squarely.
The hot air balloon, having lost its balance, wobbled uncontrollably and floated away.
The cage holding Pikachu tumbled to the ground, shattering on impact. Pikachu quickly darted out, free once again.
In the sky above, Team Rocket clung to each other in terror as their balloon carried them off into the distance, their screams fading away.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again, meow!"
"Wobbuffet!"
High above, the trio was scattered by the force of the collision. Meowth arced through the air in a wide parabola before descending rapidly toward the towering Spire of Time and Space.
Meowth squeezed his eyes shut in fear, bracing for a painful landing.
However, the impact never came.
Instead, Meowth felt his body being gently suspended, as if caught by an invisible force. Slowly, he floated downward, finally coming to a soft stop atop the tower.
Sensing something unusual, Meowth cautiously opened one eye.
The very next moment, he saw two familiar faces.
A Teddiursa and a Mew.
Mew hovered closer, tilting its head in curiosity.
"Mew?"
Meowth's jaw dropped. "!!!"
'It was the Great Hero Expedition Team, meow!'
With these two around, Meowth felt instantly safe.
Breathing a deep sigh of relief, Meowth landed lightly as Mew gently set him down atop the tower.
...
Bonus @3000 $tonks.
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