Hearing Giratina's words, Naoki stood there stunned, struggling to react.
"Those two guys?"
'Which two?'
Seeing how furious Giratina was, Naoki quickly pieced it together.
The plot of the movie "The Rise of Darkrai" was beginning!
Because Arceus was about to awaken, the realms of Dialga and Palkia had collided. Mistaking each other's presence as an invasion, they had clashed fiercely.
In the end, Dialga seriously wounded Palkia, who fled to Alamosa Town and pulled the town into the dimensional rift to hide.
But Dialga eventually tracked Palkia down, and the two legendary Pokémon, masters of time and space, resumed their fierce battle right in Alamosa Town.
According to the timeline, by the time Giratina arrived, the battle between Dialga and Palkia would likely already be over.
Then would come the events of "Giratina and the Sky Warrior."
Soon after, Arceus would awaken from its slumber!
The thought made Naoki's heart race with excitement.
He was about to meet the creator of this world!
...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the call, Giratina was flying at tremendous speed, rushing toward Alamosa Town.
Although Naoki longed to witness the clash of legends firsthand, he knew the outcome.
Giratina would not arrive in time.
By then, Palkia would have returned Alamosa Town to its rightful place, and both Dialga and Palkia would have retreated to their own dimensions.
Still, Giratina, holding a serious grudge, would not let things go so easily. It would continue to pursue Dialga, seeking revenge.
"Looks like I'd better prepare in advance," Naoki thought.
Professor Oak and the others were still with him, so Naoki couldn't leave just yet. But with Darkrai and Ash capable of confronting the rampaging deities in Alamosa Town, he wasn't too worried.
With that in mind, Naoki ended the call with Giratina and opened a private message to Kyogre.
[Gold King: Are you there? Kyogre, I need a favor.]
...
Far away at the World Tree, deep within the vast ocean near Dragonite's Island.
A Rotom Phone floated inside a protective bubble, reading Naoki's message out loud in its cheerful electronic voice to the Sea Guardian before it.
"The Creator of the World, the Pokémon known as Arceus, had lost its mind and planned to take revenge on humanity."
Kyogre, gazing ahead, saw a small Kubfu seated calmly at the center of a great whirlpool. It seemed to sense something deep within the sea.
"How should we respond to Naoki, Rotom?" asked the Rotom Phone.
Kyogre pondered for a moment. Then, a deep, resonant voice like the rumbling sea echoed.
"Tell him I'm willing to help with his plan."
The Sea Guardian was brimming with confidence in its strength.
Since settling near the World Tree, Kyogre's powers had not only returned to their peak but had also evolved further. It had even regained its primal form.
The immense natural energy surrounding the World Tree had helped Kyogre break through to a new level.
All of it was thanks to Naoki, who had offered them this sanctuary.
God or not, in the end, they were all Pokémon.
Helping Naoki was something Kyogre was happy to do.
Besides, doing so might earn it more of that human food Naoki sometimes provided, the kind that boosted strength remarkably.
"Understood, Rotom!" Rotom chirped and quickly relayed Kyogre's response back to Naoki.
At that moment, the massive whirlpool before them let out a thunderous roar.
Kyogre immediately turned his gaze toward the disturbance.
Seated at the center of the swirling vortex, Kubfu suddenly opened his eyes. A surge of terrifying water energy burst forth from his small body, as vast and deep as the ocean itself.
Without hesitation, Kubfu stood up and began to move his tiny fists.
As he punched the air, powerful waves of water energy rippled outward, and streams of water curled elegantly around his arms.
Kubfu's movements were fluid and rhythmic. His punches were sometimes slow and steady, filled with restrained strength, yet a careful observer could feel the overwhelming power building beneath the surface.
Other times, his strikes were swift and fierce, like a roaring tsunami, carrying a destructive force capable of sweeping away everything in its path.
He had mastered the secret art of the sea.
The next second, a brilliant white light enveloped Kubfu.
His body grew taller and more robust. His previously beige fur darkened into a sleek gray-black.
When the dazzling light finally faded, a calm and composed Urshifu stood tall before Kyogre, exuding an unfathomable aura.
The newly evolved Urshifu gave Kyogre a respectful nod, signaling that he had fully grasped the mysteries of the sea.
Seeing this, Kyogre's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
Looking fondly at his beloved disciple, Kyogre said, "Now you can come with me to help Naoki. It'll be a perfect opportunity to test your training."
At the mention of Naoki's name, Urshifu's ears twitched slightly, and he immediately wanted to return to the ranch to find him.
"Wuuuu?" (Naoki needs help?)
Kyogre replied, "Yes. He told me he's encountered a powerful enemy and needs our assistance."
Hearing this, Urshifu's expression remained calm, but he nodded firmly. "Wuuuuu." (Understood.)
Without delay, he planned to visit his other master, Groudon, before heading back to the ranch.
Urshifu bowed to Kyogre in farewell and then took the World Tree Elevator down to the magma level.
Soon, Urshifu arrived and found Groudon waiting.
Groudon looked surprised to see Urshifu, but as their eyes met, both instinctively dropped into fighting stances.
A fierce battle erupted instantly!
The ground split apart, and towering stone spires, Groudon's signature Precipice Blades, rose into the air.
Yet Urshifu's sturdy form moved with astonishing agility. He weaved deftly through the rising cliffs, his every step light and precise.
Gathering strength, Urshifu clenched his fists, and powerful water energy surged around his body.
With a mighty punch, Urshifu unleashed a torrent of water-formed energy straight at one of the stone spires.
"Boom!"
A violent explosion echoed across the land.
The blast startled the Moltres resting inside a nearby volcano.
Startled, it flew out, only to see a chain of powerful explosions erupting in the distance.
Moments later, Urshifu broke through Groudon's towering Precipice Blades and appeared.
Water surged fiercely around Urshifu's clenched fists.
Groudon narrowed his eyes, golden light gleaming from his pupils.
With a low growl, Groudon swung his mighty claws, meeting Urshifu's water-charged fist head-on.
The two forces collided with a deafening boom.
The shockwave from the clash blasted Urshifu backward, sending him skidding across the ground for dozens of meters.
But Groudon remained unmoved, standing tall and proud as he gazed at his disciple with clear satisfaction.
Well done. Great progress.
Urshifu quickly straightened himself and walked back toward Groudon.
"Shifu!" (I'm leaving the World Tree soon. I won't be able to come here to train anymore!)
Groudon rumbled, "What's the matter?"
Urshifu responded, "Shifu." (Naoki encountered something serious. He asked Master Kyogre for help, and I'm going along too.)
Groudon tilted his head slightly. "?"
Seeing Groudon's confused look, Urshifu blinked and asked, "Shifu?" (Didn't you get an invitation too?)
...
"Kyogre agreed. Next is Ho-Oh," Naoki thought, closing his chat window with Kyogre. He opened his contact list again and selected Ho-Oh.
Even though Ho-Oh's fire-type attacks wouldn't be effective against Arceus, its Sacred Ash had miraculous healing powers, capable of infinitely restoring injured Pokémon.
Thinking of this, Naoki quickly sent Ho-Oh a message.
[Gold King: Are you at the World Tree now?]
[Ho-Oh: I just returned not long ago. What's going on, Naoki?]
[Gold King: I need your help with something important.]
'Naoki needs help?'
Ho-Oh, who had been chatting with Jirachi about its adventures around the World Tree, paused mid-conversation.
Together, Ho-Oh and Jirachi listened as Rotom read out the contents of Naoki's message.
Arceus, the Pokémon revered as the Creator, was about to awaken. Consumed by rage, Arceus intended to destroy humanity and the world.
Manpower would be needed to stop him.
Hearing this, Ho-Oh narrowed its eyes thoughtfully.
After spending time living among humans, it didn't want to see humanity fall into ruin.
More than anything, it hoped to see humans and Pokémon coexist peacefully in harmony.
Besides, Naoki was no ordinary human, he was the Rainbow Hero, someone Ho-Oh had personally chosen. Without hesitation, Ho-Oh agreed to Naoki's request for help.
While Ho-Oh calmly made its decision, Jirachi, hovering nearby, noticed something even more important.
Naoki needed help, and not just a little; he needed many Pokémon!
Determined, Jirachi immediately flew off toward the Expedition Team Guild to spread the news.
Along the way, Jirachi bumped into a Milotic.
Milotic, seeing Jirachi so flustered, asked, "What's going on? Why are you in such a rush?"
Jirachi quickly relayed everything it had just heard over the Rotom Phone.
Word spread like wildfire, from one to ten, from ten to a hundred.
Milotic passed the message to Tropius: "Naoki needs lots of Pokémon to help him!"
Tropius turned to Charizard and said, "Naoki's getting ready to battle! We need everyone's help!"
Charizard quickly relayed the news to Meowth and Pikachu: "Big trouble! Naoki's about to face off against other humans, we need a whole army of Pokémon!"
Before long, every Pokémon living on the World Tree knew that Naoki was preparing for a huge battle against humans.
The Pokémon skilled in combat immediately began rigorous training, preparing themselves to rush to Naoki's side the moment he called.
Meanwhile, Pokémon who weren't suited for battle gathered around the wise Slowking to ask what they could do to support Naoki.
Slowking, with eyes full of ancient wisdom, gazed up at the sky in deep thought.
After a long moment, Slowking finally spoke.
"A war requires more than just the strength of Pokémon. It also demands supplies, like Berries to restore stamina and medicine to cure status conditions. If these resources are prepared in abundance, they will be a tremendous help to those fighting on the front lines."
Hearing this, the Pokémon involved in farming and production suddenly realized what they needed to do.
'So that's it!'
They understood immediately.
If they couldn't fight alongside Naoki directly, then they would help by preparing everything he needed for battle!
Before long, every Pokémon in the Expedition Team Guild sprang into action, busily preparing for war.
They sent teams to gather Berries from the orchards and harvest crops from the farmland. Tatsugiri's Sushi Restaurant prepared mountains of fresh sushi, Tropius donated loads of its signature banana fruit, and even the Alcremie working at the dessert shop whipped up a large batch of sweet, nourishing cream.
All these supplies, Berries, sushi, banana fruit, and cream, were loaded onto Mudsdale carts and transported back to the granary for storage, ready to be delivered to Naoki when the time came.
The entire Expedition Team Guild was now fully mobilized.
Watching this unfold, Mewtwo couldn't help but feel puzzled. As far as he knew, Naoki wasn't the type of human to start wars casually.
Seeking clarity, Mewtwo found Ho-Oh and asked about the situation.
After hearing the true story, and thinking back to the exaggerated rumors flying around the guild about Naoki fighting other humans, Mewtwo fell silent.
"..."
...
Meanwhile, Naoki, completely unaware of the commotion he had unintentionally caused, received a video call from Groudon.
At that exact moment, Professor Oak, returning from the Shrine of Abundance, noticed Naoki hadn't come back for a while and decided to check on him.
Seeing Professor Oak approaching, Naoki quickly hung up on Groudon and switched his Rotom Phone to vibrate mode.
"There you are," Professor Oak said with a friendly smile. "Were you chatting with your girlfriend?"
Naoki chuckled awkwardly and made up an excuse. "No, someone from the ranch shop was asking about deliveries. I was just replying to them."
"Ah, that explains it!" Professor Oak laughed knowingly.
The two of them began walking back together.
As they strolled, Professor Oak's curiosity about Naoki's business got the better of him.
"By the way, your store seems really popular! I've heard people from all over asking if you could expand delivery routes to their areas."
Naoki thought for a moment, then smiled. "Maybe it's because it's their first time seeing Dragonite making deliveries."
"That's true. After all, Dragonite are extremely rare in the wild!" Professor Oak nodded enthusiastically.
Chatting and laughing, they rejoined the main group.
All the while, Naoki's Rotom Phone kept buzzing nonstop inside his pocket.
...
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