Master Craftsman of the Pokémon World

In the instant of Arceus's hesitation, the Legend Plate hadn't had time to switch again. After being interrupted by the Iron Head Beam, the plate showed a slight delay!

Arceus's current type was Steel!

Giratina's eyes narrowed sharply. It heard the echo of its heart—this was the perfect chance to deal a heavy blow to its old father!

As Arceus tried to move, Garchomp and Giratina exchanged a glance.

Earth Power - Strong Impact!

Has a 40% chance to cause the target to enter a 4-turn Defense drop state or cancel a Defense boost state!

The ground erupted with ferocious force and flames, as a surging Ground-type energy burst out from the earth like fiery pillars!

And at that moment!

Giratina gathered an immense Aura Sphere in its mouth, the grand blue energy orb blasting Arceus at point-blank range!

Aura Sphere - Strong Impact!

[Well done, Giratina!]

Arceus was hit by Earth Power, lowering its Defense, then took the Aura Sphere head-on. The damage it suffered was tremendous. Yet, Arceus wasn't angry at all—on the contrary, it was filled with joy!

To be able to battle together with its companions—this was the sprout and beginning of bonds! One day, Giratina would find a true friend to walk beside it forever. That bond would transcend time, enduring eternally, accompanying it through life's journey!

"GAAAH!"

(Let me show you my power!)

Giratina listened to its trainer's commands! As the Steel-type brilliance faded, the Legend Plate adjusted its energy once again, making Arceus simultaneously weak to Fighting- and Ground-type moves!

Flying + Ghost!

Garchomp, Stone Edge!

Giratina, Thunderbolt!

Another seamless combo attack. Arceus swayed unsteadily, as if the dawn of victory was within reach!

However…

Space suddenly distorted. The "space" between Thunderbolt and Stone Edge was torn apart. The moves bypassed Arceus entirely, redirecting straight toward Giratina and Garchomp!

Garchomp, being Ground-type, wouldn't be harmed by Thunderbolt, but Giratina had to tank the full brunt of Stone Edge. The ruler of the Distortion World let out a roar as, in a flash, Garchomp turned its head—seeing the entire space crushing toward it!

No—wait, that was!

The space suddenly shattered into fragments. Hundreds, thousands of icy lights simultaneously struck Garchomp's vital points!

Spacial Rend!

Tears apart the opponent and the surrounding space, dealing damage and prone to critical hits!

"That's… Spacial Slash."

Hikaru's words weren't referring to the Spacial Rend that struck down Garchomp, but rather to the earlier strike when Arceus sliced through space!

That was unmistakably the move Palkia had used in the Special Episode!

At the time, Palkia had simply swung its arm toward space, and it was as if it sliced through the very panels of a manga—redirecting attacks aimed at it to outside the Shinto Ruins!

This was the true application of Spacial Rend!

"ROAAAR!"

Garchomp took a critical hit, Dragon-type attacks being super effective against it. At that moment, it finally understood the purpose behind Arceus's earlier "Spacial Slash"—to temporarily remove Giratina from the battle. And now…

BOOM!

The mighty roar of Roar of Time blasted straight into Garchomp, who scrambled back to its feet, desperately using Protect!

But once again, a classic scene replayed. The Protect barrier shattered under the sheer force of the attack!

Togekiss's voice called out from the sky.

A mysterious psychic light surged on the battlefield. In just an instant, Garchomp vanished—replaced by Giratina!

Ally Switch!

Instantly swaps positions with an ally using a mysterious power!

"GAH!"

Although this "swap" was Giratina's desperate idea, taking a direct hit from Roar of Time felt absolutely awful!

If this had been Dialga's attack, it might have been bearable, but this was Arceus's!

This level of power… it must be carrying the Adamant Orb!

But thank goodness I've got thick health!

"GAAAH!"

And Giratina's held item was… Leftovers (Golden Apple)!

It chomped down on the golden leftovers, its health rapidly restoring, its stamina and energy replenishing!

[Taking the hit in place of a fatigued teammate by using Ally Switch… Giratina, I never thought I'd see such a self-sacrificing spirit from you. You've really grown.]

[However… even after using Ally Switch, that Garchomp is no longer fit to fight.]

Arceus glanced behind.

Garchomp was panting heavily. The earlier loss of health and energy was too much. Even with the mental power boosts, its body had reached its limit.

But it couldn't fall yet.

Garchomp's gaze began to dull. The critical Spacial Rend strike had dealt it a fatal blow. It staggered forward, its body emanating a fearsome killing aura!

[…]

Arceus no longer looked at the Garchomp, instead turning its attention to Cynthia, the commander.

She showed no signs of retreat either. Due to the power of their bond, she and her Pokémon were of one heart and mind. And with the blessing of the Craftsman's psychic power, if her bonded Pokémon fell, she would also suffer corresponding psychic damage.

But it wouldn't lead to a mental collapse—this was also thanks to the psychic energy's protection.

Without the Craftsman's help, she'd have no chance of passing this trial.

But this trial itself was designed to witness their bonds. Whether it was one person, two, or three—different people, different experiences, different lives and histories intertwined in brilliance. The fruits borne of these would be what she truly wished to see.

Therefore, to fight with all their strength until the very end—that was the vow she and her Pokémon had made!

To never betray each other!

[The Trainer is the pillar of heart and form for the Pokémon, and the Pokémon are the Trainer's claws and fangs. People receive the Pokémon's life, and entrust their own life in return. Pokémon will always respond to their friends.]

"ROAR!"

Garchomp's health hit zero. The terrifying Dragon aura failed to form into an actual Dragon-type move—it simply rammed forward!

But even so, it wasn't an ordinary charge.

A faint, invisible force surrounded Garchomp. All attribute powers left it at that moment.

Precisely because they left, they couldn't harm it!

Garchomp used Struggle!

This strike… was super effective!

Arceus didn't evade. A searing cloud burst from its chest, while Garchomp, having used its final "move," collapsed, its spirit plunging into darkness.

The path it had to walk… had come to an end.

"Ugh!"

Due to the soul-link, when Garchomp fell, Cynthia's complexion instantly went pale!

Weakness, exhaustion, pain—just as the god had said, emotions and will formed life, and when a person and Pokémon forged a deep bond, it was as if they shared life energy. This was the "Entrustment of Life."

Hikaru: "Are you okay? How's your mental state?"

Cynthia: "I'm fine… whew, just a bit drained. The battle's not over yet! Giratina is still standing! I entrust the rest of my life and spirit to it!"

[That last hit had no type advantage. It was a pure strike of life force. That's why it could deal effective damage. With no type, it transcended all type restrictions. There's no Pokémon or human in the world who could block it. It's unavoidable.]

[This is the greater radiance of life itself!]

Struggle—when all of a Pokémon's moves' PP are depleted, it struggles to attack the opponent, taking a small amount of recoil damage itself.

This is a truly type-less, weakness-less attack, and it always hits!

"GAAAH—" Giratina watched in horror, but that fear was quickly dispelled. Its eyes glowed with a ghostly light, and an immense Grudge descended upon Arceus!

Grudge—harboring resentment for the opponent's last move, it reduces that move's PP by 4!

[A Grudge seal, huh…]

Fwoosh—Fairy flames cascaded from the sky, a Mystical Fire, spiraling into scorching heat that lowered Arceus's Special Attack by one stage!

Togekiss, witnessing Garchomp's defeat, grew anxious. They had been so close to victory, only for Arceus to reverse the outcome. All the Pokémon's hearts grew tense, but Arceus, though its Special Attack was lowered, still showed a composed demeanor. The Legend Plate had already switched attributes.

Water—resistant to fire. And instantly, it switched again!

In a normal competitive battle, one might say, "You're next."

But Arceus found that phrasing unsuitable. It would express its intent with actions!

Just as it had defeated Cynthia's Togekiss before, it would do so again!

An immense gravitational force yanked the two Pokémon from the sky, slamming them into the ground. Thunderous lightning crackled from the stars above!

King's Shield!

Aegislash raised its unbreakable shield once more, blocking the lightning aimed at Togekiss.

Togekiss seized the moment to unleash a Taunt!

Once more!

Spotlight Illusion locked Arceus's move into Thunderbolt!

Giratina's figure emerged from the dust, chanting quietly. At that moment, an overwhelming Ghost energy enveloped Arceus!

Curse! The user sacrifices half of its maximum HP to place the target into a Curse state. The target loses 1/4 of its maximum HP at the end of each turn!

The chances of winning this fight head-on were minuscule. They couldn't rely on Struggle forever. They had to find another way. The trainers' hearts resonated in unison—Arceus, with the Legend Plate, was nearly invincible!

Even if it was just a temporary phantom, it was enough to crush any Pokémon in the world!

Giratina still had its Golden Apple effect, while the other two Pokémon continued their efforts. However, Aegislash had already fired Iron Head Beam, so its life force was almost spent. The solid blade showed signs of wear—that was the price of firing its entire steel form.

Yet Aegislash's spirit remained strong!

After all, fighting a Pokémon called a god—that was a legend to brag about!

Endless nights of carving, meticulous mental swordplay, training in the labyrinth, sparring with the phantom Entei, seeking advice from the Swords of Justice, slashing at Walking Wake, and learning the nullifying swordsmanship—all of it culminated here and now!

Encountering the Creator God at the Shinto Ruins, nineteen plates, unmatched in the world—fighting with all their might and prevailing over it!

Aegislash retracted its King's Shield. Its blade swelled, gleaming with a dark, sharp light!

Sacred Sword!

Arceus, without hesitation, despite being locked into Thunderbolt, fired it at the oncoming Sacred Sword!

Under Gravity, Thunderbolt's accuracy was not a problem! But Togekiss, flattened to the ground, used Psychic!

Ally Switch!

Arceus spun around—Giratina rammed straight into it, biting down on the Legend Plate!

It then gathered Ghost energy in its mouth—Shadow Ball!

The moment the Ghost-type attack hit the Legend Plate, the plate instantly switched to a resistant type—

Arceus's body darkened, automatically switching to Dark type!

In the next moment, the massive Shadow Dragon and the swelling Sacred Sword swapped places!

The giant sword, with unmatched momentum, stabbed directly into Arceus's phantom body!

After all, it was a body formed by Unown. It wasn't exactly sturdy—plus, fighting this way meant no one had to hold back!

"Sacred Sword can cut through giant trees, slice steel, slash aura and fire… but I've never seen it stabbed directly into a Pokémon's body like this."

In the Special Episode, the Arceus of that world, when creating the Time-Space Trio with Unown, clearly stated that their bodies were made of "energy"—so they didn't have blood or anything like that. They were masses of solidified energy!

This phantom Arceus was the same!

"Fighting-type moves are double effective against Dark-type! We exploited the gap and won!"

Volo spread his arms wide, laughing arrogantly. His Togekiss wasn't much in terms of offense, but…

Tactical support was all about utility!

Against something like Arceus, no matter how many powerful moves you had, if they were all ineffective, it didn't matter!

[A precise strike. This one was superb! But… what if I used an item?]

Aegislash: "???"

Wait a minute—weren't you already carrying a whole pile of items?!

The "Encore" state on Arceus suddenly ended. A small, unassuming blue-and-white herb floated down, dimming!

[This is the first time I've used an item outside of the Plates. It's worth commending!]

It was a Mental Herb!

[Role Play!]

Uses the opponent's power to attack. The higher the opponent's Attack, the greater the damage!

Aegislash was currently in Blade Forme—its defense was extremely frail!

The giant sword was blown away from Arceus's body. A storm of Dark energy swept the entire battlefield. Even Giratina, who had attacked Arceus, was caught up. Just as it was about to fall, Giratina suddenly steadied itself!

Cynthia's voice rang out.

"Don't run away. Don't cower. I'm here behind you!"

Arceus's power wasn't endless—it was being drained by the Curse!

Just one more time—just once more!

Arceus saw this ending too, so it suddenly used an item—this was the final test! How could they fall here?

They'd already run away once, failed once. Now that they'd finally gotten the chance for a true challenge—

Could they really give up here?

Their hearts were united.

You are by my side, and I am by yours.

In times like these… I once dreamed of seeing the Pokémon of the Sinnoh myths. And now that dream had come true—not only that, but I'm fighting alongside you.

With deep longing, endless wishes, now, they only had to charge forward.

As the embodiment of the Creation God, the pillar of the world… Giratina contemplated.

If they could suppress Arceus's Plates…

Giratina gradually stopped thinking. It saw Togekiss trying to intervene but getting zapped by Thunderbolt. Arceus defeated it, removing the support position.

Did this mean the victory was secured?

Did I… lose?

Fwoosh—

Inside the Shinto Ruins, a statue suddenly lit up.

It was the Arceus statue Cynthia had brought along, one of the prerequisites for the battle with Volo. When the ruins were transformed into the Hall of Origin, everything else inside the ruins had seemingly disappeared—except for this statue, quietly resting in a corner.

Now, it had heard Giratina's prayer and conviction.

Ancient Sinnoh music began to play—a sound that had traversed millennia, like the melody of the Azure Flute, yet grander and more distant.

Giratina's eyes gradually glowed. Ghost energy surged within its body!

Then, within those eyes, there was awe and joy!

Fwoosh—A strange, eerie wind swept through the Hall of Origin. Giratina's eyes flared with powerful Ghost energy, and at that moment, as the Legend Plate tried to switch its type again—

All the other Plates floated up, controlled by Ghost energy, and attacked Arceus!

"The Plates are attacking Arceus?!"

Volo stared at the bizarre scene on the battlefield in disbelief!

Cynthia, however, smiled from the heart.

A mysterious voice had just responded to her… and to Giratina's wish!

"Ah… that move is Poltergeist! I never would have thought…"

Hikaru explained:

"Manipulates the opponent's held item to attack them. If the opponent has no item, the move fails! This move hasn't been learned by any Pokémon in the world yet!"

"And Arceus has so many items, it's impossible to count!"

Eighteen of the nineteen Plates struck at the Legend Plate. Arceus briefly lost all its types!

『The opponent's [Arceus] was attacked by [Arceus's own items]!』

Poltergeist—no Pokémon can naturally learn it through leveling up. It's a move created by human hands!

A god cannot be defeated by others—it can only be defeated by itself!

Just like Garchomp's Struggle, having no type means no blind spot, and no blind spot means all moves are effective!

"Aegislash!" Hikaru linked minds with it. "Can you still move? The time for the final strike has come. Assist Giratina with this last blow!"

"Gather all the steel in your body… just like the warriors of legend, always using their ultimate move at the very end to secure victory!"

Iron Head Beam!

After this move, only one Pokémon would remain on the battlefield. Aegislash would fall from recoil.

And the one standing…

Would be the thickest-skinned Giratina!

The silvery Steel energy condensed into a giant cannon beam. Aegislash's entire shield began to crack apart. The brilliant beam enveloped Arceus, piercing the stars!

[The beam of the legendary warrior decides the outcome… quite something.]

[Then… congratulations on defeating this phantom. This trial… you have won.]

(End of Chapter)

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