What happened in the mental space remained unknown to the people and Pokémon outside, who only assumed that Teacher Johan was focused on commanding the legendary Pokémon in battle, or perhaps communicating with them.
The evidence proved that even an Arceus with all its plates intact would have a difficult time facing so many legendary and mythical Pokémon combined.
By the time Johan regained awareness...
Arceus already appeared somewhat disheveled.
Being surrounded and attacked by a group would naturally cause dishevelment, especially with Giratina so willing to take the brunt of fire and actively serve as the tank.
However, Arceus was still Arceus, an existence above first-tier deities, and had inflicted considerable trouble and damage on the legendary and mythical Pokémon.
Even though it was likely just one of many avatars of the true Arceus.
But even as just an avatar, it still wielded important authority, ranking above all first-tier gods.
In the current Pokémon world, perhaps only the fully restored "Radiant God" Ultra Necrozma from Ultra Space could directly match it, as they were on the same level in terms of authority.
Maybe the fully combined Tao Trio from Unova could also try, but it was unclear whether Kyurem could still simultaneously merge with both Zekrom and Reshiram.
In any case, the true complete Arceus was undoubtedly an existence above all others, worthy of the title "Original One."
Not something that Eternatus from Galar, with merely high base stats but few notable feats, could compare to.
Johan wondered what Giratina's reaction would be if it knew that the opponent it had been fighting so vigorously was just an avatar, and not even one at full power.
Though Mewtwo also seemed to be fighting enthusiastically, having Mega Evolved into Mega Mewtwo Y and outputting damage against Arceus, taking advantage of not being a Pokémon created by Arceus.
Perhaps Mewtwo was venting all its "resentment" toward the "creator" on Arceus?
BOOM!!!!!
With a Psystrike from Mega Mewtwo Y, Arceus's body shattered like a mirror, turning into sparkles of light that scattered away.
This scene left everyone stunned, including the legendary Pokémon battling Arceus.
They all turned to look at Mega Mewtwo Y.
Wha-what, you shattered Arceus?
This was likely the meaning behind the looks most legendary Pokémon gave.
That powerful?
Faced with their gazes, Mega Mewtwo Y didn't even acknowledge them, only watching where Arceus had disappeared before returning to Johan's side as the Mega evolution energy unwound from its body like threads being unraveled.
Giratina, Dialga, and Palkia looked at each other in bewilderment.
Arceus was shattered?
Wouldn't that mean the world was theirs now?!
But before they could rejoice, the sky suddenly opened again, and with sacred light scattering down, a perfectly intact Arceus descended once more.
Another one?
This time, Arceus's state was noticeably gentler compared to before, without the burning anger or arrogant attitude.
It didn't even look at the three dragons who stood dumbfounded, but instead descended toward Johan.
Johan wasn't particularly surprised by Arceus's current state.
Just like how the Arceus in the mental space dissipated after being defeated by them, now that its anger and disappointment had been appeased, Arceus's mindset had completely balanced out.
As for what was shattered earlier...
That was merely an avatar.
Landing in front of Johan, Arceus's expression was gentle.
[You win, Johan.]
It remembered this name, naturally also acknowledging Johan and his Pokémon.
Hearing this, Johan gave a reassuring look to Cynthia, Lucian, and others nearby, as well as Reshiram and the other legendary Pokémon, then smiled and said:
"There's no so-called winning or losing; isn't mutual help between friends only natural?"
As he spoke, he took out the "Jewel of Life" found by Team Rocket, opening the mechanism on the staff to reveal the glowing emerald-green jewel inside.
[Friends?]
Arceus paused slightly, then the "Jewel of Life" separated into Ground, Water, Grass, Electric, and Dragon plates that flew back to join Arceus.
With the return of the plates, Arceus fully regained its peak form.
At this moment.
Dialga and Palkia suddenly felt their time domain and space domain stop colliding, and their respective realms returned to calmness.
This made them realize that Arceus had truly returned.
Dialga and Palkia exchanged glances, one opening a time rift, the other a spatial crack, both returning to their own territories.
Not just them—Giratina felt it even more clearly.
It distinctly felt the restrictions from the Distortion World, the reverse side of the world, returning, and the Pokémon world gradually beginning to reject it, the feeling growing stronger.
Giratina's expression changed, turning fierce. It didn't want to be confined to that broken-down place again!
Sensing Giratina's change, Johan spoke:
"Giratina is actually quite obedient. I believe it won't do anything excessive again."
Arceus looked at Giratina.
Giratina instinctively shrank its neck, but then its eyes widened, showing an undefeated expression.
[Is that so?]
"It's also my friend," Johan said.
Hearing this, not only was Arceus taken aback, but Giratina was also surprised.
Friend?
Giratina wondered... did it have a friend now?
"Ka-kaah!"
Gengar, wearing sunglasses, suddenly appeared on Giratina's back, laughing as it patted its hard back.
This "virtual pet" growing to such a degree—I can say my contribution has been significant!
If not for its diligent daily "feeding," the "virtual pet" would never have grown so big!
Woosh—
Suddenly.
Giratina felt the Pokémon world's rejection weakening until it disappeared, and the Distortion World's restrictions also dissipated.
It could once again freely enter and exit the Pokémon world.
[Since you vouch for it, Johan, I'll trust it once more.]
Johan waved his hand.
"I believe Giratina won't actively cause any more damage to the Pokémon world."
No joke.
Giratina had experienced "Let the Soul Travel" even earlier than Arceus.
A Pokémon that spends its days either drinking tea and eating pastries or watching TV shows—how threatening could it be?
Gengar trusted Giratina, Johan trusted Giratina, and as for Giratina...
"ROAR—"
It let out a soft roar, giving a deep look at Johan and Arceus before opening a passage to the Distortion World in front of it.
At this moment, Johan called out with a smile:
"Giratina, come over for dinner in a couple of days. Don't forget."
Giratina, about to enter the passage, paused, showing a hint of delight in its eyes. After nodding, it let out a long howl and happily returned to the Distortion World.
Although it hadn't overthrown Arceus's "rule" this time, Giratina had still vented some frustration and fought to its satisfaction.
At least it had blown Arceus up, right?
Plus, it could somewhat sense that as long as the Pokémon world existed, Arceus... probably couldn't die.
Although defeating Arceus had always been its obsession.
But after interacting with Johan and spending time with Gengar lately, it discovered there were many things more fun and interesting than "defeating Arceus" in this world.
And as the Distortion World's restrictions on it dissipated, the obsession in its heart completely faded away.
Now it could watch TV shows in peace. Happy!
Arceus looked at Johan again.
[Thank you, Johan. You've let me experience the beauty of the Pokémon world again, and understand the meaning of emotions.]
The gratitude in its words was quite sincere.
Honestly.
Johan hadn't expected that he would... actually be able to provide psychological therapy to Arceus.
This achievement alone was enough for a golden signboard!
Unique in the entire Pokémon world.
Claiming the title of "Number One Pokémon Psychologist in the Pokémon World" wouldn't be wrong, would it?
While feeling somewhat self-satisfied, Johan smiled and waved his hand.
"Oh, saying all that, we're all—"
[All friends.]
Before Johan could finish, Arceus completed his sentence, which startled him momentarily before his smile widened.
"That's right."
After recovering, Arceus could "see" some of the events that had happened to Johan previously.
Whether it was calming the dragons in Twinleaf Town, handling the Tao Trio in the Giant Chasm, or facing Rayquaza and others.
This was a person with a strong sense of responsibility and dedication—this was Arceus's assessment of Johan.
[As thanks.]
A light emanated from Arceus, and a palm-sized golden Thousand Arms flew from its body, slowly descending toward Johan.
Hmm?
Instinctively catching it, Johan looked at the still slightly warm Thousand Arms in his hand.
This was the symbol of the Original One, Arceus!
In the Pokémon world, there were naturally many who worshipped Arceus.
Although Arceus's creation legend originated from the Sinnoh region, it didn't mean other regions didn't have it. For example, in the Kalos region, there was a place called "Azure Valley."
Within "Azure Valley," there was a group of followers who worshipped Arceus, using the Thousand Arms as their totem of faith.
The Thousand Arms in Johan's hand now looked no different from those totems worn by those people.
But one thing was certain: something given personally by Arceus wouldn't be so simple.
"This is..." Johan began.
[Power derived from me, capable of balancing the order of time and space. It will bring you good fortune.]
Good... fortune?
Johan's heart stirred.
Could it be that his bad luck was finally going to turn around completely? Would he become lucky now?
Arceus didn't specify exactly what it did, feeling that Johan could figure it out slowly by himself.
But one thing.
[Through it, you can contact me.]
Arceus emphasized the word 'me'.
Could it be Arceus's true form? Johan wondered.
So in the future... if he encountered major events he couldn't handle, could he bring Arceus out for a spin?
Perhaps seeing through Johan's thoughts, or maybe it was planning to say this anyway, Arceus spoke again.
[After this event concludes, I'll need to rest for a while to recover myself. During this time, I'll leave things to you.]
"Wait," Johan suddenly felt something was off and hurriedly raised his hand to stop Arceus from continuing.
What did "leave things to you" mean?
Although Johan now felt that due to his presence, or perhaps due to the inherent "differences" in this world, many plots that should have happened to Ash somehow involved him instead.
Saying "world convergence is amazing" wouldn't be an exaggeration.
But that didn't mean he wanted to become like Daigo, rushing to wherever trouble was brewing.
Given a choice, he'd rather stay at home cooking, watching TV with his little ones, chatting, and when bored, training to burn off some of their excess energy.
Arceus smiled slightly.
[Don't worry, some things that are meant to happen will happen eventually. You might resist internally, but your sense of responsibility and commitment won't let you be a mere spectator.]
Johan: "..."
Do you want to bet that if something doesn't happen in Hoenn or Sinnoh, or doesn't affect me, you'll see whether I get involved or not.
Arceus looked up slightly, murmuring:
[The awakening and collision of life and destruction, mountains rising and oceans overturning, the rift of time and space spreading, the inevitable descent of night, the ancient—]
"Stop stop stop!" Johan quickly interrupted.
Please, I'm begging you, I'll kneel down!
The more he heard, the more frightened he became.
You can plant your own flags, but don't plant them on me!
[If you have time, go to Kalos. You and your companions will gain 'power' there, and 'power' will give you more confidence.]
Kalos?
Power?
Azure Valley?
Hoopa?
Johan's heart trembled.
Of course, these were just his guesses.
Arceus lowered its head again.
[As a friend, before I fall into slumber again, if there's anything you need my help with, you can ask.]
Its voice was gentle, its tone familiar. If Giratina, Dialga, and Palkia heard this, they would surely exclaim—is this your son or what?
Help?
Johan rubbed his chin gently.
Looking at his little ones, he immediately had an idea.
"Well, can I borrow about ten or so plates? No particular reason, mainly because my Larvitar wants to taste—ahem, wants to experience the power of the plates."
With ten or so plates at his disposal, Johan wouldn't fear anything anymore.
Whoever came, he could smack them in the face with the plates!
How satisfying.
"Yo-Yoji? (_)"
Larvitar was startled, then its eyes lit up.
Re-really?
Gulp—
It swallowed hard.
[?]
"Ahem, just kidding," Johan coughed lightly, pulling Mewtwo over and saying:
"Help Mewtwo fulfill a wish."
Suddenly being pulled over by Johan, Mewtwo was clearly surprised.
It gave Johan a complex look, then shook its head at Arceus:
"No need. Through the battle just now, I've understood the meaning of your existence. That's not something you should do."
Reviving Ai Two was what Mewtwo wanted to do.
As Mewtwo's primary "doctor," Johan naturally guessed its wish.
But...
Ai Two wasn't a naturally born existence, and couldn't even be considered a life form. Even the Original One, Arceus, couldn't possibly revive it.
If it were Ai, perhaps it would be possible, but Ai Two...
That was a "clone" like itself, or rather, merely a cloned consciousness.
Mewtwo's eyes were determined as it said: "I will accomplish it myself!"
It glanced at Johan, silently adding: Just as I will protect Johan.
Arceus gazed at Mewtwo, showing a pleased smile.
[I cannot fulfill its wish, but I believe with your help... perhaps it's possible.]
After a pause, Arceus said:
[That being the case, I'll bestow some of the plates' power.]
Woosh—
Larvitar suddenly produced the Earth plate fragment that had shrunk, and Urshifu also took out its treasured Fist plate fragment.
"Yoji?"
Larvitar's eyes widened in delight, discovering that the Earth plate fragment it had nibbled on... was restored, even larger than before!
It could nibble for a long time now!
[The power of the plates isn't necessarily better the more you have, nor do all Pokémon need to rely on the plates' power.]
For instance, Ninetales. In Arceus's view, its Ice-type power didn't need the plates.
The Ice-type power derived from the Tao Trio was essentially on the same level as the plates.
"Ka-kaah?" Gengar pointed at itself.
What about me?
Arceus pursed its lips, gave Gengar a look, and a fist-sized dark plate fragment floated toward it.
[For Gengar, it's acceptable.]
A Fairy plate fragment!
Seeing this, Gengar was delighted, sticking out its tongue to roll the Fairy plate fragment onto it, and began "swallowing" it with a "blurp blurp" sound.
"Ka-kaah~"
Tastes good~
[...]
So you really do eat them.
Arceus lightly tapped its golden foreleg in the air, and its entire form, like a deer, rose toward the sky.
[I look forward to our next meeting, Johan.]
Better not meet again, I'm afraid... Johan thought silently.
[Before I leave, let me give you one last gift.]
As it spoke, a gentle beam of light fell from Arceus, seemingly containing mysterious power. Johan immediately felt the aura power within him, which hadn't shown much activity for a long time...
Suddenly begin to grow rapidly!
Aura?
Woosh—
Johan instinctively closed his eyes, and the aura power immediately spread outward with him at the center.
Cynthia, Lucian, Flint, Aaron... Mewtwo, Zekrom, Reshiram, Regigigas, Darkrai...
Everything was reflected in his heart.
Even.
In the distance, those Team Galactic members struggling to escape from the shattered aircraft that Regigigas had smashed with one palm—all living beings, inanimate objects, everything manifested.
Johan's aura power had taken a qualitative leap.
This kind of aura... perhaps he could really hand-form an "Aura Sphere" now?
At the very least...
Urshifu and Armarouge received epic-level enhancements!
And on Johan's body, the Rainbow Wing was clearly the most "excited," emitting an incredibly brilliant light.
But the aura that used to be "exclusively" for the Rainbow Wing now had a competitor—the Thousand Arms!
Rainbow Wing: (▼皿▼)
Through the Thousand Arms and aura, Johan seemed able to "see" the direction Arceus was leaving in, and where it wanted to go.
Indeed, the most basic "function" of this Thousand Arms should be an "Arceus Communicator."
However, besides sensing Arceus's presence, Johan also discovered that this Thousand Arms seemed to be subtly guiding him in a direction, a place quite distant from the Sinnoh region, hinting at something.
Woosh—
The aura receded, and Johan slowly opened his eyes.
He raised his hand, trying to materialize the aura power, and then...
Nothing happened.
Johan: "..."
Damn, if I can't even use it, what's the point of it being stronger!
Of course, this was just a mental complaint. The enhancement of aura power allowed Johan to better sense the inner changes of each Pokémon.
For instance, Mewtwo's persistence in reviving Ai Two.
Regigigas wondering: they all flew away, what about me?
Lugia: Is my kid running around everywhere?
Gengar's curiosity about the Fairy plate fragment, Ninetales's gradually calming worry, Larvitar guessing what's for dinner... it bet it was barbecue!
Ahem.
As a Pokémon psychologist, the enhancement of aura power was undoubtedly very helpful.
Thoughts returning to the present, facing the gazes of everyone and all the Pokémon, Johan finally showed a relaxed smile.
"It's over."
Hearing this, Lucian and Flint immediately let out long sighs of relief.
Finally...
"But not completely over."
Hmm?
The two simultaneously tensed up, while Aaron exhaled loudly beside them.
Johan pointed behind him, to the distance. "Team Galactic hasn't been fully dealt with."
Cynthia frowned slightly, nodding:
"Leave it to me."
With that, she flipped onto Garchomp's back, heading toward where the Team Galactic aircraft had crashed.
Her expression was stern.
The Adamant Orb and Lustrous Orb falling into Team Galactic's hands was unexpected, and she didn't know if they had done anything to her grandmother.
"Boss, we're coming too!"
Lucian and Flint quickly called out.
To be honest, in this incident... they hadn't contributed much.
Mainly because they were facing legendary Pokémon, mythical Pokémon, and even the Original One, leaving them few opportunities to act. Lucian could at least provide some support, but Flint...
"What about you?" Johan asked, looking at Zekrom and Reshiram.
Before leaving, Palkia had been very considerate, opening spatial rifts for them to return, saving them the trouble of flying back to Unova.
Zekrom looked at Reshiram, and Reshiram looked at Zekrom.
Normally, Sinnoh was the territory of the Space-Time Trio, and the Tao Trio would be rejected, but this was an exception.
Since they were already here...
Reshiram looked up at the sky and said softly:
[I heard there would be dinner?]
Zekrom also tilted its head, looking toward the direction of the foothills, saying:
[Surely there's room for us two brothers?]
Johan smiled.
He looked at Regigigas.
To his surprise, Regigigas stretched lazily, seemingly yawning.
[Next time, next time call me again]
With those words.
Regigigas transformed into a "Light Stone" and fell into slumber.
Clearly, this clash with Arceus had taken quite a toll on Regigigas, understandably since it had nearly crushed Arceus.
"Alright," Johan nodded slightly, acknowledging Regigigas's words.
Though Johan suspected... Regigigas was worried that if it didn't turn into a "Light Stone," it wouldn't be able to return?
Would it have to run back?
"I'm going back first," said Lugia, concerned about its child. It nodded to Johan, then flew into the rift, returning to Lugia Island.
"Don't look at me," Darkrai noticed Johan's gaze, folded its arms, and snorted lightly. "I'm definitely having this dinner!"
Johan laughed.
He wasn't sure when it started, but Darkrai had gradually been labeled as a "glutton" by him.
"I'm going back," Mewtwo said using telepathy with its psychic power.
But before it could move, Johan grabbed its arm.
Faced with Mewtwo's puzzled look, Johan used a commanding tone:
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You have plenty of time to do what you want to do. Take a couple of days to relax at my place."
Mewtwo was visibly moved, warmth flowing through its heart.
Although Johan used a commanding tone, Mewtwo was capable of Mega Evolution with Johan, so how could it not sense his true thoughts?
After a slight hesitation, it nodded.
The Arceus incident sent shockwaves through the entire Sinnoh League and other Leagues.
The Original One Arceus, filled with anger and intent on punishing humanity, was forcefully "subdued" by the "Legendary Tamer" Teacher Johan, who called upon numerous legendary Pokémon.
Team Galactic tried to take advantage of the situation, only to have their aircraft smashed by the King of the Regis, Regigigas, with a single palm strike, after which the Team Galactic executives were captured by Cynthia, Lucian, Flint, and Aaron.
And Team Galactic leader Cyrus was allegedly sent to the Distortion World by Teacher Johan!
These events had a significant impact on the Pokémon Leagues throughout the Pokémon world.
Teacher Johan's name once again appeared before all League executives.
And the League executives had to reassess the importance of this person to the entire League and the Pokémon world.
Rumors.
Teacher Johan had apparently earned the recognition of the Original One Arceus and was granted the status of "Messenger of God," walking the Pokémon world on Arceus's behalf.
Johan also gained a new title because of this—Messenger of God!
Johan didn't care about these so-called rumors or the reactions of the League executives.
He had actually come to terms with it.
Look.
As the Black and White Hero, he had already earned the respect of many League executives. Adding associations with Regigigas, Lugia, or even Arceus... what difference did it make?
No difference.
After all, they were all legendary Pokémon that others couldn't handle.
So...
Johan was very open about it and didn't pay much attention to the aftermath.
The impact wasn't that significant anyway.
After all, those who truly knew the entire process of this incident were only Cynthia and the others. Even the so-called League executives only made some reasonable guesses based on the results.
Moreover, to avoid unnecessary trouble and panic, the Arceus incident wasn't made known to the general public, remaining only among the League executives.
The day after the incident ended.
Sinnoh region, Celestic Town.
On a meadow at the border between Celestic Town and the Mt. Coronet range.
Mewtwo, wearing an adorable Jigglypuff apron, held skewers and a brush in its hands, its face smudged with some black soot, expressionlessly staring at the... barbecue grill before it.
It searched its mind... why did I choose to stay?
Why am I here?
Relaxation?
Relaxation means... barbecuing here?
"Mewtwo, the meat was a bit overcooked earlier, and add more cumin next time," Darkrai called out, holding a skewer.
Mewtwo gave it a "killer" look.
But Johan quickly appeared in front of it, blocking its view.
Johan also wore a Gengar apron, holding a spatula, and smiled:
"This is what it feels like to be human. How is it?"
Wasn't Mewtwo always unsure whether it belonged to humans or Pokémon?
Then try both.
Hearing this, Mewtwo lowered its gaze, looking at the meat sizzling over the charcoal, dripping with oil and emitting a tempting aroma.
Raising its head, it looked at Team Rocket, who were also busy but seemed to be enjoying themselves, or at least looked very skilled. It felt "the gap between people."
"Being human... isn't easy either."
Johan laughed.
He hadn't expected Mewtwo to realize that being human wasn't easy either, which was somewhat beyond his expectations.
"Your awareness is quite high."
Mewtwo's eye twitched.
High awareness?
It glanced to the side at the mountain of various ingredients—meat, vegetables, as well as berries, fresh milk, and other Pokémon food ingredients.
A mountain of them!
Faced with so many ingredients, anyone would find it challenging, right?
Regarding this.
Johan also indicated there was nothing he could do.
This was already quite manageable.
Besides his own and Cynthia's group's Pokémon, only Darkrai, Giratina, Zekrom, and Reshiram had come for the gathering.
If Regigigas, Dialga, Palkia, Lugia, and the others were added, he might cook until he died.
Even so, it was only because the Sinnoh League had covered the cost of the ingredients; otherwise, Johan would have bled money.
This was also one reason why he didn't dare keep Reshiram by his side.
Mewtwo gave Johan a deep look.
For some reason, it had a feeling... that a major reason Johan had kept it behind was to share the "pressure"—the pressure of cooking.
"Here, put on these arm covers," Johan said, seeing some oil stains on Mewtwo's arms, and took off his own arm covers.
Mewtwo didn't say anything, just raised its arms and let Johan put the arm covers on.
Looking at Mewtwo's current outfit, Johan nodded with satisfaction.
It seemed that in the future, the sign on his kitchen door wouldn't need to add a new name besides "Gengar and Cynthia Not Allowed."
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Powerstones?
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