CHAPTER 9:THE CENTER OF THE WORLD

10 DAYS BEFORE THE CORONATION.

THE NEXT DAY, READY FOR THE JOURNEY AND THE SUN JUST RISING, EVERYONE EMBARKS WEST TO HEAL THE FLOR DE FLOETTE. AS WELL, IF YOU HAVE TIME, STOP MISMAGIUS.

DITTO:WHY COULDN'T WE REQUEST TRANSPORTATION? WE HAVE BEEN WALKING FOR HOURS.

ROSE:IF WE GO ON FOOT IT WILL BE EASIER FOR US TO HIDE.

DIAZ:I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT DITTO. YOU ARE ON TOP OF MEWTWO, WHICH FLOATS.

DITTO:YES BUT IT IS BORING.

ROSE:SHUT UP. WE LITERALLY TOOK THE SHORTEST WAY TO THE KINGDOM.

BRAIXEN:WILL WE PASS THE RUINS OF THE CENTRAL KINGDOM?

ROSE:RIGHT, AFTER THAT, IT'S JUST A STRAIGHT LINE TO THE KINGDOM.

DITTO:WOW. WE WILL VISIT AN ABANDONED SITE.

MEWTWO:I MUST SAY THAT THE FATE OF THAT KINGDOM WAS A GREAT MISFORTUNE.

DIAZ:....

LONG AGO, WHEN DIAZ WAS 5 YEARS OLD.

MAXIMILIANO:AND THIS ONE HERE IS THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM. AND IF WE MARK THE DIFFERENT KINGDOMS WITH LINES, WE FORM A RHOMBUS.

DIAZ:AND WHY IN DIAGONAL LINES AND NOT IN STRAIGHT LINES? THUS THEY WOULD CREATE A CROSS.

MAXIMILIANO:...THE CENTER NEVER CONNECTS WITH THE OTHER KINGDOMS. THERE IS THE CENTRAL KINGDOM.

DIAZ:THE CENTRAL KINGDOM? I THOUGHT THERE WERE FOUR KINGDOMS.

MAXIMILIANO:THEY ARE.....BUT BEFORE THOSE KINGDOMS. THERE WAS ONLY ONE.

DIAZ:....

MAXIMILIAN:SOME CENTURIES AGO, WHEN THE REGIONS WERE NOT YET KNOWN. THIS PART OF THE WORLD WAS RUN BY A SINGLE KINGDOM. AND THAT KINGDOM HAD FOUR KINGS:

𝓣𝓗𝓔 𝓟𝓞𝓚𝓔́𝓜𝓞𝓝, 𝓦𝓗𝓘𝓒𝓗 𝓒𝓞𝓤𝓛𝓓 𝓒𝓞𝓝𝓣𝓡𝓞𝓛 𝓣𝓗𝓔 𝓒𝓛𝓘𝓜𝓐𝓣𝓔 𝓞𝓕 𝓣𝓗𝓔 𝓢𝓘𝓣𝓔. 𝓖𝓘𝓥𝓔 𝓤𝓢 𝓦𝓐𝓡𝓜 𝓒𝓛𝓘𝓜𝓐𝓣𝓔𝓢, 𝓡𝓐𝓘𝓝 𝓐𝓝𝓓 𝓢𝓝𝓞𝓦. 𝓒𝓐𝓢𝓣𝓕𝓞𝓡𝓜.

𝓣𝓗𝓔 𝓟𝓞𝓚𝓔́𝓜𝓞𝓝, 𝓦𝓗𝓞𝓢𝓔 𝓦𝓘𝓢𝓓𝓞𝓜 𝓐𝓝𝓓 𝓟𝓞𝓦𝓔𝓡, 𝓒𝓞𝓤𝓛𝓓 𝓑𝓤𝓘𝓛𝓓 𝓦𝓞𝓡𝓛𝓓𝓢 𝓐𝓝𝓓 𝓟𝓛𝓐𝓒𝓔𝓢 𝓙𝓤𝓢𝓣 𝓑𝓨 𝓣𝓗𝓘𝓝𝓚𝓘𝓝𝓖 𝓐𝓑𝓞𝓤𝓣 𝓘𝓣. 𝓐𝓛𝓐𝓚𝓐𝓩𝓐𝓜.

𝓣𝓗𝓔 𝓟𝓞𝓚𝓔́𝓜𝓞𝓝, 𝓦𝓗𝓞 𝓒𝓞𝓤𝓛𝓓 𝓑𝓡𝓘𝓝𝓖 𝓑𝓔𝓐𝓤𝓣𝓨 𝓣𝓞 𝓣𝓗𝓘𝓢 𝓚𝓘𝓝𝓖𝓓𝓞𝓜, 𝓜𝓤𝓢𝓘𝓒 𝓣𝓞 𝓐𝓛𝓛 𝓐𝓝𝓓 𝓗𝓐𝓟𝓟𝓘𝓝𝓔𝓢𝓢 𝓣𝓞 𝓣𝓗𝓞𝓢𝓔 𝓦𝓘𝓣𝓗 𝓐 𝓗𝓐𝓡𝓓 𝓗𝓔𝓐𝓡𝓣. 𝓐𝓛𝓣𝓐𝓡𝓘𝓐.

𝓣𝓗𝓔 𝓟𝓞𝓚𝓔́𝓜𝓞𝓝 𝓣𝓗𝓐𝓣, 𝓦𝓘𝓣𝓗 𝓢𝓣𝓡𝓔𝓝𝓖𝓣𝓗 𝓐𝓝𝓓 𝓓𝓔𝓣𝓔𝓡𝓜𝓘𝓝𝓐𝓣𝓘𝓞𝓝. 𝓗𝓔 𝓘𝓝𝓢𝓟𝓘𝓡𝓔𝓓 𝓞𝓣𝓗𝓔𝓡𝓢 𝓣𝓞 𝓕𝓘𝓖𝓗𝓣 𝓕𝓞𝓡 𝓦𝓗𝓐𝓣 𝓣𝓗𝓔𝓨 𝓦𝓐𝓝𝓣𝓔𝓓 𝓐𝓝𝓓 𝓝𝓔𝓥𝓔𝓡 𝓖𝓐𝓥𝓔 𝓤𝓟 𝓞𝓝 𝓣𝓗𝓔 𝓔𝓝𝓔𝓜𝓨. 𝓐𝓔𝓖𝓘𝓢𝓛𝓐𝓢𝓗.

MAXIMILIAN:THE FOUR, COOPERATING, CREATED A KINGDOM LIKE NO OTHER. WHERE THE MOST RESULTING POKEMON WERE THE SHINYS.

DIAZ:SHINYS?.

MAXIMILIAN:SHINYS ARE QUITE A SPECIAL GROUP OF POKÉMON. THEIR COLORS WEREN'T LIKE OTHER POKÉMON'S. MANY TRIED TO UNDERSTAND THE REASON WHY THOSE POKÉMON WERE BORN THAT WAY. BUT ONE THING THAT WAS CERTAIN IS THAT THE CENTRAL KINGDOM WAS KNOWN TO SOME AS THE BRIGHT KINGDOM.

DIAZ:CAN I SEE ONE?.

MAXIMILIANO:....THAT'S SOMETHING DIFFICULT.

DIAZ:....

MAXIMILIANO:....ONE DAY, IN THAT KINGDOM. AN UNKNOWN POKÉMON SHOWED UP AND FOR SOME REASON...THAT WOULD MARK THE END OF THE KINGDOM.

DIAZ:...

MAXIMILIANO:...ONE DAY. THE KINGS HAD AN ARGUMENT....THUS PROVOKING THE WAR OF THE CENTER ... ALMOST ALL THE INHABITANTS DIED IN THAT WAR ... AND MOST OF THE SHINYS ... INCLUDING THE KINGS, DID NOT SURVIVE ... WHEN THEY DIED , THE WAR WAS ENDED. AND SEVERAL GROUPS, MADE UP OF THE BEST GUARDS OF THE KINGS, WENT TO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME, THAT HATRED THAT THESE GROUPS HAD FADED. AND IN THE END WE WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH A CONNECTION WHERE EACH GROUP HELPED THE OTHER. SAID GUARDS HAD BECOME KINGS. DECADES PASSED AND THE GUARDS LEFT GENERATIONS OF KINGS UNTIL WE COME TO NOW.

DIAZ:.....AND WHERE AM I LOCATED?.

MAXIMILIANO:....)

DIAZ:.....

AND ARRIVING AT THAT SITE.

BRAIXEN:...RUINS...JUST RUINS.

AND PASSING IN THAT UNINHABITED PLACE. THEY NOTICED THE THINGS THAT USED TO BE.

MEWTWO:I ONCE CAME TO THIS KINGDOM. IT WAS LITERALLY THE LARGEST KINGDOM, LARGER THAN THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM.

DITTO:APART FROM THAT THERE WERE LOTS AND LOTS OF SHINYS. I DON'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I SAW A SHINY.

BRAIXEN:SHINYS ARE EXTINCT. ONLY BY A MIRACLE SOMEONE WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE ONE.

DIAZ:....SHINYS ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN NORMAL COLORS?.

ROSE:THAT'S RIDICULOUS. THEY ONLY CHANGE THE COLOR, NOT THEIR POWER.

DIAZ:....ARE YOU SHINY?.

ROSE:RATHER IT IS A NEW FORM. ONE IN WHICH I CAN CONTROL TIME AT WILL, BUT I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, MISMANAGE IT AND IT COULD EXTINGUISH SOMEONE'S LIFE.

DIAZ:....

AND DIAZ, SUDDENLY, FEELS SOMETHING.

DIAZ:...WE HAVE TO HIDE.

BRAIXEN:WHAT?.

DIAZ:we have to hide!.

AND LISTENING TO IT. THEY HIDE IN SOME RUBBLE.

ROSE:what happens?.

DIAZ:shhhh.

AND THEY BEGAN TO HEAR FOOTSTEPS.

ROSE:....

GROUP:♪SHE GAVE US LOVE, SHE GAVE US POWER. NOW WE MUST RETURN IT TO HER♪ ♪SHE GAVE US LOVE, SHE GAVE US POWER. NOW WE MUST RETURN IT TO HER♪

DITTO:....

AND DITTO WAS STARTING TO SHAKE.

GROUP:♪SHE GAVE US LOVE, SHE GAVE US POWER. NOW WE MUST RETURN IT TO HER♪

DIAZ:....

?:REGARDS.

AND THE GROUP STOPS.

?: WHAT ARE THEY DOING IN THIS PLACE?

DIAZ:....

AND DIAZ, CAREFULLY, WATCH.

POKÉMON:WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE RUINS OF AN ANCIENT WORLD?

TORKOAL:I LIVE HERE.

POKÉMONS:...HAHAHAHAHA!.

TORKOAL: WHY IS THIS SYMBOL DRAWN?

POKÉMON:....IS THE SYMBOL THAT REPRESENTS TRUE ROYALTY.

TORKOAL:MMMMM, IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO BE SEEN WITH THAT SYMBOL. ESPECIALLY IF THEY DO NOT KNOW ITS TRUE MEANING.

POKÉMON:WE KNOW IT, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU, OLD MAN?

TORKOAL:MANNERS PLEASE....AND THAT SYMBOL DOES NOT MEAN ROYALTY.

POKÉMON:AND WHAT DOES IT REPRESENT?.

TORKOAL:....DEATH.

EVERYBODY:....

POKÉMON:WATCH YOUR WORDS OLD MAN. WE ARE LOOKING FOR A POKÉMON.

TORKOAL:THE SUCCESSOR OF THE NORTH, MACRI DIAZ, A RIOLU WITHOUT ROYAL BLOOD.

AND WITHOUT THEM NOTICING. HE LOOKS AT DIAZ SURREPTITIOUSLY.

DIAZ:WHAT?.

POKÉMON:...WHERE IS IT?.

TORKOAL:I WOULD TELL YOU BUT THEY WERE RUDE TO THIS OLD MAN. SO THEY ARE LEFT WITH THE DOUBT.

BUT THE POKÉMON SURROUND THE TORKOAL.

POKÉMON:I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNEW. BUT SUCH A RIOLU HAS BEEN PROCLAIMED CRIMINAL OF THE KINGDOMS. HE SERIOUSLY WOUNDED THE QUEEN OF THE EAST. BUT THANKS TO OUR LEADER WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE HER FROM HE.

ROSE:.....no.

TORKOAL:PERHAPS THE IGNORANT BELIEVE THEIR WORDS. BUT ONLY THOSE WHO KNOW THE STORY CAN DECIDE THEIR SIDE.

POKÉMON:...WHAT DO WE DO?.

POKÉMON:THE LEADER SAID TO ELIMINATE ANYONE WHO TRIES TO DEFEND THAT POKÉMON.

AND ALL WERE PREPARING TO ATTACK.

TORKOAL:....

AND SMOKE WAS STARTING TO COME OUT OF THE TORKOAL.

POKÉMON:FIRE!.

DIAZ:....NO!.

AND DIAZ, COMING OUT OF HIDING, RUNS TOWARDS THE TORKOAL. AND THE SMOKE FROM TORKOAL INCREASES.

POKÉMON:WHAT?.

TORKOAL:GO BACK DIAZ!.

AND FROM THE SMOKE BEGAN TO COME FIRE AND TORKOAL USED -ERUPTION-. AND IT FALLS ON THE ENEMIES, WOUNDING THEM.

POKÉMONS:RUN!

AND UNABLE TO DEFEND HIMSELF. THEY FLEE.

ARBOK:WAIT. DIAZ IS-

AND DIAZ, RUNNING, HITS HARD. KNOCKING OUT THE ARBOK.

DIAZ:WOW....

TORKOAL:I FINALLY MEET THE MAJESTY.

AND HE DUCKS HIS HEAD IN FRONT OF DIAZ.

DIAZ:...OU, I, EEEEH.

ROSE:TORKOAL?.

TORKOAL:...ROSE. IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU

BRAIXEN:....A SHINY TORKOAL?.

DITTO:OH MY ARCEUUUUUUS!.

TORKOAL:WHAT HAVE YOU DONE THESE LAST YEARS, "TIME POKEMON"?.

ROSE:THE USUAL, ENSURING THE BALANCE OF TIME AND PROTECTING MY KINGDOM.

TORKOAL:IT SEEMS THAT IT WAS NOT ENOUGH PROTECTION.

ROSE:...DO THOSE POKÉMON HAVE A LEADER?.

TORKOAL:OF COURSE. I DOUBT VERY MUCH THAT THE KINGS WOULD HAVE PLANNED THIS ALONE.

DIAZ:.....

TORKOAL:DON'T WORRY DIAZ, YOU SHOULDN'T FEAR ME, I'M TOO OLD FOR POKÉMON FIGHTS. WHAT I JUST USED WAS ONLY ACCUMULATED ENERGY FOR A FEW DAYS.

DIAZ:....HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?.

ROSE: DIAZ, SHOW RESPECT. YOU'RE TALKING TO THE LAST INHABITANT OF THE CENTRAL KINGDOM.

DIAZ, BRAIXEN, DITTO AND MEWTWO:THE LAST INHABITANT?!.

TORKOAL:YOUTH ARE SERIOUSLY SURPRISED BY ANYTHING.

MEWTWO:IT'S IMPOSSIBLE! THE CENTRAL KINGDOM DISAPPEARED MORE THAN 500 YEARS AGO!

TORKOAL:GUESS MY AGE MEWTWO.

DIAZ:....HOW OLD ARE YOU?!.

TORKOAL:WELL I WAS PRESENT THE DAY THAT ARCEUS CREATED THE POKÉMON.

DITTO:BUT THAT WAS-

ROSE:MANNERS!.

DIAZ:...IT'S A SHINY.

TORKOAL:HEH, IT'S THE FIRST THING EVERYONE PAYS ATTENTION TO WHEN THEY MEET ME, RIGHT, BRAIXEN?

BRAIXEN:DO YOU KNOW US ALL?

TORKOAL:THAT'S RIGHT, YOUNG BRAIXEN, I'M VERY SORRY ABOUT YOUR MOTHER.

MEWTWO:...WHAT DID YOU MEAN?

BRAIXEN:....

TORKOAL:I SEE THAT EVERYONE IS HUNGRY.

AND WALKING ASIDE. SHOWS SEVERAL APPLES.

TORKOAL:EAT A LITTLE, THEY WAY IS QUITE LONG.

ROSE:SORRY TORKOAL. BUT WE HAVE-

AND DIAZ BITES INTO AN APPLE.

DIAZ:...SORRY. I HAVEN'T HAD BREAKFAST YET.

DITTO:NEITHER DO I.

ROSE:....30 MINUTES.

AND SITTING DOWN. THEY EAT APPLES.

MEWTWO:A-PPLE

FLOETTE:...ah..aah.

MEWTWO:....

AND BREAKING IT. HE GIVES A PIECE TO FLOETTE AND EATS.

FLOETTE:(CHEWING).

MEWTWO:DON'T CHOKE.

DITTO:OOOH.

MEWTWO:WHAT?.

DITTO:OH, NOTHING. KEEP GOING.

MEWTWO:...AGH.

DIAZ:(CHEWING) SO ARE YOU A FORTUNE TELLER OR SOMETHING?

TORKOAL:NOT EXACTLY. WHEN YOU LIVE AS LONG AS I DO, YOU CAN START TO MEET ALL GENERATIONS. UNTIL YOU REACH A POINT WHERE YOU RECOGNIZE ALL THOSE POKÉMON AND THE POSSIBLE DESTINATION THEY WILL HAVE.

DIAZ:....

TORKOAL:AND WHY ARE THEY GOING WEST?

DIAZ:WE NEED TO HEAL THE FLOETTE FLOWER.

TORKOAL:...AN ETERNAL FLOWER...THE LAST OF ITS KIND.

MEWTWO:AND APPARENTLY. THIS FLOETTE HAS IT.

TORKOAL:....TELL ME YOUNG LADY, WHERE DID YOU GET IT FROM?

FLOETTE:.....

MEWTWO:IT IS USELESS. APPARENTLY SHE CAN'T SPEAK.

TORKOAL:WHERE DOES SHE COME FROM?.

DIAZ:.....APPARENTLY IT'S MY FAULT.

BRAIXEN: DIAZ, IS NOT. HER MOTHER WAS MISTREATING HER AND DIAZ WENT TO GET HER OUT OF THERE.

TORKOAL:FLORGES, EX-WIFE OF EMPOLEON, CORRECT?

BRAIXEN:.....

TORKOAL:I GUESSED BECAUSE THEY CAME FROM THE EAST AND THERE ARE NOT MANY FLORGES IN THAT PLACE.

DIAZ:....

TOKOAL:DIAZ. WHAT HAPPENED TO HER FAMILY IS NOT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. THEY DECIDED TO MAKE A SCANDAL THAT IN THE END CAUSED THEIR MISFORTUNES.

DIAZ:I KNOW....

ROSE:....WELL, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO KEEP WALKING. AT THIS RATE WE WILL ARRIVE AT DUSK.

DITTO:FORWARD MY BRAVES!.

DIAZ:...I CATCH UP WITH THEM RIGHT AWAY.

AND GOES WITH TORKOAL.

TORKOAL:IS SOMETHING WRONG DIAZ?.

DIAZ:....IF YOU KNOW ALL THE POKEMON....DO YOU KNOW THEIR DESTINATIONS?.

TORKOAL:...NOT EXACTLY. I CAN GIVE A PREDICTION OF WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS, BUT I CANNOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT EVENTS WILL LEAD TO THAT FUTURE.

DIAZ:....IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO TELL ME MINE?....I NEED TO KNOW.

TORKOAL:....DIAZ....I ONLY SEE ONE THING....BUT I DON'T THINK YOU WANT-

DIAZ: PLEASE SIR....I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF I CAN SAVE MAXIMILIANO.

TORKOAL:....(SIGH).....YOU WILL END UP ALONE.....WITH COLD.....IN A CAVE.

DIAZ:.....

TORKOAL:DIAZ, IT'S JUST A PREDICTION, NOT A SAFE FUTURE. BESIDES THAT IT IS A PART, MAYBE THERE IS MORE, YOU DECIDE HOW TO WANT YOUR FUTURE.

DIAZ:....THANK YOU.

AND THEY GO EAST.

DIAZ:....

IN THE MEANTIME.

FLYGON:I DON'T CARE IF THEY HAVE TO TRAVEL FAR DISTANCES. WE HAVE TO STOP DIAZ, BEFORE HE HURTS ANOTHER KINGDOM.

POKÉMONS:YES MA'AM!.

AND EVERYONE LEAVES THERE.

FLYGON:....

AND GOING TO HIS ROOM. IT WAS SKIPLOOM, FROZEN.

FLYGON:I APPRECIATE GETTING ME OUT OF THERE. AND AS THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF WHAT I DID HAD NOT YET BEEN GIVEN, NOBODY SUSPECTS ANYTHING.

?:WHERE IS IT?.

FLYGON:I DON'T KNOW BUT IT WON'T GO VERY FAR. WE HAVE SOMETHING HE WANTS.

AND GOING TO A CLOSET. HE OPENS IT AND INSIDE.

BELLI:....OUCH....HUH?....QUEEN FLYGON?.

?:....

BELLI:...WHO ARE YOU?.

AND HE FREEZES IT.

? AND FLYGON:.....♪SHE GAVE US LOVE, SHE GAVE US POWER. NOW WE MUST RETURN IT TO HER♪.