Giratina: Hurry Up and Update!

"AHHHH!!"

Flint, who had been lying motionless on the ground, suddenly let out a terrified scream.

The Unown, who had just been happily devouring Pokéblocks, were startled.

They panicked and immediately flew back into the wall, embedding themselves back into the ancient murals.

Johan: "…"

Just when he was about to establish a proper dialogue with them…

"FLINT!!"

Johan gritted his teeth, squeezing out the words through clenched jaws.

"Huh? Huh?! I—I'm awake!"

Flint sprang to his feet in an instant.

He could feel it—

Not one, but TWO murderous auras directed straight at him.

But when he saw Johan and Cynthia standing before him—

His eyes immediately welled up with tears.

"Johan-sensei! Big Sis Cynthia! I knew you'd come to save me!"

Cynthia and Johan: "…"

Their expressions darkened simultaneously.

Because they had both heard what Flint had yelled while under the Unown's influence:

"Who do these weaklings think they are? These nobodies?!"

Hmph.

So that's how he really felt inside, huh?

Even this big, loud brute of a man… had a hidden side to him.

Flint gulped.

"...Uh… Something wrong?"

"Ku…"

Infernape shuddered.

It had caught Garchomp's icy glare and Gengar's sinister grin.

Without hesitation—

It voluntarily retreated into its Poké Ball.

"Ha… Haha…"

Flint forced out a nervous laugh, scratching his head awkwardly.

"Aha… w-wow… um… great weather today, huh?"

Johan and Cynthia narrowed their eyes at him, completely ignoring his pathetic attempt at small talk.

Cynthia soon shifted back to serious mode.

"So… That prophecy the Unown gave us…"

She frowned deeply.

Johan sighed.

"I still can't be certain."

He once again tried using Aura to communicate with the Unown still embedded in the walls.

This time, they responded with friendly and affectionate emotions…

But—

They didn't form words anymore.

Without written clues, Johan couldn't get any clear answers.

Still—

When it came to world-ending disasters in Sinnoh…

The usual suspects were pretty obvious:

Arceus, Giratina, Dialga, and Palkia.

Sinnoh was too dangerous.

In the grand scheme of Pokémon mythos, these four deities were on a completely different level.

If there was such a thing as "Divine Hierarchy", they would all rank at the very top.

"…At least not every region has disaster-prone legendaries," Johan muttered.

Oh well.

At least there's always some "Chosen One" to deal with these things.

If not Ash Ketchum, then Red.

…Speaking of which—

Red should be setting off soon, right?

Flint, still utterly confused, finally blurted out:

"So… WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED TO ME?!"

Johan, still refusing to let this guy off the hook, turned to his Rotom Dex.

"Rotom, show him what he was doing earlier."

"Roger, Roto~!"

Rotom pulled up a recording of Flint…

Frantically running in circles like a maniac.

Since the Unown hadn't been visibly captured on video, all they could see was Flint and Infernape running aimlessly—

Looking incredibly stupid.

"Uh…"

Flint's face instantly turned bright red.

And then—

Johan delivered the finishing blow.

"Ah… This reminds me of that day in the ruins… the day I lost my youth…"

Flint: "?!?!?!"

"Classic World-Famous Painting: 'The Running Flint.'"

Johan smirked, then added another masterpiece to the collection:

"Or perhaps, 'The Tree-Climbing Flint.'"

Flint curled into a ball in the corner, drawing circles on the ground.

…Truly.

Neither of these two demons had any mercy.

—

After the comic relief session, Cynthia got back to work, carefully examining the murals.

Meanwhile, Johan turned his attention to the floor.

He recalled something from the Sinnoh anime.

In the show, the Unown's rampage at the Solaceon Ruins had been triggered by Team Galactic stealing the "Lustrous Orb."

And here—

He noticed a similar pattern.

Engraved into the ground were three empty slots.

"Water Seal," "Iron Seal," and "Dragon Seal."

Together, these three artifacts could be used to open a mysterious mechanism.

Johan's expression turned cold.

…So Team Galactic WILL come here eventually.

Without the keystone to locate Spear Pillar, Team Galactic wouldn't be able to awaken Dialga and Palkia.

"…Cynthia."

"Mm?"

"I think the Sinnoh League needs to fortify the Solaceon Ruins."

Cynthia nodded immediately.

"Agreed. If even Flint got trapped here, the place clearly needs better security—maybe even a full lockdown."

That was exactly what Johan wanted.

If Team Galactic ever came for the "keystone," they'd run into heavy resistance.

At the very least, it would delay their plans.

Or even expose them before they could make a move.

Johan even left a message for the Unown:

"If anyone comes for the keystone, feel free to trap them… just like you did with Flint."

The Unown hesitated for a moment…

They seemed worried.

Johan smirked.

Honestly—

If the Unown could move the artifact, they probably would've handed it to him already.

—

Meanwhile…

Far away in an unknown dimension…

The Unown's power surge had caused a ripple effect.

For a brief moment—

Time and space overlapped.

A massive, blue-armored dragon, its body resembling a sapphire-plated dinosaur, materialized in the void.

Its metallic ridges gleamed, and a deep blue gemstone embedded in its chest shimmered with energy.

Dialga.

Suddenly—

A pink crescent-shaped blade slashed through the air.

Its edge froze space itself, slicing through the fabric of reality.

"ROOOAARRR!!"

Dialga's eyes flared orange as its gemstone pulsed.

A swirling blue vortex of temporal energy gathered in its mouth—

Roar of Time!

BOOM!

The two attacks collided—

Causing the dimensional rift to tremble violently.

Across from Dialga—

A silver-scaled beast with purple veins coursing across its body stood tall.

Its shoulders bore pearl-shaped rings, gleaming with pinkish light.

"PAAAAAAL-KIAAAAA!!"

With another mighty roar, Palkia raised its arm.

The pearl-rings glowed fiercely—

Spacial Rend!

Another crescent blade tore through the void.

The duel between Time and Space had begun.

—

Back on Earth.

The moment Johan, Cynthia, and Flint stepped out of the ruins, sunlight bathed their faces.

"Ahhh!! Fresh air!"

Flint stretched his arms wide—

Then immediately winced.

"Ow! Ow ow ow—why does my whole body ache?!"

His gaze drifted toward Johan and Cynthia.

For some reason…

Both of them avoided eye contact.

"…Did something happen while I was unconscious?"

Cynthia casually inspected the ruins.

Johan pulled out his phone and pretended to be on a call.

"Hello? Yes? Very important business."

Flint: "???"

Well…

The warm sun. The cool breeze.

He just wanted to sleep.

He collapsed onto the grass—

And within minutes…

He was snoring.

—

Just then—

Johan's phone vibrated.

A familiar name appeared on screen.

[Young Man]: I think… I just felt a disturbance in space-time.

Giratina.