This Calyrex felt unfathomably deep.
But that was to be expected—aside from the tier-three gods, legendary Pokémon were never simple.
(TN: I have still no idea about levels above champion. Tier three are probably the 3 legendary birds.)
"I'm just a little curious," Calyrex said as its figure floated to hover in front of Nathan. Its eyes showed a hint of confusion. "I can't see your past, nor can I determine your future.
But… you are a suitable trainer."
Nathan asked in confusion, "My past? My future?"
Calyrex's voice carried a trace of amusement. "I can see the past and future of all living beings, but you're the first whose path is obscured. Your past is shrouded in light, and your future…"
"...is filled with infinite possibilities. That confuses me. For other humans, even though their actions may shift their futures, the changes are minor. But for you—any single action could lead to a drastic change in your destiny."
"You intrigue me. And coincidentally, I need a point of contact between myself and humans—you are the perfect fit."
Nathan was indeed curious about his own future and wanted to know more.
But he could tell that Calyrex had no intention of revealing it.
After a moment's thought, Nathan asked, "Calyrex, do you dislike humans?"
"Dislike? Not quite." Calyrex shook its head. "I simply don't enjoy humans intruding upon my territory. And their greedy desires disgust me. While not all humans are like that, it still makes me unwilling to engage with them too much."
Nathan nodded. Most legendary Pokémon seemed to share that mindset—preferring to avoid interaction with humans.
"So then, Calyrex, you want me to deliver a message to the human side?" Nathan asked.
"Yes." Calyrex nodded. "To put it in your terms, it's a deal. From now on, this forest will be considered my territory. I hope that humans will avoid stepping into it unless absolutely necessary.
Of course, I will compensate humanity. I'll periodically offer some of the forest's resources for human use."
Calyrex sounded like a kind and benevolent monarch, its tone calm and gentle.
"Alright, I'll deliver the message," Nathan nodded. It wasn't a difficult task.
"But… was this the only reason you called me here?" Nathan asked, a little exasperated. Honestly, with Calyrex's power, it could easily deliver such a message without involving him.
"Of course not," Calyrex shook its head. "You know about the Mystic Realms, don't you?"
"Of course," Nathan nodded again.
"One of the reasons I summoned you was to tell you something about them," Calyrex said softly. "The origin of the Mystic Realms is quite unique, and when they first appear, they cause the Pokémon inside to go berserk and lose all reason. I can sense that in the future, each subsequent realm will last longer and the berserk state will also persist longer. Eventually, the realm may even expand and begin to overlap with the real world—causing peaceful Pokémon to turn wild."
"That's why I need your help."
The Mystic Realms… that dangerous?
Nathan frowned deeply. If what Calyrex said was true, then wouldn't every time a realm appeared, the surrounding human areas need to be evacuated?
"No need to worry. It's not something unsolvable," Calyrex smiled. "But I can't fix it on my own. I need your help to find Palkia. With its cooperation, I can resolve this issue."
"Again with finding legendary Pokémon?" Nathan twitched. First Metagross had him chasing down legendaries, now this?
Besides, wasn't Palkia supposed to reside within spatial rifts? How was he supposed to find that?
"Don't worry, I'll guide you," Calyrex said gently, sensing Nathan's thoughts. "I've only just awakened and am currently unable to leave due to certain matters, so I must ask this of you. Palkia and the others are still in slumber. I need you to help me awaken it."
"And of course, I'll give you a suitable reward."
…
"Do you know about Regidrago?" Calyrex asked with a smile.
"Regidrago?" Nathan shook his head, then nodded suddenly as he remembered. "Yeah, I know it."
Regidrago was a fairly mysterious Pokémon, said to have been created by Regigigas. It was entirely composed of crystallized dragon energy, which made its Dragon-type moves significantly more powerful than those of other Pokémon.
"Good. That's enough," Calyrex said. "If you help me find Palkia, I may not be able to transform your Psychic-type Pokémon completely into a crystallized form like Regidrago, but I can alter its outer 'metal coating' into a psychic energy crystal coating."
"Really?" Nathan's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Of course," Calyrex smiled. "That way, your Pokémon's Psychic-type attacks will become significantly stronger—more powerful than even holding an item that boosts Psychic moves. And the 'metal coating' will retain its original effects."
"Deal. No problem at all," Nathan nodded without hesitation. "I'll help you find Palkia. But can you guide me to where it lives?"
"Yes," Calyrex nodded. "All Pokémon will arrive in this world with the appearance of the Mystic Realms. I sensed Palkia's arrival when it first descended. Though I don't know its exact location, I have a general idea. Once you get close, I'll notify you."
"You'll notify me?" Nathan scratched his head. "You're coming with me?"
"No. I'll leave a mark on you," Calyrex shook its head and explained. "You can think of it as a part of my power."
Another mark…
If Calyrex's mark was added, that'd make three marks on him already.
He had a feeling there might be even more in the future…
Calyrex floated closer and looked Nathan in the eye. "Human, I have high hopes for you. Perhaps you'll become the key to harmonious relations between Pokémon and humans."
"I hope so," Nathan replied softly.
Calyrex didn't say much more. "Do you have anything else to ask? If not, I'll send you back. Your friend has already returned to the edge of the forest and is waiting for you."
"Luan?" Nathan murmured. He shook his head. "Nothing else."
"Then I'll send you away now. Also, please don't reveal Palkia's location to other humans."
"Palkia is currently located at…"
…
Buzz.
A wave of dizziness washed over him.
"Nathan?"
Before he could even open his eyes, Nathan heard Luan's voice beside him.
He rubbed his head, waited for the dizziness to fade, then opened his eyes and looked at Luan. With a sigh, he stood up and asked, "Gym Leader, where did you end up earlier?"
"Ahaha…" Luan scratched his nose awkwardly. "I got sent to where I used to live before humans ever made contact with me."
"That far?" Nathan twitched and shook his head. "Well, we should probably head back now, Gym Leader."
"You already met the Pokémon inside? How'd it go?" Luan asked urgently.
"The situation…" Nathan scratched his head and recounted Calyrex's request. He also mentioned in passing that the Mystic Realms might become unstable in the future—but he kept the rest to himself.
Luan nodded thoughtfully. "That result's acceptable. As you said, the Pokémon inside doesn't seem aggressive, and if peaceful coexistence is possible, the government would be happy. Good work on this—I'll report it right away. Is there anything you want as a reward?"
"A reward?"
Nathan's lips curled into a grin as he immediately described Mega Stones and Z-Crystals—things that were rare but always welcome. With the government's resources, collecting them should be much easier.
After listening to his request, Luan gave him a strange look. Shouldn't young people be asking for high-potential Pokémon or rare materials? Why these two odd little stones?
Kids these days… he really didn't get them.
"Alright, let's head back," Luan said, summoning his Pidgeot.
Nathan and Luan climbed onto Pidgeot's back, and it soared toward Lake City.
While flying, Luan glanced at Nathan. "If you want to challenge the Gym, you can do it tomorrow. For today, why not stroll around Lake City? The scenery's nice."
"Eh, I think I'll just head back to the hotel and train with my Pokémon," Nathan replied.
"Fair enough."
Before long, Pidgeot arrived at Lake City.
Nathan parted ways with Luan and immediately returned to the hotel. He opened his computer and began researching.
Before leaving, Calyrex had told him where Palkia was sleeping.
He just didn't know where that was—so he needed to look it up.
After about half an hour, Nathan finally figured it out. His face showed surprise. "It's actually here?"
The border between the Celestial Star Nation and the Snow Nation.
It used to be relatively safe, but a previous fusion between a Secret Realm and reality had left a mountain range and dense forests in the area.
Now, it was definitely dangerous.
Luckily, Nathan now had some powerful allies. If he couldn't win, he could always call for backup—Calyrex, for example.
"The border, huh… I'll have to leave from North City. That's pretty far. I'll wait until my Vibrava evolves first," Nathan muttered as he closed his computer.
The northern regions were freezing.
And Nathan had no desire to cross a snowy mountain on foot.
Shaking his head, he stopped overthinking it. He grabbed his Poké Balls and headed for the training room to begin training with his team.
…
A new day slowly arrived.
While Nathan was training his Pokémon at the hotel, Lake City's officials had apparently already sent people to confirm things with the Vibrant Forest.
By the next day, the local newspapers and TV news announced that Vibrant Forest would become a protected area—and that trainers would no longer be allowed to enter.
Nathan finished reading the report while having breakfast. Then he packed his bag, grabbed his Poké Balls, and headed for the Lake City Gym.
With the task of locating two legendary Pokémon on his shoulders, Nathan felt the need to grow stronger—quickly.
At the Gym, the same burly man from yesterday was already waiting. Upon seeing Nathan, he approached with a smile. "Trainer Nathan, you're here. The Gym Leader is already waiting for you."
"Thanks for leading the way," Nathan replied with a smile.
"Of course. Please follow me."
The man nodded and turned to lead him.
The battlefield was on the first floor, but it was deeper inside the building.
They passed through a door and arrived at a standard battle arena, with no environmental bonuses for any Pokémon type.
There, Nathan saw Luan standing ahead, seemingly waiting for him.
"Nathan, the reward you asked for yesterday—I've already reported it to the authorities," Luan said with a smile. "They agreed to help search and will send whatever they find to Poplar City's officials. They'll hand it over to you when it arrives."
Nathan nodded. "Thanks. So… can we start the Gym challenge now?"
"Haha, looks like you're eager."
Luan laughed and turned. "Kai, you'll be the referee."