The XYZ trio had reunited after a millennium, but the scene was slightly different from what Zygarde had imagined.
It wasn't a huge deal, really—Xerneas had simply beaten Yveltal to a pulp.
But for the Kalos ecosystem, this "minor" change was monumental.
First, there was the initial problem—Zygarde looked down at the completely exhausted Yveltal, a hint of sympathy in its eyes.
It was the first time it had ever seen this guy get beaten so miserably; it seemed Xerneas had built up quite a bit of resentment from their past battles.
However, being unilaterally crushed meant that Yveltal hadn't actually absorbed much energy.
So even if they forced it to go back to sleep now, its slumber cycle would likely be far shorter than a millennium.
A God of Death with an unpredictable awakening schedule could cause unimaginable destruction.
Secondly—
Zygarde looked back down at Allearth Forest, which was now brimming with incredibly dense life energy.
Within the rules set by the Creator, a balance between all parties was the optimal scenario.
Now that Xerneas had proactively released an excess of life energy, these trees and plants would likely survive for centuries.
Unable to re-enter the natural cycle, and continuously absorbing leyline energy, they could very well lead to an ecological imbalance.
While not as brutal as Yveltal directly wiping out all life, the impact would still be significant.
No wonder its two most vital cores had sensed something, forcefully aggregating into its Complete Forme to intervene in their battle.
Zygarde no longer hesitated. After expelling another burst of high-energy gas from its back, it quickly descended to the ground.
[Xerneas, you have gone overboard.]
Zygarde's unfeeling mechanical voice echoed from its body, and Aiden, who was standing not far away, could hear it clearly.
[If you wish to restore ecological balance, convert all the excess Fairy Aura into energy and let Yveltal return to its slumber with peace of mind.]
Even as it spoke, Zygarde's voice lacked its usual confidence.
A disaster caused by an overabundance of life energy was a first in all these years—
So it actually had zero experience in dealing with this, and could only follow the procedures left behind by the Creator.
Fortunately, Xerneas had always been quite reasonable. If it were Yveltal, they'd probably have to beat it into the ground first before it would obediently listen.
After landing gracefully, Xerneas immediately looked toward Zygarde.
[Naturally. I have no intention of destroying the ecosystem.]
[However, before falling into slumber alongside it, I still have another important matter to attend to.]
[Agreed.]
The Gundam-shaped Zygarde placed its hands on its hips and nodded.
Only a guy like Yveltal enjoyed fighting; if a more amicable method could resolve the issue, why not take it?
As long as the ecosystem remained unaffected, its mission was considered complete, and there was naturally no need for battle.
Xerneas then lowered its head, looking down at Aiden's group.
[Thank you very much for your assistance, Envoy of Arceus.]
[My time is running short, but a question lingers in my mind. Could you please answer it?]
"Ask away." Aiden blurted out.
He more or less already guessed what Xerneas was thinking—
After pawing the ground a few times, Xerneas finally asked straightforwardly:
[The plant you fed me earlier—can it be grown near Allearth Forest?]
"Of course. That's just an ordinary Power Herb, a very common item in the human world."
Aiden nodded, completely unsurprised by its question.
Sure enough, having gotten a taste of the good stuff this time, Xerneas was already thinking about how to replicate this strategy in the future.
By simply consuming a sufficient quantity of Power Herbs, its exclusive move Geomancy could be activated with virtually zero startup time, achieving a full-range stat boost.
When that time came, the dynamic of offense and defense between it and Yveltal would likely shift entirely~
"If you need them, I'll talk to the Champion of Kalos when the time comes and have her bring people to plant some Power Herbs in this area."
Aiden even took the initiative to add.
For him, it was just a matter of moving his lips; the Kalos side would definitely be happy to help, and Xerneas could secure the upper hand in its battles against the Y Bird from now on.
Killing three birds with one stone—why not?
"Screech—!"
Hearing Aiden's words, Yveltal, who had been panting heavily on the ground a moment ago, suddenly jerked its head up, letting out a cry that sounded almost like a wail.
Wait, are you deliberately targeting me?!
How am I supposed to play in the future then?!
Envoy of Arceus, look at me too! I can be obedient too, you know!
Aiden simply ignored its cries.
After all, the Y Bird was far too wild; the moment it woke up, it wanted to drain life energy everywhere. Compared to it, the intellectual Xerneas was much more grounded.
[I appreciate your generosity, Envoy of Arceus.]
Hearing Aiden's words, Xerneas suddenly knelt on the ground, lowering its head until it was almost looking him directly in the eye.
[As a testament to our friendship, please accept this power, you and your friends.]
As the telepathy faded, Xerneas closed its eyes, its body rapidly radiating a pale pink glow.
As it maintained its meditative pose, the Fairy Aura that had previously covered all of Allearth Forest—protecting the living creatures from the Dark Aura's erosion—suddenly contracted, quickly converging close to Xerneas's body.
Because the area was reduced by thousands of times, the concentration of the aura around it underwent a qualitative leap.
"Vee!"
Sylveon subconsciously took a deep breath, then violently sneezed, seemingly not yet accustomed to such a high concentration of Fairy energy.
However, after a few deep breaths, Sylveon's body also began to shine with a pink light, just like Xerneas.
"Sylveee?"
Sylveon curiously examined itself, then revealed a smile.
I'm so cute right now~
Aiden also followed suit by taking a few deep breaths of the "fairy air," once again feeling his entire body become exceptionally energized.
This time, it was absolutely not a placebo effect!
Realizing this, he immediately took out all the Poké Balls from his pocket and summoned his partners, letting them enjoy this rare opportunity together.
Seeing this, Steven followed suit, and his aces like Skarmory and Aggron appeared one after another.
"So warm— Hoopa loves it!"
Sitting next to Ansha, Hoopa felt this gentle power while closing its eyes and murmuring, looking as if it had already been lulled to sleep.
Ansha, who was being leaned against, narrowed her eyes, gently patting its back as she turned her head to look at Diancie nearby.
Just like little Hoopa, Diancie had also closed her eyes, seemingly fully immersed in experiencing Xerneas's Fairy Aura.
This wonderful energy must be the power of "Mega Evolution" that the Diamond Minister spoke of, right?
Although it was a very brief journey, still—
Along the way, she had met interesting and warm-hearted humans like Aiden, Ansha, and Steven, and with their help, she got to see Lord Xerneas.
We... are considered friends now, right?
As the term from the human world crossed her mind, a smile suddenly blossomed on Diancie's face.
I hope our friendship will be as eternal as a diamond.
Countless dazzling white lights suddenly appeared around Diancie, gradually converging to form a pillar of light.
"That's— the light of Evolution!"
Steven was the first to notice the change in Diancie; after his surprise, he quickly revealed a gratified expression.
It seemed Diancie had fulfilled her mission and had grown from this journey.
Aiden also looked over. Through the dazzling evolutionary radiance, he could vaguely see a pure white ribbon fluttering in the wind.
As the light faded, Diancie made her dazzling debut: a heart-shaped diamond resting on her head, several ribbons draped behind her like a veil, looking as if she were wearing a pure white wedding dress.
In her Mega Evolved form, not only did her "dress" become even more sacred and beautiful, but the pink diamonds on her lower body, originally encased in rock, were now fully exposed, so dazzling that it was almost impossible to look directly at them.
Truly beautiful—
Aiden blinked and was just about to compliment her when he turned his head and saw Steven suddenly twist his head away, looking up and covering his nose without a word.
Steven, oh Steven, you rock-brained man, there's truly no saving you!
Seeing through it but not calling it out, Aiden ignored his odd behavior. It wasn't until Diancie hopped over to his side that he took the initiative to speak with a smile:
"Congratulations, Diancie."
"It seems you've gained the power to restore the leylines to stability."
"I owe this to everyone's help. If it were just me, I definitely wouldn't have been able to do it."
Diancie smiled elegantly, then extended her hands horizontally in front of her chest.
As a pink energy gathered between her palms, a pink diamond the size of an adult's hand materialized in the air.
Diancie held it in both hands, then reached out and looked up at Aiden, her expression sincere.
"Please accept this, Mr. Aiden."
"This is the proof of our eternal friendship!"
Aiden smiled, taking it without any hesitation, and gave an elegant bow.
"The honor is mine, Diancie."
"And you too, Miss Ansha and Mr. Steven, please accept these humble gifts~"
After Aiden accepted, Diancie hopped over to Ansha and Steven as well, gifting each of them a Sacred Diamond of the same size.
"Wow, what a beautiful diamond!"
"Mom is definitely going to love it~"
Ansha was still a little girl after all; she immediately began playing with the sparkling, cute pink diamond, unable to put it down. It took a moment before she realized it might be impolite.
So, she gave Diancie a sweet smile and proactively reached out her hand.
"Yeah! We'll be best friends forever!"
Unlike Ansha's childlike display.
Steven stood frozen after receiving the pink diamond from Diancie, his system practically crashing on the spot for a good while.
It wasn't until he subconsciously stroked the smooth surface of the diamond several times that he snapped out of it. He then put on an incredibly resolute expression, once again restoring the image of the noble young master Aiden knew.
"Thank you most graciously for your gift, Diancie."
"Steven Stone will remember this day, and our friendship, forever and always."
Isn't that a bit too formal?
Aiden clicked his tongue inwardly, though he could certainly understand Steven's feelings.
With this diamond, the importance of all the other gems in his collection would probably drop by a tier—
At this point, Diancie's matter was more or less concluded.
Once she returned to the Diamond Domain, now possessing the power to condense Sacred Diamonds, the crisis of the leylines should be easily resolved.
As for Yveltal and Xerneas, with Zygarde present, the Y Bird wouldn't dare continue running amok.
As for whether it was willing to eat its fill and sleep for another millennium?
That wouldn't be up to it!
So Aiden looked up again at Zygarde, who was standing next to Xerneas with its arms crossed.
To be fair, Zygarde's Gundam form was genuinely cool—
Though it didn't seem to last very long; the only reason they were seeing it this time was because of the battle between Xerneas and Yveltal.
While it seemed to have some business in Alola as well, whether they'd see it again was another story entirely.
[Thank you for your assistance, Envoy of Arceus.]
As Aiden looked at it, Zygarde, who had been observing him for a while, suddenly transmitted a telepathic message.
As the most powerful entity among the XYZ trio, the Creator's aura was especially distinct to it, so its tone was noticeably more polite.
[Originally, the battle between Yveltal and Xerneas should have ended here—]
[However, the circumstances this time are somewhat special.]
Zygarde's voice paused for a moment, seemingly considering how to explain the matter.
[Their battle did not consume enough life energy. This excess energy might flow into the entire Kalos region through the leylines.]
[An overabundance of power is not necessarily a good thing. It may cause some Pokémon to absorb an excess of energy and go on a rampage.]
[As for the subsequent impacts this might cause, I will leave it to you humans to handle when the time comes.]
[If possible, I will also allocate a portion of my power to assist you.]
Aiden: ?
He really hadn't expected something like this to happen.
Ansha, however, had already furrowed her brows, seemingly recalling events she had experienced in the past.
So this is how the Mega Evolution rampage incident came about?
Even if Mr. Lysandre's plan was stopped and the Ultimate Weapon didn't cause any impact on the Kalos region, the exact same thing still ended up happening—
But it probably wouldn't be a huge problem.
"Uncle Aiden, this is the reason you'll be coming to Lumiose City in five years~"
Ansha looked up at the deep-in-thought Aiden.
"In Lumiose City, which had achieved peaceful coexistence with Pokémon, multiple anomalies of wild Pokémon undergoing abnormal evolution occurred, triggering a series of chain reactions."
"Even the many papers published by Professor Sycamore were reduced to scrap paper because of this!"
Hearing this news, Aiden almost couldn't hold back his laughter.
He suddenly felt a bit bad for Professor Sycamore.
Was it because of his initial claim that "Mega Evolution requires a deep bond between Pokémon and Trainer as a bridge" that his career luck took a nosedive?
And five years later, he still had to pay the price for those words?
No wonder there were rumors of "Professor Sycamore's academic fraud"—
Kalos truly has its prophets!
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