Hapu gave Peter and Whitney a bundle of Poni Radishes before personally walking them out.
"Hapu, do your best, okay?!" Whitney waved enthusiastically at her.
Although she didn't fully understand why Whitney suddenly said that, Hapu still smiled and nodded.
Peter released Pidgeot, and the two returned to the Hano Grand Resort.
First, they enjoyed a hearty meal together with all their Pokémon. Then, they lay side by side on the quiet beach beneath the moonlight.
Every so often, Peter would casually offer pointers to his Pokémon regarding their training while simultaneously organizing his thoughts about the Ruins of Hope.
"Babe, tomorrow's trial might be… very unusual," Peter said softly as he patted the curvy Milktank Girl's hips resting in his arms.
"Hm? Then I'm definitely looking forward to it~" Whitney shifted positions, settling more comfortably against Peter's chest.
"..."
Peter didn't answer.
He simply tightened his embrace around her slender waist.
…
The next morning, the two once again rode Braviary back to Poni Island.
Rather than disturb Sofu's family, Peter led Whitney directly toward Poni Breaker Coast in the island's southern region.
The moment they stepped off Braviary's back, the thunderous roar of crashing tides echoed into their ears like a relentless barrage of drums.
"The ocean here feels so lively~ It's hard to imagine that the Ruins of Hope—a place symbolizing the end of life—would exist somewhere so full of vitality."
"Maybe…" Peter said thoughtfully, "an ending itself is simply another kind of beginning."
As he spoke, he couldn't help thinking about both his previous life and his current one.
"That sounds really profound… Come on, let's go~" Whitney laughed as she grabbed his hand and pulled him up the eastern hillside.
According to the map, the Ruins of Hope were hidden within a cavern at the summit.
"Whenever the sun rises and sunlight pours down, the seawater inside the ruins recedes, revealing their true appearance. But once the sun begins to set, the tides return and seal the ruins away once more."
As Peter explained, he released Lopunny and Slaking to accompany them up the mountain.
Before long, the group reached the summit.
The place resembled a massive valley, with the center gradually sloping downward into darkness.
From afar, amidst deep green stone, a damp and shadowy cave stretched downward into the earth itself.
That was the Ruins of Hope.
Just before stepping into the valley, Peter suddenly halted.
"Hm? What's wrong, Honey?"
"Babe, no matter what happens later… listen carefully for my voice, okay?" Peter said with a gentle smile.
Whitney blinked. "What do you mean?"
"It's nothing… Just remember it."
Peter shook his head before looking toward Lopunny and Slaking.
"You two as well, alright?"
"Lopun~!" "Slak!"
The two Pokémon nodded.
"Good. Let's go."
Peter stepped into the silent valley.
Tap… tap…
Footsteps echoed through the canyon.
The sound gradually became distant… then faint… then strangely unreal.
White mist slowly rose all around them, swallowing the two Trainers and their Pokémon whole.
Peter suddenly stopped walking.
Whitney's hand had vanished from his grasp.
Lopunny and Slaking were gone as well.
"Just as I thought…" he murmured quietly.
He looked around.
There was nobody there.
Nothing at all.
"Fini…?"
A faint voice drifted through the mist.
At the same time, a calm and beautiful feminine voice echoed directly inside Peter's mind.
"Your past… why is it completely blank?"
As the words faded, a dark violet figure slowly emerged from deep within the fog.
Its skin was black like the deepest ocean trenches, while flowing azure hair drifted around it like ocean waves. The white T-shaped marking on its forehead resembled elegant brows and a nose bridge, while the white V-shaped marking upon its chest gave it the appearance of a graceful and mysterious mermaid.
[Tapu Fini Lv.87 (High-Tier Secondary Legendary)]
Description:
The guardian deity dwelling within the depths of the Ruins of Hope. Tapu Fini possesses overwhelming Water-type powers, and the ocean itself serves as an endless source of energy for it.
As master of the Ruins of Hope, Tapu Fini controls mystical mist capable of overlapping the living world with the spirit realm. Within the mist, humans and Pokémon may reunite with deceased loved ones and companions born from their deepest longing.
Only those who overcome the trial of the mist earn Tapu Fini's recognition.
————
Peter smiled faintly.
"So you've come, Tapu Fini."
"You seem to know me. What a strange human…" Tapu Fini's telepathic voice carried a trace of curiosity.
"In my homeland, you're an extremely popular Pokémon," Peter said casually as he sat cross-legged right on the ground. "And personally, I like you a lot too."
"Is that so?"
Tapu Fini tilted its head slightly.
For some reason, it could instinctively tell that every word this human spoke came sincerely from the bottom of his heart.
"My companions… they've all met the people they wished to see, haven't they?" Peter asked.
"Mhm… Within my mist, longing becomes a medium that calls wandering souls from the spirit realm."
"That's good."
Peter nodded.
Truthfully, he had already known what would happen before coming here.
Back in the anime from his previous life, Tapu Fini had used this very mist to test people's hearts.
Kiawe and Ash had seen the deceased Sofu here. Ash's Torracat reunited with Stoutland. Mallow even saw her late mother again…
That was why Peter had intentionally brought out Lopunny and Slaking.
He hoped Whitney and his Pokémon could finally fulfill the wishes lingering deepest within their hearts.
"Oh, right," Tapu Fini added kindly, "the mist continuously drains the vitality of living beings. Remaining immersed within it for too long is dangerous."
"If you wish to pass the trial and reach the depths of my cavern, you should awaken your companions soon."
Peter paused.
The anime had indeed mentioned that prolonged exposure to the mist could cause irreversible harm.
"How do I do that?"
"I cannot tell you~" Tapu Fini replied playfully as it slowly faded back into the mist. "That is your trial."
At the same moment, Peter suddenly realized the fog no longer blocked his vision.
Everything still appeared hazy… yet strangely clear.
And in the distance, he saw a familiar slender figure.
Lopunny.
At that moment, Lopunny was holding onto an elderly Lopunny with a hunched back, talking nonstop through tears.
"Lopun… (Grandma… I missed you so much…)"
Crystal-clear tears slid down Lopunny's cheeks as her grandmother gently wiped them away.
"Lopunny… (Good child… Grandma missed you too…)"
"Grandma, I've become really, really strong now! And I found amazing partners too! Look!"
As Lopunny spoke, she launched a Flying Jump Kick that sent the surrounding mist rippling violently.
"Good… good… You've grown up…"
Grandma Lopunny smiled warmly and slowly raised her hand, wanting to pat Lopunny's head just like she had when she was little.
But…
She realized she could no longer do it.
A trace of sadness flickered through her eyes.
Yet her smile remained gentle and proud.
Her granddaughter had grown up.
As a grandmother… she could finally rest easy.
At that moment, the surrounding mist suddenly began thinning rapidly, and Grandma Lopunny's figure started fading in and out.
"Grandma! Don't go!!"
Lopunny immediately noticed the change and cried out desperately as she clung tightly to her grandmother.
Grandma Lopunny simply smiled and shook her head.
"My child… Grandma blesses you, but you still have your own road to walk. You cannot remain here with me forever…"
"The only regret I have… is that I won't be able to witness the day you finally reach the summit."
"LOPUNNY——!!!"
Tears poured endlessly from Lopunny's eyes, but the mist never returned.
Her grandmother's smile froze forever at the instant she disappeared completely.
"Sob… sob…"
Lopunny collapsed to her knees, crying uncontrollably.
Then—
A pair of warm hands gently rested atop her head.
"When you reach the summit, Grandma will see it."
"I promise."
The gentle yet unwavering promise caused Lopunny's trembling body to stiffen.
She slowly raised her head.
Within tear-filled eyes, the boy's face reflected clearly.
That smile quietly illuminated her heart.
"Lopunny!"
Lopunny nodded with all her strength.