Little Hoopa used its ring.
Ripples shimmered within the golden circle, and two figures stepped out.
It was Meray and Baraz.
"We fulfilled our mission. Using the power of creation, we repaired the Prison Bottle."
The two of them sighed in relief, holding a bottle in their arms.
—The Prison Bottle.
Using the Ring of Creation and the power of creation, the two of them had finally restored the shattered Prison Bottle.
In the Valley of Creation, the boy and girl watching the video let out a long breath.
Especially the boy.
Everything in the video had started because of him. His curiosity had led him to remove the Prison Bottle from its seal, which allowed the evil consciousness to control his mind and shatter it.
If he hadn't done any of that, the divine beasts would never have gone to war, and the city in the video would never have been destroyed like this.
Fortunately…
Fortunately, the future him had redeemed himself by restoring the Prison Bottle.
This battle should finally be over.
"The Prison Bottle's been repaired. Looks like it's over."
"It's over. That war of divine beasts was incredible… and unforgettable."
"That's it. Hoopa Unbound's going to be sealed back into the Prison Bottle."
"What a pity. Hoopa Unbound is the only one I really admired—evil enough for my taste. But their fighting still can't compare to ours. In our world, our energy can light up half a galaxy. One strike can destroy a planet."
Frieza snorted, but jealousy bled through his tone. Laws—those creatures all wielded laws. So why didn't he?!
"So Hoopa Unbound lost. It's going to be sealed again." In the Dragon Ball world, Piccolo, who was training Gohan, sighed softly. It was about to be sealed away for countless ages all over again. His former self, Demon King Piccolo, had also been locked away for endless years by the Evil Containment Wave.
"Sigh, it's over. What a waste. Watching divine beast battles is such a thrill. Compared to that, battles between the Four Emperors are like children playing house." In the world of pirates, Garp smacked his lips.
"As expected, demon kings and devils always end up defeated." In Super God Academy, Kesha snorted coldly, as if remembering something.
People across the myriad dimensions felt regretful. They still hadn't had enough. A little more fighting would've been great.
After all, it wasn't their world. Even if it got wrecked, it had nothing to do with them.
The people of the Pokémon world, on the other hand, all let out long breaths of relief.
The Prison Bottle had been restored.
The outcome was decided.
Hoopa Unbound was about to be sealed again.
It looked like they no longer had to worry about the world being destroyed. A moment ago, they'd all been terrified that Hoopa Unbound would win and the world would be reduced to ruin and extinction.
"It's over, it's over. What a shame, though. Hoopa Unbound is seriously cool. I wonder if there's any chance to catch it? Say, if I could just find where the Prison Bottle is hidden, wouldn't I be able to get close to Hoopa Unbound? I want to catch it so badly."
"If I had Hoopa Unbound, then with its ability, filling the entire Pokédex—every Pokémon, every legendary—would be as easy as breathing. I could just stay at home and have Hoopa drag them all over."
In Kanto, inside a certain manor, a dark-skinned six-year-old boy named Goh looked excited beyond belief.
If he could catch Hoopa, then his dream of completing the entire Pokédex—including every legendary Pokémon—would be within easy reach!
The video continued.
On screen—
Hoopa Unbound stared at the Prison Bottle in the siblings' hands. The overwhelming demonic energy around it faltered, and endless fear surfaced on its savage face.
It was born from the evil thoughts within Hoopa's heart.
It itself represented Hoopa's darkness.
Ever since it had developed consciousness, it had been trapped inside the Prison Bottle.
Countless days and nights had passed.
It had lost all awareness of time.
There had only been confinement.
Only endless darkness.
That was a nightmare it never wanted to return to.
Even greater demonic energy burst from its body. Looking at the Prison Bottle, it wanted to destroy it completely.
Hoopa went berserk. Thick black energy surged forth, blotting out the sky, like vengeful ghosts crawling out of the abyss.
Hoopa roared. The six golden rings on its body flew out and expanded.
And then—
Nothing happened after that.
Hoopa fell.
Its body could no longer move. All its power had been stripped away.
"The Prison Bottle!!"
The boy shouted lowly. The golden pendant on his chest shone brilliantly as energy poured into the Prison Bottle.
The little face-shaped stopper at the mouth of the bottle lit up with two crimson points in its eyes.
The Prison Bottle floated into the air.
Its mouth pointed at Hoopa, and an unimaginably powerful suction force burst forth.
A violent gale swept through heaven and earth.
"No… no!!"
Hoopa Unbound was bound motionless in midair.
The bottle continued devouring and swallowing it, dragging it into the Prison Bottle.
Several minutes passed…
And then the Hoopa that had covered the sky in demonic energy disappeared completely.
It was once again sealed into the Prison Bottle.
The bottle slowly fell to the ground.
Because they knew that anyone who touched it would be controlled by the evil consciousness within, Ash and the others didn't dare approach it.
It was over!!
The culprit who had caused the war of divine beasts had been sealed once more.
Just as the burden in everyone's hearts finally lifted—
there still came the violent sounds of collisions and the roar of attacks.
Ash and the others quickly looked up.
Aside from the several-hundred-meter stretch of city directly beneath their feet, everything else had already been annihilated.
The divine beasts were still fighting in the empty void.
Mushroom clouds rose one after another.
Looking at the still-raging battle between the divine beasts, Ash and the others froze.
Why?
Why hadn't the six divine beasts controlled by Hoopa Unbound regained their consciousness yet?
Why were they still under control?
Wasn't Hoopa Unbound already sealed? The seal should've been broken, shouldn't it?
Unless…
Their pupils widened as a possibility flashed through their minds.
Unless…
Hoopa Unbound had not been sealed!
Buzz, buzz, buzz—!
On the ground, the Prison Bottle began trembling violently.
Crack!
A crisp sound rang out as a tiny crack appeared across the bottle's surface.
The entire Prison Bottle continued shaking, and more fine fractures began to spread across it.
"This is bad! The repaired Prison Bottle isn't as sturdy as the original, and the evil consciousness has grown even stronger!"
"Meray, quick! No matter what, keep it sealed!"
The siblings' pendants shone as power surged through their bodies. Both of them stretched their hands toward the Prison Bottle from a distance.
They tried desperately to suppress the cracking Prison Bottle.
Very soon, beads of sweat covered their foreheads.
Their entire bodies trembled; they were already reaching their limits.
Fortunately, after several minutes—
the Prison Bottle stopped shaking.
No more cracks appeared.
The siblings panted heavily. They had used too much power today.
Then, in a daze, wisps of black demonic energy seeped out through the cracks and clung to the Prison Bottle's surface.
The entire bottle became wrapped in black aura.
The Prison Bottle was dyed with a terrifying, evil, almost妖异 aura.
"I… I am the true Hoopa!"
Before anyone could react, the Prison Bottle shot toward little Hoopa, black demonic energy forming clawing shapes around it.
No one had expected it to suddenly strike.
Little Hoopa had no time to dodge.
At the most critical moment—
a figure lunged forward.
Ash!
Ash threw himself forward and grabbed the Prison Bottle into his arms.
But Hoopa Unbound's evil consciousness could control anyone who touched the Prison Bottle.
Hiss, hiss, hiss—!
Ash's pupils lit up with dazzling violet light, bright enough to cover his irises completely.
Black energy poured from his body.
Yet Ash still clung tightly to the Prison Bottle.
"Quick, run!" the siblings shouted frantically to Hoopa. Hoopa Unbound was about to break free again.
But—
this time, Hoopa didn't run.
It thought back over every moment with Ash.
The way Ash had saved it just now.
And all the times before that when Ash had risked himself for it.
"I'm not running anymore. I've already run away too many times. The evil consciousness is my dark side. It was trapped in the Prison Bottle for endless days and nights. All the negative things it became… all of that started because of me."
Little Hoopa slowly walked toward Ash, who was being eroded by the demonic energy.
"Evil consciousness, all these years I've actually been trying to understand the true meaning of punishment. I wanted to bring you back too—wanted you to return to me."
"But after all these years, I still couldn't understand what punishment truly meant."
"I think… after cultivating my heart for so long, it should be enough."
"Come, then. If you can devour me, then you'll be the new Hoopa. If I can withstand you, then it means I've cultivated my heart enough. It means I'm finally capable of controlling my own desires and evil thoughts."
After saying that, little Hoopa placed its hand onto the Prison Bottle in Ash's arms.
Instantly—
the endless demonic energy from the Prison Bottle, along with the black aura surging from Ash's body, all began rushing into little Hoopa.
Little Hoopa was quickly swallowed by the black energy.
It struggled to speak.
"I-I know… trapping you in the Prison Bottle for endless ages was my fault. It was because I couldn't control my own heart… and I ended up dragging you into being sealed too."
"These past years, Hoopa has experienced so much. I really wanted to bring back the you inside the Prison Bottle, but because I never understood the true meaning of punishment, I couldn't do it."
"S-so let me show you everything I've lived through."
"If my cultivation of heart is enough—if I really can control the evil within me—then in the future, you and I can be one. We can live that kind of life together."
Blue light shone in little Hoopa's eyes. Through psychic power, it transmitted all of its experiences over the years directly to the other.
Scene after scene flashed by.
From the time it first followed the traveler…
All the way up to the present.
It held nothing back.
Boom!!
The demonic energy exploded completely, engulfing little Hoopa in pitch-black darkness, thick as ink.
Everyone watched in tense silence.
After what felt like forever…
the black energy slowly began to contract.
Bit by bit, it returned into little Hoopa's body.
Little Hoopa absorbed the very last thread of demonic energy.
Ash and the others swallowed hard, desperate to know the outcome.
Had little Hoopa won?
Or had Hoopa Unbound triumphed?
Little Hoopa opened its eyes.
Deep black meaning flickered within them.
Then it bared its teeth in a cruel grin.
Everyone's hearts turned cold.
Their minds were seized with terror.
Hoopa Unbound had won…
Then the world was finished!!
"Hee-hee-hee, got you. I was just scaring you. From now on, I'm going to live together with my evil side. I can control my own heart now."
The darkness in little Hoopa's eyes faded. A mischievous grin spread across its face, triumphant in its prank.
Everyone let out a long breath.
Damn it, that scare was brutal.
This time, it was really over.
Without the source of evil, everything should finally return to normal.
"ROOOAAR—!"
High in the sky, the six divine beasts that had been controlled by Hoopa Unbound all shuddered violently.
The violet-red in their eyes faded, clarity returning, and they looked around in confusion.
Why had they come to this strange place?
And why did their bodies hurt so much?
The instant Palkia and Dialga regained their senses, the first thing they saw was Giratina staring at them with an unfriendly expression.
The two of them immediately trembled.
Damn it. So the pain all over their bodies had come from Giratina beating them.
On the other side…
Groudon and Kyogre also jerked in alarm and immediately watched Rayquaza warily.
They silently conveyed that this really had nothing to do with them—they'd just been sleeping peacefully and had no idea why they'd suddenly ended up here.
They looked around, saw so many first-class divine beasts gathered here, and blankly froze for a moment.
There were also divine beasts who, after regaining their senses, still wanted to keep fighting.
In the sky, Reshiram the Dragon of Truth and Zekrom the Dragon of Ideals still burned with battle intent, with no sign of stopping.
Their conflict was one born from the soul itself, from a clash of beliefs.
One represented truth.
The other represented ideals.
They had been born as opposing existences. That contradiction was many times more severe than even the conflict between land and sea.
At that moment—
Giratina, Rayquaza, and Kyurem each released a faint trace of their aura.
Feeling those unfriendly presences settle on them, Reshiram and Zekrom instantly stiffened.
They backed down immediately.
Woooo…
Latios and Latias's eyes glowed blue as psychic power spread out, sending images into the minds of the six divine beasts who had been controlled by Hoopa Unbound.
What they saw was everything that had happened just now.
Only then did they understand why they had suddenly been brought here.
So it was all because of Hoopa!
Groudon, Kyogre, and Regigigas were all familiar with Hoopa.
A long time ago, they'd already been summoned by Hoopa to fight once before—and they hadn't won then, either.
Next, the gathered divine beasts began using their divine authorities.
Dialga, who governed time, used its authority over time to reverse the flow of time across a local area, applying it to the ground.
The land that had been erased by the battle rewound as if a videotape had been reversed, reappearing piece by piece.
The destroyed city, the ruined buildings, all floated upward and then reassembled. In moments, the city was whole again.
Then Palkia's eyes flashed. It used the authority of space to return the piece of land that had fallen beyond the world barrier back to the main world, restoring it to its original position.
Bright sunshine.
Clear weather.
The divine beasts floated in the sky while Groudon soaked in the sea.
The crisis of world destruction brought on by the war of divine beasts seemed, for the time being, to have passed.
The divine beasts each let out a low cry, greeted one another, and began preparing to return to the places where they slumbered.
The people of the Pokémon world watched the scene, staring at the departing backs of the divine beasts.
"Whew… it's over. This time it's really over."
"A happy ending is good enough. As long as the world's okay."
Ever since the legendary Pokémon had appeared, they had constantly feared that one day the world might truly be destroyed.
Then suddenly—
"Th-That… what's that?!"
Someone pointed at the video and cried out in alarm.
Everyone looked up—
From the heavens, a terrifying torrent crashed down like ten enormous hollow cylinders, descending directly over the city where Hoopa, Ash, and the others were standing.
It landed precisely around the city where Ash and the others stood. The divine beasts had moved slightly away, so they weren't caught inside.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!
Within those hollow cylindrical barriers, countless chaotic energies raged, sealing off the entire city.
All the divine beasts that had just started to leave turned around in shock.
They froze.
It looked as though the city inside had been isolated into another space.
Rayquaza roared, condensed a Dragon Pulse, and blasted it at the barrier.
But it left no mark whatsoever.
The other divine beasts each tried as well.
Same result.
Not even the faintest ripple was stirred.
"ROAAAR!"
Palkia stepped forward.
Taking the stance of a discus thrower, the origin pearl on its shoulder shone brilliantly.
Then a slash tore across the sky.
Its signature move—
Spacial Rend!
A slash capable of cutting through any space.
Spacial Rend struck the barrier.
And yet the attack that could cut open any space at all…
had absolutely no effect.
Everyone's eyes widened.
They had all witnessed the terrifying power of signature moves before.
So why, before the authority governed by the God of Space, did this chaotic cylindrical barrier remain completely unbroken?
Even the divine beasts themselves were shocked.
They all stared intently at the terrifying energy currents on the barrier's surface.
Then their pupils contracted.
This looked like countless utterly chaotic laws!?
[Every first-class divine beast has a place it is meant to stay]
[Each one represents an ultimate power—land, sea, space, time, the Reverse World and dark matter, truth, ideals…]
[Together, these form the entire world]
[They were each supposed to remain in their respective domains]
[Yet… they all appeared in one single place]
[As a result, the framework and laws of the entire world fell into disorder!]
[The disorder of laws caused multiple time-spaces to twist together. This kind of law-rampage is something even Palkia cannot cut apart]
[Even the power of time cannot interfere with it. What has become entangled is multiple time-spaces, distortions of different timelines and temporal coordinates]
[If a living being dies while trapped within the multiple time-spaces, then that death is permanent]
[Not even the power of time can revive it. Not even Ho-Oh's golden flames of resurrection can bring it back to life]
The narrator's voice rang out.
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