"Wow… that's spectacular."
When Dylan's group arrived, Leaf gazed at the town shrouded in warped space in the distance, unable to hold back her awe.
Through the rippling distortions, one could clearly feel how different this place was from normal.
"Leaf, this isn't something to joke about. The people inside Alamos Town might be in grave danger."
That magnetic, commanding voice came from behind them as Cynthia approached slowly, her eyes full of concern as she looked at the town swallowed by distorted space.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way." Leaf flushed with embarrassment.
She was right—when the lives of Alamos Town's residents hung in the balance, her words had sounded careless.
"How long has it been like this?"
Dylan asked Cynthia after a moment's thought.
"Four hours. Officer Jenny noticed the anomaly when it already looked like this. It's been that way ever since."
Cynthia pressed her lips together.
"I had Garchomp attack it, but no matter how it struck, nothing could touch the town. The attacks just bounced off." She shook her head helplessly. Otherwise, she wouldn't have called Dylan here in the first place.
"That's normal. Even though we can still see Alamos Town with our eyes, in truth it has already been pulled into another dimension of space. The barrier around it belongs to that dimension. From this side, no attack will work."
Dylan explained calmly.
"To twist an entire town into another dimension… it must be Palkia?" Lillie asked in shock.
"Without a doubt. Only Palkia—or Hoopa—could manage something like this."
Moving a town seamlessly into a dimensional rift was possible only for the Space Dragon or the Djinn of Rings.
But Hoopa's method used its golden portals, not this kind of distortion.
"Then why would it do that?" Ilene frowned, puzzled.
Just yesterday, they'd seen Palkia in Michina—and it had seemed perfectly rational.
"The collision of time and space triggered its battle with Dialga. Looks like the result of that clash is clear now." Dylan shook his head.
Leaf, Ilene, and Lillie exchanged glances. So Palkia had gotten beaten down by Dialga?
"Is there a way to bring Alamos Town back?"
Cynthia was a bit lost in the details, but her biggest concern was whether the town and its people could be saved. Homes could be rebuilt—but lives could not.
"There is. To restore Alamos Town, we either need to wake Palkia from where it's hiding inside, or force it out."
Dylan smiled as he took a luxury ball in hand.
"Of course, to do that, we'll have to enter Alamos Town ourselves. Not too difficult—since the town we see here is just a projection. The real one is in another dimension. All we need to do is open the door."
"And that's why I need you."
The luxury ball burst open in a blaze of white.
A deep, resonant roar split the air as a tall, lavender-scaled dragon floated before them.
"Palkia?!"
Cynthia's eyes widened, utterly stunned by the divine dragon before her.
"Palkia, Origin Form. Open the path." Dylan commanded.
The dragon turned toward the warped town, its body blazing with radiant violet-pink energy.
Energy surged upward like a maelstrom, casting divine brilliance across their eyes, as an awe-inspiring figure emerged from the vortex—its gaze cold and commanding as it looked down upon Alamos Town.
"T-this is…" Cynthia's pupils shrank.
Its form resembled a centaur, its head encased like a knight's helm, a violet ring pulsing at its waist, its disc-like shoulders connecting to majestic wings.
The divinity it radiated was overwhelming, suffocating.
"Origin Palkia. This form, modeled after the Creator, is Palkia's true nature."
Dylan smiled as he introduced it. Only in Origin Form could the Sinnoh gods wield their full power.
Cynthia's lips went dry, her heart racing.
She had always studied mythology with fervor—now she was staring at the genuine form of the Space Dragon itself.
Beep!
'Palkia (Origin Form). Water/Dragon. The Spatial Pokémon.
Ability: Pressure.
Moves: Spacial Rend, Hydro Pump, Earth Power, Aqua Tail, Aura Sphere…
Entry: Its celestial form recalls the Original One. Scholars believe that imitating the Creator's image is the key to manifesting its true power.'
"No matter how you look at it, Palkia and Dialga's aura is nothing like other Pokémon."
Leaf's eyes sparkled, awestruck at the sight.
That sacred force, compelling reverence, was something no other legendary possessed.
"Because they're not just legends. They are gods." Dylan shook his head.
In the Pokémon world, no matter how strong a legend was, it remained a legend. But true gods also existed here—Arceus, the Creator itself, and beneath it, the Origin Trio of time, space, and antimatter, as well as the lake guardians of spirit.
They were gods.
"Palkia."
The Origin Dragon roared, its waist-ring blazing as a massive surge of spatial energy struck the distortion.
With its blast, the warped barrier began to open.
"Dylan, I can pull the town back directly. Its space is weaker than I thought."
The deep telepathic voice resonated in Dylan's mind.
"Then I'll leave it to you." Dylan nodded.
Palkia's eyes glowed crimson-violet, its power pouring forth like a flood.
Before their eyes, the barrier faded, and Alamos Town slowly reappeared in the real world.
"Amazing, Palkia!"
Lillie clapped her hands in delight.
It had brought back an entire town with ease.
"Likely because it was badly wounded. Most of its power went into hiding itself, leaving the barrier weak." Dylan reasoned.
Indeed—its pearl had been cracked open by Dialga's blow. Their battle had clearly been savage.
Soon, Alamos Town stood whole again. But Leaf frowned.
"I don't see Palkia anywhere?"
"It cloaked itself in a spatial bubble, hiding to recover. But now that the barrier's gone, Dialga will surely find it soon."
Dylan shrugged. Palkia's true form told him where it was hiding—the tower's peak, wrapped in an invisible bubble.
"Officer Jenny, evacuate the residents at once."
Cynthia instantly understood and ordered her people.
They couldn't waste time. If Dialga arrived, the entire town would become a battlefield.
But Dialga came sooner than expected.
A blue vortex of time swirled above the town, and a deep roar shook the heavens as Dialga emerged, bathed in azure radiance.
"???"
The moment it emerged, Dialga froze.
The Origin Dragon stared back, eyes cold and calm.
"…"
Dialga fell silent. Then it took a few steps back—nearly retreating into its own vortex.
By the Father… why was there an Origin Palkia here?!
This wasn't the same water dragon it knew. Dialga was sure of it.
Its own orb had been lost long ago. Impossible… unless Father secretly made another sibling?
Wait!
Its gaze darted across the hills—landing on Dylan.
The human smiled warmly, as though greeting an old friend.
Dialga exhaled in relief. So this Origin Palkia belonged to that man.
Then it was fine.
The Origin Dragon stepped aside, offering no resistance.
Dialga roared, blue energy condensing in its maw.
Roar of Time!
A colossal beam lanced toward the tower's peak.
The shot burst a translucent bubble, exposing the sleeping Palkia within.
The attack shattered its cover. Palkia jolted awake in fury—only to be slammed aside by Dialga's massive bulk.
The time dragon had rammed it without mercy.
Palkia snarled in pain and rage.
Damn it—how had that four-legged lizard found it so quickly?!
"Brother, is it okay to just let them fight in the town?"
Lillie asked nervously. Legendary battles could devastate everything nearby.
"Don't worry. I told Palkia to shield the town. Just keep evacuating the people. Right now, they need to vent their fury. Better to let them settle it."
Dylan shook his head. For now, he wouldn't interfere—the clash of the time and space dragons was their own affair.
But it was clear. Wounded and weakened, Palkia was no match.
The two fought across the sky, but Palkia was being driven back, chased and battered at every turn.
"Get out!"
Suddenly, a furious voice thundered from below as a nightmarish figure surged skyward—
(End of Chapter)