Naoki stepped calmly onto the battlefield, walking up to stand beside Koraidon and Victini.
"Who are you?!" the elder prince demanded, frowning at the stranger.
Naoki let out a deep sigh, gazing at the scorched, blood-soaked earth all around them. His voice rang out across the plain.
"Stop this. Too many people and Pokémon have already fallen because of your battle."
"Sacrifice is the cost of progress," the younger prince snapped. "For my ideals to shape a better nation, these losses are necessary."
The elder prince echoed him. "This is the truth we've chosen. If you want to stop us, then try."
At that moment, though once brothers, the two princes stood united against a common enemy.
"Reshiram!"
"Zekrom!"
"Remove all obstacles!"
Fueled by twin convictions, the legendary dragons surged into Overdrive Mode. Reshiram and Zekrom launched themselves at Koraidon, one from each side.
Naoki's brow tightened.
Koraidon reacted instantly, leaping skyward with Naoki on its back. The dragons' Fusion Flare and Fusion Bolt collided with the ground below where Koraidon had just been, erupting in a deafening explosion.
The shockwave blasted a crater into the battlefield. Tremors rippled out across the Vale Plains.
Far off in Aintoak, the very heart of the land trembled. Deep beneath the Vale Sword Castle, the dragon vein began to quiver violently. Its ancient energy started to spiral out of balance.
Naoki clenched his fist. "Koraidon, stop them!"
With a cry, Koraidon rocketed back into the sky and slammed into Reshiram, locking its claws around the dragon's neck.
Zekrom dove in to intercept, but Koraidon twisted and hurled Reshiram directly into Zekrom.
The two dragons crashed together, wings tangled, but quickly recovered and rose into the air again. This time, they kept their distance and fired off ranged attacks instead.
Twin waves of fire and lightning spiraled through the air, converging on Koraidon.
But Koraidon sprang upward, dodging them both with ease. The two attacks collided in midair, detonating in a fiery burst.
"Nini!" Victini flew forward, channeling its boundless energy into Koraidon.
Koraidon's form lit up as it absorbed Victini's gift. The fire of victory coursed through its body. With a roar, it launched forward like a crimson comet.
Locking onto Reshiram, Koraidon struck like a meteor.
The blow pinned Reshiram into the earth, forcing the Vast White Pokémon deep into a newly formed crater.
Suddenly, the entire battlefield began to shake violently.
Above, the sky turned crimson.
Naoki's eyes widened in alarm.
"No, wait!"
He finally realized it.
The dragon vein's energy was destabilizing.
Dragon-type energy, when nurtured properly, brings life, fertile land, lush forests, and a balanced climate. That's why when Dragonite settled at his ranch, the place enjoyed springtime all year.
But now, the chaotic energies of Reshiram and Zekrom combined with the devastation of war were causing the dragon vein to spiral out of control.
If this continued, history would repeat itself.
The land would collapse.
The kingdom would fall.
And the old king...
Naoki shouted, "Koraidon! End it now!"
Koraidon responded with a mighty cry. Still perched over Reshiram, it lifted a glowing claw and delivered one final, powerful strike.
A blinding white light erupted from Reshiram's body, and then, with a sigh of released energy, it transformed into a Light Stone. Its life force was spent.
Without pausing, Koraidon turned and charged Zekrom.
Their collision shook the sky.
When the smoke cleared, a pitch-black Dark Stone rolled quietly across the grass.
The battlefield fell silent.
The two princes stared, eyes wide in disbelief.
How could both dragons be defeated?
Naoki guided Koraidon back into the air and shouted down to the stunned princes.
"Return to the castle. See what your fighting has brought."
"The dragon vein is in chaos. If you don't act now, the entire Kingdom will collapse."
The princes stood frozen, the truth finally sinking in.
Far off in the distance, Vale Sword Castle had begun to rise. It ascended from the foundation of the dragon vein itself.
At its peak, the old king stood tall with Victini by his side, staring out over the glowing ley lines that pulsed like arteries through the land.
His eyes were full of sorrow.
His sons had brought this disaster.
And now, as their father and the king, he would bear the burden of atonement.
Naoki spotted the Sword of the Vale hovering above. He frowned and leaned toward Koraidon. "Faster, Koraidon!"
"Agah!" Koraidon roared and accelerated through the air.
The elder and younger princes also noticed the Sword of the Vale beginning to rise. A terrible premonition suddenly gripped their hearts.
No… Could it be?
Turning back toward the blood-soaked battlefield behind them, both princes froze in place.
Was all of this… because of them?
When Naoki and Koraidon arrived at the Sword of the Vale, Victini had already entered the barrier. The old king stood, back hunched, at the control panel inside the airborne castle, carefully guiding it toward the dragon vein's core to stabilize the turmoil.
Koraidon landed heavily on the stone deck. Tears streamed down Victini's face. The scene from a thousand years ago was unfolding once again right before its eyes.
"Nini!"
"Victini… you've returned?" the old king asked gently, voice trembling.
"Nini…" Victini whimpered.
"I'm sorry," the old king said, his tone full of remorse. "I left you alone for so long. But now… you've found a new human, haven't you? If I'm gone, he'll care for you. With Mew and Teddiursa by your side, you'll never be lonely again."
"Nini…" Victini sobbed openly.
Naoki stood silently, watching the heart-wrenching scene.
There had to be another way!
Suddenly, a memory surged back—something from the movie. In the anime, Damon didn't die when piloting the Sword of the Vale. He survived and later helped rebuild a new home with the descendants of the People of the Earth.
That meant… controlling the Sword of the Vale didn't necessarily lead to death.
The only reason the king died in the original timeline was due to his frailty, his old age, the toll of the battle, and the grief caused by his sons' war.
There was still a chance.
Without hesitation, Naoki stepped forward, grabbed the handles of the control panel, and gently but firmly guided the old king aside.
Both the king and Victini stared at him in surprise.
"You—"
"Nini?!"
"Leave it to me," Naoki said with a determined smile. He gripped the controls tightly and took over piloting the Sword of the Vale. The castle began to glide through the sky toward the epicenter of the dragon vein's disturbance.
Victini hesitated for only a second before flying behind him. It gently placed its small hands on Naoki's back.
A soft golden glow radiated from Victini's body.
Warm energy poured into Naoki like sunlight.
It was lending him its power.
Together, they would guide the Sword of the Vale.
The old king slowly stood up, watching in awe as the two worked side by side.
Just then, Mew, Teddiursa, and Iono arrived atop the terrace. They looked on breathlessly as the great sword-shaped fortress descended over the dragon vein.
With a deep, thunderous rumble, the sword began to embed itself into the rocky mountain below. Stone cracked and shifted as half of the blade plunged deep into the ground.
Gradually, the chaotic energy of the dragon vein settled. The violent purple pulses faded into a calm emerald hue. The trembling earth grew still.
Peace returned.
Victini cautiously looked around, making sure everything was stable.
When it saw that the energy had quieted and everyone was safe, it cried out joyfully.
"Nini!"
Tears glistened in the old king's eyes.
Naoki opened his mouth to speak, but then froze.
Golden light had begun to rise from Victini's body.
Sparkling particles lifted from its small form and scattered into the wind. Victini's outline began to fade.
Everyone, who had been filled with joy just moments ago fell into stunned silence.
The past had changed. And the future… had begun to correct itself.
Mew and Teddiursa dashed forward, reaching for their friend.
"Me… Mew?!"
"Teddi! Teddi!"
But it was no use.
Victini's smile remained soft as its eyes sparkled with emotion. Its body vanished into the breeze, leaving behind only a faint, gentle cry.
"Nini…"
Naoki understood the meaning behind that final message.
Victini had been saying: I'm happy I met you.
Koraidon looked on with a solemn expression. It had expected this outcome. If it had told Naoki in advance, he surely would have stopped the Cyclizar. And then... it would have vanished instead.
"Victini..." the old king murmured quietly.
Naoki opened his mouth, trying to speak, but before he could say anything, the world around him began to distort.
In the blink of an eye, he and Iono found themselves back at the ranch.
Victini's wish had been fulfilled, so time had corrected itself, sending them home.
But neither of them felt any joy.
Naoki quickly pulled out his Rotom Phone and searched the history of Aintoak online.
Soon, he found something.
Aintoak, a kingdom established by the People of the Vale, is a rich and beautiful city...
It detailed the customs and culture of Aintoak's people.
But this wasn't what Naoki was looking for. He kept scrolling, scanning for any information or traces of Victini.
Standing beside him, Iono spoke up. "I found something," she said softly.
Naoki hurried over to her.
"The legend of Victini still exists in Aintoak," Iono read aloud. "It's said to be a Pokémon that brings victory. And not long ago, someone reported seeing Victini in Aintoak."
Naoki exhaled with quiet relief.
Iono continued, "According to the kingdom's history, a thousand years ago, two princes chosen by the dragons once launched a war. But the war was finally stopped by a hero who helped suppress the chaos in the dragon vein."
Naoki blinked, stunned.
So the past… had really been changed by them.
"What happened after that?" he asked.
Iono swiped on her screen and opened a photograph. "The old king left behind a stone tablet in the royal city. It's engraved with ancient writing that historians have since translated."
The image showed a worn, ancient monolith. Below it, the translation was displayed in modern script:
To the traveler from afar. On behalf of the people of this kingdom, I offer my deepest gratitude. I do not know if you still remember our agreement, but I entrust it to you. Please take care of it for me.
There were also comments from researchers beneath the image.
Many speculated that this was a farewell message to a wandering bard or visitor whom the king had befriended late in life. They believed the king had worried he wouldn't live long enough to see the traveler return, so he left behind a message in stone to be passed on should that day come.
But only Naoki knew the truth. The old king hadn't written it for just any traveler.
He had written it for him, across more than a thousand years of time and space.
Naoki stared at the image in silence, but one question remained heavy in his heart.
Where was Victini?
He put away his phone and quietly walked outside.
The sky above the ranch was calm and clear. The Pokémon in the pasture ran freely, playing and sparring as they always did.
It looked like everything was just as it had been before.
But even in this peaceful moment, the image of Victini lingered in Naoki's mind.
...
Bonus Chapter @500
...
Hello everyone! I've just posted a new Lord of the Rings fanfiction where a man transmigrates into Middle-earth with a Hogwarts Sign-In System.
Give it a try and, if you enjoy it, please support me by adding it to your library!