The celebration ran until dusk, then the bands peeled off one by one. Piers, Marnie, and Team Yell needed to head back to Galar, and the four GOGO4 siblings were hustling to their next tour stop.
Roxie: "So this is what a world tour feels like—busy, huh?"
"Busy, sure, but it pays," Mirai grinned. "We've got tons of merch. If you're interested, buy more!"
She pitched hard, and after a beat Roxie-san went for it—she even bought a souvenir for each bandmate.
…But why is your band's merch packed in burlap sacks?!
Hikaru turned to Piers.
"If you want to revive your hometown, playing more shows and selling merch will build a huge following. It's not like Galar has no one who likes music, right?"
"Well… there is one famous band." Piers's eyes slid away.
Still, it's possible Galar has more bloodthirsty spectators than music lovers.
"Okay, next tour—Galar!" Mirai snapped her fingers with a smile.
Piers coughed. "That'd be great, but Spikemuth can't afford your appearance fee…"
Galar does have a massively popular signature act—Maxi Massé—a full-on Pokémon band. Piers's own group took shape by copying them.
Spikemuth's decline? Hard to fight.
Hikaru nodded. "Yeah, that's Galar. Dynamax events soak up most of the audience, squeezing out other arts and sports. That's Chairman Rose's heavy hand."
"You can see the blueprint from the very start—Grass, Water, Fire Gyms. Three key industries clenched by Macro Cosmos, all tied to Dynamax spectacles."
"A sprawling corporate lattice built a commercial empire and fueled Galar's boom. Which also means, if those props ever fell…"
"You sound like you're implying something, but I don't get people like Chairman Rose." Piers sighed. "We're just workers."
"I'll revive my hometown," Marnie cut in, eyes unwavering. "If I become Champion, I can bring Spikemuth back."
"If you come to Galar, you have to visit Spikemuth. You're strong—and I want to be strong like you! Even without Dynamax, battles can set hearts on fire. That's what I want to learn."
Resolve gathered around Marnie like a sword.
"Deal. If I go to Galar, I'll visit Spikemuth," Hikaru said. The cute girl was serious.
But Sword/Shield's linear journey left many towns featureless, with no special harvests or materials.
Maybe that's another facet of "Galar's resource scarcity"?
Piers chuckled helplessly.
"See? That's the culture. Once she's got the chops, I'll write her a recommendation so she can enter the Gym Challenge."
"Fu~fu~"
Larvesta waved its feelers, saying goodbye to Roxie. Playing together had been fun—the bug would remember!
Meloetta had also fulfilled her wish. The green-haired diva sang an ancient motif, glanced at Hikaru, whispered in his ear, then faded from sight.
"Welp, disbanded." Roxie looked a bit down. Their ad-hoc super band was a spark in the pan, but it would be an indelible memory in her life.
"Next time, again—let's form up and jam!"
"Don't forget this." She waved to Hikaru and to the empty air—she knew Meloetta could hear—and tossed over the souvenir she'd just bought.
"It's another band's merch, but Koffing Rock will have our own soon! I'll cut you in on the profits!"
"Heehee—bye, mysterious guitarist," Mirai-chan waved too. "Remember the 70th-anniversary concert. Be there in person!"
"See you, Roxie-san. Thanks for the help. And thanks for the invite, Mirai-san."
Hikaru mounted Genesect. With the essentials secured, next stop: the Cave of Being.
Sabrina had nailed it—if you're forging a Red Chain, the Cave of Being is perfect.
Sinnoh's mysterious breath pools there, the will of the Lake Trio lingers, and the Cave itself is a wonder-space linking Sinnoh and Unova.
『Your bond with Piers has sprouted!』
『Your bond with Cook has greatly increased!』
『Your bond with Marnie has sprouted!』
『Your bond with Mirai has sprouted!』
Four bond pops in a row—no surprise. Pity Longkui bailed early; could've farmed one more.
As for Meloetta's "whisper"? She'd given him a secret—
"The Melody Tree's location!"
The Melody Tree bears Melody Fruit, massively buffing sound-based moves. Such a tree springs forth when Meloetta sings with her whole heart.
Ordinarily, it should've budded on this stage. But because Meloetta refrained from using emotion-bending power, the tree didn't appear.
However, deep in a distant forest, a Melody Tree from the past still stands.
In gratitude, Meloetta had told Hikaru where to find it.
Genesect used Shift Gear and blasted skyward at high speed.
Technically, Genesect can't learn Shift Gear—but this one was an event Mythical. The ones from Team Plasma's lab knew Shift Gear as standard kit. That's nothing—the red Genesect even had Blaze Kick and Extreme Speed.
Four-times weak to Fire yet knows Fire moves? Wild. Red really is the regal color.
The Cave of Being lies near Route 20, south of Floccesy Town, which is Alder's hometown.
Before he knew it, they were already close to Aspertia City.
The land here is all mountains, rivers, lakes—snowpeaks and ravines, too. Without the proper road to Floccesy and Aspertia, you can vanish into winding canyons.
"Unova's southwest continent—far from the central hub. A secret quarter."
On a hill standing in a lake, a cave mouth faced them, shaped almost exactly like the isles at the hearts of Sinnoh's three lakes.
Ordinarily you'd need Surf and Waterfall to reach it. But with the "Fly-solution"? Why sweat it.
Outside it seemed small; inside, after a narrow throat, the space opened wide.
Clack, clack…
Genesect shifted into Combat Mode and stepped in. Even this "impassive" partner sensed something off. Four huge pools dotted the floor; the central one was shaped like Azelf.
[Unova Link (Cave of Being) established.]
[Description: Cave of Being… what's in there? Feels like 'nothing,' yet it's wondrous.]
[Here, Sinnoh's creation myth touches down. In ages distant, this place linked to Sinnoh; its gods granted ancient Unova Emotion, Knowledge, and Will. Bring living beings here, and their hearts change.]
[Here, you can channel the uncanny aura into mythic craftwork.]
[Here—forge the Red Chain!]
"Before we start forging, let's get you an upgrade."
Hikaru pulled a load of parts and materials from linked space.
Genesect said nothing.
A testbed weapon has few personal thoughts. It moves on orders.
It stood, waiting for refit and maintenance.
"Phew. I don't know every detail of Team Plasma's engineering, but I can build a high-tech cannon—and with future tech upgrades, your performance is going to spike."
"Right now you're more 'robot' than any Paradox Pokémon—your 'heart' as a living being is muted."
No problem. With future tech materials, upgrading Genesect was easy for Hikaru now.
In a blank white world, a single ancient white flower bloomed.
Genesect's only memory—was this flower.
Orthas—that was the ancient name; "Genesect" is the human label.
In the empty mindscape, Genesect crouched before the blossom.
Just watching it soothed the rage.
What was that feeling?
"Maybe—homesickness."
"The Orthas Flower thrived 300 million years ago, one of the oldest flowers to persist. Ancient rulers called it the Flower of Dreams."
"But the age has changed. You, dead and gone, were revived and modified by Team Plasma—no, by humans—with special means. To prevent a power surge, they wiped your memories; your homeland vanished with them."
"And yet the flower remained. Maybe they found keeping this memory steadied you, so you'd run and fight 'properly.'"
Genesect turned; vague human silhouettes flickered in its heart's memory.
Those who piloted it in battle looked just like this.
It couldn't tell them apart. To it, these humans were the same.
"For a being beyond its own kind, face-blindness comes easy."
Sensing Genesect's thought, Hikaru laughed softly.
"But the very fact you have that thought means your mind is waking up."
"That's the Cave of Being's touch!"
"Emotion, Knowledge, Will… they're reshaping you."
In that inner space, Hikaru offered his hand.
"Come. I'll help you search for this flower—so your heart can be born anew."
"Seas have changed and ages turned, but we will find it."
Genesect's eyes brightened.
Still, a question.
Even if it found the flower—found home—then what?
Its companions were gone. In this altered age, in this altered body, it no longer needed to "hunt."
"The place where flowers bloom… Home isn't what I want."
"Will you be my partner?"
Genesect's voice—mechanical, nearly emotionless—yet like a young boy's. This one was young.
The sudden clarity surprised Hikaru.
Usually Trainers invite Pokémon to be partners. Today, a warrior from the deep past invited a human instead.
"If you wish—then let's be partners."
Genesect weighed the words—but didn't need long. In this aura, it could feel the human's heart.
Different from those before. And maybe, its own mind hadn't just awakened.
Back at the Abyssal Ruins… when it heard the voices of the Swords of Justice…
Two are better than one, three better than two, four better than three…!
Clack! Genesect extended its claw. It and Hikaru clasped hands.
"Maybe," Hikaru said, "you'll meet your comrades again."
Genesect's eyes flickered.
"That's for later."
When the heart-space quieted, the upgrade and refit finished too.
Hidden faults were purged; the future-tech surgery filled it with power.
An empty heart, rekindled by a true partner, shone gold through its eyes.
So unlike the Genesect legion.
A brand-new chassis—rock-solid. The damaged cannon, fully restored.
The long pain ended. Genesect chirred affectionately to Hikaru.
Back in reality, its telepathic clarity faded—this prototype lacked a "vocalizer."
That was fine with Genesect.
Better to say nothing than say it poorly. True partners need only a look to know what to do.
Like a pilgrim, it gazed at the reflecting pools, dropped to one knee, and offered knightly thanks.
[Paleo-Modified Pokémon: Genesect-V!]
[Installed · Future Tech: Conflux System!]
[Description: "Conflux" fuses present-day tactics into a new, powerful battle system!]
[With future-tech refits, Genesect can mount new gear and systems, letting it learn stronger moves. Its movepool deepens greatly.]
[Size increased by +25%.]
[Installed · Future Tech: Dual-Drive Bay!]
[Description: Carry two Drives at once and swap move types on the fly.]
[Note: Empowered by the Cave of Being's uncanny aura, Genesect taps GX Power-like force! Its heart-energy has risen.]
[Future-tech analysis lets you blueprint special Drives and craft more types of Drives!]
[Genesect learned: Magic Bounce, Recycle, Magnet Bomb!]
[Genesect learned: Mirror Shot, Zap Cannon, Extreme Speed!]
[Extra (Add-on): Plasma Bath!]
Drives are man-made tech. With enough know-how, minting more Drive types is perfectly doable.
In the anime, the Genesect army destroyed Team Plasma's lab, so no new Drives ever appeared.
In the games, Colress abandoned modified Pokémon like Genesect to study Trainer–Pokémon bonds instead—so no new Drives, either.
After that, Hikaru took out the Soul-Heart.
The ancient core flickered faintly, as if the tattered soul inside were stirring. Genesect watched it, sensing surging vigor—like a life yet unborn.
(End of Chapter)
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