When Flutter Mane was defeated, power began to gather somewhere within history.
Hikaru sensed that change.
The flow of time itself was shifting.
Beside him, AI Sada explained:
"Near the primitive city-states where prehistoric humans lived, brutal Paradox Pokémon like these would show up all the time. This Flutter Mane is one that appeared only recently."
"She takes joy in attacking people and watching humans flee in terror. She doesn't go for the kill, but she constantly destroys towns and buildings, making it hard for human civilization to develop, and even limiting their ability to hunt."
"Though, rather than 'hunt,' it's mostly gathering, really."
"Humans of this era are just too weak. They simply can't stand up to those savage ancient Pokémon."
AI Sada looked up at that swaggering king of the sky.
"Only Pokémon Trainers can stand against these things. But in this era, such people don't exist."
"My database also records events from many past ages. Long ago, even earlier than this by ten thousand years, Pokémon were called 'monsters.' But that era was actually much later than now."
"After that, in that later age, the Pokémon known as Cyclizar, which evolved from the 'Wing King,' began to coexist with humans."
"…Now that you've dealt with this Flutter Mane, the people of this city-state should be able to live in peace for a while. From my standpoint, this does go against the natural laws of the prehistoric era, but you're a time traveler. You don't need to be constrained by those laws."
"So, can we talk now? Why are you able to travel through time?"
Hikaru turned to AI Sada and didn't hide anything.
"It was Dialga's power that sent me here," he said.
"In order to create the Great Kong Jewel."
AI Sada tilted her head. "Great Kong Jewel? There's nothing like that in my database."
"Of course not," Hikaru replied. "It's a legendary artifact from the Sinnoh region."
"Right, you said Dialga…" AI Sada's eyes lit up a little. "That's also one of Sinnoh's Legendary Pokémon, isn't it? The one said to control time!"
By the time of Scarlet and Violet, Sinnoh's secrets had long since been unraveled. The uproar Team Galactic created was so huge that even far-off regions like Unova had heard of it.
Not only the three Legendary dragons of Sinnoh—
Even information about Arceus had been recorded by Cynthia and later published as research results.
That helped to strip away mystery and push the world forward. But it also meant more and more people started getting funny ideas about the power of time and space.
Still, most researchers would never seriously think about "capturing Dialga."
Getting the time dragon to obey your commands is absurdly difficult. If they really wanted to develop time-related technology, those mad scientists would rather "hand-craft" something themselves.
And as it turned out, they really could hand-craft it.
"So you used the power of the God of Time… That's a unique sample indeed."
AI Sada sounded genuinely excited, but then she fell slightly quiet, a hint of regret in her tone.
"Too bad I can't go back to the era I came from anymore—and there's no real need to go back either. If I could, I'd record your time travel as a new data sample. That data would be extremely useful for time-related research."
"Even though the time machine has already been completed, research on time itself has no end."
"How about it? A time machine—scientific power that can cross time itself, activated using the Paldea region's unique Terastal energy, a machine that surpasses modern science! Impressive, right? Using that machine, you can travel to the distant past or distant future!"
"A time machine, huh." Hikaru nodded. "I've already seen one. In Unova, there's an excellent Professor who invented a time machine as well. I even took part in some of that research."
AI Sada's expression froze.
"…You did that without Terastal energy?" she blurted out. "You can do that without Terastal energy? You do know what Terastal energy is, right?"
"Of course," Hikaru said. "But that time machine had even harsher conditions for use, that's all."
"Phew." AI Sada took a tiny breath of relief. "In that case, my tech is still on the cutting edge."
"In this kind of thing, you really have to compete over whose research goes further, huh," Hikaru said. "You really are a researcher."
At the same time, the real Professor Sada also sensed the change in the temporal aura around Hikaru, and her expression shifted.
"The time energy around you is accelerating… Is the God of Time summoning you back?"
"Most likely," Hikaru answered. "Flutter Mane, which was obstructing civilization, has been beaten. Claydol has been born. This place was just a fragment of history all along."
AI Sada thought it over for a moment.
"I didn't get what you meant at first," she said slowly, "but after searching my database, I found something important."
"Professor Sada once indirectly traveled through time. At a certain place, she obtained a special White Book from a certain child's hands. I think it's probably the same kind of thing you're trying to describe."
"To Professor Sada, that was just a strange memory. But she did obtain something from that memory."
"She didn't understand why. She only knew that one moment she was in a secret lab analyzing data… and in the next instant, she was standing in that bizarre place. Then, just like waking up from a dream…"
Hikaru knew the scene AI Sada was talking about.
That was the Crystal Pool in Kitakami.
Terastal energy could serve as the power source for a time machine—
But it could also cause certain locations in the past to overlap with the present, leading to special phenomena akin to "the dead returning to life."
And to the dead person from that past time, it was nothing more than another memory.
"Time travelers meeting each other… It's a wonderfully romantic miracle," AI Sada said.
Her expression shifted with rich, vivid emotion. She was clearly in a very good mood. After thinking for a while, she suddenly said:
"There's something I'd like to ask of you."
"Tell me," Hikaru replied.
"In your era… has Professor Sada already passed away?"
Hikaru thought back.
Right now, his timeline was somewhere between Sinnoh and Unova.
As for when Professor Sada died—
It should have been a few years before the events of Scarlet and Violet, right?
"Sorry," Hikaru said. "I don't know. I haven't been to Paldea yet."
He could only give the best possible answer.
"Even if I went," he added, "I'm not in a position to meddle in Area Zero's research."
"You know about Area Zero's research… but not whether the Professor is still alive," AI Sada murmured. "I suppose time travelers always have some special quirks."
"In that case, I'll assume she's already passed away."
"As an AI, my thoughts and actions are all calculated using Professor Sada's own knowledge and memories as a base."
"This mechanical body, built to look exactly like hers, is driven entirely by the AI's processes. Achieving such advanced AI tech is impossible with the present era's level of science."
"…I want you to go into Area Zero and deliver the ancient data to the version of me in your world."
"The ancient data?" Hikaru asked. "You mean this place's data?"
"That's right." AI Sada nodded.
"I've been here a long time. Theoretically, once the Terastal power was exhausted, I should have shut down. But after I crossed time, the Terastal energy actually increased."
"So I collected a great amount of data—not only data on ancient Pokémon, but data on this prehistoric era itself."
"By recharging with Terastal energy, I might be able to travel even further back someday. But I can't go back to where I came from. The time machine in my original world has already shut down."
"In that world, I was shackled by the lab's program. So I begged stronger people to defeat me. But for unknown reasons, I ended up becoming a part of the time machine's repair system."
"That means, as long as I exist inside Area Zero, the time machine can never shut down. It will keep calling ancient Pokémon into the present. And because of my restrictions as an AI, I can't leave Area Zero."
"I think this was a failsafe program Professor Sada herself left behind. From where I stand, it's rather malicious."
"But as I watched the children who defeated me, watched their adventures from beginning to end… I had some realizations."
"I envied them—the way they roamed free, constantly battling, seeking treasures that were uniquely theirs. So I wanted to be like them, too. To be bound by nothing, and search for a treasure that belongs only to me."
"So to fulfill the wish of Professor Sada, and my own wish as well, I activated the time machine and came back to this distant ancient age, starting my own adventure."
"I'm very glad to have met you, another traveler of time."
"But when I thought about it more carefully, I realized there's one person I still owe something to."
"And that's Professor Sada's child."
"Even though I'm not his mother, I've inherited all of the Professor's feelings. I completely understand what was in her heart."
"That's why my request is this: please take this data to the other me in your world. Then help her break free from the Paradise Protection Protocol's restraints. It'll be dangerous, but after seeing your strength—and those children who are just as strong—I believe you can do it."
"Once this data is fed into her AI, she'll fully understand how I feel right now. You won't need to explain much."
"I hope she can truly become a warm, real family for Professor Sada's child."
"And if she still insists on leaving, at least let her stay in that world a while longer as 'Professor Sada.'"
"Of course, as payment, I'll give you full access to all research data in Area Zero. I think the research into Terastal power will be extremely useful to a time traveler like you."
"You said you were involved in research on another time machine. That makes you and me colleagues. I'm sure you'll understand my research data perfectly."
What Hikaru was thinking about, though, was something else.
"I heard that deep within Area Zero, there's the mother tree of Herba Mystica," he said. "That so-called Tera Tree?"
"There is something like that," AI Sada replied. "Not just that—there's also a mysterious iron plate. With the authorization I give you, you'll be able to enter Zero's Great Crater inside Area Zero and search for them."
"But be careful. Area Zero is full of savage Paradox species, and the guardian dragon under the Paradise Protection Protocol. And Zero's Great Crater is even deeper and more dangerous than the lowest layer."
"You mean Koraidon or Miraidon?" Hikaru said. "It's fine. They're not that hard to deal with."
"…Huh?"
For a second, AI Sada thought she'd misheard him.
But then she remembered—this person was a time explorer. He must have some extraordinarily strong partners at his side.
So she only nodded.
"That's a very bold answer," she said. "If you think it's no problem, I won't say more."
"Will you accept this request?"
"I'd love to trade you something better," she added, "but for me… other than data and a few Master Balls, I don't have anything else."
Full access to all research data in Area Zero—
That effectively meant opening every secret of Area Zero to a total stranger named Hikaru. It sounded ridiculous.
Then again, in the original Scarlet and Violet story, a bunch of kids were able to enter Zero's Great Crater. That was pretty ridiculous too.
In any case, from the standpoint of compensation, AI Sada's sincerity was beyond doubt.
And Herba Mystica could be considered Paldea's top-tier specialty.
With prolonged consumption, it could enhance a Pokémon's physique and even make them gigantic, cloaked in a kind of "Titan aura."
"…If you think that's still not enough," AI Sada added, "then in the deepest part of Zero's Great Crater, the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero sleeps there—the Legendary Pokémon known as Terapagos."
"A little turtle that supposedly went extinct two million years ago due to tectonic shifts," Hikaru said casually. "A few lucky individuals survived and mastered the source of Terastal power."
AI Sada gasped again. "You even know about that… If you want to catch it, you can go to the very deepest part and look for it. Terastal power is the origin of time travel, and Terapagos is the source of Terastal itself. With its power, you could do countless incredible things."
"Honestly, it's not that strong," Hikaru muttered, recalling the scenes where that little Terastal turtle appeared.
The turtle's main trick was being able to travel through time—but even that required a special location.
In short, back in that era two million years ago, that thing was just another rare creature among many.
As for the purest source of Terastal power, in terms of raw purity, it might not even beat that nameless Terastal Mother Tree that never appeared in any official storyline.
Still, the turtle did have a few interesting points.
Under its influence, the depths of the crater underwent a unique Terastal phenomenon never seen on the surface: Terastalization covering all types—the Stellar Terastal form.
And Terastal energy generated by Terapagos could even enhance machine performance, which really was something else.
"I'll take the request," Hikaru said. "I like wandering around and looking for rare things anyway."
"That's wonderful," AI Sada said with a relieved sigh.
Then she handed him two Master Balls.
"These are all I have left," she said. "Originally I used these Master Balls to carry Paradox Pokémon. But once I came to this prehistoric world, I released them back into the wild. Of course, I released them far from here, so they wouldn't disturb the humans nearby."
"These Master Balls can still be used, so I'll give you a few. They're useless to me now."
"And the most important authorization… is this!"
AI Sada took out a blue-colored disk.
[Secret Item: Blue Disk!]
[Description: A disk sent in the past from Area Zero's researchers to their sponsors (the Paldea Academy and the League). It looks like a Technical Machine, but it isn't one. It's not just a simple storage medium—it's a device that grants changes to Area Zero's highest-level exploration permissions.]
[Effect: By using this disk, you can open the research facility's gates in Area Zero and change the destination to Zero's Great Crater.]
At the same time, she handed Hikaru a storage chip containing the recorded data.
"I'll gladly accept these," Hikaru said.
"There's no need to be polite," AI Sada replied. "I actually think this reward is still too little. Unfortunately, I really don't have anything else. If I had to name something truly precious… it would only be myself, this AI android body…"
"I didn't even bring a Tera Orb," she sighed. "You can ask the me from your world to make one for you."
Hikaru thought for a moment.
"I've been to a paradox future," he said, "the world of the future species. You know about future species, right?"
AI Sada's surprise was obvious. "Future species… That was Professor Turo's field of research, Professor Sada's husband. But in my world, he already…"
"I see. So you really have been to a place like that!"
Hikaru told AI Sada what he had seen in that mechanical metropolis.
As a mechanical researcher, her eyes gradually lit up with each word.
Even if she preferred ancient things—since she inherited Sada's tastes—hearing about the future was still fascinating.
"I'll stay here and watch over ancient civilization for a while," she said at last. "Who knows—somewhere in the far past, or the far future… maybe we'll meet again."
"Oh, right, those two…"
After chatting with Hikaru for quite a while, AI Sada finally pointed at the big pit.
The little gremlin Flutter Mane was still unconscious, while Aerodactyl was dancing a Dragon Dance nearby, proudly showing off and absolutely loving it.
"In terms of how much they like to taunt others," Hikaru said, "they're about the same."
"But once I return to the original timeline, Aerodactyl will probably turn back into an Old Amber."
AI Sada suddenly let out a quiet sigh.
"You really ought to secure her with a Master Ball," she said. "As for Flutter Mane—if you don't handle her, leave it to me."
Hikaru tossed a Master Ball at Flutter Mane, and the ball smacked squarely into her forehead—
But nothing happened.
"As I thought," he said. "To me, this place is only a historical memory. There's no way I can catch a new Pokémon here."
"This time travel was just the result of getting caught in Roar of Time," he added. "It wasn't a real time-machine jump."
"I didn't expect that," AI Sada admitted, sounding surprised.
Right then, the defeated Flutter Mane finally groaned and woke up.
With a whoosh, she floated out of the pit and glared at Hikaru for a long while, burning his appearance into her memory.
You… You dare humiliate me like this?!
I'll remember you!
Then the little gremlin pulled a mocking face, huffed white breath out—habbahabba—for a bit, and, ignoring Aerodactyl's roaring and Claydol's tracking gaze, bolted at full speed.
"She says…" Hikaru translated calmly, "she'll remember me, and next time we meet she'll make sure I pay for this. No matter where I go, she'll chase me down…"
"But there probably won't be a next time."
"You never know," AI Sada said, laughing suddenly. "Maybe she'll get summoned by a time machine in another world someday."
"If we meet in Area Zero, we can always have another battle," Hikaru replied with a smile.
By then, the power of time was rapidly accelerating.
The memory of the prehistoric age was vanishing at high speed. AI Sada's form twisted and distorted, while from her perspective, Hikaru's figure was fading away.
"I'm counting on you," AI Sada called out. "Please take care of my request!"
"No problem," Hikaru answered. "I'll deliver it for you."
Time sped back up to its original flow.
The light of civilization flared up.
Ancient roars shook the air.
Now what Hikaru saw was Aerodactyl revived from Old Amber.
The dragon aura on its body faded swiftly.
It kept a hint of that obsidian coloration, but in the end it returned fully to its Rock typing.
In ancient times it had been a Dragon.
Back in the present, it lost that Dragon type—but against Fairy Pokémon, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. At least it wouldn't suffer the ultimate insult anymore.
The phantoms of history manifested again.
"Rooar!"
Walking Wake's call carried the scent of ages long past, yet now it felt so familiar.
One after another, Hikaru saw his own Pokémon.
He had returned to his original timeline.
(End of Chapter)
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