Is this what they call "words manifest reality"?
After witnessing the miraculous scene unfold before her eyes, Cynthia gained a concrete understanding of the phrase.
She'd initially found Aiden's childish attempt endearing—teasing him gently with a smile.
But who could have predicted—
That with a single casual shout, Uxie—one of the Lake Guardians so rarely sighted that even blurry annual sightings were considered remarkable—would appear before them with such directness?
Cynthia's gaze settled on Uxie, now floating serenely before Aiden.
As the eldest of the Lake Guardians—embodying wisdom—Uxie had gifted humanity the intellect that enriched civilization, earning reverence as the "God of Knowledge."
Legend claimed it possessed the power to erase the memories of those meeting its gaze—stripping evildoers of all recollection, leaving them forever lost. Thus, it had been both feared and honored since antiquity.
Perhaps for this reason, the Uxie before them remained in a meditative state—eyes closed as if in slumber.
Though unable to see its gaze, Cynthia clearly sensed its full attention fixed upon Aiden.
How many Legendary Pokémon have now turned their eyes toward Aiden?
One or two encounters might be dismissed as luck—but this pattern of repeated divine meetings undeniably signaled something extraordinary about him.
Could it be—was the online community's speculation actually true? "Teacher Azure definitely has Legendary-magnet blood—he's literally a walking mint bait for Legendaries!"
Cynthia's curious gaze shifted to Aiden.
Meanwhile, Aiden continued studying the "yellow mushroom" that had abruptly materialized before him.
Unlike elusive Legendaries, the Lake Guardians—dwelling in known, fixed locations and occasionally appearing to humans—were relatively well-documented by Sinnoh's mythologists.
Hatched from the same egg, the trio shared nearly identical slender, delicate forms—clearly not built for combat.
Their strength lay in perceiving inner energies.
After eons of existence, they likely wielded this power as naturally as breathing.
Humans commonly called this ability "Psychic."
No wonder its floating posture resembles that street-wandering Mew… probably for the same reason.
Though judging by its smooth skin… probably not as fluffy to pet as Mew—
Just as this thought crossed Aiden's mind—a sharp, gender-neutral voice suddenly erupted within his consciousness:
"Impudent one!"
Aiden: ???
The psychic resonance sent chills down his spine—but also triggered instant realization:
Oh no—another mind-reader!
His internal musings had clearly ruined Uxie's first impression of him.
Noting Uxie's furrowed brow, Aiden knew he had to salvage the situation immediately.
But how?
Before he could formulate a plan, the previously furious Uxie suddenly moved to open its eyes.
?
Instinctively, Aiden lowered his head—averting his gaze to avoid direct eye contact.
Having lived 24+18 years, I'd rather not develop early-onset dementia and lose my already brief life memories!
Fortunately, Uxie's gaze lingered on him for only a moment before withdrawing.
Its angry expression swiftly transformed into confusion—then resolve—as if it had received an answer.
"I see… so it truly is that Lord's aura—"
Whether by coincidence or oversight, Uxie had left its telepathic channel open—transmitting this thought directly into Aiden's mind.
Startled, Aiden quickly pieced together the implication.
Admittedly, as the world's birthplace, Sinnoh housed numerous Legendaries—many familiar names initially surfaced in his thoughts.
But the only being the Lake Guardians would honor as "that Lord" had but one answer:
"Arceus?"
Growing accustomed to this "party chat" function, Aiden tentatively inquired mentally.
Yet for reasons unknown, Uxie—after brief contemplation—offered no confirmation. It simply shook its head.
"Since He has not yet revealed Himself to you… the time for disclosure has not come."
"However—" its tone softened slightly, "in consideration of that Lord's regard… if you offer apology, I shall forgive your earlier discourtesy."
Relief flooded Aiden's features—he responded almost instantly:
"I understand. Truly, I apologize!"
"Before actually petting you, I shouldn't have assumed your texture would be inferior to Mew's. Please allow me to touch first, then deliver a fair evaluation!"
"——?"
Uxie's twin tails twitched. Its expression grew peculiar.
Does this human have comprehension difficulties?
Or was that bizarre thought merely an eccentric expression of Pokémon affection?
Never mind.
This was no time for such trivialities.
Wisely recognizing further debate would prove endless, Uxie chose to set aside his earlier mental remarks—and proceeded directly to the matter at hand:
"Young one—though I know not why—I sense faintly that that Lord watches over you."
"Thus I answered your summons."
"Now… state your purpose for coming to Lake Acuity."
Uxie's voice remained tranquil within their minds.
Though its eyes stayed closed, Aiden distinctly felt its focus centered entirely on him.
Regarding Uxie's repeated references to "that Lord"—though curiosity burned within him, Uxie's earlier reaction suggested it would offer no answers.
And more pressing matters demanded attention.
As Aiden and Uxie communicated telepathically, Cynthia quietly observed their rapidly shifting expressions.
To an uninformed outsider, they might appear afflicted.
But Cynthia understood—
The Lake Guardians' mastery of psychic energy had reached heights unimaginable to humans—enabling direct mental communion.
Though unaware of their conversation's content, she placed unconditional trust in Aiden.
With his near-demonic talent for connecting with Legendaries… perhaps he could even persuade the Lake Guardians with ease?
Truly reliable, Aiden~
Feeling Cynthia's expectant gaze on his back, Aiden hesitated mid-thought.
Then—he turned to Uxie, his expression turning solemn as he spoke aloud:
"Uxie—we've come seeking answers."
"Answers regarding the Spear Pillar ruins."
Hearing Aiden's voice aloud, Uxie's reaction proved calmer than he'd anticipated.
Soon, both Aiden and Cynthia heard its voice resonate within their minds:
"I understand."
Uxie paused—its twin tails beginning to sway gently, suggesting pleasant disposition.
"Do not waver. You already walk the correct path."
"Yet—human power alone remains insufficient to open the Hall of Origin."
"To stand before the divine… the unsealed Spear Key, the three Orbs channeling the trio's power, the chains forged from our combined essence, the eighteen Type Plates left from Creation… and most crucially—the Azure Flute. All are indispensable."
Uxie's tone remained placid—its words indirectly validating Cynthia's research team's findings.
But Aiden—ever perceptive—immediately latched onto key details: Hall of Origin… and Azure Flute???
Though Uxie hadn't explicitly stated it, Aiden now felt certain.
So "that Lord" truly refers to Arceus!
Clearly, he'd never encountered the Alpha Pokémon—so the only possible connection must be the system that accompanied his transmigration!
Truly worthy of Wisdom's title—Uxie said nothing… yet revealed everything.
In truth, Aiden had long wondered about the system's origins.
Its ability to perceive his "past life's" future—and produce tools that shouldn't exist in this world—both pointed to extraordinary provenance.
If it were merely Arceus idly crafting a toy… that actually felt more plausible.
Having deduced this far—and with the system remaining silent regarding Uxie's words—he could only follow this thread further.
If possible… he even wished to personally question this "Lord watching over him."
From Uxie's hints, this might have been Arceus's deliberate guidance from the beginning.
So all answers lie within the Hall of Origin?
Aiden's conviction solidified.
Thanks to Cynthia and multiple archaeological teams, the eighteen Type Plates and three Orbs were already assembled. Uxie—one of the Lake Guardians—now stood before them, seemingly willing to assist.
Only two artifacts remained: the Spear Key and Azure Flute.
The Spear Key was manageable—according to the anime, it should reside in the Sendoff Spring. Though he couldn't recall the exact location, Cynthia and Professor Carolina were undoubtedly experts in this domain.
The sole complication—
The Azure Flute seemingly had no legitimate acquisition method.
Aiden remembered clearly: excluding the Hisui region's 150-years-prior timeline, the original games provided no means to obtain the Azure Flute—not even via distribution events.
Even in the remakes, players needed save data from Legends: Arceus to receive it at home.
As for the anime—
That Arceus movie was riddled with plot holes—the key item replaced by a Life Orb synthesized from tablets, bearing no relation to the Azure Flute.
Even as a transmigrator… I've no idea where to find it. Hope seems faint—
Uxie, continuously monitoring Aiden's expressions—and seemingly reading his thoughts—suddenly let a faint smile grace its features.
Then its voice echoed within him once more:
"The Spear Key's location requires human ingenuity to uncover."
"But I can reveal the Azure Flute's whereabouts."
Intrigued, Aiden immediately adopted an attentive posture.
"In ages past, one of His creations was tasked from birth to guard a world already ruined."
"A realm between time and space—divine domain inaccessible to mortals. Before His departure, He entrusted the Azure Flute to this guardian."
"Should you require it… I shall swiftly contact Mesprit and Azelf to temporarily open the path to the Sendoff Spring's depths."
Uxie paused mid-sentence—then continued:
"However… following His departure, the two deities governing time and space waged century-long war within their domains. The resulting chaos has since spilled into that world."
"Thus the guardian holding the Azure Flute… may presently possess a rather volatile temperament—"
Departure?
Aiden again caught the crucial detail—and pressed further:
"Does this mean… the Creator Deity Arceus has already left this world?"
[…]
As before—questions concerning the Creator Deity met only with Uxie's silence.
So Aiden adjusted his approach:
"Then—to obtain the Azure Flute… must I first calm Giratina's fury?"
Uxie nodded.
"I see. Understood."
Aiden exhaled—then, after brief hesitation, posed his final question:
"One last matter—"
"Must I… battle a deity?"
At this query, Uxie paused—seemingly surprised he'd ask this.
Though unclear why, from his earlier thoughts, Aiden had apparently considered relying on a "gratitude Pokémon" to pacify Giratina.
Yet in posing this question… he'd seemingly abandoned that notion.
Has he conceived a better solution?
Even Uxie could no longer decipher Aiden's intentions.
Thus—after careful consideration—it offered a cautiously optimistic reply:
"Battle may be avoided… but the path will be arduous."
"I see—"
Aiden nodded firmly.
"I'll prepare swiftly."
"But when the time comes… how shall we contact you?"
"Meditate upon our names. We shall then transport you to the deepest chamber."
Uxie's tails swayed gently once more—a clear smile gracing its features.
Intuition told it this human had devised a remarkably creative solution—likely beyond its own comprehension.
No wonder he earned that Lord's acknowledgment… to bring new turning points to the world after His departure.
------------------------------------------------------
30+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)