Chapter 0800: Limited Return, Jirachi(Two-in-One)

At the summit of Mount Hokulani, the meteor shower swept across the night sky. At four thousand meters above sea level, the night was bitterly cold, like standing amidst ice and snow—yet inside the tent was the shared warmth of two people.

At dawn, the sky was pale and gray. The white observatory, the large outdoor optical binoculars, and the tent’s reflective surface all mirrored the silver-gray snow.

From the wide-open mouth of the “Gigantamax Gengar” tent, the curtain was drawn aside and a handsome black-haired young man stepped out, boots crunching on the icy ground.

He wore no scarf or coat, only a thin white knit sweater, breathing out a cloud of frosty air as he paused to look up at the deep blue, almost violet, sky, cloudless above.

The air was fresh, the wind gently whistling. The chill seeped into the skin, a quickening, lively kind of shiver—like Reshiram beating white wings free of the clouds and plunging down into a sea of cotton. It all felt as true as the “Dragon of Truth.”

Cynthia had agreed to marry me.

“Come on out, everyone!”

Natsume tossed out the Poké Balls from his belt in one go. All his little ones had been put away last night—after all, the tent was too small—and morning was the perfect time to let them frolic in the snow.

The hilltop was soon alive with flashes of red light, voices of “Sylveon,” “chuuu,” and ghostly howls.

Natsume sat down on the snowy ground, hands on his knees, wearing a soft smile. Just then, a can of hot drink was offered to him. Natsume turned his head.

“Gengar~” The purple trickster grinned, and for once didn’t offer ice-cold soda, but a steaming can of coffee-milk.

“How did you heat this up?” Natsume asked, curious, accepting the drink.

“Gengar!” Gengar pointed with pride at Rotom suddenly appearing nearby—in a handy heating form.

Heatt Rotom blinked its red eyes, declaring loudly: “All in a day’s work, Rotom!”

Rotom, powered by its own energy and able to change forms, plus Gengar’s “pocket dimension,” was basically a walking appliance store. And if they ran low on power, they could charge up at the observatory—or at worst, catch a Charjabug at the shrine down on the mountain.

Charjabug is basically a living power bank; it really can recharge devices—a wonderfully practical Pokémon...

Natsume patted Gengar’s head, sipping coffee-milk, his dark eyes flickering with warmth and laughter, finding happiness mid the cold solitude of a high mountain.

Sunrise was near. Cynthia was still sleeping in the tent. Natsume considered waking her, but instead decided to have a snowball fight with his little ones.

Smack!

“Sylveon~” Sylveon closed its eyes and turned aside as a snowball burst on its bow.

Sylveon’s eyes opened in a flash, fierce and focused; seeing it was just her cheerful trainer, she huffed, rolled a snowball with her ribbon, and tossed it at the ground: “Sylveon!”

“Tyranitar…” Tyranitar was building a snowman, focused and skillful.

It looked like a Palossand.

Natsume’s eyelid twitched—if he wasn’t mistaken, the snow shovel in Tyranitar’s hand was probably stolen off some poor Palossand’s head...

“Sirfetch’d!” Sirfetch’d waved its leek, brushing calligraphy across the snow, as if penning strong brush strokes—though really it was just doodling nonsense.

Arcanine rolled about in the snow; just last night he’d been praised as “lion king,” but now he’d reverted to a total snow pup.

After all that rolling, the snow melted from his body, leaving Arcanine damp as he shook mane and massive head, sending icy droplets everywhere.

“Sylveon! (#｀皿′)” Sylveon fixed him with a dangerous look.

“Arcanine… (⊙x⊙;)” Arcanine chewed an icy chunk in embarrassment.

Natsume noticed Gengar wasn’t joining the snowball fight but was hugging a meteorite and staring at it intently.

“What’s with this meteorite?” Natsume asked, brow raised. “You didn’t swipe this from the observatory, did you?”

“Gengar!” Gengar tried to explain the meteorite’s origins.

“So… this really fell off that comet in the sky?” Natsume was surprised.

“Gengar!” Gengar nodded.

Natsume glanced up. Only a few stars lingered in the sky, the comet’s tail now faded and dim.

He recalled a familiar scene, then used the Power of One to check; Natsume smiled knowingly:

“Let’s wait for it to awaken… It’s an old friend of ours.”

“Gengar?” Gengar scratched his head curiously.

Come to think of it.

Natsume stroked his chin.

Once again, he hadn’t heard Jirachi’s telepathy—the one to notice it first was Gengar.

Still, just the thought of reuniting with Jirachi had Natsume feeling lighthearted; he stretched his shoulders.

“Good morning.” A soft voice came from behind.

Natsume turned. She’d donned her black coat again, arms folded, golden hair falling, her cheeks tinged an exquisite blush.

He didn’t answer immediately. Cynthia looked over, those cool, clear eyes holding him—then she smiled, eyes like crescents.

Natsume’s breath caught.

In short—she’s adorable!

“Sunrise is coming soon,” Natsume said. “Miss Cynthia, may I have the honor of joining you to watch from the tower?”

Cynthia nodded regal assent, a lovely smile on her lips: “I’ll allow it.”

The wedding date, informing family, preparing for the ceremony… none of that had been decided yet.

For now, the two of them enjoyed clean mountain air and the rare freedom of high altitude, alone and undisturbed.

On the way to the watchtower, Natsume explained the meteorite’s origin and the Jirachi who would soon awaken.

There was a flash of surprise in Cynthia’s eyes. “Will it still only be awake for seven days, like before?”

“That’s probably how it is,” Natsume replied. “I’ll do my best to make this a precious memory for it and for everyone.”

“We’ll have to talk things over after it wakes up,” Cynthia said with a gentle smile.

“I get the feeling, if I just keep holding the meteorite, Jirachi will never wake up…” Natsume complained.

Cynthia smiled, gray eyes bright. “After these seven days, I’ll need to return to the Sinnoh League.”

“Huh?” Natsume was startled.

Cynthia rested her hand at her side, lowering her gaze, sighing lightly:

“First, I have to deal with the jobs I’ve put on hold.”

“And then, preparations for the World Tournament later this year.” Her gaze was fierce, mouth curving, “I don’t plan to lose to you, Natsume.”

“If I win, you marry me. If I lose, I marry you,” Natsume said seriously.

“As if,” Cynthia retorted. But she smiled. “Still, I might consider it.”

“And also…” Her cheeks reddened as she brushed away a lock of gold hair, white neck exposed, “I have to… go back to Celestic Town to tell my grandmother… and to Undella Town, to tell Caitlin and the others…”

“That’s easy,” Natsume smiled. “Just post in the chat group—you won’t have any problem.”

Who knew what everyone, especially Lorelei, would think...

They went up the tower for sunrise.

Dawn broke in the east, clouds swirling in flame—an awe-inspiring sight. The comet’s tail still hung dim in the sky.

Sunlight poured over Cynthia’s golden hair, over the meteorite on his knee, and over the bright-eyed purple Gengar glancing up.

The clouds all around boiled and rolled as if the watchtower itself was soaring, Natsume’s heart surging as he extended his arm.

Meloetta shimmered into view, perching on Natsume’s shoulder, legs swinging, smiling as she handed him a Poké Flute.

It was a gift from Cynthia years before, with a sound that could awaken even the sleepiest Pokémon—Snorlax included.

Natsume placed the meteorite in his lap, took up the Poké Flute, and, after a moment’s thought, said:

“Meloetta, give me a buff!”

“Meloetta~” Meloetta gently touched Natsume’s neck with a musical note-shaped hand.

Inspired, Natsume played with flawless technique, the melody from “Castle in the Sky” floating out across the high watchtower, clouds rolling beneath.

Cynthia leaned on the bench, watching the profile of the black-haired young man, lost in a daydream.

He’d played this tune two years ago—she remembered it well—back then, too, Jirachi had appeared.

But this time, the scene was completely changed. Like night and day—one for a starry summer night, the other for a blazing sunrise.

The music of the Pokémon world is often magical.

Pieces like “Oración,” “Relic Song,” “Jigglypuff’s Song,” and so on.

And in this melody, Meloetta’s aura merged with the notes, making the music even more beautiful.

Cynthia noticed the meteorite on Natsume’s lap began to shine, slowly taking on a tiny form.

Jirachi lay on Natsume’s lap, blinking drowsily, reflected in the unfamiliar yet familiar faces before it.

‘Hello… everyone?’ Jirachi whispered.

“Gengar!” Gengar bounced, tongue lolling wildly, eyes spinning like marbles.

Startled, Jirachi shrank toward Natsume’s arms. This human gave off a feeling of comforting familiarity.

“You might not remember me, Jirachi.”

Natsume held the small, yellow, star-shaped Jirachi, smiling. “We met once, two years ago.”

Jirachi stared at Natsume in wonder, feeling the unique aura about him, its little eyes shining as it nodded hard.

‘Natsume, everyone, play with me!’ Jirachi said joyfully.

Natsume smiled, patting Jirachi’s head. The little star turned to Cynthia, wishing-tag pendants dangling as it reached out tiny hands.

Cynthia lifted Jirachi and smiled gently: “It’s been a while, Jirachi.”

Jirachi smiled softly.

‘I only slept for a short while.’

For a being that slumbers a thousand years, two years is just a nap.

Natsume watched Jirachi begin to levitate, curiously observing Gengar.

“Gengar!” Gengar grinned, resting his claws on his chest and impersonating Haunter.

Jirachi’s eyes brightened, and it laughed in delight.

It turned to observe the other Pokémon in turn.

“Blastoise…” Blastoise straightened his sunglasses, nodding ever-so-slightly.

If you think you’re watching Blastoise, just know Blastoise is always watching you too!

Victini tilted its head curiously at Jirachi, who mirrored the move.

Two tiny Mythical Pokémon, both breaking into grins.

“Tyranitar…（ˉ﹃ˉ）” Tyranitar grinned widely.

Jirachi: Σ(っ °Д °;)っ

It quickly ducked behind Natsume. Natsume smiled reassuringly.

“That’s my Tyranitar—I caught it last year. Back then, it was only a Larvitar, about your size.”

Jirachi peeked at Tyranitar, then shrank behind Natsume, whispering:

‘You howwwwl~~’

Tyranitar scratched his head and bowed politely: “Tyranitar~”

An unexpected dose of cuteness.

Jirachi laughed, beaming: ‘Everyone, come play!’

Jirachi floated freely through the air, dashing playfully with Togekiss and Latias, looping the observatory.

Natsume and Cynthia, smiling, followed slowly behind.

On the observatory’s second floor, Molayne, hair a mess, stepped out to the balcony for a yawn. When he saw a living, breathing Jirachi, he nearly dropped his glasses in shock.

After a time, Jirachi tired of playing, floated back, bright-eyed and innocent, head tilted:

‘Natsume… what’s your wish?’

“My wish…”

Natsume took Cynthia’s hand. They exchanged a smile, responding together, loudly,

“It’s already come true!”

‘Then make another one!’ Jirachi prompted.

“Wishes come true through our own efforts.”

Hand in hand, surrounded by Pokémon, Natsume grinned. “But the truth is, I hope you—and everyone—can be happy, Jirachi… that’s my real wish.”

‘Hmm… I don’t get it.’

Jirachi tilted its head, but added: ‘Just meeting you again makes me happy!’

“Travel with us a while, Jirachi,” Cynthia said with a smile. “We’ll show you the sights in Alola, and the café that Natsume opened in Kalos…”

Finally, with a gleam in her eye, Cynthia promised to return Jirachi safely to the comet after its visit.

‘I want to!’ Jirachi cheered.

Jirachi carries the “grant-a-wish” special ability, but like Hoopa, it’s an “equivalent exchange”—not miracles for nothing.

That’s why Natsume never made a wish. To marry Cynthia, and to live happily and safely with his little ones—that was already more than enough for him.

To protect that happiness, he’d give his all.

Natsume smiled, dark eyes flickering gently.

Before leaving the observatory with Jirachi, he still had one more place to go—the final destination of the Island Trial.

For seven days, Jirachi would travel with Natsume.

He never asked for wishes, but in the hearts of all his little ones, the wish to grow stronger remained… except for Sirfetch’d.

The comet energy radiating from Jirachi would also help his team’s training, giving them a considerable power boost in the short term.

This energy was different from Victini’s Infinity Energy, and similar to Eternatus’s Dynamax Force—a kind of “Cosmic Power.”

Truly, Jirachi was a lucky star, Natsume thought.

That morning, the two said their goodbyes to Molayne, left the observatory, and wandered down to the island shrine they had passed the day before.

Natsume closed his eyes, sensing with the Power of One—a thin golden thread extended to distant Tapu Bulu.

The “Messenger of Transcendence” made quite a scene—sure enough, Tapu Bulu soon appeared, eyes wide in recognition.

Good grief, the “Messenger of Transcendence” was that same trespasser from yesterday!

Natsume repeated much the same pitch as with Tapu Fini: more or less, “Hey, bull spirit, I need your help for training!” and “We need to fight Ultra Beasts,” and so on.

Tapu Bulu, nose ring swinging, bell-like bronze eyes locking on Sylveon.

“Sylveon~!” Sylveon’s gaze was keen, her presence regal.

Sylveon had already absorbed the aura of three islands and, together with her Pixilate Ability, was already radiating a faint “Boss Aura.”

Melemele Island’s aura strengthened light-based moves like Hyper Beam and Moonblast; Poni Island’s boosted her resistance to status conditions; Akala Island enhanced her Inner Focus.

Ula’ula Island’s aura symbolized the power of verdant life—it was the final, essential energy to support Sylveon’s transformation from Pixilate to Fairy Aura.

Tapu Bulu fell silent, then nodded consent.

Natsume lifted his gaze skyward.

In a few days, the main team from Pallet Town would arrive in Alola.

That would be the perfect moment to test Sylveon’s growth...

Meanwhile, the news that Champion Cynthia had accepted Natsume’s proposal was posted in the chat group.

“Getting married?” Ash was confused.

“Natsume-sensei and Champion Cynthia?” Ruby and Sapphire were shocked.

“Congratulations.” Lance laughed softly. Everyone from the City of Wastes had seen this coming long ago—except for Ash.

Leon, Steven, Wallace, Diantha, and many more Trainers sent their well-wishes.

“Hmm… congrats…” Caitlin squeezed out a wail on her voice message.

“Married?!”

Auntie Lorelei burst into tears: (;′꒳Д꒳`)

There are so many lonely people— and not nearly enough who are happy!