Chapter 0723: Xerneas’s Fairy Aura(Two-in-One)

September 15th, Wednesday.

The steamboat glided along the river, a pleasant breeze caressing everyone’s faces.

“Allearth Forest is just ahead,” Steven said.

AZ rested a hand on the railing, a fleeting look of reminiscence crossing his eyes.

“Traveling with everyone—it’s been truly wonderful.”

Diancie smiled softly. “Including last night’s camping, Bonnie, I’ll never forget it.”

“When you meet Xerneas… does that mean you’ll be leaving us, Diancie?” Ash asked somewhat regretfully.

“Yes, I must return to my country.”

Diancie replied seriously, “But I’m sure we’ll meet again someday!”

“Where exactly is the Mineral Kingdom?” Steven asked, clearly intrigued.

Diancie answered with pride, “All the underground veins in Kalos belong to the territory of the Mineral Kingdom!”

“But…” Diancie sighed gently, “since the Holy Diamond dried up, several of the veins lost contact with the sacred ores.”

“After you meet Xerneas, can you make a vein that leads to Lumiose City?” Bonnie’s eyes sparkled. “That way, we can play together all the time, Diancie!”

“No problem,” Diancie said with a beaming smile. “Because we’re friends, Bonnie!”

Natsume raised an eyebrow.

A direct vein leading to Lumiose City…?

He needed to figure out a way to lure Diancie back to the café, so she could turn the ground beneath the gardens into a diamond lode!

Of course, these diamond veins weren’t ‘Carbink’—but the kind of diamonds with remarkable hardness, the type that would improve Tyranitar’s physique if eaten.

But first, he had to help Diancie save her homeland.

Natsume’s eyes shone.

With that, maybe a diamond vein as a reward wouldn’t be too much to ask!

Another half hour passed on the river.

The boat pulled in at the dock; the group set off on foot toward the depths of the forest.

The outer woods were lush and vibrant, but the heart of the forest was a withered wasteland—a peculiar pattern of concentric circles.

The moment they entered the forest, Natsume-sensei felt a strong reaction from the Power of One; radar-like white beams scanned the horizon, highlighting dazzling bright spots.

Natsume’s expression was complicated.

You might as well write “Pixie Plate is with me, come and get it” on your forehead!

Xerneas's habitat was deep within the forest, and the legendary Pokémon always appeared as the “Rainbow Tree”.

So, following the iridescent light, the group passed thundering waterfalls and dense ancient woods, arriving at an altar alive with birdsong and blossoms.

AZ halted, voice hoarse:

“This is goodbye, Diancie.”

“You’re not coming with me to see Xerneas?” Diancie turned around and asked.

AZ shook his head with a smile.

Long ago, he had deceived them as the wise king, using their strength to make the Ultimate Weapon—he knew they would never forgive him.

His own destination was the other side of the forest: to find eternal rest in the river of the Cocoon of Ruin.

“I’ll wait outside for you,” AZ said. “N—Natsume-sensei, farewell.”

Natsume glanced at AZ, surprised.

Seeing the determination behind those white bangs, Natsume gave a warning: “Don’t do anything stupid. I’ll be back soon.”

For the Pixie Plate, Natsume needed to negotiate with Xerneas personally.

What AZ meant to those two deities, Natsume did not know.

But one thing was clear—even the usually gentle X-Deer would not be glad to see AZ.

AZ’s facial muscles twitched. “I won’t, Natsume-sensei…”

Natsume shivered; being called “Sensei” by a monster thousands of years old was a truly unsettling feeling.

Though the King of Pokélantis once thought he and AZ might have been Aura warriors from the same era…

Natsume waved it off lightly, leading Diancie down the shadowed path behind the altar. “Let’s go, Diancie. Follow me.”

“Okay, Mr. Natsume!” Diancie bounded after him, step for step.

Steven signaled with his eyes for Ash and the others to keep up, then nodded at AZ.

He watched as the group’s figures vanished into the forest.

AZ looked up at the sky; a hazy beam filtered through gaps in the canopy, scattering dappled shadows across the ground, while all around, birds sang and flowers bloomed in vibrant life.

“So beautiful…”

He murmured it softly, sorrow swelling in his chest, but not regret for his own choice.

For three thousand years, AZ had asked himself over and over: would he risk his kingdom’s destruction to resurrect Floette?

The answer was always yes.

Even if the disappointed eternal flower left because of it, AZ had never once hesitated.

The towering man turned and strode toward the far side of the woods.

There, the forest was dead—grass withered, rivers run dry.

At the center of that deadland, deep in dark waters, a jet-black cocoon pulsed like a beating heart, awakening…

……

Dappled sunlight filtered through the forest, a gentle mist weaving between the trunks, as rainbow light poured down through the leaves.

Natsume and Diancie headed in the direction of the shining colors.

“Mr. Natsume, Mr. Natsume?” Diancie’s voice piped up softly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Are you really short on money?” Diancie asked, completely earnest.

“Ahem… Who told you that?”

“It’s just, you’ve been mumbling about diamonds for a while,” Diancie replied, her face pure and innocent.

Natsume scratched his cheek awkwardly.

Natsume had, in fact, just been wondering how to ask Diancie for a diamond vein for Tyranitar, without sounding too greedy.

Now, under Diancie’s naive gaze, Natsume couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt…

“Sorry,” Natsume declared decisively. “Money is always in short supply—but it’s nothing to worry about.”

After all, he had Cynthia, his wealthy benefactor!

“If you want diamonds, I can give you one,” Diancie said, blinking her crystal-clear eyes. She opened her little hand, offering a pink diamond to Natsume. “But the energy in it will fade away once it’s used up… So, when it does, don’t feel too sad.”

Natsume was genuinely touched by Princess Diancie’s kindness. He wanted to pat her on the head, but drew his hand back and smiled instead.

“Thank you, Diancie. I’ll take good care of it.”

“Gengar~” Gengar floated over from nearby.

Natsume’s face paled; he quickly shoved the pink diamond into his pocket. “No licking this, understood!”

Diancie giggled behind her hand. “Mr. Natsume and Gengar—you’re really close friends.”

“This is called a bond.”

Natsume didn’t resist as Gengar gave him a sudden Lick attack, fighting off the numbness of paralysis as he replied coolly,

“A bond can cure paralysis.”

“Bond… That’s amazing!” Diancie’s eyes went wide with wonder.

Steven: “……”

Using a bond to cure paralysis—that’s for Pokémon! Who’s ever heard of a trainer using bond to cure paralysis?

As they chatted, the rainbow light grew brighter and clearer.

In a small forest clearing, a dazzlingly colorful tree stood out from all around.

Its branches spread in every direction, full of swirling life energy; the deep blue trunk shimmered with fleeting emerald light, as the power of the earth flowed from its roots up into the tree’s heart.

“So beautiful…” Bonnie whispered.

“I can sense… a Fairy Aura.” Diancie closed her eyes.

Natsume took out a Poké Ball—this place was sure to help Sylveon.

“Sylveon!” Sylveon’s deep blue baby-doll eyes gazed at the tree, baring her tiny fangs just a little.

Suddenly, the ‘tree’ uprooted itself and rose from the ground.

Black roots emerged, shaping into powerful legs like a stag’s; the blue trunk stretched into an elegant neck.

Atop Xerneas’s head, rainbow-colored antlers spread wide, and the gentle gaze of the divine Pokémon swept over Natsume, Diancie, and everyone else.

“The tree turned into a rainbow stag?” Ash said, scratching his head.

“It really is Xerneas!” Clemont gasped.

Steven’s heart swelled with awe. To think he was actually standing before the legendary god of life—Xerneas.

Traveling with Natsume… he always ended up seeing legends others only dreamed of!

Diancie bounced forward, eyes troubled, hand pressed to her chest:

“Xerneas, I beg you—please grant me your aid, so that I can save my kingdom and my people!”

A flicker of memory shone in Xerneas’s gaze. Three thousand years ago, a human had made the same plea, but that betrayal had led to a sleep of three thousand years.

Now, as Xerneas met Diancie’s eyes, the legendary chose to trust again.

“I already know why you’ve come.”

Xerneas’s warm telepathy rang through everyone’s minds.

“What you call Fairy Aura is the field where life energy overflows. It is my gift.”

The rainbow antlers atop Xerneas’s head glowed even brighter, radiant light filling the forest. In an instant, its form shifted from “relaxed” to “active”.

Bathed in the glow, Diancie closed her eyes with a sigh, and Sylveon, too, sensed a new power.

Natsume nodded gently to Sylveon, who finally allowed herself to relax and listen for the energy.

Natsume looked at Xerneas, now sharing its life energy with them, and felt a surge of awe.

Of all the deities, Xerneas was perhaps the easiest to speak with.

Under the Fairy Aura, Sylveon—the one whose progress had long been stagnant—ascended at last to Champion level.

And that was without even factoring in the Pixie Plate’s bonus…

What an unexpected gain from this journey!

The rainbow glow faded. Xerneas turned its warm gaze on Diancie.

Diancie tried to gather diamonds, but failed; Serena and Bonnie rushed to comfort her.

Xerneas did not press. Its work was done; now that serene gaze turned to Natsume.

“Then, speak your wish, Messenger of Arceus.”

For the first time, Clemont and Serena realized Natsume-sensei had such a role—the shock showed on their faces as they turned to him.

Natsume stepped forward, placing a hand to his chest, and spoke with utmost respect:

“I come at Arceus’s behest, to reclaim the Pixie Plate you guard, Xerneas.”

To Natsume’s surprise, hesitation flashed in Xerneas’s eyes, and then—Xerneas shook its head.

“I’m sorry. For now, I cannot return the Pixie Plate.”

Xerneas lifted its elegant neck, letting its kind gaze sweep across the living forest, though now a shadow seemed to fall upon it.

“In the depths of the forest, a certain deity is about to awaken. If I am to stand against them, I need the power of the Pixie Plate.”

Natsume understood.

Compared to the god of death, the god of life was less suited for battle; much of its strength had been shared away, so the Pixie Plate was needed just to survive against the old opponent.

Xerneas continued:

“As compensation, Messenger of Arceus, I will grant your Sylveon…”

The words for earth’s blessing had hardly left its lips—

RUMBLE!!

A violent explosion rocked the depths of the forest. A high-pitched, piercing cry split the sky!

Ash looked up—there, a pitch-black-and-blood-red giant bird blotted out the sun with vast wings, its shriek echoing across the land!

Xerneas’s eyes hardened.

“Yveltal has awakened.”

A blood-red Dark Aura spread from the forest’s center, relentlessly devouring the Fairy Aura. Pokémon caught within, unable to escape, were instantly petrified; lush trees withered to dust beneath the waves of death!

Steven’s brow furrowed.

Against disasters like floods or wildfires, trainers could still do something. But in the face of this petrifying, life-erasing Dark Aura—humans had nothing to fight Yveltal with!

“We need to battle it outside the Dark Aura’s reach!” Steven called.

Xerneas trembled with worry, but just then, the black-haired young man beside him stepped forward.

“Xerneas.”

Xerneas’s anxious gaze met the steel determination in the young man’s eyes.

Natsume donned his bracelet; the inky black Darkinium Z shimmered faintly.

“If I help you defeat Yveltal… will you return the Pixie Plate to me?” Natsume said, his voice unwavering.

Xerneas’s eyes widened in surprise, and then—gave a slow, affirmative nod.