"Hiss—ouch…"
Flint clutched his face, full of confusion.
What just happened?
Why does my whole body feel like it got steamrolled?
—Ancient City—
Though they had found Flint, Cynthia didn't seem in a hurry to leave. On the contrary, her interest in the ruins had only deepened.
As a scholar of mythology, her curiosity toward history ran deep.
While she was examining the markings and old scripts etched into the city's structures, a sudden tremor exploded from the city's center.
BOOM!!!
This time, the shockwave was even more intense than the one caused by the dozens of Golurks earlier. And with it came an unimaginably intense wave of heat.
Wave after wave of scorching air surged out.
"What is that…" Caitlin murmured, while Cynthia looked sharply toward the heart of the ruins.
"Such intense Fire-type energy," Flint muttered in awe.
Johan gave him a side glance, his expression wry.
Well, with Flint around, there was never a reason to hope for a peaceful day.
And after all the chaos they'd just stirred up, it would've been weird not to attract the attention of that one deep in the ruins.
Heat rolled through the air.
"Oowoo!"
Ninetales' expression turned serious. The frost and sculptures it had previously created were slowly melting under the blazing temperature.
"A Fire-type Pokémon?!" Flint's face lit up with excitement.
Whooom—
A blazing light like a miniature sun slowly rose from the depths of the ancient city, radiating searing heat and a dazzling corona.
Flames twinkled around it like fireflies, then transformed into what looked like a fluttering swarm of delicate butterflies.
"Ku!"
"Goka!"
Flint's Infernape and Johan's Ceruledge both reacted with surprise.
As fellow Fire-types, they could feel the scorching intensity from that being.
"A sun?" Caitlin asked in confusion.
How could there be a sun underground?
"No, that's—" Cynthia began.
"Volcarona," Johan finished for her.
Volcarona?
"Volcarona, the Sun Pokémon. Bug/Fire-type. Once worshipped by ancient people as the embodiment of the sun. Said to appear in the darkest hours to light up the world—Rotom!"
Rotom quickly zipped behind Johan to hide.
"Melo?"
Meloetta also ducked behind Johan, peeking nervously from the other shoulder, her emerald eyes full of uncertainty.
One of the few Pokémon in the world to possess legends yet not be classified as a Legendary Pokémon—like Arcanine.
Whoosh—
Volcarona beat its wings gently, scattering a glittering dust like sparks that instantly raised the temperature again.
"Voooo…" Volcarona gave a soft cry.
Thankfully, Ninetales kept the temperature around Johan's group from becoming unbearable.
"A Volcarona, huh?" Flint's eyes blazed with excitement.
As a Fire-type specialist, seeing such a powerful Fire-type Pokémon made his heart race with the urge to capture it.
"Infernape!" he called.
"Ku!!"
Infernape, filled with equal fire and pride, ignited in flames.
It could never admit defeat to any other Fire-type.
Sensing the heated battle intent, Volcarona flared its wings—BOOM!
A fiery wave burst out from its body, expanding in all directions and spiking the heat even more.
Heat Wave!
Infernape's flames trembled. It crossed its arms in front of itself, digging its feet into the ground as the wind pushed it back, leaving blackened grooves behind.
"Ku!!"
But it didn't flinch. With a roar, it spread its arms wide and forced the heat aside.
"This is amazing…" Flint whispered. "But that just makes it more fun!!"
To stumble upon such a powerful Volcarona deep in the ruins—it made his fall worth it.
Even Johan, Cynthia, and Caitlin felt the raw strength of this ancient Volcarona.
This was a creature that had lived… who knew how long?
"Melo!"
Suddenly, Meloetta flew past Johan, placing herself between Flint, Infernape, and Volcarona, arms outstretched.
"Huh?"
Flint and Infernape paused.
Johan and the others looked surprised as well.
"Melo~ Melo~!"
Meloetta chanted, trying to communicate something. Volcarona, seeing her, also stopped its actions.
Johan's expression shifted.
Could it be… Meloetta and Volcarona knew each other?
In the "Pokémon Generations" anime, when Red defeated a Volcarona, it was Landorus who emerged afterward.
Given Meloetta's ties to Landorus… anything was possible.
Aura—
Johan tapped into his Aura powers.
He understood Meloetta's message.
Volcarona wasn't hostile. It was simply… guarding something important.
Something important?
The ruins?
That's why Volcarona had never left?
"Melo!" Meloetta turned to Johan, her face serious.
A partner…
Johan looked at Volcarona. Its sapphire eyes revealed no aggression, only deep resolve.
For some reason, Johan thought of Alder—and the Volcarona he lost in an accident.
"Is there something I can help with?" Johan asked gently.
Volcarona flinched, taken aback.
Meloetta's eyes sparkled. She called out softly:
"Melo~ Melo~ Melo~~"
Help?
Volcarona was doubtful. What it wished for was likely beyond what humans or even Legendary Pokémon could accomplish.
But under Meloetta's encouragement and Johan's gentle aura, it finally revealed its wish.
'I want to see Akisa again.'
Akisa?
Volcarona couldn't explain well. Or maybe, it had simply forgotten how.
Having spent countless years slumbering to guard its treasure, it had lived far beyond memory's reach.
Sleep had preserved its life… but also stolen its past.
It remembered only this: it stayed to guard, and for Akisa.
But what filled it with the most sorrow was…
It had forgotten what Akisa even looked like.
As a Pokémon psychologist, with the help of Aura and the Pokédex's abilities, Johan understood.
What Volcarona was guarding—it must have been something Akisa cherished.
He gently said, "If you trust me… no, please—listen to Meloetta's song."
"Melo?"
Meloetta blinked in confusion.
But Johan nodded at her with certainty.
Trust from a Volcarona wouldn't come easy—but Meloetta might succeed where he couldn't.
"Melo~"
Meloetta began to sing.
Her melody danced through the ancient hall like spring water, soft and clear.
Volcarona closed its eyes, overcome with drowsiness.
"Ka-kaah~"
Johan gestured to Gengar.
Gengar nodded and used Hypnosis.
Time might blur memories—but hypnosis could reach deep into the subconscious, and maybe, just maybe, retrieve what was lost.
Gengar summoned a dark mist, forming a bubble-like sphere.
Inside, an image formed.
—Faded streets, people in ancient garb. A frail Litwick-like larva crawled through a cramped alley, searching for food.
"It's that demon!"
"The fire demon!"
"Quick! Kill it!"
Children in brown tunics threw sharp stones at it.
The burning pain from each strike—it didn't understand why they hated it so.
"STOP!"
A girl, noble yet down-to-earth, stepped in.
She yelled at the kids, who fled.
Despite Volcarona's cursed status as the "Fury of the Sun," she didn't believe it deserved hate.
She approached the trembling bug, hugged it without fear or disgust.
That moment, the Fire Pokémon felt warmth for the first time.
"Pokémon aren't the ones to blame. It's those who use them maliciously."
From then on, the bug and the girl were inseparable.
She grew into a "princess" with no real power—but they were happy together.
Until one day…
She came to it crying, dressed in a stunning ceremonial gown.
It thought she looked beautiful.
But it didn't understand why she cried—only that she seemed forced to do something she didn't want.
Before leaving, she whispered one final sentence:
"Don't wait for me."
But… was it "wait for me" instead?
The bug couldn't tell.
Still, it waited.
Through evolution. Through the city's decay. Through desert burial.
It never left.
Her name… was Akisa.
Volcarona never blamed her.
It just… waited.
And now it was even angry at itself—for forgetting what she looked like.
The vision ended.
Cynthia, Caitlin, and Flint were all silent.
Johan slowly opened his eyes, expression heavy.
Why… did he suddenly think of Pidgeot?
"She said, 'Don't wait for me,'" Flint muttered.
"No," Johan shook his head. "She said, 'Wait for me.'"
Cynthia and Caitlin blinked, then smiled knowingly.
"You're right. She said, 'Wait for me.'"
"Huh?"
Flint was lost.
Had he misheard?
Infernape rolled its eyes and returned to its Poké Ball.
No more fighting.
And Flint didn't feel like it either.
"Let it have a happy dream," Johan said softly. "Even if it wakes… for now…"
Everyone, Pokémon included, nodded.
In the dream…
The waiting Volcarona saw her again.
"I'm back, Larvesta~"
In that moment, it felt like it had seen the sun again.
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Powerstones?
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