Two portals to completely different dimensions tore open in the air.
Gardevoir informed John that she could sense the spatial ripples behind them. Even with the Ancient Lustrous Orb, she couldn't seal them. Even with the Ancient Adamant Orb, she couldn't predict them.
But the auras behind those portals felt... familiar.
However, their forms were nothing like what everyone knew.
Palkia, which normally walked on two legs, had shifted to all fours. It wore knight's armor on its head, its expression cold and stern, like some powerful centaur warrior.
Dialga's transformation was completely different. It had always walked on four legs, and that hadn't changed, but its body seemed more compact now, emphasizing the dark blue gemstone on its chest and giving it a more refined appearance. Its tail was restrained, and it also wore knight's armor on its head.
These were Palkia and Dialga's Origin Forms!
John and Gardevoir had seen them before.
But that was through Zoroark's Illusion.
What they were seeing now wasn't an illusion, these were the real deal. Origin Form Dialga and Palkia.
The forms traded some physical strength for increased special defense, optimized for their signature moves.
What really shocked John was that both gods' eyes were completely crimson, with streaks of jet black mixed in.
Which meant Giratina had manipulated them too?!
But if that were true, why would Giratina still need to capture the three Lake Guardians to create the Red Chain?
Palkia and Dialga quickly answered that question.
Flash Cannon!
BOOM!
A beam radiating destructive energy collided with a brilliant silver ray. The devastating explosion rocked the altar. Volo, having just summoned the two gods, immediately fled with the Origin Ball, otherwise he would've been vaporized by the shockwave!
An attack that would've been terrifying to humans and ordinary Pokemon was just a casual greeting between these two deities.
Origin Form Palkia and Dialga burst out of the black smoke, their powers clashing as they battled above the Mount Coronet plains.
Beams of condensed time, space, and Dragon-type energy swept across the landscape. Temporal and spatial forces colliding rapidly warped reality itself. If they kept this up much longer, the Mount Coronet plains would end up like Sendoff Spring, trapped in a space-time rift.
Giratina joined the chaotic brawl.
John finally understood.
Palkia and Dialga had been affected by Giratina's black smoke, but they weren't being controlled. Instead, like those Noble Pokemon designated by Arceus, they'd gone completely berserk.
"No wonder Volo wanted the Red Chain. These really are just two rabid dogs," John muttered.
Giratina and Volo probably had no way to deal with him and Gardevoir directly, so they'd released two crazed beasts to wreak havoc. At minimum, it'd force a retreat and stop Mega Gardevoir from raining hell down on Giratina.
To which John could only say—
You came to the right guy!
John had come to the Hisui region specifically to find Palkia and Dialga, hoping to obtain the Lustrous Orb and Adamant Orb from the two gods to use as divine treasure materials for Gardevoir.
And conveniently, Greninja and Gengar had both completed their MEGA Evolutions, adjusting to peak condition. Facing two great gods without Plates backing them up? They still needed to be careful, but it was doable.
John waved his hand dramatically, pointing at Palkia and Dialga from a distance.
"Alright team, go get 'em, use Thief!"
The two gods definitely wouldn't hand over their treasures voluntarily. Plus they were currently in a frenzy. Perfect timing, steal their items while they're too crazy to notice.
What? You say they'd definitely want them back?
Even if they did, John wouldn't give them up.
Worst case scenario, he'd just exit the game and save!
In midair, Greninja reached the battlefield first. Double Team activated immediately.
Like a dancer's footwork scattered across Palkia and Dialga's bodies, the Thief move deployed repeatedly.
Mega Gengar and Zoroark weren't about to be left behind. The two of them both focused on a single god, exploiting weak points to strike.
Leading Zigzagoon around to pick up items, planting berries, using Thief moves—
Back in the day, it really was all about making money, doing whatever it took. (Only in the game, of course.)
Now? Pickup squads, berry farming, thieving tactics, since opening the breeding facility, money came so easily he'd completely forgotten about those old strategies.
Thinking back on it now, that was his lost youth.