A Note from the Author
Hey everyone,
First off, I really apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out. I know I mentioned a mass release, and I'm genuinely sorry that this isn't it. Unfortunately, I haven't been as free as I'd hoped, and I've been dealing with some family matters that have taken up a lot of my time and focus.
On top of that, I've been working hard to complete my main fic, which also required a good chunk of my attention. So, I kindly ask for your patience regarding the mass release for now.
However, I'm committed to keeping the story going. I'll do my best to release a chapter every day until things stabilize.
Thank you so much for your understanding and continued support!
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In the vast, inky canvas of the cosmos, where nebulae swirled like iridescent paint and stars glittered like scattered diamonds, Arceus, the venerable God of this particular universe, stretched languidly.
A monumental being of unimaginable majesty, power rippled from him with every subtle shift of his cosmic form, scattering stardust like divine dandruff.
He'd just roused from what he considered a brief catnap, though by mortal standards, eons had probably whizzed by.
"Yawn… I certainly slept for a while," he rumbled, a sound that resonated through the very fabric of spacetime, causing distant galaxies to shimmer.
"I only intended to sleep for a few measly years. I wonder how that boy I blessed with another shot at life is faring these days? Hope he's not trying to train a Magikarp to become the ultimate fighting machine."
As Arceus drifted through the celestial currents, his thoughts on the boy, a sudden, jarring anomaly pricked at his cosmic awareness.
It was subtle at first, like a misplaced note in a grand symphony, but then it hit him with the force of a supernova.
Time wasn't moving. Not a tick, not a tock. Everything was suspended in an eternal, infuriating 'now.'
Immediately, his divine forehead began to bulge, not with wisdom, but with an incandescent, universe-shaking rage. "Dialga! That incompetent, time-bending imbecile! He did it again, didn't he?!" he roared, his voice tearing through the void, causing newly formed planets to wobble precariously on their axes. "I swear, if he's paused time to binge-watch some reality show about interdimensional chefs again, I'm going to turn him into a perpetual motion machine!"
Meanwhile, light-years away and blissfully unaware of the cosmic tantrum he was about to face, Dialga, the supposed master of time, was having the absolute best day of his existence. He was nestled comfortably in his personal pocket dimension, a cozy little temporal bubble designed for maximum relaxation, currently vibrating with uncontained excitement. In his mighty, time-controlling claws, he was gingerly prying open a pristine, suspiciously sleek box emblazoned with the words, "Nintendo Switch 2."
"Finally, after enduring what felt like an eternity – though I could have just fast-forwarded through the line, but where's the fun in that, right? – after lining up for countless hours, disguised as a mere, unassuming mortal named 'Tim' (who knew human queues were so… stationary?), I've managed to acquire the legendary new Nintendo Switch 2!" he exclaimed, his normally stoic, gem-like eyes gleaming with the unadulterated joy of a child on Christmas morning. "Oh, the sacrifices I make for gaming! It's not easy for a temporal deity to act like he doesn't have the power to warp reality just to get a console. But this, this console, it originated from an outer dimension, a realm beyond my direct temporal manipulation! I had to wait like any normal, impatient mortal for this new gaming marvel. The agony! The anticipation!"
He paused, holding the console aloft like a sacred artifact. "At last! Mario, with his questionable plumbing skills! Pokémon, with their endless battles and adorable, yet surprisingly ferocious, creatures! Zelda, with its timeless tales of heroism and puzzle-solving! Oh, how I yearn to conquer you all! My destiny awaits!" He was just about to press the power button, his thumb hovering over the sleek 'on' switch, when…
His entire dimension, a realm he had crafted with the utmost temporal precision and comfort, suddenly trembled violently. Not a gentle tremor, but a gut-wrenching, reality-shaking shudder that sent his meticulously arranged collection of rare, time-displaced action figures tumbling. Dialga, for all his mastery over the fourth dimension, was scared speechless. Every fiber of his being, every chronon in his body, screamed one terrifying truth: only one being, one supremely powerful, eternally grumpy, and surprisingly observant being, possessed such immense, reality-warping power.
His thoughts raced. No, it can't be! He's supposed to be napping! For millennia! Did I set the alarm wrong? Did I accidentally fast-forward his sleep cycle? Did I forget to put out the cosmic milk and cookies before his nap?
"Lo-Lord Arceus!" he stammered in utter shock, his voice a pathetic squeak compared to his usual resonant tones. He frantically scrambled, attempting a clumsy, panic-induced attempt to hide his brand-new, still-in-the-box console behind his back, as if a being who could perceive all of spacetime wouldn't notice a giant, glowing Nintendo Switch 2. He even tried to subtly warp time around it, but his shaking hands made the effort futile.
Arceus, of course, from his vantage point observing all of existence (and currently, the very embarrassing sight of Dialga fumbling with a video game console), noticed the hasty, utterly transparent movement. And then he saw it. The pristine box. The logo. The sheer audacity of it all. His divine fury, which had momentarily subsided into a low simmer, intensified, bubbling over into a full-blown supernova of wrath. The reason for the frozen timeline, the grand cosmic emergency, became agonizingly, hilariously clear.
"Dialga," Arceus's voice resonated through Dialga's pocket dimension, chilling it to absolute zero despite the warmth of the gaming console. Each word was imbued with divine authority, each syllable a hammer blow to Dialga's already fractured composure. "I seem to recall telling you explicitly, in no uncertain terms, to never, ever slack off again, didn't I? It was a rather memorable conversation, involving a rather large cosmic spatula and a threat to turn you into a glorified sundial. So tell me, with the very fabric of existence currently on pause, why, pray tell, are you slacking off when time isn't even moving forward? Were you planning a surprise freeze-tag tournament with the universe as your playground?"
His voice, usually full of majesty and cold, impartial judgment, now brimmed with a very human-like exasperation and anger. For Dialga, however, his mind could only echo these terrifying, soul-crushing words: 'Ah, I'm dead, aren't I? Or worse, I'm going to be stuck playing the original Pokémon Red on a Game Boy for eternity!'
Meanwhile, back on a small, blue planet in a universe far, far away, the Nintendo company, blissfully and wonderfully unaware of the cosmic drama unfolding because of their latest technological marvel, continued its daily operations.
A diligent developer, hunched over his desk, coding away on the next update for the Switch 2, suddenly sneezed with an almost theatrical flourish. "Achoo!… Goodness, did someone just mention me? Perhaps in a highly critical, universe-shattering context?" He mused, rubbing his nose. "Probably just overthinking it. Too much coffee, not enough sleep. Anyway, some users are complaining about the display of the Switch 2. Saying it looks a bit… scratched?"
He considered informing his superior, picturing the endless meetings and pointless debates that would ensue. But then, a wave of apathy washed over him. He shrugged, a gesture of profound indifference. "Meh, who cares? Everyone will probably slap a screen protector on it anyway. It's practically standard practice these days. Better to let them think it's their fault for not being prepared."
He returned to his work after that, completely oblivious that his company's latest console had not only caused the literal freezing of time across an entire universe but that Dialga, in his utter, soul-crushing panic to hide the console from Arceus's wrath, had accidentally, pathetically, and perhaps tragically, scratched the precious screen of his brand-new Nintendo Switch 2 against a stray cosmic rock. The irony was palpable.
Poor Dialga. His quest for digital glory had just turned into a cosmic catastrophe, and now his shiny new toy had a permanent battle scar before he even played a single game. (ㄒoㄒ)
......
As time finally lurched back into motion, the world around them seemed to give a collective shiver, as if waking from a long, strange dream. Yet, in their cozy bubble of a living room, completely oblivious to their millennia-long temporal suspension, the girls' night talk resumed with nary a beat missed.
May, ever the quick-witted one, was still desperately trying to navigate her way out of the impending inquisition. The gaggle of curious girls, with Green leading the charge, were practically vibrating with anticipation, eager to unearth her deepest secret.
"So, can we skip my story, like we skipped on Serena's?" she tried to negotiate, her voice laced with a hopeful plea, a tiny bit of desperation creeping in. She gave them her most charming, innocent smile, hoping it would disarm their resolve.
But unfortunately for May, Green, and indeed, any of the other girls present, were having none of it. Their collective resolve was as solid as a rock.
"Oh, come on, May, spit it out!" Green retorted, leaning forward conspiratorially, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous spark. There was a palpable 'I want to know your dirty little secret' tone in her voice, making May's stomach do a nervous flip. "We all know about Serena, so she's definitely left for last. But you, on the other hand, you've never told us yours! It's only fair!"
May found herself in a genuine dilemma. Cornered, with no obvious escape route. Then, a mischievous gleam entered her eyes, and a brilliant, if slightly devious, idea sparked in her mind. A lifeline! Or, more accurately, a fellow victim to drag into the spotlight with her.
"Then Dawn," she began, turning to her friend with a sudden, overly sweet smile, "how about we say it together? After all, we met Ash at roughly the same time, didn't we?" She knew exactly what she was doing.
Dawn, who had been comfortably sipping her soda, nearly choked. Her eyes widened in genuine surprise, and she instantly became a nervous wreck. "W-why me?" she stammered, her cheeks flushing a faint pink. "I can say it later, can't I? I'm not... not quite prepared yet!"
Green, however, merely smirked at May's ingenious suggestion. "Oh, that sounds good!" she declared, clapping her hands together with glee. "Dawn, you heard her! Come on, say it!"
Dawn was now metaphorically (and almost literally, as the other girls subtly nudged her) pushed closer to May. In her head, a torrent of curses erupted, all directed at her supposed friend. 'Damn it, May! I wasn't prepared for this! You scheming little witch!' she fumed internally, her mind scrambling for an excuse, any excuse.
"Then how do we begin, Dawn?" May asked, a triumphant, almost predatory smirk playing on her lips. Her eyes held a clear message, a silent communication that Dawn understood perfectly: 'If I'm going to be utterly embarrassed, why shouldn't you join me in this delightful descent into awkwardness? Misery loves company, darling.'
'Bitch,' Dawn thought, the single word echoing loudly in her mind, encapsulating her complex mix of anger, resignation, and perhaps a touch of unwilling camaraderie.
And that's precisely how the girls' night continued, filled with laughter, prodding questions, and the impending, simultaneous confessions of two unsuspecting girls, completely oblivious that their innocent little gathering had been frozen in time for a few millennia, courtesy of a certain deity's gaming habits.