The boy didn't hesitate. His chest swelled with a strange, electric excitement—the kind a child feels when unwrapping the gift of a lifetime.
"For my final wish…" His voice trembled, but his eyes burned bright. "…I want to travel the Pokémon universe. It's the world I've always loved."
The goddess tilted her head, silver hair shimmering in the ethereal light. A soft smile curved her lips, gentle but knowing.
"I thought you might say that," she murmured.
A breeze drifted through the garden, carrying the scent of flowers he didn't recognize, yet felt somehow familiar, comforting. She folded her arms, and for a moment, she seemed entirely human—a figure of warmth and grace.
"But don't mistake it for play," she continued, her tone calm but serious. "The Pokémon world… isn't as you've seen it in games or shows. It's wilder, harsher, more alive. Pokémon aren't just creatures you command—they think, they feel, and they can be deadly. Battles can be brutal. Trainers aren't always kind. And people… sometimes worse."
He swallowed hard. The warning didn't scare him. It only made his heart beat faster.
"I know," he said firmly. "I still want to go."
The goddess's smile softened further, her silver eyes glimmering with admiration. "Very well," she whispered. "Then I will send you several years before the world's original timeline begins. You'll have a head start, and… a gift."
She lifted her hand, and faint golden runes danced along her fingertips. When she touched his wrist, a warm, pulsing mark flared to life. It glowed faintly, like fire trapped beneath crystal.
"This is a divine seal," she said softly. "It will guide you, measure your growth, and help you survive. It is… a gift from me."
He stared at it, unable to speak for a long moment. A system… from a goddess. His heartbeat thundered.
Her eyes flickered, and the air shifted subtly around her. "And because of our bond…" She stepped closer, and the world seemed to lean toward her. "…you have inherited a power unique to those who share a divine marriage: the Devine Contract."
Her words were gentle, but the moment it left her lips, he felt a warmth surge through his chest. It wrapped around him, deep and intimate, like the softest tether to her presence.
"If you form a contract with another," she said, "you will share twenty percent of each other's strength, permanently. You will be linked by soul, by loyalty, by trust. Betrayal… is impossible."
She paused. And then the atmosphere shifted. The gentle goddess he had known faded, replaced by something immense, something awe-inspiring. Her aura swelled, and the garden trembled under the weight of her power. Eyes blazing like molten stars, she leaned closer, voice dropping to a tone that rattled his soul.
"…I am your first and greatest wife. You are mine. Should you ever form a bond with another…" Her gaze pierced him. "…you will ask my permission first."
His knees nearly buckled. The pressure of her presence, raw and divine, was enough to make his heart skip a hundred beats. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to stand straighter.
"Y-Yes, my goddess! My wife! I… I would never dare! You are my everything! My queen! My heart!"
The goddess blinked once. Then slowly, the sharp edge of her presence softened. Her aura settled into a warm, comforting glow. The corners of her lips lifted into a satisfied, almost fond smile.
"Good," she said simply. "You learn quickly."
He exhaled shakily, letting the tension seep from his body. Inside, he laughed silently. I don't know if I'm the happiest man alive… or the most terrified.
She chuckled softly at his thought, though her lips barely moved. "You will be both," she said, voice warm. "But don't worry. You'll live up to it."
The air around him shimmered. Colors stretched, bending light like heat over a summer road. The garden blurred into streaks of silver and gold. Her voice echoed, tender, eternal:
"Go now, my beloved. Grow strong. Explore the world you've dreamed of. And one day… return to me."
Then, with a rush of wind and light, he was gone.