Pokemon: A New Path-The Looming Crisis[467]

For a moment, Naoki simply stared at the small, green, slug-like creature trembling before him.

'What's going on? How did a Zygarde Cell end up in Paldea?'

Slowly, he reached out and as soon as his fingers touched it, the tiny cell shivered, then instinctively curled up into his palm.

"Gah?"

Cyclizar tilted its head, staring at the unknown squishy lifeform with a puzzled expression.

Naoki saw its confusion and smiled slightly.

"It's a Pokémon… of sorts."

Or at least, part of one.

Zygarde—the legendary Pokémon of Kalos, also known as "Z-God"—was the guardian of the ecosystem. It had no fixed home. Instead, it existed in a scattered state, its cells and cores spread across the world, silently watching over nature.

In the Pokémon anime, Zygarde had even tasked Ash's Greninja with eliminating dangerous energy disturbances across Kalos.

Among all legendary Pokémon, Zygarde was one of the most unique.

It wasn't just a single entity—it could break itself down into cells and cores, dispersing them throughout nature. When danger loomed, these cells would begin to gather, forming Zygarde's stronger forms.

In the past, the Zygarde Core—nicknamed "Squishy"—had been found by Bonnie during their travels, eventually leading to a grand battle to protect Kalos.

'But what about this Zygarde Cell? Why was it here, in Paldea?'

As Naoki studied the trembling cell in his hand, a bold thought crossed his mind.

'Could this cell have been sent by Zygarde as a watchful monitor?'

After all cells had no independent will. They only responded to commands from the Zygarde Core.

And there was no Zygarde Core in Paldea. So how had this lone cell ended up here?

'Could it be that Zygarde was observing something happening in Paldea's ecosystem?'

Naoki frowned slightly.

It wasn't impossible. As the guardian of the environment, Zygarde didn't just monitor one region—it watched over the entire world.

"Koraidon, have you ever seen this little guy near the ranch before?" Naoki asked.

"Ah, gah..."

Koraidon shook his massive head. He had seen it before, back when he was still a Cyclizar, but not since evolving into Koraidon.

"I see," Naoki murmured thoughtfully.

Could it be that this Zygarde Cell was drawn to the energy of the World Tree?

After all, if a World Tree had formed here, it would bring tremendous benefits to the entire ecosystem. Regardless of the reason, Zygarde had never shown any hostility toward them.

After a moment of contemplation, Naoki decided to take the Cell back to the house. This thing could eventually combine into something as powerful as a mecha-like Pokémon!

Might as well start collecting them. If the World Tree continues to grow, it might attract more Zygarde Cells and even Cores in the future.

And when that happens, he could gather them all and see if he could form a full Zygarde.

As Naoki stepped into the living room, Calyrex—who was casually scrolling through his Rotom Phone under the cool breeze of the air conditioner—suddenly sensed something unfamiliar.

The King of Bountiful Harvests lifted his gaze, spotting the small, green, unknown creature resting in Naoki's palm.

Calyrex blinked, momentarily surprised. "What is that?"

"This?" Naoki responded with a chuckle. "Softy."

"Softy?" Calyrex tilted his head in curiosity.

"I just gave it a name!" Naoki grinned as he rummaged through the cupboard, pulling out some Pokémon treats and setting them down near the little green cell.

However, the Zygarde Cell didn't even glance at the food. Instead, it instinctively curled up in Naoki's palm, trembling slightly as if still wary of its surroundings.

Naoki wasn't particularly surprised by its reaction.

After all, Zygarde's Cells had no independent will. Unlike most Pokémon, they likely didn't need food in the traditional sense. Instead, they probably sustained themselves by absorbing natural energy, sunlight, or even moisture from the air.

He considered this for a moment before placing Softy on the windowsill. Beside it, he left a small dish of water and a Pokémon snack—just in case.

The tiny Cell remained motionless, only blinking occasionally, as if it were cautiously observing its new environment.

Naoki wasn't sure how much time had passed, but eventually, Softy seemed to tire out.

Slowly, it crawled toward the snack, hesitated for a moment, then opened its tiny mouth and instinctively began nibbling on the food.

Meanwhile, far away in the Kalos region—deep within Terminus Cave, Zygarde stirred.

Through its scattered Cells, it was able to see everything that was happening. Its gaze lingered on the human in the distant land of Paldea.

This human possessed an unusually strong connection to natural energy.

Could the aura it had sensed before… have come from him?

For the first time in a long while, Zygarde found itself puzzled.

'Had the ecosystem chosen this human as its guardian?'

Zygarde remained motionless, staring at the scene unfolding through its dispersed Cells. It had seen many strange things in its time, but this… this was new.

The human had given one of its Cells a name.

"Softy."

For a moment, the great guardian of balance was at a loss for words.

Softy?

It was Zygarde, the embodiment of order, the overseer of ecosystems—how could one of its components be called such a ridiculous name?!

A sense of exasperation filled its consciousness. But now was not the time for trivial frustrations.

"No, we must gather more information. We need to observe this human further before drawing any conclusions."

Deep within Terminus Cave, the green glow dimmed, and Zygarde withdrew its presence, continuing to monitor the state of the world.

...

Hoenn Region

Deep within the heart of a massive volcano, Steven Stone stood tensely, his sharp gray eyes fixed on the man before him.

A tall, slender figure with piercing red hair and black-framed glasses stood with unwavering confidence, the flickering magma casting eerie shadows on his uniform.

Maxie, the leader of Team Magma, remained eerily calm, despite the battle that had just unfolded around them.

Scattered across the cavern floor were the unconscious forms of Team Magma grunts and their Mightyena, their bodies bearing the marks of a hard-fought battle.

Molten lava bubbled and hissed beneath them, illuminating the vast chamber in an ominous glow.

Behind Maxie, a colossal Pokémon lay submerged in the lava, its deep slumber undisturbed by the chaos around it. Its crimson, armor-like hide gleamed under the fiery light.

Groudon.

Steven's expression hardened as he took a step forward. His Metagross, its metallic body reflecting the magma's glow, stood firmly at his side.

"Why are you doing this, Maxie?" Steven demanded, his voice steady. "Expanding the landmass like this—disrupting nature's balance—it will throw the entire world into chaos! If Groudon awakens, it won't bring prosperity, it will bring devastation!"

Maxie adjusted his glasses, his expression unreadable.

"This world was once dominated by land. The sea has taken more than its fair share," he said smoothly. "If we awaken Groudon, we can reclaim that lost land. More space for humans. More space for Pokémon. It is the natural course of history."

Steven clenched his fists.

"That's not balance. That's destruction."

A smirk played on Maxie's lips. "Even if you're the Champion of Hoenn, you can't stop me."

He took a step back, gesturing toward the sleeping Groudon.

"Look at it, Steven. This ancient titan… the very embodiment of land itself. Do you see its power? Do you understand the greatness that lies before us?!" Maxie's voice rose with fervor. "For this moment, I have waited so long—and now, no one can stand in my way!"

Steven's expression darkened. The air was thick with tension.

The Fire-type Pokémon Camerupt, standing by Maxie's side, scraped its hooves against the rocky ground, molten embers flickering from the humps on its back.

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The battle was about to begin.

Meanwhile, in the Seafloor Cavern...

Laughter—cold, twisted laughter—echoed through the underground chamber.

"Hahahaha… It's truly tragic, don't you think?"

A blue-haired man in a dark navy trench coat spread his arms wide, a manic grin stretching across his face.

"You came all this way to stop me… but now, it's far too late!" he sneered. "Even without the Blue Orb, Kyogre will awaken—and once it does, the world will change forever!"

Standing opposite him, a tall man with an air of refinement adjusted his flowing cape. His calm blue eyes betrayed no fear—only sharp, unwavering focus.

Wallace.

He cast a glance toward the massive Pokémon resting in the water behind Archie.

Despite the chaos unfolding around them, Wallace remained composed.

"Such a shame," he murmured, shaking his head. "I had hoped to return to Sootopolis City before nightfall. I even had a lovely tea planned."

He shifted his gaze toward his partner.

"Milotic… shall we?"

The elegant Water-type Pokémon let out a soft, melodic cry.

"Miiloo!"

In a flash, Milotic surged forward, its body gliding effortlessly across the cavern floor.