Pokemon: Spiritual Master-Chapter 438: You Seriously Cut Down the Time-Space Tower Right From the Start?

"Those two guys? Who?"

Cynthia looked confused. She was curious—who could make Johan so anxious?

Johan slowed his pace as he glanced toward Darkrai, who was silently following them in the shadows of the alleyway. It neither stopped them nor spoke, just quietly trailed behind.

Johan rubbed his temples, looking helpless. "If nothing unexpected happens... it's Dialga and Palkia."

Cynthia's eyes widened.

As a Sinnoh mythology researcher and a native of Celestic Town, she knew exactly what those names meant.

"Are you saying Dialga and Palkia will appear in Eterna City?" Cynthia asked for confirmation.

"Yeah... probably."

"How?"

According to ancient records, Dialga resided in a separate time dimension, and Palkia lived in a space beyond this world.

Theoretically, these two places never overlapped, and Dialga and Palkia should never have reason to interact, let alone appear together.

Johan understood Cynthia's doubts.

But "theoretically" didn't mean much. Otherwise, how would movie plots happen?

Honestly, even he was confused.

Logically, those two shouldn't have clashed this early...

And to be extra cautious, when Johan first arrived in Eterna City, he sought out Tonio to dig for information.

Tonio had assured him everything was normal.

So why did things change so quickly?

The only one who could answer that question now was...

Darkrai, who was still floating in the alleyway, watching silently.

Johan and Cynthia exchanged glances.

They stopped walking and turned toward Darkrai.

"Let me ask something first."

Before Darkrai could speak, Johan raised a hand, stopping it.

"Can we still leave Eterna City?"

Darkrai stared at Johan without responding immediately.

It just... kept staring.

Seconds passed.

Then—

A strange pulse rippled through the sky above Eterna City.

Because of the festival fireworks, combined with whatever power was at play, the city's residents didn't notice a thing.

Darkrai finally spoke.

"You cannot leave."

Johan fell silent.

I strongly suspect you stalled on purpose, and I have evidence!

He took a deep breath, calming himself down.

"When did you find out?" Johan asked.

"About... an hour ago," Darkrai admitted.

Johan blinked.

An hour ago?

In the movie's timeline, Darkrai sensed the danger early, trying to warn the city by scaring the residents away.

But ultimately, it failed and was blamed as the cause of the disaster, leading to a massive Trainer hunt against it.

That took at least a full day—maybe even longer.

"This is happening way too fast."

Darkrai nodded.

It came so fast that there was no time to warn people or drive them away.

That's why Darkrai hadn't even bothered trying.

"How did you find out?" Cynthia asked.

Darkrai glanced at her, then hesitated for a moment before waving its arm.

Something small was tossed into the air.

A floating black letter "P" hovered in place, fidgeting anxiously.

Johan and Cynthia both froze in surprise.

"...Unown?"

The little P-shaped Unown immediately dove behind Johan, peeking out cautiously at Darkrai.

Its reaction was so familiar—as if they were longtime friends.

Johan felt a headache coming on.

Darkrai's expression said it all—"I knew it."

"You're from the Eterna Ruins, aren't you?" Cynthia suddenly realized.

The Unown nodded rapidly.

The Eterna Ruins...

Johan instantly recalled the "prophecy" the Unown had given them when he and Cynthia explored the ruins.

Back then, the Unown warned of an impending disaster.

At the time, Johan wasn't completely sure who the prophecy referred to.

But now...

It was obviously Arceus.

After all, Sinnoh's three movie plots were all linked—everything started because Arceus was about to awaken.

"Let me get this straight." Johan grabbed the Unown-P.

Arceus is about to wake up, and its rage equals destruction.

That rage has disrupted time and space, causing Dialga and Palkia to overlap dimensions.

Each of them thinks the other is invading their territory, so they start fighting.

The Unown sensed this fight, entered the dimensional rift, and tried to witness or stop it.

They failed, so they came to ask for help.

And the first person they thought of was...

The "good guy" who gave them Pokéblocks—Johan.

Then, intentionally or not, they led Dialga and Palkia straight to Eterna City.

That's why they arrived so quickly.

So, in conclusion—

This is all Flint's fault.

If Johan hadn't gone to save him, he wouldn't have met the Unown.

If he hadn't met the Unown, he wouldn't have heard the prophecy.

If he hadn't heard the prophecy, he wouldn't be in this mess now.

This wasn't just one mark in the revenge notebook—at least ten.

Johan sighed deeply.

"So... what do we do next?" Johan looked at Darkrai.

Darkrai looked back at him.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

Then Cynthia.

Then back to Johan.

Johan narrowed his eyes.

"Why are you all looking at me?"

"I mean, you're the one who has to figure it out," Cynthia said seriously.

"If Dialga and Palkia really start fighting here, Eterna City won't just be destroyed—it could cause a chain reaction across all of Sinnoh."

Johan forced a smile.

What gave you the impression that I could solve this?!

Johan took a deep breath, calming down.

Wait.

How did the movie resolve this?

He lifted his head, looking toward the center of Eterna City—

The Time-Space Tower.

That's right!

"Oración!"

"Oración?" Cynthia looked confused.

Darkrai, however, reacted immediately.

Oración was the song that Alicia had played for it and the Pokémon in the garden.

It had the power to calm emotions.

"But... Oración alone won't reach them."

Darkrai suddenly turned sharply, looking toward the top of the Time-Space Tower.

"The Time-Space Tower?"

Though it was phrased as a question, its tone was already certain.

"Exactly!"

Johan nodded firmly.

"Find Tonio and Alice. Godey should have kept a recording of Oración. Once you find it, take it to the top of the Time-Space Tower and prepare to play it the moment Dialga and Palkia arrive."

"Understood!"

Darkrai nodded.

Then it asked, "What about you two?"

Johan narrowed his eyes.

"I'm going to set up a backup plan."

Darkrai studied him for a moment, then sank into the shadows and disappeared.

"Cynthia, go get Flint and Bruno," Johan said next.

"If this turns into an actual battle, we're going to need them."

Bruno was an absolute powerhouse.

As for Flint...

Well.

If Dialga and Palkia showed up, they could just throw him at them and see what happened.

"Got it!" Cynthia turned to leave.

Then she paused.

She glanced down at her hand.

Johan was still holding it.

"Ah—sorry," Johan quickly let go.

He had been so tense he hadn't noticed.

Cynthia's cheeks flushed slightly, but there was no time to dwell on it.

"Be careful."

"Meet at the Pokémon Center," Johan said.

"Understood!"

Sinnoh League Headquarters.

"A strange energy field has appeared outside Eterna City!"

Bertha had just sat down in her office when she received the report from the monitoring department. She sighed, rubbing her temples.

Can I not get a single day of peace?

At this point, she was seriously questioning whether being an Elite Four member was even worth it.

Despite her complaints, she pressed the intercom button.

"Where?"

"Eterna City!"

At the same time, a live feed from outside the city appeared on the large screen in her office.

A thick, dense white fog had completely shrouded Eterna City and the surrounding areas.

"All testing confirms that this energy field cannot be dispersed. Drones, monitoring personnel, and even Pokémon are unable to enter. Communication signals have also been completely cut off from within."

Bertha frowned.

This was no ordinary incident.

Eterna City had thousands of residents, and with the festival happening, there were even more tourists than usual.

If something went wrong...

"Any idea what's causing this?" Bertha asked grimly.

"The source is currently unknown, but based on our analysis... this energy field is most likely related to spatial distortions—similar to a dimensional wall! We're already consulting experts—"

The report was interrupted by an incoming call.

Bertha glanced at the screen.

"Professor Carolina?"

She was surprised but quickly answered.

Professor Carolina's expression was grave.

"Bertha, this energy field outside Eterna City... it's likely connected to Dialga and Palkia."

Bertha's pupils shrank.

On the screen behind Professor Carolina, a glowing orb was floating.

The Adamant Orb—Dialga's sacred relic.

It had never glowed before.

This was the first time in history.

And, coincidentally, it started glowing at the exact moment the strange energy field appeared around Eterna City.

Dialga and Palkia...

Bertha suddenly felt a massive headache coming on.

How did this suddenly involve them?

Somewhere in the depths of a temporal-spatial distortion...

Time and space collided violently, their energies constantly clashing and reforming.

At the very center of this chaotic rift, two colossal figures stood locked in battle.

Every time they struck, space would shatter and time would fracture.

BOOM!

The shockwaves from their battle rippled outward, warping reality itself.

Around them, countless Unown floated desperately, trying to contain the destruction.

But no matter how many Unown arrived, they couldn't stop the two deities.

BOOM!

Time froze.

Space tore apart.

Dialga roared.

"Garrrr!!!"

Palkia responded immediately, slashing forward with a spatial blade that could cut through existence itself.

BOOM!

Another devastating collision erupted.

The force of their battle wasn't random.

Whether intentionally or not, the two legendary Pokémon were slowly drifting in one direction.

Wherever they passed, the fabric of reality was left in ruins.

The Unown trembled in terror.

"Cha?"

Tinkaton tilted its head, looking confused.

Across from it, Johan held three ancient artifacts in his hands—

Uxie's Claw, Mesprit's Feather, and Azelf's Fang.

"Yeah... these are the ones."

Tinkaton scratched its head.

Okay, but how the hell were they supposed to forge a red chain out of...

A tooth, a tiny feather, and a small claw?

And why does it have to be red?!

"Ka-kah~!"

Gengar, now wearing a pair of fake scholar glasses, rubbed its chin.

"My expert suggestion? Let's melt them down with my poison first."

"Goka! Goka!"

Charcadet frantically shook its head.

No, no, no!

They need to be red! They should try smelting them with fire first!

"Garrr?"

Dragonite picked up Mesprit's Feather, squeezing it in its hand.

It didn't bend at all.

"Hmm?"

Urshifu grabbed Azelf's Fang, clenched its fist, and squeezed hard.

It didn't even crack.

Unbreakable.

"Yoji~"

Larvitar casually tossed Uxie's Claw into its mouth, biting down.

Johan: "...Are you serious?"

He sighed, rubbing his forehead.

He should've known.

None of his Pokémon were normal.

But seriously, how the hell were they supposed to forge this thing?

Then—

Johan suddenly had an idea.

He turned toward Ninetales.

At the end of one of its nine flowing tails, the little P-shaped Unown was happily bouncing up and down.

Johan narrowed his eyes, his lips curling into a meaningful smile.

This little guy might know something.

The Unown's excitement froze instantly.

Its movements became stiff.

It slowly turned its head—

Only to see Johan grinning at it.

And around him...

Gengar, adjusting its glasses with a sinister gleam in its eyes.

Tinkaton, spinning its massive hammer, its smile unsettlingly wide.

Dragonite, lazily patting its huge belly, looking ready to crush something.

Urshifu, cracking its knuckles, exuding pure intimidation.

Charcadet, brushing the flames on its head, heat intensifying.

Larvitar, using Uxie's Claw as a damn toothpick.

The Unown gulped.

...Why do I suddenly feel like Dialga and Palkia are the lesser evil?

Some Trainers had noticed the anomaly and were trying to escape the city.

But no matter how hard they tried, the thick fog refused to let them leave.

Even if they ran straight ahead, they would always end up back at the bridge.

"We can't get out!"

"What's going on?!"

"My phone has no signal! We can't contact anyone outside!"

Panic started to spread.

And panic... was contagious.

Suddenly, someone shouted—

"Baron Alberto has found the cause! It's a Darkrai! If we get rid of that Darkrai, we can escape!"

Darkrai.

The "nightmare Pokémon."

So... this was all its doing?

The moment they had a target for their fear, reason went out the window.

"Darkrai!"

"Let's go! It's in the town square!"

"Take it down together!"

A large group of Trainers began gathering in the square, preparing for battle.

"Johan, what the hell is going on?"

Flint's loud voice echoed through the center as he barged in.

Behind him were Cynthia and Bruno.

Bruno was carrying a ridiculous amount of steamed buns, stuffing them into his mouth like a starving man.

"A huge fog just appeared and trapped the city?" Flint asked.

"Yeah."

Johan smiled.

"Nothing major."

Flint relaxed.

"Oh, okay, that's fine—"

"—It's just Dialga."

Flint's eye twitched.

"...Excuse me?"

"And Palkia."

Flint: "?????"

"They're about to start a fight."

Flint's expression went blank.

Bruno stopped chewing.

Cynthia's face darkened.

"In Eterna City?" Bruno asked.

"Yep. Didn't Cynthia tell you?"

"There was no time," Cynthia said, looking serious.

"Relax." Johan patted Flint's shoulder with a big grin.

"You'll be leading the charge."

Flint: "...WHAT?!"

"You're in charge of blocking Dialga and Palkia."

Flint: "???????????"

At that moment, a large crowd of people rushed into the Pokémon Center.

Some were carrying unconscious Pokémon, while others were dragging unconscious Trainers who had collapsed.

The Pokémon Center was instantly thrown into chaos.

"What the hell is going on?" Flint asked, frowning.

Had Dialga and Palkia already started fighting?

Johan grabbed a passing Trainer and asked, "What happened?"

The Trainer recognized Johan immediately. "Johan! It's Baron Alberto! He led a group of Trainers to attack Darkrai in the town square!"

Johan's face darkened instantly.

Of course. Of course it's that idiot.

"Move!"

Without hesitation, Johan rushed toward the town square.

If Darkrai had really fought back, things might already be out of control.

As they arrived at the square, the scene before them was exactly as expected.

Alberto—who had now been transformed into a giant Lickilicky—was standing at the front, commanding the Trainers.

Meanwhile, dozens of Pokémon and Trainers lay unconscious on the ground, their bodies completely still.

Johan didn't even need to ask.

Darkrai had put them all to sleep using Dark Void.

"Ka-kah."

Gengar, floating out of Johan's shadow, grinned as it observed the battlefield.

"So this is what mass sleep looks like?"

BOOM!

Suddenly—

A massive crack appeared in the sky above the Time-Space Tower.

A blazing red slash tore through the air—

And sliced off the top half of one of the tower's spires.

Johan's eyes widened in disbelief.

WHAT THE F—

In the original movie, Dialga and Palkia had fought for half the movie before they barely damaged the tower.

But now?!

They hadn't even appeared yet, and the tower was already missing half its structure?!

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Powerstones?

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