Master Craftsman of the Pokémon World

Altru Park, Almia.

This large park stood directly in front of the Altru Building. On the island at its center was a stage that Altru Inc. used to make public announcements.

It was also a popular place for Altru employees to rest and relax.

Right now, however, it was packed with reporters.

"President Blake! Is it true that construction of Altru Tower has been suspended? How does Altru Inc. intend to respond?"

"The Ranger Union is about to begin an investigation into Altru Inc. What does your company have to say about that?"

"Some people claim that the incidents in Fiore and even the distant Galar region were connected to your company. Is that true?"

"Did Altru Inc. hire Team Dim Sun?"

"While Altru Tower was still under construction, you asked Almia's residents to submit possible names for it. Does the word 'Altru' hold any special meaning?"

"Regarding the urban redevelopment project in Pueltown, was Altru Inc.'s true purpose to install special devices known as Gigaremos throughout the city?"

"Altru Inc.'s seventieth anniversary is approaching, but public opinion has turned against the company. Will the commemorative concert by the band from Fiore still be held as planned?"

Surrounded by reporters and flashing cameras, President Blake Hall remained as stern and intimidating as ever behind his sunglasses.

When he finally spoke, his voice carried no trace of panic. Instead, he displayed an almost unnatural degree of patience.

"Every rumor you've mentioned is nothing more than slander. The Ranger Union has no authority to investigate Altru Inc. We are a completely legitimate, compliant, and reputable corporation. Strange rumors originating in distant regions cannot simply be projected onto our company."

"Construction of Altru Tower has not been terminated. In fact, because of the Ranger Union's constant harassment, progress on the tower we are building to preserve peace between people and Pokémon has been significantly delayed!"

"I am issuing a serious statement to the Ranger Union. End this meaningless harassment. If there is truly anything wrong with our company, then let the International Police investigate us!"

"Those awaiting the completion of Altru Tower need not be disappointed. Although the tower cannot be finished before our seventieth anniversary, we have a flawless alternative plan. In fact, we have excellent news to share regarding the development of Dream Energy."

"With technological support from the distant Galar region, we have completed the development and application of Dream Energy ahead of schedule. Yes, it will soon be put into practice and activated for its first official operation! When that happens, everyone in Almia will benefit. Our theoretical research is complete, and Dream Energy is finally ready for use in everyday life and industry."

"A new source of energy that can replace oil is about to arrive!"

"The name 'Altru' was also chosen for a reason. An angel is traditionally regarded as a guide to the soul, serving ancient gods while joyfully offering love, wisdom, and guidance to humanity!"

"And, of course, the concert will allow the entire region to celebrate. Unfortunately, it will not be performed on the exact date of the seventieth anniversary and must be postponed."

"Here, I would like to quote the ideals passed down by all three presidents of our company, myself included."

"Within my heart lies a magnificent dream."

"Continue advancing along the correct path."

"Here and now, I promise all of you that you will soon witness the true nature of everything we have accomplished."

"For Almia's bright future!"

After delivering his speech, President Blake waved a hand and ordered his employees to hold back the reporters who continued hounding him.

He then walked toward the Altru Building.

Behind his sunglasses, his eyes were as dark as a nightmare. He began whispering to his trusted aide, Wheeler.

"It's almost time. By the way, do you know what the Chroma Highlands used to look like?"

"Of course, Mr. President," Wheeler replied.

"A long time ago, it was a prosperous oil town," Blake said. "Now it is nothing but wasteland."

"When people's enthusiasm fades, everything they built is abandoned. When my father discovered that our oil reserves were dwindling, fear consumed his heart. And so he made a wish."

"Besides, the Dream Energy we developed is genuine. Pokémon themselves are the source of that energy. The Incredible Machine will spread its influence across all Almia, placing the hearts and souls of every Pokémon in the region under my control."

"We will generate electricity on a massive scale using the power of their flames and water. If I tell them to dig, they will dig. If I tell them to transport something, they will carry it. Whenever necessary, I can organize them into an army and eventually bring the entire world under my control."

"Isaac became slightly suspicious, but Kincaid transferred him away quickly enough. He may be a genius, but because he cares about nothing except research, his emotional intelligence and awareness of his surroundings are inferior to those of a toddler."

"However..." Wheeler hesitated. "The Rangers' investigation has seriously disrupted our plans. Even with the technology we received from Galar, can we truly finish assembling everything this quickly?"

"Not only can we finish it, its effects will be even stronger than originally planned," Blake replied. "Galarian technology is designed to extract energy efficiently and improve conversion rates, turning raw energy into vast quantities of electricity."

"With the conversion efficiency greatly improved, we can discard many of the unnecessary components originally designed to amplify the energy. That will accelerate our progress considerably."

"The real problem is recovering the gems. As long as even one of the other three gems falls into our hands, we will no longer need to fear the ancient prophecy of fusion coming true."

The three gems had remained hidden within Almia Castle, Volcano Cave, and Hippowdon Temple.

Unfortunately, the admins he had recruited were so inefficient that it was infuriating. Compared with them, Kincaid had proven far more competent.

Yet even Kincaid had disappeared, and something seemed to have gone wrong.

Still, even if every one of those useless admins vanished, there would be nothing to fear once the Incredible Machine began operating. His new subordinates would be spread across every corner of Almia!

"Subordinates who will never rebel. Sons who will never betray their father. With the tremendous power of those magical beasts, I will rebuild my royal city in this age of darkness and allow people and Pokémon to live together in harmony."

"Yes. That was the dream from the very beginning."

"This is my territory."

"My kingdom."

That was precisely why the company used the same words in its public statements.

Allowing people and Pokémon to live together in harmony.

Coexistence.

The Shadow Crystal both feared the other three gems and yearned to fuse with them.

That contradiction tormented Blake Hall, or rather, the King of Almia.

Even the construction of the tower had been encouraged by the Lord Soul.

The Shadow Crystal was an accumulation of the darkness within human hearts across thousands of years. It had grown by feasting upon hatred, fear, rage, sorrow, and war.

Unfamiliar memories occasionally surfaced within it.

What had happened in those memories?

There was a machine resembling a crystal creation, so Blake had surrounded the top of Altru Tower with countless loudspeakers and shaped them into a certain flower preserved within the Dark Lord Souls' ancient memories.

Had something once risen high into the sky for the entire world to see?

And what of the pink crystalline object that had fallen from space?

Were the incarnations of the Lord Souls connected to that crystal as well?

A crystal-like creation...

The physical substances formed by the four Lord Souls were also crystals.

"An Illustrated Guide to Rare Minerals. I collected this book, which records many of the world's unusual stones, for my research into the crystals."

"It claims that a certain stone exists in the distant Kalos region. A sundial made of pink crystal, rumored to have fallen from outer space three thousand years ago."

"A city that tells time beneath a sky filled with stars."

Almia was the weakest region of all.

Even its sole distinctive mystery concerning souls remained vague. All anyone knew was that it might somehow be connected to aura.

However, President Blake Hall did not care about that!

"Waves... Hehehe! The machine was built in the shape of a tower merely so it could transmit those waves more effectively. But ultimately, the King of Almia was nothing more than a talentless ruler, frightened senseless by a crystalline creation."

"Contact that great pirate, the Phantom! He may be a pirate, but he possesses helicopters and other assault equipment. Coordinate those with our company's devices and launch a surprise attack on Ranger Union Headquarters!"

"Order Lavana and Heath to intercept the Rangers at Hippowdon Temple. Once the Rangers obtain all three gems, they are to seize them in a single decisive strike! We have enough forces this time, don't we?"

"Activating the machine early is fine."

"We only need to buy one day!"

Let the second Long Night begin!

Near Altru Park, the white-haired Tiffany wore a contemplative expression.

"That man was President Blake?"

"So construction of Altru Tower has been temporarily suspended, but they have an even better alternative?"

"The tower was supposed to be 334 meters tall? A tower more than three hundred meters high... I feel like I've heard about something similar somewhere, but I don't know much about other regions."

"Still, is postponing the concert a good thing?"

Behind Tiffany, her three brothers were discussing the concert.

"The lyrics to 'Dream Energy' are unbearable! Did President Blake write them himself?"

"His taste is awful. We were supposed to perform this song for all of Almia and the Pokémon Rangers. How are we supposed to sing lyrics like these?"

"I've heard that Almia has other legends. Why don't we rewrite the lyrics? We could base the new song on a local legend!"

And so they happily decided to investigate Almia's folklore and write new lyrics.

"Hey, Tiffany!"

Her eldest brother, Billy, turned toward her.

"I heard quite a few things happened in distant regions. Are the other bands you invited still coming?"

"Lunick and Solana can't make it either. The world really has become unstable."

"Well, Roxie said she'll come," Tiffany replied. "Piers said he's too busy. I heard Galar is undergoing reconstruction and major urban repairs or something, but I don't really understand it. That region is much too far away."

"The Guitar Hero said he'd appear at the concert, but I still haven't heard anything about him arriving."

"Oh well. Bands and artists go on tour all the time, and scheduling conflicts are perfectly normal. It's still a little disappointing, though."

Rumble...

A strange sound began emanating from the Altru Building.

Tiffany blinked as she looked toward the glowing structure.

"What's happening?"

"I have a bad feeling about this..."

Boyleland was an island far from Almia's mainland, situated in the sea between the mainland and the Haruba Desert to the east.

It was also a volcanic island.

In the Pokémon world, volcanoes always seemed inseparable from oceans and bodies of water.

There was Cinnabar Island in Kanto; Mt. Chimney and Sootopolis City in Hoenn; Stark Mountain in Sinnoh; Firespit Island in Hisui; Faldera Volcano in Oblivia; and Wela Volcano Park in Alola.

"Crystals... The Red Gem, one of the Tears of Princes. People occasionally find red crystals around Boyleland, but unlike the popular Yellow Gem merchandise and the Blue Gem souvenirs, the Red Gem doesn't sell at all. It's essentially unwanted merchandise."

Although the story suggested that the Red Gem possessed something special, it was trapped between the important Blue Gem and the Yellow Gem that was closely connected to the main plot.

As a result, it had effectively assumed the position of a Nameless King.

At the end of Almia's legend, the Red Prince was clearly the eldest son, yet he received about as much attention as Earth Tiger. He was barely mentioned in passing.

Even the place where he lived was strange.

The Blue Gem rested within the royal castle, and the Yellow Gem rested within a temple. Yet the Red Gem was hidden in a cave, and the entrance was sealed by a rusted ancient iron door resembling the gate of a prison.

There were actually two Pokémon connected to red gems.

The Old Norman word carbuncle referred to a red garnet.

The name could also be associated with carbuncle, meaning red gemstone, along with carbon and twinkle. At the same time, it was connected to mêlée, referring to small diamonds, and diamant, meaning diamond.

Those Pokémon were Carbink and its mutated form, Diancie, which could create vast quantities of diamonds and gemstone crystals!

Of course, describing them as pink gemstones would be more accurate than calling them rubies. They were still quite different from the Red Gem.

"Diancie didn't exist during Generation IV, but later generations drawing inspiration from earlier games is extremely common."

"For example, the four Swords of Justice are based on the Three Musketeers and d'Artagnan. Logically, they should have appeared as part of a French legend, yet they debuted in Unova because Kalos didn't exist at the time."

Amid the burning landscape and countless rivers of magma was a settlement called Boyleland.

Today happened to be the day of its annual Snow Festival.

The residents traveled to the area around Hia Valley in search of Froslass and Glalie. They brought those Pokémon back and asked them to summon snow, covering the village in white.

That was the legend left behind by the Red Prince, an expression of his longing for his homeland.

Hikaru looked ahead.

A fierce snowstorm already covered Boyleland outside Volcano Cave.

For an eternally hot island dominated by an active volcano, the continued existence of the Snow Festival was an extraordinary thing.

By simply asking Pao-Pao to use Snowscape, Hikaru had immediately earned the goodwill of the local villagers and received the secret key that opened Volcano Cave.

Unfortunately, the cave was filled with lava, walls of fire, traps, burning boulders, and countless fire-spewing mechanisms.

"This cave is exactly the same!" Kate complained.

She looked furious. Flames had scorched her clothes and body, and smoke was rising from her hair. She appeared ready to overheat.

They had traveled from a frozen kingdom into a volcanic land, yet they still couldn't escape these nightmare dungeons!

Even Kellyn nodded seriously this time.

"Honestly, she's right."

"Not only do we have to travel through lava, but we also need Water-type Pokémon to blast apart the flaming boulders blocking the road," Kate complained. "The only route deeper into the cave is suspended in midair, with a sea of three-thousand-degree lava beneath it. And they installed dozens of flamethrowers along that narrow path over a bottomless drop?"

"Burning meteors also rain down from overhead! If we stand still, nothing happens, but the instant we move, they come crashing down! How are these machines still operating after three thousand years?"

"This is basically a Hero's Grave," Hikaru said. "Of course dump trucks like Aggron and Rhydon are going to be everywhere."

Just as they had in the castle, the two younger Rangers endured one grueling battle after another, capturing all the enormous, irritable Pokémon.

Most of the volcanic Pokémon were huge. Nearly every time they entered a new chamber, one or two living battering rams charged straight at them.

It was unbelievably dangerous!

"You already think this is bad?" Hikaru asked. "We've gone through the castle and the volcano, but there's still a temple afterward. The temple is even worse than these two places."

"To put it simply, it combines everything from the previous two areas. It has high walls, rolling boulders, mazes, slowing floors, conveyor belts, pitfall traps, and even invisible staircases that disappear when you step on them."

"If you fall, you die."

Kate's face paled.

"Why would anyone build something like that?! I don't want to go through another one! Why did these princes choose to live in places like this?"

"I already can't wait to open another storybook!"

"The bad news is that the temple is even more nightmarish than the homes of the first two princes," Hikaru said. "The good news is that we can enter the area containing the Yellow Gem directly from outside. As long as we can fly, we don't need to navigate the first section of the maze."

"That's because the third Gem Guardian is Cresselia. It descended from the sky, so an aerial passage leading directly to the Yellow Gem's throne remains open."

The two young Rangers froze.

A moment later, their expressions filled with excitement.

"That's right!" Kellyn exclaimed. "The Yellow Prince was the second-born prince, wasn't he? Even though he was the neglected middle child, he created an oasis in the desert and became friends with the King of Giants!"

"Not only that," Kate added, "but Captain said the Haruba Desert legends describe him irrigating fields and building farms."

"Most importantly, there's a shortcut to the Yellow Prince's throne!"

"I hereby declare the Yellow Prince the greatest of all the princes!"

"Praise the Yellow King! He actually brought a trace of warmth and hope to a family of four underworld kings! As expected of the man who commanded Cresselia!"

The battle before them had already reached its conclusion.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

"The Lava Dome Pokémon... Heatran!"

Heatran, Almia Form.

Vatonage Browser number 228.

Type: Fire/Steel.

Combat description:

It attacks by launching magma that explodes!

Ability: Flash Fire!

When struck by a Fire-type move, it absorbs the flames and strengthens its own Fire-type attacks!

However...

The raging magma was gradually being absorbed.

A tall warrior in golden armor raced across the battlefield, carrying a golden spear and an Ability Shield!

Unquenchable flames burned within its eyes. It absorbed every trace of magma, further increasing the power of its own fire!

The golden-armored warrior possessed the same Ability as Heatran.

Fire-type moves had no effect on it!

"The legendary Warrior of the Sun, Armarouge! A warrior who has earned countless honors in battle!"

In other words, both sides had sealed away the power of fire!

Heatran crawled forward with a thunderous rumble, shaking the ground.

Its steel-covered head slammed into Armarouge!

The iron-shelled bastard charged forward wrapped in flames!

Iron Head!

Armarouge thrust its golden spear forward!

Shield poke, activated!

Thud!

["That didn't even hurt!"] Heatran roared.

["You think you can claim the Red Gem with that little strength?"]

Fire and Steel formed one of the most defensively powerful type combinations.

It resisted Psychic, quadruple-resisted Grass, and feared nothing except its Water and Fighting weaknesses, as well as the signature quadruple weakness to Ground that marked so many powerful Pokémon!

Being struck by Psyshock felt no worse than being tickled!

"However, that wasn't merely Psyshock!" Hikaru declared.

["What?"]

A massive pincer rode upon the scorching wind and came crashing down upon Heatran's back in a diving attack!

Heatran's pupils contracted.

Oh no!

Armarouge and Gliscor attacked simultaneously.

One used a special attack.

The other used a physical attack!

"Scorching Sands and Earthquake!"

"Just as you said, that quadruple weakness is the mark of the mighty."

The guardian of the Red Gem had been defeated!

Heatran stepped back and decided to surrender the Red Gem.

It had lost. Nothing more needed to be said.

At the same time, red light appeared.

Just like the Blue Prince, another sphere of light materialized.

"The Red Prince's soul!"

The Red Prince seemed to have already understood everything.

He appeared directly in the form of a glowing sphere, and his soul's voice echoed within everyone's hearts.

["It appears... there is little time remaining."]

["Future friends whom I have never met, who have come here for Almia's sake. After taking the Red Gem, proceed to the distant Haruba Desert."]

["If Almia is engulfed by darkness, then even a sinner like me will have nowhere left to atone for his sins."]

["With three people present, there should be no problem."]

["Just as the three of us once sealed our father's soul and purified the darkness, anything can be accomplished as long as three people remain."]

["Three, the sacred number."]

["The fire fades, and the lords go without thrones."]

["Black water burns fiercely. These crystals are ultimately nothing more than the enormous gravestones we left standing among the ashes."]

Souls were fuel used to create warmth and cold, life and death, light and darkness for the world!

The great pirate known as the Phantom received Altru Inc.'s message with tremendous excitement.

The other party had promised to assist with his search!

They had even paid him a substantial deposit!

Once he completed this mercenary contract, Altru Inc. would give him information about the King of the Sea.

That was precisely what he needed to fulfill his ambitions!

"Prepare the armed forces for deployment! Hehehe! Attacking the Ranger Union is something most people in the world would never dare attempt."

"But I am a pirate!"

Furthermore, he had posted a bounty in black-market newspapers and communication networks throughout multiple regions!

He had even placed the bounty on Team Rocket's half-dead communications network.

Anyone who provided information about the King of the Sea would receive an enormous reward.

Of course, the same warning still applied.

If anyone tried to rob him, they had only themselves to blame for what happened next.

Still, with a wealthy client like Altru Inc. assisting him, he no longer needed those third-rate underground organizations!

"There are two kinds of men in this world! Those who attack and those who get attacked!"

"Which kind has more fun?"

"Naturally, I'm the one who attacks!"

The Phantom happily imagined a glorious future in which he commanded the power of the ocean and became the Pirate King.

Unfortunately for him, the undercover agent hiding aboard his submarine had already learned everything.

"Attack Ranger Union Headquarters? This guy has some nerve. That wasn't part of the original plan, was it?"

"And how could Altru Inc. possibly know where the Egg is?"

Jack Walker!

A Rank 9 Ranger who appeared during the events surrounding the Prince of the Sea. As an undercover agent for the Ranger Union, he had infiltrated the pirate crew in search of information concerning the second important Egg!

He had already remained undercover for several months.

Jack was originally from Kanto, so he did not know much about Almia.

As a Ranger, he possessed tremendous personal ability. However, he frequently violated regulations, which was why he remained at a mere Rank 9.

Otherwise, the achievements he had accumulated would have been more than enough to earn him promotion to Top Ranger.

This time, however, he sensed genuine danger.

Not only had the pirates been hired, but Altru Inc. intended to dispatch powerful combatants of its own.

Rumble!

The submarine suddenly experienced a "minor" tremor.

Judging by his reaction, even the Phantom had not expected it.

Everyone aboard the submarine hurriedly began inspecting the vessel as streams of data appeared across the control-room displays.

Then they discovered something terrifying.

Even the great pirate himself was stunned.

"Captain, what happened?" Jack asked deliberately as he approached.

The Phantom paid no attention to the elite grunt beside him. His entire focus was fixed upon the display.

"Are you an idiot? Look carefully and you'll understand!"

"Pokémon throughout the ocean are rampaging. Sharpedo and Mantine are fleeing into deeper waters as if their lives depend on it. That isn't normal behavior for Water-type Pokémon."

"Men who live at sea are exceptionally sensitive to changes in the ocean. Many marine creatures are said to detect special sound waves, allowing them to avoid approaching disasters."

The submarine began ascending.

The Phantom, Jack, and every other officer and member of the pirate crew were curious about what was happening in the ocean.

Eventually, the submarine surfaced.

The hatch opened, and the entire crew poured outside in a disorderly crowd.

The Phantom raised his head and looked toward the sky.

His pupils abruptly contracted.

His expression changed from astonishment to ecstasy. Then concern replaced his joy, and cold sweat appeared across his face.

"This is serious!"

"What's happening? The distant sky has turned completely black. It looks like dark clouds are covering the heavens."

"And the Pokémon...?"

Strange points of light resembling arrows had appeared above the Pokémon's heads, especially the Flying-type Pokémon passing through the distant sky.

The Phantom rubbed his eyes and confirmed that he was not imagining them.

Every Pokémon bearing the black light was rapidly advancing toward Almia's mainland.

They roared and howled as if they possessed no minds of their own, summoned by some mysterious power.

And that power...

"They're all traveling toward the land beneath those black clouds?"

"This looks exactly like the power of the King of the Sea I've been seeking. But the King of the Sea cannot control Pokémon on land or in the sky!"

"Could these be the reinforcements Altru Inc. mentioned?"

"That's far too terrifying!"

"There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who cause danger and those who run away from it."

"And I am a man who runs away from danger!"

"Once we obtain the information, we'll attack the Union, find the Egg, and immediately leave this region!"

"Something terrible is definitely about to happen here."

For now, however, the great pirate decided to honor his promise.

He would dispatch his helicopters to harass the Ranger Union!

At the same time, Ranger Union Headquarters detected a strange electromagnetic signal.

Black clouds appeared above Altru Inc.!

"Large numbers of Pokémon are approaching the Union!"

"We've detected an enormous reaction from the Shadow Crystal fragments!"

"Unidentified mechanical objects are rapidly closing in!"

The Operators' reports caused the Union's leaders to frown.

Professor Hastings narrowed his eyes.

"The gems have not been recovered yet."

"Only one day has passed."

"Just one day."

"You couldn't wait any longer, could you, Blake Hall?"

"No, King of Almia."

With a deafening crash, a massive hole was torn through the Ranger Union building!

Altru Inc.'s attack had arrived, accompanied by vast numbers of controlled and rampaging Pokémon surging toward Ranger Union Headquarters!

Professor Hastings produced the card he had prepared.

A Ranger Sign was drawn upon it.

The Emblem of Light was an extremely ancient legend in his homeland as well. Many of Oblivia's nursery rhymes mentioned these trails of light, but no one knew their true origin.

However, as the Twelfth Top Ranger, Hikaru knew many stories hidden from the rest of the world.

At critical moments, such knowledge became invaluable!

"The one who knows everything."

"The All-Knowing."

"In the ancient world, across the span of three thousand years, Pokémon that recognized certain humans would naturally leave behind objects known as Heart Slates."

"In my homeland, such slates bore the marks of Raikou, Entei, and Suicune."

"Similar small stone monuments can occasionally be found in many places, along with larger monuments that obstruct roads."

"Perhaps those slates were gifts bestowed by the Creator within Oblivia's ancient Light Temple."

"Or perhaps they are connected to an aura of light..."

Draw the Emblem of Light and adorn the heavens!

Before the overwhelming tide of controlled Pokémon appeared the King of Bountiful Harvests, mounted upon a white steed.

It manifested within brilliant light.

One Legendary Pokémon after another began appearing!

"So this region is the source of what once appeared in Galar and brought such terrible sorrow to my people?"

"Indeed."

"The suffering endured by the people and living creatures of Galar..."

"The war and sorrow that persisted for three thousand years, along with all that hatred and pain."

"Let this king bring it all to an end!"

Calyrex pulled upon the reins.

Glastrier reared and neighed toward the heavens, releasing frost that illuminated the world and transformed the land beneath it into a frozen tundra!

"Holy Lance, release the anchor!"

Before the Red Prince's throne in the volcanic land, Kellyn wore a puzzled expression.

"The Red Prince called himself a sinner?"

"He was the eldest son, yet he was exiled," Kate said. "Theoretically, he should have become the next king, right?"

The girl thought for a moment.

"Maybe he believed he failed to protect the original kingdom and caused its destruction. That could be why he called himself a sinner and imprisoned his soul in this volcanic land, enduring the torment of flames day and night."

From that perspective, it made sense that the Red Prince had left no legends of his own.

Kellyn shook his head as he listened.

"So this is an execution by fire?"

"Could Heatran have been the Red Prince's jailer rather than his friend? But after three thousand years, even a jailer might eventually become a friend."

"What exactly is the Dark Lord Soul?"

"I can't escape the feeling that I've heard of something extremely similar somewhere before."

"Perhaps it's oil," Hikaru said.

"Oil?" Kellyn repeated.

"Almia is severely lacking in energy resources, just like Galar," Hikaru explained. "The black crystal was discovered while people were prospecting for oil."

"Then there's the Red Prince, who imprisoned himself inside a volcano. He had neither a royal city nor a temple, and the gateway leading to his throne resembled a prison."

"That is hardly the treatment one would expect for the king's eldest son."

"Furthermore, Heatran's magma is itself a manifestation of energy."

"An age of burning fire followed by an age of dark water."

"Black water that can burn."

"What else could that be but oil?"

"The Tears of Princes..." Kate murmured.

She fell deep into thought.

Red Prince, when you left behind this festival of snow, were you remembering your homeland?

Did you miss your father and your younger brothers?

Exiled to a volcano and unable to protect your country, you could only watch as your kingdom became a desolate wasteland.

As flames consumed your body, could those long-dry eyes still shed tears?

Complete this final journey, then cast yourself into the First Flame.

"After they sealed the King of Almia, legends of the Blue and Yellow Princes survived," Hikaru said. "Yet no one remembered the eldest son in red."

Heatran looked at them and released a roar.

A trail of light crossed Hikaru's heart, and a new Ranger Sign appeared upon the card in his hand.

Heatran's Ranger Sign had been obtained!

"Good. Now I really can collect forty monster cards and play a card game."

"Which region is better suited for a Duel, Oblivia or Alola?"

Without resting for even a moment, they rose from the throne on Boyleland and looked back at the ruined seat of the Red Gem.

The prince's soul carried them away from the island.

Then...

A tremendous surge of energy transported the three Rangers and their Pokémon into the distant Haruba Desert!

Kate gasped.

"We crossed the entire ocean in an instant?!"

"Yellow sand is everywhere! The lava and volcanic heat are completely gone!"

"This is the Haruba Desert!"

"Look!"

She pointed toward the enormous structure in the distance.

It towered amid the desert.

The oasis surrounding it had vanished, and rolling yellow sand buried the traces of history.

Only the majestic temple remained standing!

"Hippowdon Temple!"

"That's the Yellow Prince's temple!"

Their journey had not lasted very long, but these were the most emotionally sensitive years of the young Rangers' lives.

The signs of personal growth had gradually begun to appear.

Sometimes, growing up happened in a single night.

Kellyn considered the situation.

"The princes' souls could transport us from deep inside Almia Castle back outside. It makes sense that using a little more power would allow them to Teleport us across the region."

"But just as Captain said, although the Yellow Prince's temple is filled with deadly traps and ambushing Pokémon, we can take a shortcut directly inside."

"That doesn't count as skipping the challenge, right?"

"After all, it's an official route!"

Seeing that Kellyn had learned to joke, the team's atmosphere became considerably lighter.

Hikaru nodded and looked toward the ancient temple that had endured for thousands of years.

"Perhaps the Yellow Prince left that path behind for this very day."

"He was different from the Blue Prince, who eventually repented, and the Red Prince, who called himself a sinner."

"I believe the Yellow Prince always considered himself worthy."

"After all, he built this temple himself and left behind a legend concerning rain."

"A legend about rain?" Kate asked.

"There is an old story from the Haruba Desert," Hikaru explained. "When three children who cry easily gather and pray together, a blessed rain will fall from the sky."

"Those raindrops are said to be the prince's tears."

"The rain transforms this desert into an oasis. People depend upon those oases to survive, allowing this desert kingdom to endure for three thousand years."

"Pain and anger alike are washed away when the rain descends."

"The blessed rain..."

["Precisely!"]

The sudden echo of a soul reverberated between heaven and earth.

It came from the depths of Hippowdon Temple, through the enormous open mouth of the structure!

Brilliant golden light erupted from deep within the temple and became a towering pillar that pierced the sky!

Two figures were blasted through the smoke and dust, accompanied by a helicopter that crashed into the ground!

Flames surged from the wreckage.

The two Team Dim Sun admins fled in disarray, followed by the Pokémon they controlled!

Rhyperior!

Magmortar!

Magnezone!

Infernape!

"We were halfway through searching for the Red Gem when they suddenly ordered us back here to ambush the Rangers at Hippowdon Temple!" Lavana complained. "Why were we suddenly attacked?"

"That's the Pokémon guarding the Yellow Gem!" Heath exclaimed. "But didn't they say there would only be one?!"

The pink-haired woman and the muscular yellow-haired man fled the exploding helicopter with a group of terrified grunts.

Then they collided directly with Hikaru's three-person team!

And they were not alone.

"Keith?!"

"They really were planning to use a hostage to force us to surrender the gems!"

Kellyn and Kate saw Keith bound among the grunts.

He had suffered serious injuries and remained tied up. They had given him only the bare minimum of food and water, all to limit the new Top Ranger's combat ability.

Even so, restraining these superhuman Rangers was far from easy.

Keith was still struggling.

When he saw Kellyn and Kate, he froze.

Countless emotions surged through his heart.

He had distinguished himself in Fiore and earned recognition as a hero, which led to his promotion.

Yet because he had been careless, he was defeated and taken hostage. Now Team Dim Sun intended to exchange him for the three gems.

How could he ever atone for such a mistake?

"I kept thinking that I had already surpassed both of you," Keith said. "But in the end, this is how we meet again!"

"Whatever happens..."

"Rangers!" Lavana interrupted. "Perfect timing! You must be the ones who came for the gems!"

"Kincaid and Ice have both been unreachable for several days. Did you have something to do with that?"

"Hand over the Red and Blue Gems!" Heath demanded.

"No!" Keith shouted. "Don't give them anything!"

Just as he had during the original incident, Keith loudly insisted that they must not exchange the gems for his life, even after being captured!

"Captain," Kate said, "please give us your orders!"

"We trust your command!" Kellyn added.

During the original event, the Rangers had been forced to surrender the gem. Choosing no would prevent the story from progressing.

But what if the original lone Ranger became a team of three?

"There are things one person cannot accomplish that three people can," Hikaru said. "Our enemies don't satisfy the condition of three, so they can't accomplish anything!"

"If they want the gems, they can come and take them!"

"Kellyn, Kate, prepare yourselves."

"There are comrades ahead of us."

"It's time to abandon the rules and launch a rescue!"

The two young Rangers instantly understood. They focused their minds and prepared to act.

The expressions of the two enemy admins changed drastically.

"What did you say?" Lavana cried. "You're going to stand there and watch while we hold one of your Top Rangers hostage?"

"Let me tell you something," Hikaru said. "I'm not only a Pokémon Ranger."

"I'm also a Pokémon Trainer!"

"Someone once said that when Trainers fight in the wilderness..."

"They must use everything around them that can fight!"

The Team Dim Sun admins and grunts froze.

Then they looked into the sky through the sandstorm.

Something soared through the churning sand with tremendous momentum!

"That's right! Fly through the sandstorm, Gliscor!"

"When sand mixes with rain, it becomes mud."

"That represents the earth itself!"

"Use Rain Dance!"

"Ride upon that boundless and liberating rain and wind!"

Ground-type Pokémon feared water.

However, if Gliscor wished to fulfill its dream of traveling around the world, it would have to face the trials of wind and rain!

"Gli-gar!"

Gliscor raised its pincers and performed the movements of Rain Dance.

Dark clouds gathered, and torrential rain descended!

The raging sandstorm suddenly stopped.

Its light vanished, replaced by enormous storm clouds rotating through the sky.

Unlike the dark clouds covering Almia's mainland, these clouds contained the power of moisture and dreams!

Water...

A torrential downpour had suddenly begun?!

The violent rain soaked the sea of sand and transformed it into a swamp!

Lavana sensed that something was wrong.

"Heath, stop him!" she shouted. "I don't know what he's planning, but... Wait!"

She turned toward Hikaru, her voice becoming frantic.

"You'd better stop, or else...!"

"Your turn," Hikaru said.

"Reveal yourself."

"Victini!"

The invisible Victini appeared!

It acted during the journey only when the situation became critical. At all other times, it simply watched the beauty of the world.

Enemies stood before them.

Now was the time to act!

Victini cheerfully pointed one finger toward the sky.

"A Pokémon?" Lavana cried. "Where did it come from?"

"What are you planning to do?!"

What was Victini planning?

Victini waved its finger.

There were many possibilities.

For example...

"Ti-ni!"

Thunder!

Brilliant golden lightning descended with divine might!

Every member of Team Dim Sun was trapped in place as the raging electricity pierced their bodies!

"L-Lightning! Lightning fell from the sky! Aaaagh!"

"I-I-I can't move!"

Water and sand mixed beneath their feet.

Lightning struck the enemy and locked their bodies in place.

Then...

"Now!" Kellyn shouted. "Attack them!"

Kate moved even faster.

The two raised their Capture Discs and struck the enemy admins with tremendous force!

Under ordinary circumstances, Rangers were forbidden from directly attacking humans with their Capture Discs.

But these were extraordinary circumstances!

There were comrades ahead of them.

It was time to break the rules!

The Miniremos exploded.

Freed from their control, Magmortar, Magnezone, and Infernape immediately flew into a rage and began wreaking havoc!

Amid the violent chaos, psychic power seized Keith and hurled him out of the crowd!

"Huh?"

Keith discovered that an invisible force had taken control of his body.

Victini's Telekinesis!

"Keith! Are you all right?"

Kellyn hurriedly caught him.

Keith's expression became incredibly complicated.

That teamwork just now...

No, their captain had not been fighting alone.

Hikaru had deliberately given his team members an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities.

A captain's role was not merely to seize the spotlight. Sometimes, he needed to step back and allow his companions to display their strength!

The most important thing for any team was coordination!

"I'm sorry," Keith said.

"I'm truly sorry."

He finally understood why he had failed.

He had been incapable of freely commanding his teammates because he always wanted to stand out as the hero.

One person had one way of fighting.

A group possessed another.

The captain existed as the team's decisive force.

He was both the beginning and the end!

At that moment, an enormous yellow pillar of light erupted from Hippowdon Temple.

Even amid the pouring rain, its radiance remained dazzling!

The final one of the three gems emerged within the kingdom created from beautiful dreams.

Beyond the temple, the figure of the King of Giants, who administered the trials, gradually appeared!

Cresselia descended from the sky.

Regigigas rose from the earth!

"The Lunar Pokémon is one thing, but the King of Giants..."

"I knew this already, but Regigigas really does appear far too often."

"This world has Regigigas everywhere!"

The giant that towed continents apart had separated the world's regions!

Hikaru looked toward Kellyn and Kate.

"I'll leave Regigigas and the remaining members of Team Dim Sun to you!"

"I'll capture Cresselia!"

"Team mission assigned!"

"Defeat the enemy and obtain the final Yellow Gem!"

Cresselia's radiance represented the brilliant light of the crescent moon!

["I recognize you."]

["You are the traveler who once saved suffering souls in a distant region."]

["Although this is our first meeting, I have awaited your arrival for a very long time."]

["Swordsman from a Foreign Land, legendary traveler! Carry your feelings to the heavens and the four kings!"]

Cresselia's voice was gentle and distant.

Beneath this rain-covered sky, the Pokémon capable of opposing it, or rather, instantly overwhelming it, could only be...

Steel resisted Psychic-type attacks!

And beneath the rain, the correct choice was obvious!

The white alloy dragon entered the battlefield with a thunderous roar, bellowing joyfully beneath the downpour!

Fill Skyarrow Bridge with rampaging lightning!

"Archaludon!"

"Electric Gem!"

"Electro Shot!"

The enormous uncut Yellow Gem rose within Hippowdon Temple like the moon.

A proud and majestic voice echoed from within it.

Lightning collided with psychic radiance and erupted into a brilliant explosion!

It was the voice of the proud Yellow Prince.

He was neither the guilt-ridden Red Prince nor the cowardly Blue Prince.

He was confident.

He had truly transformed this barren land into fertile soil where people could live.

["This prayer for rain has meaning."]

["After you claim victory and clear the skies, please deliver these words to the children of this land."]

["Rain is the miracle of the desert!"]

["It grants new life to a dry and barren world!"]

["May the world three thousand years from now be filled with oases that nurture life."]

["May the blessings of this miracle rain down equally and spread among every warrior!"]

Outside the Haruba Desert, near the ocean, stood Haruba Village.

The three children praying for rain raised their heads and gazed at the storm clouds drifting from the direction of Hippowdon Temple.

They stared blankly for a long time.

Then their faces filled with overwhelming joy.

"The story says the Yellow Prince brought rain!"

"The legend says he brought life to this land..."

"The wish of three children really came true!"

"Everyone, look!"

"It's raining!"

"The oasis is coming back!"

And so the people began to sing.

The Song of Rain!

It was said that when three children who cried easily prayed toward the blue sky, the heavens would receive their prayer and restore the oasis.

Praying for rain possessed meaning.

The blessings of that miracle...

Would surely spread throughout the land!

Author's Note:

The Almia arc will conclude very soon. After the story of Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, the story will return to Johto for the fighting tournament.

The current plan is: Prince of the Sea, Fighting Tournament and the Aura Guardian, Hisui and the transcending of space-time, then Alola and Oblivia.

Later material will depend upon the Pokémon Legends: Z-A DLC. Pokémon Conquest and Explorers of Sky will probably be saved for the very end.

When I played Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Altru Tower in Almia gave me an incredibly strong sense of déjà vu.

Both stories involve urban redevelopment and the construction of a tower. Both towers have a stone at their summit, both were developed by large corporations, and each regional crisis originates from one of those towers.

Prism Tower releases life energy that causes Rogue Mega Evolution, while Altru Tower releases dark waves that control people's minds.

One affects matter, while the other affects the mind. They correspond perfectly.

Even their names are similar, since both are direct translations or transcriptions of the word "angel."

The difference is that Altru Inc. genuinely intends to cause trouble, while Quasartico Inc. is merely an innocent company forced to take the blame.

Almia's crisis also directly originates from its shortage of oil resources, which is identical to Galar's problem. The only difference is that the Shadow Crystal has been replaced by Eternatus.

As for the crystals, the Red Gem resembles Diancie almost perfectly.

The other gems also resemble the Anistar Sundial and are connected to souls.

By a remarkable coincidence, Kalos later researched an artificial soul known as Soul-Heart, while the connection between crystals and souls was previously demonstrated through the Soul Dew.

You could say that traces of Almia can be found throughout Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

The Z-A DLC even gives Darkrai a Mega Evolution, while the final boss of the Almia story is a rampaging Darkrai.

(End of Chapter)

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