"And then, the two avatars began to pray, giving birth to what was known as the 'Matter of Things.'"
"The three beings began to pray, giving birth to what was known as the 'Essence of Spirit.'"
"When matter and spirit began to take effect, the world was finally created."
"But the First Being, having exhausted too much of its power, fell into slumber."
"And thus, the two avatars and the three beings took on the duty of guarding this land. This is what is known as the First Myth. That First Being is called the Creator God—Arceus."
"The three beings each embody a different aspect—one represents knowledge and is known as Uxie."
"Another represents willpower and is called Azelf."
"The third represents emotion and is named Mesprit."
"As for the two avatars—one is called Dialga, the Temporal Dragon. It is said that as long as Dialga's heart beats, time will continue to flow."
"The other is Palkia, the Spatial Dragon. It is said that with every breath Palkia takes, space becomes more stable."
"And right in front of the Eterna Historical Museum, these two statues depict the legendary Dialga and Palkia."
Nando finished recounting the Sinnoh Myth of Time and Space in one breath before shifting his gaze toward the two statues standing in front of the museum.
Meanwhile, Ash found himself deeply pondering the connections between the myths of Hoenn and Sinnoh.
According to legend, Groudon created the land, and Kyogre formed the seas. The earth and ocean exist within the world itself.
So what about the sky? Was it created by Rayquaza?
Could it be that all these divine Pokémon—worshiped as gods in their respective regions—were actually creations of Arceus, the First Being?
Ash couldn't help but ponder this question for the rest of the day, but no matter how much he thought about it, something just didn't quite add up.
There were too many inconsistencies in the legends.
__
As night fell, Ash invited Nando to spend the evening in the forest outside the Pokémon Center, enjoying the moonlit tranquility.
Nando, who had recently captured a Kricketune, allowed it to play a melodic tune using its scythe-like arms.
At the same time, Nando himself played a gentle melody on his harp.
The Pokémon lay scattered around them, basking in the moonlight, enjoying the peaceful music.
Latias, in her disguised form as Bianca, had dozed off, resting her head against Ash's leg.
"Hey, Ash! What are you thinking about? Are you strategizing for tomorrow's Gym Battle?"
A pair of small hands suddenly covered Ash's eyes.
"Heh, Dawn, nothing much. I was just wondering when you'd come over to chat with me."
Ash teased her casually.
In reality, he was still lost in thought, piecing together the myths of different regions.
The symphony of nature played in the background, filling the air with an enchanting atmosphere.
The silvery moonlight cascaded down from the sky.
Soft laughter and conversation echoed through the clearing.
A campfire flickered at the center, with Pokémon lounging around, playing in the warm glow.
This moment, framed against the backdrop of the serene nightscape, painted a perfectly beautiful scene.
Morning at Eterna Gym
At dawn, Ash was up early. He took his chosen three Pokémon for the Gym Battle and completed his morning run.
Dawn and Anabel also got up shortly after.
After breakfast, the group headed straight to the Eterna Gym.
When they arrived, Gardenia was already waiting.
Ding! [Congratulations, Host! You have successfully arrived at Eterna Gym. Initiating check-in…]
Ding! [Check-in at Eterna Gym complete! Rewards issued…]
Poké Coins: 4,000,000!
Master Ball x1!
A Master Ball! Finally, another one!
Ash had been reluctant to purchase one from the system shop—it was simply too expensive.
Even though there were no extra rewards this time, the massive Poké Coin boost and the Master Ball more than made up for it!
The Master Ball has been directly stored in the system space. To use it, simply activate it with a thought.
"Hello, everyone! Welcome to my Eterna Gym! As you can see, I am Gardenia, the Gym Leader here! So, Ash, will you be able to claim my Forest Badge today? I'm really looking forward to seeing what you've got!"
Gardenia spoke with an energetic, playful tone.
Dawn and Anabel moved to the spectator seats, and as soon as the referee finished explaining the rules, Ash's Eterna Gym Challenge officially began!
The First Match: Turtwig vs. Cherubi!
"Alright! Let's get straight to it! Cherubi, I choose you!"
Gardenia's first Pokémon was Cherubi!
"Wooow! What an adorable Pokémon! So this is Cherubi! It's absolutely precious!"
Dawn was immediately enchanted by Cherubi's cuteness.
Anabel, meanwhile, observed the Cherubi's stance with interest.
Even though it hadn't evolved yet, its eyes revealed that its level was far from low.
"Turtwig! You're up first!"
"Turtwig!"
With a confident cry, Ash's Turtwig took the field.
"Ahh! Ash, you have a Turtwig too? That's amazing! Oh my gosh, your Turtwig looks so well-trained! This is so exciting!"
Gardenia instantly geeked out over Turtwig.
She was the type of person who became overwhelmingly excited whenever she saw a well-trained Grass-type Pokémon.
"You are a Gym Leader, right? Could you at least try to act professional?"
The referee—who happened to be a young girl—was visibly annoyed.
"Oops, my bad! But I can't help it—I just love Grass-types so much!"
"Alright, Turtwig, let's start with Razor Leaf!"
"Turtwig!"
Turtwig nodded and unleashed a blistering-fast Razor Leaf attack!
Gardenia's eyes widened in surprise.
"Cherubi, dodge it! Then counter with Magical Leaf!"
"Counter with Magical Leaf too!"
Cherubi swiftly dodged the Razor Leaf attack, its Chlorophyll ability allowing it to move incredibly fast under the harsh sunlight.
Then, it unleashed Magical Leaf, and Ash's Turtwig responded in kind!
The two attacks clashed in midair!
"Wow! Turtwig actually knows Magical Leaf? That's amazing! But what about this? Cherubi, use Solar Beam!"
Gardenia grinned as Cherubi started charging Solar Beam.
"Wait! Doesn't Solar Beam take time to charge?"
Dawn was confused for a moment but quickly figured it out.
"Oh! I get it now! It's because of the strong sunlight!"
Anabel nodded.
"Dawn, don't be fooled by Cherubi's cute appearance. Its level is quite high, and thanks to its Chlorophyll ability, it not only moves faster in the sun but also absorbs sunlight instantly—allowing it to fire Solar Beam without charge time.
"But… I'm sure Ash has a plan."
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T/N:
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