Kai stood motionless as his team formed a protective circle around the fallen Iron Thorns, which lay unconscious but breathing evenly. The snow around it began to settle, the silence of the mountains giving the scene an almost sacred feel.
Kai's gaze softened as he kneeled down beside the massive creature. Despite the chaos, despite the destruction it had caused, he could see that Iron Thorns wasn't malevolent. It was lost, fragmented, and confused by the temporal rift that had pulled it into the present.
"Chimchar," Kai murmured, gently resting a hand on his starter's head. "Stay back for now."
Chimchar, though hesitant, nodded and sat beside him, watching intently. Kai's expression grew serious as he closed his eyes, his mind reaching out.
He focused, honing his abilities. Kai had always possessed a unique connection to Pokémon, particularly those from the future. His special gift allowed him to communicate on a deeper level with these Pokémon, though it was never easy. Reaching through the temporal divide, into the fragmented mind of Iron Thorns, would take all of his focus.
His thoughts connected to the mind of the Paradox Pokémon, a flicker of energy that spread like a thread through the rift in time. At first, there was only static — the mind of Iron Thorns was fractured, flickering in and out of coherence. The confusion, the disorientation, was overwhelming. It was as though the creature was torn between two realities, its consciousness shifting between the present and some future that it could not understand.
Kai's brow furrowed, but he remained calm. With slow, deliberate breaths, he focused harder, reaching into the core of the creature's being.
"I know you're scared," Kai spoke gently through his thoughts, trying to calm Iron Thorns. "You're lost. You don't belong here. But I'm here to help you. I can help you find your way."
At first, there was no response. Iron Thorns's mind continued to fragment, the flashes of the future and the present clashing with one another.
But then, a pulse of recognition — a faint glimmer of understanding — radiated back toward Kai.