Bottom-tier trainers in the Pokémon world

After Xia Yan left, a blurry figure emerged from the dim shadows in the corner. After glancing at the Three-Headed Evil Dragon's Nest with its blue eyes, it turned into a black shadow and disappeared from the spot.

...

...

"Wow, it's so high..."

On Latios's back.

Ono sat on Latios's shoulder, her arms tightly wrapped around its neck.

He looked both curious and scared.

Xia Yan stood on Latios's back, watching the Heavenly Pillar getting closer and closer.

originally.

Xia Yan was also worried that Latios might not be willing to carry any humans other than himself.

But I never expected it.

Latios didn't reject Ono at all; in fact, he showed affection for her, becoming the second human she was close to besides Natsuhiko.

Even Latios, who also possesses the "power of the dragon," did not receive the same treatment as Ono when he came into contact with Latios.

Xia Yan can only interpret it as...

Ono's "Dragon Power" is much stronger than Wataru's.

Latios is very fast.

Passing through layers of swirling clouds, the enormous pillar of heaven soon came into view.

This is the highest height Latios can reach, but it's still a little short of the height of the entire celestial pillar.

The enormous, grayish-white pillar, its origins unknown, resembled a round, thick stick carved with strange patterns.

The top of the Heavenly Pillar was still shrouded in clouds and mist, its shape indistinct.

“Os—”

Latios cried out joyfully, discovering that at the highest point it could reach, there was a platform where it could land.

Most importantly, there seems to be an entrance leading to the interior of the Heavenly Pillar on this platform.

"Will I have to walk the rest of the way?" Xia Yan wondered to himself.

He then gestured for Latios to settle there.

I don't know if it's just my imagination.

Xia Yan felt that this Heavenly Pillar seemed somewhat similar to the tower built and excavated by Groudon's "Cliff Sword" in the Groudon's alternate dimension that he had entered before.

Latios hovered on the platform.

When viewed from a distance, this pillar appears to be very slender.

Only after getting closer did I realize that it was all an illusion.

Compared to this pillar of heaven, Xia Yan and the others are far too insignificant.

Looking at the entrance in front of them, the two did not hesitate and stepped inside.

"Wow--"

Ono couldn't help but exclaim in amazement after entering.

There's nothing special inside the Heavenly Pillar; it's just a spiral staircase that winds its way up countless times, leading straight to the top of the pillar.

And when you look up from their perspective.

You can see that the top of the pillar is open, and outside is a magnificent starry sky, as if it leads directly to the universe.

That's why Ono couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Xia Yan was also somewhat surprised.

However, it wasn't too surprising.

Rayquaza prefers to live in the ozone layer, beyond which lies the vast universe.

I stepped onto the stairs.

The muscles in his face twitched.

Such a long staircase, wouldn't it kill someone to walk up it?

But he was soon drawn to some of the patterns painted on the wall.

Climb the steps.

Ono's attention was entirely focused on the starry sky, while Natsuhiko's attention was completely drawn to the murals painted on the walls inside the Heavenly Pillar.

It seems to depict entirely content related to Rayquaza.

The earliest murals were very blurry, and it was almost impossible to make out what they were depicting.

But as they went higher, the content on the murals became clearer, and some of the scenes depicted appeared to be familiar to Xia Yan.

This includes...

Thousands of years ago, a meteorite fell on the Pokémon world, causing turmoil throughout the world, such as the resurgence of Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, and the two Pokémon engaged in fierce battles over the land and the sea.

Rayquaza appears, and with the help of a meteorite, its "Emperor Organ" mutates, allowing Rayquaza to freely undergo Mega Evolution.

And so on.

But slowly.

Xia Yan saw things he didn't know.

It's unclear when it started, but two blurry, indistinct figures appeared beside Liekong.

They accompanied Rayquaza for a very long time, and their figures appeared to varying degrees in many murals afterward.

The higher they went, the clearer the figures became.

It was none other than Latios and Latias, the brother and sister!

Although Xia Yan had somewhat anticipated this, believing that his arrival here was related to his Latios, he was still somewhat surprised when he confirmed it.

Eager to know the result, Xia Yan quickened his pace.

"Xia Yan, wait for me."

Ono noticed that Natsuhiko was walking faster and immediately caught up with him. At the same time, Natsuhiko's actions made Ono notice the content on the mural.

"people......"

Xia Yan stopped in front of a mural, looking at the humans depicted on it, his heart churning.

And it wasn't just one person, it was a large number of people.

They were accompanied by many elves.

They began a frenzied resource harvesting and Pokémon capture operation in Rayquaza's alternate dimension.

however.

Rayquaza, however, has fallen into a deep sleep because it destroyed a massive meteorite that could have affected it and the Pokémon world.

It seems that this group of people dared to invade this place precisely because they seized this crucial moment.

But you have to understand that if what the murals depict is true, it's from thousands of years ago.

Did humans at that time already possess the ability to break through spatial barriers?

after that.

Latios and Latias, who were following Rayquaza, stepped forward.

They led the spirits from the other dimension in a counterattack.

But these humans seem to be quite powerful, possessing unpredictable abilities.

It was as if they weren't ordinary humans at all, but a group of... superpowered beings?!

finally.

Latios and Latias forced the humans to retreat at the cost of their own lives.

At the last moment, as infinite spirits, all their energy burst forth from their bodies, transforming into crystals that scattered throughout the alternate dimension, restoring life to the ravaged forests, grasslands, rivers, and mountains.

Most of the crystals were consumed, but some remained.

Latios and Latias, on the other hand, turned into two elf eggs.

As infinite spirits, they cannot die.

They have long lifespans, and for them, death is more like a new beginning.

"An elf egg..."

Xia Yan stared blankly at the two elf eggs in the mural.

Latios, standing beside him, also looked at the two elf eggs carved on the wall, somewhat at a loss.

Continue upwards.

There are many more murals after that.

However, the fairy eggs of Latios and Latias seemed to have completely fallen silent, showing no signs of hatching.

Even though Rayquaza tried to use its own power, it couldn't make them hatch.

Left with no other choice.

Rayquaza entrusted Latios's Pokémon egg to the "People of the Meteor," who worshipped it, hoping they could find a way to hatch Latios.

“So…” Xia Yan looked at Latios beside him and took a deep breath, “Latios, are you the Latios from the mural?”

“Os…”

Latios also had a complicated expression on his face.

Because it has no memory of its past, it has stayed with Xia Yan ever since it was born.

She gently nuzzled Xia Yan with her head, seeking comfort.