Pokemon Paldea [353-354] (Patreon)

Chapter 353: Calyrex, but in Parenting Mode

Cosmog, the Nebula Pokémon, a pure Psychic-type with the Ability "Unaware." In Lucas's memory, its base stat total is only 200.

Even the moves it can learn are limited to the Magikarp-esque move originally translated as "Splash," here as "Leap," and the Psychic-type move "Teleport," which even among Psychics is learned by relatively few Pokémon.

It's said its gaseous, easily dissipating body is so light that even a breeze can blow it away.

It can't learn a single attacking move—doesn't that make it look very weak?

But Cosmog is a Pokémon with two evolution stages. Its second stage, Cosmoem, doubles its base stat total to 400, while its 0.2 m body bizarrely weighs a full ton.

It sounds outlandish, but once Cosmoem completes its final evolution, it undergoes a transformation perhaps even greater than Magikarp evolving into Gyarados.

Cosmoem's final evolution splits into two branches: Solgaleo, the Beast that Devours the Sun, or Lunala, the Beast that Summons the Moon—legendary Pokémon of the Alola region.

Their status is like Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza: the legendaries of their era.

At that stage, their base stat total soars to 680, characteristic of legendaries, with Solgaleo being Psychic/Steel and Lunala being Psychic/Ghost.

But why would Cosmog appear here in the Crown Tundra?

Judging by Calyrex's demeanor, it seems it picked up Cosmog and is currently caring for it.

This time, perhaps because he was too shocked, Lucas didn't lower his voice, and Calyrex caught his mutterings.

Calyrex glanced at Lucas curiously and asked via telepathy, "Cosmog? Is that its name? Do you know it?"

Lucas hugged Victini tight, signaling it not to wake Cosmog.

Otherwise, that ear-splitting wail from the anime might start echoing in the Crown Shrine.

Faced with Calyrex's three questions in a row, Lucas nodded lightly. "Its name is indeed Cosmog—more precisely its species name, like how you call us Humans as a group."

"But… could you tell me where you found it?"

"Strictly speaking, it's a Pokémon from another world—an Ultra World."

"From another world? No wonder." Calyrex's eyes widened slightly, as though that day's scene was reflected within them. "To be frank, on the day I found it, the sky seemed to shatter and a hole appeared."

"That void looked as if it had collapsed in on itself, sinking toward some unknown place. Iridescent halos enveloped it like an aura. Mysterious blue-white filaments wove a web-like passage. The aura from within was unknown, alien, utterly foreign to this world."

"After that, in the wind and snow, I rescued the Cosmog that emerged from the opening."

From Calyrex's description, and given Cosmog's identity—

Lucas instantly concluded the hole Calyrex saw must have been an Ultra Wormhole.

Its far end should be the Ultra Space.

By rights, Ultra Wormholes should only appear in Alola—the land bathed in Necrozma's light.

For an Ultra Wormhole to appear in the Crown Tundra… there are precedents.

At least in Lucas's memory, in the anime Lillie's father, Mohn, was brought to the Crown Tundra by a Nihilego through an Ultra Wormhole.

By the timeline, Mohn might be living somewhere in the Crown Tundra now, in solitude.

As for the games, aside from Ultra Wormholes opening in Max Lair by setting, Lucas distinctly remembered that a Cosmog nicknamed "Fwoofy" appears in Freezington, adopted by an old woman.

Could that Fwoofy be the very Cosmog Calyrex rescued?

And is the old woman's Fwoofy in the game somehow related to Calyrex?

For a moment, everything added up for Lucas.

Glancing at Cosmog, then at Calyrex, Lucas said with certainty, "So the reason you frequently went to Freezington to try to possess people was…"

Calyrex gave Lucas a long look, seemingly pleased with his perceptiveness, and nodded. "I sought someone worthy of entrusting this child to."

"Uh—"

Lucas's eyes widened slightly. He'd guessed Calyrex was possessing villagers, but not that it was doing so to find someone to entrust Cosmog to.

No wonder the first thing it asked was whether he could babysit.

Thinking of this, Lucas couldn't help asking, "Entrusting it to me—are you sure that's okay?"

Calyrex gave Lucas a peculiar look, gaze falling on Cosmog. A soft light passed through its eyes, recalling its brief time with the little one. Then it steeled itself and spoke.

"It is not one of my subjects. In this perilous land of extreme climate, I have sheltered it for months—that is mercy enough. This is what's best for it."

As Calyrex finished, before Lucas could respond, Cosmog seemed to have slept its fill. Its tightly shut eyes trembled; after a soft childlike hum, it slowly opened its eyes.

The first thing it saw was Calyrex.

After this time together, Calyrex had become Cosmog's closest and most dependable presence.

"Mo-gu~!"

Cosmog's tiny body, seemingly ignoring gravity, floated up to Victini's surprise, and happily launched itself to dive into Calyrex's arms.

From how practiced it looked, Calyrex must have been holding it often.

A trace of embarrassment flashed in Calyrex's eyes. Its psychic power surged instinctively, freezing Cosmog's pounce midair and subtly changing its trajectory.

The adjustment was minute—testament to Calyrex's exquisite control—so Lucas didn't notice. Only fellow Psychic-type Victini sensed a faint ripple.

But Victini was scatterbrained and didn't care about a disturbance like a needle dropping in a noisy market.

With Calyrex's tweak, the eyes-closed Cosmog didn't notice and flew straight into Lucas's arms, shoving Victini aside.

As for Lucas, who realized Cosmog had flung itself into his embrace—he was baffled.

Since when was his charm this potent?

A legendary's baby form just threw itself at him on first meeting?

Lucas felt Cosmog nuzzle a bit in his arms. It felt like cotton—curiously soft and almost weightless—surprising and novel.

Knowing the lore was one thing; experiencing it was another.

But after nuzzling, Cosmog seemed to sense something off and opened its eyes—right into Victini's friendly wave and attempt to make friends.

"Vi-niii~"

Faced with Victini's greeting, Cosmog froze for a beat—then, to Lucas's horror, let out that terrifying, ear-splitting cry that rang through the Crown Shrine.

"Mmm—Mmm—!"

Crying at a volume like Supersonic, Cosmog panicked, looking left and right as if searching for a familiar figure.

Victini forgot how to fly, fell onto the dusty shrine floor, and stared blankly at the wailing Cosmog, its V-shaped ears ringing with sonic shockwaves.

Lucas didn't know where he found the willpower to endure. Half-squinting in pain, he looked around for Calyrex to soothe Cosmog.

But aside from the spotless yet broken throne, in the dust-laden, long-neglected shrine, Calyrex's figure had vanished completely.

His eardrums throbbed, but Lucas couldn't worry about that. He scanned carefully, but found nothing.

In disbelief.

Calyrex… just left?

At that moment, Victini couldn't stand it anymore. It pulled out a secret stash—a sweet orange Pokéblock—from itself, flew up, and stuffed it into Cosmog's open mouth.

In an instant, the unique sweet aroma of the orange Pokéblock burst across Cosmog's tongue.

Its cries gradually subsided.

Eyes widening, tasting this unprecedented flavor, it spaced out—forgetting it meant to cry—though it kept chewing.

Lucas: "…"

Another foodie!

After finishing the Pokéblock, Cosmog's mood stabilized.

"Mo~"

It floated curiously up to Victini, dopey-fond, sniffing with its seemingly nonexistent nose, as if searching for more of that flavor.

"Tini!"

Since its only Pokéblock had just gone into Cosmog, Victini was mourning, pouting and not letting Cosmog sniff it—then chose to fly away.

But Cosmog stuck to it like a shadow, trailing closely, and soon the two rare Pokémon were circling Lucas in loops.

After a while, seemingly dizzy, they stopped. Panting, they exchanged a glance and burst into happy giggles.

"Vi-nini" "Mo-mogo"

Joyful laughter rippled through the shrine. In just a bit, Victini and Cosmog already looked like they'd become friends.

This is why Lucas felt many Pokémon are like children: their emotions don't linger; they live more freely and straightforwardly.

A moment later, Victini allowed its new friend Cosmog to sniff it.

That said, when Cosmog had cried to no avail earlier, Victini's eyes had spun with a sudden idea.

Grabbing Cosmog's hand-like nub, Victini led it to Lucas, then righteously asked for food.

"Tini!"

This time, it stood ramrod straight when asking!

Cosmog blinked and imitated Victini, stretching out its hand and straightening its not-quite-there waist, every bit as righteously demanding.

"Mo-go!"

Lucas: "…"

Seeing through their little scheme at a glance, Lucas shot Victini a warning glare.

After Victini sobered a bit, Lucas set down his pack, took out a sealed fresh box of Pokéblocks he'd prepped, and handed it to Victini to share with Cosmog.

As for Lucas himself—he had things to confirm. Calyrex's abrupt departure was suspicious, especially its attitude toward Cosmog…

"Mo-go Mo-go Mo-go~"

Cosmog happily feasted on the different flavors of Lucas's Pokéblocks with its new buddy Victini, while listening in a daze to Victini complain that when Lucas lured it to the farm, he'd promised unlimited treats, but now rationed its meals in the name of balanced nutrition.

Sadly, Cosmog didn't absorb any of Victini's griping.

It latched onto one key point:

"Pokéblocks were made by Lucas—and he can make lots of equally delicious things."

Listening to Victini's chatter, Cosmog kept glancing at Lucas, who was pacing the shrine, curiosity budding. In its childishness, it even forgot Calyrex for the moment.

Maybe the Pokéblocks were just too good; when Lucas finished exploring the main hall and returned near the throne, Cosmog showed no fear—in fact, it acted affectionate.

"Calyrex seems to have temporarily entrusted you to me. If we stay here, it probably won't show. Want to come back with me for now?"

"Don't worry—I'll reunite you."

Lucas stroked Cosmog's cotton-soft body and promised gently.

Hearing Calyrex's name, Cosmog had no conscious memory, but perhaps due to Psychic intuition, it equated "Calyrex" with the figure in its mind.

Cosmog was a bit lost, not understanding why Calyrex had vanished.

But it still nodded bravely. Seeing Victini perch on Lucas's shoulder, it burrowed into Lucas's arms for more security.

Lucas took one last long look at the dust-choked shrine, went to the entrance, called out Dragonite, and flew off toward Freezington.

Only long after they left did Calyrex's small figure reappear in the ruined shrine.

Approaching the broken throne, Calyrex sat slowly, eyes lingering on the direction Lucas had gone.

"…"

On the empty throne, the forgotten king let out a barely audible sigh.

…

On the way back, perhaps luck was bad—Lucas flew into a heavy blizzard.

He and Dragonite could just about endure it, with Victini's warmth.

But in his arms was the frail Cosmog.

After weighing it, Lucas and Dragonite found an abandoned cave mid-mountain and stayed until morning, only continuing to Freezington when the blizzard eased, bodies cozy from a night by the fire.

He barely slept, instead pondering Calyrex and Cosmog's relationship, the obvious holes in its words, and Calyrex's true intent.

Calyrex said it found Cosmog at an Ultra Wormhole—meaning it's at least unrelated to "Nebby," and is most likely the game's "Fwoofy."

Calyrex's frequent possessions in Freezington—breaking its years of seclusion to communicate—likely mean it felt it couldn't properly care for Cosmog; in its current state, without even telepathy, it couldn't watch over Cosmog's growth.

As for why Cosmog pounced on him—disappointing as it was—Lucas suspected Calyrex's doing.

After all, he'd had Victini charge Calyrex with endless energy, letting it subtly change Cosmog's pounce angle.

Judging by Cosmog's attitude toward Calyrex, and Calyrex's seemingly cold words that actually hid its true feelings—

Lucas inferred Calyrex was reluctant to part.

But because it felt powerless, it would rather swallow that reluctance to find Cosmog a good home, ultimately choosing Lucas, who was good at taking care of young Pokémon.

Thus, in Lucas's eyes, Calyrex's image shifted—from an empty, betrayed legendary king to a tragic old father willing to bear the pain of parting to secure a future home for his child (Cosmog).

Legendaries may lack gender, but Calyrex is a king—so "old father" fits, right?

As Dragonite cruised, Lucas looked down at the peacefully sleeping Cosmog in his arms, eyes thoughtful.

If he'd previously been unsure how to reasonably bring Calyrex back to the farm, now he had a lead.

"Calyrex, you wouldn't want Cosmog to—"

Calyrex merely thinks it lacks the strength to raise Cosmog now.

So Lucas's next steps are simple.

Faith aside—given Calyrex's past—he just needs to follow the game's flow: help Calyrex tame Glastrier and Spectrier and regain its power.

And what will Calyrex use to tame them?

Isn't there a living power bank—Victini!

But first, Calyrex must clearly realize it no longer has any followers.

Otherwise it won't resolve itself to act.

It'll keep enduring its body's decline and fading power day after day, waiting for audiences from followers who no longer exist.

"Drago~"

Dragonite's cry pulled the planning Lucas back.

He glanced down to see Freezington's outline below.

He patted Dragonite's back, signaling a slow descent.

Even from above, there were signs of activity in the village.

A Dragonite landing is eye-catching in a remote place like Freezington.

Beyond curious villagers—who looked in even better spirits than when Lucas first arrived—Nemona, Arven, Penny, Eri, Peony, and Peonia rushed him back indoors.

Nemona clasped her hands, delighted. "Teacher must have completely solved it!"

Arven exhaled, relieved. "That's great!"

Eri eyed her fists, a bit frustrated.

So the case got solved before she could learn Foresight or Odor Sleuth?

Penny was thrilled inside but kept a straight face, clearing her throat. "I can book flights back to Paldea right now…"

She clearly couldn't wait to leave—or to get away from her jump-scare of a dad.

In his ears, Peony's wails at the news of his daughter leaving mixed with Peonia scolding him.

Lucas tapped the table to gather everyone's attention before speaking. "Let me share what I learned last night."

"The haunting had nothing to do with Ghost-types."

"Have you ever heard of the legend of the King of Bountiful Harvests?"

Peony stroked his chin, thoughtful. "One of my purposes here was to investigate whether the King of Bountiful Harvests is real or just a fairy tale the villagers made up."

"In earlier digging, an old lady told me that as a child she heard from her granny: if kids misbehaved in the fields, the king would take their bodies and souls and they'd never go home again—one of those scare-the-kids stories."

"That made me doubt the king's existence. Unfortunately, when we made progress on the Snowy Slope ruins, I put that aside."

Nemona and the others pondered.

Sitting on the table, leg crossed, Peonia chimed in. "Last time I went to pay rent, I overheard the village chief say, 'We can only rely on the King of Bountiful Harvests to attract tourists.'"

"Hey, dumb dad—did they scam you?"

"…"

Without solid evidence, Peony didn't know how to rebut her.

Lucas suddenly said, "The King of Bountiful Harvests—Calyrex—exists. I met it last night."

"It entrusted a Pokémon to me."

The instant he said it, everyone gasped.

"Wha—!?"

As if on cue—or just woken by the noise—

Cosmog, who'd been snoozing under Lucas's clothes, yawned and poked its head out from his collar.

Chapter 354: Calyrex Capture Plan—Lucas: Catastrophic Miscalculation

In truth, Arven had wanted to ask for a while:

Why did Brother Lucas's belly under his clothes bulge like a woman several months pregnant?

Granted, a man's not likely pregnant, and it's unlikely he got fat overnight.

Arven remembered clearly that sometimes when he and Mabosstiff visited Lucas's farm, after work Lucas would lift his shirt to wipe sweat, revealing a tight, sturdy abdomen.

No way that became a paunch in a single night.

Only when a dazed little creature popped out of Lucas's collar did Arven sigh in relief.

A Pokémon…

But Arven's smile vanished in the next second.

Because Lucas was at the center of their gaze, the newly revealed Pokémon naturally became everyone's focus.

Maybe their stares burned it, or maybe someone among them happened to be a little scary in its eyes.

"Mo—goooo—!"

In an instant, a cry like Supersonic blasted their ears. The flaming hearth quivered. A half-filled glass trembled, ripples rolling inside, as if it would shatter any second—

Eri clutched her ears, grimacing; Arven looked terrified; Penny, Peony, and Peonia covered their ears and flopped back in unison, faces like they'd fossilize on the spot.

Only Nemona, though struggling with the noise, had stars in her eyes, scrutinizing Cosmog with intense curiosity.

To Arven, Nemona's stare was like a starving lecher in a bar ogling a dancer—well, not far off…

Luckily, the sonic onslaught lasted only a dozen seconds before Lucas—now prepared, and not about to be beaten by the same move twice—plugged it with a Pokéblock.

Hands over his ears, Lucas watched Cosmog cradle the Pokéblock in its starry arms and munch with eyes squinted in bliss, feeling shaken.

Good thing he was ready; even so, since Pokéblocks weren't exactly pocket-ready, it took him those ten seconds to dig out the box, pop it open, and shove one in.

Maybe he should prepare some more portable treats to soothe Cosmog quickly.

He remembered that in the anime, Ash's Cosmog liked sugar candy?

He roughly remembered the method, from reading dessert manuals aloud for Alcremie: you make syrup from rock sugar and water, add large sugar crystals, then rotate them in a special turning drum for one or two weeks. A time- and labor-intensive sweet…

If there's a chance back at the farm, he'd try making some.

With that, Lucas looked at his six companions, still calming their racing hearts; under Nemona's sparkling gaze, he apologized, "This little one's too young to control its emotions. Seeing too many people at once scared it."

"Its name is Cosmog, entrusted to me by the King of Bountiful Harvests."

"Mo-go~"

Hearing its name, Cosmog chirped happily.

"It's fine."

They shook their heads, not bothered by such details.

Nemona, Penny, Eri, and Peonia wanted to get closer but feared scaring it, so they kept a little distance and admired with sparkling eyes.

"So cute! It's called Cosmog? It looks like a sparkling nebula!"

They sighed in admiration—Cosmog's cute looks and adorable eating posture had them enraptured.

Even Penny, used to Eeveelutions' cuteness, couldn't resist Cosmog's charm.

Peony tried to approach for a look but was yanked back by Peonia, sitting there aggrieved, muttering about "a Pokémon I've never seen."

Once the novelty faded a bit, with Lucas's permission, the girls each took small cut Pokéblock pieces and tried feeding Cosmog on Lucas's lap.

Lucas continued recounting last night.

"As I said, Calyrex is real. It often appears in Freezington because it wants to find someone to entrust Cosmog to."

"Its condition is poor—so weak it can only communicate by possessing people… That's why it feels it can't care for Cosmog."

After gently feeding Cosmog a piece, Eri pulled back her slightly damp fingers; the smile on her face faded somewhat.

She murmured, "I don't know what kind of being the King is, but it truly loves Cosmog."

Having experienced Cosmog's innocent nature firsthand, Nemona nodded. "Willing to bear the pain of parting to keep Cosmog safe—so noble…"

Penny rubbed her chin, thoughtful. "I recall that in Galar there's almost no legend of the King left. Only Freezington has scraps, and it's used as a tourism pitch…"

Peony, serious for once, leaned on the wall, arms crossed. "They say the King once ruled Galar as a legendary monarch… but the royal family branded that history fake and burned it."

"Only now that the royals have waned can Freezington use the King to attract tourists…"

"But to focus on the Snowy Slope ruins, I didn't dig deeper into the King."

Lucas had expected that. He glanced at Cosmog, which reacted when it heard Calyrex's name.

He asked, "Could you help me collect some info around the village?"

"Like whether villagers remember Calyrex, its legend, if they think it truly existed, and if any books remain about it…"

As planned, to get Calyrex moving, he had to make it aware of its situation.

Only if Calyrex wanted to change could the plan proceed.

He wasn't worried—judging by last night's decisiveness, Calyrex wasn't a dithering, past-obsessed king.

The four students agreed at once, and doting dad Peony and siscon Peonia followed Penny's lead, nearly making her break character.

With no haunting last night, villagers were out and about again.

They split up, questioned people, and quickly regrouped with intel.

…

Penny: "I'm not great at chatting up villagers… but I searched Galar historical databases. The King's history has been lost. Most tourists think Freezington's King is made up."

Eri: "A farmer said, if the King truly exists, why are crops so hard to grow now?"

Arven: "Same as theirs. Oh, a villager sold me a bag of carrot seeds…"

Nemona: "An old granny asked, if the King existed, why didn't it save Galar during the Darkest Day when the meteor fell?"

Peonia: "After chatting with students back in Freezington for vacation, I recalled school history class."

"The teacher said Galar was always ruled by the royals; two legendary heroes with sword and shield drove away the Darkest Day and saved Galar."

"The so-called king in Freezington is just a made-up legend to attract tourists."

Peony was more direct.

He produced a dusty, yellowed book—bought from the village chief with his prized liquor—and handed it to Lucas.

"I skimmed it on the way back. It records things about the King. Can't confirm authenticity… but since you met it, this book's likely real."

Lucas nodded, took it, and flipped it open under Cosmog's curious gaze.

After a bit, he closed it and exhaled. "This should be the complete and genuine legend."

He passed it to the others to read.

A long silence followed.

Until Peonia, unable to hold back, frowned and trembled. "If the book is true… then what about the history I learned since childhood?"

Penny pushed up her glasses. "If it's false that Galar was ruled by royals for generations, and the King was real… then maybe the Darkest Day and the sword-and-shield heroes also have hidden truths?"

Peony's face twisted with distaste, as if recalling something. "I've dealt with the remaining royals—especially those two, uh, Sordy and… Shielbert or whatever. Reek of arrogant nobility."

"My annoying brother was happy to mingle with them—hmph! Forget it!"

"Now it seems they're fully capable of falsifying history."

If Penny and Peonia were shocked at the contradiction of their homeland's history, their childhood teachings shattered—

Then Peony, who already despised the royals, simply chose to believe his brother and the King's legend.

Nemona, Arven, and Eri, living in Paldea, had fewer preconceptions and sided with their teacher, indignant for Calyrex.

"The book says Calyrex brought bounty—making flora bloom and land flourish so people lived well—yet people forgot it? That's too much!"

Holding Cosmog, Lucas sighed.

According to the book, the people approached Calyrex after witnessing miracles, asking it to be Galar's king.

But now they've forgotten it, and some base people stole its identity and deeds. This is…

Even a clay idol has some temper. Calyrex likely doesn't react because it's in the dark.

Lucas remembered Calyrex's Pokédex entries:

"They say it once transferred a large forest and the forest's dwellers to another place overnight."

"They say it saved the forest's Pokémon from a falling meteor by using its power to see past and future."

A falling meteor sounds related to Eternatus from outer space.

The forest and life it moved were likely at the meteor's impact site.

Perhaps saving countless lives drained Calyrex, leaving it unable to face Eternatus and even forcing it into slumber. When it woke weakened, the Galar royals stole its glory.

Awakening to find its followers gone, its power waning, its steeds Glastrier and Spectrier—once tamed by strength—left it.

In confusion, it met Cosmog, and the benevolent king, unable to raise it, entrusted it to Lucas…

Tragic barely covers it.

Though pieced together from clues and his own knowledge, this was highly likely the truth.

"Teacher, what can we do to help the King—to help Calyrex?"

Lucas exhaled heavily and looked at the pained faces. After thinking, he said, "I have a plan to put Calyrex at ease so it can reunite with Cosmog."

"Peony, please take Nemona, Arven, and Eri to plant those carrot seeds Arven got in the fields at Giant's Bed and Old Cemetery. It's important, so Comfey will go with you."

"Penny and Peonia, you're with me to the Snowy Slope ruin. If we just stay in the village, Calyrex likely won't appear. Even if I go searching, it'll probably Teleport away ahead of me."

He hadn't expected to trap himself like this.

After Victini's brief charge, Calyrex was still weak but could Teleport long-distance.

Psychic-types' strongest edge is their incredible perception. Even if Lucas used his system to locate Calyrex, he was sure if he approached, Calyrex would Teleport away.

Like now—he knew Calyrex was on a snow-laden cliff, watching the village—but he couldn't ride Dragonite to it.

So he had to lure Calyrex out—make it come to him.

Having Peony lead the kids to plant carrots was also for their safety; otherwise, Lucas would've brought the exploration expert Peony to the ruin.

Glastrier and Spectrier are temperamental. If not for Peony, the former Steel Champion, Lucas would do it all himself and never risk the students.

The students agreed immediately, wanting to help Calyrex. The Peony family, shaken by historical whiplash, had no objections. Soon, they moved out.

…

Outside Freezington, Lucas released two Poké Balls. Besides Comfey, Luxray appeared on the snow.

He stroked Luxray's mane and said softly to it and the Comfey on its head, "Protect them. I'm giving Arven the Tera Orb—remind him to empower you if needed."

"Lux!" "Comfey~"

Comfey chimed happily; Luxray nodded gravely and followed Peony's team toward the Old Cemetery.

If asked which Pokémon Lucas trusted most, Luxray would be first—hence this protection duty.

Once they were gone, Lucas turned to Peonia in full winter gear. "Please take me to that ruin in the Snowy Slope."

"Okay…"

Peonia nodded nervously.

She was only a few years older than Eri and a few younger than Lucas. Though she mocked her dad, her sense of safety in the Tundra came from Peony.

Fortunately, per Penny's whispers, Lucas was no worse than Peony—he'd even beaten legendary birds.

Peonia's nerves eased. Like Penny, she edged closer to Lucas and led the way.

…

On a cliff, Calyrex watched the village with distant eyes, then noticed Lucas heading out, Cosmog in his arms.

Calyrex frowned. "That direction is—"

…

Snowy Slope—before a ruin buried under heavy snow, only an ancient door remaining.

Peonia pointed at the old, patterned door with unspoken pride. "This place used to be covered in perennial snow. My dumb dad found the door by experience and digging."

By now, her nerves were gone.

Her gaze drifted to the two Pokémon guarding her, her sister, and Lucas—still amazed.

In the depths of the Snowy Slope, powerful wild Pokémon were everywhere. Each visit required thorough prep.

But aside from having her lead and Penny map, Lucas only sent out Swampert and Ceruledge, and they kept everyone safe—including Cosmog.

What shocked Peonia most was when a massive Aggron underwent Max Raid-like Gigantamax glow and fought them; Swampert simply overpowered it in a few blows, knocking it out of its Dynamax.

Penny, who had been here before with Peony, pointed to a nearby cave. "Water and Ice Stones are in there… but you're not here for that now, right, Teacher?"

"You guessed right."

Lucas smiled, took Cosmog from Ceruledge's arms, and walked straight to the shut ancient door with the two girls.

"Peonia, you said you and Peony tried many ways and couldn't open it, right?"

She nodded, not hiding that Peony had tried brute force. "It's very sturdy, material unknown. Even Copperajah couldn't kick it open."

"Without the right method, it's basically sealed—that's where we're stuck."

Penny pulled out her laptop, analyzing previous photos, trying to glean a clue from the patterns.

"There is a method."

Lucas didn't plan to hide it. He'd state the way outright—so the Calyrex watching in secret would know he could indeed enter the Iceberg Ruins.

Then Calyrex should appear to stop him.

And because he had the strength, there'd be no danger—even if the tactic was a little underhanded.

"We just need to go back to the frozen river and catch a Regi—"

"Mo-go~"

Before he finished, Cosmog suddenly chirped with delight, a unique Psychic power welling up inside it…

In the next moment, Cosmog used group Teleport.

Lucas, Penny, Peonia, Ceruledge, Swampert—including Cosmog—all vanished.

A few seconds later, Calyrex appeared outside the Iceberg Ruins.

Its brow tightened, anxiety on its face. "When did that child learn Teleport? It even bypassed the Iceberg Ruins' anti-Teleport measures for Psychics—this is bad."

"In my current state, I can't break the seal to get inside!"