Dylan pondered how to reasonably capture Nebby. Although Nebby wasn't Lillie's Pokémon, it was still a friend she deeply valued.
Moreover, understanding Nebby's origins was her only goal at the moment.
"Mo~mo~"
A soft, innocent chirp sounded as Nebby emerged from Lillie's bag, floating unsteadily toward Dylan.
"Huh? Nebby?" Lillie was taken aback.
"Is this your Pokémon, Lillie? I've never seen one like it."
Ilene looked at the little starry creature with a curious expression. At the moment, it was circling around Dylan, making cute movements.
Ilene took out her Pokédex and aimed it at Nebby.
Nebby resembled a nebula, with gases ranging in color from purple to light blue. It had small, yellow bean-like eyes, round blue cheeks, and a golden crescent-shaped hook embedded in its body.
Ilene had never heard of such a creature and hadn't seen it in the official Pokédex either.
'No data available.'
Sure enough, the Pokédex displayed this message.
"Nebby isn't my Pokémon; it's my friend. Nebby, don't do that; you're bothering Brother Dylan."
Lillie explained to Ilene, then looked apologetically at Dylan while speaking to Nebby.
Nebby's curious nature often left Lillie at a loss. But this was the first time she had seen Nebby so interested in someone, continuously circling around Brother Dylan. It was truly strange.
"It's okay, Lillie. This little one is quite cute."
Dylan smiled, extending his hand. A soft green glow emanated from his palm. Nebby blinked its small eyes and then settled into Dylan's hand.
"What's this?"
Lillie was surprised.
Not to mention how obedient Nebby was, but what was that green glow in Brother Dylan's hand?
"Brother Dylan, are you an Aura Guardian?"
Lillie suddenly thought of this and asked curiously.
Just like there are Shiny Pokémon, there are also many extraordinary individuals among humans. These people are collectively known as Aura Guardians, and the most common type is the Psychic.
Psychics vary greatly in power, but they are quite prevalent.
"Yes, Dylan has the power of the Viridian Forest. It's a natural blessing, making him naturally likable to Pokémon."
Ilene smiled softly, answering on Dylan's behalf, with a hint of pride in her voice.
"The power of Viridian is an extremely rare ability. As far as we know, only Dylan and the current Kanto Champion, Lance, possess it."
"That's amazing!"
Lillie exclaimed, covering her mouth in awe. An Aura Guardian!
"Mo~momo~"
Nebby's eyes narrowed contentedly, emitting a soft, pleasant cry as Dylan gently rubbed its chin, causing the green glow to flicker.
"Alright, alright, I'll pet you."
Dylan couldn't help but chuckle as he stroked Nebby's small cheeks.
"Brother, it seems Nebby really likes you."
Lillie marveled at the sight. She had brought Nebby out of the Aether Paradise a month ago, but she had never seen Nebby so happy.
"The power of Viridian is a gift from nature. Since Pokémon are close to nature, this power is hard for them to resist," Dylan explained gently.
So even without a system, Dylan could have lived quite well in this world, though with a "cheat," life was certainly better.
"Mo~"
"Alright, I'll pet you. How about trying this?"
Seeing that he had stopped petting it, Nebby nuzzled against Dylan's hand, seeking more attention.
Dylan chuckled and took out some candy treats, playing a little feeding game.
"Mo~!" Nebby eagerly opened its mouth to catch the treat, its eyes turning into starry shapes.
"By the way, Lillie, is Nebby the name of your Pokémon?" Ilene asked curiously.
"Yes, I actually gave it that name..." Lillie hesitated before answering.
"Nebby is very mysterious. I've been searching for information about it," Lillie said softly. She actually knew Nebby's real name, but that was something her mother had told her.
To escape Lusamine, Lillie had given Cosmog the name Nebby, which was very fitting, and it was Cosmog that helped her escape from Aether Paradise.
Lillie had always wanted to uncover the secrets of Nebby, so she had been reading many books about Alola's ancient history and legends.
Unfortunately, she hadn't found much.
"Oh, I see." Ilene noticed that Lillie was hiding something. After all, Lillie wasn't very good at lying.
But since Lillie didn't want to talk about it, there was no need to press further, especially since they had just met.
"The appearance of this little one reminds me of some historical records from Alola," Dylan pondered aloud.
"Brother Dylan, do you really know something?" Lillie asked excitedly. She was eager to uncover Nebby's origins and secrets to help it.
"I've always been interested in legends and stories from various regions, so I know a lot, though I'm not sure how accurate it is."
Dylan smiled and then looked down at the adorable and innocent Nebby.
"With such a unique appearance, if I'm not mistaken, it should be Cosmog, known in ancient times as the 'Child of the Stars.'"
Cosmog!
Lillie's delicate face changed slightly. Dylan actually recognized Cosmog!
This was something only her mother, Lusamine, knew about. The only reason Lillie knew the name was because Lusamine had referred to Nebby as Cosmog.
"Cosmog is an extremely rare Pokémon, and in the Alola region, only the Alolan royal family and its heirs know about the existence of the 'Child of the Stars.'"
Dylan slowly explained.
Only the Alolan royal family knew about Nebby?
Hearing this, both Lillie and Ilene were surprised. Was this little creature really that special?
"And when Cosmog evolves, it becomes Cosmoem, known in ancient times as the 'Cocoon of the Stars.' During that era, the king of Alola built altars in reverence of the Cocoon of the Stars. Playing the Sun Flute or Moon Flute on these altars would initiate a certain ceremony."
Dylan recalled his memories and then smiled at Lillie.
"Lillie, as a native of Alola, you should know about those two altars, right?"
"Brother, are you referring to..."
Lillie paused, furrowing her brow as she searched her memory. Finally, she confirmed and looked at Dylan in astonishment.
"Altar of the Sunne and the Altar of the Moone?"
The ancient Sun and Moon Altars, located in Poni Island's Vast Poni Canyon, were among the oldest and most significant relics in the Alola region.
However, the current people of Alola had no idea what the significance of these altars was or what Pokémon they were meant to worship.
"But if I remember correctly, the Altar of the Sunne and the Altar of the Moone are said to be deeply connected to the legendary Pokémon..."
As Lillie spoke, she seemed to realize something. She gazed at Nebby, happily munching on candy in Dylan's palm, her clear, bright eyes becoming exceptionally complex.
Now, she understood. Nebby was the very legendary Pokémon that the ancient Alolan royal family had worshiped! Or rather, perhaps it was the juvenile form of that legend?
"Yes, it certainly has a deep connection."
Dylan gently lifted Nebby, also known as Cosmog.
"At the Altar of the Sunne, playing the melody of the Sun Flute to the 'Cocoon of the Stars' will cause it to evolve into Solgaleo, known as 'The Beast That Devours the Sun.'
"Likewise, at the Altar of the Moone, with the melody of the Moon Flute, the 'Cocoon of the Stars' will evolve into Lunala, known as 'The Beast That Calls the Moon.'"
"Lillie, do you understand now? If all these legends are true, how special is this little one?"
Ilene appeared a bit dazed, but at this moment, Lillie's pupils widened, her mind blanking out as she was struck by the realization.
It wasn't surprising that Ilene, being a homebody from Kanto, was unfamiliar with Alolan legends.
In Alola, the legendary Lunala and Solgaleo held a status no less significant than Ho-Oh and Lugia did for the people of Kanto.
These Pokémon were even more powerful and revered than the island guardians of Alola. According to Alolan historical records, Lunala and Solgaleo had arrived in Alola from another dimension in ancient times. They had once fiercely battled the guardian deities, but in the end, the island guardians had submitted to them and were granted Z-Power.
"This…"
Snapping back to reality, Lillie pursed her lips and fell silent, staring at Nebby.
Now she somewhat understood why her biological mother, Lusamine, had wanted to experiment on Nebby.
If what Dylan said was true, and Nebby was indeed the juvenile form of Lunala or Solgaleo, then of course, Nebby would have the power to open Ultra Space.
In the legend, the Sun and Moon Pokémon originated from another dimension—likely Ultra Space.
But how could that be? Ultra Beasts were so dangerous.
"Don't think too much about it, Lillie. Even if the legend is true, you should be happy. After all, Nebby is your friend, right?"
Seeing his little sister deep in thought, Dylan gently comforted her.
Telling Lillie about Nebby's origins was partly to prevent her from running around in search of ruins to uncover Nebby's truth later on.
With Dylan's apprentice, Ilene, already under his wing, it wouldn't be good if Lillie continued to wander and ended up in danger.
"I understand. Thank you, brother."
Hearing this, Lillie nodded and thanked Dylan, a resolution forming in her heart.
Yes, if this was Nebby's true origin, then she had to protect Nebby even more carefully. There was no way she would let her mother take Nebby away!
But she wasn't a Trainer… Should she ask her brother for help?
Lillie thought about it, considering her older brother Gladion… No, Gladion was likely in the same position as she had been, barely managing to take care of himself.
In fact, Gladion might be worse off than her. At least she had foster parents to take care of her, so maybe she should find an opportunity to ask Dylan for help. Besides, Nebby seemed to really like him.
As for Gladion, she could only wish him good luck. After all, she had fled with Nebby, and he had taken Type: Null. No wonder their mother was furious.
"We're family, no need to be so polite. By the way, Lillie, are you heading to the Hoenn region tomorrow?"
"Yes, foster mom said she's taking me to Meteor Falls, and she mentioned that Sister Zinnia will be with the tribe tomorrow. It seems our timing is just right."
Lillie responded obediently.
"Oh, by the way, Dylan, last night, dad told the elders that you're now one of the strongest Gym Leaders in Kanto. The elders were really happy."
"And then the elders said they wanted to see you battle Zinnia, the successor of the tribe. Dad agreed on your behalf."
Lillie tapped her chin with a mischievous glint in her bright eyes.
"Hahaha… I really have to thank him."
Dylan's eyelid twitched, unable to help but let out a dry laugh.
That old man!
Zinnia, the successor of the tribe, was a Champion-level Dragon-type Trainer in the games!
In the official short anime Pokémon Evolutions, Zinnia's Mega Salamence was strong enough to fight evenly with May's newly caught Rayquaza. Her strength was formidable.
Was that old man not worried Zinnia would crush him? Oh, but I have an Articuno. No worries then.
(End of Chapter)