Dylan agreed to their request, but to shut down the time machine, he needed a specific item: *The Scarlet Book* and *The Violet Book* containing the IDs of Professors Sada and Turo.
This task required Dylan to retrieve the books personally, as Sada AI and Turo AI could not leave the Zero Lab.
Fortunately, it wasn't a difficult endeavor.
Riding on Reshiram, Dylan and the others quickly flew to Mesagoza and contacted Arven using the phone number provided by Sada AI.
Arven was a young man with ash-brown hair and a stern, serious expression, though beneath it all, he was kindhearted and gentle.
"You're saying you can take me to see my parents?" Arven asked in a low voice as he approached Dylan. Arven was, of course, the son of Professors Sada and Turo.
"My parents are in the…"
"In the Zero Lab, right?" Dylan cut him off gently with a smile. "I know, because I just came from there."
Dylan had already noticed some differences between the reality of this world and the game he remembered.
In the game, depending on the version, the protagonist would encounter one of the Paradise Guardian Dragons—Koraidon or Miraidon—early in their journey.
For example, in *Scarlet*, the protagonist found a severely injured Koraidon (referred to as "Koraidon One"). The reason for its injuries?
The time machine had summoned another, more savage and feral Koraidon (referred to as "Koraidon Two"), and the two Koraidon battled fiercely over territory. Koraidon One lost and was driven out of Area Zero, sustaining critical injuries that forced it to adopt its "Limited Build" form to survive.
The same storyline applied in *Violet*, but with Miraidon in place of Koraidon.
However, things were different in this world. Dylan had asked Sada AI and Turo AI about this, and they confirmed that Koraidon Two and Miraidon Two had indeed been summoned by the time machine.
To prevent them from clashing with Koraidon One and Miraidon One, the first pair had been released from Area Zero by the AIs. Their current whereabouts were unknown.
This left Dylan curious—did Nemona have a "Koraidon/Miraidon One" with her? He made a mental note to ask her about it later.
"You…"
Arven eyed Dylan with suspicion. He had once snuck into Area Zero in search of his parents, only to be attacked by Paradox Pokémon.
In the process, his loyal Mabosstiff had been gravely injured trying to protect him.
"Don't worry, I'm strong. I can protect you in Area Zero," Dylan said, pausing briefly before continuing. "But Arven, the truth may be hard for you to face. If you're determined to go, you'll need to be prepared."
Arven clenched his fists. "I understand. But no matter what, I need to see them. They're…"
Though Dylan's words gave him a bad feeling, Arven gritted his teeth and pushed forward.
Koraidon and Miraidon were among the first Paradox Pokémon brought to the modern era. However, their wild and combative instincts often led them to attack other Pokémon.
To prevent them from being discovered or harming more Pokémon, Professors Sada and Turo brought them back to the Great Crater of Paldea and chose to live in isolation within Area Zero.
As a result, Arven had been "abandoned." He resented Koraidon and Miraidon for "stealing" his parents, and he was angry at his parents for neglecting him in pursuit of their dream.
But as he grew older, Arven realized he hadn't contacted his parents in years.
He hated them, yet he wanted to know why. Why had they so easily and coldly forgotten about him?
"Alright, then. I'll take you to the Zero Lab. I'll need to borrow *The Scarlet Book* and *The Violet Book* when we get there," Dylan said, tossing out Dragonite's Poké Ball.
Arven climbed onto Dragonite's back, and with Reshiram and Dragonite leading the way, the group flew toward Area Zero.
---
At the bottommost layer of Area Zero, after some time navigating through the depths, Dylan and his group returned to the Zero Lab.
"So… they're already dead?"
Arven's face turned pale as he looked at Sada AI and Turo AI, who calmly explained the truth to him.
"I'm sorry we never contacted you," Sada AI said. Her once emotionless voice now carried a faint trace of warmth.
"I inherited all of the real Professor Sada's emotions. I completely understand how she felt," she added softly.
"Arven, your mother truly loved you deeply."
Her words caused Arven's eyes to glisten with tears, though he stubbornly bowed his head to hide his emotions.
Seeing this, Lillie and Ilene both fell silent, their hearts heavy.
Arven had spent so many years searching for his parents, longing to confront them and demand why they had abandoned him.
And now, he had learned the truth—that they were already gone.
"…So you need these two books to shut down the time machine, right?"
After a long silence, Arven retrieved *The Scarlet Book* and *The Violet Book* from his bag and handed them to Dylan.
"Please, you have to destroy that cursed machine!" Arven pleaded earnestly.
Though he understood that the time machine represented his parents' dream, he could not accept it after learning the full story.
"I will," Dylan promised, taking the two books.
"Follow us," Sada AI and Turo AI said, leading the group to an elevator.
The elevator descended further, eventually opening into a dazzling crystalline space.
"Wow!!"
Lillie's eyes widened in amazement as she gazed around. The walls were made entirely of crystal, sparkling and otherworldly.
The ground was black, and at the center of the room stood a small black platform.
"Look closely. This is the time machine, created using the power of Terastal energy," Turo AI said, stepping toward the platform.
"To shut it down, you need the books with the Professors' IDs. They placed the final key in their favorite books—a very fitting choice for them," Sada AI said, brushing her hand gently over the platform. She then turned to Dylan.
"Dylan, when you're ready, place the books on the platform."
"Understood."
Dylan nodded and placed *The Scarlet Book* and *The Violet Book* onto the platform.
'Professors Sada and Turo's IDs confirmed. Connecting…'
A hollow mechanical voice echoed throughout the room—the central voice of the time machine.
Dylan took a few steps back, positioning himself in front of Lillie, Ilene, and Arven, as Sada AI and Turo AI crouched down.
'Preparing to shut down the time machine… preparing… preparing…'
The mechanical voice continued.
'Shutdown interrupted. Time machine rebooting.'
"Please, Dylan," Sada AI's voice called out suddenly.
'Switching Sada AI and Turo AI to sleep mode. Initiating battle protocol.'
"Defeat us, and ensure that our… dream…"
BOOM!
Before Turo AI could finish his sentence, the entire underground space trembled violently. Machines roared to life, and the platforms beneath Sada AI and Turo AI began to rise.
Above them, black mechanical petals unfolded like a blooming flower, revealing the true form of the time machine at its center, glowing with a mysterious light.
"Who dares meddle with our work… LEAVE THIS PLACE!"
Sada AI and Turo AI's voices overlapped as their pupils glowed with an eerie light, their auras radiating terrifying power.
The time machine above shimmered, and two crimson-colored Luxury Balls descended into their hands.
Gripping the balls, the two stepped forward to the edge of the platform, looking down at Dylan and the others.
The Luxury Balls opened, releasing beams of light.
To the left stood Slither Wing, and to the right emerged another Volcarona-like Pokémon with distinct mechanical features—three pairs of orange wings floating ominously behind it.
It was Iron Moth!
'Beep~ Iron Moth. Fire/Poison type. Paradox Pokémon.
Ability: Quark Drive.
Moves: Hurricane, Morning Sun, Fiery Dance, Sludge Wave, Discharge, Screech, Air Slash…
Description: Resembles the UFOs described in supernatural magazines that are said to monitor humanity.'
The Rotom Dex dutifully provided a detailed description of Iron Moth.
"So, it's a double battle, huh?"
Dylan raised an eyebrow. He had already suspected that he'd need to face both Sada AI and Turo AI simultaneously.
"Brother…"
"Leave it to me," Dylan said, stepping forward. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed out two Poké Balls.
"Reshiram, Lunala."
With a flash of white light, Reshiram and Lunala appeared before him.
The legendary dragon of truth from Unova and the beast that calls forth the moonlight from Alola.
"Two versus two. That's fair, don't you think?"
Dylan glanced up at Sada AI and Turo AI standing on the black platform above. A radiant, confident smile spread across his face.
A massive wave of oppressive energy filled the space. Reshiram stood firmly on the ground, while Lunala hovered majestically in the air.
The overwhelming presence caused both Slither Wing and Iron Moth to let out uneasy growls. Despite their violent and cold nature, their biological instincts screamed at them in warning—this was dangerous!
"What are those Pokémon?"
Arven was stunned.
'Beep~ Reshiram…'
'Beep~ Lunala. Psychic/Ghost type. Moone Pokémon.
Ability: Shadow Shield.
Moves: Moongeist Beam, Phantom Force, Psychic, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, Hypnosis, Dream Eater…
Description: Known as the Beast that Calls the Moon. It sustains itself by converting all light into energy.'
Amazing!
Arven was utterly shocked. Just hearing their descriptions made these Pokémon sound beyond incredible!
"I don't know who you are, but if you're here to meddle, then I'll drive you out!"
Sada AI roared with commanding energy, slamming her arm downward and shouting at Slither Wing below.
"Slither Wing, First Impression!"
"Iron Moth, Hurricane!"
Turo AI, in contrast, gave his command with the cold precision of a machine.
Slither Wing growled and hesitated briefly, its wild instincts battling against its trainer's orders. But under Sada AI's command, it pushed aside reason and charged forward, its body glowing with pale green energy as it raced toward Lunala at high speed.
Meanwhile, Iron Moth's three mechanical wings began to spin rapidly, unleashing a violent, chaotic gust of wind.
"Moongeist Beam."
"Flamethrower."
Dylan smiled faintly.
Lunala folded its massive wings together, gathering an immense black energy darker than the night.
Reshiram opened its jaws, crimson flames swirling within its mouth.
With an ear-splitting cry, Lunala unleashed its Moongeist Beam—a pitch-black energy wave tearing through the air. At the same time, Reshiram's searing flames roared toward Slither Wing.
BOOM!
Two deafening explosions rocked the battlefield. Both Slither Wing and Iron Moth were flung backward, their bodies hitting the ground with a thud. Neither moved again.
They'd been one-shot!
Sada AI and Turo AI stared at the fallen Paradox Pokémon, seemingly frozen for a second, their heads tilting slightly in confusion.
"?"
It was almost as if a question mark had materialized above their heads.
"Awesome! Lunala is so cool!"
Lillie squealed with excitement as she admired Lunala, one of her favorite Pokémon.
"This is just… unbelievably strong," Arven murmured, completely stunned.
"It's nothing special."
Dylan adjusted the collar of his shirt with a calm elegance.
"Now, come on—show me more of your strength. That so-called power of the ancient past and the distant future…
"Let's see how well you can dance before the legend I create."
(End of Chapter)