Clang!
The dust-sealed door opened once more.
Before the Sun and Moon Altar, Tapu Koko and the other three island guardian deities had been waiting.
The moment they saw Xia Yan and Cynthia emerge, they immediately came forward to greet them.
Except...
It seemed something had snuck in with them?
Holding its verdant leek sword aloft, Sirfetch'd cautiously stepped out of the ancient door, looking left and right with extreme wariness.
Rumble!
Hearing the door close behind it again, Sirfetch'd jolted and turned around, only to find that the world it knew had vanished from sight.
"Quack!!"
Xia Yan and Cynthia both facepalmed. Looking at its grief-stricken expression, neither of them knew what it was getting so worked up about.
Ever since Sirfetch'd had watched Mega Beedrill swiftly and cleanly one-shot Decidueye, it had been completely won over by Beedrill and kept pestering it to teach it "swordsmanship."
About that...
Xia Yan had not known how to send it away, so he had muddleheadedly brought it out with them.
But seeing it act like it had never seen the world before made him regret it a little.
Did I just bring myself a problem?
"Leave it alone."
Xia Yan waved at Tapu Koko, then took the sleeping Nebby from his arms.
"We collected every ball of light on the ancient battlefield, but aside from becoming sleepier, Cosmog doesn't seem any different."
Seeing Cosmog's state, the four island guardian deities exchanged glances.
Each saw disappointment in the others' eyes.
Their expressions did little to hide it, either.
Xia Yan understood at once.
It seemed the light clusters on the ancient battlefield alone were not enough to let Cosmog complete its transformation.
However...
The four island guardian deities soon began moving again.
They surrounded Cosmog and slowly rotated.
As they turned, strange