The Legend of Giratina

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."

The sound of flushing came from the bathroom. The moment he got home, James had rushed into the bathroom to wash up.

"Sure enough, Dad's habit seems to have gotten worse again. So this time, you were conducting your survey out in the wild, right?"

Blake turned to his mother and asked. He knew his father's semi-germaphobic habit better than anyone, since he had a bit of it himself. But the fact that James had rushed straight into the bathroom upon returning home meant they definitely had not been conducting their fieldwork anywhere near a town.

"Yeah, in a mountain ravine. Didn't I mention it when we spoke on the phone last time? I'll go wash up too. We can unpack the luggage later."

Louise stretched and headed toward the other bathroom in the house. Blake shook his head helplessly. Although his mother had said that, he could not really just sit around and do nothing, could he? Fine. He would make dinner first.

Lulina had already gone back to her own house to call her parents. If her father found out that Uncle James had returned and she had not told him, he would probably nag her again.

"Phew—"

James pushed open the bathroom door and walked out. The stubble on his face had been shaved clean, and he looked much more energetic. If he did not wash up, he could not even sleep well.

"Finished washing up, Dad? Dinner will take a little while longer. Have some snacks to tide you over first."

Blake came over carrying a plate of fruit pastries.

"No rush to eat. Where's that Spell Tag? Bring it over and let me take a look."

James stopped Blake.

"Haunter! Help me get the Spell Tag! Oh, right, I caught a Dhelmise. It's in the aquarium at home now. Dreepy should be sleeping in my room. I'll bring him over later."

Blake said.

"Dhelmise? A very good Pokémon. During underwater exploration, its utility can even surpass that of many Water-type Pokémon. And as a Grass-type Pokémon, it has a type advantage when conducting underwater surveys. Its Steelworker Ability can also produce many unusual effects. You could say it's an excellent Pokémon. As for Dreepy, I remember we have a training manual for the Dreepy line at home. Have you read it?"

Watching Haunter float toward the storeroom, James began evaluating his son's new Pokémon.

"I have, but perhaps because he stayed in the egg for too long, Dreepy's growth rate is far beyond what the manual recorded. I was worried something might be wrong, so I took him to the Pokémon Center several times. But Nurse Joy said there was nothing wrong with Dreepy at all. If anything, he was excessively healthy. The energy in his body was too abundant, which was why he often fell asleep and shed his skin."

Blake spoke helplessly. As the youngest and most energetic Pokémon, Dreepy had thrown the entire household into a bit of chaos. Haunter had practically become a babysitter lately, watching Dreepy every day for fear that the little guy would cause trouble.

"It's a good thing for a Pokémon in its early stages to be energetic. Besides, Pokémon of the Dreepy line are all known for their speed. Abundant energy can also help them further develop their speed. That's a good thing."

James considered it before replying.

"I know that too, but this little guy has a little too much energy. He's nearly broken quite a few things in the house. Right now, Haunter is the only one who can keep an eye on him. Thanks, Haunter. Give it to Dad. This is it."

As Blake spoke, Haunter had already brought over the small box containing the Spell Tag. Blake thanked him and handed it to James.

"Whoosh!"

The instant James opened the small box, a surge of Ghost-type energy carrying a chilling aura poured out, immediately lowering the temperature in the room slightly. However, no one present seemed particularly affected. Haunter even wore an expression of enjoyment, basking in it.

"Just as I thought. This appearance, this aura... it really should be connected to that ruin."

James took out the Spell Tag and inspected it from side to side. He rubbed the inked portion with his fingers, brought it to his nose to smell, then spoke after examining it closely. His eyes had also turned deep purple, clearly indicating that he had activated his family ability.

"So what kind of ruin is it?"

Blake asked curiously.

"Phew—"

After closing the box again, James sighed.

"To be honest, I think this is a little early for you. But never mind. You were going to come into contact with it sooner or later, weren't you?"

James fell silent for a moment.

"Do you know the myths of the Sinnoh Region?"

James asked very seriously.

"I know some of them. The stories of Dialga, who controls time, and Palkia, who distorts space, as well as the stories of the wise Lake Trio."

Blake said that, but in truth, he knew far more than that. After all, he had once stood from a god's-eye perspective, so naturally he knew more. But over the years, he had also come to understand the differences between the games, the anime, and the real world. Naturally, he would not naively believe that Legendary Pokémon were like in the games, where many people could not even be bothered to use them. In this world, Legendary Pokémon were true gods, beings who wielded the laws of the world.

"Mm. Those two stories are generally the most widespread, but beyond them, there is another legend that fewer people know about. And the material of this Spell Tag may be related to that legend."

James spoke very seriously.

"The legendary god of the Distortion World—Giratina!"

With James having said this much, how could Blake possibly fail to guess? As a Ghost-type Legendary Pokémon, and one of Blake's favorite Legendary Pokémon in his previous life, Blake was extremely familiar with Giratina's legend. Leaving aside anything else, in the legends of this world, Giratina had been banished for destroying the world. But in truth, Giratina had always maintained the balance between the two worlds in the Distortion World. Compared to Dialga and Palkia, who were always fighting, Giratina was actually the calmer one.

"You know about it?"

This time, it was James's turn to be surprised. Giratina was considered a very obscure legend. Although the excavation of ancient ruins in recent years had gradually made more people aware of Giratina, it was still quite niche by comparison.

"Uh... I know a little."

Only then did Blake realize that he seemed to have accidentally let something slip.

"Never mind. No matter where you learned about it, this Spell Tag should be connected to the legendary Giratina. You know that aside from the maker's skill, the most important factor in determining a Spell Tag's quality is the quality of the materials used. And although this Spell Tag is so ancient, it still possesses such powerful strength. It was very likely made, according to legend, using materials from a Legendary Pokémon."

James's expression was solemn as he spoke each word carefully.

"So the ruin you're taking me to this time..."

"That's right. Just as you think—a temple ruin related to Giratina, dating back at least three thousand years."