The Pokémon Sovereign

It wasn't a hard journey, but getting to the mountains wasn't easy because of the cold. Lugia could tolerate cold water, but he never had to travel through snow or sleet before. The weather was plain and there was a little bit of sunshine through the clouds. The good news was their destination was in sight. He brought them to the entrance of the temple.

Yugi saw that he was looking exhausted. "Are you all right, Lugia?" he asked with great concern.

He panted and replied, "I am just not as young as I once was."

"You carried all of us at once before, but you don't have the strength you used to have," said Kaiba. "Sorry for wearing you out."

"It is not you," he insisted. "It is the climate."

His friends got off anyway. "Is this the temple?"

"Yes," Lugia answers. "Arceus is inside and is waiting for you."

Emily felt a tingle in her head. "The Cobalt Star shard is here. I can sense it."

Yugi faces Emily and asks her, "Are you ready for this?"

"This is why we came to this world," she answers. "Our journey has led to this. It's time."

Kaiba was suddenly starting to be against the idea. "You're either really brave or really crazy for going through with this. If Arceus is all that the game has classified him as and what he's rumored to be in this world, then you don't stand a chance against a Pokémon sovereign."

"I have to try," she tells him. "If I don't, we'll still be stuck here."

"I am coming with you," Lugia tells his friends.

"No," Kaiba says firmly. "You've done enough for us since we met you."

"I was obligated to bring you to the Pokémon sovereign when your presence was requested and I have done that," Lugia was saying. "But that does not mean my task is complete. The four of you are my friends and I must protect you. We worked together to save your world and can work together again to save this world from the Dark Lord's evil. The world of Pokémon became my home and since you came here, you have been a part of it and I was able to share it with you. Because this is your home too."

Emily's eyes shined. "Lugia," she whispers. After what they discussed since they met, Emily knew that Lugia wasn't spending time with the heroes to relive the past, but to create new memories with his new friends. In Atlantis, Melinda and her friends shared their world with Lugia. Now he was sharing his world with the new warriors of Millennia. "Thank you," she finally tells him. And together, Lugia and the heroes pass through the entrance.

As they walked through the grand hall, they noticed statues of legendary Pokémon like Palkia, Dialga, Reshiram, Zekrom, Giratina, and Kyurem. They faced their front and saw Arceus standing in the middle. "That will be all, Lugia," he says softly.

Lugia bows in respect. "Yes, my sovereign."

Arceus turns his attention to the heroes. "Come closer, children. Don't be frightened."

Emily was the first to step forward. She gulped and said weakly, "Arceus, the Great Goddess sent us to you."

"Oh, did she?" Arceus asked her. "She is a dear old friend." He urged the heroes to come closer so he could see them better. "Closer," he requested. And they all came to the middle of the temple and were standing before him. "Ah, the chosen warriors of Millennia. What an honor this is."

Yugi returned the gesture. "It's an honor to meet you as well."

"Arceus, my friends and I-"

Arceus interrupts Emily and says, "I know why you have come. The Cobalt Star shard you seek is here." He turns around and shows them a small case. "There is something you need to know first. There is a book on the arc. Read the words if you can."

Yugi approaches the book and sees that it's written in Unown. "Yes, I can read a little."

"Read," Arceus softly demands.

Yugi abbreviates the words as he tries to make them out. "The Shadow Games have brought great calamity. Our world is changing. Many of us cannot stay here any longer. The Great Goddess was a dear friend and her children are noble and true heroes. I am lost in knowing what I can do to help. Perhaps it is best that I do nothing at present or until asked for help." Yugi couldn't believe what he was reading. "Wow, I didn't know," he muttered to himself. He faces Arceus and asks him, "How is it that none of us know anything about this?"

"To answer that, I must tell you about how the world changed after the Shadow Games," he tells Yugi. The truth was Millennia and Cobalt were once friends before they started battling with each other. That's why they easily understand each other and are able to cooperate despite their differences. They agreed that the Shadows Games was both their faults and all they could do was watch their children try to set things right.

"The world and its inhabitants will never be the same again," said Millennia.

Cobalt agreed. "We must start over as we try to make things right."

"There is nothing you and I can do anymore," Millennia tells him. "We do not have the power we used to now that our Stars have been divided."

"It is no accident that this occurred," Cobalt tells her. "Actually, this could be good for us, my Lady. This act of destruction could be the key to restoring balance. But the only way to know for sure is to watch over our children and followers."

"And we can learn from them just as they will be learning from us," Millennia added. "But we are going to need help."

As if on cue, Arceus came before the Great Goddess and the Dark Lord. "My Lord and Lady, in light of these cataclysmic events, if there is ever anything any of my brethren and I can do for you, we would graciously serve you."

Then Cobalt got an idea. "Actually, Arceus, your arrival is most opportune, my friend. As I understand, you are a creator and a destroyer, which makes you a sovereign."

Millennia got the same idea. "We need you to use your power for us."

"What can I do?" Arceus wondered.

"The world must be divided," Cobalt decrees, "and the inhabitants must be divided with it; people, monsters, traditions, plants, animals. It is essential for them to start over."

"They must be separate, but still united," Millennia added. "One Earth, but many worlds."

"I can arrange that," Arceus promises them.

"And one more thing," Cobalt requests. "As you are aware, our Stars have been divided into different fragments. I want Millennia's shards to remain in one world so that her power will be fully restored for when we meet again. And I want my shards to reside in different worlds each one guarded by a future follower of darkness."

Millennia faces Cobalt with concern. "That seems a little unfair."

The Dark Lord disagrees. "It is actually reasonable. In the state I am in, I will not be able to travel to the other worlds though they will be connected by the Shadow Realm. But as I recall, my Lady, you created a sanctuary that is its own world, but still connected to the world."

Millennia saw where he was going with this. "I see, it can be a gateway to the other worlds. I can send my children to covet your Star shards."

Cobalt nods. "I hate having to rely on my bitter enemy, but in desperate situations, I am willing to ask for help from my friend."

The Great Goddess smiles. "Hopefully, as the journeys go, you and I will finally be able to find a way to put an end to our battles and restore the balance between us."

"And hopefully, we will be free again," Cobalt finishes. So the deal is done and the world is divided to their choosing. Since then, everything has worked in their favor.

Now Yugi and his friends knew everything. It really was no accident that the world was divided into many different worlds.

"The Dark Lord entrusted one of his Cobalt Star shards to me. Thus far, I have kept it safe," Arceus tells his guests. "But I cannot just give you the Cobalt Star shard. According to the laws of the ancient ways, you have to win it from me in a battle, Princess."

"Yes, I know," Emily tells him. "I guess I have to face you in a Pokémon battle then, don't I?"

"Not quite," Arceus tells her. "You can battle me yourself using your magic."

Emily's eyes widened. "Use my powers to fight you?" She repeated. "But I can't. My powers have been blocked since I came to this world. And it wouldn't really be fair to battle you myself."

"It is quite fair," Arceus promises her. "After all, I am a sovereign, so it is fair game. And considering that we are fighting for a Cobalt Star shard, you will be able to use your powers this once." Arceus was right. They would be fighting using the powers of Gods and it was reasonable because Arceus was considered a Pokémon sovereign.

"Okay, then," Emily said, without much confidence. "I'm ready to battle." Suddenly, her wings emerge from her back.

"Then let us begin!" Arceus declares.

To protect his friends, Lugia shields the boys with his wings and uses Protect to avoid taking any damage from the battle. "Good luck, my princess," he whispers.

Emily makes the first move by flying close to Arceus and attacking him with her wings. He chuckled because he felt more like he was being tickled than attacked. After that, he Head Butts her and she falls to the ground. Emily tries a different approach by attacking him with her magic, so she creates fire from her hands and waves it towards him. Arceus uses his ability to change his type and resist damage.

Kaiba groaned. "Now I remember why that Pokémon is so hard to beat. It has the ability to change its attribute and protect itself from all enemy attacks."

"How is that possible?" Joey asked.

"Arceus carries seventeen life plates representing the different types of Pokémon," Lugia explains. "It is the life plates that give Arceus his invincibility."

"Of course!" Yugi gasped. "Arceus is only immortal because of the life plates. If he should lose one or a few or all of them, he's just as mortal as the rest of us."

"Yes, but the life plates are inside his body," Lugia reminds him. "It is impossible to make Arceus lose his grip on them."

"In that case, Briar's just going to have to think of something different and fast," said Kaiba.

Emily decides to attack Arceus with her most powerful spell. Concentrating on the element of love, she allows it to fill her up. After that, she uses her Lucent Beam. Amazingly, it manages to work against Arceus.

"No way!" gasped Joey. "That attack actually worked?"

Then Emily remembered the different types of Pokémon that there are. Light wasn't one of them. And because of that, Arceus couldn't protect himself. "I guess I found a weakness," she boasted.

"Perhaps you did," Arceus complemented. "But it will take more than that to defeat me." He uses Dragon Pulse to fight back. Although Dragon was a type of Pokémon, it wasn't an attribute for magic. Emily couldn't protect herself from that attack.

Joey couldn't take any more. "We can't just stand here, we've got to help!"

Lugia uses his wing to block him. "It is not our fight. Princess Emily is the only one who can end this."

Arceus saw that Emily was looking tired. "You have fought well, my princess. But I am afraid this battle will conclude with my victory."

Emily was on her knees. "This battle," she panted, "is far from over!" She places her hand close to her chest and releases the Millennium Star. When she does, she transforms into the princess.

This was the moment Arceus had been waiting for. "You have tapped into your true power. Now the real battle can begin!"

"What is she doing?" Kaiba asked. "She's going to get herself killed like last time!"

But Lugia had different feelings about the matter. "No. This time is different."

"How do you know?" Yugi asked him.

"The stakes in this match are different than the stakes from last time," Lugia tells him. "The outcome may result differently. Just watch."

Arceus prepares to use his most devastating attack. He launches his attack in the sky and unleashes Judgment and burning rays come down like meteors. Emily sees them coming down on her and counters with her own rays of light. She also unleashes the light of the Millennium Star on Arceus. He tries to hold it back by using his Cobalt Star shard, but starts to become overwhelmed. Seeing this, Emily stops her attack.

"Arceus!" she cried, seeing him lying down. "Arceus!" and she runs up to him. "Arceus, are you all right?"

He opens his eyes and groans. "You ceased your attack. Why?"

Emily was silent for a moment, then answered. "If I kept going, I would have killed you. Your life plates wouldn't have been able to protect you. It wouldn't have been right if my victory resulted in your death. You were battling as yourself. You weren't under the influence of any evil force. That's why I didn't think it would be right or fair if I kept attacking you. So I… I…" she looks down and whispers, "I yield."

Arceus couldn't have expected any more from his opponent. "I have seen all that I needed."

"What?"

He lifts himself up and stands on his feet. "You have a good heart, Princess Emily, and that makes you the winner of our battle."

"But how?" she wondered.

"Rather than pursue victory, you put the well-being of your opponent first," he explains. "Although you were aware of the fate you would have faced for your loss, you made it the least of your worries. You spared an innocent life from an impending danger because you remembered that your foe was also your friend," he was silent for a minute, then added, "just as Yugi did for Joey."

Yugi knew that Arceus was talking about what happened in Battle City. "Arceus, are you able to see what goes on in the other worlds?"

"Not quite," he replies. "I saw it through the Cobalt Star shard I was charged to protect. And speaking of which," and he uses his power to give the small case to Emily. She opens it and sees a fragment of the center piece. "Although you have rightfully earned it, you must keep it safe," Arceus warns her. "The only other warning I can give you is this: the Dark Lord has chosen many other servants to protect his Star shards and they will prove to be more formidable and dangerous foes than me."

"Thank you, Arceus," Emily tells her. "I'll make sure to deliver this to Max when I next see her."

"Good," he tells her. "It was an honor to battle with you, my princess." He turns his attention to Lugia and tells him, "You were right about her, Lugia. She is a true daughter of Millennia."

"And she is also like her father," Lugia adds. "I have seen her display the same courage and determination he had. In fact, all of these warriors take after their ancestors."

Arceus nods in agreement. "I am honored to have met every one of you. And I am also happy for you to be a part of our world. We may be divided, but we are also still united."

"That's right," said Yugi.

"There will be danger, but I hope you will also have fun along the way," Arceus adds. "And good luck to all of you as you continue your journey."

"Thank you again, Arceus," Emily tells him and she turns back into her original form.

He faces Lugia again and tells him, "If it pleases you, Lugia, I hope you will continue to watch over and protect your friends."

"It would be a great honor and privilege, my sovereign," Lugia replies.

"Very well then," Arceus replies. He really didn't mind that Lugia and the heroes were having fun together. In fact, he thought it was good for all of them. Arceus leaves the temple and returns to his own world. "I have now fulfilled my task for the Great Goddess and the Dark Lord," he tells himself. "Yet the Heroes of Millennia will continue to serve us far more than we them. By taking their journeys, they are coming one step closer to ending the battles between Millennia and Cobalt. But we must continue to help them in any way that we can."

Emily puts the case inside her bag. Thinking about her friends, she tells them, "Look, it's all right if you guys want to go home. I mean, I understand. No hard feelings."

"Well, we did get what we came here for," Kaiba was saying.

"And now that we have it, we can go home whenever we want," Joey adds. "I don't mind staying here a little longer. It's not over yet, anyway."

"Why not?" Emily asked.

"Because you're still competing for the Johto league," he answers. "We should keep going and finish what we started."

Yugi agreed. "You've still got to win three more gym badges. We can go home when you're done."

Everyone faces Kaiba and asks for his opinion. He sighs and says, "I suppose when you put it that way," then he shrugs and says, "All right, I'm in." And his friends cheer for his response.

"Climb aboard, everybody," Lugia tells his friends. "Tell me where to go and I will take you there."

"It's time to go back to Olivine City," Emily declared.

"Very well," Lugia says and prepares for takeoff. After making sure everyone is safely onboard, he lifts himself from the ground and flies them to Olivine City.