Professor Oak was spending a relaxing evening at the Pal Park on Route 221. Lounging in an armchair on the second-floor deck, he drank in the calm vista of tall grass and ponds nestled among the swaying trees. In the distance, Wingulls floated over the lazy sea, fat with fish dinners. From his warm teacup, the citrus aroma of bergamot lulled his senses. All was well… until he started hearing a voice.

"Unification."

Professor Oak put down his cup of Earl Grey.

"Yes? Hello?" Oak said, looking around to see whether a Pal Park attendant had spoken. He was alone… but for the Voice.

"You possess the instrument of unification. Send it to the child."

"I'm sorry, I don't follow orders from people I can't see; it's not good science."

"You have built your life around curiosity. Why are you not curious, now?"

"I wish to protect the children, not give them a weapon."

"All things have the potential to be weapons."

"Yes, but you, most of all! I have not forgotten your involvement in human history: you use people, then discard them."

"They betrayed me."

"I will not betray the children by exposing them to your influence."

"Very well; you have chosen. You have forfeited your place in the new world."

"That's fine. I like this world."

The Voice left him. Professor Oak sipped his tea. His heartbeat was slow and steady. He was too old, had seen far too many things to be scared anymore.

888

Manny woke up in Eterna's Pokémon Centre with a headache. He had had a vivid dream. He related it to his peers over breakfast.

"We gathered all sixteen elemental Plates and were standing on Spear Pillar. When you put the Plates together they form the image of a Pokémon… I've never seen its likeness before, but it looked like Dialga crossed with Darkrai."

"Now there's an interesting breeding possibility," Hannah commented deadpan.

After breakfast the Trainers unloaded the Plates onto the table. So far they had only collected the Mind, Fist, Iron, Icicle, Insect and Dread plates.

"I am not scouring Sinnoh for the other ten," Hannah declared.

Mint powered on his Pokédex.

"It's okay! I joined Internet social networks while we were adventuring, and added EVERYBODY we came across! I'll just tell everyone we're looking for the plates; the ones you find in the Overworld, not Underground!"

"That will never work," said Manny.

Manny was wrong. Mint truly had everyone on his social networks.

"Why did you send the request to me?" Manny complained a minute later.

"You can never be too thorough!"

"But I just… I'm the one who told you… ugh, nevermind."

Mint's Pokédex beeped, insisting he pay attention to his online life.

"Good news! Everybody who found a Plate is on their way here! We better stick around, you guys."

That day, the Plates arrived one by one.

The Earth Plate arrived with Jasmine and Mira. The girls descended from the sky, a shiny new Magnezone using Magnet Rise to control the gravity around them. The Olivine Gym Leader had perked up, smiling and holding their hands when she landed to meet them.

"Manny, I met Mira as you suggested. We explored Sinnoh, defeated wild Pokémon, Trainers and Gym Leaders together. I am no longer alone thanks to you."

Little Mira waved her hands. "Jasmine is the best! We traded each other's favourite Pokémon! Now I have Alakazam!"

"I have Magnezone! Magnemite evolved into Magneton by helping Mira in battle, then he evolved again while we were fighting Trainers inside Mount Coronet!"

Manny beamed, his heart warm. "That's perfect. I am happy for you both."

Mint and Hannah shared similar sentiments.

Jasmine pressed the warm metal plate into Manny's hands. "You deserve this Earth Plate, for you have given me the world by helping me find friendship."

Manny read the engraving on the plate: 'The powers of plates are shared among Pokémon'.

Moments later, Mr. Aoi arrived aboard his Swellow. He handed a Meadow Plate to Hannah. "I found this plate north of Solaceon just after you were born, Hanny."

"What's written on it?"

"Written? It has no writing."

Hannah took it from him. "It clearly reads, 'The rightful bearer of a Plate draws from the Plate it holds'."

"Odd. Perhaps it was intended for you."

"But we can see the writing, too!" Mint spoke for himself and Manny.

"Then I am glad you have it. Happy trails, children!"

He flew off.

Hannah frowned at Mint. "How did you befriend him? You never even spoke to him."

"Easy, I added the entire Pokémon League and subsidiary groups to my network."

She nodded with raised eyebrow. "You are thorough!"

Mint's jaw dropped. "Oh my gosh! You complimented me! Manny, did you hear?"

"I heard. Enjoy the feeling while it lasts."

Hanny punched Mint in the shoulder.

"OW! The feeling's gone, Manny!"

There was a small rumbling below them, then The Underground Man's head popped out of the floor of the Pokémon Centre.

"Hey! You'll have to pay for that!" Nurse Joy shouted.

"I'm sorry! I just came here to deliver this Draco Plate!"

"We don't want the Underground plates," Manny corrected him.

"I found it behind the Pokémon statue in Eterna City, long before Cyrus was born. I have kept it ever since, to remind me that there are more mysteries in this world than I will ever solve. You three, however, helped lift the curse on Eterna's ancient children. You are great heroes! You deserve this plate, imbued with the spirit of dragons."

Mint inspected the engraving. "Weird; it says the same thing the Mind Plate said."

"Only eight messages, huh?" Manny pondered. "They talk about the six Pokémon of Spirit, Time and Space, along with the 'Original One' who created them. Perhaps the messages point to that creator? Is that the Pokémon whose image I saw in the dream?"

The Underground Man escaped into his hole without paying for the damage to the Pokémon Centre floor (much to Nurse Joy's chagrin).

Manny's mother arrived, riding Persian as though the large cat were a Rapidash. She handed him a Spooky Plate. "Your father and I were taking a walk in Amity Square when we found this plate corrupting the minds of baby Pokémon. We didn't think much of it, but here you go!"

Manny muttered under his breath.

His mother leaned closer, touching his shoulder. "What was that, hun?"

"I don't get how you can be with him after the way he treated us!"

"Oh Manny, I don't expect you to understand love until you've experienced it. Just trust your mother, okay?"

"Mother knows best," Manny grumbled.

Johanna rode off on Persian, waving to him. He did not return the farewell gesture.

Mint leaned closer to Manny. "Still sore about that, huh?"

"Shut up, Mint."

Hannah said nothing. She did, however, greet Riley and his Lucario.

The handsome man offed his hat, nodding to the Trainers. "We found the Stone Plate inside Mount Coronet while training. We love to play in its subterranean waterfall after a hard day's work. Come train with us sometime, Hanny!"

"I will! Thank you, Riley! Thank you, Lucario!"

Hanny hugged them both, careful to avoid Lucario's chest spike. After they left, neither boy dared make any snide comment on her relationship with the older man.

Volkner showed up. "Would you believe this thing was just lying in front of the Lighthouse? People throw away valuable things so carelessly. I am grateful you did not throw your battles with me! Victory and defeat are precious only if given your all!"

A young woman dressed in an expensive business suit approached them. Nobody recognised her but Mint.

"Alexis!"

"Who?" Manny and Hanny chorused.

"She's the girl who sold us Lava Cookies in the basement of Veilstone's Mega Mart. I didn't even ask her her name at the time! Good thing I found her online!"

The dowdy, shy salesclerk was now a sophisticated, outgoing businesswoman with her winning smile, professional makeup and brand-name perfume. "Mint, I did as you suggested. I stuck posters everywhere, advertised in all the local newspapers and went on Jubilife TV to sell Lava Cookies. I cleared the entire inventory within one week! When I told her about it, the brand owner made me Regional Manager!"

She handed the Splash Plate to him.

"I made so much money that she gave me paid vacation leave! I went to the beach in Sandgem and swam with friends. Swimming along Route 220, I found this plate on the first sandbar we came across. I kept it as a souvenir, but now I'm so glad I can finally repay you!"

Alexis hugged Mint with all her might, causing the boy to blush redder than a Voltorb.

"I love you so much. I would be nothing without you. Thank you, Mint!"

The second she left the Centre, Hannah and Manny jeered at him.

"You have a girlfriend!"

"I'M NOT HER BOYFRIEND!"

Their torment was relentless!

"Girlfriend! Girlfriend!" Manny poked him in the shoulder.

"I spoke to her ONCE before!"

"I didn't know you were into older women!" Hannah laughed, causing Mint to hold his head in despair.

"AUUUUUGH SHUT UP! I'M NOT OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE A GIRLFRIEND! MOM SAID SO!"

They were still poking him and reveling in sweet, cruel laughter when Aaron arrived. That shut them up.

"Hi Aaron!"

"Hi Hanny!"

They embraced. The boys again kept their silence. Their silence was fear of the grave.

"After our fight outside the League, I found this Sky Plate among the ruins of the battlefield. You really have soared since I first met you, Hanny, from obscurity to League Champion."

"One of many such Champions," she nodded, looking at Manny and Mint who, again, said nothing. Aaron left them in peace.

The insect repellant salesman from the Great Marsh walked into the Centre. "Good morning, children! You're not the only ones who tramped around that smelly swamp; I used to be a Pokémon Trainer too, y'know! Here you go, for being such fine customers!"

He passed them the Toxic Plate.

"So, how has my miracle product worked out for you?"

Hannah gave him a thumbs-up. "The boys never used it after they left the Marsh, but I've worn it almost every day. My skin loves it."

Scooter popped out of his Pokéball. The salesman got down on his hands and knees before the Nature god, but not in worship.

"You! I've seen you around the place where I collect my miracle repellant!"

"You smell like me, mortal man. Do you know why that is?"

"No?"

"That repellant is my dung."

Hannah screamed and ran for the showers. Later they discovered she had applied the repellant right after her morning ablution. Manny and Mint were nonplussed.

Mint gave a thumbs-up. "Your dung is amazing."

Scooter nodded equably. "I expend enough energy to terraform entire planets. As such, I need to eat a great deal. You, my good man," he addressed the salesman, "I am glad you found a use for my droppings beyond fertiliser."

"I honestly had no idea, oh great and powerful Shaymin. I knew the miracle repellant had something to do with your benevolent presence, but not so… directly."

"That is fine. Carry on with the good work."

The salesman appeared nervous. "Um, boys? You're not going to tell, are you?"

"We have learned not to say anything that would cast Hannah in a humiliating light," Manny told him.

"That would be worse than being slathered in dung," Mint agreed. "But tell us one thing: how on Earth did you gain access to the Flower Elysium?"

"When I was around your age, I spent my days adventuring, too. At one time I was sitting on the Mirror Rock north of Route 224, thinking of how happy and grateful I was to be free and alive. Next thing I know, there's a magic bridge rising out of the ocean. I followed it and found the, uh, repellant gathered in one neat spot off the edge of the cliff. It smelt so good that I tried it on. Like Hannah, my skin felt wonderful, too. The rest is history."

After that entertaining story, the boys were left alone to receive their final visitor: Buck.

"Hey guys, you were too impatient! You didn't explore Stark Mountain well enough!"

He gave them the Flame Plate.

"I went back in there after the volcano calmed down. I used my superior Ranger skills to find this plate!"

Manny arched an eyebrow. "You mean your Dowsing Pokétch application?"

Buck pouted. "Well, yeah, that helped a little I guess."

"Thank you for your help. Now we have all the plates we need."

"What're you going to do with them?"

"Take them to Spear Pillar to summon a god."

"Smokin'. Well, I gotta go! Me and Flint are gonna challenge the Battle Tower!"

"Good luck!" Mint cheered him. Manny mumbled in halfhearted support. By the time Buck left, Hannah was back from her shower.

"Did that disgusting man leave yet? I want him to have a conversation with Glitch."

Manny defended him, saying, "He's gone to make more money. We're not telling,"

Hannah's face contorted with disgust. "You boys are so nasty! You didn't even react when he said it was excrement!"

"That's because we're boys," Mint explained.

Hannah shook her head and sat down. "Thank goodness I'm not one. Did you get all your treasure?"

"We sure did. We're off to fulfil my dream!"