When Arceus summoned all the Legendaries to meet with him before the transfer, one refused to attend. Giganoth—or “Glitterwings”, as her Trainer Jason Turner affectionately called her—felt the ancient power of Lord Arceus trying to separate her from her Net Ball and resisted his attempt, using her own power that stemmed from humans and their creations to bind herself even more to the device that symbolized her bond with the Trainer who had calmed her rage and earned her trust.
Her virtual habitat of a log cabin village full of virtual humans in a moonlit forest was very much to her liking, and she wasn’t about to give it up just because the Legendary who had tasked her with being the guardian of humanity felt he could separate her from her partner on a whim.
“Jason!” the Protection Moth Pokémon cried out from her habitat that Salintra’s Pokéballs were capable of producing. “Drop whatever you’re doing out there and and hold my Ball shut! A certain geezer just woke up and thinks he can take me from you!”
The new Champion of the Salintra region understood every word due to his rare ability to understand Pokémon, and immediately complied by gripping the Ball’s top with one hand and the bottom with the other, struggling to keep them together as some other force tried to force it open.
“Sorry, whoever you are!” Jason shouted to the open air in the empty field he was standing in. “Glitterwings is staying with me! I don’t care who you are! She’s my friend, and if she wants to stay with me, she gets to stay with me, got it?” There was no way Jason would let anyone take any of his cherished teammates from him. They needed him just as much as he needed them, and he wasn't about to let his connection to any of them be cut.
The Ball shook harder, the force becoming agitated as it met resistance from both inside the Ball and outside it.
Suddenly, a voice entered both Jason and Glitterwings’ minds. A very ancient, very angry voice.
So, you would defy me, Giganoth? the voice asked tersely. Well, I guess making you the guardian of humanity was a mistake on my part. You’ve grown overly attached to them, it seems. Fine. Stay on Earth with your precious Trainer if he matters so much to you. Just be aware that your defiance will result in you being the only Legendary Pokémon left behind. Every Trainer we leave behind will want ownership of the only Legendary left on Earth, so be prepared for your “partner” to be hounded by Pokéthieves for the rest of his days. Farewell, rebellious one. I don’t pity you one bit, for you brought this upon yourself.
“And that would be the ‘geezer’ you spoke of just now?” Jason asked nervously, visibly trembling after being spoken to by what felt like an angry deity.
“Yes, that would be Lord Arceus,” Glitterwings grumbled. “After he was sealed, he grew to loathe humanity, and I had a feeling he’d do something bad once some idiot woke him up with the Azure Flute. Sounds like he’s taking every Legendary with him to another world and leaving this one to rot.”
“But, he created this world!” Jason exclaimed, taking his white stetson off to fan himself as he suddenly started to feel hot. “Why would he abandon the entire world?” Jason just couldn't understand why the creator of the world would just abandon it. The world was like a work of art, with Arceus as the artist. Except this particular work of art continued to grow more and more wonderful as time went on, so why would the mastermind behind the whole thing suddenly decide his greatest creation was utter garbage?
“I don’t know, but maybe Cosmaraid or Donalyra can shed some light on the issue,” she said before using her telepathic link to other Legendaries to call out to the other two members of her trio: Cosmaraid, the Protection Serpent Pokémon who was the guardian of all Pokémon, and Donalyra, the Protection Comet Pokémon, who was the guardian of the planet itself.
Brothers, what’s happening? Glitterwings asked the other two guardians. What is Lord Arceus doing?
He’s taking all of the Legendaries who didn’t resist him with him to another world, “sister”, Cosmaraid’s voice growled. He’ll also be taking many good humans and Pokémon along, but the humans won’t be human anymore where we’re going, thanks to Lord Arceus’ influence.
Why’d you have to be so stubborn, sister? Donalyra’s voice asked, sounding quite hurt. You really prefer the humans over your own family?
After I became Jason’s partner and became as close to him as the rest of his team is, yes, Glitterwings’ voice replied. I’ll miss you, but I’m not about to leave my duties behind. I’m the guardian of humanity. Without any humans to protect, what will I be then? And Donalyra, what about you? You’re the guardian of Earth! If you leave Earth behind, what will you be without the very world you were tasked to protect? I may change my mind at some point, but that’s very unlikely.
Well, if you ever do change your mind, I’ll create an echo of the transferring power in the cave you slept in for so long before Team Verdure rudely awakened you, Donalyra’s voice said gently, also tinged with a slight bit of guilt. I’m doing this because you’re my sister, and for no other reason. Please don’t try to pull anything, okay? Lord Arceus promised me a new guardianship role, and I’m sure he’d give you one, as well.
I’ll try, Glitterwings replied. That’s the best I can do right now.
Very well, sister, Cosmaraid’s voice sighed. Just make sure that in ”trying”, you don’t end up causing trouble.
With that, Glitterwings cut her communication with the other two members of her trio and spoke to her trusted partner.
“Jason, we have to return to Mt. Maiden, where I slept,” she informed him. “My brothers are leaving something for me there.”
“Okay, just a second,” Jason said before releasing her from her Ball. She was a sight to behold: a beautiful multicolored moth almost as large as a Wailord and weighing over four tons, she could easily carry a sumo wrestler on her back and not have her flight impeded, or drag Groudon behind her by the tail with little effort. She was the envy of every Bug/Flying type in the world, for she could do one thing that no other Bug-type that was part Flying could do: actually learn and use the Hidden Move, Fly.
After climbing on her back, Jason said, “Let’s go, Glitterwings! Take us there!”
“On it!” the Legendary replied before flapping her massive wings and heading straight for a mountain shaped like a sleeping woman in the distance.
During the flight, Jason let the rest of his team out of their Balls to allow them some fresh air outside their virtual habitats.
“I overheard everything,” a blue and white bipedal wolverine-like Pokémon called a “Floodrine” growled. “How could Arceus go cuckoo-nutzoid like that? I don’t care if he did make this world. I so want to pulverise him!”
“Easy, Wanda,” a dark purple quadrupedal fox-like Pokémon with a white skull image on her forehead, a skinny tail ending in a scythe-like appendage and scarlet eyes that glowed like a Misdreavus’ beads said. “I’m the one among us who had to die to evolve, and yet you don’t see me that upset.”
“Eternia, Obliveon or no, you weren’t Jason’s starting Pokémon!” Wanda snapped. “Yeah, you had to die in a graveyard and want to stay with Jason so badly that you broke the chains of death to come back as a Ghost-type, but I’m the one capable of Mega Evolution, here! It was awesome enough when I evolved into a Torrajou and gained that sweet, sweet dual Water/Light typing, but don’t forget that I’m also the team Mega now!”
“I was his second Pokémon,” a Pokémon that looked like an eternally burning bush with arms and legs said softly. “Not that it matters, of course.”
“Eh, cut the modesty, Flash,” Wanda chuckled. “Having an Errabush on the team is actually quite useful, y’know? You’re a Fire/Grass-type! You’ve been a huge help ever since you were a little Burseed!” That last statement got Flash to crack a small smile.
“Then what am I, chopped liver?” a teal bipedal dragon Pokémon with ribbed wings with violet membranes and sharp yet disarmingly frilly pink spikes sprouting from his wrists snapped. “Do I ever get any respect around here? Jason respects me, but you guys? Nope, not one ‘thank you, Burst’ from anyone except Jason!”
“Well, you are an Atomic/Dragon-type, you know,” an adorable-looking silvery blue slug Pokémon with fin-like structures ending in finger-like spines near both his head and tail snickered. “Sure, Nukrensts aren’t weak to Fairy and Ice attacks due to your Atomic typing, but what do you have instead? A weakness to Bug moves, and you get slaughtered by your fellow Dragon-types because of a double weakness! When an opponent sends out a Dragon-type, Jason always has to switch you out so I can save your sorry behind for the umpteenth time! Without me, you’d be a complete burden!”
“Can it, Adorakill!” Burst grumbled. “Sure, your Poison/Fairy typing has been very helpful ever since you first joined us as a Blungel, but ever since you evolved into a Dragbloo, you’ve been a total bigshot! I know you’ve saved me more times than I can count, but don’t forget my own benefits! I take almost no damage from Grass, and Fire attacks, I’m the only member of this team that resists Rock moves while we have two members weak to said moves, I’m immune to both Time and Space attacks, my Dragon Pulse helps take down other Atomic-types, and my Atomic moves can help out against special-based attackers by making them sick! And don’t forget that I, like most Dragon-types, have a very wide pool of moves for Jason to choose from to add to my arsenal!”
“Well, I guess you do deserve our thanks, Burst,” Wanda said before hugging the teal dragon. “You’ve saved us a lot of times, and you’ve always thanked any of us whenever we bail you out, even Adorakill, who has let your constant thanks go to his head.”
“Aw, thanks Wanda,” Burst replied before returning the hug for a couple seconds, then letting go. “Hey, Jason!” he called up to their Trainer who was sitting right behind Glitterwings’ neck, “how much farther to Mt. Maiden?”
“Not much further!” Jason called over his shoulder. “In fact, we’ll be arriving in Bridal Town in about a minute, so I’m gonna have to return you guys to your Balls for now.”
“That’s fine,” Eternia said, “I’ll just go to my library and crack open a book until I’m needed.”
The other members of the team mentioned activities of their own that they would use to pass the time in their virtual habitats, and Jason smiled before returning the five of them to their Balls and reattaching them to his belt.
After touching down in front of the Pokémon Center, Jason hugged Glitterwings, then returned her to her own Ball. He then pulled out a can of Max Repel spray and sprayed every inch of his body with it. Finally, he left the town using the road leading to the west, got on his bicycle, and pedalled like mad towards Mt. Maiden.
Once inside the mountain, Jason applied more Max Repel spray and made his way through the cave system, eventually arriving at an empty chamber with a huge pit in the back. On the wall behind the pit, a swirling vortex met his eyes, and he let Glitterwings out of her Ball for her to check it out.
“Yep, this is definitely Donalyra’s work,” she told her Trainer. “I can feel the power of multiple Legendaries in it, so give me a minute while I inspect the energies to see if I can find anything that might hurt you in any way.”
Jason nodded and waited, watching as Glitterwings sent waves of energy over the vortex to inspect it.
After a few minutes, Glitterwings looked back at Jason and shuddered. “There’s something in it that makes humans turn into Pokémon,” she growled. “Feels like a mix of Arceus and Mew’s powers. But they don’t call me the ‘guardian of humanity’ for nothing! Get on my back, Jason, and hold on tight. We’re going in, but I’m going to use my powers to protect you and preserve your form. If I’m joining my family, I want to still have at least one human to protect! Otherwise, my very existence is pointless!”
Jason nodded and climbed on his partner’s back, then flattened his body against her back as she generated a field of multicolored energy over him.
“This is gonna be a bumpy ride, but don’t let yourself pass out, got it?” Glitterwings half-pleaded, half-demanded. “My power comes from humans and their creations, so the only things in that portal that’ll give me strength are our Balls, your outfit, your backpack and everything in it, and you. Humans are a much better source of power for me than human creations, though. So if you black out, I won’t be able to draw on your presence, making it harder to protect you. If you want to stay the human we know and lovingly respect, for the love of humanity, don’t pass out.”
Jason nodded, and Glitterwings flew into the portal.
The area around them crackled with energy, powerful forces buffeting them and disrupting the flight, making it hard for Jason to hold on. But he had to. He just knew he had to hold on. This was worse than anything else he’d gone through, but his team needed him, and they wanted him to still be human.
So Jason dug in his fingers a bit more, provoking a slight hiss of pain from Glitterwings, but no protests besides that. The energy of the tunnel lashed out harder, making it harder for Jason to stay conscious. But just as he felt he was about to pass out, the area filled with light, and they flew out the other end of the gate out the side of a mountain and into the open sky.
“You did it, Jason,” Glitterwings congratulated her Trainer. “You’re still human. Now you can rest. I’ll find a place where we can stop, and I’ll be right by your side when you wake up.”
Jason nodded groggily and fell asleep as the Giganoth cancelled the protective field and swooped down towards an open prairie. Once on the ground, she gently slid her Trainer off her back and onto the grass, then whispered, “Sleep well, Jason Turner. You’ve earned it. It’s not every day that a human manages to overcome the power of the Original One, himself. Even with help.”
Jason yawned and stretched, then opened his eyes to find something resembling a bug-eyed green Ponyta staring right back at him.
“Gah!” Jason exclaimed as he scrambled backwards to gain a healthy amount of something very important to Salintrans that they liked to call “personal space”.
“What is that?” Jason said before getting to his feet and whipping out his Pokédex. Performing an initial scan provided the following message: Unknown lifeform. Neither Pokémon or human. Do not engage in battle, do not capture, and exercise caution. “What d’you mean, that thing’s not a Pokémon?” he screamed at his Pokédex.
“It means that this creature is native to this world,” Glitterwings’ voice replied from behind him.
The sudden appearance of the massive moth startled the green Ponyta-like creature, and it fixed its massive amber eyes on the Legendary, shaking in terror.
“Okay Glitterwings, I’ll take it from here,” Jason sighed before returning her to her Ball. After making eye contact with the creature, he began speaking to it. “Sorry about that,” he chuckled nervously. “Glitterwings is pretty protective of me. That, and she answered my question to keep me from losing it.”
“Wait, you understood that thing?” the creature asked in the exact same language humans use, not some creature tongue that it would take Jason’s gift to understand.
“Yeah, I can understand Pokémon,” Jason replied. “It’s a rare ability, but I have it. Have you encountered any other creatures you’ve never seen before?”
The green creature nodded, and Jason noticed that she had a horn, like a Rapidash. “Some were scared of me, others attacked me, and I have no idea what’s going on!” the creature exclaimed.
“First, do you have a name?” Jason asked. “Mine’s Jason Turner.”
“Mine’s Lyra Heartstrings,” the creature replied timidly. “How come I can understand you just fine, but not any of the other creatures that suddenly appeared today?”
“I’m not one of them, for one thing,” Jason explained. “I’m a human, not a Pokémon. I live with Pokémon and train them to become stronger through battle, but I’m not one myself. By the way, what are you?”
“I’m a unicorn pony,” Lyra answered. “Can you explain to me what’s going on, Jason?”
“It’s a bit hard for me to explain, especially since I have almost no idea what’s going on, either,” Jason admitted. “But I can tell you this: unless you have a Pokémon of your own, don’t even think of engaging one in combat. If one attacks you, run. However, you can stick with me, and my team and I will keep you safe. Whaddya say?”
Lyra smiled and nodded. “I feel I can trust you, Jason,” she sighed in relief. “Now, before we get going, I’d like to ask you some things about this whole ‘training’ thing you mentioned. It sounds a bit cruel.”
Jason groaned. This pony sounded like those morons from Team Plasma he read about in the papers who were causing trouble in Unova a few years back, and even a bit like Team Verdure from his own home region of Salintra. “Some may think that, but that’s only because they don’t understand,” Jason said with a shake of his head before bringing Glitterwings back out of her Ball and climbing on her back, motioning for Lyra to follow. “C’mon. It’s perfectly safe. We’ll talk while we fly.”
After looking from Jason to the moth and back to Jason a few times, Lyra sighed, grit her teeth, and hopped onto Glitterwings’ back, settling down behind Jason.
“Okay, Glitterwings, take us up!” Jason said, the moth gladly complying and flapping her wings to take to the air.
Turning around to face his passenger, Jason cleared his throat to begin his explanation of the truth about catching, training and battling Pokémon, and how there was nothing inherently cruel about it.