Pokemon: A New Path

In the wild, when their time draws near, many Pokémon instinctively leave their groups. They seek solitude, quiet, hidden places where they can face the final stretch of life alone and undisturbed.

Naoki saw understanding dawn on her face and nodded.

"That's what this Melmetal is doing," he confirmed.

Sonia's heart tightened. No wonder it rejected her help.

With silent reverence, the group moved deeper into the passage. As the light from outside dimmed, only the faint shimmer of Calyrex's aura lit the way.

Soon, they arrived at the end of the cave and saw it.

There, at last, Naoki laid eyes on the ancient Melmetal, one that had lived during the same era as the Calyrex.

He still remembered Ash's Melmetal from the anime, its polished silver body, shining bright like a mirror, smooth and flawless, full of power and energy.

But the Melmetal before him now was a shadow of that memory.

Its once-silver frame was completely overtaken by rust. The gleaming metallic sheen was gone, dulled to a corroded gray. One of its massive steel fists was eaten away by decay, leaving a hollowed-out cavity. Its single eye remained tightly shut, and it looked, at first glance, as if it had passed away.

"This is the one," Sonia murmured.

Naoki gave a quiet nod.

Calyrex floated forward slowly, gazing at Melmetal with a solemn expression. It raised a glowing hand and attempted to use its healing power.

But nothing happened.

The light faded without effect.

Just then, Melmetal stirred. As if sensing something, it slowly opened its eye.

It looked up and saw a familiar silhouette suspended in the air.

Melmetal froze.

Was it hallucinating?

But no—it could feel the presence. The legendary king of Galar was real, standing right before it.

Melmetal's remaining eye widened in disbelief. After a brief moment, it seemed to fully awaken, and its voice trembled with urgency.

Calyrex slowly shook its head, responding calmly, "I've returned."

"Mel…" Melmetal murmured, its voice filled with unease and longing.

Sonia, watching nearby, couldn't help but ask, "What are they saying?"

Naoki, standing next to her, replied gently, "Melmetal is asking Calyrex, if the Darkest Day is over."

Sonia blinked in surprise. The Darkest Day. Did it mean Eternatus?

Even now, at the edge of its life, Melmetal's concern was for Galar's fate. Its first words were not for itself, but for the fate of the world.

Sonia felt an unexpected pang of sorrow.

Naoki stepped forward quietly. From his bag, he pulled out two rare and precious items, Life Goat Milk from his ranch and a vial of Sacred Ash, gifted from the Phoenix King, Ho-Oh.

He approached Melmetal and held the items out gently.

Only now did Melmetal notice the human beside Calyrex.

Calyrex gave it a nod. "Drink. Let your strength return."

Melmetal opened its mouth weakly, allowing Naoki to pour in the goat milk, followed by a dusting of Sacred Ash.

A faint shimmer of light passed over its body. The decay seemed to slow. A hint of strength returned to its eye. Its breath became less ragged.

But that was all.

The combination of Sacred Ash and Life Goat Milk, as powerful as they were, only bought it a bit more time. Melmetal did not fully recover.

Naoki was momentarily stunned. What was going on?

Why weren't the Sacred Ash and Life Goat Milk working?

Just then, Calyrex spoke up solemnly.

"Its body isn't injured. Its life energy has simply reached its limit. In this case, those items won't help."

Melmetal turned its heavy gaze toward Calyrex.

"Mel…" (I can't help you anymore…)

Calyrex 's expression grew even heavier. He responded gently, "You don't need to worry. I've already found a way to completely end the Darkest Day."

With a soft pulse of telepathy, Calyrex nudged Naoki.

Naoki took the cue and said firmly, "Don't worry, Melmetal. Zacian and Zamazenta are prepared. And we've gathered many strong Pokémon. The Darkest Day will soon be over."

Calyrex gave a firm nod in affirmation.

Hearing this, Melmetal's expression eased. It trusted Calyrex completely.

"Mel…" (I see… Then everything from here on… is in your hands.)

With those final words, Melmetal's body slowly relaxed, as if the heavy burden it had carried for a thousand years had finally lifted.

In the very next moment, a soft beam of silver light began to shimmer from its massive frame.

Melmetal, bathed in light, began to quietly dissolve. The rusted metal plating fell away like petals in the wind, scattered across the cavern floor.

It had passed peacefully, knowing its duty was fulfilled and its homeland was in good hands.

Calyrex lowered his gaze, and even this noble king of old, once revered as the guardian of Galar, could not stop his eyes from welling up.

There is no pain more piercing than watching a beloved comrade fade before your eyes.

But just as the grief settled over the cave… a sudden glow radiated from the pile of rusted fragments.

Calyrex flinched, startled. "?!"

What…?

The light flared stronger. The rust dissolved completely, and the glimmering metal began to soften, shifting and quivering like molten silver.

Right before their eyes, a familiar shape emerged from the liquid. A golden hexagonal nut rose slowly, rotating in place, and within its center, a single black eye appeared, blinking, alive.

Then, like sparks flickering to life, dozens more rose from the shimmering pool.

Each one had a tiny silver body, a nut-shaped head, and a playful little eye.

Meltan.

The fragments of Melmetal had not vanished, they had returned to their original form.

Dozens of Meltan chirped and squeaked in unison, looking up at Naoki and Calyrex with gleaming, innocent eyes.

"Wuuuu~!"

They cooed curiously, their voices echoing softly through the cave.

Calyrex blinked, speechless.

'What… just happened?'

"What exactly is going on?" Calyrex stared at the crowd of small Pokémon before him, a figurative exclamation point hovering over his head in disbelief.

Behind him, Sonia's jaw dropped. She stood frozen, eyes wide with surprise.

Only Naoki remained calm. He turned to the others and began explaining:

"I've read a legend about Melmetal. When its life reaches its natural end, its body begins to rust and fall apart—breaking down into hundreds of tiny metallic fragments."

"And those fragments eventually reconstitute into Meltan, the earlier evolutionary stage of Melmetal."

"Meltan live together in groups, and over time, the strongest one absorbs the others and evolves into a new Melmetal. This cycle repeats, again and again."

Sonia blinked. "Wait... doesn't that mean it has eternal life?"

Naoki shook his head gently. "Not quite. These Meltan don't retain any memories from their past life. They're like newborns. It may be the same being in form, but in essence... it's a completely new life."

"Oh..." Sonia looked down and murmured, "So if a trainer raised a Melmetal, and it passed away... the next time it's reborn, it wouldn't remember its trainer at all. That's kind of heartbreaking."

Naoki gave a slight smile. "True, but Melmetal's lifespan is still incredibly long, far longer than a human's."

"Right..." Sonia scratched her cheek. "I kind of forgot that part."

Calyrex quietly listened to their exchange, and with understanding dawning, he looked down at the small Meltan now waddling around his hooves.

"Naoki," he said softly, "let's take them home."

Naoki nodded. "Alright."

He could sense the emotion behind Calyrex's words. This was once a trusted comrade. Even if they no longer remembered each other, perhaps it would bring comfort to be together again.

Naoki crouched down, removed his backpack, unzipped it, and gently began placing the Meltan inside. The newborn Pokémon, still oblivious to the world around them, showed no resistance. One by one, they climbed in with innocent curiosity.

Once they were all safely tucked in, Naoki zipped up the bag and stood again.

Turning to Sonia, he bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, Miss Sonia, for everything. If Eternatus ever reawakens and the Galar region finds itself unable to stop it... don't hesitate to call me."

Consider it a token of gratitude for helping locate Melmetal.

More than that, it was also part of Naoki's unspoken promise to honor the will of Calyrex. Though long forgotten by the people, that kingly Pokémon had never forgotten his duty. He had once ruled Galar with grace and kindness. Now, though his name was lost to history, his heart remained unchanged.

Hearing Naoki's solemn vow, Sonia felt her chest tighten. She was genuinely touched.

She knew who this man really was, the same legendary trainer who had quelled disasters across multiple regions, a man who had even stood against Arceus.

"Right!" she said, nodding firmly. "Thank you."

Their mission now complete, it was time to go.

Just as Naoki turned to leave and return to Paldea, Sonia called out behind him.

"By the way, Mr. Naoki," Sonia said with a spark of curiosity, "there's an ancient mural here in Stow-on-Side that's been passed down through generations. Would you like to see it?"

Naoki blinked, slightly surprised. After thinking for a moment, he recalled what he knew from the Galar region's history, especially from the games.

"Sure," he nodded. "Let's take a look."

With his backpack full of Meltan slung over his shoulders, Naoki followed Sonia back to the mural site near the mountainside. The mural itself was as old and mysterious as legend claimed—a large stone relief depicting a sword and shield resting in a field of blooming flowers.

....

STONES PLZzzz