Reshiram's flames split the sky as it sped through the heated air, the turbine in its tail punching a tunnel through the clouds. In hardly any time at all, it had crossed half of Unova!

The distant mountain range came into sharp view. Sweeping again over the skies of Opelucid City, they passed the endless waterfalls along Route 11, the Village Bridge spanning the wide river, and the faint strains of music from the performers who lived there.

The Village Bridge sandwiches are one of Unova's little culinary legends. Compared to the famous—if somewhat overrated—Castelia Cone, those sandwiches boast both rich flavor and a solid reputation. But since they're only sold on the Village Bridge, you won't find them in the big cities.

Route 12 rose and fell with rolling hills. Beyond those hills lay Lacunosa Town—the place whispered to hold Kyurem's dark history.

Giant Chasm was right around here!

Carried by fierce fire and light, Hikaru used the "pilot's eyesight" he'd gotten from Skyla to pick out a strange, jagged formation in the mountains.

The needle-steep peaks looked like a split earth-scar, pocked with countless deep craters—like the remains of some colossal meteor bombardment long ago. Inside those crater hollows hid even darker caves that were almost impossible to spot.

Reshiram landed nearby and surveyed the surroundings, feeling a call—something of the same root, the same source.

"You've sensed Kyurem's call?"

That's how it was in the specials too: the black and white dragons can feel Kyurem approaching, and Kyurem can sense where they are. They were once a single being, after all; as they draw near, their hearts start to resonate.

Reshiram asked Hikaru:

What had they come to Kyurem for? Ancient knowledge?

Kyurem surely possessed its own unique knowledge, but it had almost never passed that on to anyone. And even Reshiram and Zekrom had forgotten most of what they once knew—so could Kyurem really remember?

"Mm, we're actually not here for knowledge. By the way, if you and Zekrom stand for alchemy, I wonder if the knowledge Kyurem holds… might be physics?"

It was a bit of a wild thought. The white dragon blinked her beautiful cerulean eyes; even she—usually so learned—looked a little blank.

"P-physics?"

Puzzle crossed the white dragon's gaze as she fell into thought.

"Ah—maybe they called it 'natural philosophy' in the old days. The name probably isn't the same as modern times."

"We're mainly here to take an exam."

Seeing the white dragon's confusion, Hikaru explained: "Didn't I mention it in the dream? Or maybe I didn't?"

"Kyurem never sleeps. It's always stayed here. If you pass Kyurem's trial, you're recognized as a Sacred Swordsman… so in that sense, isn't a 'Sacred Swordsman' basically a 'hero of the void'?"

Hikaru and the white dragon headed deep into Giant Chasm. They descended from above like the Plasma Frigate in the games, bending the ancient forest a tad out of shape on the way down. Various cosmic Pokémon hidden in the mountains poked out to spy on them.

Clefairy, Solrock, Lunatone—there were even Metang and Ditto.

Those nosy, lurker types clustered together, pointing at the gorgeous white dragon and gossiping nonstop. Hikaru could understand perfectly well what they were saying.

They were comparing Reshiram's design to Kyurem's. Their verdict was…

"You're gonna hurt Kyurem's feelings talking like that, you know?"

Yes, the ice dragon's silhouette was a bit odd—but in its own way it was pretty cool. Granted, in pure beauty it lagged far behind the white dragon!

The space Pokémon were shocked. A human could understand them?

Their wariness vanished in a flash. Curiosity took over, and they turned downright friendly. When they heard Hikaru had come to apply for a "Sacred Swordsman exam" on behalf of a certain Pokémon, all their eyes lit up.

Woohoo! Another show to watch! Last time, someone had just applied for the Sacred Swordsman exam… and got chased out with their head in their hands!

Worth the price of admission, even if we die afterward!

"Just now…? Who was it?"

"Clefairy!" One Clefairy waved a tiny hand and launched into a vivid retelling:

Cobalion had brought a Pokémon that looked like a little water horse—with a hairstyle! So cute!

It failed the exam, but it didn't leave and is still in the cave!

"Keldeo? Why is it taking the exam already?"

Hikaru was genuinely surprised.

Wasn't Keldeo's trial supposed to begin only after Ash and his friends reached Unova?

In that version, Keldeo would recklessly challenge Kyurem, the three Swords of Justice would be frozen, and the poor colt would flee in a sorry state, chased all over by Kyurem. Only after it picked up its courage and took the exam a second time did the ordeal end.

And the venue should've been the Full Battle Facility, not Giant Chasm.

With questions in mind, Hikaru and the white dragon entered Giant Chasm—and immediately picked up a massive crowd of Pokémon headed in the same direction for the spectacle. They called their friends like it was gladiator night, chattering excitedly and even skipping meals!

The depths of the Chasm were littered with Star Pieces and Comet Shards. Meteorites older than a millennium were everywhere.

"If Steven came here, this would be paradise—on par with Meteor Falls!"

On the way, Hikaru pocketed a lot of Star Pieces—prime crafting materials. Comet Shards were even rarer; he'd only just gotten one from Darkrai, and here he'd already spotted several more within a short walk!

Those meteorites hummed with strange energy, enough to surprise the Deoxys resting in the Master Ball.

It loved the power exuded by these rocks; it would greatly aid its growth!

As they reached the inner caverns, a wave of chill swept out.

Thoom! In the darkness, a pair of golden, pupil-less eyes opened. A gray-blue, bipedal Pokémon stepped forth, its body ringed with icy, thorn-like wings; the tip of its tail held no structure that could generate energy.

Kyurem—the Boundary Pokémon. The empty shell of the Original Dragon of Tao, a great wyrm born from a cosmic comet!

"Reshiram?"

Like the other two dragons, Kyurem spoke directly into their minds. Its voice was deep, as if stunned to see Reshiram again after several thousand years.

No villains had arrived yet. No one had come seeking it. Though it had prepared for a human incursion and was gathering power at the meteor-crash nest… it hadn't expected—

"Oh? You've brought your hero? Long time no see. What business do you have with me?"

Thunk! A Poké Ball opened, and Aegislash drifted out, eyeing the gray-blue dragon up and down.

So this was Kyurem, the dragon of ice? The examiner of the Sacred Swordsmen—the one who could confer that title upon those who passed!

"...That aura?"

From Aegislash, Kyurem felt the very same breath as the three Swords of Justice.

In an instant, it understood and let out a low chuckle.

"Here to challenge me, are you? Hmph. A Sacred Swordsman!"

"I do recall Cobalion speaking of another disciple… that would be you? Are you qualified to fight me?"

"And why aren't you a quadruped?"

Kyurem couldn't help the snark. The three Swords of Justice and Keldeo were all four-legged, but Aegislash… Kyurem mulled it over; it had never seen anything quite like this—like a "greatsword that grew a soul."

In looks, it wasn't far off from its little underlings, the Cryogonal. But as a Sacred Swordsman…

A Sacred Swordsman is a being who wields a sacred sword—not a sacred sword that turned into a being!

"Geh-uh~"

Aegislash was speechless.

C'mon—new era, new Swordsmen! Even a sword can be a swordsman!

As for qualifications…

"If you're thinking, 'I can't win but Reshiram will bail me out,' I will not let you pass. I'll make sure you understand how wrong that mindset is."

"Your fellow disciple just lost to me. A disappointing pupil. And they call that a Pokémon from Pledge Rock? Then what level can you show me?"

"Geh-uh (I've got a trump card. I will pass this exam.)!"

Aegislash brimmed with confidence.

Kyurem added suddenly, "Humans may not interfere with this exam. No items allowed either. You must earn the title by your own strength."

Yes—Kyurem's exam forbade any trainer involvement.

Aegislash thought briefly, then agreed without hesitation.

"Hmph! Enter, then, Reshiram—bring your chosen king—" Kyurem cut itself off mid-sentence. It stared more closely at Hikaru, seeing not only the essence of a dragon tamer, but also sensing a—

"Is that aura…?"

Hikaru sent out Walking Wake. As it roared, Kyurem understood everything.

"So it's you! The 'imposter's' Trainer—of course! That 'Dream Paradise' Sky Island is your work. You're the only human who can enter Pokémon dreamscapes! The very person Cobalion told me about!"

"Ha. Interesting!"

A human who can enter dreams, who built a Dream Paradise. A chosen hero—or chosen king. And a Pokémon holding the Sacred Swordsman title.

Kyurem laughed aloud. "Whatever the case, I should thank you… thanks to that imposter's existence, certain people were blinded and couldn't find where I was hiding. In return for your help… I'll be using my full power for your exam."

Aegislash: "...?"

But Kyurem still didn't make a move—because it had sensed yet another power in Hikaru's backpack.

A power of the very same root as itself.

"What are you carrying in there? A Dragon Stone?"

Reshiram snarled, warning Kyurem to back off.

"Hmph! Protective thing. Listen—I mean no harm. I just want to know the source of that power."

Faced with Kyurem's question, Hikaru thought of a certain stone he'd gotten early in his journey. He fished it out of his pack.

"You mean this 'Fantastical Wedge Stone'? The forest itself gave it to me in Pinwheel Forest. It's supposedly a fragment of a great meteor from space, like Pledge Rock."

"It does seem connected to the Dragon Stones."

"Yes—that's it!" Kyurem grew excited. "A fragment of the Dragon Stone… The so-called Dragon Stones are shards of the primal meteor—the beginning of the—"

"The Original Dragon," Hikaru finished. "We learned all that at Dragonspiral Tower. You are the empty shell of the Original Dragon."

Kyurem was silent for a long time. Then a chill leaked off its body—not with hostility, but as power overflowing in a flicker of emotion.

"Let's make a trade."

Kyurem spoke abruptly:

"I've heard from Cobalion that you can make all sorts of unusual things."

"I'll grant you ancient knowledge. In return, you forge that Fantastical Wedge Stone into a crucial tool. With it, what I lack can be made whole."

"The tool I need is called the DNA Splicers."

Hikaru glanced at Aegislash and couldn't help himself: "Can you… soften the exam a bit?"

Aegislash and Kyurem: "…"

Aegislash patted its shield: no need to hold back—it had this under control!

Back to the most primal way of battle. He wasn't who he used to be. Don't worry about him—he was the king of Pokémon!

Kyurem: "The exam is a solemn matter. If it truly wishes to become a Sacred Swordsman, an all-out battle is the best gift I can give it."

"After becoming a Sacred Swordsman, it'll bear an important mission—to fight for the world's harmony. That's nothing simple. If its strength is lacking, its life will be on the line."

Reshiram looked a little surprised.

So this "empty shell" of a dragon had a burning heart? After millennia apart, Kyurem had a spirit this fiery?

Had it been inspired by the Sacred Swordsmen?

Kyurem snorted. "Strong, and righteous. I'm only bored."

"By the way… you call yourself a king? What king are you?"

Aegislash tapped its shield: step into the exam and you'll see.

That genuinely piqued Kyurem's interest. This "student" didn't seem ordinary at all.

"Interesting. So—what about our deal? Do you accept?"

Hikaru: "One question. After you get the DNA Splicers, what will you do? Planning to fuse Reshiram and Zekrom?"

In the games, Kyurem could only transform further by fusing with either dragon. But in the movie, Kyurem could "transform at will," maybe because, in the anime, the two dragons had already awakened and, after attuning with Kyurem, had granted it a portion of their power.

Kyurem glanced at Reshiram. "Don't worry. I won't fuse them."

"I only need a fraction of their power to change my form by myself. The DNA Splicers are the key that drives that power."

"I don't have a generator in my tail, so the energy must come from outside. For Reshiram and Zekrom, that's not dangerous; what I take is only the most primitive, shared genes. We were once one and the same."

(End of Chapter)

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