"Pago Pago Pago~!"

Dozens of Terapagos surrounded Naoki, chattering all at once in their cheerful voices.

They bounced around him, their gem-like shells glowing faintly, as if they all had something very important to tell him.

Naoki froze in place.

"You… you know me?" he asked, completely stunned.

But that didn't make sense. This was the first time he had ever laid eyes on these Terapagos.

Yet, to his surprise, all of them nodded in unison.

"Pago~!"

Naoki's thoughts spun wildly.

Cyclizar had once been pulled into the distant past by the time machine, where it had met Flutter Mane and the Terapagos. Then, at the call of the Terapagos and the energy of the time machine in the future, it had returned to the present, right at the moment of their first meeting.

Naoki hadn't been involved at all. He hadn't even known.

So how could these little ones recognize him?

After thinking it over, he finally asked, "Can you… tell me how we met?"

"Pago!" one Terapagos squeaked, hopping excitedly.

It began to reminisce, and together the group chattered out the story of how they'd once met Naoki.

Beside him, Koraidon stiffened, its golden eyes widening as it listened.

"Pago!" another chirped.

It explained that, after they had helped Koraidon return, they sensed a faint, flickering soul nearby, one so weak it was barely holding on.

"Pago!" (That soul was you, Naoki!)

Another Terapagos puffed out its chest proudly. "Pago!" (I was the one who discovered you!)

Naoki's eyes widened. 'A weak soul…? Could it be… that my future self returned to the past only as a soul?'

His brow furrowed. "And then what happened?" he asked.

"Pago!" the Terapagos replied eagerly. (Then we all combined our energy to turn you, Naoki, into a beautiful shining stone!)

Naoki's heart skipped a beat. Three words flashed in his mind—

Terastallization.

'Did the Terapagos' power crystallize my very soul? Was it some kind of Ghost-type Terastal energy?'

Before he could ask, another Terapagos squealed joyfully:

"Pago~!" (And then Naoki stayed with us! You lived here with us~!)

"Pago Pago!" (Naoki, you took us up to the surface to pick fruit, fought off dangerous Pokémon with us, played games with us, and even told us stories about Cyclizar!)

"Pagogo!" (And you even protected us during the great earthquake)

One Terapagos trembled at the memory, its face etched with fear. "Pago…" (If it hadn't been for Naoki, we would've all been buried in the pit. We never would've seen you again…)

Naoki's face grew thoughtful.

As far as Naoki knew, Pokémon like Terapagos had gone extinct long ago, wiped out by massive earthquakes caused by tectonic shifts deep within the planet's crust.

And yet… here they were. Dozens of them, all gathered in this hidden cavern.

Could it be… because he had changed the past?

But when would that happen? In the future? Would he eventually return to the past, seeking out Cyclizar?

Seeing Naoki's troubled expression, the Terapagos tilted their gem-like heads curiously. They traded glances with one another before one of them cautiously asked,

"Pago…?" (Naoki, you don't remember us…?)

"Pagogo…" Another Terapagos looked on the verge of tears.

Naoki's silence felt like a heavy confirmation to them. They thought, 'We've slept too long… and Naoki has forgotten us!'

"…,"

Naoki exhaled slowly, trying to steady himself. Then he pressed gently, "And after that? What happened?"

"Pago!" (After that, you left, Naoki! But before you did, you told us to get a good sleep here, that when we woke up, we'd see you again!)

Naoki frowned. "Did I tell you where I was going?"

The Terapagos looked at one another nervously, but shook their heads.

"Pago…" (We don't know…)

"I see…" Naoki murmured, lost in thought.

It was becoming clear. The one who had met these Terapagos hadn't been the present him, it must have been his future self.

At some point, he would go back. Back to the ancient past. He would find Cyclizar, who would one day become Koraidon, and he would walk beside it through those harsh, endless years.

That thought eased the heavy weight on his heart. The idea of Cyclizar's lonely journey no longer felt so unbearable.

He knew now, neither he nor Cyclizar had ever truly been apart.

Meanwhile, Koraidon was frozen in place, its golden eyes wide.

What?

Naoki… had been with it that whole time?

But why? Why hadn't it seen him? Why had Naoki also been in that place, enduring everything alongside it?

Didn't that mean… all those years, all those lonely nights… Naoki had actually been there with it?

"Ah… gah…"

So Naoki had never truly left. He had always been by its side, even if Koraidon couldn't see him.

Koraidon suddenly felt a lump in its throat and the sting of tears welling up. Its golden eyes shimmered as it looked at Naoki, an emotion too deep for words flooding its chest.

Naoki looked back, silently.

"Ah… gah…"

Koraidon couldn't hold it in anymore. With a loud cry, it pounced, knocking Naoki flat onto the ground. Like a giant, sobbing golden retriever, it pressed its face against him, trembling with sorrow.

The Terapagos mistook it for a game.

"Pago~!"

One after another, the sparkling little turtles bounded forward, squeaking happily as they piled on top of Naoki.

"P-Pago Pago Pago!"

Naoki, crushed beneath both Koraidon and a mountain of gem-like shells, thought for a moment that this was truly how he would die.

After what felt like an eternity of sparkling chaos, the Terapagos finally settled down, and Koraidon's tears began to fade.

Naoki slowly stood, brushing crystal dust off his clothes. Looking at the gathered Terapagos, he asked, "Koraidon and I are leaving this place. What will you all do next?"

"Pago!" one Terapagos squeaked indignantly.

Naoki froze.

Wait, was it… mad at him?

The tiny Legendary puffed out its chest, glaring at him as though to say, 'Naoki, you promised! You said when we met again, we'd play together!'

And now he was just going to leave them behind? Absolutely unacceptable!

The Terapagos chirped furiously and rushed him, crowding his legs with glittering determination, as if they wouldn't budge until he agreed to take them with him.

Naoki and Koraidon both stood dumbstruck.

"You… want to leave with me?" Naoki asked, incredulous.

"Pago~!" dozens of crystal turtles squealed in unison, nodding with determination.

Naoki swallowed hard.

What on earth had his future self done with these little ones to make them so attached?

Sure, they looked small, cute, and harmless now, but he knew better. These weren't ordinary Pokémon, this was Terapagos, the very heart of Terastal energy, the true "third Legendary" of Paldea.

From one perspective, they stood on the same level as Reshiram, Zygarde, Rayquaza, or even Kyurem.

One Terapagos was already overwhelming enough.

But now… there were dozens.

Naoki's face was a perfect picture of shock.