Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 416: Giratina’s Internet Debut

Chapter 416: Giratina’s Internet Debut

Naoki returned to the Paldea region, utterly exhausted from the ordeal.

Without pausing to rest, he headed straight for the lake in the center of his ranch. Diving into its cool waters that connected the ranch to the Reverse World.

“Thank goodness it’s still open,” Naoki muttered in relief. Had Giratina sealed it, he’d have been forced to brew a batch of poisonous mushroom soup—a method far less appealing.

As soon as he entered the Reverse World, Naoki let out a long sigh. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly.

He had stopped Giratina earlier, but the Pokémon must still be feeling hurt and disappointed. Turning toward the direction of Flower Sky Island, Naoki’s gaze hardened with resolve.

Giratina was there, as expected.

The majestic dragon lay sprawled across the island, its massive body crushing the once-thriving flowers beneath it. The surrounding greenery bore signs of its heavy weight, with many of the plants either flattened or uprooted.

Giratina’s eyes were closed, its enormous head resting on its forelimbs. Its thick, muscular tail thrashed against the ground periodically, a clear sign of its inner turmoil.

Naoki stared at the scene, momentarily unsure how to proceed.

He cautiously approached Flower Sky Island, landing softly nearby. Clearing his throat, Naoki deliberately coughed twice to announce his presence.

Giratina didn’t even flinch. Its eyes remained shut, its entire demeanor radiating indifference.

It was still furious—not with the human netizen this time, but with him.

Naoki sighed inwardly. He could tell exactly why Giratina felt this way.

During their earlier confrontation, Naoki had stepped in to protect the human instead of supporting Giratina. To Giratina, this must have felt like a betrayal from the one person it considered a friend.

If he were in Giratina’s place, Naoki thought, he’d feel the same.

But reason told him that he couldn’t have done anything differently. Giratina’s wrathful actions, left unchecked, could have endangered innocent lives. That was something Naoki simply couldn’t allow.

Still, Giratina wasn’t one to easily forgive, and Naoki could sense its wounded pride and simmering resentment.

He sighed again, this time aloud. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”

As he spoke, Naoki cautiously approached the massive dragon, careful to stay within its peripheral vision. When Giratina made no move to acknowledge him, he continued speaking softly.

“Let me explain,” he said gently. “You’re upset—and you have every right to be. I didn’t stand by you when you needed me most, and I’m sorry.”

At this, Giratina cracked one blood-red eye open and lazily shifted its head to face away from Naoki.

Naoki took another step forward, reaching out his hand. Channeling the power of the dragon, he attempted to connect with Giratina’s emotions.

The flood of feelings that came back hit Naoki like a tidal wave.

Giratina wasn’t just angry—it was deeply hurt. And beneath that, there was a well of loneliness so profound that it made Naoki’s chest tighten.

He understood immediately.

Since its creation, Giratina had been banished to the Reverse World. It lived in isolation, surrounded by desolation, forever gazing at the world it could never fully be part of. It had no one to talk to, no friends, and no connection to the real world.

When Naoki had first stumbled into the Reverse World, things had started to change. Naoki had improved the environment, created Flower Sky Island, shared food, and even used his power to massage Giratina. Slowly, Giratina had begun to regard Naoki as a friend—the first one it had ever known.

And then today happened. The friend it trusted had sided against it, standing with the human who had insulted it.

Naoki exhaled deeply. Understanding Giratina’s feelings only deepened his own guilt. How was he supposed to fix this?

For a moment, Naoki considered his options. Deception? An empty promise? A clever lie to soothe Giratina’s anger?

No, he decided firmly. That wasn’t the way.

He took a step closer, his voice steady and sincere. “Giratina, for humans, the definition of friendship varies from person to person. I don’t know how others define it, but to me, being a friend means helping each other in times of need—and it also means stopping each other from making mistakes.”

"Even though that person argued with you, their actions don’t warrant death. I understand I have no right to stop you, and human laws cannot restrain you. But I worry that if you harm humans, you’ll be hated by them. Deep down, you’re not a bad being, are you?" 

Giratina remained silent, eyes closed, but it absorbed every word Naoki said.

It scoffed internally. Hated by humans? It couldn’t care less about their opinions!

But Naoki’s words stirred something else within Giratina. Was Naoki implying he didn’t want to see it stray down a destructive path? Did Naoki intervene not to oppose it, but because he wanted to guide it? 

Giratina’s crimson eyes snapped open, focusing intently on Naoki. 

Through the connection forged by Naoki’s dragon power, Giratina not only sensed Naoki’s emotions but also grasped his intentions. Naoki wasn’t protecting the human out of loyalty to humankind. Instead, Naoki viewed Giratina as a friend and didn’t want to see it cause unnecessary harm or invite consequences that would only isolate it further.

The dragon also realized something else. Rotom had explained the consequences of harming humans on their journey back: in the human world, killing a person led to police intervention, arrest, and imprisonment.

If Naoki were to take responsibility for Giratina’s actions, he would likely face arrest too. And while Giratina could easily tear through a police station to rescue him, it understood this would be distressing for Naoki.

Piecing everything together, Giratina finally saw the truth. Naoki wasn’t opposing it out of defiance—he was trying to protect it from its own wrath.

A subtle shift in Giratina’s mood followed this realization. Though it maintained its icy demeanor, its voice—deep and resonant—betrayed a hint of grudging understanding.

“Hmph. I’ll forgive you this time,” Giratina said, turning its head slightly.

Naoki exhaled in relief, a weight lifting from his chest. It seemed Giratina had listened after all. 

Grinning, Naoki offered advice in a lighter tone. “If someone insults you online in the future, why not just scare them? No need to escalate things as long as it doesn’t go too far.”

This suggestion struck a balance. The online trolls could learn their lesson without escalating Giratina into a full-blown world-threatening disaster. And Giratina could vent its frustration without inviting universal retaliation.

As Giratina mulled over this idea, its earlier anger melted away. Pokémon, after all, were emotional creatures, their moods shifting quickly. Soon, Giratina and Naoki were reconciled, their bond even stronger than before.

Naoki eventually left the Reverse World, satisfied that Giratina was calm again. But Giratina wasn’t done contemplating what had transpired.

After Naoki’s departure, Giratina turned to Rotom and issued a command. “Search for what it means when a human stops their friend from killing someone.”

Rotom’s screen flickered nervously as it processed the query. “Searching… Found 208 relevant results, Rotom!”

“Read them to me,” Giratina ordered, its tone as commanding as ever.

“Copy that, Rotom!” Rotom replied, sweatdropping slightly, and began reciting.

“When a human stops their friend from hurting someone, it usually means they care deeply about their friend, Rotom.”

"Murder violates the laws of the Pokémon Alliance. If such a crime is committed, Officer Jenny will lead the police to arrest the perpetrator. If the case causes significant damage or becomes widely publicized, Interpol may step in to take over, Rotom."

"Once caught, the offender could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty, losing their freedom or life entirely, Rotom."

"As a responsible and caring friend, one would definitely intervene to stop such actions before they happen, because they wouldn’t want their friend to walk a path of no return."

"If you have a friend like that, please treasure them, Rotom!"

As Giratina listened, its tail swayed rhythmically. It nodded slowly, letting the words sink in.

So, Naoki truly does care about it?

Giratina’s mood lightened slightly, and it urged Rotom to continue reading.

When Rotom reached the twenty-eighth article, its voice hesitated for a moment before it announced excitedly, "Someone has become your fan, Rotom!"

Giratina tilted its head in confusion.

“What is a fan?” it asked, its tone curious yet cautious.

Rotom explained enthusiastically, "A fan is someone who follows you online, Rotom! It means they admire or respect you for your strength, appearance, or abilities. Fans often look up to their idols and follow them willingly out of appreciation, Rotom."

As Rotom elaborated on the concept of fandom, it accessed Giratina’s online profile to check the information of its new follower.

The moment Rotom saw who it was, it froze.

The follower was none other than the human who had insulted Giratina online!

Giratina, noticing Rotom’s hesitation, narrowed its glowing crimson eyes. “What’s wrong?” it asked, its voice dropping to a low, dangerous rumble.

Rotom stammered nervously, "It’s the human from before, Rotom! The one who argued with you!"

Giratina’s expression darkened instantly. “What does he want now?” it growled, its tail lashing against the ground.

The memory of that human dismissing Giratina as inferior to Dialga flashed through its mind, rekindling its earlier frustration.

Rotom, sensing the tension, quickly began investigating the man’s actions. It reviewed his activity and discovered something unexpected.

The offensive comment had been deleted.

Not only that, but the man’s profile now featured a prominent introduction post that read:

"The Third God of the Sinnoh Region: A Shadow Pokémon Born Alongside Dialga and Palkia."

Both Rotom and Giratina paused, stunned.

"Shadow Pokémon... Is he talking about me?" Giratina muttered, its anger momentarily replaced by confusion.

The post had been published mere minutes ago. Rotom clicked on it and began reading aloud:

[Shadow Pokémon - Giratina: A Legendary Pokémon Hidden Beyond the World]

It is said that Giratina was born at the same time as Dialga and Palkia. While Dialga governs time and Palkia commands space, Giratina resides on the other side of reality, overseeing the dark matter that stabilizes the world we live in and maintaining the delicate balance of existence.]

In response to this post, many Sinnoh residents flooded the comments section, expressing their skepticism.

Having grown up with stories of the Gods of Time and Space, these individuals had never heard of a Pokémon called Giratina. Their replies reflected their disbelief:

"This has to be fake, right? Pokémon using the internet?"

"This sounds completely fabricated. A stunt to gain attention."

"I don’t believe for a second that Pokémon can operate Rotom Phones to go online."

Amid these doubts, some users shared their experiences:

"Don’t be so sure. My Inteleon plays fighting games with me on my 3DS, and I’ve never won a single match!"

Faced with this wave of skepticism, Ishihara—the post’s creator and the man who had a near-death experience with Giratina—decided to lay all his cards on the table. He replied with undeniable evidence:

A photo of his living room, now in shambles after Giratina’s dramatic entrance. A screenshot of Giratina’s response to their argument the previous day. A direct @mention of Giratina’s online account.

The response was explosive. Within moments, hundreds of curious individuals flocked to Giratina’s profile.

Meanwhile, in the Reverse World, Rotom suddenly began receiving a flood of private messages. Notifications popped up in quick succession.

Rotom was baffled, and Giratina shared its confusion.

Humans swarming to its profile? This could only mean one thing—they were there to mock it. Giratina's face darkened, and it growled with barely contained fury, "What are they saying now?"

If these weak humans dared to humiliate it again, Giratina would immediately pay them a visit—just enough to terrify them without crossing any lethal lines.

However, Rotom's reply was entirely unexpected. "They’re asking if you are truly Giratina, Rotom!"

Giratina froze. What kind of question is that? Who else could I be?!

Incensed by the doubt, Giratina’s temper flared. "Rotom, take a picture of me and post it. Show them who I am!"

Rotom dutifully snapped a photo and uploaded it to Giratina's profile. The image captured Giratina’s imposing form—its gray and red-striped body, ghostly wings unfurled menacingly, and blood-red eyes glaring fiercely. At Giratina’s insistence, Rotom added a caption:

"I am Giratina!"

Within ten minutes, the post had gone viral.

Twenty minutes later, Giratina’s follower count began climbing rapidly.

An hour later, news of a legendary Pokémon using a Rotom Phone to browse the Pokémon forums had spread like wildfire.

Four hours later, Giratina’s fan count surpassed five digits.

.....

Sinnoh Region, Celestic Town

Cynthia, having just returned to her hometown, was preparing to revisit the ancient ruins when a notification from the Sinnoh League caught her attention. Logging into the forums, she came across the viral post by a user named [The Most Powerful Giratina in the World].

Clicking on the profile, Cynthia was greeted by the now-famous photo. She blinked, then muttered to herself, "What…?"

Veilstone City, Team Galactic Base

Cyrus stared at the photo on his screen, his icy demeanor betraying a flicker of intrigue. "A Pokémon hidden in the shadows of our world... Giratina," he murmured.

Kanto Region, Pallet Town

Professor Oak leaned forward, staring at his computer screen with the excitement of a child discovering a new Pokémon for the first time. "Giratina... Could it really be the legendary Pokémon of the Distortion World? Amazing! And it can use a Rotom Phone to access the internet!"

He turned to his assistant, eyes alight with curiosity. "No, I have to try to contact it!"

Without hesitation, Professor Oak followed Giratina’s account and sent it a private message.

.....

Back in the Reverse World, Rotom was overwhelmed as thousands of private messages flooded in.

"Should we reply, Rotom?" Rotom asked cautiously.

Giratina, now calmed but still disdainful, scoffed. "Ignore them!" It looked away, wings folding regally. "Mere humans aren’t worthy of a god’s reply."

Rotom obediently replied, "Understood, Rotom!"

After a moment, Giratina added, "By the way, what’s Naoki’s account name? Follow him for me."

Rotom reached out to Naoki’s Rotom Phone but learned that Naoki was fast asleep, exhausted from his journey back to Paldea. Acting swiftly, Rotom obtained Naoki’s account information and followed it on Giratina’s behalf.

.....

When Naoki finally woke up, he grabbed his phone to catch up on updates. To his surprise, a notification popped up:

"[The Most Powerful Giratina in the World] is now following you!"

Naoki recognized the name immediately—it was one Giratina had proudly coined for itself. Curious, he clicked on the profile.

What he saw left him utterly stunned.

Giratina’s fan base had exploded into five digits.

"What in the world happened while I was asleep?" Naoki muttered, completely bewildered.