Chapter Seventy-Three: Snow and Dreams (Part One)

"What are you thinking about?"
A cool, clear female voice sounded in the shadowy forest.

It belonged to a woman wearing a purple Mismagius mask. Although her face was hidden, her graceful and alluring figure suggested she was likely beautiful.

She was speaking to Xue, whose face was clouded with worry.

Xue heard the question but did not answer immediately. The woman with the Mismagius mask did not press her, and the two continued walking slowly along a little-known path leading to Yuan Town—a path so obscure that few dared to tread it, and one not marked on the League’s official maps. Such roads were almost synonymous with danger.

Fortunately, neither of them was weak. Ever since they had shaken off Officer Jenny’s pursuit and disappeared into the forest, they had been relatively safe.

That was why they moved at such an unhurried pace, strolling through the woods. To move too quickly would only invite trouble.

After a long while, Xue suddenly spoke. "Meng, have you ever seen Arceus?"

Meng smiled faintly. So this was what Xue had been pondering? So she was simply confused by the leadership of the organization because she’d never met Lord Arceus?

"I haven’t met Lord Arceus, but I’ve seen Lady Esper many times. The higher-ups are taking this incident very seriously. Although you failed your mission, believe me, no one will blame you for this! At the very least, you’ve uncovered a formidable enemy for our organization to be wary of!"

Meng’s voice remained as cool as ever, yet a thread of consolation ran through it—a rare gesture for someone usually so aloof.

But Xue seemed unmoved by her comfort.

"That’s not what I meant."

Her abrupt reply caught Meng off guard.

"Then what do you mean?" Meng asked, puzzled.

Xue halted, then turned to face her. Meng stopped as well, turning around. The two stared at each other through the Mismagius mask.

Suddenly, Xue reached out and placed her hand on Meng’s mask. Meng, startled, instinctively touched the Pokéball at her waist, but out of trust for her sister, she did not act further.

With that, Xue removed Meng’s mask.

Beneath it was a face identical to Xue’s—save for the contrasting auras: one seductive, one ice-cold. The only other difference was Xue’s long, jet-black, waterfall-like hair, while Meng wore a neat, silver bob that barely brushed her shoulders.

They were sisters—twins.

"Meng, I’m talking about the real Arceus—the legendary creator, Arceus himself," Xue said softly, fingers caressing Meng’s silver hair.

Meng was taken aback by the question, then chuckled. "Of course not. Haven’t you heard the others? Arceus is slumbering. Even Lord Arceus is searching for its traces, but so far, to no avail."

"I’ve seen it."

Meng was still smiling when she heard this, but upon realizing what Xue meant, her expression changed dramatically. "You’ve seen... Arceus?!"

Her voice, usually so cold, was now loud and trembling with shock, stripped of any icy elegance and filled only with confusion and panic. The startled cry sent birds fluttering from the trees, frightened by the sudden noise.

Seeing the look of utter disbelief on Meng’s face, Xue sighed softly. "You’re my sister. I have no reason to lie to you."

Then she recounted everything that had happened during her recent mission.

Meng listened in stunned silence. Whether it was Chen Ou’s sudden interference, his two Pokémon easily defeating Xue’s Froslass duo, or Arceus’s unexpected appearance, each detail left her more astounded.

Xue, watching her sister’s dazed expression, said nothing, giving Meng time to process it all. Truth be told, even Xue herself felt as if she’d been living in a dream these past days.

Ever since that man named Chen Ou appeared before her, all her plans had unraveled in bizarre and uncontrollable ways. And things only escalated—until even Arceus had appeared...

Of course, Xue had no idea that the Arceus she’d seen was merely the embodiment of the Poison Plate. For those who had only ever seen statues of Arceus, it was impossible to distinguish the true deity from one of its Plate incarnations. After all, not everyone is fated to encounter a legendary Pokémon in person.

Speaking of which, it’s impossible not to mention Ash Ketchum—a boy so entangled with legendary Pokémon that if a legendary hadn’t crossed paths with him, it might as well resign itself to obscurity.

"No status at all."

Earlier, while Chen Ou had been conversing with the Poison Plate, Xue had fainted, so she was unaware of the true details. In her eyes, all she had witnessed was Chen Ou facing off against Arceus and then carrying her away unharmed.

She knew nothing of any secret deals made between Chen Ou and Arceus.

Now, she couldn’t help but feel that the god their organization so desperately sought was, to some people, nothing more than an equal—a Pokémon to be spoken to as one would a peer.

It was a feeling akin to seeing the one you love most kissing the person you despise on a crowded street.

Stifling, nauseating, and utterly powerless...

It was a long time before Meng finally returned to herself, and when she spoke, her voice was lost and uncertain. "Sister, do we... do we really have any reason to keep searching? Can we really trust what Lord Arceus promised?"

Xue wrapped an arm around her sister’s shoulders and said softly, "I don’t know if what that person promises will come true. But I do know... this might be our chance."

Meng was a clever girl; she instantly guessed her sister’s intent. She instinctively pushed Xue away.

Her brows knit tightly as she said coldly, "You’re thinking of betraying the organization and joining that man, Chen Ou, aren’t you? Have you lost your mind over him? He’s with the League—there’s no way they’d ever accept the two of us!"

At this, Xue merely shook her head and replied, "Chen Ou is a Pokémon Professor. He has the means to clear our names, to erase the labels that irresponsible people have placed on us. As long as we’re willing to pay the price."

Meng couldn’t help but sneer, "And what price is that? Betraying the organization that sheltered us in our time of need? Or selling ourselves?"

Her words were harsh, but Xue did not argue.

A suffocating silence settled between the two sisters.