The mural depicted a sword and a shield resting gently amidst a field of flowers.
Sonia gestured toward the artwork. "This piece is one of Stow-on-Side's most treasured relics. The locals consider it a symbol of refined art. It's long been speculated that the mural has ties to Zacian and Zamazenta."
Naoki nodded knowingly.
He was fully aware that there was more to this mural than met the eye.
In the Galar games, the mural was eventually destroyed by Bede, revealing the hidden statues of Zacian and Zamazenta beneath. That revelation exposed the truth: the heroes of the Darkest Day weren't a pair of humans alone, but two Legendary Pokémon who fought alongside them.
But now that the truth of Galar's legend had already come to light, there was no longer a need to destroy the mural.
Naoki took out his Rotom Phone and snapped a quick photo to commemorate the visit.
Just then, he felt a sudden wriggling motion in the backpack slung over his shoulders.
He turned sharply, only to see that the backpack's metal zipper had been completely gnawed through.
One Meltan popped its head out.
Then another.
And another.
Soon, a steady stream of tiny metallic Pokémon was tumbling out of the bag like spilled nuts and bolts.
Naoki's eyes widened. "Ah—!!"
He scrambled to scoop them up and gently stuffed them back into the backpack one by one.
"Woooo~!" the Meltan cried out pitifully.
Sonia, watching the chaotic scene unfold, quickly realized what was going on.
"Mr. Naoki, I think… they're hungry!"
"Hungry?" Naoki blinked.
Sonia dug through her satchel. "I have some berries here. Let's try these—"
She held out a few Oran and Pecha Berries toward the Meltan. They sniffed them briefly, then turned away with disinterested squeaks.
They weren't having it.
"Not into berries, huh?" Sonia frowned.
Naoki rubbed his chin. "They're Steel-types. If I remember right. Meltan feed on metal."
Three minutes later…
Inside a hardware store in Stow-on-Side, Naoki stood at the counter with a plastic tub full of screws, washers, nuts, and scrap metal. Meltan heads poked eagerly from every side of his now-ruined backpack, their eyes locked on the shimmering pile like kids at a candy shop.
"Here," Naoki said, placing the tub on the floor, "dig in."
The Meltan wasted no time. They leapt forward, eagerly gobbling up the screws and bolts, dissolving the metal with their liquid steel bodies as if it were pudding.
The shopkeeper stared, stunned. "You're tellin' me these little guys eat screws?! That's wild!"
"Not just screws," Sonia added with a grin. "There are Pokémon that feed on emotions too."
"Man," the shopkeeper marveled, "Pokémon never cease to amaze me."
By the time they were done, Naoki had spent 3,000 PokéDollars.
The Meltan, now full and satisfied, lay belly-up on the counter, rubbing their round tummies contentedly with tiny silver arms.
Naoki crouched beside them. "All full now? Good! Then it's time to go home."
No reaction.
He tried again: "I've got even better metals back home, silver coins, big gold nuggets."
The hardware store owner choked on air. "Gold nuggets?! You're feeding them that?!"
Naoki smiled innocently. "Just a little now and then."
The moment they heard "gold," the Meltan perked up. Their eyes gleamed, and they quickly scurried back into the backpack, jostling for space like eager kittens.
Once they were packed in, Naoki slung the backpack over his shoulders again and turned to Sonia. "We're heading back now. Thanks again for everything. Let's meet again sometime."
Sonia nodded. "Safe travels!"
Outside, Naoki climbed onto Koraidon's back and took off into the sky.
When the mountains of Stow-on-Side faded into the distance, he tapped a quick message to Giratina on his Rotom Phone.
Moments later, a shimmering portal opened before them, a gateway to the Reverse World.
Koraidon soared into the vortex, beginning the journey home.
By the time Naoki returned to his ranch, the sun was high overhead.
He set his bag down, carefully opened it, and transferred the Meltan into a cardboard box lined with soft hay.
Then, from the storage room, he retrieved something special: a gleaming golden nugget.
The moment it appeared, the Meltan scrambled to the edge of the box like hungry baby birds, chirping and clanking as they followed the scent of metal.
From beside him, Calyrex floated serenely, watching the new generation with kind eyes.
Melmetal. Glastrier, Spectrier.
One by one, more of the Bud King's former companions were gathering at the ranch. Melmetal might have been reborn as Meltan, but even in a new form, it was still a joyful reunion.
Naoki dropped the golden nugget into the box, and the Meltan dove onto it with gleeful cries.
Around them, curious Pokémon from the ranch gathered to watch the spectacle unfold.
Pawmot, Cyclizar, Koraidon, and Iono's Magnemite.
Iono stepped forward and gasped with delight. "Aww! They're adorable! Are these Melmetal?"
Naoki chuckled. "Not quite. They're Meltan, the stage before Melmetal."
He briefly explained what had happened in the Galar region.
"Melmetal's life had reached its end. But after learning that the Darkest Day was finally over, it passed on peacefully. Its body dissolved into these Meltan, beginning a new life."
As he spoke, a loud yelp came from across the room.
"Bamo!!"
Pawmot flailed in alarm. Σ(っ°Д°;)っ
Naoki turned just in time to see a crowd of Meltan swarming Pawmot 's small hammer, trying to eat it like a snack.
Startled, Pawmot instinctively swung the hammer, sending the Meltan flying off with tiny squeals.
When they tumbled back into the cardboard box, Pawmot clutched the hammer behind his back protectively, then scolded the crowd seriously:
"Bamo Bamo!"
"Woooo…" the Meltan responded with sad little squeaks.
They seemed to understand… at least a little. The hammer was off-limits.
Undeterred, the Meltan began sniffing around again, searching for their next metallic meal.
And then, they found it.
All at once, every Meltan turned and locked eyes on Magnemite, who had floated over curiously.
In the next instant, the entire group lunged toward it.
Magnemite's eyes widened in panic, and sparks danced across its magnets. With a loud crackle, it unleashed a jolt of electricity.
"Zrrrtt!"
The Meltan were instantly electrocuted and dropped like flies, landing in a heap on the floor with tiny puffs of smoke. Their big round eyes had turned into swirly Xs as they lay motionless.
Magnemite buzzed angrily and floated away with a huff, clearly fed up with being mistaken for a buffet.
Naoki and Iono: "…"
Without hesitation, Naoki pulled out his Rotom Phone and placed an emergency order: five boxes of screws and ten boxes of metal caps, premium-grade food for Steel-type Pokémon like Metagross and Mawile.
Just then, Gholdengo, who had been watching quietly, seemed to remember something. With a mischievous grin, it raised its golden hands and, with a magician's flair, conjured a pile of glittering gold coins that clinked into a little mountain on the floor.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The faint scent of gold must have reached the Meltan, because their eyes popped open all at once.
They blinked up at the shimmering treasure. Light from the gold gleamed in their round black eyes.
"Woooo!"
With happy cries, they surged forward, diving into the golden heap, eagerly picking up the coins and absorbing them into their liquid-metal bodies.
Clink! Clank!
Gholdengo beamed, humming proudly.
Naoki stared, momentarily stunned.
Right… he'd almost forgotten Gholdengo could produce coins.
Thanks to their golden feast, the Meltan now lay flat in the cardboard box, bellies round and content.
They gently rubbed their tiny bellies with their hands. Having only recently been "born," they grew drowsy quickly and drifted off into a peaceful nap.
Naoki stepped forward, picked up the cardboard box, and placed it on the windowsill.
It was late autumn, and the temperatures were starting to dip. Only around midday did the sunlight offer any real warmth. Winter would arrive soon, and with it, the snow that blanketed Paldea every year.
The Pokémon who had gathered to watch gradually wandered off. In the end, only Alcremie and Ogerpon remained, quietly observing the strange little Meltan.
Pawmot, still wary that the Meltan might come for its prized hammer again, kept a safe distance.
Magnemite, still sour from earlier, floated to the opposite end of the living room, hiding behind the TV. It was determined to stay far away from anything made of metal that looked remotely edible.
Naoki and Calyrex stood nearby. The former King of Galar gazed down at the snoozing Meltan with a quiet fondness in his eyes.
"Thank you for helping me find him, Naoki," Calyrex said softly.
Naoki grinned. "Of course. Melmetal is a hero, just like you. And heroes shouldn't fade away in silence. They deserve a second chance to live, to be remembered, and to be happy."
Calyrex smiled and gave a slow, grateful nod.
Words weren't necessary between them. They understood one another perfectly.
Later that Afternoon
To prevent the Meltan from chewing through his kitchen knives, frying pans, televisions, laptops, Pawmot's hammer, and other precious items, Naoki decided to build them a proper home.
Using leftover wood and supplies from the barn, he constructed a custom Meltan-sized "metal-safe" cabin in the corner of the living room. The structure stood about 1.5 meters tall, 2 meters long, and 1.7 meters wide, with two floors.
The upper floor was lined with cozy fleece blankets, a comfy bunk for napping.
As for the ground floor? It served as their dining area.
Naoki hadn't yet received the online order of screws and bottle caps, so Gholdengo cheerfully donated a heap of gold coins to tide them over.
Now, whenever the Meltan got hungry, they could waddle downstairs for a bite to eat without destroying the rest of the house.
Naoki thought he had solved the problem.
He was wrong.
Late That Night
After everyone had gone to sleep, Naoki, Iono, and every Pokémon in the house, the Meltan slowly opened their eyes.
They had eaten all the gold coins.
And now… they were still hungry.
Driven by curiosity and an insatiable craving for shiny metal, the little Meltan began to explore.
The gold trophy on the cabinet? Delicious.
The frying pan in the kitchen? Still smelled like curry. Definitely edible.
The silver spoon bathed in moonlight? A gleaming treat. Too beautiful not to eat.
One by one, the Meltan waddled from room to room, drooling with excitement. Everywhere they turned, another shiny object called out to them.
And then, they found it.
A small wooden door creaked open with a little nudge.
Inside, bathed in silvery moonlight… was a small, gleaming hammer sitting atop a cabinet.
The Meltan's eyes widened in delight.
Under the soft glow of the moon, the hammer shimmered like a sacred relic. It was beautiful. It was elegant.
And most importantly…
It looked delicious.
...
Bonus @1500 PS
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