It had been three days since the bells of Lumiose rang. Three days since the great doors of the Royal Tower shut for the final time. Three days since AZ—the Eternal King—finally laid down the burden he carried for 3,000 years.

Kalos felt quieter now, as if the whole region were holding its breath. The skies were overcast, not with storm clouds, but with a strange stillness that made the Z-Crystals around the region hum faintly. Pokémon acted uneasy; even wild Fletchling avoided the streets.

The people of Kalos believed AZ’s passing would bring peace. His wandering soul had finally found rest. His great stone body now slept beneath the tower, surrounded by flowers. But something went wrong.

Rumors spread from the wilderness outside the city—of pillars of light erupting at random, of strange distortions where time stuttered, of ancient Pokémon behaving unlike anything recorded.

Some swore they saw a familiar, radiant shape drifting through the forests. Others whispered that AZ’s ultimate weapon had awakened again… alone, without a master, confused and grieving.

This morning, a message arrived for you. Sealed with the mark of the new Kalos Restoration Council.

“We request your presence. Something stirs in the ruins of the old battleground. AZ is gone… but his power is not.”

You arrived at the outskirts of Lumiose, the wind cold, the air unnaturally still. The ruins ahead glowed with faint, pink-gold light—energy that felt ancient, yet newly awakened. A low hum pulsed beneath the earth, vibrating through the soles of your boots.

Then, from the shifting air above the ruins, a soft, ghostly voice echoed:

“…I am sorry… my friend…”

A massive silhouette flickered—broad wings, long ears, eyes filled with sorrow and confusion. The Eternal Pokémon had returned… but not whole. And not alone. Something else—something older—moved within the distortion behind it.

Whatever AZ’s death released, it had begun to reshape Kalos. And the duty to face it… was now yours.