Legends ZA AU History Timeline

[oceanbear]

Pre-ZA + 'Tutorial'

🌸 Rather than waking up in the 'new world' of JJBA Canon, Emporio wakes within the new world of Pokemon; specifically finding himself in Kemet (equivalent of Mundane Egypt), which is located at the same longitudinal line. (It's lucky he didn't fall in the ocean!)
🌸 Unsure of the world and of the language around him, he does what he's best at; hides, accessing a ghost room with his Stand. As it turns out, a great number of Ghost Pokemon naturally have a similar ability, so Emporio soon finds himself flocked to by curious Pokemon.
🌸 With time - and in part the help of wild Pokemon - Emporio learns enough of the world to venture into it. Unfortunately, his unique abilities and weaknesses cause him to stand out, and become a target to less than savory people within the Pokemon world. Thus, rather than settle anywhere permanently, he's forced into a life of transience.
🌸 For the next three years, Emporio gradually travels first out from Kemet and then into the countries of Avrupa (Pokemon Europe) via the fertile crescent; he is aided early on by befriending a wild Rotom, whom he names Dead Man's Party. Between it and the devices he repairs, he manages to at least pass notice as 'simply another child', moving place to place by sneaking onto trains and busses.
🌸 Eventually, in the autumn after he turns 15, Emporio comes to Lumiose - his preference having moved to large cities that haven't been forced to scatter into regions, as it's easier to fall under the radar. Naturally, upon his arrival in Lumiose, he encounters Urbain and begins the storyline of Legends Z-A.
🌸 (It is worth noting that Lumiose also draws his attention because of their Urban Development program; as 'Ghost Rooms' can only exist when something is built over top of a demolished structure, Lumiose strikes him as a place that will potentially have an abundance of them when he arrives)
🌸 Upon being offered a Pokemon to borrow for the sake of retrieving his bag, Emporio is somewhat pressured into making a choice; he chooses Tepig, as the Pokemon seems interested in him anyway, but the fact is that until this point Emporio has never been in a Trainer Battle. Against Wild Pokemon, he's also relied on either using Weather Report to fight (very possible given its power), or on working with Weather Report and Dead Man's Party. Fortunately his experience in the latter allows him to command the Tepig relatively easily.
🌸 Emporio is long made aware of his fragility within this world; using Weather Report's subtle assistance, he's learned to do his best to avoid attacks, something helped significantly by later instruction in rolling and parkour from Urbain.
🌸 Fortunately able to stay at the Hotel free of charge - as he is (not inaccurately) mistaken for a homeless vagrant - Emporio is soon roped into joining the Z-A Royale to help Urbain. As he only intends to be here for as long as it takes to 'disappear', Emporio agrees - unaware of just how quickly that will become impossible. In the meantime, he names the Tepig 'Blue Oyster Cult', and comes to know the other members of team M-Z.
🌸 Incidentally, when first meeting Naveen, the Trainer decides against giving Emporio a trilby. It doesn't suit him at all, nor does the jacket that Urbain gave him! He therefore meets with him later to suggest some stores to try shopping at once he has funds, noting that given the teen's budding talent in Pokemon battling, he should be able to obtain at least enough for a jacket he likes more. Once Emporio's done so, Naveen happily alters it with the team logo.

Ranks Z to B

🌸 Emporio quickly integrates himself into life within Lumiose, though primarily for the sake of avoiding attention; while his intentions were to quickly hide within Ghost Rooms and reside there within the city, Urbain has quickly made that ideal impossible. As well, he can't help but crave at least some regular human connection, which Hotel Z and Team MZ ultimately provide.
🌸 To that end though, having lacked that connection and social focus for some time, Emporio hyperfocuses his way through the two primary 'mission' focuses provided. During the night, he stealthily blitzes his way through Trainer battle after Trainer battle in order to work his way up the Ranks of the Z-A Royale. During what time he's awake in the day, he then focuses on visiting Wild Areas to catch and research Pokemon.
🌸 Given that Emporio is among those who, due to their experiences growing up in isolation, can 'understand' Pokemon, the latter goes incredibly successfully despite the lack of focus compared to the Royale - though it does not ultimately help much during Rogue Mega battles, which in fact seem far more stressful for him.
🌸 (A noteworthy aside is that while he did take in the Rogue Mega Absol encountered, naming it Breaking Benjamin, he quickly sent it to the research boxes with a note that they did not seem to want to fight after that night.)
🌸 As Emporio makes progress, and as Team MZ is increasingly called upon to combat Rogue Mega Evolutions, members of the Team begin to learn more about Emporio - picking out oddities such as his frailty, his social awkwardness, and more vitally parts of his past; all three eventually become aware in their own time that in addition to housing a wild Rotom in his phone, Emporio has been 'alone' the past three years, with no family, friends, or home to speak of.
🌸 Emma in particular begins investigating matters surrounding Emporio more seriously; while she appears to come close to connecting Emporio to the cryptid reports of 'Weather Related Pokemon' that have cropped up along routes he's traveled though, she makes no move at this time.
🌸 This is notable given her close proximity during their investigations for Ivor's sake; Emma is given a first hand look to how very in tune with Ghost Type Pokemon he is. Like is drawn to Like; in this case, Emporio's natural abilities are very harmonious with Ghosts, to the point that he personally fails to realize that Chandelure's illusory wall is an illusion as opposed to a ghost wall that only he could pass through. Gwynn as well takes notice of his oddities, and it's no surprise that she follows him around somewhat after the subsequent Promotion match.
🌸 The stress created by these suspected investigations, and the awareness of how much harder it is becoming to simply hide away, is only heightened by the events surrounding the next two Promotional matches. Urbain's debt with the Rust Syndicate first gets Emporio involved with the Kalosian mob - with him tensely keeping Lida from speaking out against Corbeau, the boss comes to respect Emporio enough to offer him an 'in' with them; it's when Emporio turns down the offer to join the syndicate that he's truly intrigued, as he can tell Emporio doesn't mean it when he says he's 'already part of Team M-Z'. Tucking away the knowledge that Emporio doesn't seem to view Lumiose as home - and perhaps seeing some of himself in the young teen - Corbeau does what's necessary to get everyone off the hook before wishing them an 'Until next time'.
🌸 What occurs in the next few nights is far more stressful however - when top socialite Jacinthe has Emporio and the rest of Team MZ invited to her tournament. Though initially amused by her antics, the woman's pressuring interventions and harassment after they delay the tournament in order to pacify some Rogue Mega Pokemon lead to Emporio arriving at the event accompanied by a literal storm. Team MZ is unable to ignore that the 'Weather Controlling Pokemon' cyptid Emma has notes on in her office may, in fact, be Emporio.
🌸 Zygarde's appearance at the end of the tournament is fortunately far more important, serving a sufficient distraction for everyone - including Emporio himself. After he's calmed down and had his match, he does whatever he can to avoid being confronted by everyone on what just happened. It takes being called in to battle more Rogue Mega Pokemon to return, and even then only AZ and Floette are able to speak with him for more than a few moments.

Main Story Climax

🌸 During this time, AZ has come to grow close to Emporio in the same way he has to the other three teenagers. They are like grandchildren to the ancient man, and he's already made preparations for their care in his eventual absence. AZ however specifically asks Emporio about what he views as 'home', and what he thinks of the Hotel, the city, its people, and its Pokemon. When Emporio struggles to answer (even to Floette), AZ consoles him by simply asking that the teen give it a better chance - as in the loss of others, it isn't a crime to develop new connections.
🌸 Those sobering words in mind, Emporio and the team pacify the Mega Pokemon in time for Emporio's final promotion match to be announced - though where Emporio didn't realize he could have hidden his identity (though Lida points out that it would have done him absolutely no favors), 'Grisham' is entirely shadowed in his picture, forcing the teen to call on Emma for help.
🌸 Emma fortunately doesn't call Emporio out on any conclusion's she's made, even if information on that Cryptid Hunt has conspicuously disappeared from her cork board. She simply points him to Mabel after a battle, and leaves him to it. In turn, Emporio is able to track down who turns out to have been a former child among the Team Flare group back in the day (as Emporio and Mabel get along quite well in fact). Where his track-record with Ex-Flare Agents has gone on quite strong however - with L in particular feeling uncannily like another 'grandpa' himself - that track record runs out as he meets Grisham and Griselle.
🌸 Through a heated discussion and an equally heated battle, Emporio is shown to the old Lysandre Cafe and the labs within. He goes alone, enjoying the silence and the Pokemon until he finds the secrets down at the bottom - the information about the Ultimate Weapon, and Team Flare's purpose five years in the past. Having come from a world that was brought to destruction by the desires of a deluded and self-righteous man, seeing everything about what AZ and L did brings Emporio to tears in the depths of the lab. L finds him there, at Zygarde's prompting.
🌸 Though Zygarde is able to offer minor comfort, L can't answer the questions Emporio has for him - rather, the questions that Emporio perhaps wished to demand of Pucci. But what he can offer is atonement. While Lysandre has forgotten much of his life, he makes it clear he remembers the important details of his crimes prior Zygarde resurrecting him to atone. Emporio remarks that after all of that, both Lysandre and AZ are unable to truly do that. They still require someone else to fix their greatest remaining problem. Lysandre quietly, and sadly, agrees, before sending Emporio back upstairs with the warning that whatever awakens will affect more than Lumiose if allowed.
🌸 Exiting the lab, Emporio meets with Grisham again and flatly refuses the latter's demand that he steal Floette for Grisham's purposes - instead warning that they will have their promotion match regardless. He returns to Hotel Z to talk to the others, and after a heart to heart where for all that Naveen points out what Emporio himself told L, the teen counters Naveen with the note that 3000 years to wander is still plenty of atonement in itself.
🌸 He then talks to Floette - the Pokemon is as cryptic as ever, implying through her 'language' without words the importance of being able to harness Mega Power, but to Emporio it's just as clear as it always was. She's staying with AZ, and so Emporio goes to face Grisham.
🌸 Facing off the former Flare trainee, he counters Grisham's loathing for AZ with the fact that whether they like it or not, stopping whatever is at the tower is a matter of staying alive. What happens to Lumiose won't stop at Lumiose. Being in charge of another's mess isn't, and can't be a factor, because Floette pointed out one more thing.
🌸 That AZ physically can't handle her power any more, and hasn't for a very long time. The two have an impressive pre-battle debate, with Grisham proving he was more than capable of digging up enough dirt to connect dots on the weather manipulating 'faller' that is Emporio. In his opinion, the life of a wandering teenager can't have possibly been so hard as his own, can't possibly have an ounce of resolve compared to him, and these are words that he regrets when Emporio in turn utterly thrashes his team.
🌸 ...It's an eye opener for Grisham. Apologetic as the barista is, Emporio is rather cold to him, bluntly telling him that it's not smart to assume what anyone has been through. Grisham apologizes then, and...Emporio lightens up, at least a little, as the leader pledges to help the teen when the time comes.
🌸 That moment comes incredibly soon. While L and Zygarde drop in on Emporio to say their piece, celebrations are soon held at the Hotel; both Emporio and Urbain reached Rank A, which means in theory they'll be able to have a wish granted. Unfortunately, disaster takes precedent, as Vinnie calls them to the Plaza. The tower is reaching its limit.
🌸 Emporio and Urbain have a battle to determine the strongest Mega User - one that Emporio wins, but Urbain is the one who takes temporary partnership with Floette to enter the tower all the same. Urbain, and everyone there, understand that power matters little when Emporio lacks the durability they do.
🌸 This choice is proven correct when the tower explodes into the now combative and berserk Ange. With the wreckage and chaos, Emporio prepares to make use of Weather Report in full to do what's necessary to get through the city, only calming down when Urbain calls and confirms he's alright. Many other trainers Emporio has bonded with call in to offer their own help, and it's warranted - Zygarde is waiting for Emporio in the Magenta district. Through their help, he gets there to meet with the dog and join forces as L predicted.
🌸 It goes well. Perhaps too well, even, as the 100% form of Zygarde protects Emporio and his Pokemon in their battle to weaken the device imprisoning Urbain and Floette. Zygarde's own final blows are what at last seem to pacify the machine long enough for Lida, Naveen, and Vinnie to reach Emporio; however as they prepare to discuss how to evacuate Urbain, the tower gains a second wind and prepares to unleash its Light of Ruin.
🌸 This time, Emporio isn't going to hold back. Weather Report is ready to fight with him, even for the smallest things; he uses the wind to erode the 'Pebble' Zygarde gave him into a Mega Stone, at the Legendary's prompting. Rather than throw the stone to Zygarde, Emporio then quietly reminds the others with him that Mega Power is strongest when the Trainer is as close to the Pokemon as possible.
🌸 To their alarm, they watch him jump off the building to glide under the power of Weather Report's wind, letting Zygarde to catch him. Zygarde mega evolves, and the Light of Ruin is successfully deflected and scattered through Mega Zygarde's Nihil Light. Ange is finally defeated, and Emporio lands in time to see Urbain sliding out from the wreckage with an exhausted Floette.
🌸 The boys share a tearful embrace, as Emporio realizes how close he just came to losing everything again. He remembers AZ's words, and quietly decides to stay in Lumiose.

Royale Aftermath

🌸 Unfortunately the celebration of a success is temporary - as Team MZ returns to find that AZ passed peacefully on the rooftop balcony, having watched them save the city and indeed all of Kalos from destruction. The team is left to fumble through grief as they enact AZ's final wishes, including the funeral that he had long prepared in advance.
🌸 Attending the funeral, Emporio gives a heartbroken eulogy in his home language, speaking directly to the grave and asking AZ to, if he can, greet his long lost friends in the afterlife. Shortly after this, Emma - who attended the funeral as well - confronts him with something important; an ID.
🌸 She and AZ had long connected the dots, not only on the cryptid matters, but on the likelihood of Emporio being a 'Faller'...something that AZ in particular confirmed due to Emporio of course not speaking actual Kemetic when slipping into his native language. They prepared papers and files for Emporio so that he could officially have a presence, though she suggests keeping his head down regardless - or at least as much as he already has - hinting that aside from Trainers known as 'Fables', the legal troubles that could come from being a Faller or a Trainer of unknown ability could still be severe.
🌸 It is not until after that funeral that Quasartico finally approaches Urbain and Emporio about their wish. Truthfully, neither really have one; they ultimately agree that keeping the Royale going would be best, which is fortunately something that Quasartico had been seriously considering in the first place. Putting the funds that would have been used for their wishes toward that will help maintain it immensely.
🌸 As life settles down at the Hotel, minor troubles yet emerge in the aftermath of AZ's funeral. L meets with Emporio more frequently in this time, finding himself attached much the same way the old man was. He warns the boy of the return of those who Take and those who Give in particular- leaving Emporio to determine who he can even talk to in order to learn more about those potential risks.
🌸 It ends up being Grisham and Mable who help with these matters, as Lida and Naveen join him. Mable is able to offer information about Xerneas, while Grisham offers intel on Yveltal. Given the danger of these Legendary Pokemon, Emporio encourages his friends to help in any way they can as they fight them - even if it means throwing Pokeballs. As such, Lida becomes Yveltal's current trainer, while Naveen finds himself in partnership with Xerneas.
🌸 Alongside all of this, the Battle Royale continues. Emporio doesn't spend full nights fighting Trainers, but he has himself more than a few rematches before managing to face Urbain himself. The peace settles just in time for Urbain to finally be contacted by Emma regarding his own case.
🌸 The case to locate his family, in Lumiose. As Jett and Urbain have a heartfelt reunion as grandparent and grandchild, Emporio encourages him not only to take the time to bond with Jett - who has now named Urbain her successor in the company, with Vinnie maintaining it until the teen is ready to do so - but to also keep Floette at his side. While Urbain fears that he won't be able to train her properly while getting to know his Grandma, Emporio notes that Floette herself wants to be there with him during this time.
🌸 Emporio then heads home, alone - finding L waiting for him there. The man challenges Emporio to a battle, referring it to Emporio's final necessary challenge; a test to see if indeed, Emporio can survive Zygarde's own, as the Legendary waits for the teen to face him under Prism Tower's remains.
🌸 Emporio manages to face this challenge however - even if it takes everything he, his Pokemon, and even his Stand have, to do so. Zygarde calmly enters a Pokeball, and Emporio has now officially joined his three friends in the ranks of 'Fabled' (as despite being a Floette, Urbain is very much registered as one now).
🌸 And of course with his duty fulfilled, L now says goodbye. Emporio tearfully asks if he must, and L reminds the boy of his words in the lab. AZ wandered the earth for 3000 years in atonement. Now, it is his turn. As he wonders if he can help to make the world better during that time, Emporio quietly says that he believes L can...watching as the old man slowly leaves.

The Mega Dimension Pt. 1

🌸 A full month after Emporio decides to live at Hotel Z for good, and after Naveen has taken up a room there, a girl named Ansha appears at the Hotel; he and the others help her to unlock the pokemon Hoopa's power over creating dimensional holes, leading to the realization that things are going to get chaotic in the city...again.
🌸 As discovered talking with Corbeau, Vinnie, and Phillipe in the Rust Syndicate, a strange portal of energy has opened - and it's leaking further into the fabric of reality, drawing connections to a strange 'other realm', namely 'Hyperspace Lumiose'. Nothing there is truly real - not beyond the Pokemon and occasional berry at least.
🌸 The goal being as simple as using Hoopa to access the realm and gather data until they can safely tackle the massive portal in the sky, Emporio and his friends set out to work. Ansha soon prepares more donuts for Hoopa, Mable upgrades the Pokedex app to accept the research, and they're off.
🌸 Ignoring the fact that they are in a sense literally working for the mob (again), Emporio is soon called in with Urbain to meet with an associate of Corbeau's; Korrina, the former Fighting Type Gym Leader and an expert in Mega Evolution. As only so many people can enter the Hyperspace at once without things going more awry than they already are, it's the perfect solution to a now growing problem; not only can the 'hyper strong' Pokemon come into the normal plane, but they're at high risk of Mega Evolution.
🌸 It only figures that they immediately encounter one such Mega Evolution, creating a good moment to adjust to a new team member. Korrina, as it seems, is the one who owns the Lucario that had been lent to Emporio for his first Mega battle. They chat a while, but it's clear everyone moved into the hotel after she left - they have a round of introductions while recovering from the fight later that night.
🌸 It's good that they all get rest too - after some miscommunication about where Ansha is spending her days, and yet one more Rogue Mega battle, it's decided that a bit of sight seeing is in order; thus, the third day with Ansha is spent visiting a museum and enjoying a cafe.
🌸 Playtime is over however, and after settling a lost Gulpin into the Hotel, they're called in for more news. More research reveals Hyperspace's nature, as well as a need for...more research. It's a loop of activity, and by the next morning Emporio's collapsing into bed having fought Mega Tatsugiri. His thoughts are reeling though; the theory about Hyperspace is that it's made of memories. Subconscious thoughts.
🌸 In other words, Hyperspace could be a massive, expanded form of a Ghost Room, and he's not sure what to think about it. All he can do, is keep helping with research while hoping that he's not the reason reality has started to break down. He can't be, right? It's been years...
🌸 He gets a healthy distraction at the site of the next Mega to face (rather, the next enormous one - while the surveys are occurring, they encounter quite a number of properly sized ones); by being dragged into a scuffle between Griselle and Jacinthe. It's resolved quick, but somehow it's the more alarming thing compared to Mega Meowstic.
🌸 And all of that pales next to the nightmare that follows both things. Emporio's sleep is full of darkness, and foreboding warning. With nothing more illuminating than cries to 'stay away', Emporio wakes up for another day of donut making, research, and investigation - finding that the others had the same dream too.
🌸 At least their work is 'easy'. Or at least, repetitive. In fact until they actually encounter what awaits them at the next signal of mega energy, it's very much 'routine'...except this time, what awaits them is a legendary Pokemon. A Heatran.
🌸 On the one hand, that bodes well for Ansha's dream to catch her mother a Rayquaza. On the other hand, Legendary Pokemon getting caught in the mess bodes very badly for what's happening with Hyperspace. The team leaves Corbeau and Quasartico to analyze the data with a fairly anxious feeling in their guts.
🌸 The fantastic dinner made with the bounty of Hyperspace - namely an incredibly good quality butter that has Emporio thinking of an old folktale from his own world - does little to lighten the mood, even if watching Naveen balk at 'donut croissant curry' is briefly amusing. Waking up in the middle of the night to Lida's shouting undoes all of that however.
🌸 Emporio and the others knew Lida could be at more risk of nightmares thanks to Yveltal - while she's doing her best with the bird, its very presence and connection can still take a toll. But something's off about the shouts coming from her room, and sure enough, she's sleep dancing, with Starmie right at her side. (And Yveltal throwing an absolute fit outside the building, for that matter.)
🌸 The dream fortunately seems to have been harmless for the most part - and Yveltal calms down once Lida's awake, too. But Emporio still can't shake his bad feeling. The rest of his night is filled with nightmares and warnings again, and he goes to regroup at the Rust Syndicate feeling bleary eyed as they wait for new data.

The Mega Dimension Pt.2

🌸 Things are a little more serious this time - Corbeau calls in the entire team, and for good reason. Where his office was, it's a pocket of Hyperspace, and they're not the only ones stuck. Regrouping alongside the others who fell in, the effect fortunately ends and sends them back home but it's a dire warning of what could happen.
🌸 Corbeau gets right to it then - starting with good news, given Emporio's anxious disposition. Corbeau has experienced Ghost Rooms from Emporio before; and he can concretely say that they're nothing like Hyperspace. In fact, that's what the new data has revealed - that the source of all Hyperspace is down to one single Pokemon.
🌸 A single Pokemon, whose capture and removal from mega-energy exposure would hopefully stop the expanding Hyperspace. Suddenly Emporio's nightmares make a lot more sense - but they need to get there first. Ansha worries that her donuts might not be enough to power up Hoopa, but Emporio points something out.
🌸 Namely that Hoopa could perhaps mega evolve...or at least do something similar to it. If they give Hoopa a donut formed with the same materials necessary to make a Megastone...then maybe, provided they get a flight up to the rift, they'll get in.
🌸 It's a long shot, but they don't have any other real options, so it's off to go 'shopping' for hyper-berries in the various minor rifts. Once they have their supplies, the real task begins. Making the donut that will give just the right boost to, from the top of the ruinous tower, get through the portal.
🌸 It's a familiar scene through there. A dream, one could say - it leads Korrina to suspect they'll be facing Darkrai, and indeed they are; but not before facing the dreams Darkrai unconsciously creates to push them away.
🌸 A painful reunion is held, more so because Emporio by this time has realized that ghosts can exist in this place. Emporio and Urbain meet with AZ's spirit, and Emporio is torn between being relieved that it's not Jolyne and his friends (for how could he face them?) and agonized that he'll never see them again.
🌸 AZ understands though, and encourages them to live on. Thus, they do so, battling Darkrai until the excess mega power is banished and done with. Darkrai itself seems to hover, awaiting capture... ...but after a brief conversation with Emporio, Darkrai isn't caught so much as 'sent' to the lab boxes for rest and respite. Emporio assures the others that it'll be fine, and they all escape to recover at Hotel Z.
🌸 With Darkrai defeated, it should be a matter of weeks before the portals die back down - that's how long they have then, to fulfill Ansha's dream; to capture Rayquaza, as Corbeau has identified, which means of course that they must perform more surveys. Corbeau is certain that a unique donut would help Hoopa hone in on its location.
🌸 And what better test than the reports of drought and rainfall within Hyperspace itself? Where Kyogre and Groudon were, Lida explains, Rayquaza was never far behind. Who knew stories from her childhood in Hoenn would come in handy? Once they feel they have enough data, Emporio meets with Corbeau at a cafe of his choosing - cafe Nouveau - and they can get to business.
🌸 ...By getting Hoennian salt from Grisham. One brief and tense staredown from one mobster to another, and they've got donut recipes for Ansha to work with. ...And two more Legendary Pokemon to face. Much like last time, they don't truly seem to catch these two. Emporio instead chats to them both, and they willingly enter a Pokeball for the purposes of letting some scientists pamper them for a bit; officially, and technically, they aren't tied or bound to any of the Trainers, creating a very fascinating sub-category off of the known 'fables'.
🌸 The red and blue orbs left behind are exactly what's needed to finally track down Rayquaza however. After some quick analysis, and an understanding of the kinds of dreams that make up Hyperspace, they conclude it'll take, in essence, wishing REALLY hard to encounter it.
🌸 Emporio muses that this is probably why the legends so far were so calm about the idea of simply enjoying a brief retirement in the lab boxes - they weren't getting out of Hyperspace any other way, but they couldn't truly 'judge' anyone they encountered there either.
🌸 Whatever the case, they have what they need; and with a bit of story telling to encourage that ultimate dream from Ansha, they create the donut that brings them into Rayquaza's very own pocket of dreamland. Directly. Above. The Hotel.
🌸 It's a good thing they're going to be dealing with this quickly. While speed is of the essence the battle is far from easy - Emporio mentally likens the challenge to that of when he fought Ange, with Rayquaza's winds proving particularly deadly if he so much as gets anywhere near, and Weather Report being unable to directly interfere with them. His team has their hands full protecting him, and Zygarde is integral to say the least.
🌸 When all is said and done however, he has his audience with Rayquaza. A chance to convey to them the dreams of a little girl, and a plea that Rayquaza will grant it. Rayquaza agrees, and Emporio takes the pokeball back to the real world to show Ansha...but Ansha realizes that once Rayquaza is hers, she won't have a reason to keep making donuts.
🌸 Emporio points out of course that this is far from the case - no one is stopping her from continuing to make donuts at the hotel. For that matter, Diantha won't be back from her filming for a while...which means Rayquaza being presented to the retired Champion will be on hold as is.
🌸 With such agreements made, Rayquaza enjoys a vacation in the boxes for until that day comes (with the added polite suggestion that perhaps Rayquaza would be better shared between the two as a family 'friend'). Ansha continues making donuts, and Emporio, alongside the others, continues jumping into Hyperspace holes to fill the pokedex. As a bonus, they help the little one send a pre-return gift directly to Unova; donuts and drawings.
🌸 The next morning, Corbeau calls Emporio and the others over to introduce the technology they'll be using up until (and perhaps after?) the Hyperspace holes are gone. Special Scans become a new system to lean on for the foreseeable future - with bigger, badder Pokemon and even trainers behind them.
🌸 The loop of researching and battling begins anew; Emporio encounters yet more strange Pokemon, and helps Urbain and his friends to resolve more problems brought on by the gradually fading Hyperspace portals. Naveen solidifies his move to the Hotel as more than just 'running away', and Lida finds her own self-confidence from the shadows of her friends again. Urbain learns to stop overworking, Korrina and others get the rematches they desire - life carries on.
🌸 This, it seems, is just what life is now. The hope of course is that by the New Year, things will be back to normal...but as Christmas comes, all Emporio knows is that he's glad he took AZ's words to heart. He's glad to now have a home.