Unown.
The symbol of Pokémon.
And the most peculiar of them all.
No gender, no known Egg Group.
Their origins? Unknown. Their destination? Unknown.
Even their moves—the cornerstone of Pokémon—are limited to just one. Not like Ditto or Smeargle, where "one move" secretly means a dozen in disguise. Nope, Unown get one, period.
Some don't even call them Pokémon—they're more like ancient glyphs with mysterious power.
They resemble pictographs, often plastered on walls, blending with regular text. With over 20 forms, they're as varied as the Latin alphabet.
And the wild part? Arrange these Unown in specific patterns, and they unleash a "words-become-law" effect. At their peak, they've crafted entire "worlds"—even conjuring an Entei as a guardian. That's Arceus-level, llama-god creation juice right there.
If the Wishing Pool and Sacred Mountain were tied to Unown, it'd make some sense.
The dark monster Niyei and Yuzuki encountered might've been an Unown aggregate—a swarm of individuals that can scatter and reform, making it a nightmare to fight.
Most crucially, Unown's presence proved Pokémon weren't just some穿越 (穿越: transmigration) gift bag or Chosen One cheat code.
They're woven deeper into this world, into the very fabric of jujutsu's mystical system.
Maybe sorcerers themselves carry Pokémon blood, explaining their wild range of powers.
Take Gojo's Limitless—doesn't it vibe like Palkia or Mewtwo?
Or Fushiguro Megumi's shadow techniques—those shadow-space tricks scream Mega Gengar energy.
Could the memes Akira's tapped into be the essence of this?
And what about the Trainer template? How does that fit?
His thoughts spiraled, hypotheses piling up, doubts stacking higher.
Still too little intel. Unraveling this riddle meant diving deeper—and deeper meant danger.
The moment that thought hit, the Unown clinging to the Wishing Pool's walls snapped their eyes open—tiny, soybean-sized dots like English periods, all zeroing in on the shore's uninvited guest.
Their near-fused, wall-blending whites flooded with growing purple.
The telltale sign of their sole move: Hidden Power.
A move as cryptic as its name—mechanics unclear, strength unknown, effects a total mystery.
Akira wasn't about to gamble. He bellowed, "Little Garde, Teleport, now!"
Gardevoir reacted instantly, dropping Psychic to switch moves.
But in that razor-thin gap, the Unown peeled off the wall, clustering together.
Purple light erupted.
Akira's brain buzzed, the world spun, his senses scrambled.
When awareness returned, the scene had flipped.
The Ainu Sacred Mountain's timeless green hills and waters were gone, replaced by desolation.
The daylight he'd arrived in? Vanished. Now, a pitch-black canopy loomed overhead.
Not night's darkness—this was deeper, profound, starless, moonless, a void even Darkrai's Dark Hole couldn't touch.
He tried spreading his mental energy to sense around—nothing came back. Even the probing tendrils vanished without a trace.
At this point, Akira was sure: the Unown had dragged him into one of their crafted "worlds."
Regret gnawed at him.
Sure, parting the water with Psychic was Gardevoir's idea, but the final call was his. He'd ordered the Teleport. What if he'd had Darkrai chuck a Dark Hole instead? Different outcome, maybe?
"I'm so dumb, really."
"I knew psychic moves might rile the Unown, but I took the risk anyway."
"I knew how freaky Unown are, but I didn't rein in my thoughts—should've retreated to safety first."
That way, he wouldn't have been caught off guard and split from his Pokémon.
"Garde-chan!"
No answer.
"Darkrai!"
"Vine-chan!"
"Swab-chan!"
"Detonator Ball!"
One by one, silence.
He fished out his phone—black screen, dead.
No surprise there. If Sabrina's psychic template got blocked, regular senses didn't stand a chance.
Breaking this lockdown needed stronger juice.
Something beyond Sabrina's psychic power…
Akira's right hand slid to his left wrist.
There, a secret weapon he'd crafted ages ago but never used: a Z-Ring.
His fingers brushed the core—Z-Crystal—striking a JoJo-esque pose to sync its power with his will.
He wasn't aiming for a Z-Move—those amped-up attacks needed both Pokémon and Trainer together, merging their strength.
No, he just wanted it as a bridge—to resonate with the other half of the Z-Move bond, to feel their presence.
Kalos Champion Diantha had a similar moment.
Lost in fog, unable to escape, her ace Gardevoir found her through their bond, guiding her out.
Diantha's relied on Mega Evolution's Keystone and Key Stone, but tools are just catalysts. The real deal was her bond with Gardevoir. Z-Moves were the same—a testament to connection.
When it came to bonds, Akira wouldn't lose to Diantha.
If bonds could truly become power…
If Unown could really grant wishes…
Then answer me.
Let me feel you, Gardevoir.
And all of you—my Pokémon who've grown with me!
His fierce resolve turned tangible, sparking an unprecedented reaction in the Z-Ring.
A pink psychic glow flared at the center of his hand.
On the ring's back, a kaleidoscope of dark-type black shimmered.
And more—other colors gleamed too.
Gardevoir was the first to pair with a Z-Crystal under Akira, but that wasn't his only set.
After half a school year of grinding, he'd nearly conquered the full type spectrum—more Z-Crystals than Pokémon.
Post-Gardevoir, he'd rigged up crystals for the rest, and now they were paying off.
His Pokémon didn't let his faith down either.
Faint, but real, their voices reached his heart.
"Shanay~"
"Wu~"
"Tang tang~"
"Dilu~"
Even distant echoes—
"Pign~"
"Mini~"
Every one raised by Akira's own hands.
Their calls pierced the dark like guiding Staryu, lighting his path.
Then, the void dissolved, and daylight flooded in.