MistressChara

That's a really really good point, if you take the actual game mechanics literally then both us and Lin have powers beyond what normal people do. I don't know if we have no will at all due to the ability to make route altering choices, but we definitely are railroaded along a set path. If you are correct then that would mean that Lin's ultimate goals is to fuse with us in order to create Arceus? Speaking of which I wonder how the alternate routes and choices will affect the ending if at all.

Very true, I forgot about the PULSE Garbador and I do think that's much more likely. The alternate timeline with fern completely loses me, I'd have to revisit the event with this theory in mind and see it's exact text to come up with anything concrete (and iirc I'd have to do another playthrough in order to see it again.) Though if I were to spitball a half baked explanation now I'd say it's probably because we never ensured Arceus awoke to create the universe, thus creating a paradox where Arceus could not have been born to create the universe and therefore none of the events Actually happened. Funnily enough the "Destiny's End" book may have referenced this. It mentions that there were multiple entropies that came into being and "failed" before one finally came into being that succeeded in existing. "When Entropy first came into being, it must have failed. And for the next infinite number of times Entropy was created, All of them must have also failed. However, eventually, one of them would not."

Gonna preface this by saying spoilers for the entire game, and that I am new to the forums so I apologize if some of this is already treaded ground. I've been pondering on Reborn's lore and have come up with a few leads on where the story might go, most of it revolving around the "Destiny's end" book you can find in the Beryl Ward library. So, we know that the Lin we see isn't real due to the way Anna speaks about her and the events with Titania. We also know that Team meteor is trying to bring Arceus forth from the meteor locked away below Citrae de Asta (may not have spelt that correctly.) When reading the book titled "Destiny's end" it tells us that the Entropy from which all of existence was spawned created itself a form as a logical certainty and that this form was Arceus. "In the beginning there was nothing, the non-existence was nearly perfect but in not being perfect existence was inevitable." "That single successful instance of entropy-- a mere flaw in the fabric of non-existence was a tautological certainty." "When the world as we know it was created, it was given form. At that time so did that which created it give itself form. This is the pokemon we know as Arceus." It also tells us that there is a myth that a meteor brought Arceus to our world after the world was created, but also states that there is no way that could've happened frontward as meteors could not have existed without Arceus. "The meteor enshrined below reborn is often said to be that upon which Arceus first came to this world. And while every piece of physical evidence would verify that claim, in reality it was only constructed to serve that purpose in whatever retrospect may have existed before the proccess of time was created. Those astronomic and geological events that would set a meteor in motion so as to crash onto our planet, were all determined long after they must have occured. Therefore, what is not to say that this world we are experiencing is the same? Every event that we experience must be the logical outcome of the past and what must happen in the future for Arceus to be realized." "But Arceus is not complete, and so at that time did that which created this world also create a means for its new form to have been itself created." These lines above are a bit confusing but clearly state that Arceus has yet to actually exist. This may not initially make sense but due to Arceus being a primordial god I want you to throw out your initial preconception of time and space. When the universe first came into being, it was pure-nonexistence with an extremely minor flaw that spawned forth a great Entropy. This Entropy brought forth existence as a concept but needed a form with which to create the universe. In order to create this form it needed a cradle to bring itself into being and that cradle is all of existence that we currently experience. Everything that happens in the Pokemon universe and in reborn is just a series of events to complete Arceus and give it a form. Once Arceus is created then Arceus can retroactively create the universe and cause the events that will lead to it's own creation. Essentially the moment Arceus is created is the moment the universe truly begins alongside time and space. I have no concrete ideas of what part Lin plays in the story, but our part is actually very obvious from the words of the destiny's end book. Characters have remarked many many times that we seem to be unstoppable and that a physical version of plot armor that seems to prevent us from failing or being injured by key events. This is almost certainly because we are instrumental in the resurrection of Arceus in some way, and we are unstoppable because Arceus has retroactively ensured that we awaken it. My theory as to Lin's goals is completely speculative, but I believe she is the incomplete form of Arceus. We've heard her speak of bending reality and even seen it during the events of Episode 18. I believe that the Pulse Machine, The Meteor, Lin, and Us are the ingredients needed to finally complete Arceus and that completing herself is Lin's ultimate goal. It is a common theory that Lin is the all powerful child we hear speak to us at Citrae de Asta, the end of episode 18, this would seem to imply that she at least has SOME connection to Arceus and Citrae de Asta. There is a fourth dimension to the story though, but I cannot back this up with any certainty. Somewhere in the game (please tell me where and what the exact text says because I cannot seem to find it again) There is an old man or a book that mentions that Giratina is also present in the Reborn region. If I remember correctly the text mentions that Pyrous Mountain used to be snowy and Ametrine used to be an active volcano, and that Giratina's arrival in the region caused Ametrine to freeze over and Pyrous to roar to life unexpectedly. They also name the exact location in which Giratina is slumbering which I believe was the mountains in the south east of the region, underneath Byxbysion Wasteland. Perhaps Giratina is responsible in some way for the rot that plagues the area? I believe that Giratina will play a part in episode 19. Giratina often thought of as being the polar opposite to Arceus and having deep connections with the reborn region makes me think that it's role goes beyond being a post-game attraction. What do you all think? Please tell me in the replies. (and please tell me where the Giratina info is found because I know it's in the game!!!) I originally posted this on reddit but thought that I might be able to get a wider variety of thoughtful answers by posting it here.