Master Craftsman of the Pokémon World

If Hisui counted as part of the Rainbow Trial, then Hikaru had already encountered two llamas.

Would gathering three or seven llamas allow him to summon a Super Llama?

Still, this aligned with the earlier Memories of Dialga.

"Rather than a task left behind by Ho-Oh, it sounds more like a mission from Almighty Sinnoh, all to welcome the return of the Great One Who Transcends All."

When the day of reckoning arrived, a hero would naturally step forward to deal with it.

Hikaru could simply treat it as a vacation with his Pokémon. It would also give him more experience traveling through time.

"I'm sure the Great One Who Transcends All is about to receive a power-up, so I'm being sent over to apply an emergency patch or something."

Then again, who would choose to vacation in an inconvenient era like Hisui?

For Hikaru, however, that wasn't much of a problem. Life there wouldn't differ much from what he'd experienced in Sinjoh.

"Come to think of it, it would be nice if that weather existed. Rainbow Light, Ho-Oh's exclusive weather condition."

Naturally, his question directed toward the distant sky received no reply. Ho-Oh had already flown far away.

Of course, Hikaru figured that granting new powers to the ancient Legendary beasts essentially meant Ho-Oh had acknowledged them as members of its personal guard.

Did that mean they had officially joined the establishment?

The ancient beasts themselves probably didn't care. Still, collecting a salary without having to work sounded like a pretty good arrangement for the three of them.

At that very moment, however, the trail of a crimson light flashed through Hikaru's mind!

[You sensed a mysterious symbol! Trace its shape!]

[You obtained Ho-Oh's Sign!]

[This is a special Sign that cannot be used under normal circumstances. It can be activated only after you find the Rainbow Grail and raise the Rainbow Dais.]

[Trace the Sign when it is "necessary," and Ho-Oh will answer your call, traveling from far away to aid you in battle. Ho-Oh will decide when such aid is truly necessary.]

[A message from Ho-Oh: When the time comes, use the "rainbow" to oppose the "cloudy sky"!]

Ho-Oh, Level Ten, Fire Attribute, Winged Beast Type.

ATK 3000, DEF 2500.

One Tuner plus one or more non-Tuner monsters. This card's Summon cannot be negated. This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. While this card is on the field, negate the effects of every monster, Spell, and Trap controlled by your opponent!

"So that really is how it works."

Hikaru looked at the explanation displayed on his Arc Phone and realized exactly what it meant.

Even after completing the Rainbow Trial and raising the grail, tracing Ho-Oh's Sign before a critical moment would merely produce the message: [Ho-Oh did not appear.]

In other words, Ho-Oh had refused the summons.

The cameraman decided when and where it would appear, not the summoner. In particular, attempting to summon Ho-Oh before the second assault on the Sky Fortress was guaranteed to fail, almost as though Ho-Oh were telling the player:

[If you think you can rely on me whenever you want, you're sorely mistaken!]

"The Rainbow Dais, somewhere in Oblivia's waters."

"X-coordinate 055621, Y-coordinate 355693."

"If I remember correctly!"

Alto Mare, the great cathedral.

Ever since the twins from Southern Island resolved the incident from Pokémon Heroes, more and more Latios and Latias had begun appearing here. The Secret Garden had become quite lively, yet the people of the city still remained unaware of their presence.

Only Bianca, the girl who always carried a sketchbook, and old Lorenzo continued protecting their secret as they always had.

When Hikaru arrived to tour the cathedral and inspect its enormous machinery, Bianca appeared before him looking extremely nervous.

That lasted until Hikaru took out the Eon Flute and explained that he was the person who had created it.

The young artist was astonished!

"Unbelievable! You're the person Latios saw in its dream! I thought it was nothing more than some strange dream Latios had. Ash and the others said you really existed, but..."

"A Top Ranger, a member of the Elite Four, and a regional Champion... I feel like I've met someone incredibly important."

Bianca hugged her sketchbook to her chest, unsure of what she was supposed to say. Her expression became rather complicated.

At a time like this, she ought to say:

[The legendary craftsman really exists!]

"Latios was originally destined to die," Hikaru said. "Its soul would have transformed into a new Soul Dew. Instead, it can now live peacefully in the Secret Garden and even continue growing stronger through training and battle. That's a much better future than the original one."

"The original future?" Bianca repeated.

"You must have heard that certain Psychics from Kanto and Johto can foresee events three years into the future. Just assume that I'm another Psychic who glimpsed a fragment of what was to come."

Bianca blinked.

"That sounds terrifying... But the Mega Latios and Mega Latias from Southern Island were summoned here by you as well, weren't they? Truly, thank you so much."

"Still, for someone like you to come here personally... Is another disaster about to strike Alto Mare?"

It hadn't been very long since the last incident!

"No. I only wanted to tour the cathedral. After that, I was hoping to draw inspiration from its technology and use it to 'revive' a certain Pokémon."

The machinery of Alto Mare was clearly a product of mystical science.

When Pokémon Heroes was released, neither Éliphas nor Kalos had been introduced yet, let alone the settings surrounding the Azoth Kingdom, Magearna, and everything else related to them.

Nevertheless, this sort of mysterious ancient supertechnology had always been an unavoidable part of the Pokémon world.

Once the concept of mystical science was introduced, these scattered pieces of technology became part of a systematic field that could actually be studied.

"This machinery is connected to psychic power. The question is how to turn that power into a specific mechanical structure. Psychics can skip several steps in the manufacturing process, so their abilities effectively serve as a prerequisite skill for mystical science."

"True mystical science, however, allows someone without psychic abilities to create equally astonishing devices. All they need to do is harness the power of Pokémon."

Jack was still waiting inside the submarine, so once Hikaru understood the construction of the cathedral's machinery, he immediately began working.

Bianca's family built ships and maintained the cathedral, so they possessed a large supply of mechanical components. Hikaru purchased several specialized parts and began assembling something inside Bianca's home as she watched curiously.

"Next, I'll incorporate Team Galactic's energy-conversion technology and the technology behind the Fusion Styler. Any missing or defective sections can be completed using these three crystals of different colors."

"The power of the soul will flow through the machine and animate its steel skeleton. After that, I'll install those 'perfectly ordinary stones' I obtained earlier."

"Those stones are related to Mega energy and life energy. They're the prototypes of Mega Stones."

The creation's head consisted of a medium-sized sphere topped by a seven-toothed, gear-shaped cap. Two large ears protruded from its sides, resembling the two halves of a massive disc.

Spherical shoulders sat on either side of its upper body. Its upper arms were thin, while its forearms ended in claw-like structures with slightly pointed hands.

Its lower body was an even larger sphere shaped like a ball gown. A pair of golden wavy lines decorated each side.

Unlike the colors Hikaru remembered, it, or rather, she, had been given lavish and brilliant decorations.

She resembled an automaton from steampunk culture.

Because Hikaru had used replacement components from the cathedral, her body wasn't a cold silver. Instead, it possessed the warmer hues of brass and gold.

The Latin word machina meant machine.

The English word gear meant cogwheel.

"Well? Can you finally awaken completely this time?"

The steampunk automaton's eyes lit up.

"It moved!" Bianca exclaimed. "What is it, a robot?"

"No. She's a Pokémon called Magearna," Hikaru explained. "An artificial Pokémon created long ago by a genius in the field of mystical science. Like the cathedral's machinery, she's connected to the powers of the heart and life itself."

"Devices that awaken through the hearts and life energy of Pokémon seem to exist throughout the world. Although their technologies have different origins, the results they achieve are remarkably similar."

["After a long dream, I have awakened once again. Good morning, Trainer. This time, I am not alone."]

["But I am still a little sleepy."]

"Uh, it's already afternoon, but that isn't important. How about trying to walk?"

A melodious song drifted in from outside the shipyard room.

"What music is that?" Hikaru asked.

Bianca opened the window, allowing the slanting afternoon sunlight to pour inside.

"It's an accordion song from Alto Mare."

"A song of Alto Mare, the City of Water."

"'You're Not Alone.'"

Magearna began walking unsteadily, like a child taking her very first steps.

For this imperfect creation, a physical body was something she had never truly possessed before.

Even an empty shell required equipment capable of connecting with the power of the Soul-Heart. Three differently colored crystals had allowed an incomplete creation to be reborn.

As important as the sea needs the wind, and the morning needs the sun,

There must be someone beside you who believes that you are just as precious.

As important as the forest needs water, and the night needs light,

Someone must be quietly praying that you can live your life in peace.

No matter how long the road may be, one day you will reach its end.

And the rainbow the two of you crossed together will continue shining, even now.

[Artificial Pokémon: Magearna.]

[Its mechanical body is merely a vessel. Its true self is an artificial soul known as the Soul-Heart, which contains life energy.]

[After the Soul-Heart absorbed sufficient life energy, technology from multiple regions was used to reactivate the incomplete creation.]

[It has a relaxed nature.]

[It often dozes off because it has not yet grown accustomed to being awake. It enjoys sleeping.]

[Its coloration resembles the appearance it possessed five hundred years ago.]

Hikaru had handled the coloration himself, of course.

If he wanted, he could have painted her black and gold. That would merely represent a different artistic style from the usual steampunk aesthetic.

["Trainer, walking is difficult to learn. I want to roll instead. That seems much more convenient!"]

"Uh, rolling certainly fits the design of a steampunk automaton, but it would also cause problems. You might fall into a ditch. That's why you have to learn how to walk. It's a necessary part of growing up."

"However, while you're learning to walk... would you like to fly?"

I possess a technique known as Magnet Rise. Learn it, and you shall gain flight!

Back in Generation VII, practically every Tom, Dick, and Harry could learn Magnet Rise. As a result, Pokémon capable of flying through the sky had become as common as fish in a river.

Still, Magearna was already a mechanical Pokémon. She could also use the rather inexplicable move Gear Up, which manipulated positive and negative electrical charges. It was perfectly reasonable for her to fly using electromagnetic force.

Magearna's pink eyes lit up. After learning Magnet Rise from a TM, she began experimenting with hovering instead of walking.

She focused electromagnetic energy beneath her feet, then slowly rose until they no longer touched the floor.

["I did it! I'm flying!"]

The ability to manipulate electromagnetic energy was clearly an innate talent possessed by certain Steel-type Pokémon.

For a "Steel Princess" with a Speed IV of zero, learning to float was far easier than learning to walk.

Delighted and filled with happiness, Magearna began moving around freely. Magnet Rise allowed her to ignore the surrounding terrain and explore the world with endless curiosity.

A brand-new world.

This time, she was no longer alone.

Although she spent most of her time asleep, she could still hear everyone's voices through the psychic network.

As important as the sky needs the moon and flowers need bees!

["For the first time in five hundred years, I can see the sun with my own eyes. The rows of white clouds are slowly turning red beneath its light."]

["It's so pretty. So beautiful!"]

["Trainer! Good afternoon!"]

["The weather is wonderful today!"]

Magearna would preserve the scene before her forever, engraving it into the very depths of her soul.

"A beautiful world, a beautiful realm," Hikaru said. "Welcome to this new world, Magearna!"

"I feel something strange in my heart," Bianca said. "So many goodbyes happen beneath the setting sun, but this Pokémon was born beneath the sunset and opened her eyes to the world."

"For the first time in five hundred years."

Bianca herself wasn't particularly old, yet watching this newly born artificial Pokémon toddle around and eagerly discover everything filled her with a peculiar realization.

So this was what a newborn child was like.

Magearna's brass-colored body conveyed both the stillness and passage of time.

A ripple spread through Bianca's heart, giving her an even more interesting subject for a painting.

"Um, may I make a painting of her?"

Bianca made the request, prompting Hikaru and Magearna to look at each other.

["What is a painting? Is it fun?"] Magearna asked happily.

Bianca smiled.

"It's a record. Painting allows us to preserve everything we see so that the treasures in our memories can remain before our eyes forever. A photograph can do the same thing, but a painting conveys our emotions more clearly."

Painting in front of an artist like Hikaru felt a little like showing off one's meager skills before a master. Still, Bianca believed an ordinary person's painting and an artist's painting would contain different emotions, even if they depicted the exact same subject.

That meant even two seemingly identical works would still be different.

"I'll make you look beautiful!"

As Bianca said that, she witnessed an even more unbelievable sight.

Magearna pointed one arm toward Hikaru. With a soft pop, beautiful flowers blossomed from her hand.

"What beautiful flowers!" Bianca exclaimed. "How did she do that?"

"It's part of her design from five hundred years ago. I merely tried to restore the function. It uses life energy to accelerate the growth of seeds and make them bloom."

"Magearna was originally developed as an artificial Pokémon intended as a gift for a royal princess. However, the finished Magearna possessed tremendous power. Before the true completed model was created, several prototypes were produced. None of them possessed the original's strength, and all suffered from numerous defects. Eventually, they spread throughout the world as diplomatic treasures."

"Only the true Magearna possesses the power to protect an entire nation. Her power can transform a kingdom's castle into a flying fortress. Still, no matter how astonishing a weapon may be or how many pitiful robots someone possesses, they can't survive once they abandon their homeland."

Bianca began painting the scene before her.

Once she finished, she gave the artwork to the visitors who had traveled from so far away.

It was her gift of gratitude to the person who had once saved Alto Mare, the City of Water.

————————

The submarine departed Alto Mare.

After Hikaru prepared a suitable Poké Ball for Magearna, they traveled all the way to Cherrygrove City.

They rested aboard the submarine for the night.

The next morning, numerous police cars appeared at Cherrygrove City's harbor.

The International Police agents dispatched by the Salon Maiden had been waiting there for some time alongside the local Officer Jenny.

A breeze swept over the land, carrying away the dust on everyone's clothes.

"My wallet! My money! Give me back my wallet and my savings! Damn it!"

Jack finally sighed in relief as he watched the screaming Phantom being dragged away by the police.

"There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who make arrests, and those who get arrested."

"Now we only need to wait for the Hatcher to arrive."

"You're leaving, Captain?" Jack asked. "I'll remain here and wait for them."

"It appears I need to leave first," Hikaru replied. "An important tournament is coming up, and something may happen during it."

"Something may happen? Ahem. Will it be caused by criminals or lunatics again?"

"No. This time, I believe it will be caused by an ordinary, law-abiding adventurer. A female explorer named Kidd Summers."

Jack thought about that for a moment and immediately imagined how the incident would unfold.

"I think I understand. Explorers... They can be a real headache sometimes. Still, it's precisely because explorers exist that ancient legends and records are discovered throughout the world. It's a complicated profession."

"That name sounds familiar too. Isn't she some world-famous adventurer? Honestly, please don't create more trouble for us."

Opening monsters at unpredictable times was a shared trait among adventurers.

Most "explorers," including Ruin Maniacs and Backpackers, accomplished little due to various mishaps and merely prepared the stage for the true protagonist.

A few, however, had truly inherited a hereditary compulsion to touch everything they shouldn't.

People such as Brann Bronzebeard and Lorewalker Cho existed across all manner of worlds. Their role was always to awaken monsters and open new dungeons.

That was why the final question before the world ended was often:

"Oh? What does this button do? Let's press it and find out."

Press the button, turn around, flee, lock the door, and find reinforcements.

One smooth sequence of actions.

Some people awakened monsters entirely by accident. From their perspective, they had merely tried touching something, only for an unexpected cutscene to begin.

"But nothing should go wrong this time, right?" Jack asked. "Oh, that reminds me. I felt something while we were fighting Phantom."

"That must be the same feeling the people of Almia and Professor Hastings experienced. I suppose you could call it a sense of reassurance."

"No matter how terrible the situation becomes, we'll always find some way to solve it. And the person who can locate the right individual and the right solution at exactly the right moment..."

Jack burst out laughing.

"That person is you, Captain!"

A Champion and Top Ranger truly served as something resembling the Counter Force!

But speaking of the Counter Force...

Magearna tugged on Hikaru's clothes and looked behind Jack.

A suspicious green blob was wriggling around there.

["Is that a Pokémon?"] Magearna asked.

"Zygarde."

Hikaru stared at the green blob. The places it crawled across were covered in water, and it didn't appear to be in a particularly good mood.

["It says..."]

["I followed you the entire way, but there wasn't a single opening in the submarine. I had to cling to the hatch with all my strength just to stay alive. I've had enough after drinking seawater for two days!"]

"Zède!"

The gloomy green blob creeping along the ground realized it had been discovered!

The vividly colored mechanical automaton before it stirred memories and thoughts within Zygarde Core.

It had probably seen Magearna somewhere before, but those weren't its own memories. They belonged to another Core.

The creature before it was some kind of artificial life-form, a special Mythical Pokémon created through ancient science.

He even possessed a Pokémon like this?!

"What is that thing?!" Jack exclaimed.

He followed everyone's gaze and saw the green blob, which had swollen slightly after spending so long soaked in seawater. The sight startled him badly.

"A Zygarde Core," Hikaru explained. "It's one of the separated components of a Pokémon. Cores act like brains and possess wills of their own."

"It appears this one has been following us since Almia. When the separated components of this Pokémon combine, they transform into a powerful being similar to the Counter Force."

"In its 50% Forme, Zygarde is known as the Watcher of the Ecosystem."

"When it assumes its Complete Forme, it uses its overwhelming true power to suppress anything that threatens the ecosystem. That makes it an extremely important reference specimen for research into Form Changes."

"What happened? Are you lost? Do you need directions?"

Zygarde Core No. 5 was stunned.

"Zzzz! Dddd! Aaaaaah!"

[He found me! And now he's exposing all my secrets!]

[How do you know what I am?!]

[Only a handful of people in this entire world recognize me! Have you seen my complete form too?!]

"So this thing followed you here, Captain?" Jack asked. "Then it must have sensed the disaster in Almia and the collapse of the ecosystem. What a rare visitor. I've never encountered a Pokémon like this, and the Ranger Union hasn't discovered one during the fifty years since its founding."

"That's probably because there weren't as many people trying to destroy the ecosystem in the past," Hikaru said with a laugh. "Even if we went back to the age of kings..."

Well, the age of kings had contained far too many powerful beings.

Even if Zygarde had tried to suppress them, it wouldn't have possessed the strength. There would have been too many crises and not enough of itself to handle them.

Perhaps Zygarde had become more proactive in later eras specifically to prevent history from repeating itself.

Although in Pokémon X and Y it had still done practically nothing, meaning it had no role in the storyline. At least it had been quite active in Pokémon Adventures.

It had probably traveled to Alola to suppress the Ultra Beasts. Unfortunately, before it could complete its investigation, Professor Sycamore's two assistants used a specialized device to absorb a large number of its Cells.

The Alola Champion and International Police handled everything that followed, so Zygarde's presence there accomplished almost nothing.

Only in the Pokémon Adventures universe did it join Solgaleo and Lunala in fighting the Blinding One.

As for being overpowered by the Blinding One, losing with a base stat total of 708 against an opponent with 754 wasn't shameful.

The Blinding One could have said:

What qualifications do you have to challenge me?

Back in ancient times, I was already a star in the universe, illuminating countless worlds. Now that I've fallen on hard times, I merely came to Alola to consume some light. How many years have you even spent here, Zygarde?

I fired a blast at this place three thousand years ago and fought a desperate battle against its heroes and guardian deities. This land is now saturated with Ultra Aura and Z-Power. Returning here feels like coming home.

When it comes to being a local Pokémon, I'm more local than you. When it comes to Alola, I have far more authority to speak!

Zygarde's low Attack and Special Attack were also major weaknesses.

Its sole advantage was Complete Forme's HP stat of 216. It really was incredibly durable!

"Could this thing have sensed another approaching disaster, causing it to keep following you?" Jack asked.

Zygarde Core No. 5 was stunned again.

What? Another major incident?

What happened?

Shiranai!

[A disaster? I... I don't know!]

Hikaru shook his head.

"It says it doesn't know."

Jack froze.

"What? It actually said it doesn't know? That's pathetic for a Watcher of the Ecosystem. In that case, it probably didn't travel to Almia because of the Shadow Crystal. It must have been investigating the redevelopment of Vientown instead."

"Compared to this thing, Captain, you'd be far more suitable for the role of ecological guardian."

As far as Jack was concerned, Zygarde should retire as soon as possible!

Core No. 5 panicked and began wriggling frantically.

[W-Wait!]

[I may not know anything... No, that isn't right! There are things I know! Top Ranger who purified the Dark King's soul, please hear me out. A dangerous creature has appeared in Alola...]

Hikaru gestured dismissively.

"You mean the Ultra Beasts? Everyone already knows about them. Zygarde's information network is really outdated."

Core No. 5 fell silent.

[In any case! To gather enough information, please allow me to follow you! You're Poni Island's island kahuna, aren't you?!]

[You're the person who sealed the passage leading to the Ultra Space, right?!]

It immediately skipped past the embarrassing subject and declared its intentions.

Hikaru considered the matter.

A Watcher of the Ecosystem and a Pokémon Ranger were certainly an excellent match.

It was a shame the Ranger spin-off games had never been able to debut new Pokémon. If they had, perhaps a prototype of Zygarde might have appeared much earlier.

However, very few "prototype Pokémon" had been revealed before making their game debuts.

Ho-Oh, Lugia, Ash-Greninja through the Bond Phenomenon, and Dusk Form Lycanroc were all Pokémon closely connected to Ash.

Although Ash was acquainted with Solana, the protagonist of the first Pokémon Ranger game, he couldn't exactly travel through the spin-off regions. That was rather unfortunate.

Core No. 5 concentrated and stared at Hikaru.

After the two remained silent for a while, Hikaru finally nodded.

"At least your information was up to date this time."

The Core had originally intended to travel to Poni Island.

In other words, it was probably the Zygarde from Terminus Cave in Alola.

However, in Pokémon Sun and Moon, Alola's Terminus Cave contained only a single Zygarde Cell, along with Guzzlord, which had appropriated the cavern as its home.

That had given rise to the urban legend claiming that Guzzlord was a corrupted Zygarde.

In the original setting, however, saying the two were unrelated would be an understatement. They had absolutely nothing to do with each other.

The urban legend was merely a legend.

If someone insisted on analyzing it, they might as well claim Fearow was Ho-Oh after losing its divine power.

Some people even claimed Caterpie was Rayquaza, Stantler was Xerneas, and Magnemite was Regieleki.

Hikaru had forgotten the beginning of those theories, forgotten the middle, and forgotten the end. In short, everything had supposedly lost its divine power.

Core No. 5 sighed.

[Abnormal events keep appearing all over the world. We don't have enough Cells left to distribute everywhere, and traveling from one place to another takes a lot of time! Oh, right! I know about what happened in Galar too!]

[My body is already falling apart from constantly traveling around. Fine! From this moment onward, you're my big brother!]

If you will not abandon me...

With Arceus above as my witness...

Z hereby swears to acknowledge you as my big brother!

"What did this thing even come here for?" Jack asked, looking utterly confused.

"It's working," Hikaru said with a shrug. "It's gathering all sorts of information from around the world, although its efforts clearly haven't gone particularly well. It also wants to travel to Poni Island."

"We're heading that way eventually, so I don't mind. As the island kahuna, I have a duty to entertain my 'guest.'"

The Core could stick itself to Hikaru's backpack and conceal itself with natural camouflage. Its only food requirement was sunlight.

It was remarkably easy to care for!

Magearna approached and offered Zygarde a flower.

Core No. 5 froze. Its heart trembled, and it was deeply moved.

[I remember now! You're Magearna!]

["Good afternoon, Mr. Zygarde,"] Magearna said.

[Mr. Zygarde? No, no, there's no need to address me so formally. I'm only... Wait! It's morning right now!]

Hikaru recorded the information.

"Zygarde Core, No. 5. Delivery address: Poni Island, Alola region."

"Product category: Perishable goods."

Of course, their current destination was Goldenrod City.

There was still some time before the "gathering of martial artists" began.

Ordinarily, anyone hoping to perform well in a tournament of this level would begin training well in advance.

Before that, however, Hikaru had to fulfill a promise he had made a long time ago.

Because of their familial connection, he needed to visit Kurt.

Come to think of it, one fact could now be considered almost certain.

Kurt and Anvin from the Hisui region were undoubtedly connected in some way. Hikaru merely didn't know whether Anvin was Kurt's direct ancestor or belonged to a collateral branch of the family.

As for Anvin himself, the Pokéshi Doll provided enough evidence to confirm something else.

Anvin was Alec's father.

"Maybe I'll get to see some of Alec's old belongings or something else connected to Hisui. Those things couldn't appear before because the setting didn't exist yet, but that's different now."

"Once I finish visiting Kurt, I'll find somewhere to have a picnic with everyone. We can all relax properly for a while. The roster of Z Fighters participating in the tournament has already been decided!"

————————

Indigo Plateau, Kanto region.

"The martial arts tournament is about to begin. Preparations must be handled carefully to prevent any unexpected incidents. As a member of the Indigo Elite Four and a Pokémon League investigator, I've been invited to the All-Around Athletic Competition in Goldenrod City as a special guest to liven up the event..."

Inviting the local Champion or a Champion from another region to attend a large competition and energize the crowd was quite common.

The only exceptions were people like Red, who had disappeared; Leaf, who traveled everywhere conducting investigations; Blue, who had shifted his focus to research; and Ethan, who was obsessed with collecting items.

Indigo Plateau possessed five Champions, yet four of them were skipping work.

Lance was explaining the remaining arrangements to the person responsible for guarding the Pokémon League.

As one of the few Champions in history who actually worked, Lance paid close attention to the unusual incidents recently occurring in other regions, including the previous crisis in the Orange Archipelago.

Despite being an investigator, he now had to undertake missions across multiple regions. His schedule was extraordinarily busy.

However, unlike in the past, he now possessed several special items. As a result, his army of dragons had become flawless.

His favorite sight was watching an opponent confidently send out an Ice-type Pokémon after seeing one of his Dragon types, only to discover that the attack accomplished nothing.

Then Lance would launch a beautiful counterattack and defeat them.

That feeling of satisfaction was utterly addictive!

"Still, far too few people are available to guard Indigo Plateau. Karen, Koga, and Bruno are all training in different places, and all three intend to enter the tournament. Will is the only one with free time, so he can stay here and work overtime."

Among the Champion and Elite Four, whoever was weakest had to work overtime.

Will didn't have much to do anyway. He spent every day meditating, so he was clearly far too idle.

Bruno was a martial artist, while Koga was a ninja. It was perfectly reasonable for them to enter a competition for "martial artists," and both needed to train in advance.

Lance genuinely hadn't expected Karen to join the excitement.

A Dark-type specialist competing against Fighting types?

What? Did she possess an immunity item too?

Lance shook his head.

Although it was called a martial arts tournament, plenty of people who weren't martial artists would be participating.

After all, this was originally an all-around athletic competition, and sporting events didn't care about someone's identity or employment history.

The World Martial Arts Tournament was merely its most important event.

Just consider the old P1 Grand Prix. Brock had entered with a Geodude.

Could a Rock type really compete in a Fighting-type tournament?

Wasn't he simply feeding his opponent an easy victory?

He hadn't even pretended otherwise!

His entire strategy had been that participating was what mattered.

Just as Lance prepared to depart, rainbow light streaked across the sky.

He froze and stood motionless for a very long time.

The rainbow had come from the direction of Johto, but it wasn't traveling toward Kanto.

Instead, it passed directly over Indigo Plateau.

"Could that be...?!"

"What lies in that direction? That way leads toward..."

"The Sinjoh Ruins? No, somewhere farther east..."

"The Kingdom of Rota!"

————————

Azalea Town, a peaceful community where people and Pokémon lived together in simple harmony.

Kurt was waiting at home for Hikaru to arrive.

When Mustard first told him about Hikaru, Kurt could hardly believe that the boy he had once known had become so famous in Galar and was now called the Sage Champion.

He had originally intended to pass down the craft of Poké Ball making to Hikaru.

According to Mustard, however, Hikaru already knew how to make special Poké Balls. From Mustard's descriptions, Kurt recognized that several of those Balls were completely unfamiliar to him.

"The next generation truly is taking over. Perhaps an old man like me should start thinking about retirement."

"It appears he also uncovered the secret of the GS Ball. So it was connected to Celebi. In that case, it should be offered at the shrine in Ilex Forest."

"However, I still possess one final secret technique from Sinnoh... No, to be precise, it comes from Hisui."

"That Ball has no practical use whatsoever. It was created as a precious commemorative item by imitating a certain type of ancient Ball."

"The Cherish Ball."

The scene shifted.

Route 32, Union Cave.

The cave stood between Routes 32 and 33. Two additional exits in its lower levels connected to the Ruins of Alph.

According to legend, several mysterious and extraordinarily powerful Pokémon inhabited the cave.

Its depths connected to the sea. Following the correct route could supposedly take someone as far as the Whirl Islands, which explained why seawater flowed into its lower chambers.

"Agias!"

Riding Miraidon, Hikaru entered Union Cave.

Passing through it would take him to the town where Kurt lived.

Flying over the cave would have been far more convenient. However, Hikaru rarely returned to Johto.

His previous visit had been in response to the summons of Steven and Rayquaza. This time, he could properly explore some of the region's interesting locations.

The electronic dragon blinked, and light shone from its eyes.

As a vehicle, it naturally possessed a headlight setting.

Furthermore, after receiving several modifications, Miraidon had learned Magnet Rise, a move it normally couldn't learn.

Hikaru thought it was ridiculous that Miraidon didn't already know the move. In its battle form, it floated above the ground at all times, yet a single Earthquake could still send it tumbling around with components flying everywhere.

That was certainly strange.

Naturally, it was understandable from the perspective of game balance.

Still, when even a creature like Guzzlord could use Magnet Rise, Miraidon being unable to learn it made absolutely no sense.

"One little program, one enormous improvement. Say goodbye to the ground forever."

"Agias!"

Installing Magnet Rise allowed Miraidon to remain airborne in Drive Mode while exploring caves. It didn't need to extend its wings or enter Glide Mode to hover and move through the air.

At long last, Miraidon had earned the right to mock Ground-type Pokémon.

Whether it entered a cave, desert, or any other similar area, it no longer had to worry about a random area-of-effect Earthquake battering it so badly that even its Trainer couldn't recognize it!

The electronic dragon happily continued forward, thinking, illuminating the path ahead, mocking every Diglett that poked its head from the ground, and crossing stretches of water.

The sound of the surging water was exceedingly pleasant.

Then it heard something.

A strange radio signal echoed through the cave. It was difficult to tell whether it was music or some sort of broadcast.

Immediately afterward...

A Poké Ball traveling at 165 kilometers per hour slammed into the electronic dragon's head!

Thunk!

"Agias?!"

A mysterious girl's voice echoed through the darkness.

"Oh? It isn't a Pokémon?! No, wait, it is a Pokémon! A powerful and rare Pokémon attracted by the 'sound'!"

A figure emerged from the darkness near the rippling underground water, illuminated by the glittering light of the cave's minerals.

"I've never seen a Pokémon like this before. It really appeared!"

"Hey! Do you want to become my Pokémon?"

"If you don't answer, I'll assume that means yes!"

"Agias?!" Miraidon cried. "That was an answer!"

"Of course Miraidon can speak," Hikaru said. "You're right that it's an extremely rare Pokémon, though."

"Did you come here because of the legend of Lapras? Union Cave's depths are said to connect to the ocean and extend all the way to the Whirl Islands, which is why Lapras sometimes appear here."

"However, you won't find one by using the Pokégear's 'Sounds.' That method attracts other Pokémon, such as Absol."

"According to legend, playing the Hoenn Sound or Sinnoh Sound inside this cave causes Pokémon from the distant Hoenn and Sinnoh regions to appear."

"No one knows exactly why that happens, but I suspect it has something to do with the Unown in the Ruins of Alph."

The mysterious girl was astonished.

"What? A Pokémon is giving me a lecture?!"

She rubbed her eyes and finally noticed the person sitting on Miraidon's back.

"The Poké Ball you threw was rather unusual. Is it an Apricorn Ball?"

Hikaru studied her.

"I recognize you. I'm not as familiar with you as I am with Leaf, but... hello, Green. Are you selling items today, or are you trying to catch rare Pokémon?"

Green stared at him.

Humanity.

Recite the haiku.

[Leaf and Green.]

[Now comes the question.]

[Who can possibly tell them apart?!]

"A human..."

Green's eyes widened.

"Store Manager?!"

(End of Chapter)

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