Chapter 168 – 168

Well then—this wasn’t just a move that changed. It was something much more critical: the Ability. Larvesta’s Ability had changed to Drought. This wasn’t just some regular transformation—it was an epic-level upgrade! If it could switch Abilities freely even outside the dream realm—and keep that power after evolving…

A Drought Volcarona?

In the real world, the Drought Ability did more than just bring sunlight—it slightly enhanced power too. If enough energy was gathered inside Larvesta, it could even rival the likes of Groudon’s Desolate Land!

And since it had Drought now… maybe it should learn Flamethrower too?

“Mera~”

Blissfully unaware of its transformation, Larvesta basked in holy light, like an insect bathed in radiance—a little mobile sun lighting up the entire area. As a side effect, however, the ground around it had become scorched and superheated, making it nearly impossible to approach.

They say Larvesta’s flames can reach up to 3000°C—enough to melt through iron. That poor, deceased cooking pot was proof of that.

“You need to learn to control your power, little one.”

The Swords of Justice were discussing this drastic Ability shift. They could clearly sense the intensifying sunlight—Drought. An Ability that logically should never appear on Larvesta, no matter how noble its title as the sun’s emissary might be.

Calling this Larvesta “gifted” was an understatement. But in the real world, if a Larvesta this strong couldn’t control its power, it could cause widespread destruction. As the leader, Cobalion decided to take it upon himself to teach the little bug.

Larvesta felt drawn toward Cobalion. However, it instinctively feared Terrakion, who grinned at it broadly. That fear was elemental—Rock-types were a natural predator.

Cobalion patiently began explaining power control techniques. Larvesta blinked its big blue eyes, not understanding much, but it began spitting out fire and shaping the flames into waves.

“That’s it. Shape the fire. Hold it steady. Don’t let it run wild. Once you master that, apply the same principle to the energy inside you—learn to release and restrain it at will.”

Elements like fire, water, and ice lack fixed forms. Pokémon of those types often spend a long time mastering their moves.

Larvesta didn’t respond. It simply focused, playing with fire, showcasing the ancient artistic instincts it inherited from the ancient city.

But Larvesta wasn’t the only one affected by the “Training Atmosphere.”

Inside the Training Maze, a strange force began to stir. While the Swords of Justice stood on alert, it was Hikaru—the human—who first sensed it.

It was Aura.

A sphere of swirling blue light suddenly flared within the Maze’s entrance and shot out like a missile—wobbling and unstable, ready to explode at any second. Then Virizion stepped in—just like in the movies. A glowing green Sacred Sword gathered on its forehead and, with the speed of wind through grass, cleaved the Aura Sphere in two!

BOOM! BOOM!

The unstable spheres burst in midair, scattering energy. From the Maze emerged Doublade, blinking excitedly as it floated back and forth—it had just realized how to use a move it shouldn’t even have been able to learn.

Aura Sphere!

Doublade couldn’t wait to show off. Its ribbon arms swirled, trying to shape its Aura again like rolling mochi. But this time, the glowing sphere exploded almost immediately, sending it spinning midair. Thankfully, Fighting-type moves don’t harm Ghost-types much—it quickly recovered, though clearly disappointed.

“Aura Sphere…”

“Hey! Doublade! Don’t throw around such dangerous moves like that!” barked Terrakion. He scolded the overexcited ghost swords—who could only pout and promise it definitely, absolutely, wouldn’t happen again…

Hikaru muttered, “Good. I thought it was gonna say ‘Next time I’ll land it.'”

While Aura Sphere is supposed to never miss, if the move itself is cut off, then it doesn’t matter. And its homing feature comes from Aura’s ability to detect opponents—it’s not magic.

Still, for a newly learned move, it was very unstable.

“Yuu~!”

Doublade, still proud, turned toward Larvesta—and jumped in fright! That intense heat… it hadn’t seen the dream egg’s hatchling before and now Larvesta’s flames felt like they could melt it just by proximity.

“You must overcome your weaknesses,” Cobalion said softly. “With enough training, even type disadvantages can be overcome—like how I cleaved through Flamethrower with Sacred Sword.”

Cutting through fire…

Doublade’s eyes lit up with admiration.

Hikaru had once learned about “Weakness Insurance” while crafting held items. With training, Pokémon could develop resistance to their weak points—improving endurance, durability, and stamina.

There were examples in the anime too—unique individuals overcoming their natural weaknesses:

Bugsy’s Scyther, spinning with Swords Dance to deflect fire;

Crystal Onix from the Orange Islands, whose unique body made it resist water and even changed its typing;

A Rhydon that wasn’t afraid of water, swimming daily due to knowing Surf.

“For your next Aura training, chant this to focus,” Hikaru said to Doublade. “‘The power of Aura resides within me.'”

“Yuu? (Is that a move?)”

“No, it’s a saying. An incantation used by the ancient Aura Guardians.”

Just then, the ever-present mist nearby finally began to part, drawing the Swords of Justice’s attention.

From the fog stepped a tall, humanoid figure.

Mewtwo.

Its face was still streaked with tears, but its expression had transformed—filled with joy and peace.

“Thank you, legendary blacksmith…”

Mewtwo had spoken at length with Ai in the mist. Sorrow, pain, confusion, joy—the emotions of every Trainer and Pokémon it had ever encountered were conveyed to Ai. It was a confession. A final letter. A continuation of the things Ai once dreamed of doing.

“From now on, I’ll be her eyes. I’ll keep meeting new people and Pokémon. I won’t run anymore. I’m alive—and I’ll live.”

Mewtwo had found a new purpose. Its dark, uncertain future now glowed with hope. Ai’s soul was now a constant companion. Those who live must carry the dreams of those who have passed—and someday, when life ends, recount those stories to the ones they love.

Still, Mewtwo had one small request.

“Will I be able to meet Ai again through these two statues? They seem to have lost their power.”

It handed the statues to Hikaru, who examined them and found they had merely lost their spiritual energy—likely consumed in bridging the gap between this world and the next.

“No problem. I know a Pokémon from the spirit world. I can trade for some high-quality Spirit Cloth. Keep the statues—once you have the cloth, you’ll be able to see Ai again.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Mewtwo’s joy overflowed. Its once-worried heart now fully calm. Only now did it finally notice the other Pokémon—three it had never seen before, and a beautiful flaming bug.

Hikaru introduced them all, explaining that the Swords of Justice came from a distant land and had settled here to train. Hearing that, Mewtwo hesitated… and then asked:

“Does Calyrex’s invitation still stand?”

『Thou hast decided to stay and aid thy king?!』 Calyrex exclaimed with delight.

“My confusion is gone. I know what I must do next. It’s not time for me to relinquish my strength. This Dream World… it’s the perfect place to heal the heart. I want to train here.”

“Double training,” Mewtwo added with a smile.

The dream training of the Swords of Justice had inspired it. Mewtwo also finally understood what Dr. Fuji had once intended—why he researched cloned Pokémon, why he sought unbreakable vitality. It all made sense now.

It also made Mewtwo yearn for Ai to live again.

That feeling was overwhelming. Seeing her soul only intensified it. But Mewtwo was rational—it knew that repeating Fuji’s work was wrong. However, it also knew that in the natural world, some Pokémon and artifacts could revive the dead.

Time-traveling Pokémon… those blessed by rainbow light… and somewhere out there, a force that could share eternal life.

Mewtwo would go seek that power.

“Please, build a Maze for me too,” Mewtwo asked Hikaru, who readily agreed. Soon, the new Meditation Maze was complete.

This maze, suited for Psychic and Ghost-types, was dominated by the Psychic energy. Mewtwo’s very presence would reshape it entirely!

[New resident Pokémon: Mewtwo (recruited by Calyrex)!]

[Effect: Mewtwo’s residency expands Dream Island and spawns a “Psychic Terrain”—a naturally forming mental field that boosts Psychic-type moves and enhances mental strength and psychic growth. Rare psychic-enhancing materials will also appear.]

(End of Chapter)

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