Hikaru swiftly repaired the mechanical devices. Just like back when he’d helped Professor Fennel, Dr. Parker now stared in astonishment, jaw dropped, watching as the machines restarted in bizarre yet functional ways. With his shattered glasses, the sight was downright comical.

The Rotoms had dove into the machines nearby and energized them from within, causing the factory to hum with renewed mechanical life. In an instant, the cold steel environment was buzzing with abnormal vitality.

Dr. Parker was thrilled.

“The hum of the machines! They’re running again! You managed to repair the hardware in such a short time—how incredible! I don’t even understand how it works. You really are a mechanical genius!”

Hikaru, inwardly:

No… a real professional wouldn’t fix things like this. It’s precisely because I’m a green-skinned techie—non-professional—that I can fix things like this.

Who cares how it runs—just admit it’s fixed, and move on.

While chatting with Dr. Parker, Hikaru also acquired new knowledge.

[Acquired: Transport Program Knowledge!]

Description:

Knowledge used in creating special teleportation devices. It involves transferring energy particles by intersecting molecular nodes, syncing remote Pokémon frequencies, paired with radioactive alpha waves, and harnessing dreamlike essence of Pokémon…

You have learned how to write special transport programs. You gained a wealth of coding knowledge. You’ve acquired the skill: “Advanced Programmer – Specialty: Transmission Protocols”!

New Craftable Item: Time Capsule (a type of transport machine)

Ah… programming—the kind of knowledge that leads straight to hair loss.

But alongside the knowledge came something else—something that made Hikaru pause.

[Bonus Unlocked: Machine Connecting Past and Future]

Description:

Travel to Opelucid City to acquire.

A machine that connects the past and the future?

A time machine?!

What kind of crazy thing was hidden in this place?!

The Transport Factory really was something special.

Just then, the Rotoms flew out of the machines. “Cheery” appeared first, while “Mischief” and “Boastful” clearly didn’t want to leave. But Hikaru pulled out the Strange Ball to scare them, forcing the two reluctant pranksters to pop out unwillingly.

Tch! So much for extended prank time!

I was having a great time in the machine, why’d you have to pull me out?!

Annoyed!

“Huh? I’ve never seen this kind of Poké Ball before!” Dr. Parker pushed up his cracked glasses, inspecting the Strange Ball.

“What’s it made from?”

“Ancient tech,” Hikaru replied casually.

Which technically wasn’t a lie.

“Oh right, Doctor, I’d like to use the transport device to send this Poké Ball to Professor Juniper’s lab.”

“Eh?! A Poké Ball from ancient tech? Then we have to use this machine.”

“You came for this reason, didn’t you? This Century Transport Machine’s unique feature is that it can bypass Poké Ball types—so long as they’re registered, even ancient ones can be transported. This is a first for me!”

“I’ve heard of other ancient Poké Balls from different regions too.”

Soon, Hikaru connected with Professor Juniper via video call. She looked sleep-deprived, but her eyes sparkled with excitement.

“How long have you been awake?” Hikaru couldn’t help asking.

“Ah? Two days… three? I think…? Maybe?” Juniper counted on her fingers, looking utterly broken.

“I’ve been researching Volcarona—so beautiful, so much new data!”

Hikaru facepalmed, then told her about the Strange Bridge and the Rotoms.

“You caught a never-before-seen Pokémon again?! From the Spirit World?! My research topics just exploded again!”

“Ah! You’re at the Transport Factory? Is that Dr. Parker? Hello!”

Juniper apparently knew Dr. Parker, and he gave her a brief rundown of the factory incident.

“Another failed Century Experiment… but the future looks promising.”

“Absolutely!”

The two professors laughed together for a while, before Hikaru cut in:

“…Let’s get to the transport test.”

Juniper snapped back to attention.

“Right, right! Send over those two special Pokémon! I’m exhausted, but I really want to meet them!”

“Be careful,” Hikaru warned. “These two love causing mischief with electronics. They’re from the Spirit World. They helped me a lot, but only because they enjoy playing pranks.”

“I named them ‘Mischief’ and ‘Boastful.’ This one here, ‘Cheery,’ gets along well with me. The others don’t like me much, since I won’t let them cause chaos.”

“My custom Poké Balls seal their spirit energy. This test will prove whether they can be safely transmitted.”

“Exactly!” Dr. Parker added. “This is a rare experiment—transmitting ancient tech Poké Balls will give me precious data!”

Juniper eagerly awaited. The Strange Ball glowed brightly and disappeared—successfully transported to her lab!

Hikaru’s eyes lit up. It works! Dr. Parker cheered as well.

Juniper wobbled over and held the Strange Ball.

“Aha! I got it! Come on out, Mischievous Rotom—”

“Fwehehehehe~!”

As soon as it appeared, it immediately started causing trouble—Discharge!

“Get back in there!!”

The Strange Ball blinked and recalled it. Juniper nervously looked around her lab, now full of short-circuited boxes. When Hikaru said he’d send the second one, Juniper clearly tensed up.

“Are they all like this?!”

“Oh, that one was Mischief. Very mischievous. The next one is Boastful—should be easier to handle.”

Sure enough, Juniper looked visibly frazzled after handling both.

Hikaru chose to keep only Cheery—the upbeat one that bonded with him.

He recalled Elesa once mentioning power outages in Nimbasa… maybe there were Rotoms hiding there too.

“Professor, you really should get some sleep. I’m worried you’ll collapse like this.”

“Ah, thanks for the concern. I will sleep… eventually. There’s just so much to research…”

She giggled aimlessly again, and for a young woman, her current state was quite the sight.

“I’m going to bed now… yawn~ Bye-bye~ Talk later~”

Watching her wobble off and hang up, even Dr. Parker sighed.

“She’s given everything for Pokémon research… such dedication. Miss Juniper! Very well, I shall continue developing the Century Transport Machine! I won’t lose to these researchers!”

Hikaru looked at the suddenly fired-up Parker with visible confusion.

…Competing is fine, but your jobs don’t even overlap!

Outside the factory, most of the Rangers had left. One unfamiliar Ranger approached.

“There you are!”

Sherry pointed at Hikaru. The repairs had taken a while, but she’d stayed to wait for someone important.

“I know who you are! You’re the one who helped Lord Alto earlier!”

“And the one who caused the Pinwheel Forest stir! A rare Psychic who can communicate with Pokémon!”

The man beside her—wearing a cowboy hat, tall and muscular—chuckled.

“That’s right. Also a brilliant artist! His works are featured in both Nimbasa and Virbank!”

He smiled. “Hello, Lord Hikaru! Thanks to you, the Pokémon incident here was resolved smoothly.”

“I’ve heard about you from Alto—you can call Pokémon for aid and even activate the mysterious Blue Crystal.”

“Sherry told me everything. Is this your Psychic ability? No Capture Styler needed, and you still connect with Pokémon. Alto said you’d make a great Ranger—and he was right!”

He looked Hikaru up and down.

Hikaru nodded politely. “It’s just a special ability—one that happened to come in handy.”

The Ranger raised his eyebrows, then grinned:

“No need to be humble! Anyway, thank you!”

“Let me introduce myself.”

Thumb pointing at himself, the Ranger said:

“I’m Sven! Partnered with Luxray and Staraptor! One of the Top Rangers of the Almia region!”

That name—his image—Hikaru suddenly remembered.

The cowboy hat. The solid build. This was the legendary Ranger who had achieved over 10,000 captures. A recurring character in the Ranger games who always helped the player.

And his name—Sven, based on the number “seven”—was iconic!

Though he didn’t transform with glasses like a sentai hero, he was still a life-loving legend.

“I wasn’t originally stationed in Unova,” Sven explained. “But due to some things involving Alto, the League asked me to assist temporarily.”

He laughed, then grew serious.

“Some things Alto told me made me curious… I came here specifically to find you.”

“The Ranger Union has asked me to deliver an invitation. They’re grateful for your help and impressed by your abilities. To put it simply—Professor Hastings wants to offer you a position as an Associate Ranger.”

After the Pinwheel incident, Alto must’ve relayed extra details to the Union, prompting them to take action.

“There are Rangers all over the world.”

“Some are local protectors raised by regional Leagues. Others are nomads, or researchers, or even Pokémon doctors.”

“They don’t report to the Union directly but are recognized as Associate Rangers.”

“As you’ve seen, most Unova Rangers are also Trainers. They only answer to the Union during major events—which are rare.”

“You won’t be forced to take missions. Occasionally, a Ranger might request your help. But being a Ranger will make travel easier. Oh—and you can enter nature preserves for free!”

Sven snapped his fingers. Sherry sighed—this guy really was eccentric.

Hikaru understood. Sherry had explained it earlier.

A Ranger, huh? That lined up with a knowledge requirement he had. And if it wasn’t a full-time job, it was basically a prestigious, low-pressure gig.

Besides, the Union almost never issued summons. Even during Almia’s major incident, only 4 of the 12 Top Rangers appeared—two of them being the protagonist and rival. Maybe it was too free?

“What an interesting idea,” Hikaru said.

“Alright. I accept.”

[Acquired Role: Pokémon Ranger!]

Description:

Visit the Ranger Union to acquire detailed profession knowledge.

The Pokémon Ranger side-series was truly fascinating. Ash and friends had met notable Rangers like Solana and Kellyn in the anime, too. They even appeared in Hoenn and Sinnoh arcs. Rangers really were busy.

In Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, Jack Walker—aka “Jackie” or “AJ”—had even infiltrated enemy ranks as a disguised grunt. His professional level was maxed out!

Sven and Jack—true warriors of light, united at last.

“Oh wow, you accepted just like that?”

“That was smooth! I had prepared a whole explanation about our job, and Capture Stylers—but Associate Rangers don’t get those.”

“Still, even Associate Rangers get paid—haha, though most Rangers don’t care about that part.”

Sven looked a bit disappointed but still pleased. Hikaru asked casually:

“Do you know Jack Walker?”

“Jack? You’ve heard of him? He started as a non-professional, but he’s now a real Ranger—one with a high rank. He’s from Kanto, last I heard he was on assignment somewhere.”

“No, just heard of him.” Hikaru cut the topic short. “So—you’ve got other business with me, right? Is it about the Blue Crystal?”

Sven’s smile faded. He reached into his coat and pulled out a pendant.

It was a yellow crystal.

“That’s right.”

“I heard the legend of Almia from Alto. I love investigating ruins. The Ranger Union is interested too—and when I learned the Blue Crystal pendant held power, I realized… I have one too.”

“I thought it was just a desert souvenir… but now I see it’s no ordinary thing.”

“You said the prince had three heirs, right?”

Sven extended his yellow pendant. Hikaru held up his blue one.

In that instant, the Blue Crystal glowed faintly—triggering a response in the Yellow Crystal, which shimmered in Sven’s hand.

“Incredible!” Sven rubbed his chin.

“I’ve bought tons of pendants, but this… I’ve never seen anything like it. Almia’s distant desert ruins are definitely worth a deeper look!”

“Alright then. Since this clearly holds power—it’s yours now!”

He snapped his fingers.

“I only wanted to see if it truly worked. You’re the one who can bring out its full strength—just like Alto said!”

The moment Hikaru accepted the Yellow Crystal Pendant, a surge of energy erupted!

And in his eyes… an ancient giant began to take form.

(End of Chapter)

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep