“Eh?! Why am I paired with Hikaru! I want to battle too!”

Skyla looked down at the slip of paper in her hand, the soaring girl showing clear dissatisfaction.

What she wanted was to fight against the traveler, not team up with him!

Meanwhile, Shauntal raised her fingers in a victory sign: “Haha! Luck’s on my side today!”

“Skyla, stop whining, will you? Drawing lots is perfectly fair and just—wahahaha!” Clay laughed loudly as he tugged down his hat.

Skyla pouted: “Clay, I thought you would be teamed up with Hikaru.”

Clay snorted: “I’ve got good luck! Things like this don’t fall to me!”

“But this works out nicely! Go, Flygon!”

Shauntal blinked: “Wait, not Excadrill?!”

Clay: “Don’t joke, my Excadrill just went through confusion. Even though it’s recovered now, it still needs some rest!”

Skyla took a deep breath, adjusting her mood, then gave Hikaru a radiant smile:

“Then I’ll go with Swanna! Please take care of me!”

“Flying with my Pokémon in the sky, drawing out their strengths in battle… well, since this is how it turned out, I can’t complain! Let’s have a good match together!”

Snap!

The Poké Ball flashed, and Skyla’s ace, Swanna, appeared in midair!

Just as its name suggested, it was a swan with pure white feathers.

But in the next instant, Swanna froze as it stared at Hikaru’s face.

“Sa~va!”

Hey! Isn’t this the human friend of Calyrex?! We’ve seen you on the broadcast from the Crown Shrine!

It had thought the familiar voice while inside the Poké Ball was just an illusion, but now that it was out, it was completely certain!

“Oh! Hello there, you’re Calyrex’s friend, aren’t you!”

Last time Hikaru returned to the Dream World, he’d seen plenty of Pokémon tending Calyrex’s vegetable gardens, all of them coaxed there by the king’s speeches.

Skyla was surprised: “Eh? You know my Pokémon?”

Hikaru chuckled: “We met in the Dream World. That is, the Dream World dimension.”

Skyla tilted her head: “Huh? That sort of thing… no, I guess it’s not impossible?!”

She had been about to refute it but instantly remembered her own out-of-body soul experience.

That’s right—if there were souls in Celestial Tower, and even the spirit world itself, then the Dream World…

“So! That legend is real?! There really is a Dream World where Pokémon live?!”

Skyla’s eyes sparkled: “I’ve heard my grandpa tell me stories about it since I was little! But most people in Unova think it’s just a fairy tale!”

Hikaru raised his C-Gear: “The device to link with the Dream World has already been created. Of course, ordinary people still can’t enter—it seems only certain chosen people can.”

“The Dream World…! That’s new inspiration! Write it down, write it down!”

Shauntal hurriedly opened her notebook, scribbling furiously, while her Pokémon sighed and crawled out of its Poké Ball on its own.

Appearing on the field was none other than one of Shauntal’s representative Pokémon—Golurk.

Golurk resembled a massive golem of earth, covered in strange spiral markings. A cracked-looking design ran across its torso like a seam, with button-like body joints.

It was said to have been created by ancient people to protect both humans and Pokémon, moving through mysterious energy!

“Huh! Shauntal, you’re not using Chandelure? Hmm… worried about Swanna’s Water typing? But Golurk doesn’t seem ideal either.”

Clay turned to Hikaru: “Your turn. Of your remaining three, which two will you send out?”

“Battle time limit: three minutes.”

Hikaru was just about to decide on Deoxys, Rotom, or Entei…

But then came a whisper from the Pokémon.

Please… let me fight too.

“Haxorus?”

This Haxorus wasn’t his Pokémon—he’d planned to ask Entei to handle things.

“This little one has found its will to fight. It’s walking out from the shadow of regret and loss—that’s a good thing. Let it have this chance,” Entei said gently.

“And besides… it should be about time for it to… evolve.”

Entei could sense the power building within Haxorus. As a being of mind and dream, the phantom Entei was particularly sensitive to energy flows.

Especially after fighting alongside Hikaru, it too had felt a strange energy flowing into its body after battle.

Hikaru muttered: “So it’s the growth boost from Newborn Power… I see.”

Entei: “Newborn Power?”

“Yes.” Hikaru nodded slightly, explaining in his heart: “It’s a kind of energy given by the Entralink Tree, probably a variant of Liberation Force. How to describe it… like an advanced version of the EXP Share.”

After all, even the EXP Share machine had gone through upgrades.

Starting from Generation VI, once you switched it on in your bag, the whole team shared EXP, making game clears much easier.

But from Generation VIII onward it was removed, and in Scarlet/Violet (Gen IX), as long as one Pokémon participated in battle, the entire party gained EXP and EVs. That’s practically an innate Ancient Power effect.

Hikaru couldn’t help but joke to himself.

Entei found it fascinating: “A power that lets everyone grow together? Convenient indeed. So that’s the true ancient power.”

Hikaru ended his mental chat with Entei and reached for an ordinary Poké Ball.

“Oh, not using the Master Ball?” Clay looked puzzled.

“Right, because one of my Pokémon told me it wants to join this battle.” Hikaru released the ball.

Haxorus!

Skyla’s eyes lit up: “Oh, a Haxorus! Rare Dragon-type Pokémon!”

Swanna cried out toward Hikaru.

That’s the Elite Four plus a Gym Leader combo we’re facing! You better go all-out!

And in the corner of its mind, it glanced sideways—

Walking Wake! Wasn’t that the one always hanging around Calyrex? To think it would see it here in real life!

Maybe someday they’d even meet Calyrex again. If only they could lure the big-headed king over to Mistralton City… wouldn’t the vegetable sales here explode?!

Having such a thought, Swanna suddenly made a request of Hikaru!

If we win this battle… how about investing in Mistralton’s Radiant Vegetables project?

“Swanna, what’s wrong with you?” Skyla tilted her head, confused as she stroked her partner.

Hikaru smiled helplessly: “It’s trying to negotiate on your behalf… fine! If we win, I’ll consider cultivating Radiant Vegetables here. At a cheaper price, too!”

If Radiant Vegetables could find a foothold in reality, then using Calyrex’s image as the logo would be perfect.

That would also help Calyrex regain faith and renown.

“Sa~va!” Swanna was overjoyed, quickly turning to Skyla to claim credit.

See? See? I’m really doing my best for our vegetable market! With Radiant Vegetables, Mistralton’s economy will double overnight!

“Eh? Radiant Vegetables? Sounds like some kind of new crop—wait, could it be…?”

Skyla touched her chin, mimicking Elesa’s classic thinking pose. Then her eyes lit up.

“Though I don’t fully get it yet, it seems like something good! That means we absolutely can’t lose!”

“Sa~va!”

Clay groaned: “What the heck, you guys are suddenly talking business in the middle of a match!”

“Enough, let’s get started! Flygon, use Rock Slide!”

Skyla’s Flying-type was weak to Rock, and the ground was littered with stones!

Rock Slide was an area-of-effect move!

Watch me wipe out two at once!

Shauntal also smiled confidently:

“Phantom Force.”

Golurk instantly vanished into the shadows, disappearing from the field!

Its ability wasn’t No Guard—it was Iron Fist!

So even with four Pokémon on the field, only one would really take damage…

Jump!

Hikaru’s voice sounded in Haxorus’ mind. The dragon leapt powerfully, avoiding the crashing rocks. Its proud tusks glowed with green light.

It lunged straight at Flygon!

Flygon never expected Haxorus to jump directly at it—the strike was brutal, filled with power!

Flygon shrieked in pain!

First Impression!

A +2 priority move, but only works the very turn the Pokémon enters battle!

Incidentally, Haxorus could only learn this move if one of its parents was Durant!

As a Pokémon once used by Team Plasma and born in Opelucid City, it had started at a very high level, with a broad movepool.

After so much experience and growth—even though it had only battled once before—its strength was now incomparable to when it began!

But the next moment, the giant in the shadows reappeared right behind Haxorus!

With a single punch, it sent Haxorus flying. And in that instant, Shauntal barked her command, redirecting the follow-up strike:

“Use Smack Down on Swanna!”

(End of Chapter)

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep