“We won?!”

“We lost?!”

Voices of disbelief rang out from both sides—Shauntal could hardly believe her Golurk had been defeated, while Skyla couldn’t believe she had actually won.

After a moment of stunned silence, Shauntal shrugged with a sigh.

“Ahh, what a miscalculation! I never expected that to happen. Losing to Stomping Tantrum of all things—if I had known, I would’ve used it too.”

“Dynamic Punch plus Stomping Tantrum would’ve been massive damage. But honestly, if my Dynamic Punch had landed, I wouldn’t have needed Tantrum in the first place.”

She tilted her head. “Still… was that Haxorus really that strong? Why didn’t it use such a move when fighting the King earlier?”

Hikaru looked at the roaring Haxorus, its fighting spirit blazing. “Like Sawsbuck, this isn’t my Pokémon. It’s on its way back to its homeland.”

“Its homeland is Opelucid City!”

Haxorus was trembling with emotion. It had grown stronger, evolved under the guidance and cooperation of its allies. With this newfound strength, even its original Trainer would no longer think it weak!

Its heart overflowed with gratitude. The massive dragon lowered its head gently, rubbing against Hikaru like a loyal hound.

Though its tusks were as sharp as axes, Haxorus was a gentle-hearted Pokémon by nature.

It could sense Hikaru also carried a draconic aura—similar to its own. This confused it, but then again, some Dragon Tamers possessed such power. Its former Trainer had not, but back in Opelucid there was a white-bearded elder… yes, that man carried the same aura.

“Wait, isn’t that dragon the shopkeeper’s?” Shauntal asked in surprise. “If it was this strong, then surely its original Trainer must have been powerful too… or did it only grow strong after being with you?”

Hikaru smiled. “Being with me is a bit like holding an Exp. Share—it helps them grow a little faster.”

Shauntal’s eyes sparkled. “An Exp. Share effect? All through psychic power? Psychic abilities really are convenient.”

Burgh stomped in frustration. “Ugh! I actually lost! And that Swanna was nearly beaten already! Skyla—what was that last move it used?!”

Skyla touched her cheek thoughtfully. In truth, she hadn’t expected it either.

“I think it’s called Endeavor.”

“Right, Mr. Hikaru?”

Since she had never seen the move before, she wasn’t completely sure.

Hikaru chuckled. “That’s right. Endeavor. It deals damage to make the opponent’s HP equal to the user’s. When you’re cornered, it can completely flip a battle around.”

“If possible, the one who should’ve taken that move was Golurk. But since all of Shauntal’s Pokémon were Ghost-types, they were immune to Normal-type moves like Endeavor.”

“As for you, Burgh—you’ve never seen it because neither Flygon nor Excadrill can learn it.”

Burgh froze, face petrifying.

What the—Pokémon species discrimination?! How could the world be so unfair?!

“Tricks! Nothing but tricks!” he roared helplessly.

Even Skyla laughed. “But you’re the one who used Stomping Tantrum, Burgh!”

“Didn’t work out so well, though,” Shauntal giggled behind her hand.

“But this time we really owe you!” Skyla’s eyes sparkled. “That counterattack at the end—I never thought my Swanna and Haxorus would turn the tables like that!”

“Swanna~” The bird cooed happily, nibbling on the healing jelly Hikaru passed to it. It was overjoyed!

It had just defeated an Elite Four’s Golurk! Sure, it was only a side battle, but still—that was something worth bragging about to challengers!

And they had secured rights to cultivate Radiant Vegetables too! Swanna proudly thought: Golurk—nothing special!

Across the field, the battered Golurk stirred, catching wind of Swanna’s cheeky musings. Its glowing eyes flickered.

Hmph! That little swan was dreaming too big. Next time, it would settle the score for sure!

…Also, could someone give it some jelly or a Revive too?

“Whew, enough of this! As proof of your victory, take this badge!”

Burgh pulled a gleaming badge from his pocket and handed it to Hikaru.

“The Quake Badge—I’ve obtained it.” Hikaru nodded.

“And here’s mine!” Skyla added, brushing her hair back. “Even though I didn’t battle you directly, fighting alongside you to defeat an Elite Four proves your strength! As promised, I’ll give you my badge as well.”

She handed over a badge of blue and white, shaped like wings of freedom—

The Jet Badge!

[Obtained: Quake Badge / Jet Badge!]

[Description: Symbols of conquering the Mistralton Gym and Icirrus Gym. The Quake Badge represents tectonic rifts, with a green gemstone in the center. The Jet Badge is designed like a feather, resembling the contrail of a bird in flight.]

[Holder of the Quake Badge—make your opponent’s heart tremble!]

[Holder of the Jet Badge—propel forward with unstoppable force!]

[Effect: Proof of eligibility to enter the Pokémon League—two more keys to open its gates.]

[Note: The Link Tree has connected with the Quake Badge / Jet Badge. Knowledge gained—Secrets at the Edge of the World!]

[Ground and Flying embody Earth and Sky. United with the heart, they symbolize infinite space! You and your Pokémon gain Terrain Adaptation / Weather Adaptation, reducing negative effects of terrain and weather by 50%, and understanding their hidden powers.]

[Bonus Knowledge: Triathlon—cycling, running, and swimming abilities boosted by 150%. Mastery of the three techniques reduces seasonal and weather hindrances by 50%.]

[Craftable Items: Bicycle / Mach Bike / Acro Bike / Rotom Bike / Running Shoes (special) / Roller Skates (special) / Diving Gear / Riding Devices!]

Oh, this new knowledge was quite practical!

Terrain and weather were two of the most important battle systems in the Pokémon world. Mastering them was the key to both victory and long journeys.

With psychic power, one could even simulate certain weather conditions!

Still, while Hoenn had a Weather Institute and Unova had a Season Research Lab, oddly there was no Geological Institute.

The Weather Institute could create machines to control weather, representing their grasp of such forces. Hikaru’s own knowledge of seasons, gained earlier, let him build measuring instruments—but not machines that could alter the seasons.

Besides, the Pokémon world’s seasonal system had little impact on battles or ecology, and in certain regions, some seasons never even occurred. So a season-controlling machine was mostly pointless.

As for the bike—sure, you could buy one, but Hikaru was convinced any he crafted himself would be superior. And hey—fighting Pokémon battles while riding a bike? That was basically Riding Duels!

Maybe he should even modify it into a D-Wheel design!

[Well fought.]

The voice of Regigigas rumbled. Watching the battle had stirred its passion for combat—it was even itching to fight itself.

Now free of Slow Start, who would be the first unlucky foe to face it?

[If you need to summon a colossus, use the Giant’s Key. The Land of the Moon can cross time and space—so long as I exist here, I will answer your call.]

Having nothing better to do underground, and with Slow Start no longer keeping it sluggish, Regigigas had turned to studying the wild Pokémon of Mt. Twist Mountain.

Besides, if it wished, it could simply leave this place and wander freely.

[In this world without dragons, I will continue to observe and travel. I look forward to seeing what kind of new world it becomes.]

Hikaru smiled. “I’m sure it will be a fascinating one.”

[Oh, and take this with you. A long time ago I tried forging something with it, but failed. Still, it’s a powerful energy core—especially useful to Dragon Pokémon.]

[This is energy I once ripped from a great Dragon.]

From the black gate, Regigigas pulled out an ancient crimson stone, presenting it to Hikaru.

According to the Titan, this was once taken from the Dragon of Tao.

[Item: Dragon Core (Draconic Crystal)!]

[Description: A pure crystallization of Dragon-type energy torn from the legendary Dragon God. Regigigas once tried to imbue it into its creations to rival dragons, but could never make it fuse.]

[Effect: When held by a Dragon-type Pokémon, Dragon-type moves increase by 50%.]

Hikaru studied the dark-red core—about the size of a basketball.

The color seemed familiar. Wait… wasn’t this the same effect as Regidrago’s ability?

So the Unovan Titan had failed where the Galarian Titan succeeded—though even Regidrago was only a half-finished creation. A difference in craftsmanship, perhaps.

“Hmm… should I ask Regigigas to help dig through the mountain?” Burgh crossed his arms. “From Icirrus to Mistralton, the route is still a pain. You have to pass through Chargestone Cave, and there’s no easy passageway.”

“So I was thinking of excavating a road through Twist Mountain. But for now, it’s only on paper.”

“That would be amazing!” Skyla brightened. “I’d totally support that—it sounds fun!”

Shauntal agreed. “Whether in East or West Unova, north and south have always been divided by Twist Mountain and Reversal Mountain. If we could bridge that gap, it would be wonderful.”

“Ahem, shopkeeper—where are you headed next?”

Shauntal looked curiously at Hikaru. “If you’re returning Haxorus to its homeland, your next destination should be Opelucid City, right? Passing through Twist Mountain, you’d also reach Icirrus and could collect another Gym Badge.”

But Hikaru shook his head. “No. I’m going to Lentimas Town.”

“Lentimas?” Skyla tilted her head. “If you take my plane, we’ll be there quickly! But it’s a small mountain town, short on supplies.”

“Ah—I get it!” Her eyes lit up. “You must’ve heard of Lentimas’s volcanic ceramics! You want to study them, right? Their craftsmanship is famous worldwide—one of the few that can rival anywhere else. That’s why the town’s rustic style is still so popular.”

Shauntal perked up. “That does sound interesting! I’ll come along too—I have a feeling more will happen there. You’re not just going for ceramics, are you?”

Hikaru coughed lightly. “I’m going to deliver a soul. Or rather, to help one find peace.”

“A soul?”

“Yes. A legendary Pokémon asked me for help—since I moonlight as a spirit medium, too. You’ve heard of Lentimas’s wandering spirit, haven’t you?”

“A… wandering spirit?” Shauntal’s eyes gleamed. As a ghost-story novelist, her curiosity blazed like fire. After the Celestial Tower incident, both human and Pokémon souls had appeared—so ghosts truly did exist.

And now… it wasn’t over yet.

“Ah, that family…” Skyla’s tone darkened, her expression solemn. “The tragic place near Reversal Mountain, said to harbor a real ghost.”

Her expression grew faintly troubled. “I met that girl once—when I was very young.”

Hikaru nodded. “The girl is trapped in an eternal nightmare. To save her, her parents traveled far and wide, seeking Pokémon connected to dreams.”

“They even found the legendary item—the Lunar Wing—but couldn’t save her in time.”

Skyla’s eyes widened. “The Lunar Wing?! The feather of the Lunar Pokémon said to banish nightmares?!”

As a pilot, she was well-versed in feathers and mystical items.

The Lunar Wing was obscure, but since she and her grandfather flew often between Unova, Kanto, and Sinnoh, she had heard whispers of such secrets.

“I’ve heard of Cresselia—the mysterious Lunar Pokémon!”

“Then let’s depart tomorrow! I want to see the Lunar Wing myself—oh!” Skyla gasped mid-sentence, stunned.

For Hikaru had already produced one. “Here it is. A replica—but it still carries some effect. Just not as strong as the real thing.”

“My replicas are far better than those souvenir trinkets in Sinnoh’s Floaroma Town.”

“Consider this your payment for tomorrow’s flight.”

Skyla flushed. “Eh? I’m not the kind to charge passengers! But since you’re offering, I’ll gladly accept it—it is a treasure from a mysterious traveler, after all!”

Her eyes sparkled as she held the carved Lunar Wing. Though only wood, painted to look like a feather, it radiated a faint, mysterious aura. From afar, it seemed like the real thing.

“Oh right—about those Radiant Vegetables…” Skyla tilted her head, recalling Swanna’s earlier “business order.”

Hikaru smiled. “They’re a special crop grown from the Dream World, propagated and perfected under the blessing of Calyrex, the Legendary Pokémon.”

“Mistralton City is the best vegetable base in the world, with four clear seasons, fertile soil, and vast greenhouses. That’s likely why the Forces of Nature appear here every few years.”

“Exactly!” Burgh added. “Near Icirrus, the Abundant Shrine produces tons of Revival Herbs—thanks to Landorus’s legend!”

Hikaru explained: “Landorus transforms wind and lightning into fertile soil. Tornadus brings wind and rain, Thundurus scorches vegetation into fertilizer, and Landorus blesses the land with sunshine and bounty. Repeating this cycle, the land grows richer and richer.”

“But words don’t do Radiant Vegetables justice. Don’t worry—you’ll see tonight!”

“When exporting Radiant Vegetables, I have one request.”

“Use Calyrex’s image as the brand logo.”

At the mention of Calyrex, Shauntal suddenly remembered.

“Ah—isn’t that…?!”

She quickly sketched a caricature in her notebook—Calyrex’s oversized head.

“Just like the plush doll you sold Caitlin!”

(End of Chapter)

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