[T-993 – Iron Jugulis! Danger!]

Iron Valiant readied her combat stance. Before her stood two freshly repaired Iron Jugulis!

Their mechanical wings beat steadily, three heads extending and retracting, as though whispering to one another. They seemed dazed, having only just been given “heart.” Upon seeing Iron Valiant, instead of hostility, they showed curiosity.

A look no mere machine could ever express.

“Guhoo—” Duraludon bellowed. The two Iron Jugulis immediately imitated: “[Guu… hisss—]”

Then all three heads stretched happily, as if they had decided to treat Duraludon as their big brother!

[Unable to understand.]

Iron Valiant was shocked, her pixel eyes flickering. She glanced at the scrap-eating Duraludon.

Then she realized—she wasn’t supposed to feel shock. Strong emotional ripples like this were proof of her new “heart.”

“Oh, you’re awake? The modifications worked perfectly. Your repairs are complete.”

Hikaru turned, greeting Iron Valiant and Duraludon as they entered.

[My external functions have decreased, but my stored internal energy has greatly increased. Why?]

Iron Valiant asked bluntly. In her logic, greater energy capacity required higher systems capability. Instead, with decreased functions, her energy rose. That contradicted all science.

“Well… let’s just say our technology runs differently. Different design directions.”

“But the decline is temporary. With stronger materials, your functions will improve again. Secondary upgrades are simple now that I’ve mastered your manufacturing tech.”

[Unable to understand! You claim you’ve learned how to make us?]

Iron Valiant’s emotions flickered. She thought this human was speaking nonsense.

But… she had already been deemed defective, almost destroyed. Confusion aside, why bother questioning?

[Now… what do you require of me?]

She asked.

After being marked for disposal, she no longer received commands. And with heart, orders hardly mattered anymore.

Yet as a machine, obedience to command was ingrained programming. Without orders, she didn’t know what to do. The only reason she stayed wary of the Jugulis was the survival instinct warning her.

“If I ordered you to attack your creator—would you?”

[The master-slave chain of command is severed. I was defined as scrap. I have no one to obey.]

Her voice betrayed little emotion.

She thought carefully, her pixel eyes running new calculations, then added:

[But by priority hierarchy, I am now unclaimed. If you require my service, theoretically it is possible.]

Hikaru tilted his head. “You were made by a mad scientist. Even if he tried to destroy you, you don’t hate him?”

Iron Valiant paused.

[I am a machine construct. Machines can be damaged or scrapped. When without value, we are discarded. I only reached out to you because of a strange survival instinct.]

[Hate? No. I only do not understand. To have begun thinking and feeling, then be destroyed as defective—?]

[I never disobeyed the highest directive. So I am confused.]

[Now I can sense “heart.” Is it here… or here?]

She touched the hollow protrusion at her chest, then ran a hand through her green iron-like hair. Her expression was curious, conflicted, her emotions layered but not strong.

Then she asked the real question:

[But… what is heart? A tangible object? Or nothing at all?]

“Heart… is the union of emotion, knowledge, and will. It’s boundless. That’s how we see it.”

“Because of emotion, we know sorrow’s pain, and joy’s value.”

“Because of knowledge, we enrich life with wisdom.”

“Because of will, we resolve to face challenges, and courage is born.”

“The human heart was a gift from three Legendary Pokémon.”

“Psychic power is one reflection of the heart. You were designed as the strongest Psychic Pokémon, yet don’t know what heart is?”

“To put it in terms you’ll understand—it’s the sum of recognition and perception. Cognition, imagination, thought, judgment—all advanced functions that let humans know the world, form attitudes, and act.”

[Emotion. Knowledge. Will. Cognition and perception. Thought and judgment. Imagination…?]

[Recorded.]

[The ‘Psychic Project’ was a lab secret. How did you know?]

“I can see the future. A little.”

[Future visions? Prophecy as an offensive ability.]

“That’s only one use.”

“Now my turn. Why did you follow my commands?”

Hikaru asked. He wanted to understand Iron Valiant’s shifting mindset.

Compared to the Jugulis, Iron Valiant could converse, far more advanced. The others were little more than pets or weapons.

Iron Valiant recorded their dialogue in her database. After brief thought, she integrated the logic and answered:

[Because of your help, I felt strange emotions.]

[Because I was destroyed, incomprehensible feelings spread within me.]

[So I wish to understand what heart is.]

[And since my old directives were void, without new ones I don’t know what to do. This is survival instinct. In battle earlier, I awakened and realized it.]

[I don’t want to be destroyed. My “heart” says so, though my “system” cannot understand it.]

Her answer was simple: gratitude, seeking a new commander—driven by survival instinct and machine logic.

Awakening heart had created conflicts with her system, but heart’s priority seemed higher.

“That’s logical. Fine then.”

Hikaru extended his hand. “From now on, let’s work together.”

Iron Valiant blinked, placing her hand in his, confused.

[The meaning of hand-to-hand contact?]

“It’s how we show friendship. A way to share feelings.”

She didn’t quite understand. Surrounded by machines, no one had ever shaken her hand. Instead, after a moment, she performed a knight’s salute—her own interpretation of showing respect, drawn from genetic memories of Gallade.

But during the handshake, a strange surge welled in her core. Energy rushed faster through her body.

She liked it. Even without understanding, the flow made her stronger.

Now Hikaru’s team swelled: Duraludon, Iron Valiant, Ledyba, ten Iron Jugulis, plus Dream Projections and two free slots. From scarce power to a force!

“I have a question. Why can’t Poké Balls be used here?” Hikaru held one up. “This is science from the past.”

Iron Valiant held the ball. She sensed something within watching her—scanning, it seemed like… a sword?

[This is the Mechanical City. All terrain is tuned to maximize our power.]

[Here, immense electromagnetic force fills everything. It boosts us greatly. But machines unsuited to it fail. Forced use causes malfunctions.]

[The skyscrapers’ fields interact. Escaping this is impossible.]

“I see.” Hikaru sighed. His partners were “banned” here.

Even Dream Balls? They were still Poké Balls at core.

So strange balls too? Maybe spacetime distortions added to the interference.

And Rotom, the only one caught in an Odd Ball, was still missing—likely stuck in the Time Machine.

It was all Shiny Palkia’s fault.

“Well… I’ve got another trick.”

He didn’t plan to linger long.

Future Craft let him build incredible things—straight out of Poké Hollywood sci-fi!

The “Full-Metal International Enforcer Armor”—like RoboCop. And “Super Tyranitar”—a fusion of Iron Thorns and Duraludon’s prototypes, in movies like a Mecha-Godzilla!

“Help me build machines. You were made as a weapon—you should know tech. If not, I’ll teach you.”

[Understood. Commencing.]

Iron Valiant saluted, standing straight: [Provide project design.]

“Super Tyranitar.”

Though named after Mega Tyranitar, it was completely different!

Hikaru directed Iron Valiant and the Jugulis to construct the massive Super Tyranitar in the abandoned factory. A prop in films, but real here with Future Tech combined with Ork craft!

After all, didn’t Team Rocket often build giant robots? Their builds were flimsy—but this wouldn’t be.

Time passed. Steel and parts stacked, fused in ways incomprehensible.

Even Hikaru admitted—the future’s weird science was just an upgraded Team Rocket tech: sturdier, stronger, easier to repair. Iron Valiant and Jugulis were proof.

They hadn’t been truly damaged, only knocked offline with scratches. Despite lacking the Steel typing, they could be treated as variants of Steel-types.

Iron Jugulis could even eat minerals and metal to self-repair. Iron Valiant, unable to “eat,” needed maintenance—but her body was tougher.

It seemed once machines were recognized as Pokémon, their survival methods shifted.

Like Magearna, whose body was just a shell—the real core was the Soul-Heart. Yet even the shell endured heavy damage without injury marks.

Together, Hikaru and the Paradox Pokémon built a giant machine. Modeled after Jugulis’ output, but armed with colossal light cannons, it boasted overwhelming firepower!

Hikaru also built himself the “Full-Metal International Enforcer Armor”—straight out of Pokémon Hollywood!

Now he was Iron Man with his own Mecha-Godzilla!

Iron Valiant’s eyes blinked, her system raising “logic inconsistency” alerts.

Such a giant should take years to design. But in this short time, it was done?!

She and the Jugulis had helped, yes—but the human did most. Could a human really “hand-build” this?

Labs—unnecessary.

Workshops—unnecessary.

Just materials, and he built it instantly.

This human defied understanding.

“Alright! Activate—Super Tyranitar!”

Though its appearance resembled Iron Thorns, it was fundamentally different!

Just then, Iron Valiant looked upward.

Boom!

The factory roof shook. A flash ripped it open.

Clang, clang—

Metallic footsteps approached. Another Paradox Pokémon.

Appearing before them—was a mechanical version of Virizion.

Its body was entirely mechanized, its green now deep metallic, its red electronic eyes cold, its body gleaming like polished steel.

Its forehead and neck glowed, transforming into psychic blades!

[Unknown weapon. Danger!]

Iron Valiant drew her light blade.

“Guhoo!” Duraludon stuffed rebar into its mouth, chewing as it roared to raise morale!

“Iron Leaves! A Paradox Pokémon born from Virizion!”

Hikaru felt strange. He knew Virizion—but here was this cold, bionic double.

Dex entries had said Iron Boulder was a Terrakion modified by some evil group… If the whole Swords of Justice were recreated this way… disturbing.

Iron Leaves’ eyes glowed coldly. Its forehead blade gleamed—a psychic variation of Sacred Sword!

“No problem. We’ll end this in one strike!” Hikaru yanked Ledyba from behind him. “Your time to slay a god!”

Iron Leaves was 4x weak to Bug. Even Ledyba could deal heavy damage!

“M-me? Fight a Legendary?!” Ledyba gasped.

Hikaru grinned. “What’s there to fear? You’ve got a whole 55 Special Attack. Use Bug Buzz!”

Iron Leaves’ Sacred Sword slashed down. Ledyba panicked, wings buzzing!

What “55 Special Attack”? This human spoke nonsense! But no time to argue!

Buggy soundwaves blasted forth, catching Iron Leaves off guard!

“Iron Valiant, X-Scissor!”

Her light blade glowed pink. She knew why this weapon had come—to capture the human, or to destroy her again.

Her survival instinct screamed.

Yet she felt pity too—for this lifeless machine.

Was lacking emotion truly something to grieve? Or was that sympathy born only because she had heart now?

What was the difference between machine Pokémon and Steel-types?

Duraludon’s “kin.”

Humans’ “emotion, knowledge, will.”

Perhaps her creator sought this answer.

X-Scissor! She searched her database—executed instantly!

Crossing blades of light slashed Iron Leaves, its 4x Bug weakness overwhelming. It fell before it could even show its might!

One strike kill!

“Double weak to Flying, Poison, Ghost, Fire, Ice, Dark… and quadruple weak to Bug. With no Bugs in this age, its biggest flaw was ignored.”

“Perfect. A gift of power!”

Hikaru drew out a Psychic Crystal. Iron Leaves’ cold eyes reflected its glow.

He began modifications, muttering:

“Why do I feel like the mad scientist here?”

(End of Chapter)

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