Iron Jugulis, the Dark + Flying Paradox Pokémon, appeared as a mechanized Hydreigon. It emitted high-energy blasts that demolished buildings, then, as if searching for its next target, vanished into the skies.
Rumors claimed that because it combined Hydreigon's ferocity with machine coldness, it might be a hybrid of Hydreigon and mechanical technology.
The searing beams annihilated the ruins, sinking the land beneath. Iron Jugulis units soared overhead, scanning with onboard sensors to confirm that Iron Valiant had been destroyed.
At the same time, they were tasked with capturing the human and the Duraludon.
The move they had just used was—Hyper Beam.
An intense ray that blasts the opponent, leaving the user unable to act the next turn.
But for these machine-dragons, that immobility was trivial. With a quick system recalibration, they could restart instantly.
At the center of the blasts, Iron Valiant stood smoking, her body rigid. Surrounded by Iron Jugulis, her mind filled with confusion.
Destroyed?
She had not disobeyed orders. Only because she had begun to comprehend the "heart," hesitating briefly. Was that enough to be discarded as defective?
But… why?
[Objection request: Halt.]
[Overruled. You are to be destroyed.]
The merciless command cut off communication.
Confusion swelled within her. Facing the second strike of Iron Jugulis, the battered Iron Valiant instinctively resisted.
Her pixelated eyes calculated endlessly. Strange emotions sprouted within.
Deconstruction, construction—she was machine, a bionic organism, made to prioritize the highest directive.
Yet that directive now meant nothing. From within, an alien urge arose—something that refused to vanish.
Was this the "instinct to survive" born of her genes?
The will to live, inseparably linked with the heart.
Iron Valiant didn't fully understand, but she felt she shouldn't be scrapped.
For the first time, she longed to live.
A second Hyper Beam roared toward her, but a green barrier flared, blocking the onslaught from all sides!
Then came a storm of blades: ten Iron Jugulis unleashed Air Cutter!
Windblades slashed down, fast and ruthless, each with a chance to make her flinch!
Iron Valiant sensed it. Even if only three made her flinch, she'd be crushed.
And she was doubly weak to Flying!
"If you can hear me… if you want to survive, follow my command."
Hikaru's voice rang in her heart. She froze, stiffly turning her head, searching. At last, she saw a silver-white shape of steel nearby.
Duraludon.
Her heart trembled. Iron Valiant dropped to one knee, nearly overwhelmed.
If she followed his orders, her survival odds would rise greatly.
[I… understand.]
Her mechanical response echoed. A telepathic order followed instantly!
Even under the storm, Iron Valiant's eyes flashed—Torment!
It disrupted the foe, preventing repeat moves for four turns!
The Air Cutter barrage halted. The machine-dragons roared, as Iron Valiant ignited her light blade!
"Use Dazzling Gleam!"
Fairy light burst outward, striking every opponent!
The blast left Iron Jugulis reeling, though Iron Valiant herself was in tatters—her frame dented and scarred, resembling Duraludon's earlier state.
Though shaken, the Iron Jugulis regrouped swiftly under AI control, this time focusing on Hikaru!
From the collapsing ruins, a pale-green shield flared. Duraludon had used Protect, holding against crashing debris!
"Duraludon's cellular hardness is top among Steel-types, and it has an anti-seismic structure!"
Hikaru crawled out from beneath, dragging the terrified Ledyba, who muttered endlessly:
"T-that's Iron Jugulis! The robot army of the cyborg humans!"
"We're doomed. We can't win. Everyone will be slaughtered. Iron Valiant's finished!"
Hikaru's face twisted oddly.
What are you, Vegeta?
"They're not so scary. I know their weakness. They're just machines."
"Dazzling Gleam already shook them. Now—use this." He produced golden gems and a peculiar lens.
Electric Gem! Boosts Electric-type moves once!
Scope Lens! Increases critical-hit chance!
Though Iron Jugulis relied on Electric Terrain for its ability, it was itself doubly weak to Electric attacks!
"Quit whining. I've read your move pool. Now help us."
"M-me? Fight those robot dragons? No way…" Ledyba trembled. Its stats were abysmal.
Sure, it once slaughtered humans, but here robots slaughtered it. Pure stat gap.
"I've got a way. Use Agility!"
Hikaru stacked buffs through Ledyba!
The Iron Jugulis spotted them, charging beams in their maws!
"They're coming!"
"Stay focused. Again—Agility!"
Ledyba was forced to stack speed. After three boosts, Speed maxed out!
"Now—Baton Pass!"
Poké Balls locked, the move instead transferred buffs directly. Duraludon's Speed maxed!
"Tailwind!"
Hikaru pressed on.
A gale surged, boosting allies' Speed!
"Now, Focus Energy!"
Duraludon inhaled, raising its crit rate by two levels!
The Iron Jugulis' eyes spun. The once-sluggish Duraludon darted like lightning. Even the human was fast!
"Of course—I have Triathlon buffs!"
The Triathlon boon boosted three athletic stats by 150%!
As the Jugulis reeled, thunder gathered in the sky. Through psychic command—
Thunder!
Lightning crashed, engulfing one Iron Jugulis. Sparks leapt wildly as it shrieked, crashing to earth, twitching.
One down. The rest scattered, knowing Thunder's accuracy was shaky. But Duraludon had more options.
It charged in, blasting stored electricity!
Thunderbolt!
Weaker than Thunder but far more reliable—and powered up by the Electric Gem!
Hikaru amplified it with Electro Magic, pulling in static.
Thunderbolts shredded the Iron Jugulis. Half fell instantly. Those that tried to retaliate couldn't match its speed. And—
"Ledyba, Flash!"
Blinding light burst, dropping their accuracy!
Ledyba may be useless in combat—worse than Kricketune—but its support moves were handy!
The Iron Jugulis flailed blindly as lightning tore them down. The last one crashed.
[Defeated the Iron Jugulis horde. New Power reinforced!]
[Your Pokémon's EVs and growth rate increased!]
Ledyba gasped: "W-we won?! But Iron Valiant struggled—how did these Jugulis fall so fast?"
Hikaru rubbed his chin. "Maybe because she's a prototype, and they're mass-produced."
Everyone knew prototypes had premium builds.
"Well then—our allies have arrived!"
Even with Poké Balls sealed, Paradox Pokémon could be claimed. Given "heart," they'd become comrades!
Mass-produced or not, under command they'd shine.
"So Palkia brought me here… to create Pokémon."
Hikaru understood.
This machine crisis needed him to lead the "Iron Rebellion."
Good news followed:
[Festival Quest: The Paradox Future World!]
[Description: After starting the Time Machine, spacetime dragged you to a far parallel world. Machine-like creatures resembling Pokémon roam—and even talking movie characters?!]
[Note: The Tree of Connection marvels at your fate!]
"It's connected!"
Even across spacetime, the Tree of Connection sent messages. The C-Device wasn't broken—it could traverse time itself.
"Dr. Fennel's theory is incredible!"
"And didn't you want me to find the power source? I found it."
[Note: Restarting the Time Machine requires Future Energy (Drive Energy)!]
[Reward: Release Orbs ×30, Special Professions ×2?, Artistic Progress +10%.]
"Thirty Release Orbs?! Generous!"
He activated the C-Device, pulling the Jugulis corpses into the Connected World.
Next: repair them, harvest "Future Technology"!
Hikaru crossed the fallen Jugulis, reaching the battered Iron Valiant.
Scarred, dented—but her mysterious body remained sturdy.
Her pixel eyes dimmed. Seeing Hikaru, she reached out, survival instinct guiding her.
He lifted her up.
Of course she'd be the first repaired.
Her lights flickered.
[Death… destruction… survive…]
[Live… living…]
Her voice faded. Her lights died.
"How to repair future tech… Doraemon once said: when you don't understand tech, dismantle it completely—and rebuild it so you can."
—
With a startup tone, Iron Valiant rebooted.
Her eyes glowed, pink lights lit.
Alive?
She scanned: a derelict factory. Her dents gone, frame smooth.
She flexed her arms, light blade extending.
Restored.
No—repaired.
Her memory intact. A strange light shimmered within her databanks.
Incredible.
"Guhoo—"
A dragon's cry. She turned to see Duraludon scavenging.
It offered her rusty rebar.
Eat—delicious.
The dragon and the warrior stared.
[Refusal. I do not need it.]
She declined. Duraludon shrugged, crunching the bar.
See? Premium rust flavor! Without this, what's life?
And I thought we were kin!
[Kin? You are natural Steel. I am artificial machine. We are not the same.]
Strange.
This iron dragon saw her as kin?
She was AI. Why would a living being think her kin?
Did Steel-types consider all moving metal their own?
"Guhoo?" Duraludon blinked.
She attacked, but if she could speak, she was Pokémon. Not machine.
Attacked by her kind? She was pitiable, betrayed.
"Guhoo!"
I even shared scrap! Don't you eat?
[Anything that communicates… is Pokémon?]
"Guhoo? (Isn't it?)"
Duraludon scratched its chin, eyes squaring harder.
You're clearly a Steel Pokémon—tough and strong!
Iron Valiant froze.
She pondered, confused, then stood.
Her outer frame weaker, inner power stronger.
She recalled her "death." Out of instinct, she sought help from the human. Only living beings begged strangers for survival.
That memory—him lifting her—remained.
Her heart overloaded, body overheating. She didn't understand.
Perhaps it, too, was survival. Heart.
A new emotion bloomed.
[Without new directives, I will not attack you.]
She stated. Duraludon ignored her hostility level. She couldn't understand.
It replied naturally:
"Gulala~"
I'm Jan Rakitzd. This city's your iron Pokémon's turf. Pokémon defend their territories.
If I were stronger, I'd take it. But I lost.
[Confirmed: Duraludon has territorial instinct. But you have none.]
"Gululu!"
Duraludon sulked.
So what? No land means everywhere's mine!
[Huff.]
She sighed, puzzled by this emotion—exasperation.
First time feeling it.
[As a Steel Pokémon—you have heart? What is heart?]
She asked. But Duraludon had no answer. It tapped its hollow body.
Where's the heart? Good question. No idea. Ask someone smarter.
The human.
Duraludon had glimpsed humans, knowing they brimmed with odd ideas and wisdom.
[Someone smarter.]
[The human. Where?]
She asked. Duraludon pointed to a room.
Inside, voices erupted—
"Incredible! Amazing! You cracked future tech!"
"With you, nothing's impossible! We'll lead the Iron Rebellion, rule this age! Wahaha! I'll be a bug hero!"
"Even among humans, you're elite! Smarter than the professor who sent me here!"
Ledyba's praise filled the air, sincere and fawning. The bug danced midair.
Because Hikaru had deciphered future tech, rewriting Iron Jugulis programs—they were allies now!
[You have cracked future technology beyond limits. Acquired: Future Science & Craft (S+)!]
[Description: You wield paradox tech, universal mechanics fused with super-science! You can recreate from scrap! Future tech stabilizes Team Rocket's craft!]
[Combine crafts, coding, and knowledge to rebuild and upgrade future constructs! With Psychic Crystals, grant them heart, making them true Pokémon!]
[Without heart, programs are wiped. With heart, they endure.]
[Theoretically, you can create true Paradox Pokémon!]
[Craftables: Replicant AI (requires Terastal energy + life force), Super Tyranitar M·B, Super Tyranitar No.2 M·B, Full-Metal International Enforcer Armor, Mystery UFO!]
(End of Chapter)
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