Hoenn region. Route 120. Scorched Slab.
Just as Hikaru had said—and just as Brendan had once encountered before—
Someone had already entered Scorched Slab ahead of them.
A red-haired woman was training alone. Her title was the woman with passion as fiery as flame.
Several days had passed since Hoenn's crisis.
The woman from Lavaridge Town, keenly aware of her own lack of strength, had picked up again the dream she had let lie dormant for two years.
"Cross the flames and advance, until the flowers bloom!"
"I'm going in! Overheat!"
Before they could reach the lowest level of this sky-scorched rock, blazing fire erupted in the darkness. The red-haired woman challenged Hikaru.
Battle! Lavaridge Gym Leader, Flannery!
Brendan smiled helplessly. "The person who would show up in a place like this really is Miss Flannery."
"I used to see her pretty often. She would come to the upper levels of Scorched Slab to train… She even knows Mr. Hikaru is Unova's new Champion. Her information network is really good."
Steven looked thoughtful. "After all, Flannery's grandfather was once one of Hoenn's Elite Four, though he retired two years ago."
"In other words, after the Voice of the Stars incident, she came straight here… Battling different people lets you learn the strengths of different people. That is her creed. However, she came here to catch a Legendary Pokémon, did she not?"
"But we have not seen it."
In this scorching place, even a clash between blazing flames had not drawn out that Pokémon.
Therefore, Steven could roughly confirm that Heatran truly was not here. At least, it was not here right now.
Hikaru thought the same.
Of course, Hoopa's rings had not appeared here either. It seemed the "Legendary Pokémon gift package" had not appeared in Hoenn.
In the gemstone remakes, the so-called Mirage Spots would contain many Legendary Pokémon from previous generations. The reason they appeared was because Hoopa's rings pulled them to special locations.
The fact they had not appeared now was only natural.
After all, Hoopa had already been…
Although basically every Mythical Pokémon had multiple individuals, even Arceus being no exception, only Hoopa was the most special.
Because "Confined Hoopa," or rather, "the one who was confined," was the only one.
A hundred years ago, Ghris, the last legendary traveler, used the Prison Bottle to seal it, cutting away eighty points from its base stats in one breath and changing its typing from Psychic-Dark to Psychic-Ghost.
In the gemstone remake storyline, a shop clerk would panic and say, "Hoopa will be released in three days," and mention that the item had been obtained from some inexplicable man. But Ghris's descendants clearly could not have run all the way to Hoenn and thrown away the important Prison Bottle.
So that piece of content was contradictory in itself.
Therefore, the first distributed Hoopa was precisely the one from The Archdjinni of the Rings.
In later distribution content, there was almost no related Hoopa content either. It was basically a designated Legendary delivery worker. Even the plot of The Archdjinni of the Rings itself was imitating the "Mirage Spot distribution" concept.
Of course, perhaps there would be a brand-new Hoopa that came running from another dimension.
Mm. A Mythical Pokémon that held the key to the story? After all, Hoopa's golden little man form still had not been unlocked.
Hikaru said, "Releasing raging flames in a place like a cave rapidly consumes the oxygen, which can cause people to see hallucinations normally seen only near death. Although Scorched Slab does have underground water veins, flames this intense are still too much. Let us cool things down a little."
That was what "flame mirages" were.
In Pokémon Adventures, Blaise, one of Team Magma's Three Fires, specialized most in using flame mirages produced by high temperatures to confuse opponents. He could even make Psychic users like Tate and Liza unable to distinguish illusions from the real body.
His use of fire could truly be called superb.
Therefore, although Hikaru had originally planned to send out Volcarona, with Volcarona's heat, it would probably drain all the oxygen here in an instant. After all, "scattering fiery scales, releasing high temperatures, and exhausting the surrounding oxygen" was written right in the little bug's Pokédex entry.
"But if it is somewhere like Scorched Slab, perhaps it can learn that move as well."
Hikaru held the Dream Ball in his hand and placed the ancient bracelet beside it. As light rose from the bracelet, and under the effect of the Prism Star transformed into Ultranecrozium Z…
Absorb all this raging heat wave!
Not only the ball containing Volcarona, but also the Armarouge sent onto the battlefield.
"Great Knight of the Sun… pass on the flame."
"Calm Mind."
Armarouge's golden armor released an absolutely powerful light.
It absorbed all the flames sprayed out by Torkoal.
The Torkoal Flannery had sent out specialized in Overheat, not Eruption, the move that held decisive importance in battles.
However, that was normal too. Although Hoenn was the first region where Torkoal appeared with the move Eruption, Torkoal that could naturally learn Eruption actually lived in Galar, a region with no active volcanoes.
Flannery said, "The flames were absorbed… Flash Fire?!"
A Fire-type Pokémon she had never seen before, ending fire with fire. At this moment, Flannery also realized she seemed to have overdone the flames a little. But in the next instant, that golden-armored knight raised its crimson palm.
Armarouge's Special Attack and Special Defense rose by one stage.
Flannery said, "O-oh no! Torkoal, use Stone Edge!"
To deal with Fire-type Pokémon and target their weaknesses, Flannery's Pokémon basically all carried Ground- and Rock-type moves. She had even taught one Pokémon Thunderbolt to counter Water-types.
"I am a Fire-type expert. I understand fire's weaknesses best!"
That was what Flannery said, but her expression was grave. As the storm of pointed stones formed, it violently bombarded the golden-armored knight, yet it did not inflict much damage.
A silver steel gleam shone over the golden armor.
Flannery said, "It didn't waver at all?! Its defenses are no weaker than Torkoal's!"
Hikaru said, "Because it used Iron Defense, it did not do much. However, a knight's armor is ultimately not as hard as a coal shell."
"Against an armored opponent with Flash Fire, breaking through on the physical-defense side is unwise. I, on the other hand, will break through your Special Defense. The next move hits from the special side. Use Scorching Sands!"
A Ground-type special attack.
It hurled burning-hot sand at the opponent and had a 30% chance of leaving the target burned.
Of course, the important part was Torkoal's mediocre Special Defense and its double weakness to Ground.
As scorching sand surged into the air, Torkoal was buried beneath the burning-hot sands. Flames blazed across the sand, and Torkoal, whose Ability was White Smoke, had already fainted and lost the ability to battle.
The so-called White Smoke Ability was essentially a reskinned Clear Body. The fact that the opponent could not lower its stats was indeed excellent. However, for Torkoal, it was not that different from having no Ability at all.
"One move… It was taken down in one move!"
Although she had prepared moves to counter Fire-type Pokémon, the battle had ended before she could even gain the right to act in the second turn.
Steven said, "It seems the battle has been decided."
Flannery looked quite dejected. "Mr. Steven… I thought my strength had grown quite a bit… The techniques I honed… didn't work."
"Whew… That Pokémon was like a knight who serves the gods…!"
"I lost."
Even by the time of the Pokémon World Tournament in Black 2 and White 2, Flannery would still ask herself whether she had grown. After all, even now, she could not be called a veteran Gym Leader.
Just as Gym Leaders across different regions, even in the same period, still varied in rank and strength.
Sometimes, even among Gym Leaders, the gap could be absurdly large.
Being a Gym Leader… the waters there ran deep.
"I pushed myself too hard… I tried too hard to become a good Gym Leader, and as a result, I fell into a slump instead."
The flames gradually faded.
The Legendary Pokémon still had not been drawn out.
"Ha. I originally wanted to draw it out through a battle. But now it almost feels like what Grandpa told me was false."
"That was a secret my grandpa told me. He said a fiery legend with a body of molten steel and giant claws lived here. How could there be nothing?"
"Forget it… Since we confirmed it does not exist, that really is a shame."
Flannery waved at Hikaru.
"Thank you for battling me. The strength of a new Champion really is terrifying… Unova's Champion Alder also seems to be a master skilled in Fire-types, though his team does not seem to include many Fire-type Pokémon."
"Still, even though there are few, he is called a fire god."
"If one day I could become Champion too, that would be nice… But I should probably just let things take their course."
As Flannery said that, she shook her head again and again.
It was not only because of Hikaru. After seeing Brendan, even more so…
"You seem to have a little… How should I put it?" Hikaru thought for a moment. "You seem to admire Brendan quite a lot."
Flannery sighed loudly.
"Not just admire. He's practically an ideal… Though this guy taught me that I don't need to pretend to be someone I'm not."
"How should I say this? As expected of Mr. Norman's son. Becoming Champion at such a young age is truly incredible. I tried taking another step forward too, but sure enough, I still couldn't do it."
"Losing once would not discourage me. But after losing so many times, seeing his face again now makes the scars left in my heart by those defeats throb all over again!"
Brendan said, "…Well."
Flannery spread her hands. "It was not only this guy. Professor Birch's daughter defeated me too. Great Trainers are the goal I admire. That includes my grandfather, and many other people."
"Some people have no interest. Others perhaps have no talent."
Steven gave a light cough. "Flannery, your talent is not inferior to your grandfather's. It is only that you still need further growth in terms of battle technique."
Although saying "you have a lot of room to grow" was generally a high-emotional-intelligence way of putting things…
Steven truly did think Flannery possessed irreplaceable talent.
"Oh, right. When you have time later, go to the Sinnoh region."
Steven suddenly brought this up to Flannery. Flannery froze slightly. "The Sinnoh… region?"
"Yes. I plan to go there to collect stones." Steven pondered briefly. "It is a trip I had prepared long ago, but it has been delayed for far too long. A long time ago, I originally planned to go to the Battle Frontier in Sinnoh."
"Among Sinnoh's powerful Trainers, there seems to be a Fire-type expert. And as for the Fight Area…"
Steven looked toward Hikaru, seemingly confirming something.
Hikaru nodded slightly.
"Correct. In the Sinnoh region, Stark Mountain is said to be one of the earliest volcanoes to appear in the world. Heatran's little-known legend says that when two incredibly powerful Pokémon battled, the energy they stirred up carried fragments of spacetime with it. Heatran was born from the scalding lava of Mount Coronet."
Hikaru opened the Pokédex and displayed Heatran's entry, startling Flannery before immediately exciting her.
"It's real! It's real! The Pokémon Grandpa talked about, with a steel body that spews fire and lava, wasn't fake!"
"You've seen this Pokémon!"
Hikaru said, "In volcanoes in other regions, similar beings also exist. The one I saw was the King of Reversal Mountain."
"The one in the Sinnoh region possesses even greater power than my friend, the King of Reversal Mountain. It is said that once the Magma Stone in Stark Mountain is moved, it will trigger a massive eruption of Stark Mountain, so you must be careful."
"However, even if you cannot see Heatran, going to the Fight Area for some battles is a good choice. Also, Sinnoh's Battle Zone is divided into several large survival areas. It is very different from Hoenn's Battle Frontier, and it also has a battle facility known as the Battleground."
The matter of Steven intending to go to the Battle Frontier was actually the Villa incident from the Platinum chapter.
This stone fanatic might have bought that villa long ago and occasionally gone there to live and work. Or perhaps he had only bought it recently. In short, after finishing his excavation work in the Sinnoh region, Steven turned that villa over to a passerby, and it ultimately became Dawn's property.
That was an incredibly luxurious villa!
Flannery's eyes lit up.
"Mm, yes!"
"So Heatran really exists… All right, don't move the Magma Stone. I'll remember that. Then for my next plan, I'll also start traveling. My goal is the Sinnoh region!"
"Ah, but what should I do about Lavaridge Town's hot springs and Gym…? I'm afraid I won't be able to leave for too long."
There were simply too many slackers in the Hoenn region. Flannery counted as one of the rare Gym Leaders who loved her job and worked diligently. In this respect, she was similar to Norman. Perhaps that was also why Flannery admired Norman.
——————
"…So you actually sealed something that dangerous here? Even with several layers of sealing, it still feels terrifying…"
Flannery watched as the Champions and Psychic users gathered. Even the three Deoxys appeared through Teleport, sealing off this place with powerful psychic energy.
There was one layer deep in the cave that was extremely dark, but the lowest level held boundless heat and light.
Her heart pounded. She felt that she really did not need to come here again in the future.
Had Scorched Slab become a forbidden zone now? The various ruins left by ancient people had probably come about in this exact way!
When the cosmic monster was sealed, it could feel intense, burning light even inside the ball. The light representing the Psychic type, which should have been able to restore its power, instead became a fatal weakness.
However, it had already stopped thinking—or rather, it had sunk into eternal, lengthy contemplation—so it could no longer understand its current situation.
Without having been harmed, its body had been completely annihilated. The visitor from space over the polar ice cap took four years to complete regeneration. The cosmic monster, which had lost almost all of its chest crystal, would need even longer to regenerate. Right now, it was only an empty shell.
Only one Pokémon could produce a void consciousness from an empty shell and exist as a legendary dragon. Unfortunately, it and Kyurem were not the same kind of creature.
Afterward, Brendan made a request of Hikaru. He wanted him to carve the Eon Flute.
Hikaru also remembered this part.
"That is the request from the Pokémon of Southern Island, correct? Of course, after the Alto Mare incident ended, I had already prepared a new flute."
"The lost ancient flute has reappeared in Hoenn. As a rare wooden flute, crafting it requires some special wood. But that wood has already been collected."
Although those two usually followed Brendan around, when he rushed back to Hoenn in the end, he arrived riding the black Rayquaza. After completing the mission of awakening Rayquaza, the two red and blue Eon Pokémon seemed to have returned to Southern Island for the first time in a while.
Steven said, "You are leaving Hoenn… I should thank you again."
————————
The small incident at Scorched Slab also came to an end. Parting was the beginning of the next meeting.
"Hoenn's resource-rich nature, and the fertile soil and Berries seen everywhere, make Pokémon very happy."
Because there was no need to hurry, on Hikaru's way to Lilycove City, he set out with all his companions.
They wandered through tall grass, meditated beneath rivers and waterfalls, hid inside caves and stone grottoes during rainy weather, rested in the shade beneath blazing sunlight, and shared food together. It was like a picnic and camping trip.
All sorts of Berries grew freely in the wild. Even if no one looked after them, they continued rolling out endlessly from all kinds of places.
In a subtropical region, such strange scenes existed.
And surpassing it even further was the Alola region, where piles of Berries stacked into small hills could be seen almost everywhere.
During this time, Hikaru also crafted a batch of Rescue Team and Exploration Team badges, as well as special Lucario statues.
The current team members were:
Exploration Team, or Defense Team: Victini, Celesteela, Genesect, and Spiky-eared Pichu.
Rescue Team, or Space Guard: Deoxys ×3.
"Come to think of it, Victini's Exploration Team—or Defense Team—is led by the Victory Pokémon, so is this not Team Victory?"
"However, in the Hoenn region, I still have something I have not finished. One final matter."
That was certification.
As one of the Pokémon Breeders, Hikaru, who had always been "uncertified," did indeed need to take an official certification exam. Although in every region, there were no small number of mysterious traditional medicine elders selling miraculous little pills…
Traditional medicine was traditional medicine. Those were healing items. The field covered by a Judge, however, was much broader.
Thanks to the clarification of Egg Groups, the Pokémon Breeder profession had gradually shifted from traditional small-scale breeding toward the Day Care cultivation model. For large-scale Pokémon raising, this was an absolutely enormous advancement.
At the same time, the efforts of the professors in every region also allowed Breeders to raise many different Pokémon at once.
In the past, people like "Ranchers" and "Ranch Girls" would also be seen as a type of Breeder. Because they operated ranches, they were the traditional profession that understood Pokémon raising the best. Even an ancient people like the Draconids, who specialized in Dragon-types, could be considered one of the top specialized Breeder groups.
But now, things were different.
Judges were also known as top Pokémon Breeders. In the Hoenn region, there were only six top Breeders certified by the League and association. The breeding books they wrote were the standards and absolute rules of the industry.
Based on the information he had collected, Hikaru discovered that the originally expected three Judges had actually increased to six.
"The former Gym Leader of Sootopolis City, an elegant and brilliant Water-type expert, 'lush and glamorous' Juan."
"The current Gym Leader of Sootopolis City, Hoenn's second Champion, the artist of water, Wallace."
"The woman with special abilities who once appeared in Lilycove City and calls herself the Memory Girl. She can read a Pokémon's memories."
"Also in Lilycove City, the Berry Blender Master. He possesses the strongest Berry-blending technique. Reportedly, the Pokéblocks he makes by hand are all of the highest grade."
"And the remaining two Judges…"
They were both at the Battle Frontier.
The girl who understood a Pokémon's will, and the true Emerald Judge. The former relied on a special ability, while the latter relied on true skill. Pure breeding, without any trace of psychic power or Contest Coordinator elements mixed in.
Although in theory, excellent Coordinators would all make decent Breeders, only the very top group could simultaneously possess breeding ability at the Judge level.
Therefore, Hoenn's other two high-level Coordinators and Contest celebrities, Master Wallace's niece Lisia and her rival Chaz, did not possess Judge-level breeding ability.
After all, their main job was being idols.
Other regions also had Judge-level top Breeders. Although their names and titles did not appear in the games, their locations could be known.
Johto's Judge would appear at the Battle Tower in the Frontier, Unova's Judge was in Gear Station in Nimbasa City, and Kalos's Judge was in the Pokémon Center in southern Kiloude City.
In the Hoenn region, the place where Pokémon Breeder evaluation exams were held was Lilycove City.
The place where the land ended and the sea began.
Moreover, this city had its iconic department store. It was very interesting. Every Saturday, during the clearance sale, Tate and Liza would go buy toys they had never seen before. Brendan also said he would buy discounted furniture to decorate his Secret Base.
Lilycove Department Store could also hold lotteries. Reportedly, the greatest mystery prize was a Master Ball from the Kanto region.
Before entering Lilycove City, Hikaru returned his Pokémon to their balls, leaving only Spiky-eared Pichu beside him.
Pichu's ears twitched. It looked in a certain direction.
There, an elegant man in a blue robe, hands clasped behind his back, was walking toward them.
"Look at this Pichu. So clever, so adorable, and those unique ears that flare like lightning… That golden radiance and bearing are exactly the charm of Electric-type Pokémon."
"Although I am a Water-type expert, when I see a beautiful Pokémon, I cannot help but offer praise."
"Inheritor of the meteors, I never expected someone like you to come here for the exam. As a Champion, your breeding methods have already become a standard for others."
"Speaking of which, you truly kept me waiting! Did Hoenn's nature enchant you? If so, that is the highest praise!"
The person who appeared here was none other than Sootopolis City's former Gym Leader, and one of the six Judges, Juan.
"However, ordinary people cannot learn my breeding methods. After all, the goods I can craft are very unique. To sell those goods properly—or rather, to make them appear less suspicious—I think certification is still quite necessary."
Hikaru shook his head. "In the past, only when some people had nowhere else to turn would they finally notice my medicine. Mysterious medicines always carry seven parts worry when used. But if they are changed into supplements, then no one worries about them."
Juan twirled his mustache and laughed.
"Ha ha! So you have your eyes on reputation! Indeed, if you obtain the title of Judge, then those suspicious-looking miraculous items become reasonable."
Then Juan gave Hikaru something like an ancient European curtsy. However, curtsies were generally a form of greeting used by women.
This was Juan's personal style.
"As a Champion, you are worthy of this respect from me. After all, I am not a Champion."
"To undergo the Judge evaluation, you must first become an official Pokémon Breeder. However, I already know about you."
Juan twirled his mustache. "After all, the people of Sootopolis and the Draconids are inseparably connected."
"Thank you for the help you gave Hoenn. No matter how we thank you for the hand you extended, it cannot express the gratitude in our hearts."
"This elegant world was able to continue existing because the Draconids called the stars of space here. It truly was the most magnificent sight I have ever seen in my life."
"There is a reason we guard the tower… However, although you far surpass me in strength, compared to myself or even Wallace, you still lack elegance. Perhaps…"
Hikaru's expression became rather subtle.
But of course, Juan was not being serious.
Because Juan would immediately say—
Hikaru said, "It seems my stylishness is slightly insufficient! So you are going to lend me your coat?"
Juan said, "Ha ha ha! Not only that, but the previous line too. You must add, 'Your talent and strength, second to none.' Precisely because you are filled with those qualities, I say your stylishness is insufficient. Still, you truly are just as I heard. In certain respects, Psychic users always say other people's words first. It is startling."
"However, the idea of lending you my coat was a joke."
"You are a famous artist in the Unova region! Even that much, I know perfectly well. The clothing you design is very famous, so I was thinking of changing my greeting a little. Why not lend me your coat to wear for a bit?"
Although Juan was still joking when he said this.
The relationship between the people of Sootopolis and the Draconids was originally very close, almost like one family in a superior-subordinate relationship.
Although Juan did not have the "Sootopolitan" Trainer class, there was a reason for that. In the gemstone remakes, he lost his independent model and became an ordinary old man. His character history existed only in Lisia's and Wallace's dialogue.
Probably because the Emerald-version land-sea-sky war did not happen, Master Wallace guarded the Cave of Origin, and Juan no longer needed to appear independently.
All that was needed was for him to tell Master Wallace, in the plot, about the Eternal Flower, the great tree of Sootopolis, and the legend of the giant king AZ.
Hikaru said, "In that case, I might as well design a piece of clothing I once thought about."
"Although I feel that thing is somewhat inauspicious."
"But now that the thousand-year danger has been overcome, for the next stretch of time, this item will become an absolute symbol of peace. Misfortune, mourning, and sorrow have all drifted away with the wind. In another world, it is seen as the symbol of a Champion."
"Steven just happens to be planning to temporarily step away from the Champion position, and Wallace is about to head to the League and take office, right? Out of three Champions, two are not in office. Hoenn truly is lax."
Juan's expression became somewhat subtle. "Oh! That sounds like something extraordinary. What is it? May I have the honor of seeing…"
He stopped halfway through, because Hikaru had taken off his backpack and, at some point, had already taken out that cloak.
A feather-like cloak draped over the body, covering it fully. When spread open, it looked like a legendary bird Pokémon unfurling its wings in flight.
Master Wallace did indeed have a cloak. In the Emerald period, it was white with a blue underside, while in Black 2 and White 2, it was white with a green underside.
But by ORAS, things became a bit strange. The cloak had vanished without a trace.
The Champion's Cloak, also known as the Jobbing Cloak. Whoever wore it would job, but it was also quite stylish when striking a pose.
In the card game, there were also a few special cloaks. There was not only Hero's Cape and Giant Cape, which resembled Doctor Strange's cloak, but even Leon's advertising-covered Cape of Toughness had the honor of being included.
The reason it was tough was probably because too many advertisements had been pasted onto it.
Hikaru said, "However, this cloak does not really suit me. The Unova Champion's cloak should be a long robe like Alder's, closer to the role of a preacher. This cloak is still a little…"
But Juan's eyes lit up. "Elegant! Too elegant!"
Unexpectedly, this cloak, which was indeed somewhat elegant but also rather chuunibyou in nature, seemed to satisfy Juan quite a lot.
"It is almost like something made from the feathers of a swan and an eagle combined!"
"I see. You made it as a symbol. Mm… Very interesting. Earlier, I said I wanted to borrow your coat to wear for a bit. I must take that back."
"I am not joking this time." Juan's expression became extremely subtle as he took out a Poké Ball. "Then, let the Breeder test begin! I look forward to the day that cloak appears on Wallace!"
"However, if that is the case, it is a bit of a pity for Steven. Such an elegant cloak… Mm! Do not ever think that man only likes stones. In truth, I will tell you this: he also secretly participates in Pokémon Contests."
Hikaru blinked.
"That… I really did not know!"
Juan laughed heartily. "There are not many things capable of making you unaware. However, if I continue, it will involve personal privacy. That is merely a little hobby he has when spending time with Wallace. He simply has little time to participate."
Hikaru said, "Is the Breeder test, as well as the advanced top Judge exam, really just an ordinary battle?"
"But since this is a normal Breeder exam, surely there will not be any Pokémon Contest requirements added in, right?"
Juan said, "There will not. Raising Pokémon focuses on a Pokémon's health and friendship, preserving, caring for, and hatching Pokémon Eggs, preparing different Pokémon foods to determine their flavor or nutritional value, and even serving as caretakers, doctors, and researchers…"
"A true Judge must at least possess all the above skills, then polish them to the peak. After that, there is an even more important step: connecting heart-to-heart with Pokémon."
"The Memory Girl, the girl who knows a Pokémon's will—they became Judges precisely because of this incredible ability. After all, as long as we know what a Pokémon truly needs, we can carry out corresponding training."
"One Psychic is worth more than a crowd of mediocre Breeders. Ranches will gradually prosper in the future, and Breeders will be the same."
"And a top Judge is precisely someone who can fully understand a Pokémon's heart."
Beside Juan, a brown-skinned girl dressed in Japanese-style clothing stepped out. She nodded to Hikaru with a smile.
"Pleased to meet you, Champion. I am the Memory Girl."
"The judging process evaluates one selected Pokémon from your team in a certain function and measures the sum of that Pokémon's values, as well as its highest value."
Hikaru said, "That thing is what is called individual values, right? A calculation method once quantified by the professors but not yet fully implemented."
The Memory Girl smiled. "Strong Pokémon, weak Pokémon. If such things are quantified too much, then people will continuously pursue powerful Pokémon and abandon weak ones."
"I think such a situation will definitely appear. Therefore, we only call it a certain function and do not give the specific judgment range."
"However, even the judged content may greatly differ from the abilities that can truly be used. I know you are an extraordinary Trainer, so I would like to ask your guidance. If you do not mind, I will also read some memories afterward."
Hikaru felt that he did not seem to have come here to take an exam. Instead, he seemed to have come to preach and teach. So he asked,
"What do you want to learn?"
The Memory Girl said, "A method that can improve every Pokémon's abilities. Every single one. I hope every Pokémon can be treated equally by Trainers and can fully bring out its potential."
Hikaru laughed when he heard that, and Juan became somewhat embarrassed. "Yiko… Your wish is wonderful, but this is wish-making, not learning."
But the Memory Girl merely smiled. "No. Lord Hikaru possesses such power. I know that better than anyone, because I have already read memories from Pichu."
"They are incredibly wondrous memories. I cannot speak them aloud."
"Pi?! Pichu?!" Spiky-eared Pichu hurriedly covered its head, trying to block the Memory Girl's gaze. But Pichu did not feel any psychic power, so its ears twitched in confusion.
The Memory Girl looked gently at Pichu.
"Traveling alone across a thousand years of spacetime, suffering hardships in the past, witnessing the miracle of the morning star's radiance in another world… At any time, memories never wither. That happy feeling. That joyful feeling."
"That nervous, strenuous feeling. That feeling of utter exhaustion."
"That dangerous atmosphere."
"And in the end, the result made it feel incomparably proud and nostalgic."
Pichu froze for a moment. Looking at the Memory Girl, it fell into "I reckon" mode.
Hikaru said, "I see. The thing you are pursuing is called Hyper Training."
"Training a Pokémon that has reached a certain level, raising its innate capabilities. The Pokémon's individual values do not change. What changes is the highest value it can achieve under maxed individual values."
"In the past, I also helped someone train such a Pokémon."
"Mm. To conduct this special training or study, you must give me materials, such as limited Bottle Caps like Gold Bottle Caps, or other things…"
The Memory Girl said, "No problem. We will give appropriate compensation."
"Then, there are three ways to become a Judge."
"Pass the judging exam under the witness of at least three Judges, including Mr. Juan."
"Receive recommendations from at least six Judges and obtain recognition from at least three Judges in other regions."
Hikaru said, "Wait."
"The third method cannot possibly be something like beating Lisia in front of two hundred Pokémon Contest participants, can it?"
This did not sound like selecting a Judge at all!
——————————
"After obtaining the power of the stars… O-Powers. I always feel a stirring in my heart."
"What is the final package Hikaru handed me?"
After Steven returned to Devon Corporation, he met with President Stone and fully explained the situation from this period. After learning many of the inside details, President Stone's expression also became grave. In the end, it turned into nothing more than a long sigh.
Mr. Stone said, "The stars that rushed here from space to help us were like something out of a dreamlike tale. We truly valued the products of technology too much and overlooked the power of nature. Some things in our world really are driven by will and emotion."
Once one understood this…
The Real Robot genre was about to become Super Robot.
"The crisis appeared a thousand years ago, and the method to resolve it was also passed down. It must continue being passed to the next millennium… For the summit in December, I will also send our company's researchers to the site as representatives."
Steven said, "Thank you, Father. You supported us with everything you had and believed that we could succeed until the final moment. Belief really is a powerful force. It will surely draw in humanity's miracles. This is the Miracle of Axis."
Joseph Stone said, "To avoid walking the wrong path of Greater Mauville Holdings, and to allow Devon to develop more sustainably, simply shouting slogans is useless. The more bright and righteous the slogans are, the more filth is often hidden within."
"We are ultimately a commercial company. I cannot guarantee it will never change for the worse. But at least in your generation, there will not be any problems. I can be completely at ease."
Steven sighed. "At our parting, I was reminded again. I have thought about it as well."
"If Greater Mauville Holdings had not been destroyed, Wattson, Dock, Professor Cozmo, Mr. Bonding, and Captain Stern would not have appeared. Hoenn would not be as prosperous as it is today, constantly producing technical talent and people inheriting the power of space."
"People can understand one another. People and Pokémon can understand one another as well. Those are words I heard from the Star Uncle five-man team. I think they can be used as the future motto of our company."
"As long as no slogans appear like 'For Almia's bright future,' 'I so love Galar,' or 'I want to live in the world I love'…"
Father and son looked at each other. Joseph Stone nodded. "Using Infinity Energy is indeed an extremely dangerous technology. Perhaps we truly should try exploring more energy sources."
"For example, space."
"In the Sinnoh region, there seems to be a team called the Space Energy Development Organization…"
"Cough! That is a terrorist organization." Steven coughed lightly. "Let us find another group."
Joseph Stone laughed loudly. "Joking, joking. Oh, right. Steven, what exactly is that package?"
Steven solemnly opened it. Along with a faint glow, the clothing seemed to vanish naturally, then transformed into dust-like light and draped over Steven's shoulders.
"I see. I understand now."
"The so-called Champion's Cloak—no, this is something even more important than a cloak."
"This is the Arc Suit."
(End of Chapter)
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