Becoming Hoenn's seventh Evaluator—there really was something subtle about the number seven.
And somehow, it carried a strong sense of déjà vu, like "starting today, you're the Hokage."
That was what Hikaru was thinking. What he did not know was that the Memory Girl felt excited and delighted as well.
That was because the Evaluator exam was not easy to pass. Like many professions, getting started was not difficult, but to master it—even to become top-class—required a long period of training and study.
For the Memory Girl, she had met all sorts of people, not to mention that she knew several of Hoenn's Champions.
The Champions' methods of raising Pokémon were highly individualistic. Generally speaking, simply copying them would not allow other Trainers to reach the same level as a Champion, or even come close. If only it were that easy.
There were plenty of people who, in pursuit of strength, abandoned their own Pokémon and even turned around to capture Legendary Pokémon instead.
Of course, such people usually did not end well.
Precisely because Champions each had their own unique understanding of training, their methods could not be used as a standard for evaluation.
Therefore, Champions were Champions, and Evaluators were Evaluators.
The Memory Girl said, "An Evaluator… a top Breeder, is someone who, under any circumstances and while raising any Pokémon, can bring out that Pokémon's talents and power to an outstanding level."
"For someone at that level, when it comes to raising Pokémon, they must at least possess a degree of [universality] in some type."
All types, and all five training results, had been passed perfectly.
Exactly as she had predicted. Not the slightest deviation.
So this was the universally applicable raising method mastered by this new Champion Evaluator.
"That is the thing you seek. The exam is passed. Thank you, everyone, for serving as examiners."
"Next is to teach you what you need: [Hyper Training], a special training method once passed down in the Alola region from the distant past. Of course, as agreed, there must be [compensation]."
The Memory Girl smiled and nodded, then released her own Pokémon.
It was a Mawile that matched her outfit very well. However, it was extremely small, a petite individual.
Mawile, the Deceiver Pokémon.
She had a yellow, doll-like body and looked like a little human girl. However, the so-called "ponytail" was actually her enormous jaw, formed from transformed steel horns.
It would lull opponents into carelessness with its docile appearance, then suddenly turn around and bite down with its huge jaws. Cunning and terrifying, once it bit down, it would never let go. It could even bite through I-beams. Because the enormous jaw behind its head had no sense of taste, it used that mouth to eat things it disliked.
The Memory Girl said, "This is my Mawile. She looks weaker than others of her species. In the past, she was… a Pokémon abandoned because she was too weak."
"After I raised and cared for her, she became strong."
"However, although effort after birth raised all of her abilities, it seems some of the defects she was born with still remain."
"She has [fantastic] [HP] and [Defense], but only average [Special] ability. Her [Attack] and [Speed] are [maybe no good]."
[Fantastic] meant that the individual value in that stat was 30.
[Average] meant the individual value was between 1 and 15.
And [maybe no good] meant that the individual value for that stat was 0.
"Mawi." Mawile seemed somewhat unhappy. Hikaru read her heart, causing the Pokémon to freeze slightly as she listened to this stranger's evaluation.
Hikaru said, "I heard her voice. Weakness in some of her innate abilities means she must pay a greater price than other Pokémon in training. That is exactly what it means to get half the result for twice the effort."
"However, even if innate IV strength is power one is born with, as you said, in order for all Pokémon to be treated equally by Trainers, and to fully develop their [potential]…"
"Without changing IVs themselves, raising one's innate ability to the highest possible level it could originally reach—to the limit of one's talent—that is [potential release]!"
"And so, the boundary between weak Pokémon and powerful Pokémon will become blurred. From then on, this Pokémon's training and effort will receive more than enough reward."
"As long as she continues training, the amount of potential she can dig out of herself will grow greater and greater. Therefore, the hardships of the past will eventually reach the day when they flower and bear fruit."
"Mawi?" Mawile tilted her head and blinked, somewhat curious. Although she did not understand what Hikaru's evaluation meant, it seemed he could help improve her talent. Was there really such a thing?
Meanwhile, Hikaru was thinking to himself.
And developing potential sounded exactly like the Grand Elder of Namek, or Old Kai.
Although many Pokémon still had poor distributions in Abilities and species strengths, no matter what, if their individual potential was raised to the maximum level, they would certainly become capable of appearing in battle.
Besides, in the Pokémon world, the so-called [meta slaves] often lost to the [true-love faction]. After long periods of training and battle, some Pokémon's power and speed could even change. Such things were even written into their ecological traits.
As for games, they could not give every rotten fish and shrimp on the roadside several separate models and special forms just to distinguish them. There was not enough memory for that.
Also, the Memory Girl's fashion style was very similar to the Furisode Girls of Laverre Gym in the Kalos region. Or rather, she looked almost exactly like one of the four Furisode Girls, [Shion].
However, in the setting, they were not the same character. Perhaps she was Shion's older sister or something.
Accompanied by an elegant wind dance, Lilligant spun onto the field!
Juan said, "Hm? A Pokémon I have never seen before. Could this be the very elegant ancient dancer Steven mentioned?"
"So this is a change caused by so-called [regional forms] and the influence of [climate and culture]?"
Hikaru said, "Long ago, people found it difficult to distinguish dance from martial arts. In move classification, dance movements have never truly been treated as a proper move category."
"However, after the customs of a certain hot southern region gradually spread across the world, I think [dance moves] should soon be officially established."
"At the academic research conference not long from now."
If no one brought it up—no, someone probably would, right?
Normally speaking, Hyper Training required reaching Level 50 or Level 100 before it could be performed. However, the [effort levels] in Pokémon Legends: Arceus could also be seen as the primitive version of Hyper Training, and those had no such restriction.
Hikaru said, "Come. First hold this Gigaton Ball, then follow my method and use the corresponding move… Evaluation: [trained]!"
"However, this special training only increases the potential-based stats. It does not change the innate IVs themselves, so it will not affect IV inheritance or Hidden Power calculations. Of course, that part is a research topic for the Professors."
In other words, the strength one trained oneself to obtain could not be passed down to descendants.
For Breeders, pursuing 6V—six perfect IVs—or 5V Pokémon was actually normal.
But for Trainers, they were not professional egg hatchers, so there was no need to care about such things.
Moreover, when it came to inheritance, Professor Elm still had many unclear points, so research was ongoing. This part of the games was also quite complex, even including special circumstances such as chain inheritance that could not be concluded without carefully observing several generations of descendants.
The Memory Girl said, "We begin now? It sounds as if she can improve immediately?"
Hikaru said, "Hyper Training is a training mode that breaks through one's own limits and fully develops potential. For some Pokémon, improving all their power may take some time, but if it is only teaching a few techniques and improving one or two abilities, there is no problem at all."
"After all, what you need is not a complete improvement, but only the technique, correct?"
"Besides, Mawile is a Pokémon with very high latent power. [Hyper Cutter] prevents its stats from being lowered. [Intimidate] lowers the opponent's Attack. [Sheer Force] sacrifices additional effects in exchange for higher move power."
"You know about Mega Evolution, yes? A secret passed down for thousands of years in Hoenn, and something that has recently been discovered and researched in the Kalos region as well. The so-called [evolution beyond evolution] is, in other words, a further explosion of a Pokémon's potential."
"Do you know what Mawile's Ability becomes after Mega Evolution?"
"It becomes [Huge Power]!"
Research into various Mega Pokémon was undoubtedly still in its early stages. After all, there were far more people in Hoenn capable of Mega Evolution than in Kalos. This was still a consequence of XY being a half-finished product.
Even Alain, who had appeared as a little anime Easter egg, was someone Steven had met many years earlier in the game world. He was not from the same period as Ash at all. Naturally, he also had no connection with villainous organizations such as Team Flare. In all likelihood, he was already in his twenties now, around Steven's age.
Therefore, the black Charizard had instead become a legend. But Red would soon obtain two Mega Stones. His Charizard had both [X] and [Y].
"The first thing to improve…" Seeing Mawile panic a little while holding the Gigaton Ball, Hikaru looked toward Lilligant.
Hisuian Lilligant danced a magnificent dance, stirring up an encouraging floral fragrance and raising Mawile's confidence.
And then—
Her strength rose!
"Mawi?!"
Such powerful strength. What was happening? So much power!
"[Entrainment]," Hikaru said. "The user dances to a mysterious rhythm, making the opponent imitate its movements and changing its Ability to match."
"My Lilligant's Ability is [Hustle]. Under the influence of this Ability, she possesses a physical Attack base stat as high as 157!"
"Feel this power. From now until several hours later, the number of moves you can use will be restricted to [one]! After repeatedly fainting and being revived, your combat power will rise rapidly!"
Watching the Memory Girl begin learning, Juan stroked his mustache and greeted the Berry Blender Master.
"As a top Breeder, one always has one special raising method or another. And at the very least, one can cultivate a certain type evenly. Hyper Training, potential development… this is the ability of the seventh Evaluator."
The Berry Blender Master stroked his beard. "In that case, fewer Pokémon will be abandoned in the future, yes? Even famous people have parted from, or even discarded, partners who stayed by their side because those partners were too weak."
"The younger a person is, the more likely they are to show that immaturity. Love ultimately cannot defeat numbers. But if Hyper Training can be passed down… everything will be different."
"As expected of the inheritor of the stars."
"The ancient [paradise] of the Island Kings of Alola."
Juan said, "Different regions also have different training and raising methods. Johto seems to have a saying about humans and Pokémon sharing life equally, while we in Hoenn emphasize wishes and bonds. To be honest, compared to a visible method of growing stronger such as Hyper Training, whether it is sharing life or making wishes, both are somewhat vague."
"Young people possess hot-blooded drive, but once they encounter setbacks, they easily retreat or lose their way. That is also a common trait. Only those with [courage] can advance bravely."
"Then, in order to inherit this training method, we must prepare compensation. Although I do not know what a [Gold Bottle Cap] is, fortunately, other things can replace it."
The Berry Blender Master said, "Gold Bottle Cap… Hm, I feel like I've heard of that somewhere. Is it some limited rare Bottle Cap, or…"
Juan froze, then burst into laughter.
"Bottle Cap? Do you mean the kind collected by Bottle Cap collectors? How could you exchange a method like this for Bottle Caps?"
"Hm." But immediately afterward, Juan began thinking seriously.
Because it was so abstract, it somehow felt as though it might be true.
"However, I will not go searching for that kind of Bottle Cap. As for the compensation I prepared, what could be more valuable to a top Breeder than a [secret Pokéblock recipe]?"
Juan took a notebook from his chest. "Old sir, do you know of an [element] within Pokéblocks that has not yet been clearly identified?"
The Berry Blender Master said, "The [deliciousness] between [flavor] and [smoothness]? But deliciousness is subjective. Not all Pokémon are willing to accept certain Berry flavors. During blending, some flavors cancel each other out."
Juan closed his eyes and smiled. "Creating Pokéblocks acceptable to all Pokémon and raising deliciousness to its absolute limit—that is precisely the secret technique I possess as a Breeder, something I do not pass down lightly!"
"Blocks made by machines ultimately have limits. Data cannot be quantified, but in traditional handmade preparation, extra information can exist. That is [love]."
"It is said that Galar's famous curry rice is filled with love, and that is why it becomes so delicious."
The Berry Blender Master was shocked. "What in the world…? Something like that is far too strange!"
"Of course, there are other things written here as well." Juan smiled. "Long ago, when I taught Wallace, I told him this."
"Gaze into the spring water. Focus your mind and stare at the spring before you. Let your spirit and body, excited by special training, calm down. Slowly watch the ripples on the water's surface and let your heart become completely empty."
"After seeing that Lucario's battle, I thought to myself that this was the first time I had seen something that went even further than the training I once did—maintaining a strong and quiet mind while still being able to strike fiercely."
"I believe this is an important component that completes my doctrine. Therefore, I will teach you everything I know about water without holding anything back."
"To make the heart clearer, and at the same time, to avoid being swayed by emotion and falling into panic, one must not rely on theory. One must rely on instinct and act. In unexpected situations, one must make instant judgments."
"[Make the heart stronger]. This is my method of raising Pokémon. Long ago, I learned and understood it in a certain town that represented spring water."
On the battlefield, after Hisuian Lilligant danced [Victory Dance], she used a second attacking move on Mawile.
Amid endless petals and fragrance, nature came forth without intention.
"It is [Petal Dance]."
Countless swirling petals spun around. Leaves glowed bright yellow, and from the leaves and the opening of the pale pink flower on her head, she released a tornado-like attack toward her opponent.
It was said that when this move was used in different [gardens], it would vary slightly. At this moment, the petals Lilligant released were clearly not ordinary flowers.
They should have been pink flowers, yet they had become a pure white color like lotuses. Although their power did not change, in terms of visual appeal—
The Memory Girl and Mawile watched for quite some time, lost in a daze.
Hikaru said, "Do not worry. The damage caused by the move has not changed. Ancient dreamlike fragrance is released without intention, and the petals of the flowers you see are…"
"Panna Lotus."
"For Steel/Fairy Mawile, once she [understands] the newly discovered Fairy type, she will resist Grass type twice over."
"However…" The Memory Girl pondered. "Dance can improve one's coordination, and sometimes it can indeed increase one's power. But Petal Dance is an exception. It causes the Pokémon to become confused. Is that truly all right?"
"A beautiful flower blooms only briefly, and afterward, it harms itself…"
But Hikaru waved a hand.
"That is not necessarily true."
"Petal Dance actually has three side effects."
Having even one side effect was already quite terrifying. However, in different works, Petal Dance's side effects somehow reached three.
Was this the price of 120 power?
Hikaru said, "If used in the Ransei region, its side effect is the same as Hyper Beam. After attacking continuously two to three times, the user becomes stiff for one turn."
"However, if it is influenced by Hisui's climate and culture, and after learning the secret of a certain flurry-strike martial art, its negative effect becomes… [fixation]!"
"In the fixated state, the Pokémon will not become confused. Instead, it becomes aggressive. The move it is fixated on will deal 1.5 times the damage, while damage it receives will also increase."
"The Dance of Panna Lotus will become tremendously powerful!"
——————
After helping the Memory Girl complete her special training and receiving Juan's compensation, Hikaru said goodbye to the three Evaluators and left the Lilycove City venue.
At that moment, an unexpected girl appeared. Juan's expression did not change. Seeing Hikaru's questioning gaze, the "Latin old man" simply stroked his mustache and smiled.
"My student Wallace has a very lively and active niece. In Hoenn's Pokémon Contest scene, she is called an idol. And she is very famous."
"Although she was so obsessed with Pokémon Contests that she did not even know of my existence before. That boy Wallace never discussed me with his own niece. It makes me a little sad."
"But if one often performs in Lilycove City, then eventually, one will meet. Allow me to introduce her. This is the [Lisia] you know!"
Lisia struck her signature entrance pose and spun in a circle. It seemed she wore that Pokémon Contest outfit no matter the occasion.
"Sparkling~! Spinning~! I'm Hoenn's Pokémon Contest idol, the Dazzling Dizzying ☆ Lisia!"
The lineage of name calls and splendid introductions that began with Juan was displayed to the fullest through Lisia.
Juan said, "She also took the Evaluator exam before, but unfortunately, she focused too much on splendor and failed. So, top-class Pokémon Breeder is not a goal one can reach easily. Now, Lisia, you more or less understand, yes?"
"…Lisia?"
Juan noticed that Lisia's expression was strange, and his heart immediately skipped.
Sure enough, Lisia's eyes sparkled as she got straight to the point with Hikaru.
"Champion of Unova, I'm happy to meet you! Please come participate in Hoenn's Pokémon Contests in the future! Anyone can become an idol! Possibilities are ☆ infinite!"
"Dazzling Dizzying ☆ Idol Discovery! That ancient-form Lilligant is really beautiful! As long as she participates in Pokémon Contests, she will definitely bring people joy and excitement. She can easily become a true top Coordinator!"
Juan pressed a hand to his forehead.
"Ahem! Has [Lisia's big scouting spree] started again? It seems you have forgotten that you came here to observe the Evaluator exam and make up for your own shortcomings…"
Once Wallace's niece discovered a Trainer with Contest potential, she would throw her original goal to the back of her mind. Or rather, it was precisely because she loved Pokémon Contests too much that she was somewhat lacking in other areas.
Juan said, "Ahem. Lord Hikaru is a great artist from the Unova region, apparently a very famous person. Scouting such a person is impossible."
"And he is also an important member of the BOSS Fan Club, as well as the guitarist of the currently booming Koffing Band."
"K-Koffing Band!" Lisia suddenly exclaimed in surprise. "Grandmaster, you mean that very famous band that released an album at Pokéstar Studios and is currently the talk of the world?!"
She had not expected him to be such an incredible person. Lisia pursed her lips. "Although I also have my own theme song, Charm ☆ Heart, it simply can't compare to the Koffing Band. The newest world-class band seems to be preparing for a tour right now… No wonder your performance was so incredible!"
Looking at Lisia's expression, Hikaru could not help thinking of another "idol."
Haru Shion was ultimately an "extra-type character" from the Skyscraper. The orthodox Unova idols should be "Yancy" and "Curtis" from Black 2 and White 2.
Those two were also the player's Xtransceiver romance targets in Black 2 and White 2. Come to think of it, weren't Lisia and Yancy somewhat similar?
Even their fashion styles were rather close.
"I see. In order to become someone as radiant as you, I also have to stake everything on passing the Evaluator exam!" Lisia finally understood the meaning behind Juan having her observe from backstage. Juan, meanwhile, said to Hikaru:
"Then, have you finished appreciating Hoenn's nature?"
Hikaru said, "Yes. Hoenn's nature is truly beautiful. Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Juan. I believe that in terms of raising Pokémon, I have made considerable progress once again."
"And so, this wind that illuminates the world will accompany me and blow toward distant Galar."
——————
Several regions illuminated by the stars seemed to be undergoing abnormal changes. Because of the radiance of the Wishing Star, the history of the future had begun to deviate.
The first change appeared in the Sinnoh region.
Team Galactic's reorganization and major purge caused large numbers of Team Galactic members to lose their "jobs." At the same time, Team Galactic's external activities seemed to have temporarily stopped.
Although companies such as the Space Development Corporation and Galaxy Corporation were still operating normally, the sealing and investigation of the Team Galactic Eterna Building forced Cyrus to withdraw his attention from the two projects of [collecting Pokémon related to space] and [utilizing Pokémon energy].
He then shifted his focus onto a more important matter.
The once-every-several-years academic summit that would soon be held in Canalave City would see all sorts of astonishing results presented by Professors from different regions. In the past, exchange between regions had not been smooth. Over the previous fifty years, such research conferences were often held only once every five to eight years.
Now, that interval had shortened to one or two research presentations every two to four years. There were many outstanding new-generation Professors, while the older Professors had also produced results. And because regional exchange had grown more frequent, renowned Professors would travel from afar with their apprentices, joining major entrepreneurs and researchers from every region in one place.
"The stars of humanity… this truly is a rare grand gathering."
"The academic research conference, which was held at Celadon University through almost every generation, is actually being held in Canalave City in Sinnoh. As expected… this region's history and mythology, along with Professor Rowan's investigations and research, are gradually receiving attention. As an elder of academia, Professor Rowan has made outstanding contributions to the Sinnoh region."
"Therefore, sending people at the beginning to seize his research materials was still the correct choice. Although the goal was not achieved, as long as I attend this meeting, I will be able to listen in on many unknown things."
That said, if he had not been exposed, Cyrus could have easily attended as the head of a major Sinnoh corporation. But now, due to unknown accusations and the occurrence of multiple attack incidents, even if the evidence was not yet conclusive, he could no longer appear in public.
However, the madness in Cyrus's heart had not lessened. Instead, a terrifying idea had arisen.
This academic summit was different from all those before it.
The Professors in attendance had reached the highest level in history, and there were even many people from distant overseas lands whose names he had never heard.
Humanity's true wisdom and intellect were gathered in Sinnoh.
If something unexpected happened to them…
Human civilization would regress five hundred years in an instant!
Although for people from the Kalos region, that might be "regressing five hundred years back to the age of mysterious science—there's such a good thing?" For the people of other regions, that would be an extremely painful and sorrowful event.
Of course, directly dropping the Galactic Bomb on Canalave City and killing all these Professors was still far too extreme. Although Charon had proposed it in order to clear his own grievances and monopolize the research results, Cyrus did not intend to do that.
Rejected!
Because at the moment the new galaxy was born, the life and death of the old world would become meaningless.
"I will make these Professors understand the moment the new world is born! I will make these stars of humanity see it with their own eyes and experience it with their own bodies!"
"If bombs cannot be dropped at the three lakes, then the bombing targets must be changed."
"Even without obtaining power from the power plant, useful information was still obtained by interrogating Charon. If we drain the energy of Stark Mountain, we can create an even more powerful bomb. Add to that the energy we collected from the stars of the Leo meteor shower!"
"The Hoenn region possesses technology capable of converting geothermal and magma energy into power. Thanks to the spread of that technology, and thanks to the former researchers of Greater Mauville Holdings—those wandering, bankrupt, homeless, constantly debt-ridden, pitiful researchers—working sleeplessly through the night, all of this has become possible."
"With energy development companies from other regions, we have also established deep exchange in the conversion of energy technology."
"From the Battle Frontier as a starting point, all the way to the Spear Pillar whose location remains unknown, everything will come to an end!"
"The history of Team Galactic will vanish together with Sinnoh!"
——————
In the Alola region, south of the four islands, at the [Aether Foundation] located on [Aether Paradise].
"The academic conference being held in Canalave City is an excellent opportunity."
"Research and analysis of the Star Child was interrupted by the sudden meteor incident. But the stars will ultimately grant my wish and let my love spread across the Alola region."
"Even beyond the Ultra Wormhole, humans from another world have appeared as well. This is precisely a miraculous omen before the fulfillment of my wish!"
"This fully proves that omnipresent light and power exist in the universe!"
"In the past, the Aether Foundation did not operate in the Alola region. But now, this ancient paradise is the perfect place for us to realize our ideal."
"To that end, we invited Dr. Burnet, an expert in the study of space."
The Aether Foundation's president, Lusamine, was walking through Paradise while touring the artificial island's Pokémon habitats and explaining matters to her important subordinates.
And Lusamine thought that if Mohn had not disappeared, he should have been able to attend this academic research conference as well.
But that did not matter.
For the sake of researching [space], and for the sake of perfecting "those three" Pokémon.
In the Sinnoh region, legends concerning [space] had been passed down.
Therefore, the Canalave City conference was one she absolutely had to attend. At the same time, in order to study Ultra Space more deeply, the Aether Foundation was actively conducting investigations and research in other distant or nearby regions as well.
Although they were not exactly welcomed or noticed by the locals, and were regarded as a somewhat strange organization.
Lusamine looked at the report in her hands.
Aether Report: Ultra Wormholes.
[Beyond the Ultra Wormhole discovered by Dr. Mohn lies a vast foreign space.]
[Based on changes in its mass, we infer that beings similar to Pokémon exist there. For the time being, we call them Ultra Beasts.]
Aether Report: Cosmog.
[We infer that Cosmog is a kind of Ultra Beast that came here from a foreign space—in other words, from Ultra Space.]
[After a certain amount of pressure is inflicted on its body and mind, it may use its ability to open Ultra Wormholes in order to flee.]
[At present, we are developing a device to inflict pressure on its body and mind, thereby maintaining an Ultra Wormhole.]
"The Star Child of Alolan legend is one type of Ultra Beast."
"The first people from Ultra Megalopolis arrived at exactly the right time! Although they said this was an extremely dangerous first jump and immediately returned, the development project for the [special Ball] has fallen into a bottleneck. And they brought with them unimaginable scientific power."
The newly promoted elite subordinate, Faba, had replaced the previous developer and was now handling the development of this kind of Ball.
"However, the [machine that can control Pokémon] they proposed… Heh. To think they would make such a request. For me, someone who loves Pokémon, it is nothing short of blasphemy."
"Of course, it is not as if we have achieved nothing. Wicke."
Miss Wicke, one of Lusamine's subordinates, had once traveled through the Kanto region and therefore knew about Team Rocket. Team Rocket had once developed machines that controlled Pokémon, though those machines did not seem to function especially well.
Wicke looked very worried. "…President, I do not think this is the right choice."
Of course, Wicke did not know the details of Team Rocket's technology.
But those technologies were failures. She had heard they once controlled some powerful Pokémon, but ultimately failed. As for the recent events in Kanto and Johto, she did not know much.
The Alola region was very far from every other region, so outside information did not flow smoothly. Even active investigations made it difficult to maintain long-term, effective contact with the outside world.
There was only one place relatively close to Alola.
"…This is for the peace and prosperity of Alola's [paradise]. That is why we must investigate another [lost paradise]."
Lusamine's expression became slightly terrifying. Although she was smiling, Wicke found it rather sinister.
"It is said that in [Oblivia], there were [ancient heroes] who could communicate heart-to-heart with Pokémon and control them in battle. They used items such as [tops] and [slates]. If we can clarify what that means…"
"Summoning Pokémon to battle. In the nursery rhymes of ancient heroes, it also seems highly similar to Alola's [Ride Pokémon]."
"Although the current information is still unclear."
"But it seems some organization is secretly active there. If we can obtain the technology used by those heroes, we can conduct a technical exchange with the people of Ultra Megalopolis. It would be of astonishing help to our research."
"If you do not intend to investigate it, I will simply send someone else."
Lusamine shook her head.
She was not the kind of person who would work her subordinates to death. At most, she would demote them. Besides, Lost Paradise was more dangerous and primitive than Paradise.
They truly did need to make preparations.
"We will first prepare to go to the Sinnoh region."
At this time, Colress had not yet triggered the events of regret in Black 2 and White 2, so naturally, he could not come help the Aether Foundation develop Beast Balls.
And the Pokémon-controlling [final model of the Colress Machine] was currently still nothing more than unstable scrap iron.
The development of Beast Balls took at least five years or more. It was an extremely long process for a completely new kind of Ball, and it repeatedly encountered technical bottlenecks.
However, the [Control Gauntlet] in the Oblivia region, which had functions similar to the Colress Machine, had not yet been developed either. Lusamine also did not yet know about another kind of [ancient armor].
But she instinctively felt that in Lost Paradise, there was definitely something she was looking for. Perhaps if she had contact with a certain organization operating in the shadows, there would be unexpected gains.
——————————
The Galar region. Macro Cosmos's headquarters, Rose Tower!
In Wyndon, Rose Tower could only be reached by monorail. It was the headquarters building of the group, and many subsidiaries were under its umbrella.
Aviation, railways, energy, technology, construction, daily living, banking, television, freight, logistics, life insurance, securities…
And the gradually rising [internet].
In addition, when the assets of the eight Gyms were included—especially Turffield, Hulbury, and Motostoke—the company covered livestock farming, fisheries, coal development, and industry.
Calling it a universal megacorporation would not be an exaggeration.
"…You are saying that you want to exchange and share energy development technology with us."
Chairman Rose fiddled with his hair. "Regarding energy conversion technology involving stars, crystals, and the like, if we help each other, it could indeed produce an unbelievable chemical reaction."
"But why has your company come to us for cooperation? Hoenn's Devon Corporation and Sinnoh's Space Development Corporation have both achieved considerable success in the energy field, haven't they?"
[Your region's energy is no longer sufficient to support consumption for the next thousand years. Our energy is the same. Precisely because you have a need, I came to you.]
[Chairman Rose, although this is our first meeting, let us speak openly and frankly!]
On the other side of the display was a face obscured by darkness. Behind Chairman Rose was a glass window, sunlight spilling over his body, forming a sharp contrast with the other company leader in the dark.
"You are standing in darkness, yet saying things like [open the window]. That is rather strange."
[Heh-heh. To labor in the darkness, in the stillness of deep night—that is the moment when God most loves to whisper to you.]
[There is a great dream in my heart. I imagine that you, too, have a dream in yours, yes? Devoting yourself to Galar's brilliant development and its future a thousand years from now…]
"…" Rose's expression became somewhat displeased.
He never placed others on equal footing with himself, except for a small number of people. Therefore, in many matters, he acted arbitrarily. When negotiating with companies weaker than his own, he generally held the dominant position.
After all, his company was an enormous oligopoly.
And now, it felt as if his inner heart had been covered by a smear of darkness and seen through by the leader of another company before him. This feeling made Rose extremely unhappy.
[Please forgive me for peering into your heart. However, regarding the development of Dream Energy, I believe our interests are aligned. We share a common goal.]
[As long as we exchange technology, we can realize the greatest ideals in our hearts. This is a win-win situation… The crystal has revealed as much to me. Devon Corporation has abandoned its ideals, and the Space Development Corporation is nothing but lunatics! Only you can understand me!]
[And most importantly, both your grandfather and mine were miners, were they not?]
Crystal? Rose did not understand the meaning of the other man's words. Perhaps it was some key item, like that thing he had hidden beneath the Energy Plant… Ah, that thing did not seem to have any rationality.
It had never given him any revelation either. Moreover, that thing had been [found] in the process of developing Dynamax Bands while actively seeking out energy.
Therefore, everything he did was in obedience to his own heart.
As for miners, Rose had never forgotten his childhood memories. It was precisely to prevent Galar from returning to that state that he continued developing energy.
Yes. It was precisely because of those words that Rose made his decision.
"For the future of Galar one thousand years from now."
In the end, Rose sighed. Some of the data and research results the other party had sent made him very tempted.
But the puzzling part was why the research content and some of the results were more than ten years apart.
No, even longer. Twenty years. Some even went back seventy years?
However, [Remote Control] and [Incredible]… what machines were these? They were labeled as machines related to Pokémon, but the complete blueprints were absent. Only a small portion of the content was included.
"I see. This machine is quite interesting."
[That is a small gift. If our cooperation deepens, this machine… can be provided for your use.]
That was precisely a machine that controlled Pokémon, but the blueprint did not say so explicitly.
Rose did not quite understand the fundamental operating principle of this machine, but he could sense a certain terrifying malice.
"Altru Inc. President Blake Hall… you and I are the same type of person. However, your ambition is greater than mine."
Blake Hall said:
[Ambition? No. I told you. It is an ideal!]
[God said to the king: stretch out your hand toward the sky, so that darkness may descend upon the land, a darkness that can be felt.]
[And so the king stretched his hand toward the sky, and thick darkness descended upon the country for three days. For three days, people could not see one another, nor could they leave their places. But those with ideals had light shining upon the places where they lived.]
[In a distant region, apparently called Alola, darkness is an eclipse, but also an omen of good fortune before the arrival of light!]
[Night will occur three times. Afterward, an age of infinite light will arrive.]
Of course, that statement was false.
What Blake Hall was thinking in his heart was this:
After the three nights, what would come was the fourth night.
By then, Macro Cosmos would be nothing more than a skeleton in the grave.
But for now, at least on the surface, he had to say something polished.
The one who would bring about the final long night would definitely be himself.
Of course, what Blake Hall did not know was that Rose was also thinking about night.
Three nights carried the feeling of a prophecy of the world's destruction.
However, Galar had been born because of the [Darkest Day], and had prospered to the present because of it.
Therefore, darkness truly was an omen of good fortune. And the one who would bring about the final night was, of course—
"Me!"
That was what both presidents were thinking in their hearts.
Blake Hall crossed his hands, allowing his sunglass-wearing face to emerge from the darkness.
[At Altru Inc.'s seventieth anniversary celebration, we will use this technology—this beautiful and outstanding super-technology obtained from Galar!]
[And we will redevelop the region where we are located!]
[A pleasure doing business with you, Chairman Rose.]
[Yes. For Galar's thousand-year plan, for the contribution we will make to the entire world, and also for "the bright future of Almia"!]
(End of Chapter)
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