"So, it seems I've been chosen as well."
Although Lucas had just mentally labeled Reshiram as a "scumbag dragon," he knew that being selected by it wasn't anything strange.
For now, Hilda had been chosen by the white dragon—but clearly, it hadn't fully acknowledged her. Otherwise, Reshiram would have already bonded with her.
In other words, Hilda was currently just a "reserve hero of truth."
And now that Lucas had entered Dragonspiral Tower, he too had joined this "truth candidate" lineup.
The corners of Lucas's lips lifted slightly as he began considering how to answer the white dragon's question.
As for his earlier thoughts—"Reshiram is trash, who needs it anyway?"—Lucas had, very conveniently, already forgotten them.
Yes, he was just that real.
A living, breathing Reshiram right in front of you—and you don't want it? Your brain must've been slammed in a door!
No matter what anyone said, Reshiram was still a high-tier legendary Pokémon. Maybe its power couldn't match absolute top-tier legends like Rayquaza, Kyurem, or Zacian, but it was still undeniably elite.
And more importantly—it was a high-tier legend that didn't even require excessive scheming to obtain. How could that not be tempting?
Strictly speaking, Reshiram and Zekrom were among the easiest legends to obtain—but in another sense, they were also the hardest.
Because to earn their recognition, one's truth or ideals had to align deeply with the dragons' essence.
And now that Reshiram had reached out to Lucas, it meant it had sensed a powerful truth within him.
"Tell me—what is your truth?"
At that moment, Reshiram's ethereal telepathic voice echoed once again in Lucas's heart.
"My truth, huh…"
Lucas fell into thought. What was his truth?
Truth and ideals were fundamentally different. Everyone had ideals—Lucas's weren't grand, but he did have a goal that might qualify: to reach the peak as a Pokémon Trainer.
So, when he learned back in the Dragonspiral Tower that N had taken the Black Dragon—Zekrom, the ideal dragon—he had actually felt relieved.
Because deep down, he knew that his ideal—becoming the strongest—probably wouldn't earn Zekrom's approval. Too many people in the world shared that same dream; the only difference was how strongly they pursued it.
But truth was something else entirely. Truth was about knowing oneself, understanding the world, seeing through illusions and façades.
To understand your true self. To see the world as it really is. And then—to pursue ultimate truth.
"I don't know what others believe their truth to be. But to me, truth is reality—and reality is unbearably cruel."
"The truth I seek is power. With power, I can do as I please. With power, I can overcome any obstacle."
"There is no such thing as true equality in this world. Ideals are just a form of self-hypnosis—a beautiful lie people tell themselves. The brutal reality is the actual nature of this world."
Lucas spoke inwardly to Reshiram, his voice low and resolute. This was how he saw the world.
Why could the Pokémon League tower above every other force? What gave them that right?
It was centuries of accumulated power. The Four Heavenly Kings of every region. The massive and well-organized Joy and Officer Jenny networks.
All of it was a kind of unspoken coercion. The Pokémon League was praised as noble—but what truly made it unshakable was overwhelming force.
"What I seek… is true freedom. I want to stand at the very top."
Ideals and dreams—they were things everyone had.
And yes, it was because of dreams that the world could become more beautiful. But dreams were still dreams.
Truth was the core of the world.
It was hard—so very hard—for ideals to surpass reality. And that's exactly why they were called "ideals."
But Lucas had always pursued truth. Even as a child, he understood how fragile ideals could be.
Everyone had a childhood. Everyone once dreamed. But how many people could truly realize those dreams as adults?
Most people eventually lost to the cruel reality of the world.
Reshiram didn't respond.
"No response?"
Lucas waited a while but still heard nothing. He furrowed his brow slightly, a trace of disappointment in his heart.
It seemed Reshiram didn't agree with his philosophy.
Maybe that was for the best. Reshiram and Kyurem didn't exactly get along. If Lucas ended up with Reshiram, it would be much harder to pursue Kyurem afterward.
So, without Reshiram's approval… chasing after Kyurem would be simpler.
Yep. Screw Reshiram—who needs it anyway?
Truly real.
Though disappointed, Lucas didn't dwell on it. His motto had always been: if I get it, great; if I don't, fate.
He'd had the same mindset back when the Calyrex had rejected him too.
"Lucas?"
Snapping back to reality, Lucas realized that Marnie, Hilda, and Green were all staring at him with puzzled looks.
"What were you just thinking about? You zoned out for quite a while," Marnie asked curiously. She had never seen Lucas like this before.
"Nothing much. Just feeling a little regretful," Lucas said with a light smile, not elaborating further.
"Regretful?" the girls echoed in confusion. Nothing had even happened, right? Or had he remembered something from the past?
Lucas ignored their expressions and looked toward Hilda.
She, too, was staring at him strangely—with a hint of concern in her eyes.
She really was a kind girl, showing sympathy even toward someone she'd only just met.
"Hilda."
"Huh? What is it, Lucas?" Hilda blinked in confusion.
"What is your truth?"
"Truth?" Hilda tilted her head in confusion, looking completely lost.
She was a bright, carefree teenager who'd only been on her journey for less than a year. She had no real concept of something like "truth."
Plus… why did this question feel so familiar?
"It means: how do you see life?" Lucas patiently rephrased it in simpler terms.
"Hmm… I think life is pretty good right now. Everyone's nice. Just some evil organizations are annoying. If they didn't exist, the world would be perfect," Hilda replied after thinking hard.
Lucas: "…"
That answer was… unexpectedly on point.
In that moment, he realized—Hilda genuinely believed the world was beautiful and peaceful, and she simply wanted to protect that way of life.
A very simple and pure mindset.
She wasn't some great hero yet—just an ordinary Trainer from Nuvema Town who had only recently begun traveling.
But her heart was pure, and her goals were clear.
Suddenly, a powerful tremor shook the entire Dragonspiral Tower.
"What's happening? Is this an earthquake?" Green cried out, struggling to keep her balance.
The tremor had come too suddenly.
"We need to leave the tower. It's too dangerous in here," Lucas narrowed his eyes and looked at the crumbling debris.
The ancient structure might not survive another tremor.
The girls quickly agreed, and the group rushed toward the base of the tower.
They soon exited and backed away, turning to watch the trembling tower from a distance.
"That's strange. We didn't touch anything. Did we trigger some kind of mechanism?" Green asked, confused.
"It's not a mechanism," Lucas replied, glancing at Hilda. "Reshiram is awakening."
Yes, this wasn't an earthquake. It was the white dragon stirring.
His Dragon Force could sense it clearly—the dragon energy in the tower was skyrocketing.
A legendary dragon was about to be born.
"Nani?!" Green exclaimed, eyes wide. Marnie and Hilda were similarly stunned.
"I zoned out just now because Reshiram contacted me. It's searching for a hero of truth," Lucas explained.
All three girls froze.
"Hilda too—you were also chosen. The voice you've been hearing? That's Reshiram," Lucas told her, still unsure who the dragon would ultimately choose.
"I…" Hilda's eyes widened in shock.
She was a native of this region. She'd grown up hearing the legends of Reshiram, Zekrom, and the twin heroes.
"Wait… So Reshiram's choosing between you two?" Green's face twitched at the absurdity of the situation.
She had known Lucas came here for the Dragon God, but she never imagined he'd actually get picked. And now there were two candidates?
"Based on the situation, yes," Lucas nodded. "Otherwise, Reshiram wouldn't be waking now."
Hilda's heart beat faster. She'd never dreamed that fortune would favor her so much. She'd always thought of herself as nothing special—just slightly more talented than most.
"It's probably you…" she said quietly, glancing at Lucas, lacking confidence.
But even if that were the case, she could still accept it. After all, being shortlisted by Reshiram was already a massive acknowledgment.
Afterward, she definitely had to call Rosa and brag.
She had almost been chosen by the Dragon God!
Green was speechless. What the hell?!
Her worldview was cracking.
Lucas? A noble hero of truth?
Just because he was handsome?
Shouldn't the hero of truth be someone from the side of justice…?
If Reshiram really followed him, wouldn't that mean… it'd end up looting and burning villages or something?
Wait a sec—Reshiram is a Fire-type. That tracks…
"It's coming," Lucas suddenly said, eyes lighting up.
The others looked up.
At the top of Dragonspiral Tower, a radiant red light began to shine—a red stone glowed brilliantly. It was nothing like Eternatus's ominous crimson. This was bright, blazing flame-like red.
The Light Stone.
The very stone that Reshiram had turned into.
Its glow grew stronger—and before the girls' awestruck eyes, the stone began to transform into a divine figure.
"Rooooo~!"
A long, melodious dragon cry pierced the sky. A pair of pure white wings snapped open, bursting with fiery wind.
A white dragon floated above the tower's peak.
Holy white, with a body like a mix of bird and Western dragon. A mane like clouds. A turbine-shaped tail.
The legendary Dragon of Truth—Reshiram.
"It really is Reshiram… So beautiful…"
Marnie, Green, and Hilda stared wide-eyed. The dragon's appearance was breathtaking.
Sacred, elegant, and impossibly graceful—it instantly captured any girl's heart.
And being a legendary Pokémon only made it more overwhelming.
"Roooo~!"
Reshiram opened its wings again, its cry melodious and noble—like a dignified princess.
A gust of warm wind rushed over them. When the girls snapped back to attention, Reshiram had already descended and landed before them.
Towering at nearly four meters, it bowed its head slightly—its blue eyes locking onto them.
No—onto Lucas.
He smiled faintly and met its gaze without fear.
Man and dragon stared at each other in silence. The air grew heavy.
The girls dared not even breathe.
This was a real, 5.9-meter-tall Legendary Dragon God—a living legend.
And it had clearly come for Lucas.
Green nearly exploded. She could not imagine this elegant, holy dragon going off to commit crimes with him.
Was this holy creature about to be corrupted?
"Your truth… I understand it now."
The ethereal voice echoed again—this time in everyone's mind.
"That was… telepathy!" Marnie gasped.
Telepathy—the purest form of heart-to-heart communication.
And the speaker… was Reshiram.
"You ignored me earlier. I thought you rejected me," Lucas smirked, his grin widening.
But Reshiram's words… were enough.
"I will fully support you in realizing your truth,"
Reshiram replied as it moved closer.
It was the Dragon of Truth—and it had chosen Lucas.
Its goal: to defeat the Black Dragon and its Hero of Ideals.
----------------
Meanwhile, far away in a mysterious forest, a grand castle stood tall.
A slender young man stood in front of the castle, feeding Pokémon with a gentle smile.
But suddenly, as if sensing something, he looked up—his gaze piercing the horizon, toward Dragonspiral Tower.
His lifeless eyes rippled faintly.
"The Hero of Truth… has appeared."
(End of Chapter)