Chapter 169. Indigo Plateau
The next day, everyone gathered at Professor Oak's Laboratory.
After packing up, they set out for the Indigo Plateau.
On Natsume, there were two Rotom, center-parted, Dragonite, Diglett, and Gengar—six Pokémon in total.
On Ash, there were Charizard, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Pidgeotto, Gastly, and Pikachu—six Pokémon in total.
"Professor Westwood V, when we need to swap Pokémon during the matches, we'll be counting on you!"
At the Laboratory gates, Professor Westwood V saw everyone off.
The Indigo Plateau lies in the western Kanto region.
Starting from Pallet Town, the distance isn't far; in fact, the two are adjacent—once you pass through the entire Lowview Preserve, you arrive.
The main time sink is the winding mountain roads.
"Honestly, isn't this where the League headquarters is?
Why don't they build a cable car line or something—" Misty panted as she climbed the steps.
Ahead of them stretched a stairway to the horizon, going straight up the mountain.
The upper half vanished into the clouds, its far end out of sight.
"We need to hurry.
Let's reach our reserved lodge before dark and get a good night's sleep.
Tomorrow we can watch the torch ceremony for the Moltres flame with full energy."
Brock's voice came from up front.
"Easy for you to say," Misty huffed, casting a powerless look at the crowd ahead.
At the very front, Honora sat atop Poké Ball Rotom, while Gengar lifted Natsume high in the air—and Natsume was sound asleep.
"Misty, what are you doing!"
Ash couldn't take it anymore.
He rushed back, grabbed Misty's hand, and started sprinting.
"Stop it, you!
Stop right now!"
Misty turned pale, and then a wave of weightlessness hit her.
Ash really did stop—because of inertia, Misty hung suspended for a beat and then crashed forward onto the steps.
"Huh?
Natsume's Rotom has improved again—what kind of Poké Ball is this?"
Ash stared, wide-eyed, at the Ultra Ball Rotom under Honora.
The striping looked somewhat like an Ultra Ball, but the base color had shifted to a faint purple.
"What's different about it… oh, wow, you're right—Rotom even grew a mouth?"
Misty rubbed her rear and peered at Rotom, curious.
At the center of the Mewtwo Ball, the eye-shaped button now paired with Rotom's own eye, looking very much like a big mouth.
"Honora, do you know what this is?" Ash and Misty both looked to Honora.
"Uh… I'm not too sure either."
Honora scratched her head, embarrassed.
She was simply tired from the climb and had called out Natsume's Poké Ball Rotom to take a break.
Honora had noticed Ultra Ball Rotom's changes too.
But Natsume seemed exhausted—he'd sent out Gengar the moment they started climbing and had slept the whole way.
"Pikachu—"
On one of Ash's shoulders, center-parted yawned, nodding like a pecking chick.
It really wanted to sleep, but it knew it couldn't.
Its Trainer was getting more and more over the top.
Natsume had put something in its head.
Now, the moment center-parted closed its eyes, a "Natsume" would inevitably appear in its mental world.
Only, this Natsume was a chibi version.
Once its eyes closed, what awaited center-parted was willpower training.
And this chibi Natsume had a whole bag of tricks.
Not only would he drive a jeep to ram it, he would also place all kinds of center-parted's favorite pancakes along the road.
The moment center-parted had even the slightest urge to eat, those pancakes would fly into its body on their own.
Then center-parted would be afflicted with all sorts of bizarre statuses—slowed, reversed controls, weightlessness.
Slip up even a little and the jeep would smack it flying.
Chibi Natsume called it, with a straight face: resisting temptation is also a manifestation of willpower.
Now, center-parted didn't dare sleep at all.
Because once it fell asleep, waking up clutching its head was a certainty.
But nothing can stop center-parted from sleeping.
Not even center-parted.
"Pikachu~"
Center-parted didn't even realize it had already drifted into dreamland.
The next second—
"Pikachu!!!"
Clutching its head in a daze, it tumbled off Ash's shoulder.
"Zzap—"
From the big "mouth" of Mewtwo Ball Rotom, a green beam lanced out and drew it in.
After a moment, center-parted was spat back out, lively as ever, returning to Ash's shoulder.
"Here you go, Rotom."
Sitting on Rotom, Honora smiled and fed it a small dose of Ether.
"What a perfect positive feedback loop," Misty murmured, stunned.
She never imagined Natsume could train center-parted on the side like this.
Center-parted looked utterly done with life.
It felt like it was getting farther and farther from its goal of one training session per day.
Mewtwo Ball Rotom's performance seemed much stronger than the Ultra Ball version.
Even if center-parted filled out its Divinity, the other side might just need a few extra treatments.
"Pikachu!"
No way!
Center-parted made up its mind.
It had to complete its Divinity before its Trainer finished making a perfected Poké Ball Rotom!
"Pikachu!"
Pikachu tilted its head, giving center-parted a puzzled look.
Center-parted pulled out a little notebook.
On the notebook was a picture of a great bird wreathed in flames.
By dusk, they finally reached the mountaintop.
"We made it up—we finally made it up!"
Misty's legs went to jelly as she slumped against a great stone pillar at the end of the stairs.
A banner hung between two great pillars, emblazoned with words of welcome.
"This is the Indigo Plateau.
These are free lodgings provided by the League for competing Trainers and spectators."
Brock led the way with a map in hand.
"Let's head to the Pokémon Center, and then we can look up our reserved lodgings."
"Gengar, return."
Natsume's voice rang out.
"Natsume, you're awake!"
Ash turned and looked at Natsume in delight.
On his shoulder, center-parted held that little Legendary-Pokémon field guide booklet and read with intense focus.
Bathed in the setting sun, center-parted's expression was firm beyond compare.
"Ah—" Natsume yawned, then looked over at Mewtwo Ball Rotom.
The circuits inside the Mewtwo Ball didn't differ much from an Ultra Ball.
Natsume could easily develop it to a level that let Rotom merge into it comfortably.
It was just that the timing had been far too tight.
A month rushing his papers, then the first night after coming out of seclusion, he'd pulled an all-nighter.
Natsume hadn't even had time to examine it closely before he fell asleep.
He only remembered that Mewtwo Ball Rotom seemed to have gained a new function.
He opened the system appraisal panel.
[Rotom (Mewtwo Ball Form), Lv. 56]
[Type: Electric + Psychic.]
[Base stats: 600 (HP: 200; Attack: 20; Sp. Atk: 40; Defense: 160; Sp. Def: 160; Speed: 20).]
[Moves: Cursed Ball, Healing Ball, Extinction Ball, Rob the Rich and Give to the Poor Ball, Protect.]
[Ability: Mewtwo Ball (exerts a strongly suppressive, plundering effect on Pokémon).]
At a glance, Natsume froze.
No changes at all?
No—looks like the Ability had gained a few words.
"Plundering"… that really did fit the Mewtwo Ball's characteristics.
In Natsume's mind rose the image of the Mewtwo Balls absorbing everyone's Pokémon—that was pretty much banditry.
Only, what those three extra words were actually good for would still need to be verified in battle.
And the Indigo Conference had no shortage of battles.
Lifted by Gengar, Natsume followed the group and soon reached the Indigo Plateau Pokémon Center.
As soon as they walked in, they saw someone they'd half expected to see.
"Granny Agatha?!"
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