"Yes, this is the best era. The outside world will be very exciting."
Damian nodded and replied.
"And if I can become partners with you, the High King Calyrex, that would also be very meaningful to me."
Damian added sincerely, giving plenty of emotional support.
As expected, even Calyrex narrowed its eyes slightly. A faint, pleased smile appeared on its face.
As an ancient king, Calyrex was famous for its wisdom and power. Normally, it should not have been easily moved by a few words from an ordinary person.
But was Damian an ordinary person?
Clearly not.
Calyrex thought for a moment and did not intend to refuse. However, as a great king, it still had to let Glastrier and Spectrier know about this decision.
Calyrex looked at Glastrier. It was just about to ask for the horse's opinion.
"Whinny-neigh!"
Glastrier let out another neigh at Damian, asking for more food.
"You want to eat more? You've already eaten a lot. Is that really okay?" Damian frowned slightly.
"Whinny!!"
"Alright, alright. This is the last portion. You can't eat any more after this. Even with a strong body, you'll still hurt your stomach. Overeating isn't good."
"Whinny-neigh!"
Glastrier was very happy. It lowered its head and buried its mouth in the refilled bowl again.
Damian took the chance to pet Glastrier's head. Glastrier, which was known for being fierce and warlike, actually stayed calm and let Damian pet it as much as he wanted.
Calyrex: "..."
Holding its soda, Calyrex could not help falling into thought. Was this really its Glastrier?
It had told Glastrier that this human, Damian, was special. It was true that the Pokéblocks were delicious, and Glastrier really was a glutton. But did it really let Damian pet it just like that?
You are my steed!
Forget it, this is fine too.
"Since you put it that way, Damian, I will go with you and see the outside world."
Calyrex stopped thinking and gave its answer through gentle, clear telepathy. It did not even need to ask Spectrier for its opinion anymore.
Calyrex knew Spectrier would definitely support its choice.
"That is a great choice. I look forward to working with you, Calyrex!"
The smile on Damian's face would not go away. The legendary king and its horses were now his partners.
Furthermore, catching Calyrex meant catching Glastrier and Spectrier as well. It was basically a "buy one, get two free" deal. Not bad at all.
"I also look forward to working with you, Damian," Calyrex said with a polite and elegant smile.
This was the first time it would become a human's partner. To be honest, it had no experience at all, but that was not a big problem.
Since it was settled, they had to follow the proper process. Damian took out two Poké Balls and caught Calyrex and Glastrier. There was no resistance at all. Afterward, Damian released both of them again.
"Spectrier is on the way."
Calyrex had already used its psychic powers to contact Spectrier and tell it to hurry over.
"Good. By the way, Calyrex, I heard your power comes from faith, right?"
Damian thought for a moment and asked Calyrex, who was currently biting a straw and sipping soda.
It seemed Calyrex really liked soda. It had stopped drinking the juice after only a few sips.
"That is correct. I can gain power by absorbing faith. Damian, how did you know that?"
Calyrex nodded. Then it looked at Damian curiously. It did not know how Damian had learned that.
This was not actually a secret, but that was back in ancient times. So much time had passed that very few people even knew the name Calyrex, let alone its specific abilities.
"I learned a little from ancient books before. Also, I heard that after your kingdom slowly collapsed, you lost your power because you lost your faith. Even Glastrier and Spectrier left you."
Damian said it like a joke.
This was not actually from ancient books, but from the plot of Pokémon Sword and Shield.
In reality, Damian had always felt that part of the plot was a little illogical.
"The High King and the Loyal Steeds." That was the official title for Calyrex, Glastrier, and Spectrier.
In ancient times, Calyrex ruled the entire Galar region as a king. Legend said that when it waved its right hand, flowers would bloom and grass would grow. When it waved its left hand, the fields would become fertile and crops would grow.
Because of this, Calyrex was also known as the "King of Bountiful Harvests."
At that time, Glastrier and Spectrier were also kings among Pokémon. They were furious at humans who entered their territory. They constantly attacked humans and their Pokémon partners.
It was Calyrex who appeared, defeated them, and made them follow it. Then the two horses became the King's Loyal Steeds and rode alongside Calyrex. Both sides built a deep bond.
But no kingdom lasts forever. As time passed, Calyrex's kingdom slowly collapsed. Calyrex lost its power because it lost human faith. In the end, even its two horses left it.
That was right. In the game plot, because Calyrex lost its power, Glastrier and Spectrier, who supposedly had such a "deep bond" with it, abandoned Calyrex.
What kind of deep bond was that?
Also, at the end of the Crown Tundra plot, Calyrex did not actually gain any new faith. The protagonist just helped it find Glastrier or Spectrier.
But as soon as Calyrex got back on the horse, its power returned...
Wasn't that contradictory? If Calyrex had power as long as it rode the horse, why would the horses ever leave it?
Did they leave while Calyrex was walking around? Again, where was that "deep bond" they talked about?
"That is nonsense. The bond between me, Glastrier, and Spectrier is not something so weak."
Calyrex laughed. It shook its head and replied calmly.
"Whinny-neigh!"
Glastrier also neighed in agreement. It raised its head proudly to show its loyalty to the king.
"Although Glastrier is playful and Spectrier is antisocial, they are both my best friends. They would never betray me."
Calyrex looked at Glastrier with a very gentle gaze. After all, this was the steed that had stayed by its side for countless years.
"That's so nice~" Platinum was deeply moved. The bond between Calyrex and its horses had survived the passage of time. It was natural and sincere.
"I see." Damian nodded. He hid the strange look in his eyes.
In this world, it seemed Calyrex and the horses really did have a deep bond. Even when Calyrex lost its faith and became weak, the horses did not abandon it.
But among the many parallel worlds in the Pokémon universe, maybe there really was one where Calyrex's horses had left it.
In the original story, Calyrex was truly pitiful. Because it had lost its faith and had no horse, it probably would have remained asleep in a weakened state forever if the protagonist had not come to Freezington. It would never have found its horses in its lifetime.
"If that's the case, Calyrex, then your power hasn't reached its peak yet, right?"
Caitlin thought of another point.
"Are you talking about faith? If we look at it from that angle, then no, I have indeed not reached my peak."
Calyrex instantly understood what Caitlin meant. It took a sip of soda and replied.
Of course it was not at its peak. It could gain power by absorbing faith, and right now, almost no one in Galar even knew the name Calyrex.
Let alone believed in it.
So Calyrex was currently in a state with zero faith. Even so, as long as it was mounted, Calyrex was still top-tier legendary combat power.
This was the true value of a "High King."
"Then why don't you get people to believe in you again? With your power, as long as you show your strength, you could rebuild your kingdom."
Platinum also asked curiously.
"My kingdom ended not because I ruled poorly, but because the times changed." Calyrex's eyes, full of wisdom, looked distant and calm.
"My era has ended. This is both fate and the choice of the world. I should step off the stage."
"For me, it was never that I chose to be king. It was that this land needed me, so I answered the land."
Calyrex spoke calmly.
"Becoming king again means nothing to me. Instead, it would bring chaos and trouble to this land. That is not the result I want."
"Gaining faith... is definitely not a reason to do that."
Hearing Calyrex's quiet words, both Caitlin and Platinum felt their hearts tremble.
"It was never that I chose to be king. It was that this land needed me, so I answered the land."
What kind of resolve was that?
Platinum felt a lump in her throat. She could not help looking at Calyrex with respect and sympathy.
Because it clearly understood that the land no longer needed it, Calyrex lived quietly with its horses in this freezing tundra where no one remembered them.
There was no bitterness or complaint. It was... truly great.
"You truly are the King of Bountiful Harvests."
Damian could not help sighing in admiration.
In legend, Calyrex, who had the power to heal hearts and make plants grow, was a Pokémon full of mercy.
This was more than mercy. It was practically saintly.
Damian truly admired Calyrex for this. If it were him, he definitely could not have kept that kind of mindset.
Not everyone could be as open-minded as Calyrex. It did not cling to its former glory. It calmly let go of the past and bore the loneliness on its own.
"You praise me too much." Calyrex calmly sipped its soda.
"But since faith can increase your power, Calyrex, do you want to try playing a game?"
Damian thought for a moment. Since Calyrex did not want to become king again just to gain faith, that was fine.
They could just use a different method. This was not the ancient world anymore. There were many ways to gain faith in this era.
"A game?" Calyrex sounded confused.
"Yes, try this."
Damian took out his spare phone.
"What is this?"
"An electronic device. Here, Calyrex, tap this app called 'Pokémon Auto Chess.' Try playing a few rounds."
Damian instructed it. Calyrex was small, so using a phone was very easy for it. It was not like Kyogre or Reshiram. They were simply too large to play on a phone.
Pokémon Auto Chess was an idea Damian had given to his own game company. It was a game based on Warcraft and Teamfight Tactics from his previous life.
The pieces in Pokémon Auto Chess were, of course, different Pokémon.
"Three Charmander cards can combine into a two-star Charmander. Charizard is a four-cost card. If you can make a three-star Charizard, you will basically win the game."
Calyrex had extremely high intelligence. Its understanding was excellent. It quickly learned how to play Pokémon Auto Chess.
Soon, it built a pure Fire-type Sunny Day team. Its Charizard was destroying everything.
"Not bad. You have talent, Calyrex. It looks like you're going to win this one." Damian was very satisfied.
As expected, with Calyrex's brain and its decent luck, gaming was perfect for it. It could probably become a streamer without any problem.
Soon, the match entered the final stage. Only Calyrex and a player named "I'm Proud, What Now?" were left. Calyrex even recognized the avatar of "I'm Proud, What Now?" It was a Ho-Oh avatar.
Calyrex quickly checked the opponent's board. It saw that the opponent was rolling like crazy. Was that person trying to make a three-star, five-cost Ho-Oh?
Calyrex thought for a moment. It naturally came up with a strategy and started rolling for cards as well. It held onto two Ho-Oh cards. Since there were only ten five-cost copies in total, by holding two of them, "I'm Proud, What Now?" would never be able to make a three-star Ho-Oh to win the game.
Calyrex felt incredibly clever. Did they even understand what "Calyrex's Wisdom" meant?
But...
Soon, "I'm Proud, What Now?" came over to Calyrex's board. After seeing the two Ho-Oh cards on Calyrex's bench, the opponent started clicking those two cards frantically.
Clearly, the other side had completely lost it.
Just as Calyrex was wondering what this person meant, the chat box started scrolling wildly.
I'm Proud, What Now?: Are you freaking kidding me, mi?
I'm Proud, What Now?: I didn't even block your Charizard, mi! Why are you blocking my Big Turkey?
I'm Proud, What Now?: Your mom is gone, right?! I'm talking about your dreams, mi!
I'm Proud, What Now?: I played all afternoon just to finally get a chance at a three-star five-cost Big Turkey. Is your whole family gone, mi?!
I'm Proud, What Now?: You dare block my cards, but do you dare give me your address, mi? I'll have my Big Pillar come over there and slap you to death! [Angry Emoji]
I Am Truly King: ?