Even though Herta spent a long time explaining the theory, Julian could easily summarize her core point: after Phantylia was forced to retreat, the rogue energy of Destruction left behind in the void had recognized the dark traits of the newly manifested Yveltal. Since Julian was the one who had brought the creature into reality, a significant portion of that power had naturally anchored itself inside his own body.
The theory made perfect sense, but they still lacked hard evidence to back it up.
Since Herta was so eager to run her tests, Julian saw no reason to be stingy. He focused his mind, drawing upon his internal energy reserves to call down a smaller version of the dark dragon.
However, the exact second he started to channel his power, the dark energy inside his core began to boil violently, surging forward in response to his thoughts. The sheer volume of the power threatened to pour into the manifestation all at once. Julian realized instantly that if he allowed it to take shape, the creature wouldn't be a tiny, manageable model—it would easily outscale its original size and tear Herta's entire private laboratory to shreds.
He quickly cut off the channel, forcing the turbulent energy to settle down. Even though the near-miss lasted only a few seconds, Julian found himself completely drenched in a cold sweat.
"It seems the energy is directly tied to the specific creature you designed," Herta noted, checking her monitors. Her advanced laboratory equipment had easily picked up the massive spatial ripple. Considering how well Julian had held his own against a Lord Ravager's envoy on the docks, she knew he wasn't the type of amateur to make such a clumsy, low-level mistake. The problem lay entirely with the energy itself.
This specific wave of Destruction belonged to Yveltal, and Julian was currently acting as nothing more than a temporary living container for it.
To test the boundaries, Julian tried calling down Xerneas and a few other legendary companions. True to his expectations, the process went smoothly. He was able to manifest them perfectly, easily adjusting their physical size to match the space around him. The dark energy inside his core remained perfectly quiet, allowing him to navigate his standard abilities without a single hitch.
But the exact moment his thoughts turned back toward Yveltal, the dark power would riot again, requiring a massive amount of focus and time to suppress. This confirmed that Herta's working hypothesis was almost entirely correct.
Realizing that the dark dragon held a far more complex research value than the other creatures due to this unique link, Herta instructed Julian to spend his free time practicing his internal energy control while she pivoted her attention back to analyzing the Stellaron.
Finding Peace After the Storm
While Stelle spent her days assisting Herta with her laboratory tests and running trial matches inside the early stages of the Virtual Universe, the rest of the Astral Express crew kept themselves busy.
Himeko spent her hours coordinating with Asta's logistics teams, ensuring the train's storage bays were fully replenished with fresh supplies for their upcoming long-range travels.
Welt had completely locked himself inside his private cabin. He spent his time replaying the station's security footage from dozens of separate angles, his eyes glued to the screen whenever Zygarde's mechanical form passed through the frame.
March 7th, having thoroughly explored every accessible floor of the facility, retreated to her room on the train to submerge herself back into the new beta client of the third-generation expansion. For her, standard combat loops and competitive strategy brackets were a bit too exhausting, but the newly introduced Contest tracks felt like they had been custom-written for her soul.
She was completely obsessed with the feature. Dressing up her team, refining the aesthetic flair of their moves, and competing on stages judged entirely on grace, coolness, and cuteness was the ultimate loop for a girl who loved beautiful things. Her digital wardrobe was already overflowing with new pet outfits.
Dan Heng, after meticulously organizing and saving the file registries regarding the Lord Ravager they had encountered on the platform, used his free hours to log into the game as well. Unlike March, he bypassed the fashion shows entirely, dedicating his focus to the open exploration routes and submerging himself into the deep-sea diving maps.
Feeling deeply responsible for pulling the pioneers into a high-stakes battle against an Emanator, Julian made sure to offer some personal compensation to clear the ledger.
Himeko happily saved his personal communication code to her tablet, openly planning to coordinate with his studio down the line if the Express ever required a unique favor. Having personally witnessed his combat capacity on the docks, she knew a connection with a craftsman of his caliber was far too valuable to squander on a minor request.
March 7th's terms were much easier to balance. Julian simply unlatched a bundle of rare, event-exclusive cosmetic outfits for her in-game account, leaving her completely thrilled.
Dan Heng's request was even simpler: he quietly asked Julian to expand the game's library with a broader selection of historical texts and fables. Watching him download the data files, Julian couldn't help but chuckle, wondering if the young archivist was simply using his software as a digital library. Still, he gladly authorized the request.
Welt's compensation was by far the most direct. Julian manually summoned Zygarde's mechanical form right inside a secure loading bay, allowing the veteran to inspect the grand mecha-dragon up close. The scholar walked away thoroughly satisfied, his face glowing with an excitement so bright that Julian privately wondered if the man would even be able to sleep that night.
As for Stelle, Julian gifted her a top-tier virtual reality visor and a master key for the upcoming third-generation release. He knew the quiet girl carried an uncanny knack for drawing people to her side across the star-lanes; if she became genuinely invested in the franchise, she would serve as an exceptional ambassador for his media company.
Unwilling to Break
Julian didn't forget his young bodyguard either. But Yanqing had taken the heavy defeats delivered by Kafka and the proxy general deeply to heart. Ever since the battle on the docks concluded, the boy had turned quiet and taciturn, isolating himself in a deserted corner of the hangar to practice his sword forms from dawn until dusk.
Watching him swing his blade from the shadow of a pillar, Julian could feel a sharp, burning wave of pure frustration echoing through every strike. But he smiled gently at the sight.
As long as the youth felt frustrated, it meant his pride remained unbroken. True defeat didn't look like anger or relentless practice; it looked like a flat, quiet resignation. The boy was simply hungry to close the gap.
The details of the engagement had already been transmitted back to the fleet headquarters by the Cloud Knights attached to the starskiff's crew. An attack launched by a Lord Ravager against an official cultural envoy was a massive political event.
It wasn't long before Julian's phone buzzed with a fresh message notification from a newly added number.
Jing Yuan:"A general of Destruction has officially locked onto your position. Are you considering returning to the safety of the Xianzhou waters immediately?"
Julian:"I appreciate the concern, General, but my studio still has vital commercial arrangements to clear across the star-lanes, making a swift return a bit inconvenient right now. Besides, with Madame Herta managing the local firewalls and my own companions at my back, I believe my safety parameters are perfectly secure."
Jing Yuan:"Understood. Does your office preserve any clear clues as to when the Lord Ravager first anchored her presence onto your profile, or the explicit motive behind the ambush?"
Having verified Julian's travel plans, the general moved straight to the tactical details.
Julian didn't hold back any data. While he carefully withheld the explicit detail that the general's trusted officer, Tingyun, was the one currently serving as Phantylia's physical vessel, he shared a comprehensive breakdown of the encounter and explicitly warned Jing Yuan that a high-ranking member of the Destruction path had almost certainly infiltrated the upper echelons of the Luofu fleet.
On top of that, he attached his working theory regarding why the Ravager wanted his media franchise deleted, requesting that the general submit his notes to Master Diviner Fu Xuan for formal verification. Originally, he had planned to pitch the analysis in person once his ship docked, but since the leader of the fleet had opened a direct line, there was zero reason to play coy.
Jing Yuan:"Understood. I shall instruct the Master Diviner to expedite the calculations immediately. By the way, how is Yanqing faring? The reports from the platform indicated his condition was remarkably poor."
Julian:"He's actually doing fine. He's currently taking his frustration out on the air with his sword."
Julian quickly snapped a few high-definition photos of the young swordsman sweating through his drills and fired them across the network.
Jing Yuan looked at the images and nodded quietly behind his desk. It was a massive relief to see that the boy's spirit hadn't been crushed by the weight of the cosmos. In fact, noticing that the childish, naive lines along the boy's brow had begun to recede slightly, the general felt a deep sense of paternal pride. The brief excursion out into the wider universe was forcing him to mature.
If the choice were entirely his, Jing Yuan would have preferred to let the boy grow at a slow, comfortable pace. But as his sole personal disciple, Yanqing was destined to cross paths with the most terrifying predators in the galaxy. If a controlled trial out in the stars could accelerate his growth within a safe margin, a few harsh lessons were a small price to pay.
Julian, seeing the general's receptive mood, smoothly scrolled through his gallery and forwarded the secret snapshots he had taken of Yanqing playing with the soft, fluffy Pokémon on the grass a few days prior.
Sharing joy was always better than keeping a good laugh to oneself. Such premium blackmail material deserved to be shared with the boy's guardian.
The general didn't reply with a lengthy text string. A single, silent thumbs-up emoji appeared on Julian's screen, indicating the data had been safely logged into the archive.
Three quiet days passed in a flash. The Closed-Beta testing for Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald had successfully concluded after a thundering two-week run across the regional servers.
The evaluation queues were officially clear, and the public launch hour for the third generation had finally arrived.
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