Chapter 880: One Pokemon Each! The Disappearance of the Shikon Jewel! Kikyo's Warmth
[Ais: "Pokemon... are they monsters?"]
Looking at the strange creatures on her screen, Ais's first thought immediately drifted to the vicious, bloodthirsty monsters lurking in the depths of the Orario Dungeon.
[Exusiai: "How could such a cute animal be a monster?"]
[Misty: "Haha, Pokemon aren't monsters!"]
Misty enthusiastically typed out a massive wall of text, detailing the intricacies of Pokemon, the thrill of Pokemon battles, and the duties of a Pokemon Trainer to everyone in the group. The introduction was incredibly detailed and complete, reflecting her passion as a Gym Leader.
[March 7th: "Wow, what amazing creatures! They even have strange evolution methods. I really want to raise one as a pet!"]
[Chito: "Mm-hmm. If they're all as cute as Goldeen, hugging them must feel really nice."]
[Ren: "If you want to, why don't we go see them together?"]
[Kiana: "Oh yeah! I want to go too!!!"]
[Emma: "C-can we?"]
[Misty: "Eh? Are you all coming to my place? But aren't we in different worlds?"]
[Ren: "Don't worry, I can take others to your world."]
[Misty: "So amazing! This is what a Group Leader is like!"]
[Aqua: "Emmm, he's just abusing his admin privileges!"]
[Misty: "But... Pokemon aren't just pets, everyone. Please don't simply treat them as playthings. Raising a Pokemon requires a lot of patience and love."]
[Exusiai: "Hehe, no problem! I'll definitely treat my Pokemon as a true companion. We can even work together doing deliveries at Penguin Logistics!"]
[Misaka Mikoto: "? Making a cute animal work a corporate job... you're a capitalist demon."]
[Ren: "Attention all members. Anyone who wants a Pokemon can tell me now. But there is a rule: each person can only catch one, and you must treat it well. Misty, do you think this is okay?"]
[Misty: "Mm-hmm, no problem at all!"]
Worried that the sudden appearance of a dozen otherworldly girls would cause a massive panic in Cerulean City, Misty quickly slipped out of town, jogging into the tall grass of the surrounding wilderness.
She nervously scanned her surroundings, clutching a Poke Ball.
Suddenly, the air distorted. A massive, swirling vortex of spatial energy tore open the fabric of reality right in front of her.
More than a dozen distinct figures stepped out from the glowing portal.
Ren took the lead, his posture relaxed, followed closely by Exusiai, March 7th, and the rest of the lively chat group members.
Misty's jaw dropped, her eyes widening to the size of saucers.
"So amazing!" she breathed out, staring at the colorful cast of girls. "Is this... another world?"
Kikyo stood near the back of the group. Her slender fingers gripped her longbow tightly, her dark, deep eyes cautiously surveying the lush, vibrant landscape. Even the air here tasted different, lighter, completely devoid of the heavy demonic miasma that plagued the Sengoku period.
She hadn't come here for these Pokemon creatures. She had stepped through the portal simply to verify the authenticity of this so-called Chat Group and the existence of other worlds.
Now, feeling the gentle breeze rustle her traditional shrine maiden robes, she had her absolute confirmation.
"Don't be so vigilant," a calm, amused voice sounded beside her. "With me here, no one can attack or harm you."
Ren closed the distance between them in a few casual strides.
Without waiting for her response, he casually flicked his wrist.
A sudden, sharp pull tugged at Kikyo's spiritual energy. A brilliant ray of pink-purple light shot out from the folds of her robes, flying straight into Ren's open palm.
"You!"
Kikyo's stoic facade broke. Panic flashed across her pale face, her hand instantly reaching for an arrow.
That was the Shikon Jewel. The sacred, cursed artifact she had sacrificed her life to protect.
"Don't be nervous," Ren said smoothly, his fingers loosely curling around the glowing orb. "You don't want this thing falling into the hands of demons. You want to destroy it, right?"
He eyed the legendary jewel with mild disinterest. To him, it was completely useless. He had simply recalled Kikyo's tragic fate and decided to do her a favor.
"Hmm? Ren, is this the Shikon Jewel you mentioned? The one that can grant wishes?"
Kiana bounded over, leaning in close. She poked the glowing sphere with her index finger, her blue eyes blinking in confusion.
Her face scrunched up into a strange expression. "Why does this thing feel like it has so little energy? How can a weak little rock like this grant wishes?"
March 7th immediately crowded in next to her, her pink hair bouncing as she tilted her head left and right, trying to analyze the artifact.
"Yeah, it doesn't feel anywhere near as powerful as the Holy Grail from Artoria's world," March concluded, crossing her arms.
"You're both right," Ren explained, tossing the jewel lightly in the air and catching it. "This thing only works properly in Kikyo's world. For me, and for the rest of you, it's nothing more than a condensed rock with a tiny bit of residual soul energy."
In short, absolute garbage.
Kikyo stared deeply at the man standing before her. He looked like an ordinary person, yet he radiated an unfathomable, mysterious pressure. She shifted her gaze to the other girls crowding around him.
There was absolutely no trace of greed in their eyes. No demonic lust for power. They looked at the legendary Shikon Jewel the same way one might look at a mildly interesting pebble on the side of the road.
After a few heavy seconds of silence, Kikyo lowered her bow.
Her expression turned solemn, and she bowed her head slightly. "If Sir Ren possesses the power to destroy it... then please, destroy it."
The only reason she guarded the Shikon Jewel with her life was to prevent it from falling into the hands of evil demons, which would bring endless disaster and chaos to the common people. If it completely ceased to exist, that terrible possibility would be cut off at the root.
She refused to let the jewel corrupt another soul.
"A small matter."
Ren didn't even blink. He simply pinched the glowing orb between his index finger and thumb.
Crack.
The legendary Shikon Jewel, the source of centuries of bloodshed and tragedy, simply shattered like cheap glass.
It instantly dissolved into countless specks of ethereal light, scattering into the wind and fading into nothingness.
Kikyo stood frozen, her breath catching in her throat. Her dark eyes tracked the fading motes of light, her mind struggling to process the sheer casualness of the act.
"It... it's gone?" she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
"It's gone," Ren confirmed with a lazy shrug, dusting off his fingers. "From now on, you won't have to painstakingly guard this cursed rock anymore."
Kikyo's lifelong mission had just ended in the span of three seconds.
However, Ren wasn't quite finished. He had already considered the fallout.
"But I think even if you go back and tell those demons that the jewel is gone, they probably won't believe you," Ren pointed out pragmatically. "The demons that have been hunting you will still come looking for blood."
"It doesn't matter."
Kikyo finally regained her composure. The heavy, suffocating burden that had weighed down her shoulders for years suddenly vanished. A gentle, incredibly relieved smile graced the corners of her lips, softening her usually cold features.
"As long as demons can no longer obtain the jewel to bring disaster to the world, that is enough," she said softly. "My life and death are not important. It is time for my mission to end."
"How can you say that?!"
Furina suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Kikyo's hands tightly. The Hydro Archon's eyes were wide with genuine distress. "Don't speak of death so lightly! Your life is not so insignificant!"
"She's right," Saeko Busujima added, her hand resting casually on the hilt of her katana as she offered a warm, sisterly smile. "Someone will always feel regret over your death."
"Perhaps the people in your world might take you for granted," Ren said, stepping closer. His large, warm hand reached out and gently patted Kikyo's shoulder. "But after joining the Chat Group, we who know you won't just stand by and watch you die."
As his palm made contact, a brilliant burst of golden light washed over Kikyo's body, sinking deep into her skin before vanishing completely.
"This is a layer of protection I've placed on your soul," Ren explained, his tone leaving no room for argument. "After you return, no human, no demon, and no god will be able to harm you. You can also actively channel this power to obliterate your enemies."
No matter how strong the demon, triggering Ren's protective ward would result in their instant, violent erasure. He absolutely refused to let any member of his group suffer a tragic end.
Kikyo stared blankly at Ren's handsome face.
A strange, entirely foreign warmth bloomed in her chest, spreading through her veins and melting the ice that had encased her heart for so long.
"Thank you..." she whispered, her voice thick with unspeakable emotion.
'Perhaps... joining this strange Chat Group was the greatest fortune of my life...'
"Alright, enough heavy stuff! What kind of Pokemon is everyone planning to choose?"
Misty clapped her hands together, breaking the emotional atmosphere. She pulled out her red Pokedex, projecting a holographic list of local species for the girls to browse.
Kiana, March, and the others had incredibly simple criteria: it had to be cute, and preferably female.
When Misty scrolled past some of the more bizarre-looking creatures, like the sludgy, oozing Muk, the girls physically recoiled, their faces scrunching up in absolute disgust.
Meanwhile, Furina quietly slipped away from the noisy crowd and approached Ren.
She tugged lightly at his sleeve, her cheeks dusted with a faint pink blush. "Ren, I... I want a Water-type Pokemon. Can you recommend a good one for me?"
Ren looked down at her, amused. "Do you have any specific requirements?"
Furina tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Something magnificent and elegant, perhaps? Something fitting for a star of the stage!"
"Magnificent and elegant..."
Ren rubbed his chin. A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes as a brilliant idea struck him.
"Then I think this one suits you best."
He pointed a finger casually at the empty grass. Tapping into his administrative authority, he instantly locked onto a specific spatial coordinate and forcibly teleported a creature directly to their location.
With a soft pop, a Pokemon materialized on the ground.
"This is... a fish?"
Furina stared down at the creature flopping pathetically in the dirt, her expression caught between confusion and utter disappointment.
Exusiai and the others immediately crowded around to look.
"Uh... it's so ugly," Exusiai blurted out mercilessly.
It wasn't their fault for being harsh. The fish was a muddy, earthy yellow mixed with a sickly blue. Its body was covered in rough, jagged patches, its fins were tattered and torn, and its dull, sunken eyes stared vacantly into space. Calling it ugly was an understatement.
Bizarre and abstract were far more accurate descriptors for this tragic creature.
[Beep! Detected Pokemon: Feebas...]
Misty's Pokedex mechanically chimed in, scanning the flopping fish.
"Feebas... well, the name certainly fits its feeble appearance," Misty sighed, rubbing her temples. Even as a Water-type specialist who had practically grown up in the Cerulean Gym, this was her first time seeing such a spectacularly ugly specimen up close.
Furina looked up at Ren, her eyes wide with betrayal. How could this incredibly ugly, shabby, dirt-eating fish possibly match her definition of elegant?
"Um... Ren?" Furina asked carefully. "Did you make a mistake with the teleportation?"
Ren just grinned, crossing his arms with absolute confidence.
"No mistake at all," he said, pointing down at the pathetic Feebas. "This is the exact Pokemon I wanted to find for you. It is widely known as the most beautiful Water-type Pokemon in existence. It perfectly matches your requirements."
Most beautiful?
A collective array of invisible question marks popped up above the girls' heads.
"Are you sure about that?" Misty asked skeptically, crouching down to pat her own Poke Ball. She released her Goldeen, which immediately struck a graceful pose in the air. "I feel like that thing isn't even a fraction as pretty as my Goldeen."
Goldeen proudly puffed out its chest, swishing its elegant, dress-like fins in front of the miserable Feebas. If this were a Pokemon Contest, Goldeen would win by a landslide just by showing up.
"Heh heh." Ren chuckled, completely unfazed.
"This Pokemon's current state is indeed incredibly ugly. Otherwise, it wouldn't be called Feebas," Ren explained, his tone turning dramatic. "However, once it undergoes a state change, it becomes something completely different."
"What do you mean?" Furina asked, her head spinning with confusion.
Misty, however, gasped. Her eyes widened as the realization hit her.
"Are you saying... evolution?!"
"Exactly. Evolution."
Ren stepped forward. "Talking about it won't do it justice. Let me just show you."
He extended his hand and gently tapped his index finger against Feebas's rough, bumpy head.
Normally, evolving a Feebas required an agonizingly specific set of conditions, like maxing out its Beauty condition through specialized food.
But for Ren? Forcing an evolution was as effortless as breathing.
A blinding, pure white light instantly erupted from Feebas, completely enveloping its tattered body.
The girls shielded their eyes as the glowing white silhouette began to shift. It rapidly grew larger, stretching longer and longer, expanding from the size of a small, pathetic fish until it towered well over the height of a normal human.
Finally, the expansion stopped.
The brilliant white light shattered into a shower of sparkling golden dust.
A collective gasp echoed across the clearing.
The evolved creature revealed to the world could no longer be classified as a mere fish. It was a majestic, serpentine leviathan of the sea.
Most, it was no longer ugly.
It was breathtakingly, flawlessly beautiful.
Its sleek, elongated body was a pristine cream color. Striking, intelligent red eyes gazed down at them, framed by long, elegant red eyebrows that extended outward like luxurious ribbons. Three distinct black spots dotted the sides of its graceful neck.
Its tail was a masterpiece of nature, covered in vibrant, overlapping scales of blue and pink, accented by sharp black stripes. At the very end of its tail, four massive blue scales fanned out like an exquisite aquatic flower, centered around a single, striking red spot.
As the sunlight caught the scales on its tail, they shimmered and refracted the light, casting a brilliant, iridescent rainbow across the grass.
It was the absolute, obvious physical embodiment of beauty and elegance.
Misty's Pokedex chimed once more, breaking the stunned silence.
[Milotic!]
[The Tender Pokemon. It is said to be the most beautiful of all Pokemon. Evolved from Feebas!]
See? Officially certified by the system.
"So beautiful!" Furina cried out, her eyes sparkling with absolute adoration.
Misty nodded furiously, completely mesmerized by Milotic's shimmering scales. "The Group Leader was right! Feebas really does become the most beautiful thing in the world after evolving!"
"No wonder Ren said it was the most beautiful," Kiana muttered, pouting slightly. "It really is. If I hadn't already decided I wanted an Eevee, I'd definitely beg for one of those."
"How about it?" Ren looked down at Furina, a smug smirk playing on his lips. "Do you like it?"
"I love it!"
Furina didn't hesitate for a second. She immediately reached out, her hands trembling slightly with excitement, to touch Milotic's smooth scales.
Perhaps sensing the pure Hydro elemental affinity radiating from the Archon, Milotic lowered its massive head. It let out a soft, melodic cry, acting incredibly docile as it nuzzled affectionately against Furina's palm.
"Hehe... thank you, Ren." Furina beamed, her mood soaring to the absolute heavens.
After sorting out Furina's dramatic acquisition, Ren systematically helped the rest of the girls secure their dream companions.
Kiana got her energetic Pikachu. March 7th happily hugged a pastel-colored Sylveon. Exusiai secured a sleek, psychic Espeon. Kikyo, fittingly, was paired with a graceful, fiercely loyal Gardevoir.
With Ren's absolute administrative authority, catching a specific Pokemon was merely a thought away. He bypassed the tedious searching and battling, instantly summoning and taming whatever they desired.
"This is just too amazing..." Misty mumbled, her brain short-circuiting as she watched the casual display of god-like power.
Casually summoning rare Pokemon across space, effortlessly forcing their evolutions, and ensuring every single one had a perfectly docile and affectionate nature. If she had this kind of terrifying ability, she could become the greatest Water-type Master in history by tomorrow afternoon!
She stared at Ren, her heart burning with deep, unadulterated envy.
"Wait a second, Ren!" March 7th suddenly spoke up. She was happily burying her face in Sylveon's ribbons, but she suddenly realized a glaring omission. "Since you brought us all here, aren't you going to catch a Pokemon for yourself?"
"Yeah!" Exusiai chimed in, her Espeon resting comfortably on her shoulder. "Although Pokemon aren't exactly strong, they're super cute, Ren. Why don't you catch one too? Maybe an Umbreon to match my Espeon?"
The Laterano angel flashed him a cheeky wink, shamelessly suggesting a couple's matching set.
"Heh heh. Who told you that Pokemon aren't strong?"
Ren smiled slightly, his hands slipping into his pockets. He couldn't disagree more with that assessment.
"Ah? Are Pokemon actually strong?" Exusiai blinked in surprise. Aside from some neat elemental tricks, none of the creatures they had seen so far radiated any real, threatening power.
"It's not that regular Pokemon are overwhelmingly strong," Ren corrected smoothly. "But there are certain entities among them that stand at the absolute apex of this world. They are known as Legendary Pokemon."
Pseudo-legendaries, Mythicals, Legendaries. These were the true anomalies of this universe.
Especially the highest-tier Legendaries, the ancient titans that shaped the very earth, sea, and sky.
Among them, a prime example was a certain red behemoth who famously couldn't fly. One wrong move against a creature like that would result in a catastrophic Precipice Blades warning.
Some of the most terrifying Legendary Pokemon possessed the authority to completely control time, distort space, and rule over antimatter. They were literal gods in the shape of monsters.
"I already have a specific target in mind."
Ren looked up toward the distant horizon, a sharp, predatory glint sparkling in his eyes.
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