"Yes, Walking Wake is my Pokémon, but right now, I can't control it. About the disruption it caused in your dreams, I sincerely apologize," Hikaru said earnestly.
Now that the actual parties had come knocking, an apology was only right. Even if it had only been a dream and hadn't caused real damage, it had still stirred up quite a bit of trouble.
Then, Hikaru dished up three more bowls of curry and offered them to the Swords of Justice. The fragrant aroma tempted even their honed self-control—their instincts screamed that eating this food would benefit their training immensely.
But the whole point of training was to overcome instinct. So the trio held back and didn't immediately accept.
Cobalion studied Hikaru's expression, observing his calm and sincere demeanor. The hostility in its gaze gradually faded.
"We'll set the curry aside for now. Back to the matter at hand—what do you mean you can't control it?"
"Walking Wake and I aren't in the same region right now. It was only able to enter your dreams because it's currently in the Entralink Forest."
"What? The Entralink Forest!?" Cobalion's eyes widened. "Human, how do you know about that place?"
"What are your intentions?"
The legend of the Entralink was considered a secret among the Swords of Justice.
Although anyone could find a Poké Ball-shaped forest in the center of Unova on a map, going there would only take them to an ordinary central forest. The true Entralink was hidden within—essentially a dimensional pocket. Such mystical places weren't unheard of in the Pokémon world.
Because humans couldn't reach the Entralink, nor enter the Dream World, Pokémon considered it a sanctuary—a safe haven where they could rest and heal their hearts, no matter what hardship they faced in the real world.
"If you ask my intentions…" Hikaru paused to think.
Maybe trying to obtain a seedling from the Tree of Entanglement was a kind of intention?
"I have a new question," Cobalion said. "Why are you even in the Dream World? This is a sacred place for Pokémon—it shouldn't be accessible to humans."
"And when you saw us, you weren't even surprised."
"Legendary Swordsmen—Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion," Hikaru said with a friendly smile, naming them effortlessly.
The moment Doublade—held in Walking Wake's maw—heard that, it perked up excitedly.
Whoa whoa whoa! The Swordsmen I was looking for are right in front of me!?
"Due to… certain special circumstances, I know things that others might not. But your names aren't exactly a secret, right?"
"I entered the Dream World by chance. If you want a reason, it probably has to do with an item I made. Have you ever heard of something called a Type Plate?"
"Type Plate?" Virizion frowned and looked to Terrakion, who shook his head.
"Nope. Never heard of anything like that, not even from those scummy humans."
"It's a legendary item, said to be bestowed upon the world by the god of creation. Type Plates exist across various regions. Some ancient people even tried to replicate them."
Hikaru finished his curry and formally introduced himself.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Swords of Justice. I'm Hikaru from Ecruteak—a craftsman who creates wondrous tools. I entered this dream world because I created a Symbolic Plate, imbued with the likeness of a Pokémon known as Unown. According to ancient legends, it's said to be able to create all things."
"As for Walking Wake… you probably won't believe this, but it somehow traveled here from the distant past."
He gave a brief explanation of Walking Wake's origins. When the Swords heard that this so-called 'Legendary Dragon' truly came from ancient times, their attitudes became a bit more complicated.
As Pokémon that had wandered the world for over a thousand years, they knew that some Pokémon could travel through time. But such Pokémon weren't from Unova. They had only encountered one long ago, by chance.
The tale of the Symbolic Plate was harder to grasp—Unown didn't exist in Unova, so they couldn't fully comprehend Hikaru's explanation. But they could understand this: if Hikaru wasn't exaggerating, the Plate he forged possessed power rivaling ancient relics of legend.
"How could you possibly create something like that?" Terrakion asked with disbelief.
"If ancient craftsmen could, why not modern ones?" Hikaru replied simply.
This gave the trio pause.
Modern humans chased after technological advancements, creating tools that seemed to defy reality. Even the Swords of Justice had begun to forget that ancient humans once wielded mysterious powers. Those people hadn't disappeared completely, but their influence had faded.
Now here was a young man in the Dream World, claiming to wield the same mastery as the ancient artisans…
"Hey—what is that!?" Cobalion, just about to brush the matter aside, suddenly noticed what Hikaru had placed under the curry pot.
Though unfamiliar, it radiated strong Dragon-type energy—and life force.
No mistaking it. It had to be the Light Stone Kyurem spoke of!
"Is that the Light Stone?" Cobalion asked urgently. Who would've thought something lost in the real world would randomly turn up in the Dream World?
When Walking Wake had caused chaos earlier, the Swords of Justice had assumed it was the legendary dragon. They'd even gone to the Giant Chasm to consult Kyurem, who told them the truth.
"That's right," Hikaru nodded. Then pointed inside the house. "There's also a Dark Stone in there."
Just those words, and the reality of it, stunned the trio into silence. The blue sword glowing on Cobalion's forehead slowly faded. It cautiously removed the Light Stone from beneath the pot. Though they'd never seen the dragons themselves, the power within the stone was unmistakably real.
"Are you the hero?" Terrakion stepped forward, looking up at Hikaru. "A group of humans in Unova are currently searching for a Hero and a King."
『I am the King!』 Calyrex raised its hand proudly, still with curry smeared on its face.
Doublade chimed in with cheerful sounds.
We've got another king here too!
"What's going on…? A craftsman and a king? What are you, the heir to some obscure country?" Virizion looked at Calyrex, frowning. "And you're a king too? But kings are a human thing, right?"
『I am the King of Abundance who once ruled ancient Galar!』 Calyrex straightened up, wearing a gaze full of mystique—though it was clearly just an act.
Virizion tensed up!
Calryex's "Unnerve" ability had triggered!
『This is the majesty of a king.』 Calyrex tilted its massive head with pride. In its mind, it imagined riding the Swords of Justice using the Reins of Unity. That would look so cool! But alas, these noble swords weren't so easily bound.
Hikaru chuckled.
"Unnerve" was a trait even Galar's wild birds had—it just stopped foes from eating berries. But on Calyrex, it somehow exuded a bizarre sense of authority.
"Hero, craftsman, king… a time-traveling ancient dragon, a Pokémon king, and what looks like a pair of talking swords," Terrakion laughed. "You're a weird bunch!"
"Speaking of, that ancient dragon said something about recruiting Pokémon for some King… It tried to bite and drag some away before we stopped it. Was that your idea?"
Terrakion gave Calyrex a teasing look. The latter sighed—when Walking Wake returned, it had mentioned trying to drag others off.
But Calyrex quickly changed the topic from how it tried to recruit… to why.
『Living on my land means delicious food. Even in the Dream World, eating it benefits your real body. Initially, I just wanted to trade these crops for special seeds—win-win for all parties.』
『And it helps me gather faith.』
"Faith?" Terrakion echoed, confused. But Calyrex spoke with surprising honesty. The fields didn't lie—like that enormous glowing blue cauliflower.
Maybe this bunny-headed king really was onto something.
Terrakion turned back to Hikaru and grinned.
"Let's put the territory discussion aside for now. Let's talk about that dragon of yours! You clearly know Unova's founding legends, and since this so-called impostor is your partner, and you're currently separated in the real world… you need to hear this!"
Terrakion then explained everything they had learned.
"Wait, what?!"
Hikaru was stunned. Thanks to Walking Wake's antics in the Dream World, it had ended up on Team Plasma's radar. They were currently searching for the "Legendary Dragon." The problem was—they were describing Walking Wake. Down to its very lively demeanor…
Translation: rowdy troublemaker.
It was an Ancient Power Pokémon, after all.
No wonder the Swords called it a fake!
"Well, I guess that works out," Hikaru mused. "The Entralink isn't exactly a place humans can easily reach. If Walking Wake stays there, they'll never find the real Legendary Dragon."
Virizion smiled slyly.
The Swords of Justice already knew the truth: there weren't just two dragons. The icy Kyurem was the hidden third. When they first heard people were hunting it, Kyurem had panicked—but relaxed once it realized the descriptions didn't match it at all.
A substitute victory!
Let them chase the decoy!
Of course, Team Plasma still had no idea which of the three dragons Walking Wake actually was.
Hikaru was baffled by their timing.
Isn't this too early? Aren't they supposed to go after Kyurem only after Ghetsis fails to control Reshiram and Zekrom? If you're jumping to Kyurem now… what happens to the Black & White 2 protagonists?!
Terrakion nodded solemnly.
"We do sympathize with Kyurem. We don't like Walking Wake much either… But we all agree on one thing: powerful Pokémon shouldn't be tools for humans."
"You need to come to Unova and bring your partner back—before things get dangerous."
"Thanks. That's very helpful," Hikaru replied seriously.
He glanced at Walking Wake, who still bore a hostile expression—and let out a few frustrated growls.
They ganged up on me! We have to fight before we can talk about peace!
"At first, we thought you were a villain. Now… we see it's just your wild ancient bloodline. You don't understand right from wrong."
Cobalion narrowed its eyes. "If you insist on battle, then so be it. Terrakion, Virizion—step back!"
Turning, Cobalion realized…
Terrakion and Virizion were already by the curry pot, chatting with Hikaru about the food.
"What are you two doing?!"
Virizion: "Didn't you say it's a one-on-one fight? We're staying out of it."
Terrakion: "This curry smells amazing. We're just testing the flavor. Hey, human, it's glowing—is that safe?"
Compared to Cobalion, the leader, Terrakion and Virizion were more easygoing. While wary of humans, they could still recognize a kind soul who treated Pokémon well.
"Hmph. So be it. Last time, I let my guard down and you bit off my horn. This time, I won't hold back!"
"Raaah!"
Walking Wake held one of Doublade's swords in its mouth, the other gripped in its claws—clearly ready for battle.
Doublade, equally excited, vibrated with eagerness.
This was a chance to see the Sacred Sword technique—and participate!
Still, it warned Walking Wake not to get too excited and breathe fire. A Flamethrower or Fire Fang and it'd be done for.
"Hmph. So it's not one-on-one after all. But fine—since I once rallied allies to chase you down, I'll let you bring your 'swords' too. But imitation swords won't beat the real Sacred Sword!"
Cobalion summoned a shining blade of blue energy on its forehead—and at the same time, Doublade's eyes glowed with psychic power.
A flurry of razor-sharp Psyblades emerged from all directions. The swords surged with mental energy, and with a swing from Walking Wake, they slashed outward in a flash!
Cobalion jumped. "That move—Psyblade?!"
That wasn't Walking Wake's attack—it was the swords'! The dragon was just swinging wildly. But the true technique came from the two Pokémon swords themselves!
What he thought were mere tools turned out to be real Pokémon—and ones with this level of swordsmanship?!
Cobalion's eyes gleamed with interest.
This battle… wasn't against the dragon.
It was against the swords!
Cobalion raised its glowing Sacred Sword as waves of blade energy rose around him.
Cobalion used Sword Dance!
"Let me see your true strength… unnamed Pokémon!"
(End of Chapter)
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