Aegislash noticed the sudden appearance of a Pokémon. It didn't engage in battle with the others and quietly left. However, just as it was leaving, that Pokémon clearly shifted its gaze, glancing at Syd and Hikaru.
Hmm... Is it silently watching from the shadows, always chasing after its trainer?
Or perhaps it had tried before, but realized that the other party could not be persuaded to return?
That trainer had already been crushed by the weight of "the failure of reality," which is why they turned to Team Plasma, clinging to "a hollow ideal."
"How could this happen? He ran away!"
"Tch, even the elite trainers had to temporarily retreat."
"We are a legitimate organization, don't make it seem like we're the bad guys! Our cause is righteous!"
Central Park was in chaos, the crowd that had been listening to the speech had already dispersed, and the sound of sirens in the distance signaled that the Officer Jennys of the city had been drawn over.
At this moment, Sage Zinzolin stepped forward. This was the perfect opportunity for him to build a good public image.
Of course, the opposing trainer was also formidable. Zinzolin was pondering—although the elite trainers had fled, if they could recruit this strong trainer into Team Plasma, wouldn't that be even better?
His gaze shifted and landed on a green-haired young man in a flat cap, who was looking right at him.
Ah! It's Lord N! The King of Team Plasma!
Zinzolin was a staunch supporter of N. Though he had been recruited into Team Plasma by Ghetsis, he greatly admired some of N's ideals and philosophies. Seeing N make a few hand signals at him, Zinzolin immediately understood.
It seemed it wasn't his turn to recruit that formidable trainer.
Lord N seemed very interested in that trainer, staring intently without blinking!
Was Lord N planning to have a deep conversation with him?
Well, let the King of Team Plasma personally recruit such a powerful trainer. Many trainers who were once stubborn had also changed their minds after seeing Lord N's ability to communicate with Pokémon and understand their hearts, becoming devoted partners of his!
That trainer would surely be moved by Lord N as well!
"What's happening here?! Stop the Pokémon battles immediately! Where are the trainers?!"
The Officer Jennys of Unova belonged to a slightly different branch—green short hair, golden eyes, a neat uniform. In terms of appearance, they weren't as attractive as the Officer Jennys in other regions.
However, their response time was truly fast.
The chaotic battle in Central Park left her and the other law enforcement officers dumbfounded. Yet, when they called out for the trainers, there was no reply. Upon seeing Team Plasma appear, she immediately gritted her teeth in frustration.
"Hey, you people—"
Before she could finish her scolding, the barrage of moves flying through the air suddenly stopped. Officer Jenny turned in shock to see the Pokémon that had been battling moments ago now cease their attacks and gather around the giant sword-like Pokémon.
As if they were guarding their "King"!
Naturally, Hikaru, who was commanding the giant sword, was marked by Officer Jenny. But right now, her priority was to warn this group of meddling animal rights activists!
"You're one of Team Plasma's Sages? I've never seen you before. Don't you know that the speech you gave here earlier caused many citizens to release their Pokémon, resulting in several disturbances?"
"This chaos was your doing, wasn't it?! All of you need to come with me to the station for investigation!"
Sage Zinzolin immediately realized this was a great opportunity. Although the grunts around him were about to blame Hikaru, Zinzolin knew it would be pointless. After all, the one who stirred up the Pokémon to attack was that door-like giant sword!
He didn't understand Pokémon language—how could he accuse a Pokémon? And what was the point of blaming the trainer? If the person denied it, there was nothing they could do.
Besides, this was the perfect chance to create an opportunity for Lord N to have a private conversation!
"That's right, we caused this. For the chaos caused by the release event, Team Plasma takes full responsibility! We sincerely apologize! But we were only trying to liberate Pokémon from the clutches of malicious individuals. Whether or not to release them is entirely up to the trainers; we merely advocate."
Zinzolin gave a polished defense. After all, Team Plasma was a legally recognized religious organization, and even their Sages were known as great philanthropists.
Officer Jenny was at her wit's end with this group. The speech event was legal, and the disturbances it caused hadn't resulted in any civilian injuries, so only financial compensation was required.
Verbal warnings were pointless for this group!
Suppressing her anger, Officer Jenny approached Hikaru. "You're a Pokémon trainer? Thank you for calming down the Pokémon riot here. Your Pokémon seems to be a type not found in Unova!"
She believed Hikaru was a challenger from another region, come to take on the Unova League. She thought he was quite skilled!
After a round of praise, Officer Jenny stated on her own initiative that she would award Hikaru a medal as a token of gratitude for quelling the disturbance and restoring order among the Pokémon.
"Thanks to your help, there were no casualties! I hope you won't have a bad impression of Mistralton City because of this incident. Here, please accept this!"
She was also relieved. If a major incident had occurred during her shift, it would have been disastrous! All of this trouble was thanks to Team Plasma!
Unova was still too free.
As a token of personal thanks, she also gifted Hikaru a Technical Machine.
Unlike other regions, Unova's TMs had unlimited uses.
The medal was more like a token of appreciation—a symbolic honor.
It didn't possess any special power, but the one in Hikaru's hand was the Mistralton City Medal, awarded to trainers who had made outstanding contributions.
[Item: Mistralton Medal]
[Description: Awarded to those who have contributed to Mistralton City's public safety.]
[Effect: A purely honorary medal. It's an achievement-type item.]
[Bonus: First-time acquisition of a unique medal from the Unova region grants the "Medal Crafting Technique (D–A)." Medals you craft, when engraved with special runes, will grant certain non-combat bonuses. As an achievement item, it remains effective for life.]
[Note: The Unova Medal Administration is still in preparation. Perhaps you can pre-register a system to award special achievements to Unova's trainers.]
Officer Jenny soon led Sage Zinzolin and the grunts away. Some of the regular grunts were still grumbling as they left. The stage for the speech was also being dismantled. As for the female knight who had been knocked out by Hikaru, it seemed she was a mid-level Team Plasma officer. Since she was unconscious, she was sent to the Pokémon Center.
"Please wait a moment."
Once the crowd had dispersed, leaving only the Pokémon, the green-haired man in the flat cap finally made his move.
Hikaru had already noticed him earlier.
Ah! The great N-sensei!
Even if you wear a flat cap, that striking green hair is impossible to miss! Others might not know who you are, but how could I not?
"Your Pokémon spoke just now, didn't it?"
N said this while watching Hikaru's reaction. Usually, people would respond with something like, "Are you joking?" But Hikaru showed no reaction.
As expected, there was no need to test him.
"You can hear the voices of Pokémon too, right? Sorry, because of certain circumstances, I can hear the hearts of Pokémon. You... seem to be like me."
"I'd like to trouble you a bit. Your Pokémon's words are very unique."
Indeed, all three of Hikaru's Pokémon had distinct voices. Especially Lilligant, who seemed to harbor special feelings for her trainer.
But Aegislash's speech had been so sharp that N couldn't help but focus entirely on this Pokémon he'd never seen before.
He was eager to have a conversation with it.
"I've never encountered a Pokémon who spoke such words. To think there could be a Pokémon that expresses itself like that... I'd like to hear more of its voice."
"I believe we can understand each other."
"Just now, you spoke with the Team Plasma members, saying everyone can hear the hearts of Pokémon. I think that statement is incorrect."
"If everyone could hear Pokémon's inner thoughts, there wouldn't be so many evil people exploiting them."
Hikaru interrupted N: "Hearing, understanding, and wanting to act are three different things."
"Were you going to say that those who can't hear Pokémon's voices are pitiful?"
N was stunned by the question.
How... How could this person know what I was going to say?
"What do you think Pokémon are? I'd like to hear your answer."
Hikaru immediately turned the tables, catching N off guard.
He quickly realized that the person in front of him wasn't simple!
His little schemes were as transparent as glass before this person.
N fell silent for a moment, then gave a textbook response:
"They are friends."
"Pokémon sealed inside Poké Balls can never be complete. As long as Poké Balls exist, Pokémon will never achieve perfection."
"I want to make this world a Pokémon world because they are my friends."
"I view Pokémon as friends."
Hikaru nodded slightly. "A good answer. Many trainers in the world feel the same way about Pokémon."
N rebutted with a sense of urgency:
"Those so-called 'friends' merely trap Pokémon inside Poké Balls, forcing them to do their bidding with their own will."
"I want to free Pokémon from the confines of Poké Balls."
"If they are truly friends, they shouldn't be confined within such small spheres!"
"The kind of friend I want to be, is different from theirs!"
After N finished speaking, Hikaru responded slowly, correcting him:
"The relationship between humans and Pokémon isn't just a single kind. In different social contexts and circumstances, relationships undergo different transformations."
"Comrades, partners, friends, family."
"Comrades forged through trials of life and death."
"Partners who gain mutual recognition through arduous challenges and long journeys."
"Family, who become as close as parents."
This was the first time N had been confronted like this. He felt that the examples given were somehow inappropriate.
"Of course, it's not just friends. I also want to have even deeper connections with them..."
Hikaru shook his head.
"The original bonds were destroyed. After you've ruined their history, their stories, and their connections, you call yourself their friend."
"Some bonds can be rebuilt after they are broken, but some, once destroyed, can never be restored."
"Because of your choices, not only humans, but even the future and destiny of Pokémon have been changed."
"Pokémon are creatures easily swayed."
"When humans treat them kindly, they will treat humans kindly in return. Many Pokémon don't possess human notions of morality or good and evil."
"They simply like you, so they follow your commands and act, loyal to their trainers and companions—but this does not prove that what you are doing is right."
"Pokémon who choose to follow you are no different in their motivations from those who choose to follow other trainers."
Hikaru glanced at the surrounding Pokémon.
The Pokémon near N were also clustered around him, but when they approached the group who had been swayed by Aegislash's speech, the latter Pokémon noticeably distanced themselves emotionally.
N had never encountered this before. He tried to use his actions to persuade Hikaru, but when he approached the Pokémon, they questioned him:
Who are you?
Why do you want to bond with us?
We already have our friends, companions, and family, but they abandoned us. Who made them this way?
This was what the Pokémon were saying.
N tried to communicate with the Pokémon—he was sincere, and no one could deny that. Pokémon were naturally drawn to him, yet these Pokémon were now distancing themselves. This deeply puzzled N.
Though he had encountered similar Pokémon before, this was a puzzle he couldn't solve.
"There are others in this world who can communicate with Pokémon besides you. And the 'others' I speak of aren't just myself."
"The world is vast, wide. If you only listen to the hearts of Pokémon, you risk overlooking the human heart. Whether it's the history of humans or Pokémon, neither compares to the history of humans and Pokémon supporting each other."
"You've finally stepped out of that narrow castle, haven't you? Shouldn't you listen more to others' voices? Don't think you're special—arrogance grows that way."
The Battle Frontier's Anabel, Sinnoh's Footprint Researcher, the people of the Creation Valley in Kalos, even Agatha from Kanto's Elite Four, and Red—known as the Mountain God of Mt. Silver in Kanto—all possessed similar abilities.
Though none of them had any special powers, through years of cultivation, they had learned to communicate with wild Pokémon.
"The King of Unova's Plasma, who claims to see the past and future of others, yet does not understand the human heart?"
N was shocked by Hikaru's precise understanding of his identity. He fell silent for a while, but his resolve did not waver.
"That's right. I am the leader of Team Plasma—their 'King.'"
"I was invited by Ghetsis to liberate Pokémon alongside him."
"In the name of mutual understanding, trainers fight each other, causing Pokémon to be hurt. Am I the only one who feels the gentle pain of that? You think I'm arrogant? Fine, then let me communicate with your Pokémon a bit more."
"I truly don't understand the human heart, because from the moment I was born, I've lived with Pokémon. Speaking to them has always brought me more joy than speaking to humans. Pokémon never lie."
"Tell me, Aegislash, why—"
[Do not casually speak my name.]
Aegislash's voice rang out clearly in N's heart:
[If you wish to debate as a 'King,' then I can temporarily speak on your behalf. My trainer is destined to become the new King among humans, while I shall serve as the King of Pokémon! Together, we will establish a kingdom of ideals, while you and that liar Ghetsis's nation shall surely fall.]
[Let me tell you, what the 'King' of Pokémon truly represents!]
[The King of Pokémon is born from the flames of war, to protect Pokémon and aid weak humans! To ensure the continuation of history, and to create new stories, the King is given a mission!]
[Your insidious words confuse Pokémon's hearts, seducing them into a gentle illusion, gaining their recognition, and then destroying their bonds—making Pokémon believe only you understand their thoughts, thus causing them to abandon their original companions!]
[The legends say: humans and Pokémon are mutually dependent. If either side harbors strong malice, it will lead history into an irreversible catastrophe. The wiser the human, the easier they are to fall into this abyss.]
[After meeting you, I am certain of this.]
[A heart's gift not used for guidance but for destruction—now I understand how ancient kingdoms perished.]
"Is the 'god' you speak of the legendary dragons?"
[Something far greater than them. You currently do not have the means to draw their attention.]
"I see... you seem to know quite a lot... but precisely because I lack the power now, I can't realize my ideals. I need strength. I cannot save all Pokémon in my current state, nor solve the equation to change the world!"
"I need power, the power to make everyone acknowledge me!"
"I know what I need—that is the power of the legendary Pokémon, the one who built a nation alongside the hero in Unova! I will become the hero, and its friend!"
[Don't be foolish.] Aegislash cut him off. [My trainer once said something important:]
[One does not become a hero first to gain recognition. One becomes recognized by others, and thus becomes a hero.]
[That's why you are not yet qualified to be a hero, nor a King.]
[Go and listen to more people's answers. Don't blindly force your beliefs on others. Listen, then decide—this will benefit your heart's growth.]
[The Pokémon around you, when they are with you, show joy no different from when they are with other Pokémon. Therefore, you are no different from other humans.]
『Aegislash used Whisper on N. N's Special Attack fell.』
N's mind wavered, rippling with uncertainty. After all, this wasn't a rebuke from a human, but a denial from a Pokémon!
He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and asked with a hint of defiance:
"Have you ever seen a hero or a King? I will become the hero and King I dream of, and I will not betray everyone's expectations."
[I have indeed seen them. A thousand years ago, I lived in an ancient kingdom. The people of that time, though foolish, received life from Pokémon, entrusted their lives to them, lived together, died together, and perished together.]
[Would you like to try it too? In the past, humans and Pokémon embarked on paths of battle together, sometimes even braver than Pokémon themselves. Let us battle. In the presence of these many Pokémon, this is a duel between Kings. You're not afraid, are you?]
Aegislash's lone eye flickered with a strange light.
However, before N could respond, Hikaru waved his hand, stopping the proposal.
There was no point. If N-sensei had become as deluded as in the Special Episodes, getting zapped in the face by Zekrom's lightning, then even if you blasted N-sensei with Iron Head, he wouldn't complain. After all, "it's all for mutual understanding with Pokémon," right?
Actually, that really is a legitimate form of understanding. After all, Kukui in Alola, Agatha from the Elite Four, and even Ash himself—they all do it that way.
Until N-sensei comes to terms with his own heart, words alone can only shake him slightly, instilling some self-doubt. Then he'll go out and try to prove it through action.
In some ways, N-sensei is just someone who has been brainwashed and isolated by Ghetsis for too long. With a little guidance, his change can happen quickly.
But first, you have to defeat N-sensei.
As for a mental purification... Hikaru wasn't sure how much effect it would have on N-sensei.
If it accidentally pushes him into another form of extreme delusion, that wouldn't be good.
After all, N-sensei's worldview is quite different from the norm. Villain leaders often have their own obsessive perspectives on the world.
Hearing Hikaru's inner muttering, Aegislash also understood the extreme nature of the person before him. It couldn't help but wonder:
Well, is this called an extremist, or someone with unshakable faith?
Maybe those two aren't mutually exclusive.
"A King who exists not solely for ideals, but for the lives of the real."
"But without ideals, there can be no reality. Abandoning either, the world cannot reach perfection. In Unova's founding legend, the two princes failed precisely because they each lacked the other half of life."
"Speak to someone while looking them in the eyes, and you can convey your thoughts. The same goes for humans and Pokémon. Thinking that just because you can hear the 'voices of the heart,' you understand Pokémon better than others—that is the root of arrogance."
"The truths and ideals pursued by humans and Pokémon are entirely different."
"Thousands of histories are born from this, countless encounters and stories arise."
"Even identical humans, living in different worlds, will experience great differences."
"A King who does not understand the human heart cannot rescue Pokémon from human hands. If you wish to become a Pokémon, then you can also become truly human."
Hikaru handed over a small square white stone, about the size of a palm.
"Looking from different standpoints, facts change too."
"To accept different ideas and existences—if you wish to become a true King or hero, you must embrace this step."
"Eliminating dissent is not something a King should do. Pokémon and humans both need each other's existence, and thus fateful encounters happen."
N fell silent and took the stone, filled with doubt.
"This is the 'Gratitude Stone.' If you have someone you wish to thank, carve their name and your words onto it. No matter how far apart you are across time and space, that gratitude will surely reach their heart."
"If you want to understand the human heart, use this item."
(End of Chapter)
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