rpbooks Chapter 579 - 579: 577
Chapter 579 - 579: 577
"Organizing data records. Special Pokémon of Kitakami. Sending..."The Pokémon data obtained in Kitakami had, naturally, also been recorded in the Pokédex.
As long as they had that information, the professors could organize it. If they encountered the same kind of situation in the future, they could respond in time.
Moreover, the changes in the three poisonous beasts could also be regarded as "individual variation," which had a similar principle to Bloodmoon's individual variation. It would be extremely beneficial to Professor Rowan's next round of research.
As for Professor Juniper, the "origin" of a terrifying Pokémon like Pecharunt also seemed highly worth studying. And Ogerpon's grand Masked Rider transformation had left Professor Rowan absolutely stunned.
Many Mythical Pokémon had multiple individuals, while examples of a truly independent individual like this were extremely rare. Because of that, these materials were highly valuable for research.
Looking at the professors bombarding him with messages, Hikaru saw the count reach 99+ in no time. He could only reply to them one by one, saying that he would bring back more data later. However, the professors' arguments seemed different.
Professor Rowan said, "The investigation contents regarding evolution and form changes are truly astonishing. Hikaru, will you attend this academic summit with me?"
Professor Juniper said, "Hold on. Something that important should obviously represent Unova, so naturally he should go with me and Fennel. Otherwise, how could that possibly justify all the overtime I've put in? How can the Unova Champion go together with a Sinnoh professor? Professor Rowan, we can attend together, but you cannot directly poach him!"
"Professor Burnet also said she wanted you to represent the Space Research Institute. Impossible. I object!"
AI Sada said, "Part of what happened in Paldea will also be publicly declassified. You should come with me instead... Geeta said so too."
Cynthia said, "As a mythologist, you should naturally go with me."
Director Cyrano said, "For an academic summit, of course you should attend on behalf of Blueberry Academy!"
Although the messages were different, Hikaru sensed that something was off.
These people were definitely having private calls without him.
"Director Cyrano, your school isn't even properly finished yet. Even if you attend, what would you talk about? Declassifying the Terarium Core? Are you trying to bait the other professors with promises so they'll invest?"
As the professors kept arguing, Hikaru silently hung up the communication device.
It seemed they would not reach a conclusion anytime soon.
His next target location was Mahogany Town in the Johto region.
Come to think of it, he had received quite a few invitations in Johto. Pryce's, and even Suicune's. There was also Aegislash's "Rainbow Trial"... though asking a Pokémon to undergo a trial was rather strange, wasn't it?
There was also a commissioned job in the Kanto region. In truth, it was something Sabrina had mentioned to him before, concerning Kirie, the acting Gym Leader.
Because Kirie's strength as an acting Gym Leader was still insufficient, and because she had lost too many times and feared people gossiping about her, she planned to study for a while under the retired Agatha. Agatha currently lived in Pallet Town.
However, if that happened, the Saffron Gym would be left empty. So Sabrina had once considered asking him to serve as the acting Gym Leader. As payment, she offered him insight into psychic powers, two special Technical Machines, and unrestricted access to the psychic-related records and materials in the Saffron Gym.
Of course, Sabrina had not forced the matter. She had only mentioned it in passing, and had also said she would ask Caitlin to look after the place for a while.
So this time, he was only going to check on Kirie's situation and give a few suggestions, repaying Sabrina's favor along the way. It would not take much time.
Kanto region, Saffron City.
Saffron, the color of radiant, brilliant gold.
As the "starting region" among the various regions, Kanto did not have many distinctive regional features. According to the description from the Hisui era, at least 150 years ago, or perhaps even farther back, many people had already been living in Kanto.
However, this place had neither the Japanese-style culture of Johto nor ancient stories passed down like Sinnoh. In terms of blended styles, it also could not compare with Unova or Kalos. That was only natural. After all, many of the settings in the first generation were incomplete.
Its old translated name was Kantō, while its newer translated name was Kanto. From the design prototype alone, one could tell where the starting region was.
There were many famous places within it. For example, Vermilion City was Yokohama, and Celadon City was Shinjuku.
As for Saffron City, it was the Marunouchi business district. In other words, Tokyo.
"Are you here to find Saffron City's Gym Leader? The previous Gym Leader has already stepped down, and the new Gym Leader isn't here for the moment. Right now, the acting Gym Leader is in charge. If you want to challenge the Gym, you can do so at any time."
A voice came from behind Hikaru. Beside Sabrina's Psychic Gym stood a Gym that looked thoroughly down on its luck. This was the Fighting Dojo from the games.
Its Gym Leader, the Karate King Koichi, had lost the battle against Sabrina for official Gym status, and the dojo had fallen into second-rate status as a result.
Fighting types normally could not beat Psychic types, especially first-generation Psychic types.
In FireRed and LeafGreen, after defeating the Fighting Dojo Master, one could choose between Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan for free. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, Koichi left to train because he was too weak, and the dojo closed.
However, although the dojo had closed, one could still go in and out freely, because there was still a disciple inside acting as a guard. This was also the place where one could arrange battles with the sixteen official Gym Leaders of Kanto and Johto.
At this moment, however, intense sounds of battle seemed to be coming from inside the Fighting Dojo.
Hikaru turned around and saw, at the dojo entrance, a girl wearing a hat and eating senbei.
"I'm the current acting Gym Leader of Saffron City, though I'm only filling in for a few months. Want to challenge me?"
Hikaru said, "I'm not here to challenge the Gym. But is the new Gym Leader you mentioned Miss Kirie?"
The girl in the white hat said, "Yes. But that prayer lady went out to train. Someone asked me for a favor, so I'm taking care of this place for now. A strange friend of mine also lives in Saffron City, so I came by to visit her too. Have you heard of Copycat? She's very famous."
"But you're actually not a challenger. Huh? Your face looks kind of familiar."
Hikaru laughed. "If you served as Saffron City's Gym Leader, and if you kept serving in the position, would there even be anyone in Kanto capable of entering the Silver Conference?"
"Oh, this year's Silver Conference is already over, right? Then never mind. Isn't that right... Leaf?"
"Huh? Could you be?" The girl in the white hat realized Hikaru's identity. She had seen his ID and pixel avatar on the Pokégear before. If she compared them carefully, she could tell.
"Shopkeeper?!"
A white hat, with a red Poké Ball pattern on it.
The long, chestnut-haired girl was Leaf, the female protagonist who stood alongside Red, and one of Kanto's three great battle legends.
Because Green from the games only joined in Generation VII, she had unfortunately never obtained a Champion title, nor had she received the title of battle legend. However, judging from the strength she displayed in Cerulean Cave, Green was probably around Elite Four level.
Leaf was very surprised. "Shopkeeper, you came to Kanto? Is your journey through Unova already over? No, what am I even saying? That's... obvious, isn't it? Because you seem to..."
Her expression suddenly became rather subtle.
"Now that I think about it, this is our first time meeting offline. You're pretty handsome too, Shopkeeper."
Because FireRed and LeafGreen took place three years before HeartGold and SoulSilver, the Red group of four were fourteen years old.
Hikaru said, "Miss Leaf is prettier than the rumors too. And not just Unova. I also went to distant regions. I'm only passing through Kanto. Since Kirie isn't here, I need to hurry to Mahogany Town."
Leaf smiled. "Mahogany Town? Are you going to attend the ice sculpture exhibition?"
That made Hikaru a little confused. "Huh? Is this ice sculpture exhibition famous?"
Pryce being an ice sculptor was a setting from Pokémon Adventures. Mahogany Town was said to be the hometown of ninjas, but neither the Ice Gym nor Pryce himself actually had anything to do with ninjas.
If Koga were placed there, it would fit the theme. Johto's description of this town was that it was "a town with a suspicious air to it. The hiding place for ninjas."
However, judging from the atmosphere in the anime and games, the so-called suspicious air came from Team Rocket's base being underground there. As for the "ninjas," they were probably just Team Rocket members going out for activities.
Perhaps it was precisely because of that that Pryce was chosen as Team Rocket's second-generation boss in Pokémon Adventures. But whether in the anime or the games, Pryce himself was just a stubborn old man who liked meditating on ice, and his build was perfectly normal. He was completely different from the Mask of Ice from Pokémon Adventures. In other words...
There was too little plot content.
Leaf covered her mouth and laughed, showing a subtle, mysterious expression.
"The exhibition isn't important. I only happen to know about it."
"But if you're looking for Pryce, you don't need to go to Mahogany Town yet. By a very strange coincidence... he's inside the Fighting Dojo right now."
"In fact, Shopkeeper, you heard it too, didn't you? The extremely intense battle sounds coming from inside the Fighting Dojo. So why am I, the acting Gym Leader of Saffron City, outside the Gym instead of inside?"
Hikaru said, "Hmm... because the warp panels inside the Saffron Gym are too confusing, so you got lost?"
Leaf fell silent.
"Oh, well..." She guiltily looked away, but immediately shook her head hard. "No! That's not the point!"
"It's the battle!" Leaf spread her arms, showing a feverish expression. "Someone is challenging all the Gym Leaders in the Fighting Dojo in order to challenge a certain person! That's right. Even I am one of the people who has been challenged, and one of the people he plans to challenge!"
"Just now, I had a battle with the person inside! In the end, I was the more skilled one. Hmph, today's result was my win!"
The moment she said that, Hikaru immediately understood what was happening inside the Fighting Dojo.
"Is Ethan from New Bark Town battling Pryce right now?"
Phone-call rematches were postgame content in HeartGold and SoulSilver. The protagonist could obtain the Gym Leaders' phone numbers at different locations, then invite them to the Fighting Dojo at specific times for battles.
Moreover, once a Gym Leader was invited over, they would not leave. By using this mechanic, one could create a group photo with all sixteen Gym Leaders. In that sense, it was somewhat like the Kanto-Johto Gym Leader tournament in Pokémon Adventures.
Of course, in reality, standing up a Gym Leader would not be acceptable.
Leaf was quite surprised. "Huh? Shopkeeper, you know the young man inside too?"
Hikaru said, "How could I not? A famous young man who destroyed Team Rocket's remnants. Even distant regions heard about it."
"After all, Team Rocket is a large cross-regional publicly listed company. Even the activities of their remnants would attract attention from all sectors of society. Although some time has already passed since then, the reaction and aftershocks it caused in various regions were far from small."
"However, even now, Team Rocket does not seem to have been completely destroyed. As they say, a crafty rabbit has three burrows. I've encountered Team Rocket people before as well. Their industry is simply too vast. Trying to wipe them out all at once is still too difficult."
Hikaru murmured, "And based on what you're saying, the Mt. Silver decisive battle event is about to happen...!"
Leaf closed her eyes, crossed her arms, gathered her focus, then smiled.
"The decisive battle on Mt. Silver. Haha, the battle between the current Johto Champion and the former Kanto Champion. That does seem quite fitting. Yes, yes. That is exactly the situation right now."
"Blue bought a lot of items from you before, didn't he? You know that too, right? He's going to challenge the boy named Red."
"Well, actually, Blue, Red, and I are all childhood friends from Pallet Town."
"With Green included, the four of us traveled through Kanto at the same time three years ago. Aside from Green, all of us completed the Champion challenge at the Hall of Fame. We also joined forces to defeat Team Rocket."
Hikaru said, "Now I understand why Giovanni in this world directly went off to become a Rainbow Boss. He already couldn't win one-on-one. How could he possibly have any chance one-on-four?"
Leaf said, "Hmm... Giovanni, huh? He was a difficult opponent, I suppose. I also battled him, but in the end, Red completely defeated him."
"After that, Green pursued rare Pokémon and items, while Red and I went to the Sevii Islands. As for Blue, while helping Professor Oak with breeding and research, he also became the Viridian Gym Leader. Now he's somewhat well-known in academic circles too."
"Afterward, Red briefly inherited the position of Champion of the Indigo League."
"A year after our journey ended, a major disaster happened in Hoenn. After the incident was resolved, at Professor Oak's request, I went to the Hoenn region to conduct an ecological survey. After that, I went to a distant land called Orre."
"You went to Orre? That really surprises me." Hikaru was rather astonished.
Geographically speaking, Orre and Unova should be on the same continent. But in practice, it did not seem to be that way. One could only say the prototypes were related, but just like Kalos and Paldea, there was no way to clearly confirm whether they were connected by the same landmass.
As a side-series game from Generation III, Orre's Colosseum was quite well-known. After linking with FireRed or LeafGreen, one could play that game's battle mode as Red or Leaf.
Thinking about it that way, it was reasonable enough for Leaf to have visited Orre.
Leaf nodded, but her expression could not exactly be called happy.
"Yes. I originally heard that something terrible had happened there, but by the time I arrived, it seemed to be over already. That place is so strange. There are no wild Pokémon at all. Is the land too barren?"
Hikaru said, "I heard there were once organizations there called Team Snagem and Cipher. They tried to turn Pokémon into Shadow Pokémon and use those Pokémon to rule the world. Speaking of which, I didn't expect Orre to really exist."
Leaf nodded. "Before I went there, I'd never heard of the region either. It seems rather closed off from the outside world, and the social atmosphere doesn't fit with other regions at all."
"I also heard about Team Snagem and Cipher. Apparently, someone named Wes solved the trouble, but I always felt as if the incident had not really ended. I didn't stay very long, though. I only challenged the local Colosseums and then left."
Hikaru thought that this was only natural. After all, Orre was the only "dark-style" region in the Pokémon world. Its tone was completely out of place compared with the other regions.
Not stealing was the real sin there. The whole region was filled with a terrifying, oppressive atmosphere. Deserts occupied more than ninety percent of the land, with only ten percent suitable for survival. It seemed that in the distant past, humans and Pokémon had fought a war over resources, and humans had won, causing Pokémon to vanish from the region.
And the incident really had not ended yet. Five years later, the Gale of Darkness would arrive.
If Leaf had gone two years ago, then there were still three years until the Gale of Darkness incident?
Not bad, at least. It was not like the Nintendo DS era works, where a pile of major incidents jumped out every few months. The villains of the DS era and 3DS era really lined up in clusters to clock in for work.
The old works loved setting their timelines very long. By the time all the villains in the various regions took turns getting beaten three years later, Orre would only then start working on Shadow Lugia. When that time came, villains from other regions would probably laugh out loud if they saw it.
Doing that kind of thing now was already outdated.
Other regions had already produced outrageous things like creating the universe, overthrowing the League, freezing Unova, the ultimate weapon, Ultra Space, the gathering of Team Rainbow Rocket, the Darkest Day, ancient fortresses, dark crystals, and all sorts of theatrical-release monsters and demons. Yet Orre did not even know about them.
Orre's news network really was not well-informed. It genuinely was not.
Moreover, Orre's Shadow Pokémon technology had actually already appeared in the movie Celebi: The Voice of the Forest. Clearly, Team Rocket had already absorbed part of the core essence of that technology.
There were also the "Shadow moves" used by those Pokémon. They could deal super-effective damage against every type, yet were also similar to "typeless" moves. Perhaps they were precisely one of the design prototypes for Stellar Tera Type.
Leaf said, "After that, I went to Mirage Island, Guyana, and Faraway Island to investigate with members of the expedition team. Apparently, Mew had appeared there. Ah, I've said a bit too much."
Leaf patted her hat. "In short, Red later resigned from his position as Champion and went to Mt. Silver to train. But before that, I heard that he was often absent from the Indigo Plateau as well, going everywhere to challenge people. He was also always impossible to contact. Even Blue and Green couldn't find him, so the Elite Four had a lot of headaches over it."
"For some reason, though, he seems to have become slightly famous in other regions."
"The result is the current situation. Somehow, quite a few strong Trainers now know that Red is training on Mt. Silver, so everyone wants to go challenge him."
"It is hard to imagine what level he has reached after training alone for two years. Every time Blue challenges him, he comes back after a crushing defeat. So in order to further strengthen myself, I also plan to go to Mt. Silver again."
"As for why I say 'again'..." Leaf looked very embarrassed and gave a helpless smile. "Because the first time I went up, I was full of confidence. After all, I had completed the Hall of Fame challenge too. I thought that since both of us were Champions, I definitely wouldn't be weaker than him. In the end, I was beaten so badly I practically lost my armor and threw away my helmet."
"And the moment you enter the mountaintop, that guy feels like a completely different person. He's full of pressure."
"By coincidence, that 'person of the hour' from Johto who defeated Team Rocket's remnants also plans to go challenge Mt. Silver. And he has also completed the Indigo League's Hall of Fame challenge."
"So we're training with each other here!"
Hikaru said, "Kanto and Johto share one League. Put that way, there are five Champions here now?"
Because the Johto region only had one new Champion. Silver and Lyra would not challenge the Pokémon League. One defeated Team Rocket and, while he was at it, knocked over the Trainers on Victory Road before running off. The other was at home playing with Marill.
So only the protagonist could pass the Elite Four's exam. Compared with Kanto producing three Champions and one Elite Four-level Trainer all at once, Johto only had Ethan supporting the banner of the new generation by himself.
"Three former Champions, one current Champion Lance, and one new Champion..."
Before the events of Unova, Kanto was the region with the most Champion-class Trainers.
"Shopkeeper, I don't think you're in a position to say that." Leaf suddenly showed a teasing smile. "I heard from Professor Oak that a new Champion-class Trainer appeared in distant Unova."
"The gate Trainer of Area 10 in Black Tower and the newly promoted Unova Champion are the same person. News like that seems to have appeared, right?"
"So you came at exactly the right time, Shopkeeper. Come train with us. I want to see the peak of Unova. And as a Champion-class Trainer, I'm your senior."
Hikaru shook his head. "A senior challenging a junior feels wrong no matter how you look at it. But will Pryce and the others still be fighting for a while? If it'll take a little time, I don't mind playing one round with you."
Leaf laughed. "Playing one round? You make it sound like we're playing games in the Celadon Game Corner."
"But in a moment, you'll definitely..."
"I didn't keep you waiting too long, did I? The battle is already over."
The door to the Fighting Dojo suddenly opened. Pryce, dressed in a thick blue coat and leaning on a cane, walked out from inside, interrupting Leaf's challenge declaration.
The girl in the white hat looked rather awkward.
"Ah, how did..."
Pryce swept his gaze across them, his expression rather strange. "What is it? Oh, you must be thinking this old man is useless and should have held out a little longer, right? I apologize for disturbing the interest of a young Champion like you."
"No, no, not at all! And I'm not Champion now!" Leaf waved her hands repeatedly.
Hikaru found the scene rather strange. He nodded to Pryce. "Hello. It is a pleasure to meet you, Elder Mask of Ice. I am Hikaru. At your invitation, I came to Mahogany Town to attend the sculpture exhibition."
"Shopkeeper, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Pryce of Mahogany Town. Welcome. Though this is not Mahogany Town." Pryce took the initiative to extend his hand and shook Hikaru's hand, but his expression was somewhat serious.
"However, our meeting is not a coincidence. While I was spending time here, I also happened to be waiting for you."
"Of course, I was not waiting for you to discuss exhibition pieces for the ice sculpture festival. Although I very much look forward to seeing your carving work displayed, there is another, more important matter."
Although Pryce was somewhat fatigued after the battle, his expression was extremely solemn.
"Shopkeeper, I heard that you seem to know many ancient myths, legends, and hidden matters. Is that true?"
"I hope to receive your help."
Hikaru said, "How did you learn that? I don't think I'm very famous in Johto."
"Not famous in Johto..." Pryce pondered. "Mm. Our region does seem to be like that. We are always ignoring important people and important matters."
"There was also a young man from Johto before. After moving to Hoenn, he became the youngest Hoenn Champion. Johto lost another talent."
"Recently, while continuously visiting places around Johto in order to investigate certain matters, he also came to Mahogany Town."
"Now, they've created quite a scene near Route 47. However, the reason I know you possess knowledge of many legends is because of a strange dream I had not long ago."
"In order to unravel that dream, I took the initiative to ask that young man who had once come to Mahogany Town. The answer I received was... you."
"After that, I went to Ecruteak City and asked Morty to resolve my doubts. Although a medium cannot predict the future, they can accurately find the 'place' where an answer lies. And so, I came to Saffron City in the Kanto region."
"Even so, the confusion and unease in my heart did not disappear. Yesterday, I dreamed that strange dream again."
"So I found Miss Leaf as well. After all, she is an expert and a legend in this field."
Hikaru looked toward Leaf. The girl in the white hat lowered the brim of her hat and spoke somewhat embarrassedly.
"It's just that... because Professor Oak entrusted me with work, I went to many places to conduct investigations. The investigation team people called me a 'legendary investigator' and things like that."
Hikaru made a sound of realization.
"An investigator!"
Legendary Investigator Leaf, who maintained clear thinking and a normal will. She had powerful sanity.
So that was what this was.
Regional and ecological investigation was also an important element of the Pokémon world. In the games, this process was generally known as going through dungeons.
"That is the situation." Pryce nodded slightly. "Ever since a certain point, this Johto region seems to have undergone strange changes. Originally, after Team Rocket's strange radio waves in Mahogany Town stopped transmitting, that town should have become peaceful. Instead, my mind has grown more and more uneasy."
"Therefore, I entrusted Miss Leaf with conducting an investigation. The main subject of the investigation is my dream."
"The location that needs to be investigated is Ilex Forest."
Leaf spread her hands. "However, before that, someone already seems to have witnessed something incredible in Ilex Forest."
She pointed inside the dojo. At that moment, a young Johto Champion with almost the same face as Gold, Ethan, walked out, breathing heavily.
The protagonist of HeartGold and SoulSilver.
"The matter in Ilex Forest should be referring to the Celebi incident, right?" Ethan spoke about it with great interest, then greeted Hikaru. "Hello, Unova Champion Mr. Hikaru. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Ethan, a Pokémon Trainer from New Bark Town."
"Pryce said he was waiting for you here and that you would arrive today. I know the spiritual sensing of Morty, the Ecruteak Gym Leader, is extremely accurate, but I didn't expect you would really arrive this soon."
"As for Ilex Forest, not long ago, Lyra and I encountered Celebi, the Pokémon that can travel through time. Then we went back to three years ago... or something like that!"
Pryce nodded slightly. "That is correct. Ilex Forest is said to be the place where Celebi, the guardian deity of the forest, resides. It possesses sacred power in Johto. But why would Ilex Forest, so far away from Mahogany Town, appear in my dream?"
"Therefore, one of the subjects of investigation is Celebi."
"Moreover, in my dream, Ilex Forest was frozen over."
"Someone was speaking to me. Or perhaps it was some Pokémon. I truly could not tell. In the dream, I seemed to put on a strange ice mask, but I am certain I have never worn such a thing."
"Furthermore, not long ago, the ice sculptures in Mahogany Town all seemed to come alive and began moving. I originally thought it was a hallucination, but later discovered that was not the case."
"Therefore, I want to ask you to help me investigate and understand what exactly happened in Ilex Forest."
"In the dream, I also saw many strange scenes."
"An era before Poké Balls existed. An era when Legendary Pokémon appeared in the world. And the future that is about to arrive...?"
"And an era where the Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh regions were all destroyed."
"As well as an ancient ruin where snow falls year-round. I heard unclear murmuring, but I could still distinguish the syllables within them. That was definitely a human voice."
"Shopkeeper... if I remember correctly, your homeland should be called Sinjoh, correct?"
Hikaru suddenly realized something.
"Mm. When it comes to Celebi, many people believe it has the power to change history, but in reality, that is merely timeline modification. Timeline modification and changing history are two different things. Some histories are fixed events. In that case, when it comes to things related to Celebi, apart from the shrine, we will need to use the Time Flute."
"But a call coming from within a rift in time... Perhaps you did not answer that voice, Pryce."
"October is known as Kannazuki, the month without gods. In mythology, this is the time when deities return to the heavens. It is a very special period."
"In certain eras, the night Celebi descends upon the shrine is a full-moon night."
Of course, full-moon nights were not that rigid. The Pokémon world was rather special. Sometimes, the moon on Monday could also be full. This was a "day-of-the-week event."
Because of that, on Monday nights, lucky people could see Clefairy dancing by the lake at Mt. Moon. This was one of the Easter egg events in HeartGold and SoulSilver.
"Another 'masked person' has appeared. But he is not a Masked Rider. If I have not guessed wrong, perhaps someone is about to be unable to go back. If that person cannot go back, then the Sinnoh and Johto of another world really will be destroyed."
(End of Chapter)
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