rpbooks Chapter 580 - 580: 578
Chapter 580 - 580: 578
"The Sinjoh Ruins Arc."Hikaru closed his eyes. He already knew who was coming. Perhaps this was a change produced by the repeated alterations to space-time in this world.
Not only events that had already happened, but also the recent incident of Celebi: The Voice of the Forest.
During that incident, many Celebi had appeared. Perhaps the one from the Pokémon Adventures world was among them as well.
"Two time machines, Terapagos piercing the light cone, Crystal Pool, the power of Unown, the Time Flute from Orre, Lilac Forest in the Fiore region, the time-travel incident in Ilex Forest three years ago... and the influence of the Sinjoh Ruins."
Because this world was an "all-regions world," there were far more events related to Celebi and time. And from here on, those events would keep happening.
"They really do come and go whenever they want. Time travel is something ordinary people would never encounter, but to someone who knows all this, it feels as easy as eating and drinking. How many times has Ash run into it by himself?"
Legendary Investigator Leaf was observing the forest. Although she had gone to many places, she had never visited the Johto region right next door.
"So this is Ilex Forest! Johto's Ilex Forest. This is my first time here! The tall trees block out the whole sky. It feels like there's no difference between day and night!"
"It's clearly still daytime right now, but this place feels like night has already fallen."
Leaf had never come to Johto. After all, she had been held back by the era she came from. FireRed and LeafGreen did not have the Johto area at all.
By the time of HeartGold and SoulSilver, however, the Johto protagonists could come to Kanto.
Of course, even though the two regions bordered each other, before the Magnet Train was built, the towering Mt. Silver and Tohjo Falls stood between them. In truth, that was one of the reasons Kanto and Johto had such different local customs despite being adjacent.
Pryce said, "In Ilex Forest, the trees grow so thick and lush that one can barely see the sky."
"...That said, is the Gym situation really all right?"
Pryce glanced at Leaf. "You are serving as the leader of the Saffron Gym, yet now you have Ethan filling in for you. If I recall correctly... the original leader of the Saffron Gym was also a substitute, wasn't she?"
"This is a substitute for a substitute for a substitute... If something goes wrong, who will take responsibility?"
Leaf awkwardly rubbed her cheek. "If something goes wrong... Ah, Ethan probably won't cause any trouble. I heard from Professor Oak and Professor Elm that he has a very steady personality."
"As long as he goes a little easy during battles, it'll be fine."
Hikaru silently nodded.
That was actually true.
Although Ethan was the prototype for Gold, in terms of both strength and personality, he was completely different from Gold. He also loved adventure.
In the side work Pokémon Masters, Ethan would use words like this as his opening:
"Leave the adventuring to me! We can climb mountains, cross seas, and even go to the ends of the earth together!"
"Once you make up your mind, set off right away! Jumping into the unknown world to give it a try is pretty great too!"
Moreover, this boy had one very important trait.
"If you want to enjoy adventures and battles even more, using items flexibly is important too!"
"When you run into trouble, go ahead and try using items!"
Hikaru laughed.
"I never expected Johto's Champion to be an item expert! This is profitable! Let me think. At the very beginning, I wanted to make my name in the Johto region, but it seems that even after becoming famous in other regions, there still aren't many people in Johto who know about me."
"If the current Champion helps promote me now, I should become better known, right?"
At the Fighting Dojo, Ethan had shown tremendous enthusiasm for battle items. Only then did Hikaru remember that in Pokémon Masters, Ethan had the setting of an item-based battler. In other words, among all the protagonists across the generations, he was the best at using items in battle.
Even so, in the Pokémon Masters timeline, it seemed that he still had not won the decisive battle on Mt. Silver. Lyra had challenged it too, with the same result: total defeat.
HeartGold and SoulSilver could be called the most playable entries in the entire series, but Ethan and Lyra, as the protagonists, were always overshadowed by Kanto's Red and Leaf. That was the fate of second-generation protagonists.
But from the perspective of the game flow across the generations, the player was guaranteed to win.
So at certain times, Red was treated as "the former strongest Champion with the most losses."
He lost on Mt. Silver in the Gold and Silver era, lost in the World Tournament in the Black 2 and White 2 era, lost at the Battle Tree in Alola, and lost at the Indigo Plateau in Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
"The shopkeeper's items really are impressive. Focus Sash, Choice Scarf, and so on. Blue used them before when he battled me too. How should I put it? They're very powerful, but for Trainers, mastering rotation and the timing of item use has become even more important either way!"
Leaf gave her evaluation. "The online and offline games jointly developed by Battle Company and Devon Corporation, as well as the practical battle items, now have many different types of battle items in their battle software. Those were supplied by you too, right?"
"But I never expected to see the actual physical items here with you! And what exactly was that machine that could directly make items?"
Hikaru raised a finger. "Shh. That is a special machine I made, the Item Printer. Its structure is my store's top secret. Thanks to it, some items can now be quickly mass-produced."
"However, items made by this machine have no soul!"
Of course, whether or not they had a soul and whether or not one used them were two different things.
Leaf showed an awkward yet polite smile. "...In other words, if that machine is figured out, handcraft artisans will be completely out of work, right...? But could that machine make anything?"
Hikaru said, "As long as the corresponding materials are put in, it can even make Mr. Kurt's Apricorn Balls."
Pryce was also shocked. "Goodness. Kurt's craft is a secret art passed down through his family. It is said that many people tried to reproduce it through technological means, but all failed."
"I remember your family has a close relationship with Kurt. Did you learn the craft from him?"
Hikaru waved his hand. "No, actually not yet. Mr. Kurt asked me to go to his place and learn how to make Poké Balls, but because of work, I haven't been able to go."
"Then, by quite the coincidence... in the Unova region, I already learned how to make Balls."
That was also the truth.
After all, he had obtained the secret manual from another world's Mr. Kurt, and that great secret manual could make every kind of Ball.
"Hmm. So other regions also have things like handmade Poké Balls. My goodness. If that kind of machine really can make anything, then artisans' works can only develop toward premium, high-end craftsmanship. The times are changing."
Pryce shook his head and genuinely felt that he had grown old. He sighed with emotion.
"The power of science is amazing."
Hikaru smiled, then said to Leaf, "Although there are items to handle the situation, actual battles still depend on tactics. The gap in experience is very large. Cynthia, the Champion of the Sinnoh region, has recently also been thinking of challenging Red. So far, no one has knocked him off Mt. Silver."
"I remember that Red's Blastoise can use Blizzard, and the freeze chance is very high. His Charizard's Air Slash often makes enemies flinch. So the way to deal with that is using a Covert Cloak, which can prevent those additional effects."
"But I didn't expect him to buy six at once!"
Buying a large batch of cloaks in the same style all at once. Wasn't that something Lance would do?
"Weakness Policy, Blunder Policy, gems of every type, Life Orb, three kinds of Herbs... However, for Ethan's Typhlosion, the best battle method should still be..."
"Choice-boosted Sunny Day Eruption!"
It was not that there were no other ways to play it. Rather, in Generation IV, Typhlosion happened to gain the ultimate move Eruption. Very few Pokémon could learn this move. At first, this move had even been exclusive to Groudon and Camerupt.
Typhlosion had a base Speed of 100. After carrying a Choice Scarf, that rose to 150, allowing it to move first in almost any situation. Its Special Attack of 109 was not especially powerful, but under the boost from Sunny Day, Eruption's move power increased by fifty percent.
Its force was far stronger than Torkoal's. The only drawback was that Torkoal could set up Sunny Day by itself and then pair with Lilligant for a first-strike Eruption, while Typhlosion either needed a teammate or had to manually set Sunny Day itself.
"In high-level battles, ability-based weather setters are critically important!"
"Also, even the ancient form of Typhlosion can learn Eruption. That part is excellent. But Ethan's Typhlosion evolved into its final form long ago, so making it switch into its Hisuian form is impossible."
"Still, if you are purely pursuing power, Choice Scarf can also be changed to Choice Specs. That would further strengthen its offensive ability."
"And this time, I also obtained a useful and valuable move. As expected of Johto's Champion! The move Eruption. I got it!"
Hikaru shook the ancient bracelet in his hand.
Typhlosion's Eruption had been recorded.
Its old translation was "Volcanic Eruption."
Water Spout recorded from Shauntal, and Eruption recorded from Ethan. If he used Prism Star to teach them in the right place, perhaps he could let Walking Wake and Volcarona learn those two secret techniques respectively.
Just like the special Heatran in Guardian Signs, which had somehow learned Eruption.
How could that be called magic? This was clearly the influence of the local environment.
From Hikaru and Ethan's earlier conversation, Leaf had learned about the ancient form of Typhlosion, and she could not help sighing again.
"An ancient form... Hisui, the ancient name of Sinnoh... I can't believe Typhlosion would have that kind of ancient form. Fire and Ghost as a combined typing seems pretty rare, right?"
"And I heard from Professor Oak that regional forms are a topic not many people have researched yet. After exchanges between the regions became more frequent, people discovered Pokémon in other regions that had forms different from their original regions."
"In the past, people thought those Pokémon were new Pokémon that only looked similar, but later they found out they were the same Pokémon. Only their types and appearances had changed."
Hikaru said, "Unova's Chandelure line is also Fire and Ghost. Aside from that, Alolan Marowak is the same. That type combination is indeed quite strong offensively, though it has some shortcomings defensively."
"There are also Pokémon that look similar but are fundamentally different. There are quite a few convergent-evolution Pokémon in the Paldea region. Have you ever seen a jellyfish running on land?"
Leaf said, "??? What is that supposed to be?"
She did not understand, but she was deeply shocked. Then she spread her hands and brought the topic back to items.
"Speaking of which, Ethan really did use a lot of strange things in the earlier battle too. Those items weren't bought from you, shopkeeper, but it seems like he collected them during his adventure. That habit of collecting rare items is exactly like Green."
"Green once even did something like throwing a Poké Ball at a person and trying to catch them. That was all Blue's fault. If Blue hadn't said weird things first... But let me say this quietly. Green is pretty weird too!"
Seeing the questioning looks from Hikaru and Pryce, Leaf made a reminiscing expression.
"When it comes to academic questions, that incident has to be mentioned! Blue once wrote a strange paper. When he was on the phone with Ethan, he briefly mentioned the main point of that paper to him, and Ethan was very surprised. I read it afterward too. How should I put it..."
Hikaru said, "Huh. Was that paper of his... about the idea that humans are also a kind of Pokémon?"
Leaf said, "Yes, yes! That's the one! Huh? How did you know that, shopkeeper? Is that also considered a legend?"
Hikaru chuckled. "Don't joke. There really are related legends and stories. If Blue wants to hear them, I can send them to him later. I understand now. He plans to publish that paper this year, right?"
"If he can collect more related materials, people will be more receptive when he gives a report at the academic summit. But for the current academic world, that argument is still a bit too unconventional."
"After he became the Viridian Gym Leader, it seems he still keeps running around everywhere. Challengers who go to Viridian City seem to be filing complaints all over the place."
Leaf smiled. "I heard Ethan went to Viridian before and couldn't find him. In the end, he met him near Cinnabar Island. Honestly, going that far away just to research Pokémon? Investigation work like that should be left to me."
"So! In! Other! Words!"
"I accepted Pryce's investigation commission, so of course I'm the one coming to Johto, not Ethan. To avoid challenger complaints, we could only have him help manage the Saffron Gym. After all, that guy is our junior."
"Look. Ethan provided information. I get to investigate new things. Pryce gets to solve his confusion. Ethan can battle challengers and sharpen his skills, increasing his odds of winning on Mt. Silver. And you, shopkeeper, sold a huge pile of items. Everyone has a bright future!"
Pryce said, "Heh. When you put it that way, having that boy watch the Saffron Gym does sound like the right decision. Mm, but..."
"Will the challengers really not complain?"
One Champion had just left, and another Champion had arrived right after. A mid-game Gym was being guarded by a Champion?
Pryce shook his head as he listened.
He had lived for eighty years and spent fifty of them as a Trainer, but he had never experienced such an exaggerated era. Genius Trainers were appearing in clusters.
Did the Kanto region not have anyone weaker than a Champion?
It did, it did. There were actually Elite Four-level Trainers too. If one did not mind, they could also be sent to guard it.
Hikaru said, "Let me think. One, two, three, four... You know, why don't the four of you just replace the current Elite Four and guard the Indigo Plateau?"
Water Elite Four Green, Grass Elite Four Leaf, Psychic Elite Four Blue, and Fire Elite Four Red. That matched up perfectly.
Then anyone challenging the Indigo Plateau would suffer the ultimate humiliation. Giovanni could also hold his head high and tell those people, "You've heard my story too?"
This would also be Lance's easiest episode. Even if he lost while competing in another region as Champion, he could confidently give a thumbs-up and say: I'm only the weakest person at the Indigo Plateau. After you defeat me, there are still four more. Champions are wholesale where I come from.
When the news reached the Paldea region, Chairwoman Geeta expressed envy under her real name and posted an advertisement: high-salary recruitment for Champion-level experts. Interested parties should call the hotline directly.
Of course, the Kanto region's title as the region with the most Champions would probably be handed over to Unova in a few years.
Leaf pushed aside the grass ahead. "Ahaha. Maybe during the next Elite Four replacement, they'll have that idea. But we don't want to stay at the League every day. That would be so boring."
Pryce tapped his cane. "Enough. We have arrived. This is the shrine of Ilex Forest."
"The guardian deity of the forest is here. Now, let us recall the information that boy Ethan told us earlier. And also what you said about the Forest of Celebi."
Hikaru said, "Folklore says the shrine is a symbol of good luck and can ward off evil. Not long ago, in the Forest of Celebi at the westernmost edge of Johto, the Call of the Forest once appeared."
"Those who heard the call were carried by Celebi through past and future. A boy reached the present from the past because of it, producing a space-time paradox."
"And what Ethan encountered here was almost the same thing."
"This shrine once had incidents where children and Pokémon disappeared. In the legends of Ilex Forest, if one plays a prank at the shrine, one will be taken away by a god. In reality, they become lost in the gaps of time, able only to drift helplessly through past and future."
This part of the content would be explained by an elder near Ilex Forest in HeartGold and SoulSilver's hidden story event, Spiky-eared Pichu.
"In Ethan's earlier adventure, the remnants of Team Rocket occupied Goldenrod City's Radio Tower and announced Team Rocket's revival to Giovanni. But Giovanni did not answer. That was because..."
"Celebi brought the current Ethan back to the past. When the broadcast in Goldenrod City happened, Giovanni, who was hiding in Tohjo Falls, was defeated by Ethan. Deeply understanding his own insufficient strength, he left the Johto region and went across the sea."
Pryce narrowed his eyes. "So the one who appeared in my dream is also someone who came across time with Celebi's power."
"Although it is not night yet... that strange feeling has already emerged. Can none of you hear it? The faint, half-there call coming from the shrine..."
"Parallel worlds and such are still too difficult for an old man like me to understand."
Hikaru said, "But for the Masked Man of another world, that was something he pursued his entire life."
"Then let us use the Time Flute. And this too!"
A gold-and-silver Poké Ball was taken out.
A high-quality imitation, and a defective item that could only be used once.
"The GS Ball!"
"What is that strange-colored Poké Ball?" Pryce asked in confusion, which made Hikaru unable to help laughing.
In the Pokémon Adventures world, Pryce had gone to enormous lengths to obtain that Ball. But in the game world and anime world, Pryce did not recognize this Ball at all, nor did he have the slightest relationship with Celebi.
Even their partner Pokémon when they were young were different.
Game Pryce's partner was actually Seel.
Anime Pryce's partner was Piloswine.
And manga Pryce's partner was Lapras, which contributed to the very famous song, The Lapras That Carried a Boy. That was actually a song from the second-generation radio device.
Hikaru said, "This? This is the Poké Ball that captures time!"
"At the same time, it is also a coordinate reference object that attracts Celebi."
In the second generation, after the GS Ball was handed to Mr. Kurt, it would begin to shake, and Ilex Forest would also become strange. Afterward, Kurt would return the GS Ball. Once the GS Ball was placed in the Ilex Forest shrine, Celebi would appear.
As for what this Ball did in Pokémon Adventures, that went without saying.
The knockoff GS Ball began to glow.
Hikaru started playing the Time Flute. This item came from the Orre region and was an important tool for calling Celebi. Ever since he had met his own Celebi once before in Hollow of the Heart, it had left the Call of the Forest on him.
This was the coordinate left by Celebi. With Celebi's power, he could call the arrival of his own Celebi in any world. It was a forced return-home buff.
As long as he called Celebi, he would not become lost in space-time.
The melodious flute sound echoed through the forest. The shrine in Ilex Forest before them also began to glow, and shimmering phantoms appeared faintly in the space around the shrine.
Radiance, green grass, lightning.
"Wait. It looks like something is coming out!"
Leaf stared fixedly at the shrine. After a burst of light, from behind the shrine...
"Pi... Pichu?!" Leaf looked blankly at the Pokémon that had crawled out.
"What happened to the promised Celebi?"
A Pichu with a jagged ear seemed to sense what was about to happen. With a smack, it jumped onto the little roof of the shrine.
Hikaru said, "So that is it. That is a Pokémon affected by Celebi's time travel. It cannot evolve. At some point, it began living in the forest, and it is always very lonely."
"The Spiky-eared Pichu, who traveled here from the land of ancient Sinnoh, from Michina Town to Ilex Forest!"
Spiky-eared Pichu.
A Pokémon known as something similar to a Mythical Pokémon. Its base stats were no different from an ordinary Pichu's, but its appearance was different from an ordinary Pichu. The tip of its left ear had three more notches than other Pichu, which was how it got its name.
In HeartGold and SoulSilver, bringing a Pikachu-colored Pichu to interact with the shrine in Ilex Forest would allow one to encounter Spiky-eared Pichu.
The Pikachu-colored Pichu, a Shiny Pichu, was a Pokémon that could only be obtained by watching the movie Arceus and the Jewel of Life. At the same time, within that theatrical movie, this Spiky-eared Pichu appeared.
That was right. Whether it was the Sinjoh Ruins in HeartGold and SoulSilver, or Spiky-eared Pichu, both were related to the theatrical film Arceus and the Jewel of Life.
Spiky-eared Pichu could not be Link Traded. It also could not be transferred to later generations. Even its idle animation was completely different from a normal Pichu's.
It was the only existence similar to a Mythical Pokémon that had been left in an old generation and could not be turned into 3D.
Pokémon Gold and Silver.
Forest Spiky-eared Pichu.
Cannot cross space-time.
"Pi!" The Pichu with the jagged ear warily looked at the three people standing in front of the shrine.
It had clearly heard the three people in front of it talk about the forest god and capturing.
"Do you think we came here to catch Celebi and do bad things?"
"In truth, that is not the case. We are only travelers who came to welcome Celebi and resolve trouble."
"Besides, don't you want to return to your own era?"
Spiky-eared Pichu's expression was extremely wary. Crackling electricity burst from its cheeks.
"Pi! Pichu!"
You think I'll believe you?
"Right. You traveled here from one thousand years ago. In that era, humans used armor to control magical beasts and command them. It is normal for you to be wary of humans."
Powerful lightning exploded from Pichu's cheeks.
Making it trust them would not be that simple.
"This Pokémon's lightning... I think I saw it in my dream. No, it was somewhat different!"
Pryce began recalling things on the spot, but Hikaru shook his head. "It is not the same individual."
"The reason this Pichu's power is so strong is because it has the Zap Plate!"
"The rightful bearer of a Plate draws from the Plate it holds."
Still, where exactly was that Plate hidden on Pichu's body?
Or had it already merged with it?
If so, then this Pichu not only came with a twenty percent boost to Electric-type moves, but also was not locked out of holding an item.
After all, this thing was a true official custom Pokémon.
"So, if we battle it, are you going in? Don't burn down this forest!"
Amid Hikaru's laughter, Victini, who had been invisible, made its move.
This was also its first proper action since following the captain out on an adventure.
Spiky-eared Pichu was wrapped in powerful lightning.
Lightning: Volt Tackle.
An extremely high-power Electric-type physical move exclusive to the Pikachu family. To this day, it had not been distributed more broadly. It was the ultimate Electric move.
Its Ability was Static. Its Nature was locked to Naughty.
Its moves were Volt Tackle, Helping Hand, Swagger, and... Pain Split.
The fourth move in particular was a move the Pikachu family absolutely could not learn.
"Electric-type strongest versus Fire-type strongest!"
"Victini!"
"Use V-create!"
A 140-power Electric-type Volt Tackle?
Called the strongest Electric-type move. That was indeed very impressive. After all, Zekrom's Bolt Strike only had 130 power.
However, V-create was the strongest Fire-type move, with power as high as 180.
As long as Victini used it, with the same-type attack bonus, its base power when it struck would certainly reach 270.
Just a slight move from it...
Was another Pokémon's limit.
The enormous fire of victory directly swallowed the flashing electric light. Pichu was sent flying by the fire of victory, hit the ground with a smack, and instantly turned into spiral eyes.
Victini landed on the ground and made a V-sign with its hand.
First battle, first victory. Although it was a curb-stomp.
Hikaru shook his head.
"Speaking of which, isn't this thing the first special individual in the mainline games, excluding Shiny Pokémon?"
A little Mythical-like Pokémon from an old generation that did not get unique stat changes was at quite a disadvantage in battle.
If it had been born in Generation IX, it would at least have gotten a species change like Bloodmoon, along with an exclusive Ability and ultimate move.
Still, maybe when Gold and Silver are remade again someday, Spiky-eared Pichu might also get "remade."
Wouldn't that deserve Electric Skin or Lightning Rod?
"For you, that power was a little too high... right?"
Come to think of it, in the original plot, one had to bring a Shiny Pichu to meet Spiky-eared Pichu. Hmm. How is Victini not a Shiny Pichu? Just say whether the shape looks similar or not.
Although there was another similar special individual, Ukulele Pichu, that Pichu was a Partner Pokémon in the Ranger region and was never a catchable individual to begin with.
So, after knocking out Spiky-eared Pichu and capturing it, the next thing to do was...
Leaf pondered. "Hmm. The shrine's light is getting brighter and brighter. This time, something really is coming out, right?"
Hikaru lowered the Time Flute.
"People left in the gaps of time are like drifting duckweed on a current. They can only wander between the whirlpools of past and future. Without two wings, and without the GS Ball, how exactly did that person survive? The reason is Celebi's will."
Then the little door of the shrine opened. When an old man in a wheelchair appeared before the three of them...
Pryce's eyes suddenly widened. He stared at that stunned face, almost identical to his own.
Not only that. When Pryce came back to himself, he abruptly realized something.
Hikaru and Leaf, as well as Spiky-eared Pichu and that fennec fox-like Pokémon, had all vanished.
Pryce said, "You... just who are you? Why do you have the same face as me?! And where did you send the other two?"
"Who am I? I am you. Aren't you the one who brought people here and summoned me?" the elderly Pryce in the wheelchair raised his head. His face was full of age and hardship, but his expression was equally astonished.
"I have seen many eras in the gaps of time. Some people were similar, yet completely different. Even eras like this exist in great number. Although I had already seen it, personally arriving in this era still fills me with amazement."
"However, in order to prevent a certain tragedy from happening, I deliberately sought help in the hope of returning to my own era. But... it went wrong."
"Why did this happen? I have tried every method to send out the events that are about to occur. In theory, only one person should have been able to respond to the call I sent from the gaps of time."
"But... someone on this side was also able to respond to my call. It seems those dream-whispers were heard by you."
(End of Chapter)
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