Master Craftsman of the Pokémon World

Chapter 568 - 568: 566

"All of Dawn's Pokémon are unable to battle. The winner is Hikaru!"Gardenia waved her hand and let out a long breath. "How did it end up like this? Your battle style is seriously disgusting."

"But even after losing like that, Dawn doesn't look mad at all. She really does have a good temper."

Some people felt bitter after a loss. Others drew strength and knowledge from it, then grew because of it.

Of course, Gym Leaders might be an exception. Their job was, in a sense, to lose on purpose. Every Gym had not only a win-rate target, but also a loss target. If a Gym Leader was too strong and nobody could get through, the League would step in for a talk.

In that process, the role a Gym Leader carried was to guide new Trainers as they grew.

And because of that, Gardenia could clearly feel the change in Dawn.

"If it's the Champion guiding a rookie Trainer, then honestly it doesn't do much to guide me. If anything, he ought to guide me too."

Gardenia spread her hands and sighed helplessly, now keenly aware of the gap between herself as a Gym Leader and someone who stood at the very top.

"We were childhood friends who used to play together, but once we got older, the differences in talent and strength really showed. There's already this sad, thick wall between us."

"And now you've even become a summoner. That wall is basically as thick as Iron Defense."

Although Dawn had said from the start that this was a battle she was bound to lose, the actual fight had been incredibly intense.

A Champion's instruction really was worth a great deal.

You grew faster through battling. That made Gardenia start seriously considering Hikaru's earlier suggestion again.

To patch the weaknesses in a sun team, she would need to catch a Fire-type Pokémon. If she didn't like that kind of Pokémon, she would have no motivation to raise one. But if she could come to appreciate how cute it was, then there would be no problem.

Hikaru said, "Don't say that. There are a lot of people in this world who can become very strong in a short time. Even if their talent for battling isn't quite on the same level, they can still strengthen themselves further by gaining knowledge."

"If the next time I come back to Sinnoh I see you as an Elite Four member, I'd be happy."

If she played just a little dirty, taking Aaron's place as Sinnoh's fourth Elite Four member probably would not be a problem. Grass-types were weak to Bug, sure, but Grass had plenty of weaknesses. Fire and Ice were much more important ones. Bug did not even rank first among the types that checked Grass.

The problem was that Gardenia always liked fast offense. Under normal circumstances, that was not the direction or style most Grass-type Pokémon, who leaned more toward durability and defensive synergy, should take.

Hikaru fell silent for a moment, then handed Gardenia a small booklet.

"This is something I wrote last night, more or less just my thoughts on how to build a better sun team. The title's a little cringey, so don't worry about it."

"I made one for Dawn too."

"Anyway, team structure matters a lot, but if you think affection for your Pokémon is enough, then you still need to adjust the movesets a bit. Hidden Power Fire, for example. Or using Weather Ball under harsh sunlight."

Hikaru chatted with Gardenia for a while. In simple terms, he passed on some ideas about team construction, as well as how the Pokémon she already had should work together in battle.

And, come to think of it, Gardenia's battle poses were actually exactly the same as Dawn's official character art poses.

So in a way, wasn't Gardenia basically a branch evolution of Dawn too?

"I get it now. I shouldn't obsess over my own type. I need to use unexpected moves, status moves, Abilities, and combinations of battle systems. I really need to absorb all of this."

Gardenia tapped her forehead. She did not have Dawn's level of learning ability, so later she would have to write all of it down as notes.

Looking at Hikaru, pack on his back and ready to leave, and then at Dawn as well, Gardenia suddenly said to both of them:

"Because of the rain, aren't your clothes all soaked? And with the sandstorm too - wow, you're splattered with muddy water everywhere. And Hikaru, do you really not need to rest another two days before leaving? You finally came back, didn't you?"

"And Dawn, are you planning to head out right away too?"

"Even a breakup doesn't happen this fast!"

Hikaru said, "Work keeps me busy. As for clothes, this kind of thing happens all the time when you're out in the wild."

"Besides, I didn't get wet just now. Think of it as me using psychic power to make a barrier or something. See? Being a summoner, or a psychic, is pretty convenient."

Gardenia stared at him in shock.

"You can use it like that too?"

Dawn really had gotten soaked, though. She touched her cheek and looked down at her clothes, realizing a lot more of them were wet now. Listening to Gardenia's teasing, she blushed slightly, though it was hard to tell exactly what she was thinking, and could only force an awkward smile.

She gave a small nod.

"Yeah... I was too hasty. Looks like I should stay in Eterna City a little longer. When you're traveling in the wild, sleeping rough and getting caught in rain happens all the time... but if I go out like this, I really will catch a cold."

"I only changed clothes last night, and now I have to wash them again. Rain really can be inconvenient."

Like the anime Dawn, this Platinum-style Dawn was also neat and tidy. But once a battle started, her personality was a lot more like Platinum from the manga. Sometimes she did not mind getting covered in dirt at all.

"Come to think of it, seeing Rotom change forms last night was amazing." Gardenia crossed her arms and recalled what had happened, wearing a curious expression. "Especially the functions it had after transforming. Wash Rotom cleaned the clothes in one go!"

"And then I can just use Sunny Day to dry them instantly!"

As the two girls started talking about how to wash clothes faster, even Hikaru had to admit that Pokémon moves were absurdly convenient.

Still, after mastering psychic power, there were not many chances for him to get completely drenched anymore.

Hikaru had originally planned to leave today after finishing his battle with Dawn. He had already given her everything he meant to give her. All that was left was to wait for Dawn to reach Spear Pillar.

Among the bosses in the various regions, Cyrus was not especially impressive in one-on-one combat. What made him so oppressive was the appearance of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. That had little to do with Cyrus himself.

Same as ever: his whole team was weak to Rock. One Rock Tomb could sweep from beginning to end.

On top of that, Rotom's appearance would probably rattle him mentally. If a fight really broke out, he would likely lose it on the spot. And when he was in that unstable state, his judgment would actually get much worse. As long as you did not get intimidated by him, he would be easier to deal with.

And later, there were more "gift Pokémon" still to come: Riolu, Eevee, Porygon. All of them could be obtained during the journey, and all of them had deep ties to both Team Galactic and Dawn herself.

And if she reached the area around Veilstone City, she might even run into Perrin.

She was a descendant of Adaman, leader of the Diamond Clan, a character who appeared in the Scarlet and Violet DLC. She was a girl who liked photography and raised a Hisuian Growlithe, something modern Sinnoh could almost never see.

No one knew for sure which city she came from, but there was a good chance it was Veilstone. That was because the region where Hisuian Growlithe had once lived was the Cobalt Coastlands and Veilstone Cape.

Because of the changes to Firespit Island and the construction around Veilstone City, the habitat suitable for Hisuian Growlithe had shrunk. Without the volcanic environment that suited them, Growlithe gradually returned to its ordinary form, and their habitat shifted to the area around Twinleaf Town.

Even so, those Hisuian pups were still quietly surviving somewhere in Sinnoh.

"This is the Member Card I promised you, plus a Lunar Feather, just in case."

"And also a Super Rod, and the full set of HM moves."

"Th-th-th, this is way too much! And wait, are all of these really things I might need?" Dawn was standing there with her arms full of items, staring blankly at them.

She already had a fishing rod, but what was a Super Rod?

And a full set of HM moves meant...

"Ah! All of the HM moves?"

Gardenia rubbed at her temples like some little monk trying to think. "A lot of wild Pokémon can naturally master HM moves on their own, but why they're called 'hidden moves' in the first place is honestly kind of a mystery."

"It seems like before Silph Co. developed TMs, there were already learning devices similar to your ancient bracelet. But I don't think we ever saw anything like that when we were kids, right?"

Hikaru shook his head. "Sinnoh didn't have that sort of thing. HM moves come from a much older era. They were skills certain ride Pokémon excelled at."

"Of course, once you have those moves, you can go almost anywhere freely. But moves that deserve to be called secret arts - or, rather, moves that are extremely convenient in practice and can take you anywhere by land, sea, or sky - aren't limited to just those few."

Seeing the curiosity on Dawn and Gardenia's faces, Hikaru explained a little before leaving.

"We all know Cut can slice through trees and split them cleanly. But moves like Fury Cutter or Slash can do that too. What makes HM moves so useful to people is that they have a very broad learning pool. Even Pokémon without sharp fangs or bladed limbs can still learn the technique."

"In the same way, Rock Smash can break rocks, but so can many Fighting-, Rock-, Ground-, or Steel-type moves."

"Then there's the more common Strength, which uses great physical force, Surf, which is powerful and can also carry you across water, and Fly, which basically any flying Pokémon can naturally perform."

"Dawn, the Dig Piplup learned before is also extremely useful. The tunnels Piplup digs are small, but you've been to Oreburgh City, so you should remember the Oreburgh Gate, right? That passage seems to have originally been dug by ancient Steelix to help people."

Originally, HM moves had been designed as key tools for getting through the little route mazes in the games, but in real ecology there were flying Pokémon everywhere, so Fly was hardly necessary. Smashing rocks and pushing boulders were the same.

Still, Hikaru thought the reason they had such wide compatibility was probably because they were not moves that emphasized raw power. They were more like battle techniques.

Rock Smash could be understood as driving aura or energy into a stone and breaking it from the inside. Strength could be seen as a technique for moving massive rocks. And because of that, even a Pokémon like Pikachu, which was not especially strong, could still learn Strength.

"Flash can light up dark places. Whirlpool can get you through whirlpools and fierce currents. Sweet Scent can draw wild Pokémon together. Waterfall can climb huge waterfalls."

"And there's the unique Defog, which can clear away mist, blow aside hazards and barriers like Spikes and Light Screen, and reduce the opponent's evasiveness."

"Rock Climb can scale massive mountains like Mt. Coronet. I don't really recommend the move, but it's an absolute necessity if you want to climb steep mountains. It's a true art for advancing along rough and dangerous terrain."

"And beyond that, if you have a Pokémon that knows Teleport, then you can go anywhere you want. They're all incredibly practical moves."

"Of course, some Pokémon are all-purpose. They can go anywhere, by land, sea, or sky, and with special machines you can even summon them over. The most iconic example is Cynthia's Garchomp."

"So Dragon-type Pokémon make extremely convenient transportation."

As he spoke, Hikaru summoned Miraidon.

If he were going to another region, Genesect would be the better choice. But Miraidon had its own little thoughts.

Both it and Genesect were Pokémon used as transportation and combat power. Yet somehow, in terms of ecological niche, it was getting utterly crushed by some iron bug. Miraidon felt like all those tens of thousands of years of future evolution had been for nothing.

And yet it could not even argue back. After all, a flying Pokémon with Electromorphosis, Shift Gear, and Extreme Speed really was hard to challenge.

This was basically the ultimate mount showdown: strongest of the past versus strongest of the future.

And, just like the answer implied, it had been completely blown out as the modern ride Pokémon. But surely the boss had to ride it once in a while too, right?

Otherwise, wouldn't its whole career as a mount be a total failure?

Hikaru could sense those feelings from Miraidon, and that was why he had intentionally called it out this time. And the summoned Miraidon was in an excellent mood, even pleasantly surprised.

Hey! So we're not using that iron bug with Extreme Speed today?!

You're actually bringing me out to be your ride? Boss, just watch. I'll fly fast and steady. I'm a professional mount, after all!

"Ah! It's one of the Pokémon we saw at the power plant!"

Dawn recognized Miraidon as one of the electric dragons she had seen before. Miraidon glanced at Dawn too, and because it was in such a good mood, it even called out to her.

See you later, human girl. You're pretty cute. Maybe next time.

We're heading for the sky now!

"Aghass!"

"Lesson ten!" Hikaru grabbed the handlebars formed from Miraidon's body. "Pokémon form changes and ecology!"

"Miraidon, Glide Mode - Fly!"

The real reason Miraidon could fly was technically its ride ability, but Hikaru felt there was not much practical difference between that and Fly. Sure, Miraidon did not literally have Fly in its movepool, but... if this was not flying, then what was?

Victini sat on the back of Miraidon's head, pumping it full of endless energy.

Its speed jumped sharply at once. Miraidon felt its whole body brimming with power, roaring upward through the air like it was splitting wind and waves as it shot into the sky.

"He left... goodbye!"

Dawn stared at the distant horizon for quite a while. Then she suddenly noticed her Pokétch going off. When she checked it carefully, she immediately understood.

It was Mars's contact information.

Mr. Hikaru was leaving Sinnoh, and if Mars ever turned on them, a lot of people could get dragged into it. That was why her contact info could not be handed over to Looker and the others. Cynthia probably had it too, though. Cynthia was strong enough that they did not need to worry about Mars betraying them.

And now Dawn had it as well... though she would still have to be careful not to be manipulated by false information.

Now she had become alone again.

She had been traveling alone before too, without any human companions, but now there was suddenly a strange sense of loss and sadness in her heart.

Still, friendship and memories would become something that shone like pearl and diamond.

And besides, she still had her Pokémon with her.

"Once I become Champion, I'm definitely going to battle you again... definitely."

"Where is the person who can beat him?"

The girl clenched her fist.

"Right here!"

That was what Dawn told herself in her heart. Next time, she would surprise him with the strongest version of herself.

Meeting Pokémon and meeting other people were both the result of one chance encounter after another piling up.

"As someone younger, once I understand my senior better, I'll definitely come to know him much more deeply."

If she had done something else that day, she might never have met him at all. There had to be some invisible thread connecting every person and every Pokémon in the world.

"That guy left... he really does travel with a bunch of weird and unusual Pokémon. And most of them look like the kind that don't even need food. Raising Pokémon to that level must have taken an absurd amount of effort."

"Wait, hang on! I think he told me he'd raised Grass-types before... I should've asked more about that! Ugh, what a loss!"

Gardenia rubbed the back of her head and stared helplessly at the streaks of cloud in the sky. In the end, she could only smile with mixed feelings.

"He finally came back after so long... and didn't stay long before leaving again. Seriously, what kind of work keeps him that busy? His shop hasn't even been open lately."

"While he's gone, I'd better work hard too. Then let's make building a sun team and taking down Aaron my goal."

Gardenia made up her mind and started thinking things through.

If she wanted to gain knowledge, she would need to buy a lot of books. And apparently Professor Oak visited Eterna City from time to time, so maybe she might get a chance to meet him too.

Gardenia looked down at the little booklet in her hand.

"'The Secret Art of Sunlight'? Dawn, yours is... huh, 'The Secret Art of Status'! It's got every possible status condition Pokémon can suffer from, plus ways to deal with them?! That looks even stronger than mine. Honestly, the name kind of sounds cool too. Like some hidden game strategy guide no one knows about."

"Come to think of it..." Dawn held her own booklet and looked at the Gym door in confusion.

"Did I get here too early, or too late? Barry still never showed up, did he?"

Gardenia said, "Oh? You mean there's another challenger coming?"

"Then I'd better hurry up and read this Secret Art of Sunlight! I'm sure it'll give the next challenger a whole new surprise!"

The orange-haired girl with the bob cut hungrily flipped through the secret manual her childhood friend had handed her.

She was trying to use it to reach a higher realm and rewrite Sinnoh's history.

And while Dawn looked thoughtfully at the other booklet in her hands, she suddenly heard a vague, blurry voice.

"Who... who are you? Tell me... your true name! Are you Hikaru... or Akari?!"

"Who's there? Who's talking? Another ghost?" Dawn murmured. She glanced at Gardenia walking away, then asked quietly, "My name? Why are you asking something like that?"

"If you're going to ask who someone is, you should introduce yourself first. That would be more polite."

"...Right. I... no, I forgot, because I was too afraid."

"...So that means you're not Akari? You're her descendant, then? You look exactly like her... especially the way you throw Poké Balls, and how strong you are!"

Dawn: "...?"

How rude. Opening with "you throw hard like some brute"? Even if it was true...

"My name is Giratina! Ruler of the Reverse World, the furious... uh... righteous child of the gods! And also a Pokémon connected to that man!"

"So... do you want to defeat that man? If anything goes wrong on your coming journey, just call for me!"

"I'll honor my promise. I'm not saying this because I'm scared! It's just that I made an agreement long ago to protect Sinnoh. I-I've been waiting this whole time for the day I could fight for Sinnoh!"

"And I can tell you how to get closer to that man too! Don't you want to understand him better?"

Dawn froze slightly, her expression growing complicated. "You're the legendary Pokémon recorded on the Draco Plate? But... are you connected to Mr. Hikaru too?"

"I mean, I really am... but why are you opposing him? Aren't you his friend?"

"Friend... it's not something that simple. It's deeper than that. Best friends and contract partners. But... I've finally realized something. Back then, who exactly taught Akari to throw Poké Balls at people like that? No question, it was that guy!"

"Uh, it's complicated! Anyway, even as a friend, I still want to mess with him at least once! Perfect timing, Dawn! Become my contractor together with Cynthia!"

"Huh? This contract has three people? That sounds really casual for a contract."

"Actually it's four! But I already kicked one person out of the contractor lineup!"

Not far from Sinnoh, out across the ocean, riding storms and air currents over the sea, there was a small town modeled after northeastern Japan, a place chosen as a summer camp destination.

That place was Kitakami.

Its local environment was very unusual. Not only did it have crystals normally found only in Paldea, but its atmosphere was also very close to Sinnoh, Hisui, and Sinjoh.

Still, it could not really be called a full-fledged region. It was only a village-scale area. Just as Hikaru had thought before, places like this showed up all the time in the original anime travel arc, basically once every two or three episodes.

Big mountain, little village, unusual Pokémon. That was practically a formula.

"Professor Rowan did tell me to stop by Sandgem Town if I had time, but things are a little tight right now. Next time. I can collect some useful ecology data for him as a gift while I'm at it. Professors really do all seem to enjoy overworking themselves, don't they?"

"Come to think of it, I came back to Sinnoh, but Giratina still hasn't tried to contact me. Why? Don't tell me it secretly saw Dawn's Poké Ball throwing and got scared."

Hikaru thought about it for a moment and decided it was entirely possible Giratina was too nervous to even raise its voice, afraid of alarming "the Twinleaf girl."

Otherwise, Hikaru had been active all over Sinnoh for several days already, so it made no sense that Giratina still had not come looking for him. Unless it had already made up its mind to swear loyalty to Dawn, waiting until the Spear Pillar showdown to deliver a huge surprise for Cyrus.

Suppose Cyrus really did force Dawn into a corner. Not likely, but just suppose. Then the Reverse World opened, a black gate appeared, and -

Giratina, arriving with overwhelming force!

Though at the moment, it seemed like Giratina might not actually know how to use that move anymore.

Dawn, with Volo's expression: "Why would a heartless person like you want to create a new Galaxy? You rotten Sunyshore man, did you bring the Red Chain just for this moment? I'm going to personally-"

"So, you've come, Cyrus! Sorry, but I'm the one with the real problem! If you want the world to disappear, then fight me! Can't you feel it? This terrifying abnormal presence?"

"Giratina, perfect timing! Go beat Cyrus down!"

Cyrus: How is this eight against six?!

And in a way, wasn't this another form of sticking to canon? Canon in all sorts of ways, really. A nod to both Hisui and Platinum. Except this time...

Cyrus, you're the challenger.

Hopefully there would not be another "You're actually trying to run away? Pathetic" sort of scene.

Then again, if Giratina fought a boss at Cyrus's level, it would probably turn into:

"You actually got a win on your record against Cyrus? You've really grown up, Giratina!"

(End of Chapter)

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