At the same time, just as Hikaru had been thinking.
Piers and Marnie had returned to Galar, and they happened to run into Raihan while he was out training.
At their invitation, Raihan came to Spikemuth for the first time in a while.
Spikemuth was a town where the shops were scattered about in a haphazard way, carrying a bit of a punk vibe.
"This year's Gym Challengers aren't very strong overall. Kabu's round practically stopped almost everyone. His flames feel especially strong this time, y'know? Sure, Motostoke Stadium is always a big hurdle for Gym Challengers, but this year seems especially tough."
"If no one makes it through in the end, won't this year's Champion Cup be a bore?"
"But this will be my seventh bout with Leon. This time I'm definitely going to beat him and become Champion!"
He was known as the Leader of the strongest Gym in Galar. In pursuit of victory in any environment, he had trained himself into a master of battling by manipulating the weather.
At the same time, Raihan held a great deal of respect for Piers. Years ago, in the Championship finals, he had only narrowly defeated Piers and afterward spoke highly of Piers's strength—because even without Dynamaxing, Piers had pushed his Duraludon into a tough fight.
That was why the two got along so well.
So, when Piers returned to Galar, Raihan was all smiles, chatting with this friend who also did musical performances.
Until Piers said something that made Raihan's jaw drop.
"It's true. I saw it with my own eyes: Duraludon evolved."
"The evolved form's name is 'Archaludon'—that's what the discoverer called it. Though it felt like that guy already knew the name somehow."
"And even though Unova has no Duraludon in the wild, this Pokémon has already been registered in the Unova Pokédex."
Piers's words made Raihan wonder if this guy had rocked so hard he'd rattled his brain.
But it wasn't just Piers—Marnie saw it too. Even Team Yell's grunts had witnessed that mighty, steel behemoth of a dragon.
Raihan's expression turned serious.
"Is the intel solid?"
After using Duraludon for years, he'd never heard there was another evolution, and from the sounds of it, it was pretty strong.
Piers: "Of course. I told you—I saw it myself."
"And that evolution seems pretty tough. The guy I know went all the way to Unova to find a special item just to make it evolve. His Duraludon's style isn't like yours, though. It leans into defensive counterattacks—and it's really strong."
"Hiss—!"
Raihan couldn't sit still!
"Height and weight? Ability? The specific data is—"
"Look at you, getting all antsy." Piers drooped his shoulders. "How would I know stuff like that? You'd have to ask that Trainer directly."
"I've got him on my friends list. I can ping him for you."
"No, wait!" Raihan suddenly stopped Piers. "Just asking outright like that would be rude."
"It might be easy for you, but I can't have you burn a favor for me."
Piers: "It's just detailed data on an evolution. He's got a Pokédex, and I'm pretty sure he submitted it to the local Professor. They'll make the data public later, right?"
Raihan: "How long will that take? This year's Champion Cup might come earlier than usual! And the sooner I learn the specifics of the evolution, the sooner I can draft a whole new game plan!"
"This could be the key for me to defeat Leon!"
Raihan had never felt so excited.
The dawn of victory was beckoning him. A miraculous, brand-new future crashed down on him like a 'Wishing Star,' dreamy and unreal.
A Pokémon that had already been 'complete' had gained a new evolution. That meant new possibilities—and a stronger body and spirit!
"To you, this might just be a single evolution. But to me, it's a golden key on the road to victory!"
He thought for a moment, then jabbed a thumb at himself. "I'm a Dragon! The dragon who guards the treasure vault. So, I have a lot of good stuff! I'll trade those for the intel!"
"Make it something rare and uncommon—treasures that aren't easy to find."
Piers ticked items off on his fingers. "If it's rare materials… what about a Wishing Star?"
"It's rare and not something you can normally obtain."
"And you definitely have some in your vault, right?"
Raihan stroked his chin. "Oh! You're right! Wishing Stars—the meteors said to grant wishes and the key material used to make Dynamax Bands—these are unique to Galar!"
"Then I'll pick out one with a nice, clean look!"
"And I'll throw this in, too." Raihan took out a black-gold, mysterious cube.
Piers: "What's that?"
Raihan: "A Guardian Cube. It's been sitting in the royal vault since long ago—we've got a few of them."
"In ancient times, it must have been extremely precious. Historical records suggest it came from an ancient kingdom in Kalos."
"If a Pokémon carries it, their fatigue and stamina drain will ease up. It's very useful during training."
Piers looked intrigued. "Whoa, there's something that convenient, huh? As expected of the man guarding a treasure vault."
"But he emphasized this in particular—Gigantamax Duraludon can't evolve. You need to go to the Isle of Armor and drink that special soup…"
"The Isle of Armor, huh? Mustard-sensei's island. I like the Courageous Cavern over there—cold and dark. It's sooo comfy."
Raihan's eyes lit up. "You mean the secret 'Max Soup'!"
"But if you want to drink that soup, there's a grueling trial first—"
"Another crucial lead. Then I'll sweeten the pot again—bring out my secret notes on 'Wide-Area Devastation'!"
"But first, we need to pin down the secret of the evolution…"
Piers thought back. "If I remember right… it's a special aluminum alloy called 'Metal Alloy.' You can only find it in the Virbank Complex."
Raihan: "I'm getting on a plane to Virbank City in Unova right now!"
"Think this through." Piers shook his head. "Giving up Gigantamax Duraludon and going with the evolution means you can't use G-Max Moves. Isn't that your calling card?"
Raihan only laughed.
"As long as there's a chance, I'm not throwing it away!"
If his Gigantamax Duraludon was burned down by the G-Max Moves of Leon's Gigantamax Charizard…
Then inside Palace Gate Stadium, the psychic link between him and his Pokémon would be scorched away with it!
Please, don't lose again, Raihan!
With a brand-new, unambiguous evolution in hand, the goddess of victory was smiling upon him!
If he fell here, then what would become of that promise (which no one actually made) that he would become Galar's Champion!
Stay tuned!
Next episode!
Raihan's death.
Leon's death!
"Ahem!" Piers coughed. "Right, one more thing."
"I only found out recently: Duraludon can learn Attract."
"Mm, that's the gist. Maybe try raising a female one?"
Raihan froze for a beat, then his face changed!
"What are you saying! You want my Duraludon to seduce Leon's Charizard?!"
"Unforgivable!"
"…But that tactic does sound decent. You've got ideas, Piers. I'm writing it down!"
Weather tactics are tactics, but a seduction tactic doesn't count?
Anyway, time to catch a flight!
—
Unova, Pledge Grove.
Chief Ranger Sven studied the sword marks carved into a massive boulder as he waited for someone to arrive.
Until the surrounding trees rustled, and a young man with green hair appeared behind Sven.
"Oh, you're here. Got your business taken care of?"
"This is Pledge Grove—the place where the legendary Swords of Justice taught their pupils. The sword cuts on that boulder were left when they swore their vows. It's a legend from Floccesy Town."
N looked at the scored boulder, puzzled.
"Why did you ask me to meet here, Sven-san?"
Sven chuckled. "Because this place is tied to 'oaths'!"
"In my homeland, there's also a statue tied to 'oaths.'"
"Every student who becomes a Ranger swears beneath that statue. It's said that any vow made before the 'Oath Statue' will come true in the future."
"I really liked what you wrote in your letter. Hikaru recommended you to me as well and told me about your strength."
"Of course, you don't need to stress over your 'record.' In my eyes, you only took a wrong turn for a while on the road of life."
"When facing a far-off future, everyone loses their way."
Sven crouched and opened the package by his feet. "This came from Unity Tower—mostly because we're close to Unity Tower here."
"Have you ever been there?"
"No, I haven't." N shook his head.
Unity Tower stood on an island in the southern seas of Unova, though very few knew what it was for.
It was said to be a tower built by the united regions of the world—a giant organization for linking the regional leagues.
"If anything region-wide and important comes up, it's handled at Unity Tower. And the reason Rangers can work in every region is also thanks to a resolution passed there."
"Do you know how many regions and special locales there are in the world?"
N, of course, did not. In fact, Unova alone was vast. To speak of all the special regions and places in the world…
"From birth, I've never left Unova."
Sven: "But if you become a Ranger, you'll get the chance to travel to those distant lands."
"I know a traveler named Meister. He should be somewhere near the Battle Zone in Sinnoh right about now. He said he's been to as many as 150 regions…"
N blinked, stunned.
"That number… doesn't sound right." N shook his head.
"Haha, I figured he was bragging." Sven laughed as well, but then shifted tone.
"Still, if you count those hidden, far-flung lands and special places, plus some man-made regions—add them all up. It won't hit 150, but it's not a small number."
"The Southern Islands of the Eternal Rainbow, the secret at the end of the sea, the ruins called 'Conflux,' the Lental region that preserves a pristine ecosystem, Sophian Island with its tremendous power, and a tiny isle said to be the border of dreams…"
"Even I haven't heard of many of these. These are all from Meister's tales."
"How about it? The world is vast, isn't it!"
N was long past the age for fairy tales, but when the Chief Ranger peeled back a corner of the world for him, the teacher N felt a shock rise from the depths of his heart.
A broader world… a brand-new, unknown sky and land. This choice he was making would have a profound impact on his life.
"Then, I'll present this to you—the Ranger uniform from the Pokémon Ranger Union base."
Sven handed N the orange-red uniform, then pulled out a certificate.
"Professor Niihara heard about you and asked me to tell you he's delighted you're joining our Union."
"Normally, you'd also need to take a corresponding ability-assessment test. Only after passing would you receive a 'Certificate of Qualification.'"
"But Professor Niihara thinks we can make a small exception in your case."
"Please sign at the lower right."
N looked at the certificate. It read, "The Ranger Oath."
"I swear that, as a Ranger, I will aid lives in distress."
"And I will, to the best of my ability, protect nature together with Pokémon. The Ranger's calling is sacred…"
"Courage will dwell forever in my heart."
At the lower right, N paused to think.
His name:
"Natural Harmonia Gropius."
"You've got a long name." Sven adjusted his cap. "Congratulations. You are now an official—albeit not yet fully fledged—Pokémon Ranger."
"Your year-long Ranger field apprenticeship starts now!"
——————
Unova, Relic Castle.
Amid the quicksand, the Dark Stone—pulled free by Hikaru—gleamed with a muted light. In Volcarona's chamber, the ancient spirits—flaring with a fierce psychic brilliance—learned what had transpired at the Abyssal Ruins.
After chatting with the ancient spirits for a while, they expressed relief at the outcome in the underwater ruins and declared that, as the last king, he truly had spirit—no points lost!
They also discovered the Mythical Pokémon that had brought victory, which left them astonished.
Long ago, they had heard legends of this Mythical Pokémon.
In a distant age, someone had waged endless wars to obtain it.
But those battles were buried beneath the clash of Truth and Ideals, and in the end, forgotten by history.
"Then, O King! Receive our blessing!"
"This is the power of the Relic Castle!"
A tremendous surge of psychic force amplified Hikaru's Extrasensory—some of his psychic abilities underwent a 'qualitative change'!
Speaking of light-aspected powers, there was, of course, "Psychic" and "Flame."
Though a certain sun god feared fire, strictly speaking, the so-called Sunne Pokémon, Solgaleo, was an Ultra Being that came from space—adopted by the ancient Alolan royal family as the incarnation of the sun.
[Gained: The Relic Castle's Psychic Blessing!]
[Extrasensory (Novice) → Extrasensory (Advanced)!]
[Psychic capacity increased!]
[Gained a special psychic move: Miracle Eye!]
[You can teach Miracle Eye to any Psychic-type Pokémon so they'll no longer be troubled by Dark types. Once taught, it can be passed down by breeding.]
[The people of the ancient city created a totem bird as the symbol of Miracle Eye to repel invaders.]
[When combined with the 'Prism Star,' you can expand a Pokémon's move pool and teach them certain moves that seem related to them but can't normally be learned—via 'tutor-style' instruction! Check the Prism Star to view the list of expandable moves.]
[Flag: Your psychic power has triggered a massive burst of light and has been noticed by Necrozma. Current alert level: Normal (if danger level is reached, Necrozma will appear and attack!).]
(End of Chapter)
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[Thanks for Reading!]