Chapter 173. Torch Relay
"It's over there."
Natsume pointed at the corner.
Following his gaze, there was a Pikachu with a center part in its fur, holding a tiny phone, its look quite unusual.
Zapdos's eyes went blood-red at once, and it strode over step by step.
"Gyaa!"
"Pikachu—"
Center-parted turned around and stuck its rear at it, eyes fixed on the phone.
On the screen was a bird-shaped Pokémon wreathed in flames, looking noble and elegant.
"Gyaa—!"
"Pikachu—"
Center-parted deliberately turned again, presenting its rear to Zapdos.
"Let the two of them keep this up—won't they start fighting in a bit?"
Misty hugged Togepi, a little worried.
As Misty said, they did start fighting.
But getting center-parted to hit back was… unlikely.
After a while, a bald chicken lay on the ground gasping for breath.
At its side, center-parted still stared intently at the little phone, safe and sound.
"Forget it. Let them 'communicate.' Let's head to the Torch Relay."
Natsume waved and made the suggestion.
Just as everyone was about to leave, Zapdos called out to stop them.
"Gyaa—" I'm going too—
The telepathy let Natsume instantly understand what Zapdos meant.
Zapdos finally figured out why this Pikachu could ignore its attacks.
It was because of that thing called Divinity.
That Moltres which might appear at the Torch Relay could possess Divinity.
As long as it lay down on the other's body for a nap, there was a chance for Divinity to enter its own body!
Sensing what was in Zapdos's heart, the corner of Natsume's mouth twitched.
What did you two even say to each other?
Natsume looked speechlessly at center-parted, who had hopped into Honora's arms; the latter still held the little phone with full concentration.
"Pikachu?"
Center-parted cocked its head.
It had only said one thing—If other birds have it, why can't you?
Behind them, Zapdos followed the group, chest out and head high.
Now, to achieve its great goal, it planned a strategic alliance with this Pikachu.
And once it possessed that thing called Divinity, the first order of business would be to pluck every last hair off this darned yellow rat!
They arrived at the Indigo Plateau tournament grounds, where many vehicles were coming and going.
"Natsume, what are these trucks doing? Why are they bringing in ice blocks and rocks?"
Ash felt puzzled.
"It's because the Indigo League works a bit differently than our usual Pokémon battles," Brock replied.
"Right. Only the Top Eight test a Trainer's comprehensive raising ability and can send out six Pokémon to battle."
Natsume pointed at the vehicles shuttling back and forth and continued.
"Before that, the battle fields are random—Rock Field, Water Field, Grass Field, and so on."
"Different fields give different types of Pokémon an edge."
"Oh, so it adds more strategy?"
Ash nodded, half understanding.
The Torch Relay's starting area was at the back, by the quarterfinals venue.
Originally, Natsume thought their group was among the earlier arrivals and there wouldn't be many people.
But the moment they entered, it was a sea of people.
"So many people… It's Gary!"
Ash scanned the crowd, and his eyes lit up.
Many Trainers here had a Pokémon at their side.
Gary was no exception; a massive Blastoise stood behind him.
"Blas—"
As Natsume approached, twin cannons slid out from Blastoise's shoulder shells and automatically aimed at him.
"Gary, your Wartortle evolved. That's awesome!"
Misty's eyes sparkled as she leaned in.
"Hahaha, but of course!"
Gary grinned when he saw everyone.
"Gary, you weren't 'on vacation' at all. You snuck off to train. I knew it!"
Ash gave him a thumbs-up, and Gary's face flushed at once.
"What do you mean snuck… snuck off to train? I was on vacation.
I just let Wartortle evolve along the way.
Easy, easy!"
"By the way, Gary, why does everyone have their Pokémon out?"
Brock eyed Blastoise with interest.
From a Breeder's perspective, this Blastoise showed a lot of training marks, and very recently at that.
"You guys don't know? The Torch Relay selects long-distance runners, and you have to participate with your own Pokémon."
"Look at Natsume—he's got a Doduo… Natsume, why doesn't your Doduo have feathers, and why does it only have one head?"
Gary stared curiously at Zapdos.
"Gyaa—"
Zapdos glared at him.
"It doesn't sound right either.
The voice… kinda sounds dumb."
Gary thought of his own Dodrio.
Comparing the two, he couldn't help giving a satisfied nod.
Zapdos said nothing, only adding one more name to the revenge list in its heart.
Gary shrugged and dropped it.
Natsume always had too many strange Pokémon.
A one-headed Doduo didn't feel all that surprising anymore.
Natsume didn't answer.
A faint blue light gleamed in his eyes.
His mind had already sunk into the laboratory of the inner world.
Inside the lab, a chibi Natsume was studying the Master Ball's circuitry.
No helping it—Master Ball difficulty was much higher.
Natsume expected the research to take a while.
He seized every minute to understand as much as he could.
"Torch runner… All right, I'm definitely getting picked!"
Ash declared loudly.
"Pikachu!"
Pikachu high-fived him.
"Heh-heh, it's not that easy," Gary said with a smile and a shake of his head.
"The flame passed in the torch is a feather from the Legendary Pokémon Moltres—the Moltres flame that symbolizes the spirit of the League.
It never goes out!
And I hear outstanding torch runners get blessed by the Moltres that appears, so the competition is fierce every year."
As he spoke, Gary pointed to the jam-packed surroundings—one motivated Trainer after another.
"Never goes out?"
Natsume suddenly looked up at Gary, face a little odd.
"Uh… That's what the League officially says.
They wouldn't lie, right?"
Gary pointed to a raised dais.
That was where League officials would appear.
It was empty for now—clearly the Torch Relay hadn't started yet.
Natsume nodded and didn't press.
He merely turned his gaze to Zapdos.
He had collected all those spiny feathers center-parted had plucked from Zapdos.
Natsume had studied those feathers in his downtime.
Aside from holding a bit of current and being very conductive, they were hardly special.
So why would Moltres's feathers never go out?
Natsume didn't believe in any "infinite energy" in this world.
The only possibility was that the League's feather came from a Moltres with Divinity.
Human competition is the best fuel.
But according to recent League surveys of Moltres flocks frequently appearing at various competition venues, the Moltres monopolizing the Indigo League was just an ordinary Moltres.
Yes—monopolizing.
In past years, that Moltres even fought another Moltres that also appeared here.
In recent years, Moltres groups, in a territory-dividing fashion, had carved up nearly all places where humans hold regular tournaments.
Why?
Natsume felt puzzled.
Even the very best Pokémon behaviorists could hardly analyze this clearly.
At least so far, Natsume had read many hypotheses, and not one stood up to scrutiny.
However, the most notable point in those investigative reports was that regions with a torch-passing custom were more favored by Moltres.
Stronger Moltres would prioritize competing for those regions.
Combining that with the torch's flame likely coming from a Moltres feather bearing Divinity, Natsume made a reasonable guess:
Perhaps something happened to the Moltres with Divinity, and it now needed a successor to the Authority of Flame and Competition?
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