NOVPUB
Chapter 153 - 153
The Distortion World had gained its very first group of residents. Giratina was positively thrilled, excitedly sharing everything with Hikaru through their soul link. It was overjoyed — Pokémon that had only existed in the real world now also lived in the Reverse World!
Though the little Applin living in the apples didn't look fierce — if anything, they were far too cute — they were still Dragon-type Pokémon. Watching these innocent little Applin, Giratina felt for the first time like a proud parent or an older sibling.
As for Scizor? That was just a regular work-bug.
"Seems like something good happened to you?" Steven asked.
Hikaru smiled. "Something fun just happened in another world. Has to do with that friend of mine."
All it took was a batch of tasty apples for the Applin to willingly stay. Though they probably didn't realize it, Giratina, despite its terrifying appearance, was actually quite reasonable.
If they ever wanted to leave the Reverse World, all they had to do was ask. But... they were greedy little gluttons, and the apples were just too good to leave.
Back in the Valley of Light, the legendary giants couldn't contain their curiosity any longer and started walking toward the valley. Before long, they entered and saw Hikaru and the others. The markings on the Rock and Steel Titans' faces flashed wildly — though they didn't quite understand what was going on, they were clearly amazed.
"Even the legendary titans are shocked..." Steven murmured, shaking his head. He felt the same way.
But considering this involved psychic power... maybe it wasn't too impossible?
"A psychic who can move entire chunks of land... connect two important sites via psychic force... I might have to ask a few acquaintances about this later."
When it came to psychics in Hoenn, the names Tate and Liza from Mossdeep City came to mind. It was also Steven's hometown.
Still, Steven knew the siblings specialized more in telepathy.
"With the right pathway, we can now quickly reach where we need to go. Our next stop is the Rock Peak Temple."
"As for the Valley of Light..." Hikaru glanced toward the distant cave. Thanks to the restored land, Ground-type Pokémon were the first to sense the change. A few Sandshrew emerged, sniffing around as they dug at the earth. They were followed by a group of Sunflora, Tangela, Paras, Rattata, even a few Pichu and Chikorita — and a whole bunch of dopey Psyduck.
"Gachi!" Bloodmoon Ursaluna explained: these were Pokémon that originally lived in the valley. Years ago, before the land became barren, many more had called this place home. But due to environmental changes, most had been forced to leave and find new habitats.
Strong Pokémon could survive in the wild, but weaker ones had to stick together, rely on each other, or follow stronger Pokémon to survive. These ones had remained, sometimes even helping Wake try to restore the land.
Sunflora could convert solar energy into nutrients, Tangela could grow vines endlessly, and the Sandshrew could till the soil — they were all helpful. But until now, with the land nearly dead, no amount of help had made a difference.
Now, thanks to everyone's aid, the valley was coming back to life!
"Looks like it'll be fully restored soon." Hikaru watched as the Pokémon first celebrated, then quickly got to work — Sandshrew tilled the land, Sunflora bathed in the sun, Tangela spread greenery, Rattata cleaned up dead branches, while Pichu and Chikorita helped out as well.
As for the Psyduck...
"Quah?"
They tilted their heads in confusion, clearly unsure what to do.
One nearby Chikorita extended its vine and gave each Psyduck a good smack. Instantly suffering a headache, the Psyduck sprang into action and began spraying Water Gun all over the open fields! 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝔠𝔬𝖒
"Reeegiii—" Regirock lit up with an H-shaped gleam on its face. It began talking to Ursaluna, offering to trade anything needed through the Rock Peak Temple or the Workshop. In return, Ursaluna handed over a pile of "Struggle Rocks" he had gathered to Regirock, Hikaru, and Steven.
Hikaru accepted the stones and thought for a moment before asking Ursaluna:
"If you dig up any special gemstones, bring them to the Workshop or the Rock Peak Temple — orange stones, black stones, blue-green stones, or any precious, glossy bones."
"Gachi!" Ursaluna agreed eagerly, thumping his chest — but Regirock raised an arm indignantly!
Hey! Isn't mining my job!?
"Well, Ursaluna can dig for treasure too," Hikaru replied with a grin.
Back in the Hisui era, Ursaluna were expert diggers. Their sensitive noses and unique underground sense made it easy to find buried treasure. In this aspect, Regirock — being a Rock-type — just couldn't compare to Ground-types.
With plenty of rewards gathered and the forest disturbance resolved, Hikaru marked several locations on the way back: Celebi's Shrine, Rock Peak Temple, the Ruinwood Grove, Shinto Graveyard, and the Ancient Garden.
Soon, all these sites would be connected together, allowing easier interaction between Pokémon — and simplifying Hikaru's work.
All the marked locations would be united!
That evening, Steven received a phone call from his father, Mr. Stone, the president of Devon Corporation. Hikaru wasn't privy to the conversation.
"There's a lot going on at Devon," Steven said afterward. "I've dragged you around on so many errands. I'll be finishing those items you requested very soon."
Though Steven insisted that the current happenings in Shinto were the top priority, as the heir of Devon, he clearly had many responsibilities. Maybe, based on the timeline, this had something to do with things like the "Giant Meteor," "Infinity Energy," or the "Legendary Stone"...
But that wasn't something Hikaru had to worry about. Since this world had protagonists like in the games, he trusted their plot armor to handle it.
"No, really, I should be thanking you. Thanks to our adventures, I've gained so many rare and fascinating stones."
Steven looked genuinely satisfied. This journey had been incredibly rewarding — not only did he get rare stones, but he also learned their names and uses from Hikaru.
"Sure, one of the reasons I travel is to hunt rare stones, but more importantly... I want to walk through the world with my own two feet, witness its wonders, and truly learn everything it has to offer."
"I'm only able to travel freely as a Champion thanks to so many who've helped me. I always remind myself never to forget those who support me."
Hikaru smiled. "If I've helped you, then I'm really glad."
The two chatted for a long time. Steven decided he would return to Hoenn in three days. He seemed a bit reluctant, muttering something like "Maybe if I stay longer, I'll find more gems..."
So for the next three days, Steven planned to go mining with Regirock — before it was too late!
Meanwhile, Hikaru spent the time forging new tools. The Guardian Stone had been brought back, and as soon as he got the right materials, he could start crafting charms. Results were expected within the next few days.
Looking at it now, Regirock's trade station was pretty convenient.
Hikaru also made a small request to Steven:
"If your Aggron or Skarmory shed any armor or feathers, could you send them my way?"
Materials from Champion-level Pokémon were far superior to those from wild ones!
Steven readily agreed!
It wasn't a big deal — Aggron aside, Skarmory shed a batch of steel feathers every year. These made excellent materials or food for other Steel-types. But compared to the imported Steel Gems Steven bought from Unova, these feathers weren't particularly valuable to him.
Steven understood why Hikaru wanted them. Clearly, he was going to use them to craft special tools. As a partner and collaborator, Steven was happy to fully support Hikaru's endeavors.
He even offered funding, saying that if Hikaru needed capital, Devon could approve a large research grant. Expensive items could also be reimbursed by the company.
Even material procurement could be billed under Devon!
Of course, Steven hadn't forgotten the matter of the Gold and Silver Leaves either. He assured Hikaru it was taken care of.
Hikaru lit up.
As expected of Steven!
It's great to have a rich friend!
To repay Steven for his support, the first thing Hikaru planned to finish was the Choice series of items — followed by products themed around dragons and ghosts.
Also, once the Calyrex plushies were ready, it would be time to ship them out. The psychics would retrieve their orders via teleportation.
After staying up through the night to finish the plushies, Hikaru posted a message in the merchant chat group:
"Calyrex plushies are ready. Come pick them up."
The moment the message was sent, Hikaru felt a surge of psychic energy in the workshop. The numerous plushies on the table began disappearing one after another!
In the end, only one batch remained untouched — Gardevoir's.
["Unova's too far. My psychic powers can't reach that far!"]
Gardevoir sulked in the chat, attaching an angry puffed-up emoji.
——
Johto Region, Crystal Cliff.
A grayish Pokémon, humanoid yet feline, gently cradled a newly received Calyrex plush.
At the very moment it touched the plush, something stirred in its heart — the locked-away gloom inside it seemed to lighten, as if an ancient relic had finally opened its window and let in a single beam of sunlight.
All its doubts about the plush vanished in that instant.
The Pokémon known as Mewtwo closed its eyes.
From the moment of its birth, it had endured many, many things. But never before had it felt this kind of peace.
It wished it could stay in this feeling forever.
"Thank you... Calyrex."
Mewtwo murmured the name of the King of Bountiful Harvests.
A surge of powerful faith radiated from its body, drifting into dreams, into the plush, and all the way across space — toward distant Galar.
(End of Chapter)
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