The Quaking Earth Titan.
A ferocious Pokémon. According to the League's investigation, mysterious earthquakes occasionally occur in the Asado Desert. And according to residents near Porto Marinada, an unseen creature has been stomping and shaking the land, rampaging through the sandstorm.
Is it Great Tusk or Iron Treads…?
If it's a single Titan, then it's most likely Great Tusk. And this Quaking Earth Titan also ties into some of Area Zero's events.
It broke through the ever-present barrier in Area Zero. It may have used the explosion accident at Research Station No. 4—slipping out through the gap when the barrier weakened—and escaped into Paldea proper.
However, based on the text that was left behind, the main force that attacked the research station should have been a second, even more violent Koraidon or Miraidon that was summoned there.
Ting-Lu and Torterra kept ramming into each other, continuously tempering their bodies.
The Prism Star faintly radiated, gathering a luminous sheen of Ground and Steel energy.
Hikaru navigated through the wind-driven sand, muttering, "Come to think of it… the professor in Area Zero has a lot of problems."
Since he was about to enter Area Zero, Hikaru started recalling the detailed parts of Scarlet/Violet's story.
"AI Sada might be easier to get along with than Professor Sada herself. You can see what Professor Sada's personality was like from the later Paradise Protection Protocol—she had an extreme streak."
"And Arven seems to have gone into Area Zero once, years before the Path of Legends story… but he got attacked by an unknown Pokémon."
"So which Paradox Pokémon attacked Arven?"
"Let's use details from the Scarlet timeline as an example."
"What we know is that Arven thought the Quaking Earth Titan, Great Tusk, looked familiar, but he didn't actually recognize it. He also didn't know a second Koraidon/Miraidon existed, and he hadn't seen Roaring Moon, Brute Bonnet, or Flutter Mane."
"At the same time, when he secretly entered Area Zero and was attacked, he fled while crying on the phone, begging the Flying Taxi to come rescue him at Area Zero. So it couldn't have been Roaring Moon flying around overhead, or the Flying Taxi would've been attacked immediately and crashed."
"As for the ones left… Arven's first time seeing Scream Tail was when the Path of Legends route reached Research Station No. 2—Penny ran into one, and Nemona described it as 'way too ferocious for a Jigglypuff.' Later, Arven described Brute Bonnet as 'the weaker one,' while he described Flutter Mane as 'the one that looks really strong.'"
"And considering Arven's Mabosstiff is a Dark-type Pokémon, and it was beaten half to death by something that can crush a Dark-type…"
"Among the remaining Paradox Pokémon, Sandy Shocks is basically just a crazy cave caveman, and its typing isn't much of a threat. So there's only one Pokémon that could've done it."
"There's only one truth!"
"The one that attacked Arven was Slither Wing!"
Bug/Fighting is doubly super-effective against Dark. Any casual punch would completely crush Mabosstiff!
And its posture looks like a transitional form between Larvesta and Volcarona.
And yet, its base stat total is a whopping 570—higher than Volcarona!
In the sandstorm filling the sky, for some reason Hikaru thought about the Path of Legends story.
Right now, Area Zero was still a complete mystery. If the ancient and future sides were evenly matched, then the situation might be… kind of bad.
Professor Sada herself might already be dead. But if that's the case, isn't the timing of the second Koraidon/Miraidon's transfer a bit early?
Still, Arven did say that a few years before the Scarlet/Violet incident, he completely lost contact with his mother/father, which probably was because the professor had died.
So does that mean the second, violent individual and the first, mild-mannered individual actually lived together for several years?
After the second individual went on a violent rampage and triggered the research station explosion, the AI professor captured it with a Master Ball. You can see that later too: when the second individual tried to attack the protagonist, the professor withdrew it with a Master Ball.
Then, years later, the territory war finally erupted and caused the first individual to flee. And at that moment, the filming of the promotional video Pokémon: Paldean Winds was taking place, and then the Scarlet/Violet story kicked off.
"Heave-ho… Put on the Assault Vest. In the desert, you really should wear a full set of gear. Actually, the red Assault Vest looks a lot like a Ranger uniform, huh!"
Because the sandstorm was blotting out everything, even sunlight was dim.
In the wind-driven sand were collapsed ruins and Pokémon hiding among rocks. Their murmurs made the sandstorm feel even noisier.
Of course, some Pokémon hated the sand, while others reveled in it.
Ground-type Donphan and the Phanpy family rolled around through the sandstorm and over the hills. Sandile hid under the sand, trying to bite Hikaru, only to be grabbed like a kitten, swung, and tossed aside with a plop. It yelped and burrowed into the sand.
In the ancient ruins, Bronzor fled in panic, and you could see a few pink, hammer-wielding little troublemakers chasing them.
Sandaconda, coiled like a spiral drill, slithered while staying curled, blasting sand from its nostrils and adding fuel to the sandstorm festival.
"This global warming thing is your fault."
After tossing that complaint at the passing Sandaconda, Hikaru spotted the true culprit ahead—Hippopotas and Hippowdon buried in the sand—watching Hikaru and his Pokémon approach with wary eyes.
Those two weird Ground-type Pokémon, fine.
Those little guys in cloaks, fine.
But you're all Pokémon!
How is this human walking through a sandstorm completely unharmed?
"Heave-ho, heave-ho, heave-ho!"
Even in the desert, there were other Pokémon pushing forward against the harsh wind and sand!
Hikaru saw a group of Pac-Man-looking Pokémon—it was Falinks!
Falinks is made up of one leader and five troops. The leader's orders cannot be disobeyed. They are six that act as one Pokémon. They're used to teamwork and fight while changing formations.
"Hey, hey, don't run, don't run! Let me record the move!"
"Falinks has that signature move No Retreat—it's super strong. Running into them in the desert like this is really lucky!"
"Ehehehehe—" Falinks's leader was originally annoyed. They were training hard in the sandstorm. Who dared interrupt their discipline?
But when it saw Ting-Lu and Torterra thundering closer while ramming each other, Falinks's leader nearly jumped out of its skin.
What the—when did two more giants show up here?!
Retreat! Fall back!
But Falinks still wasn't faster than Hikaru. At the same time, the "spinning top" on the Capture Styler's Capture Disc shot out with a whoosh!
"Capture—spinny-spin!"
"Begin!"
Hikaru struck a Ranger pose and started the capture!
A Ranger's equipment is called a Capture Styler, and its defining feature is launching a spinning top called a Capture Disc.
After that, the top circles the targeted Pokémon, leaving a trail of light!
At the same time, the Ranger wearing the device has to keep drawing circles in midair.
When the light-drawn circles and the spinning top shine together, the top's power captures the Pokémon. At that point, the Ranger can use technology to link hearts with the Pokémon and temporarily request help with certain tasks.
Of course, this isn't purely "mutual understanding." There's still a bit of "hard control" mixed in.
And it also grants a positive buff—"not afraid."
For example, in the anime, Hinata once captured a Miltank and used it to help rescue a Deoxys that had been separated. Deoxys triggered an electromagnetic field eruption, and while the capture effect lasted, Miltank looked righteous and fearless, its eyes blazing with determination like it was about to join the League.
Then the capture effect ended, and it instantly became, "What the hell is this, I've never seen anything like it—bye!" It turned around, ditched the Ranger, and ran off by itself.
During the capture process, if the light trail or the Capture Disc itself gets hit by a Pokémon's attack, the capture line is severed and the Capture Styler is damaged. Its energy also drops.
But capturing an Electric-type Pokémon lets it help "recharge" the disc and device.
Meanwhile, the Ranger Union rewards "upgrade add-ons" based on mission completions. These add-ons can resist Pokémon elemental attacks, making the disc unbelievably sturdy—sturdy enough to be fired like a cannonball.
Official versions of the Capture Styler also include Pokédex functions, and can receive missions and requests from Ranger HQ.
And unlike Poké Balls, Pokémon captured by a Styler are only temporary partners. When the effect ends, the Pokémon leaves. Even official high-rank Rangers are only allowed to carry one Pokémon—and that's their Partner Pokémon!
Other than that, using Poké Balls is prohibited!
"There are three styles of Capture Stylers, and their capture time and effects differ massively. But I've never seen the Chief's Advanced Styler, or the newer Bracelet Styler, so I can only use the oldest version."
"But even if it's the oldest, mine's been boosted with future tech. In terms of energy, it's stronger!"
"With the Capture Styler, a Ranger's job is to soothe frightened Pokémon, free Pokémon controlled by villains, communicate with wild Pokémon, coordinate in battle, and borrow their power to complete missions!"
Whooo—
The Capture Disc circled Falinks. Paldea's little soldiers had never seen anything like this. They froze on the spot, and Hikaru's circle-drawing speed was shockingly fast!
As a white beam of light sank into Falinks's body, the six immediately understood Hikaru's request.
Huh… you want us to teach No Retreat?
If that's all, you could've just said so! You scared us half to death!
"Capture successful!"
The Capture Styler's first real use—handmade though it was—was a complete success!
Falinks's leader trotted over, and at Hikaru's request, began teaching the essentials of No Retreat, while also recording the move into the ancient bracelet!
"This is a seriously powerful move. But usually it's Falinks's signature move—other Pokémon can't learn it, except Smeargle."
"But we've got the Prism Star, so… thanks for sharing."
Thump, thump, thump—
Hikaru was taking out candy and building rapport with Falinks.
Then, suddenly, a deep rumbling shook through the desert!
From the far side of the desert, beyond the rocky mountains, out past the sandstorm's edge—something was fighting. There was even a dragon's roar mixed in!
"That's Aerodactyl's voice. The immortal ancient dragon found the Quaking Earth Titan!"
Great Tusk was coming.
In the wild sandstorm, drawn in by Aerodactyl, that massive rolling body thundered closer with a relentless rumble-rumble-rumble.
No doubt about it!
It really was Great Tusk!
"Great Tusk is already huge, but after the Quaking Earth Titan ate the secret seasoning, its size is exaggerated beyond belief. It's basically a small hill!"
"Tor!"
"Tiiiing!"
Torterra and Ting-Lu braced themselves, but Hikaru waved a hand—and both Torterra and super moose went wide-eyed.
Huh. We thought you saying you'd go alone was just modest talk!
You're actually going to fight it in person?!
Even Ting-Lu started sweating.
Wait, you throwing me around is one thing. Fine, we'll pretend you're just superhumanly strong and can use throws on a four-legged Pokémon.
But you're telling me you can use throws on the Quaking Earth Titan?!
"Tiiiing-lu (Without super moose power, you'll really get flattened!)"
Ting-Lu was speechless. It had just secured a long-term candy meal ticket. If Hikaru went down, what was it supposed to do?
But Torterra thought about it and suggested maybe they should support from the side.
"Tor!"
That thing is way too big. It's not even in the same weight class as anything they'd met before!
Even the False Dragon Titan… sure, it was huge, but at least it was in the water!
"Yeah. If you're that worried, then support from the side." Hikaru scratched his cheek. "To be honest, this thing really is absurdly big."
"And besides, I mainly want to test whether the Capture Styler works."
"Alright. I'm going in first!"
Watching Hikaru sprint toward the direction Great Tusk was rolling in from, Ting-Lu and Torterra exchanged a look.
They didn't know Hikaru equally well, but their feelings were identical.
He's basically a superhero.
"Tor!"
"Tiiiing!"
Alright. We're going too!
"Rr!"
Riolu and the other little ones pulled their cloaks and hats tight against the sand and hurried forward.
Meanwhile, the Quaking Earth Titan—hounded and followed by Aerodactyl the entire time—was in a foul mood.
It had summoned a sky-filling sandstorm by borrowing nature's power to hide its tracks—and to conceal the secret seasoning!
But where did this immortal stone pterosaur come from? It had never seen anything like it on this continent. Even down in the crater, it hadn't seen anything similar!
Great Tusk narrowed its eyes, stopped rolling with a boom, and stared at the tiny human running toward it.
A human, honestly, wasn't something it cared about.
The real issue was that plenty of things in this desert coveted the secret seasoning. And Pokémon that escaped from the crater weren't limited to just itself!
There was a strange mechanical thing too. Ever since Great Tusk escaped the crater, that thing had been stalking it!
"Grrraaaah!!!"
Great Tusk saw Hikaru's movement. It didn't know what this human was trying to do, but it definitely wasn't anything good!
So it raised its magnificent tusks and charged straight at Hikaru!
The entire Asado Desert seemed to tremble. Aerodactyl gathered rocks and attacked from above, chunks of stone crashing down—but the impact on Great Tusk was negligible!
"This thing resists Rock four times. No wonder it's the Tusk Saint. Aerodactyl, stop attacking."
"Capture, begin!"
The Capture Disc shot out with a whoosh. Even in sandstorm weather, it operated smoothly. Great Tusk was wrapped by the disc's light and halted its charge in surprise!
Violent airflow kicked up a massive shockwave, but Hikaru stood unmoving in the storm!
Great Tusk whipped its head around in confusion as the Capture Disc circled faster and faster.
Hikaru shouted, "Circle, circle—go all in!"
Screen-Wrecker, activate!
Great Tusk: "Grrh (What is this)!"
A blazing light and a sense of intent poured into Great Tusk's heart!
It stopped rampaging. It stared at the human in disbelief, feeling its body change, and suddenly it could understand human speech.
And the human in front of it gave it… a strangely calming feeling?
Hikaru's eyes widened. "It worked! It works on ancient Pokémon too!"
When Great Tusk was captured by the light-ring, the other Pokémon were stunned.
What kind of fighting style is this?!
So humans really aren't limited to "bare hands versus Pokémon" after all—this human can fight using a spinning top?!
We don't understand it, but we're deeply shocked. It can even soothe a Titan this huge?!
Hikaru said, "Great Tusk, can you understand me? Dispel your anger. Calm down."
"Grrh (Got it)."
Great Tusk stopped, gazing at Hikaru as if thinking.
To test whether Great Tusk would obey, Hikaru tried issuing commands in the sandstorm.
"Great Tusk, can you help me find some ingredients?"
"Grrh (Sure)."
"Great Tusk, can I ride you?"
"Grrh (Sure)."
"Great Tusk, can you tell me where the secret sour seasoning is?"
"…"
"Great Tusk?"
"Grrrhh (No)!!!"
Even though Great Tusk had been captured, after it stayed calm for only a moment, it abruptly flared up again at Hikaru's question!
You told me to calm down because you didn't feel like a threat, so I calmed down!
You asked me to find some ingredients—fine, I'm hungry too, we can eat together!
You want to ride on me—if you're not a cunning villain, then whatever!
But you want me to hand over the secret seasoning?!
Absolutely not, because I really do have secret seasoning!
That's enough.
Hikaru scratched his head. "Ah! It's obsessively attached to the secret seasoning?"
"The capture succeeded, but ancient Pokémon's stubbornness can break through even a heart-link. If something is 'no,' then it's 'no.'"
"Is that because of their primal nature?"
"Compared to modern Pokémon's understanding kindness, ancient Pokémon always carry a shapeless anger in their hearts."
"Come to think of it, Walking Wake was the same way back then."
"But if I just use this to drive it off, then it's still effective. That's already enough—at least I won't end up surrounded by ancient Pokémon."
"GRRRAAAH!" Great Tusk roared, deafening, whipping up even more sand and baring hostility again!
A temporary partner was still only temporary in the end!
Anyone who wants my secret seasoning knows the rule: after the meaningless earth-shaking stomps… come take it yourself!
"Tiiiing—!"
"Tor—!"
Torterra and Ting-Lu tightened their guard, ready to strike at any moment, while Great Tusk looked poised to attack.
But Hikaru wasn't anxious at all.
The Capture Styler worked. Great Tusk was just stubborn… a stubborn temperament!
But since he'd declared he was fighting as a Ranger, then in a Ranger battle there was, in fact, a special battle method exclusive to Ranger-partner Pokémon!
"You know Terrain moves?"
"The real fight… is only just beginning!"
(End of Chapter)[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"][Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop][Thanks for Reading!]