"So in the end, these guys still followed us."
Great Tusk stayed behind in the Asado Desert, brimming with enthusiasm as it planned to "improve" the desert environment.
Of course, once potato fields start showing up, Great Tusk will absolutely enter full-on old-farmer mode. From then on, any academy student who wants to challenge it—so long as they can find the potatoes—will be able to lure this Titan out easily.
But after that huge feast, Great Tusk's strength also rose a little more. If it keeps getting stronger like this, ordinary academy students probably won't be able to clear the challenge and earn the reward of baked potatoes from it.
"The environment around the Asado Desert is actually really diverse—rivers, grasslands, rocky mountains, hills, flower fields. Paldea's natural conditions are just too good."
"But you all following us… what are you trying to do?"
"All the Titans have already been defeated. Don't tell me you're really planning to set out on some eternal, never-ending war pilgrimage?"
Hikaru looked back at the Falinks trailing behind him.
These little guys really had started treating themselves like big Orks—WAAAAAAGH the whole way, not stopping for a second!
And honestly, at first they didn't even want to fight him. In the sandstorm they were ridiculously fast—if Hikaru hadn't been fast too, and if he hadn't had the Hunting Spinner's speed boost, he wouldn't have been able to catch them.
But after watching his battle with Great Tusk, they looked like they'd been injected with adrenaline. They just came clattering after him the entire way.
"Eeta eeta, WAAAAAAGH!"
The Falinks were still riding a massive high.
They were going to launch a WAAAAAAGH expedition!
We're pretty sure you're not human—you're a super awesome Legendary Pokémon boss!
We ate your delicious food, so we're gonna start a war for you to repay the debt!
Hikaru: "The longer I look at them, the more they kind of resemble Kirby…"
"Also, one Falinks equals six Pokémon. There's even a saying that if you catch six Falinks, you've got thirty-six Pokémon—basically an entire Roman legion!"
"Like Magneton, Dugtrio, and Maushold… Pokémon made of multiple individuals sure are weird. Does a single individual not count as a complete Pokémon?"
"In academia, I think some Professor studied it a bit… but I can't remember who."
"Hm, and I heard Falinks can Mega Evolve. Would it turn into one of those 'I'll form the head!' situations?"
"I suggest giving it an Ability like 'Devoted Retainers'—six hits in one turn."
Anyway, the Falinks had decided Hikaru was basically some kind of Gork-or-Mork, so they followed him all the way here.
Hikaru had no choice but to let them ride on Genesect's back, but with that, Genesect was getting kind of crowded…
"Whatever. Aerodactyl can carry me while flying. You guys sit on Genesect. …Seriously, we're over capacity."
"Victini, come up onto my shoulder."
Sure, he could've had Volcarona—or Little Bug—carry him so he could cosplay Alder, and glowing all over would look insanely cool.
But Little Bug was four-times weak to Rock, and they were already close to returning to the southern area near the Asado Desert. There were plenty of Pokémon around here that could use Smack Down.
If he messed up and crashed…
"Tii-ni~" Victini fluttered its tiny wings and plopped onto Hikaru's shoulder, wearing a backpack and looking extremely happy.
Captain, this trip is seriously thrilling!
You beating the Quaking Earth Titan was so cool!
Hikaru: "Thanks for your help, Victini! …Also, my shoulder feels basically empty. You only weigh 4 kilograms—even with your backpack you're not even 10. I can barely feel it."
"But Paldea's skies are just too dangerous. Only a pterosaur and a steel bug can give me any sense of safety."
Aerodactyl nodded excitedly.
"Gaa-ho."
Genesect thought of Tinkaton and strongly agreed.
"Geno."
The two big flyers reached an understanding right there.
Still, having Aerodactyl carry you came in two different flight styles. One was riding on Aerodactyl's back. The other was letting Aerodactyl grab your shoulders—like how Red flies in Pokémon Adventures.
How do you put it… the second one looks unsafe, but Red seems to basically never flip or crash.
Aerodactyl's strength also seems absurd. It can carry Red while fighting in midair, making it look like Aerodactyl is literally Red's wings—and it can even haul Red's entire party along with him.
"Ah-gaaas!"
Miraidon had followed too.
If they were going to Area Zero, they naturally had to move together with Miraidon—and Miraidon wasn't in "Limited Mode." It could fly in the sky in "Full Mode"!
Miraidon looked downright eager, trying to get Hikaru to ride on its back to deepen their bond.
"Hm… your emotion module is way too rich! You're way more expressive than Iron Valiant."
"Shii-ga!" Miraidon stuck out its tongue and shook its head. No matter what Hikaru said, it had only one answer.
Boss is always right!
"But for now I'm not riding you. When we head to Area Zero, we'll do more coordination. We're in a hurry right now."
"Gaa…" Miraidon drooped a little.
But looking on the bright side!
As long as it followed the boss, one day it would become an official mount!
Hm… even if it might not be faster than that steel big bug, it should still be a bit faster than Aerodactyl, right?
Miraidon stroked its chin, then suddenly felt less sure. After all, it had never seen this "undying ancient dragon."
"In terms of speed, you're about even," Hikaru judged.
Miraidon had 135 Speed, and Aerodactyl had 130—only a five-point gap. And once it Mega Evolved, Aerodactyl could hit a whopping 150 Speed!
Sure, a normal Aerodactyl might struggle post–Mega Evolution because Tough Claws is kind of funny and its movepool is kinda barren, making it hard to output meaningful damage… but Hikaru's Aerodactyl was the full package!
All three types of charging attacks mastered—truly, an unrivaled tyrant of the skies!
If Aerodactyl used Dragon Rush, Miraidon might not even be able to take it.
"Wang-wu!"
"Fight?"
"Ka-dong!"
The three little ones were being squeezed by Falinks on all sides. Those passionate boys were packed onto Genesect's back, and once they took flight they got even more excited. They didn't know where they were going—but it didn't matter!
Falinks are always on the road of battle and training. If they can't win, they run away! That's just how it is!
So as long as they're still walking on the earth, anywhere is fine!
"Wang~"
Riolu helplessly spread its hands—then golden lightning flared around its body!
Magnet Rise. It was way too crowded here!
I'll just fly instead!
The blue-haired pup turned into a golden streak and shot into the sky. Every time Hikaru saw lightning bursting off Riolu, he couldn't help hallucinating a Super Saiyan powering up.
Golden aura, lightning crackling.
Super Saiyan dog? And it's Super Saiyan 2!
Next time, should he use the Shiny Charm to dye Riolu's fur yellow? That'd fit the Super Saiyan look even better!
"Ka-dong (Riolu-sensei being able to fly is really great.)~"
"Fight (Senior Brother, when can I learn a flying move too?)"
That left only Kubfu and Charcadet, staring longingly at the dog from Genesect's back.
Hikaru also spread his hands helplessly.
Man! If these two had debuted two generations earlier, they might've been able to learn Magnet Rise legally too!
"But propulsion flight should be fine. Charcadet just needs a trigger. Little Bug already copied the anime and developed a mini-rocket form, and Keldeo can use Aqua Jet to fly with water."
"So yeah—fire as an energy source is still really powerful. You just have to develop it right."
"But Kubfu… even though it can learn Acrobatics and Aerial Ace, that's just jumping up with strong leg power. It's not actually floating or flying."
"As for Tera Flying, I wonder if it can fly. But outside battle, and even in battle—using Flying Tera on Kubfu is just a huge waste, right?"
"Or… we keep using Sky Uppercut on the road and randomly beat up wild Flying-type Pokémon we run into. That could count as… flying?"
If he really did that, Paldea's skies would be total chaos.
All the bird Pokémon would be screeching:
Why are you so selfish?!
While he was ranting like that, they crossed the Asado Desert—and Cortondo Town was already here!
When Hikaru had passed through this area before, he hadn't come to Cortondo Town. But now the date lined up perfectly.
Near the arena outside Cortondo Town, you could see grand fireworks and hear roaring cheers. Combined with the Olive Harvest Festival that already exists in the original game, this event's popularity was absolutely exploding!
"Bullfighting should've been a nationwide Spanish spectacle, but in Paldea it's only a local event. Still… being able to see it at all is already pretty nice."
"Charcadet, the scenery around here feels nostalgic, doesn't it? You've basically circled the Paldea continent almost once. Sure, there are still some special areas we haven't been to, but overall we've gone around the whole map!"
"The feeling of home… so-called home is a place meant to be missed."
Charcadet looked at Hikaru, who was being held by Aerodactyl, and then gazed thoughtfully toward the distant land.
From this sky, you could faintly see the ocean reflecting brilliant light.
Somewhere far away, the Open Sky Titan seemed to appear—and also seemed not to. Past the mountains where the Open Sky Titan lurked was the village where Charcadet came from.
Hm. Actually, it hadn't been that long since it left, so in theory it shouldn't be missing everyone in the village or worrying about how they were doing.
But without realizing it, staring at the distant world made it lose focus.
Charcadet snapped back to reality, and suddenly realized—somehow, it had already walked across a brand-new land it could never have reached in its entire life before. It had met so many partners and teachers, defeated the legendary Four Treasures of Ruin, gathered countless achievements, and even glimpsed the shadow of the Martial God!
And then it learned so many ultimate moves it had never even dreamed of!
"Ka-dong! Ka!"
It hadn't been long at all, but the current it was already different from the old it!
Village Chief, I fulfilled my promise!
"Fight."
Kubfu's voice made Charcadet turn around. This Kubfu—from an unknown homeland—had its headband fluttering in the wind. It felt the distant breeze and wore an expression of deep nostalgia.
My friend, feel this wind.
"Fight!"
The fallen leaves bring news!
Beyond the sea—our homeland!
Someone will surely ascend the throne, and someone else will set out once more, embarking on a new journey!
This is the Wind of Departure!
We will eventually step onto the road, temper body and mind, and at last return home in glory!
"Wind of Departure… New Bark Town? Don't tell me you're a Kubfu from Johto?"
Hikaru suddenly felt like what Kubfu said was kind of insane.
"Wind of Departure" was a phrase Johto used often, and New Bark Town was literally a town representing the "wind of beginnings."
In ages past, Kubfu followed legendary merchants and martial artists through countless regions, spreading far and wide. After going feral, they settled near many unknown mountain ranges.
But you're not in the Johto Pokédex!
Kubfu rubbed its chin.
"Fight?"
Was it really? Kubfu didn't know either.
Because it never cared where it was. It simply found a suitable place to train—and stayed.
Only now did it understand that training yourself to death under a waterfall was useless.
Hikaru brought the Pokémon down near Cortondo Town's arena. As a location not present in the game, this arena's exterior looked extremely "Greek" in style.
Speaking of which, in the player's home in Cabo Poco, there's a painting of some unknown place.
If you examine it, it says: "Such a pretty foreign town." And the town in the painting is pure white.
In the anime, Johto's White Town looks like that.
But in the games, aside from Sootopolis City, there isn't really another town like it. And that town in the painting probably isn't Sootopolis City.
And there's also a rumor that…
"The white city on the Aegean Sea—Santorini. People in Generation 10 guessed that, like the Ferrum region, there might be a Greece-based region."
"For people here, that should be an extremely distant place. Even though in theory, Greece isn't far from Spain."
"Still, Sootopolis City also seems to have some connection to Santorini. Though more than that, it points to Atlantis."
Even though the Pokémon world is also a single planet.
Once a new region appears, it still gets described as "a faraway place."
It's really unbelievable.
Just how big is this planet, anyway?
"Eeta eeta! WAAAAAAGH!!"
When the Falinks saw the arena, they got unbelievably excited! It was like the place itself was calling to them!
And the cheers, the fireworks booming—everything made these little guys itch to fight!
"Bullfighting tournaments, in theory, mean battling official trainers and the bull-type Pokémon they send out…"
"Let me see…"
Ding-dong—ding-ling-ling!
The Rotom Phone rang.
Dendra was calling!
"Hello, hello! Where are you right now? The tournament starts in half a day—tomorrow morning! I heard you were invited to be one of Paldea's Elite Four? That's incredible. It's a bit late, but let me congratulate you!"
"Today is the opening ceremony! The opening ceremony is the day before the official matches. You have to hurry over! I already prepared the spicy extract. Oh right! The winner of this bullfighting tournament will be awarded the title of Matador Champion, and supposedly there's also a mysterious prize."
"Right now? I'm already right next to the arena. The fireworks at the opening ceremony are really pretty, and you can even see a gigantic olive."
This arena near Cortondo Town, theoretically speaking, should be the "Seville Bullring." It's one of the oldest bullfighting arenas still standing in Spain, and it has over 12,000 seats!
"Better late than never! Heroes always show up at the critical moment, right?"
Dendra: "You're really calling yourself a hero? Anyway, since you're already there, I'm relieved. There are lots of hotels for travelers near Cortondo Town. Today I still have to do my final sprint training. See you in the matches tomorrow!"
"Oh, but we're in two different brackets. I registered you for the Matador bracket—three Pokémon, rotating. As for me, I'm in the Bull bracket! Paldean Tauros just happens to come in three types!"
"I've been in absolutely perfect condition these past few days! Even wild Cyclizar can't outrun me! I'm definitely going to shine in the tournament! When we meet up, I'll show you the results of my training!"
Hm. A Paldean superhuman who can outrun Cyclizar?
Come to think of it, that's literally Dendra's setting.
In Pokémon Adventures: Scarlet & Violet, at the very beginning, she and two other unnamed teachers (riding Cyclizar) sprint out to catch the male protagonist who barged into the academy. The process is chaotic, but in the end she actually outruns Miraidon!
Running for three hours from Alfornada to Cortondo Town is no joke!
"We'll find a place to rest for the day. Tomorrow we'll enter the bullfighting tournament and finish the final trial."
Hikaru looked at Charcadet. Charcadet's fighting spirit was blazing.
So the "final trial" turned out to be a crushing victory after returning near its homeland, with the Wind of Home blowing against its face!
With its current strength, no matter what kind of bull it faced, it felt absolutely fearless!
In the sandstorm, the final move it learned was…
Charcadet looked at the two balls on Hikaru's backpack—one Poké Ball, one Master Ball.
Senior Torterra… and the earth demon king Ting-Lu! The move you've been training—I've learned a little of it too!
"Yeah. Just a little. Maybe you're even about to evolve…"
Hikaru murmured.
Prism Star reacted on this side, feeding information directly into his mind.
"Under Prism Star's influence—"
"Ting-Lu learned Iron Defense!"
"Torterra mastered Iron Defense!"
"Charcadet seems like it wants to learn Iron Defense… it's vaguely showing some results?"
If the super moose could learn one more recovery move—like Recover, like Pao-Pao—then it would really be an invincible moose.
Tera Water, Iron Defense, Fissure Ting-Lu!
"Isn't that great? Pao-Pao learned the Sheer Cold it was always supposed to have, Little Snail got everyone's dirty secrets, Bubbles learned how to open a sea of fire on its own, and the super moose mastered Iron Defense!"
"Eh, if Little Snail gathers a bit more dirt, do you think it could learn Parting Shot?"
As Hikaru thought that, he looked at the Falinks spinning excitedly in place.
"Falinks also really want to participate in this tournament, huh."
"Then—even if we're only temporary partners—I'm counting on you! Sons of Rome!"
"Or should I say… Sparta?"
The Falinks' morale surged!
WAAAAAAGH!
A circular arena! Armored soldiers! Powerful raging bulls!
We don't know what 'Rome' means, but it sounds awesome!
Then this battle is Rome! We are sons of Rome!
Rome… those enemies sound worthy!
Tubae militaris vox,
the clarion call of holy war,
Legiones procat mox!
Let it sound for us at once!
"Hahaha. An arena in the Pokémon world? A coliseum isn't exactly a good word—that's an Orre region facility."
"But timeline-wise, Orre's first incident should already be over, right? And the sequel, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, takes place five years after Orre's first incident… man, that's ancient history."
"Also, if I put Rocky Helmets on all six of them, wouldn't that mean I can bounce the opponent six times in one turn?"
"As for the third participant—Miraidon, do you want to try?"
"Ah-gaas?" Miraidon pointed at itself, then at the arena, and stared hard.
Gulp. Bullfighting? Never heard of it. What Pokémon are inside?
But it can't be tougher than that red lizard, right?
Today, the coward lizard isn't cowardly! Miraidon says whether I coward out or not, whether I Protect or not—my call!
(End of Chapter)
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