May 21st, Thursday
Several days had passed since Aiden uploaded his new video.
As expected, it once again exploded across the internet—becoming the topic of conversation for days.
But Aiden himself had vanished completely after posting—leaving no trace for several days.
The reason was simple: He'd come to Sinnoh on legitimate business! Streaming and uploading videos were the real side gigs!
For four consecutive days, Aiden diligently served as an "ancient language translator"—deciphering the ancient script on murals deep within the Solaceon Ruins for Cynthia and Professor Carolina's research teams.
Much of the content related to Hisui—proving immensely helpful for Sinnoh scholars studying history.
But today—his translation work finally concluded.
Handing remaining tasks to other researchers, Aiden and Cynthia quickly returned to Celestic Town.
After brief rest and adjustment—they soon set out for the Spear Pillar ruins atop Mt. Coronet—to accomplish a feat seemingly lost to time:
Using Arceus's earthly symbols to reopen humanity's bridge of communication with the divine!
Summer evening breezes gently rustled the grass. A chorus of Psyduck and Kricketot echoed from nearby thickets.
Lying on the lawn outside the Historical Research Institute, Aiden gazed at the starry sky—suddenly feeling a fleeting illusion of merging completely with this world.
"Vee?"
Only when Sylveon's large head abruptly blocked his view did Aiden snap back to reality.
"What's up, Sylveon?"
Sitting up, he smiled and patted Sylveon's head.
Sylveon quickly shook its head—then extended a ribbon toward another scene.
Following its gesture, Aiden noticed the dragon-types from his and Cynthia's teams seemingly holding a "team-building session."
"Roarrr——!"
The roar came from Salamence. Post-evolution, not only had its voice grown thunderously loud—it now loved bellowing randomly for attention.
But admittedly—this physical "Intimidate" effect worked wonders.
A single roar sent panicked bird-shadows scattering from surrounding forests—even the singing Psyduck in the grass fell momentarily silent.
Yet the other Pokémon seated with Salamence clearly ignored its antics.
"Garr!"
Garchomp frowned—emitting a dissatisfied growl.
What's with all the yelling?!
But Salamence was never one to stay still. After flashing Garchomp a foolish grin, it immediately latched onto Cynthia's Kommo-o.
Under Salamence's persistent pestering, the initially reluctant Kommo-o reluctantly nodded—striking a stance before unleashing a mighty roar.
As its feet and upper body moved in fluid coordination, a wildly primal dance unfolded before their eyes.
And as Kommo-o continued dancing—its movement speed visibly accelerated, soon blurring into afterimages.
Watching from the sidelines with Sylveon, Aiden suddenly realized Salamence's intention—
Good grief—it's trying to steal Dragon Dance right in front of Garchomp?!
Aiden instantly grew intrigued.
Come to think of it—back when Cynthia came to Paldea for the Dragon-type Master Tournament, he'd been the one to gift her a Dragon Dance TM.
Half a year had flown by—Kommo-o should've mastered the move by now.
"Roar!"
Salamence immediately mimicked the motion—stomping in rhythm with Kommo-o while flapping its wings like arms to "dance" along.
"..."
The heavy footfalls of two large dragon-types soon roused Miraidon—napping nearby on the lawn. It shot them a deadpan glare before wordlessly rising.
So noisy!
But for Miraidon—solutions abounded. It promptly waddled away from the trio—settling beside Aiden with a yawn.
"How is it you sleep twenty hours a day——"
Aiden stroked Miraidon's neck—feeling it subtly lean into his touch before smiling.
It'd already awakened its latent power during their earlier crisis… so why did it still act like a lazybones?
Could this actually be its true nature——
Unlike Miraidon's swift retreat, Garchomp—who remained on-site—now fixed the "openly flaunting" dragons with a complex gaze.
What's the meaning of this?!
Why learn Dragon Dance right in front of me?! Who are you hinting at?!
Its eyes flicked backward—locking onto Aiden, who was smiling at the scene. Garchomp immediately shot him a death glare.
Definitely Aiden's doing—how could he be so mean?!
But as the undisputed leader of the institute's Pokémon—and Cynthia's sole "big sister" within her team—
If I run away like Miraidon… wouldn't that make me look pathetic?
After a brief internal struggle—Garchomp took action.
Unlike Salamence and Kommo-o's dance—it repeatedly slapped its own abdomen mid-movement while emitting forceful roars.
Garchomp: A mere Dragon Dance? I'll learn it right now!
Though its speed didn't increase—its gaze sharpened noticeably.
"Dragon Cheer?"
Aiden instantly recognized the move—barely suppressing a laugh.
But considering that laughing now would humiliate Garchomp—and likely worsen their relationship—he forced himself to stay quiet.
He actually wanted to tell this prideful land-dragon:
According to Lumiose City's latest research, Garchomp may potentially evolve into another Mega form.
Not only would its speed reach levels where Dragon Dance becomes unnecessary—it'd even transform into a Special Attacker——
But specifics would have to wait for Professor Sycamore's research results.
Withdrawing his gaze from the dragon gathering, Aiden prepared to pet Sylveon—only to jerk his hand back as if electrocuted.
He then noticed a small figure had somehow appeared beside Sylveon.
"Gla~"
Cynthia's Glaceon had quietly approached—pressing close to Sylveon.
No wonder it felt so cold just now—I touched the wrong one——
Meeting Sylveon's slightly resentful gaze, Aiden could only smile sheepishly—shifting his now-cooler palm to rest on Miraidon's back.
"Gaaao——"
Miraidon narrowed its eyes—looking utterly unimpressed.
As a fully metallic Pokémon—how could such a trivial gesture affect me?
But to play along affectionately—it shuddered dramatically, leaping to its feet before darting back into the institute without a backward glance.
Aiden's gaze drifted farther away.
Night had fallen—his night vision wasn't exceptional. He could only vaguely discern two Pokémon silhouettes in the distance.
Clearly—Mewtwo and Indeedee.
As for why they'd gone so far——
Mewtwo was teaching Indeedee an extremely dangerous move. For safety reasons, Aiden had suggested they train at a distance.
"Indee——"
Following Aiden's line of sight—Indeedee now clutched her head with a pained expression.
Unlike Mewtwo—who, thanks to Mew's genes, effortlessly mastered moves across typings—
As a Normal/Psychic-type, she'd never imagined learning a Dark-type move—let alone the incomprehensible "Dark Void."
But since it was her Trainer's suggestion—she'd persist until confirming her own inability!
"..."
Though Mewtwo had been teaching Indeedee for a while—it secretly harbored doubts.
It had learned Dark Void by directly analyzing the move—replicating the Dark-type energy Darkrai channeled during execution.
But Indeedee clearly lacked this capability.
What if—I modify it into a version better suited for her?
A new direction suddenly crystallized in Mewtwo's mind. It promptly extended a hand:
"Watch closely. I'll demonstrate once."
"Um?"
Before Indeedee could react—Mewtwo's eyes flashed azure. A pure Psychic wave emanated from its feet, expanding outward.
Normally—this would be Psychic Terrain, a move Indeedee knew well.
But when Mewtwo used it—subtle changes emerged.
The outward-radiating energy—typically enhancing Psychic moves—transformed into a field resembling Hypnosis's effects.
Its logic was simple: Since Dark Void traps targets in alternate dimensions to induce nightmares through inescapable sleep…
If Psychic energy's range is vast enough—could we skip summoning the dimension entirely?
This concept had vaguely formed in Mewtwo's mind during Indeedee's previous training.
But Darkrai's "gift" of Dark Void became the crucial link that connected the dots!
Now—its idea had become reality.
"Deee—"
Under the "Drowsy Terrain's" influence, Indeedee's eyelids began fluttering shut.
Fighting drowsiness—she focused on Mewtwo's execution process:
By casting Hypnosis while generating terrain—extending sleep effects across all targets within Psychic Terrain's range——
I see!
Master—I've achieved enlightenment!
With this realization—Indeedee promptly collapsed into slumber. Mewtwo caught her falling form with steady arms.
Seems progress is going well over there too.
Aiden, who'd been observing Mewtwo's side, nodded in satisfaction.
Just then—two similarly sized Lucario, drenched in sweat, jogged back from the distance—entering Aiden's field of view.
"Lucario!"
Lucario called out to Aiden—then continued sprinting forward without pause.
"Luuuu——"
The other—Cynthia's Lucario—was clearly spent. It halted with labored breaths, casting a complex gaze at its rapidly receding companion.
How long has that little one been gone? Less than a year, right——
This stamina… is absurd!
It recalled when Lucario was merely a headstrong Riolu—relentlessly sparring with itself and Garchomp to grow stronger.
Most of the time—Riolu couldn't withstand a single blow before losing consciousness.
But now—it realized: Perhaps precisely that near-self-destructive "hell training" allowed this little one to adapt early to such brutal intensity——
With this thought—Cynthia's Lucario turned toward Aiden—its eyes carrying unmistakable respect.
Lucario—or rather, Fighting-types—lived by a simple creed.
Whoever made them stronger was a worthy teacher.
By this standard—Aiden was undoubtedly the world's most suitable Trainer for that little one.
How far will they go together?
Aiden remained puzzled—only after watching both Lucario disappear did he murmur:
"I wish I could understand what they're thinking."
"There's a way~"
The sudden reply caught Aiden off guard—he instinctively turned around.
Cynthia—who should have been organizing the Solaceon Ruins findings into textual records—had somehow appeared behind him.
"Legend says the Creator Deity Arceus once granted humans the power you describe. But for certain reasons… it's been lost to time."
Meeting Aiden's gaze, Cynthia continued with a gentle smile:
"Ancient Sinnoh people called this power the 'Aura'—a crucial means for humans to calm Pokémon's fury. Even effective against Legendaries."
"But I'd assumed you were its inheritor—that's why you understand those legendary beings' thoughts."
After speaking—she watched Aiden blink in surprise.
Hmm— this actually makes some sense?
But if he truly possessed the Aura—it'd make Area Zero far less dangerous. No need to fight his way through.
"I just roughly guess what they're thinking."
Aiden casually explained.
Compared to the Aura… being a transmigrator was probably rarer—and far harder to comprehend——
Cynthia smiled—slowly crouching to sit beside him.
"Is this what they call 'charisma'? Even Legendaries unconsciously drawn to you—forging bonds without effort?"
"If it's you, Aiden… perhaps even the Creator Deity Himself would grant you recognition."
"Hmm?"
Aiden raised an eyebrow—suddenly, almost mischievously, he spoke:
"Then—in Cynthia's eyes… how does Aiden, who can even charm Arceus, measure up?"
"Fool."
Her reply carried unmistakable fondness.
And in that instant—Aiden's eyes widened.
A warm breath brushed his right cheek—accompanied by a tantalizingly soft touch.
Cynthia's gesture lasted but a moment—followed immediately by a whispered murmur:
"Is this… persuasive enough?"
"Mm——"
In that moment—Aiden felt his face flush crimson.
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