After staying in Area Zero for five days, Hikaru successfully helped AI Sada suppress the time machine. The three Sword Saint AIs also provided tremendous computational power. With a whole group of top-tier engineers effectively pooling their ideas together, they finally managed to bug the time machine out.
"The time machine's energy suppression was very successful. Under these conditions, it will gradually stop operating due to insufficient power, and we can also get around the Doctor's defense settings."
"The Doctor's own defense settings for the time machine only accounted for abnormal shutdowns caused by external force. No matter what, she never could have imagined that the machine would temporarily crash because of insufficient energy. In a place overflowing with Tera energy like this, that should have been absolutely impossible."
As for why the Tera energy was no longer sufficient, that was something one would have to ask the well-fed little turtle.
"I never thought Terapagos's power would end up being used for something like this!"
AI Sada truly did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Because during the earlier battle, Ultraman had blasted the stellarized little turtle apart with an absurdly powerful beam attack, so AI Sada had only learned part of Terapagos's abilities through Hikaru's description.
Only now did she truly understand how Terapagos's power actually worked.
"That's right. In its Stellar form, Terapagos has the power to steal Tera charge from Tera Orbs, while also unfolding a barrier around itself that weakens all damage. It works on the same principle as the barriers used by some especially powerful wild Tera Pokémon, except it's stronger, and it can steal charge multiple times."
Hikaru explained it to AI Sada.
"After all, it's the Pokémon that was granted power by a meteor from the stars, the very source of Terastal energy. Its true power is far beyond what it displayed last time. It's just that Terapagos itself can't control that much power."
That was exactly where the gap between the little turtle and other top-tier legendaries lay.
Most top-tier legendaries that could trigger a full battle system were basically able to control their own power, or even go beyond that. Necrozma, for example, could even rampage if it ran low on energy.
The little turtle was different. As the source of Tera energy, once that energy rose beyond a certain level, it would instead passively go berserk and lose control.
Hikaru had AI Sada bring out a large number of the "hexagonal gemstones" used for research, namely the special Tera gems that Terapagos's corpse had turned into.
By using those Tera gems to absorb large amounts of Tera energy and the stellar crystal energy from the Great Crater, then combining that with Tera Orbs, it became possible to make their temporarily Terastallized Pokémon acquire the properties seen during Tera Raid Battles.
The most important of those properties was the power to steal Tera charge.
"By repeatedly stealing, releasing, and recharging energy, we can strip the time machine completely dry. Then, using a special program and channel, and with both the Paradise Protection Protocol and the battle program already defeated, everything went just as we planned and was completed smoothly."
Stealing charge - that was the very thing that had appeared in The Indigo Disk story.
Terapagos had repeatedly stolen charge from the protagonist and Kieran, even causing Pokémon that were already Terastallized to suddenly lose all power and explode out of their Tera state on the spot.
That was something absolutely impossible in normal Terastallized battles.
But the little turtle could do it.
In the story, Briar would explain part of it too, though most of what she actually did was lose her mind the whole time and make useless analyses. Carmine, meanwhile, was doomed by the mechanic design itself, since her Pokémon were guaranteed to get taken out, so she could only end up as a cheerleader.
And as for Kieran... once his Hydrapple came out, all it really did was put frosting on the turtle. The damage it contributed was negligible, to say the least.
And while the barrier was up, status moves had no effect on it. Pokémon that were not Terastallized only dealt 20% of their normal damage to a Terastallized barrier. In terms of damage reduction, it was incredibly powerful.
Only now could the time machine incident truly be said to have come to a real end.
Of course, because the time machine would continuously resonate with Tera energy, completely suppressing it was still extremely difficult unless one somehow built Terapagos a stellar crystal toilet and made it sit on that.
"So, at fixed intervals, the time machine's energy will need to be released once. In other words, it will start calling Pokémon from distant time periods again. But the release time will be short, and since we've already adjusted the program, there may also be times when 'nothing happens.' If that's the case, then all the better."
Besides that, the collection of stellar crystal fragments and Tera Shards had also been fully completed.
Along the way, Walking Wake and Archaludon had picked up who knew how many, and Hikaru himself had smashed apart a whole pile of stellar crystal Pokémon and gotten their stellar crystal fragments too.
The mountain-like piles of Tera Shards and stellar crystal fragments had all been placed in the connected world, ready to be used at any time.
And Tera Shards, surprisingly enough, could also be used in cooking.
All it took was adding a bit of powdered Tera crystal.
Once Hikaru figured that out, he made a few improvements to the dish Arven was cooking, gave him a bit of guidance, helped out slightly, and immediately saw results.
[Secret Food - Tera Cuisine!]
[Description: A dish capable of changing a Pokémon's Tera Type. Originally, this was an exclusive dish that only the Treasure Eatery in Medali could make. Grind 50 Tera Shards of the corresponding type into powder and mix them into the food. This not only improves the taste and texture, but also produces a unique food power.]
[Effect: The current dish attribute changes a Pokémon's Tera Type to - Ghost.]
[Obtained: Tera Cooking (A+)!]
"Hiss... Big bro, this dish looks like it changed somehow...?"
Food made with Tera crystals also carried a faint shimmer. It was nowhere near flashy enough to be "open the lid and behold a golden legend," but it was still obviously different from ordinary food.
"It still needs a little something extra."
Hikaru opened a Cherish Ball, and the Level 80 young Garganacl appeared, immediately attracting the attention of Arven's white giant.
Yo? A young one? But it feels really strong...
Most of the giants wandering Area Zero were in the Level 50+ range. They were older, but nowhere near as strong as the guardian by the Tera tree. Faced with the question from Arven's white giant, Hikaru's Garganacl merely remained silent.
It was not good with words. After spending so long alone beneath the Tera tree, once it sensed that Arven's giant seemed interested in it, it immediately took up a battle stance.
That startled both Arven and the white giant.
"Wait, that Garganacl is just a little interested in you. It doesn't mean it wants to fight."
"Not everything in this world can be communicated through battle."
Hikaru patted his Garganacl and soothed its somewhat confused heart, then pointed at the dish.
"I need your salt."
"The salt that's been influenced by the source of Herba Mystica should be a little different from what exists outside, right?"
The Level 80 Garganacl's eyes flickered. It lowered its battle stance, then raised its right hand and rubbed its fingers lightly over the dish.
It was said that if Garganacl rubbed its fingertips together, created salt, and sprinkled it over an injured Pokémon, even the gravest wounds could heal instantly. And this salt was also the finest seasoning in all of Paldea.
At the same time, salt could drive away impurity and ward off demons, ghosts, and the like.
And the fact that Garganacl could use salt to heal Pokémon might have been inspired by the English phrase "curing salt," since "curing" carried the double meaning of both preserving and healing.
[Secret Seasoning: Pure Salt - Legend.]
[Description: This salt can resist Ghost-type energy. A Pokémon that has consumed it will not fall into a status condition for a short time.]
[Description (new): Salt of Grace]
[Influenced by the Tera mother tree, Garganacl's salt underwent a wondrous change over 150 years. This salt can restore a Pokémon's vitality and life, while also rapidly replenishing expended stamina.]
[At the same time, it can also awaken the target from all kinds of negative conditions or excited states inflicted upon it. These negative conditions are not limited to status conditions caused by Pokémon moves.]
[After being influenced by stellar crystal energy for 150 years, this Garganacl has also undergone certain changes. It may be able to learn a new move through Prism Star - Purify!]
[Move: Purify.]
[Description: Heals the target's status condition. If a status condition is successfully cured, the user restores half of its maximum HP. Range: one Pokémon on the field other than itself that can be targeted.]
[If the target is not afflicted by a status condition, the move fails.]
Purify?
Hikaru had not expected that his Garganacl, after expanding its move pool through Prism Star and then undergoing its own strange change, would actually be able to learn this move.
How should he put it?
It fit Garganacl's Pokédex description, ecology, and biological abilities extremely well.
And yet this move was actually a signature move, and a Poison-type one at that.
"Pyukumuku's signature move, Purify."
Although data for the move still existed in Generation IX, no Pokémon could actually use it.
So, in a sense, it was a deleted move.
Because Pyukumuku didn't have a Paldean visa.
And the move's effect and description matched Garganacl unexpectedly well. The biggest reason it was probably never distributed more widely was likely this:
If a Garganacl that already knew Recover also got Purify, then in doubles it might genuinely become unbeatable.
After all, Purify didn't just cleanse an opponent's status conditions. It worked on allies too.
Heal your ally, restore your own HP, and on top of that Garganacl itself couldn't be afflicted with status conditions in the first place...
"If that's the case, then Garganacl really has completely ruined Pokémon battles."
"But right now, I should be saying congratulations."
"Rumble, rumble..." Garganacl's eyes flickered as it pinched its fingers together and looked at Hikaru.
What does congratulations mean?
"It means celebrating."
Having gone 150 years without seeing humans, and seeing very few Pokémon at all, this Garganacl only understood battle. It understood almost nothing else.
"So there's still a lot you'll need to learn from now on, right, giant?"
"Rumble..." Garganacl did not fully understand the mood right now, but it did understand that Hikaru's heart was full of joy for its sake.
Why would anyone be happy for a stone man like me?
Yes, it really was strange.
But this feeling... wasn't bad.
Celebrating...
[If you do not understand what a heart is, I can help you. Life feels joy when another life has grown. That is because we are friends and companions.]
From another Cherish Ball, Iron Valiant voluntarily emitted an electronic voice. Garganacl thought for a moment, then gave a deep rumbling reply.
Is that so? Then I'll leave it to you.
"The inheritor of the heart..."
Hikaru smiled. Just then, he heard Arven ask about the dish again, and before Hikaru could explain, AI Sada had already figured out what it was. She revealed a look of complete disbelief.
"This is Tera Cuisine?! You actually know how to make this?"
"Mom, what's Tera Cuisine?" Arven asked curiously.
AI Sada was equally curious as to why Hikaru could make it.
"This should be a cooking technique that only the chefs at the Treasure Eatery in Medali are supposed to know!"
"The Treasure Eatery is a famous restaurant in Paldea. It's well known throughout the region for meals that can change a Pokémon's Tera Type!"
The Medali Gym Test also took place there. Larry was a regular customer. The central tatami area could be converted into a battlefield.
And after defeating Larry, one could talk to the chef there:
"Use 50 Tera Shards of the corresponding type to make a special dish and change a Pokémon's Tera Type."
AI Sada explained in detail.
Of course, there was one thing she did not know:
"You can't change Ogerpon's or Terapagos's Tera Type."
"If you've learned this dish, then together with a powerful Tera Orb that only needs periodic recharging back in Paldea, plus Tera Shards, you could freely switch Tera Types even in other regions!"
"I really didn't expect you to know even this technique!"
Hikaru looked a little embarrassed.
"I actually just learned it a moment ago. I just made a few adjustments based on previous cooking techniques. Looks like as long as you can fully diffuse the energy in the ingredients, you can make Tera Cuisine."
"Once he masters the technique, Arven should be able to make Tera Cuisine too. Just make sure not to steal business from the Treasure Eatery once you're back near it."
AI Sada immediately burst into laughter.
"With a secret technique like that, there's no need to steal the Treasure Eatery's business. Tera battle techniques still haven't been fully applied to real combat yet. With this skill, Arven should have a lot of say in the League's future work."
"After all, Tera battles are battles of type switching. How do you avoid your own weaknesses? How do you use a new type to fight? That is the foundational logic of Terastallization!"
Arven looked between the two of them, then suddenly picked up on something hidden in AI Sada's words, especially when combined with what he had heard earlier about Chairwoman Geeta.
"Hoo..."
AI Sada's eyes shifted slightly as she said to Arven, "It's about time I explained a few things to you, Arven."
"Chairwoman Geeta prepared a Pokédex for you. You know what that's for, right?" AI Sada held her head and shook it. "Mom really didn't expect that she'd recruit you through a special exception..."
"Since that's the case, then when you reach the final stage... if you can do it, you should beat her up."
"Learning a unique technique should have been a good thing, but in Paldea, every good thing gets spotted by Geeta and converted into power for the Paldea League. That's Geeta's strategic vision and her way of doing things."
Hikaru immediately laughed too.
Still, while Chairwoman Geeta had the reputation of being a chosen capitalist who liked dragging people into overtime, the objective truth was that Paldea really did not have that many usable talents.
But under Geeta's work, Paldea had not produced any incomprehensible organizations.
At least not yet.
Its people lived in peace, and aside from wild Pokémon being a bit fierce, everything else was pretty good.
And as another League Chairwoman...
Compared to that other chairman from Galar...
If players were actually given the choice, would they pick Geeta, or Rose?
"By the way, you should be able to leave the crater for a while now, right?" Hikaru looked at AI Sada and asked.
AI Sada nodded.
"Thanks to Terapagos's power, the potent stellar crystal energy has reduced the amount of Tera energy I consume when calculating and thinking. And because I myself am also a Tera construct, the upper limit of how much Tera energy I can store and gather has greatly increased."
"So long as I carry Terapagos with me, I really can leave the lab for short periods now."
"Everything's going to get better, my friend."
AI Sada smiled and nodded. It was the first time she had ever felt this hopeful for the future.
"Although I'm bound to the time machine, so I can't leave the crater for too long, just stepping out for a short while is now possible. The energy-depleted time machine won't notice."
"But without Terapagos there to keep draining its power, the time machine will start up again very quickly. With all the different factors at play, there is still a limit to how long I can remain outside."
"But even if it's only two days, or even one day, I want to go to the lab in Cabo Poco and stay there with my son, doing absolutely nothing at all."
"Even if I'm only a robot, the fact that I can exist in this world as a life-form... for the first time, I truly think that's wonderful."
Hikaru nodded as well.
Arven, naturally, was overjoyed, so much so that he was practically shaking with excitement.
Even if it was only for one day, as long as his mom could leave the lab, then later... later, the days they could spend together would only keep getting longer.
"Once this place really turns into the Champion Road, Mom, I'll bring six Pokémon, break through all the obstacles, and come see you all the time!"
"Once I've got the strength, nothing will be a problem anymore!"
Arven rolled up his sleeves and gave a thumbs-up, as if he had just said goodbye to the timid, weak version of himself from the past.
From this moment on, he had a new life.
AI Sada smiled.
"I'm looking forward to your growth, Arven. When you enroll, you have to call me."
Then she turned to Hikaru.
"As for the method of constructing the Phantom Towers that you taught me, I'll use Psychic-type and Rock-type Pokémon to build those facilities. Area Zero also needs the observation stations repaired and restarted. The four station chiefs are already preparing to set out with the other Future Pokémon."
Hikaru said, "And those Iron Bundles too, those robotic Delibird messengers. Once they've all been contained and dealt with, they'll become helpers in repairing the observation stations too."
"It's just a pity we still don't know where that Iron Treads went. It disappeared after the melee ended. I heard that thing is some kind of alien weapon."
AI Sada replied, "It's fine. Iron Treads is Ground/Steel-type, so it can't operate in the upper areas. The Great Tusks up there won't let it pass. Even if it really is an alien weapon, it doesn't seem to have much desire to gather information anyway."
"The fact that Iron Boulder could give it orders, and that it was quickly defeated, already says enough. Perhaps it would be better to treat it as a mysterious 'legend' that appears now and then in Area Zero, creating a tense and exciting atmosphere."
"Iron Boulder also said that if Iron Treads appears again, it will try to capture it and bring it to the third observation station."
"Oh, right. Besides that, I have something to give you."
AI Sada took out a Master Ball.
"For you, this should be the fifth Master Ball that 'I' have given you, right? Inside this Ball is Flutter Mane, the one you once had quite a bit of history with."
(End of Chapter)
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