"These three Pokémon are so well-behaved. Don't they want to go play around nearby? Why do they look so tense?"
Even after being let out of their Poké Balls, Paldea's three starters had absolutely no intention of leaving Hikaru's side.
That was mainly because, during the League challenge earlier, Hikaru had brought them along with him because they had been entrusted to him by Geeta. When he came out of the room to battle, the three of them had watched the entire thing from start to finish.
Since they were not actually Hikaru's Pokémon, though, they had not gained shared team experience. Even so... the intensity of those battles seemed to have completely intimidated them.
Just as the strongest Pokémon would become the leader of a group, the three starters also understood that Hikaru had other Pokémon in his possession that were unbelievably powerful. Until Hikaru gave them permission to go play, of course they did not dare leave the side of this "humanoid monster."
Hikaru waved his hand and smiled, telling the three little ones to move around freely. Only then did they dare begin playing and exploring nearby.
At the same time, Hikaru noticed a beautiful courtyard in the distance.
"You seem pretty interested in that courtyard, hm~?" the Pokémon Center lady said with a smile.
"I think it belongs to some wealthy family that moved here from another region. But the owner of the courtyard doesn't work in our region. Every now and then, I see the girl from that household out walking around. She seems very curious about the Pokémon in our region and keeps observing them. Sometimes she even wanders pretty far."
"Though her stamina seems really poor. I've seen her get tired after walking only a short distance several times. I guess that's because she's still too young?"
Hikaru knew that blue courtyard was Nemona's home, which meant the girl who sometimes came out walking around had to be her.
"She moved to Paldea when she was seven. When she first arrived, she was curious about the local Pokémon and the scenery and thought everything felt fresh. At that stage, she knew absolutely nothing about battling. Then, after getting involved with Pokémon battles, she gradually forgot that feeling of exploration."
"It wasn't until Kitakami and Blueberry that she found that state of mind again and understood what it meant not to forget where you started... Hah. That's how children grow up. Sometimes they suddenly notice the scenery they once forgot."
"First you forget, then you remember again. That's what growing up means. The Pokémon world isn't only about battling. If we're talking about her as a Trainer, then that definitely counts as a breakthrough in mentality. A sudden moment of enlightenment wouldn't be strange at all. Still, she's already gone very far on the path of battle."
That was what Hikaru was thinking.
As a rich girl and a future Champion-level Trainer, Nemona's life was practically perfect. Compared to most people, it really was.
So in Cabo Poco, the least important person was actually her.
Hikaru waited for Clavell to arrive, while the three starter Pokémon began playing and exploring nearby.
Before long, they ran into a pitch-black little dog baring its teeth and growling at them.
It was a Houndour.
Houndour looked like a black dog, with two bone-like ridges on its back, an orange belly and muzzle, bone-like bands around each ankle, and a short, stubby tail.
For no apparent reason, the wild Houndour started snarling at the three starters, and the irritated trio immediately joined forces and fought it.
They quickly drove it off.
To an ordinary person, this would have been nothing more than an insignificant little incident, and the Pokémon Center lady thought the same.
Hikaru, however, immediately looked toward the direction farther away.
"The direction that Houndour ran off in is toward Cabo Poco's... Poco Path. Miss, you said there were rumors here about 'violent Pokémon,' right?"
"Huh? Yes, that's true, but... they're only rumors." The Pokémon Center lady looked confused.
Hikaru pointed into the distance.
"Houndour are Pokémon that excel at cooperating with their companions. They're highly intelligent and use different cries to contact their pack and express emotions."
"Before daybreak, they repeatedly let out frightening howls that echo throughout the surrounding area to declare their territory and make the existence of their group known."
"Even though they're nocturnal Pokémon, if there's a dark enough place nearby, they'll occupy it."
"When contacting companions and when chasing prey, they make different kinds of cries. They use calls only their companions can understand to track one another's positions while relentlessly pursuing prey, driving it into a corner."
"Just now, that Houndour's howl meant, 'There are outsider Pokémon trespassing in our territory. Hurry up and come help. Bring the boss too.'"
The Pokémon Center lady blinked, first looking blank, then gradually turning into open disbelief.
"W-What are you talking about...? You translated a Pokémon's language?"
"I've done a bit of research into it." Hikaru smiled. "You can also think of it as a kind of psychic power. In any case, in other regions, there are people like me who can read Pokémon thoughts and understand their speech."
The Pokémon Center lady stood there dazed for a long time before slowly snapping back to herself.
She had trained at Pokémon Centers in other regions before, and now that he mentioned it, she really did remember seeing people like that.
"Now that you mention it... I think I do remember something," she said, trying to recall her past training days. "My hometown is Paldea, but I trained at Pokémon Centers in other regions before... It really did seem like all sorts of weird people were always coming and going in the Centers there!"
"The friends I made back then told me those people had special powers. I thought they were joking. But... they really do exist!"
Her surprise turned into curiosity, and she became intensely interested in Hikaru.
But Hikaru had already turned to look toward Poco Path again.
"Now's not the time to chat. That violent Pokémon has come back for revenge."
"Mya?" "Qua?"
"Fue..."
Sprigatito's fur stood on end. Quaxly began doing an anxious little step-dance. Fuecoco stood there with its mouth open, staring toward one direction.
Then, on the mountain road of Poco Path, a huge pack of Houndour suddenly charged out of a nearby cave and completely surrounded the three starter Pokémon.
A far more savage howl rang out.
A much larger canine Pokémon with sharply curved horns and white skeletal markings embedded in its body, like a hellhound, leaped out from a cave near the bay.
"Wrooaaaar!!!"
Houndoom, the evolved form of Houndour. Classification: the Dark Pokémon!
Houndoom let out a low, threatening growl, baring its fangs with a vicious expression.
You little Pokémon who know nothing of the sky or earth dared trespass into my territory.
And you two humans dared step into my land too.
You've brought death upon yourselves!
"Whoa! It really is... Houndoom!"
The Pokémon Center lady came out from behind the counter, saw the swarm of hellhound puppies nearby, and jumped in fright.
"So the truth behind the long-standing rumors of violent Pokémon nearby... was this guy!"
But then she realized Hikaru didn't seem to react at all, as though that giant black dog wasn't standing right there in front of him.
Hikaru calmly looked Houndoom over.
"If its horns are large and curve sharply backward... then that Houndoom is the leader of its pack."
That was right. This was the exact Houndoom from Scarlet and Violet, the one that attacked Koraidon and the protagonist in the cave near the bay. Its fixed level there was 40.
But right now, it was nowhere near that high.
Hikaru noticed that while its horns were indeed curved, they weren't thick enough yet.
Clearly, it had only evolved not too long ago.
Its level was probably only around 24.
"When this Pokémon gets angry, the fire it breathes is mixed with toxins and has a pungent odor. It spits poisonous flames to finish off its opponents."
"If you're burned by the flames it spits from its mouth, the wound will continue to ache no matter how much time passes."
"Its terrifying howl is its defining trait. After hearing that horrific cry, Pokémon tremble all over and dart straight back to their nests."
"In the legends of some regions, it's treated as an evil spirit, an incarnation of destruction, a fearsome hound."
The Pokémon Center lady blinked.
"A-Are you... some kind of biology Professor?"
"Oh right, the way you were talking earlier also sounded just like a researcher. And you said you were entrusted with 'initial partners.' But right now this is a dangerous situation!"
The Pokémon Center lady took out a Poké Ball.
"If we have to battle, I can help with recovery too!"
"I never imagined a fierce Pokémon like Houndoom would be living near peaceful little Cabo Poco. That's dangerous for the nearby residents!"
"Rrrgh!" Houndoom roared furiously at the Pokémon Center lady.
"'Don't think I don't know you're talking behind my back.' That's what it said." Hikaru chuckled.
That only made Houndoom angrier.
As a territorial leader, it would not allow anyone to challenge its dignity.
Nor would it permit other Pokémon to invade its territory.
And it absolutely would not allow its "group members" to be attacked by outsider Pokémon.
"How can weak Pokémon defeat a strong Pokémon?"
Hikaru looked at the three trembling "initial partners."
"Don't be afraid. Just treat this thing as the stepping-stone for your growth."
"As for its little underlings..."
The Dive Ball hanging from Hikaru's bag began to glow, then burst open with a pop.
Power stored in the ball. Full transformation.
Activate Spell Card... Hero Arrives!
"Man!"
Palafin appeared on the field and, seeing a whole ring of Fire/Dark-type hound Pokémon around him, immediately felt the fires of justice blaze in his heart.
All evil would one day be brought to justice!
He swung both arms, calling forth a massive wave that swept every one of the dogs into a giant whirlpool. The roaring tide completely extinguished the flames' power.
Hikaru said, "In group battles, moves like Rock Slide and Surf, which hit all Pokémon on the field or all opposing Pokémon, are extremely useful."
"Th-That was Palafin?! It's real! Just like the illustrations in the legends!"
The Pokémon Center lady gasped.
Watching the oceanic hero instantly wipe out all the Houndour in one move, she first felt shock, then outright admiration.
For people from a region without many myths and legends, Palafin was a legend.
Houndoom had never imagined all of its subordinates would be cleared out in an instant. The hellhound immediately went pale with shock.
"It's not over yet," Hikaru said with a grin.
Palafin had wiped out a whole pack of Houndour with one Surf, fifteen or more of them.
Those little dogs weren't high-level at all, with an average level of only around 3 to 5, so even added together, the experience they gave wasn't much.
But for low-level starter Pokémon, it was still a very respectable gain.
And so Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly all simultaneously felt their strength increase.
That still wasn't enough for any of them to beat Houndoom in a one-on-one fight.
But if all three worked together, under the command of the right Trainer...!
"Their levels went up, and their move pools expanded. Normally, the moves they'd learn by leveling wouldn't be that effective against Houndoom, but there are still some cheesy ways to handle this. After all, this is three against one!"
These three starters had not been "systematically bred," but had instead been captured and selected.
Because of that, they knew a few "unique moves" they had picked up while surviving in the wild.
For example!
"Sprigatito! Mud-Slap!"
"Mya!" Sprigatito hissed first, then slapped the ground with one paw, sending a glob of mud flying straight out!
Houndoom was struck head-on and unexpectedly let out a pained roar.
"Rrgh!?"
It couldn't understand why a lump of mud thrown by a Grass-type Pokémon hit so hard.
Still, the difference in strength between them was enormous. Houndoom had only been startled by the impact. It immediately lunged forward.
The flames in its mouth blasted out with a roar.
Incinerate! Attack with fire, and if the opponent is carrying a Berry, it gets burned away and can't be used!
The fierce flames engulfed Sprigatito.
But the next moment, the chubby Fuecoco leapt into the fire!
"Fire-type Pokémon resist Fire twofold. Fuecoco, throw Sprigatito out of there, then use Slack Off."
Fuecoco's eyes were full of resolve. It rescued Sprigatito from the blaze, then sat down with a plop on the spot.
By the time the flames cleared, Fuecoco had taken almost no damage.
Slack Off. Lazily take a sneaky rest and recover half your max HP.
The injured parts of its body shone in white light, then were instantly covered in a green aura as its lost stamina was restored.
Meanwhile, Sprigatito hissed again and flung out two more lumps of mud in quick succession, both hitting Houndoom.
Super effective!
"Oh..." Even the Pokémon Center lady could tell something was wrong now. That big black dog was obviously savage, and yet it was getting completely suppressed by a little cat.
"Judging by raw strength, this shouldn't be happening."
"Myaah~" Sprigatito tossed out another clump of dirt and proudly raised its head.
I'm not like others of my kind, you know!
"It's Protean," Hikaru explained to the Pokémon Center lady, wagging a finger.
"This Sprigatito has a different Ability from the occasional others of its species. Protean lets it change its type to match the move it uses!"
"In other words, Sprigatito is now a Ground-type Pokémon!"
Ground-type didn't resist fire, but it also wasn't weak to it.
So even after being struck and surrounded by the flames of Incinerate, Sprigatito could still keep fighting.
Especially with Fuecoco acting as a "flesh shield."
The Pokémon Center lady reacted immediately.
"I see! So the reason you didn't have Quaxly use Water Gun to help is because Sprigatito is Ground-type right now!"
"Myaah!"
Sprigatito nodded.
Exactly, exactly. If I ever choose my own Trainer, it has to be someone like this. Only someone who fully understands Pokémon habits and Abilities can command me to perform at my very best.
Just like right now. Even a terrifying hellfire hound can be taken down easily.
Ha! This feels amazing!
Sprigatito happily kept throwing mud. It had used the same move against Fire-types before, but this was the first time it had been able to attack so smoothly and so satisfyingly.
Hikaru said, "That's right. And Quaxly is the key damage dealer, so it needs to conserve its strength. As for Fuecoco, its fire would just get swallowed by Houndoom's Ability, so it's better off acting as support."
Hit by the mud clods, Houndoom became furious and spat out another blast of fire.
But this time, the flames flew off course and completely missed!
Hikaru directed Sprigatito and Fuecoco.
"Mud-Slap is a common move. Even Pokémon that don't technically learn it can still use it in a rough way. If it lands properly, though, it lowers the opponent's accuracy."
"Even if the mud doesn't literally get in their eyes, their accuracy still keeps dropping. Mud-Slap has already hit five times now, so the opponent's accuracy is down to just 38%."
"At the same time, since Sprigatito has become Ground-type, its Mud-Slap receives STAB. Its power rises from 20 to 30."
"Now, that may only seem like a small increase."
"But against a super-effective target..."
"A double weakness means the damage doubles."
A move with only 20 base power, after being multiplied like that, effectively hit like a 60-power move. Even for a level 24 Houndoom, that was a very painful attack.
"Fuecoco, Bite!"
"Fue!" Fuecoco cried bravely, opened its big mouth, and chomped down on Houndoom's leg.
The big black dog instantly stiffened.
"The additional effect of Bite - flinching!"
And the chance to flinch was as high as 30%.
Hikaru shook his head at Houndoom.
"Even weak moves can produce unexpected effects if they're used at the right moment... At its core, Pokémon battling is a game of probability."
"Quaxly, aim... Water Gun!"
A flinched Pokémon couldn't act. After waiting all this time, Quaxly gave a cry and sprayed out a forceful jet of water, striking Houndoom cleanly.
Super effective!
Hikaru said, "Calling Pokémon weak is just people's own shallow opinion. If you underestimate an opponent because of that, then you've already made a serious mistake. But wild Pokémon like you probably can't understand that, can you?"
The flinch had mainly been to set up a perfect shot. Houndoom was definitely faster than the three starters, so they needed to keep weakening or controlling it.
"Low Kick!"
Kick the opponent hard in the leg so it falls over. The heavier the target, the stronger the move!
"Qua!" Quaxly rushed straight out, slicking back the feathers on its head with one wing.
A thug like this, with Fire and Dark typing? Honestly, not that hard for someone like me. Once I take the field, everything will end.
A perfect sliding tackle!
"Rrgh!"
Houndoom, still in its flinched state, got kicked flat to the ground. The big black dog couldn't even process what had just happened.
Double damage. Super effective!
"Qua, quack-quack-quack-!"
Quaxly preened its feathers. It felt certain that it had looked incredibly cool just now.
Hmph. A Fire/Dark Pokémon, is it?
You are too arrogant.
No one begins life standing above the heavens, not you, not me, not even Incineroar.
The unbearable vacancy of the throne of heaven is about to end. Starting today, I shall stand in the sky!
"Qua!"
"With a personality like that, and its Ability still isn't Moxie..."
Even Hikaru was a bit surprised. For a moment he wondered whether he should switch this "Aizen Duck's" Ability, but then if he did that, he'd have to change Fuecoco's too, or else it wouldn't be fair.
On the far side of Poco Path, an old white-haired man in a white researcher's coat had appeared without anyone noticing, and he had watched the entire battle from beginning to end.
He was deeply astonished, both by Hikaru's extraordinary familiarity with the habits and Abilities of all kinds of Pokémon and by the smoothness with which he put that knowledge to use.
At the same time, he confirmed that the person in front of him was indeed the "new Elite Four member" he had been waiting for.
"Ah! The person I was waiting for is here!" Hikaru also spotted the old man and greeted him from a distance. "Mr. Clavell, your timing is perfect! Or have you been watching from nearby the whole time?"
The old man walked over toward Hikaru, full of emotion.
"My apologies. I became completely absorbed in watching. What a splendid battle that was. That powerful Houndoom was defeated so thoroughly without being able to fight back, and the chaining of additional effects and unusual moves, along with the aftereffects they produced... all of it was reflected beautifully in that battle!"
"So these are the carefully chosen 'initial partners' you selected? They really are exceptional Pokémon!"
"One of the Elite Four, Hikaru, a master of Steel-types, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Clavell! You are even more remarkable than the rumors said!"
The Pokémon Center lady looked blankly between Hikaru and Clavell, then suddenly realized what "Elite Four" actually meant.
"W-w-w-what?! You're the new Elite Four member everyone's been spreading those weird rumors about?!"
"H-hello! M-my real name is Miriam! You took first place in the bullfighting tournament before, didn't you? Could I please get your autograph?"
That name made Hikaru pause slightly, then smile in a rather subtle way.
Miriam.
The school nurse of the academy in the future.
On the sandbar off the South Paldean Sea, not far from Cabo Poco, there was a model named Namiko who would briefly mention Miriam's past.
It seemed the two of them had once worked at the same Pokémon Center, and later pursued different professions because of their separate dreams.
"Even though they're all technically like Joys, just like Himari, they're more 'the big sisters of the Pokémon Center' than actual members of the Joy family. Still, dyeing their hair the same pink really does seem to run in the bloodline."
Cabo Poco, beneath a tree near the battle site.
An approximately eight-year-old girl stood there, eyes shining faintly, having just watched the three Pokémon defeat Houndoom, and watched Palafin's heroic entrance wipe out the entire pack of Houndour in a single move.
That intense and wondrous battle scene was reflected in her mind and would not leave it.
"So that... is Pokémon battling!"
(End of Chapter)
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