That rich girl who had moved to Cabo Poco had, through that chance encounter with a battle, developed an interest in Pokémon battling.
As for Hikaru, he successfully delivered the three starter Pokémon into old Mr. Clavell's hands.
That made Clavell feel the full weight of his responsibility.
"These three are all extraordinary, and each one has a strong personality of its own."
"If they're bred within a proper system, they should be a tremendous help to the students' growth..."
"Though I did study ecology in the past, the main focus of my research was Terastal energy and natural energy. When it comes to Pokémon raising, I can only be considered the best of a poor lot."
"To entrust me with work this important truly is an honor..."
Old Mr. Clavell was an extremely humble man. That much was obvious from nearly every line of dialogue he had after becoming director.
Clavell also specifically asked about Professor Sada. He said Geeta had already vaguely told him some things, and if he still had questions, he should ask one of the current Elite Four, since Hikaru had been personally involved.
After Hikaru explained Area Zero and Professor Sada's situation in detail, Clavell's expression gradually became more and more complex, until he finally let out a sigh that seemed almost relieved.
Of course, that part of the conversation was kept from Miriam. Though Miss Miriam was very friendly and familiar with people, she also knew that some matters involving the League's internal affairs were not something she should overhear, so she went off to tend to the three Pokémon instead.
It was also rare for Cabo Poco to have this kind of dangerous "wild battle," so for Miriam, this counted as unusual "work time" too.
Clavell sighed.
"So that is how it was. Chairwoman Geeta had already spoken vaguely enough to leave me worried, but I never imagined the truth would be this."
"Sada was a wonderful child. In the past, she and I were part of the same research team. Both she and Turo were among the academy's prides. The academy keeps records of students who made outstanding contributions, and their names are both listed there."
"It has only been a matter of a few years, and yet human life is so fragile. Sada and Turo both hid wishes in their hearts that others never knew about, and what caused all of this was precisely those ideals running out of control."
"But at the very least, another Sada still exists, and she is trying to set things right. In the end, this tragedy was contained. Truly, thank you very much."
To Clavell, Sada and Turo had been excellent juniors, and he had watched them grow rapidly.
Turo's death had already been a tremendous regret to him, and it had been partly because of that that Clavell left the research team.
And now Sada was gone too.
At his age, to have to watch the younger generation leave before him filled him with a sorrow and regret too hard to put into words.
But this ending was already the best possible one.
People had to accept reality.
At the same time, Clavell brought up Cyrano.
"I also heard Cyrano speak of you. He said you are someone who understands all kinds of knowledge, someone highly proficient in Pokémon ecology, raising, and battling. When he learned that you had become one of Paldea's Elite Four, he was delighted."
"Blueberry Academy should also thrive from here on, I think. A new era truly is beginning. He also heard about our region's unique battle system, Terastallization."
"He spoke of the important subject you mentioned to him before - 'regional conditions.'"
Clavell showed a subtle smile.
"Paldea's unique regional condition is Terastal energy. He was very surprised when he heard that we could freely control Terastallization."
"Regional conditions are normally something very difficult to control artificially. And yet Sada and Turo completed that project... I'm proud of them as well."
"At present, Director Cyrano has already begun preparing to send people to Paldea for investigation. One female scholar, who supposedly has deep ties to our region, has voluntarily applied and expressed a strong desire to come here..."
Hikaru said, "The soil collection and investigation for Area Zero, and for the Great Crater itself, are already finished. You can place complete trust in Professor Sada's computing capacity. The scholar planning to come here is named Briar, right? Director Cyrano mentioned her to me."
"And I also know why she's so eager to return. She's a descendant of Heath."
"Heath's...?" Director Clavell's face showed obvious surprise. "That I truly didn't know!"
"No wonder. I heard that young scholar specializes in researching the soil composition of various regions, and is also one of the researchers involved in the ecological terrarium project. At the time, I couldn't understand why she responded to Cyrano with such excitement and fervor. So that was the reason..."
Hikaru said, "When Heath explored Area Zero in the past, the Scarlet Book and Violet Book he wrote were treated as absurd supernatural tales, and people mocked them for it. That dragged them down into the category of second-rate books. But even now, several hundred years later, those two books are still worth a great deal on the black market."
"But even so, Heath himself is still treated as a liar and nailed to the pillar of historical shame. His descendants probably left Paldea because of that and settled in Unova instead."
"Briar is returning here in order to clear her ancestor's name. If I'm right, the moment she comes back, she'll immediately submit an application to the Paldea League. She'll want to enter Area Zero."
In the games, Briar stated clearly that she had applied multiple times and been denied every time, and Jacq emphasized that if the League and the director didn't approve it, then it simply couldn't happen.
After all, Area Zero had still been treated as a place under active operation and research back then. If you were not part of Professor Sada's team, there was no way you were getting inside.
But in The Indigo Disk, once the truth about the time machine came to light and the Area Zero lab had been abandoned, no one remained to maintain the machinery within. Since the Paldea League couldn't spare enough truly powerful people to head down there, the task was eventually given to Briar.
And, conveniently enough, the protagonist ended up being made to escort her too.
But now, all of that investigation had already been completed. The events of The Indigo Disk would never happen the same way again.
The little turtle would remain in Area Zero with AI Sada and continue moving around there. As for whether Briar would be granted authorization and get to meet Professor Sada...
Hm.
Hikaru remembered that Briar was also the vice principal of Blueberry Academy, which actually put her fairly high up the ladder.
And in The Teal Mask, the reason the camp was set in Kitakami was because the same kind of Terastal energy as Paldea's had been detected there. Briar emphasized that while she was acting as the trip leader, she was also very excited about the opportunity to investigate it.
Which meant that summer trip had very likely been deliberately arranged by Briar.
In other words, Ogerpon, the Loyal Three, and the hidden Bloodmoon Ursaluna were all events that had merely happened by chance in the course of that investigation.
Exactly as Professor Oak had once said,
In unknown lands, there are still many Pokémon no one has ever discovered.
"In the future, Area Zero may become part of the Victory Road. If someone wants to go in, then they should go earn eight Badges, or five Symbols. But as for the matter Briar longs for, clearing her ancestor's name, that has already been accomplished."
"I already worked together with Professor Sada to sort the findings from Area Zero into a series of readable documents. They'll probably be declassified in a year or two and then printed for release."
"After all, if Area Zero is going to become part of the Victory Road, then the ancient Pokémon and future Pokémon down there will eventually be seen by challengers with their own eyes."
Seeing the look of emotion on Director Clavell's face, Hikaru smiled slightly.
"Just as you said, a new era has arrived."
"And the title we gave those documents is..."
"The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero."
While Clavell was still turning that over thoughtfully in his head, Miriam's voice rang out.
"They're all healed now! All three are full of energy again!"
"But what about those Houndour and that Houndoom?"
She hesitated a little as she looked at the pack of little black dogs still sprawled on the ground without anyone tending them. She felt a little sorry for them, but the moment she remembered the way they'd been baring their teeth before, she got nervous again.
"Please heal them too," Clavell said with a light laugh. "I'll handle the cleanup afterward. Houndour and Houndoom are indeed very vicious Pokémon in the wild, but once they're caught, they become deeply loyal to their Trainer."
"Cabo Poco is a peaceful town. If that many Houndour and a Houndoom continue to remain active here, they'll place a certain degree of pressure on the local ecology."
"But once the Houndoom is removed, the Houndour will simply choose a new leader. That is part of their nature."
"Without this particularly strong Houndoom, their aggression level will also drop. This place will gradually return to peace."
Hikaru said, "Then I'll leave this place in your hands. In the age to come, you'll continue to shine here in Paldea."
In theory, there were still several years left before Clavell officially became director.
But if Geeta managed to free up some time and decided to conduct a full investigation into the academy, then quite a few of the faculty and staff, starting with the current vice principal, were probably going to suffer badly.
And at the same time, that would trigger a massive upheaval inside the school.
One major sweep through the place.
Who knew, maybe Clavell's rise to power would come much sooner.
"Well then, I'm preparing to leave this region. All the work here has been successfully completed..." Hikaru looked at the three starter Pokémon. "I'm really looking forward to seeing how you all grow. Make sure you get along well with your future Trainers."
"Myaah!" "Fue!" "Qua~!"
The three starters all responded confidently.
Just wait and see. We're definitely going to become incredibly strong someday, far stronger than we are today!
"Genesect!"
Hikaru opened a Strange Ball, and the ancient steel bug made a thunderous entrance.
Under the astonished gaze of Clavell, Hikaru waved to him.
"See you later!!"
Genesect's eyes lit up.
Extreme Speed!
With a roaring gust, Hikaru vanished from Clavell's and Miriam's sight. The three little Pokémon stared wide-eyed at the disappearing figure in the sky, looked at one another, and silently resolved to grow stronger.
And only then did the girl who had been standing beneath the shade of the tree finally gather her courage and walk over.
Clavell noticed her approach. Seeing that she seemed interested in the three starter Pokémon, he walked over and asked her with a smile,
"Were you watching from over there for quite a while? Do you like Pokémon?"
"This world is filled with mysterious creatures called Pokémon. The sea, the sky, the towns - everywhere is home to Pokémon. Humans and Pokémon help one another and live together..."
"So then, can you tell me your name?"
With the help of Genesect's Extreme Speed, Hikaru returned once again to the Paldea League.
The door to the room he had rented slowly opened.
It was as though light itself blossomed behind the doorway.
The Great Door opened!
When the door opened and then closed again, Hikaru found himself back in a familiar room filled with sunlight.
Unova Region, Castelia City.
In the house that Nali and her father had given him, a thin layer of dust had settled.
"I'm back... Opening doors like this feels kind of like 'the gate to the Digital World opening,' doesn't it?"
"Though when the Great Door opens in the Mystery Dungeon world, it really does feel like that..."
Push open the modified Great Door, and you can arrive at some faraway world where a doorway had once been left behind.
Exactly as the Ace Trainer Professor Juniper had mentioned relayed, that Trainer who spoke about doors had said:
What lies beyond a door is a whole new world.
Hikaru didn't linger long in Castelia City.
There was a certain time difference between Paldea and Unova, after all, since the real-world inspirations for those two regions were separated by an ocean. So when the sunlight turned bright again, traveling from Paldea to Unova almost felt like moving backward through time.
Hikaru didn't stay in Castelia any longer than necessary. He immediately set out for the Rock of Meditation.
The familiar scenery entered his vision once again. On his shoulder, Victini reappeared from its invisible state, looking very happy, and Hikaru gave this team member a small rub.
"Of course I got here before Professor Juniper. Her ship is still who-knows-where right now."
"So... should I send Hilda a message and see?"
That girl had probably been grinding the Battle Subway for over a month by now. Logically speaking, she should already have defeated the Subway Bosses at least once.
That was exactly what Hikaru was thinking when he opened his Pokégear and suddenly saw...
Hilda had actually sent him messages ages ago. He had just never read them.
[Through special channels, and with help from Professor Fennel and a Professor named Burnet, I managed to get a Litten Egg. I've been carrying it with me the whole time, and I can feel like it might hatch soon!]
[Professor Fennel told me that Pokémon hatched from Eggs, even if they look the same, can have different special moves called Egg Moves. But that's not her field of study.]
[Since it's a Pokémon you recommended, I'm going to raise it carefully... It must have extraordinary power, right?]
[Also, I already managed to take down the Subway Bosses once! Though only by barely clearing the Single Train and the Super Single Train. My next target is the Double Train and the Multi Train! I heard the Subway Bosses bring out their full strength there. The difficulty is on a completely different level from the Single Train.]
[Up to now, no one has ever conquered the Super Multi Train!]
[But I still haven't gotten the legendary Berry, even though I did pick up some other special Berries... Anyway, I'm going to take a break for a while to hatch and raise this Litten!]
[I already got some information. The Berry that grants everlasting happiness, the Lansat Berry, has been set as a reward for the Super Multi Train! Apparently after the Lansat Berry, there's an even more incredible fruit. I've never even heard of that thing before... These are going to be really tough battles! I'm going to need a full team of six and probably rotate them in and out. No, maybe I'll need even more partners than that!]
[At the same time, I also want a reliable partner to fight alongside me! You know what I mean, right? You want the Lansat Berry too, don't you?]
Right.
The rewards from the Battle Subway.
The Lansat Berry, which the world called "the legendary fruit," was said to make people very happy if they possessed it. Its effect, though, was the incredibly overbearing one of making critical hits easier to land.
Why landing critical hits had anything to do with "happiness" was unclear, but that was simply how the legendary Berry had been set up.
As for the even more secret legendary Berry, that was the Starf Berry, the phantom fruit he had already grown and abandoned at the edge of the world.
Those two Berries were awarded on the fifteenth and twenty-ninth rounds of the Battle Subway, and a "round" there did not mean one battle. Each round consisted of seven battles.
After round fifteen, the platform of the Battle Subway would no longer have any resting Trainers appear, which meant that the fighting had already reached the end of one road.
Round twenty-nine, meanwhile, was battle beyond the self.
"The Starf Berry isn't that important to me anymore. I already have plenty of Starf Berries. As one of those fantasy fruits abandoned at the edge of the world, it should really be second only in rarity to Alola's phantom fruit that can undo any poison."
"Uh, and there's also the Micle Berry, but the Micle Berry's practical range is a little too narrow..."
There was also what Hilda had said about a reliable partner.
Originally, that partner had been Hilbert.
But since it was now confirmed that this timeline was the one where Hilbert was the first hero, Hilda had instead become the secondary hero, the one who existed mostly as a score-grinding machine for the Battle Subway.
The timeline might have been compressed somewhat, but Sinnoh's story still had not ended. So before that was resolved, only one of the Black and White heroes could set out on the journey, while the other true hero still had to wait in patience for a while longer.
And before Ghetsis was thrown back from another world by Colress, it was also necessary to prepare in terms of combat strength.
"I see. Then once I've finished the Victory Road, once you've raised that Litten and filled out a team of six, if all goes smoothly, come find me then. I'll go with you."
"And as for training, I've got a really good... training facility on my side. But it requires a pretty solid baseline level of strength. So when you're ready, let me know."
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]