After crying, the pressure in Bea's heart eased along with her tears. She had now fully accepted the fact that she'd been completely crushed.
Setting aside the fact that she'd been shut out because she was in poor form, she had once again realized that having talent and turning that talent into actual combat strength were two very different things.
On the road to growth, everyone had to endure beatings from stronger opponents.
The bloodthirsty Pokémon all around, having just witnessed a battle that left them thoroughly satisfied, let out loud cries and dispersed. Then, not far away, they immediately started fighting among themselves with a crackling flurry of blows.
In Challenger's Cave, life only had three things to do: battle, rest, and eat.
"I'm deeply sorry you had to see me like that!"
Bea apologized sincerely and politely, seriously reflecting on her shortcomings as a Trainer. She also explained her situation again, including the fact that she still hadn't inherited the Gym, but was working hard to become a Challenger in this year's final stretch and then take over as Gym Leader.
"So you're also one of this year's Champion Cup challengers. Nice. That makes things lively, doesn't it?"
Piers had said there weren't any highlights this year, but now it turned out Bea was also taking on the Champion Cup this year. And that was supposed to be a dull year? Hikaru and Bea both found themselves having the same odd thought.
Hikaru comforted her. "It's fine. Everyone has painful moments. So at times like this, you should eat something."
With that, Hikaru opened the C-Gear, and a huge pile of food appeared out of nowhere, leaving Bea stunned for quite a while.
Half doubtful, she reached out and poked one of the shining carrots. When a slightly rough texture touched her fingertip, Bea finally confirmed that the food in front of her wasn't some kind of hologram or futuristic projection. It was real.
"It's real..."
And even though it hadn't been cooked yet, the food was already giving off a strange, refreshing fragrance.
"Of course it's real." Hikaru laughed. "These were grown by my friends. Their quality is extremely high. They've already started cultivating these vegetables in Mistralton City, and they're even being exported overseas."
"For martial artists, these vegetables are excellent for replenishing energy and strengthening the body. Thousands of years ago, in Unova's Abyssal Ruins, an ancient king once said that eating is the life force through which all things are obtained."
"So make sure you eat properly."
"And also, like I promised, I'm going to help your Machoke evolve here."
After treating Bea's Pokémon's wounds a little, the exhausted Pokémon regained some of their spirit. Bea, however, didn't really understand what Hikaru meant by "evolve," and asked in confusion,
"Um, Machoke is a Pokémon that evolves through trading. There's no machine for that here..."
"You don't need that kind of machine." Hikaru looked at the astonished Bea. "When you're out in the wild, haven't you ever seen wild Alakazam, Gengar, or Machamp?"
"Have you never wondered why Pokémon that evolve by trade can still exist as independent individuals in the wild?"
Bea froze. "I... I've never thought about that."
Asking a sports student to answer an ecological question like that really was asking too much. Bea's head was filled with karate and how to punch people.
"It's the magnetic field," Hikaru explained. "In certain places, special magnetic fields appear. When some Pokémon happen to pass through those areas, and they've built up enough energy within themselves, evolution can occur naturally, either during battle or simply on its own."
"Evolution is the foundation for reaching a higher level of strength. The process of trade evolution is really just imitating that kind of magnetic field. Places like that include Mt. Coronet in Sinnoh and Chargestone Cave in Unova."
"So then, is there a way for a Pokémon to evolve without going through the influence of those magnetic fields? The answer is yes."
Hikaru took out a short black cord that looked like a stubby cable and handed it to the curious Machoke.
"Item: Linking Cord." The official English name is Linking Cord, introduced as an evolution item in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It lets trade-evolution Pokémon such as Machoke evolve without an actual trade. (Bulbapedia)
"This is a cord that holds mysterious power. You can feel a certain connection within it. In other words, by holding this cord, a Pokémon can link itself to the magnetic fields of the world, and then..."
"Machoke!" Bea stared in shock at what was happening before her eyes.
The moment Machoke clenched the Linking Cord and seemed to steel its resolve, an intense white light burst from its body.
There was no question about it. This was the light of evolution.
Hikaru said, "By using the Linking Cord to connect a Pokémon with the power of the world, the path to a higher realm opens."
Inside the light, another pair of sturdy arms grew from Machoke's back. The red marks on its arms disappeared, its skin turned a pale bluish-gray, and the three ridge-like protrusions remained on its head. Its eyes were reddish brown with black pupils, and it had thick pale lips, with no ears or nose.
Its muscles and overall build swelled even further. Even its briefs tightened, shifting from an upright triangle into an inverted triangle.
The inverted triangle absolutely crushed the upright one.
"Evolution... its name is Machamp!"
Hikaru looked at the newly evolved Machamp with satisfaction. There was no doubt that this evolution had happened much earlier than it would have through Bea's own training, but that wasn't a problem.
"Machamp's four arms are perfect for both offense and defense, leaving no blind spots in close combat. It's said to have mastered every martial art in the world, and it burns with fighting spirit whenever it meets a strong foe."
"In other words, even if there were Fighting-type techniques Machoke hadn't yet mastered, it can relearn them through training after evolving into Machamp. Compared to other Pokémon, it has a much greater advantage when it comes to recalling fighting techniques."
"It's also said that a powerful Machamp can overwhelm its opponent by throwing more than a thousand punches without pause from every angle. It's the very definition of a mighty warrior. In the hands of martial artists across every region, Machamp is an ace-class Pokémon."
Of course, its base 130 Attack was enough to make it worthy of that title. Its base 55 Speed also meant it could function well on Trick Room teams. As for its Abilities, Guts, which ignored status problems and boosted physical power, and No Guard, which was famously paired with Dynamic Punch, were both extremely powerful. Only its third Ability, Steadfast, was a bit underwhelming. These names and effects match the standard English Pokémon terminology. (Bulbapedia)
Its bulk, on the other hand, was just a bit average, though that was a common issue among the original 151 Pokémon.
Back in the distant days of Generation I, Machamp could legitimately learn the one-hit KO move Fissure.
This was the only legal origin of No Guard plus Fissure... at least conceptually.
But by now, only those Machamp that had trained to an absurdly high level could probably still use that ultimate technique. It was hard to say whether he'd run into an opponent that terrifying in the Iron Fist Tournament.
And that strange thought Hikaru had earlier had been exactly this.
"No highlights this year? I don't think so."
Raihan's rain-team Electro Shot Archaludon... and if Bea brought out a No Guard Fissure Machamp on top of that, wasn't that way scarier than Dynamax?
Especially Leon's Rillaboom. That thing would be an absolute nightmare on the battlefield, but if you had a perfectly accurate Fissure, then wouldn't the whole process become a lot simpler?
And it was legal, too.
Hikaru gave Bea's Machamp a quick look over, and Machamp cooperatively snapped to attention at once.
Before a martial arts master like this, one had to show proper respect, because if you actually fought it barehanded, you really might not win.
"After evolving, even the gold championship belt changed a little..." Hikaru had just been about to touch it when he suddenly remembered that Bea's Machamp was female, and immediately stopped himself.
Good thing he hadn't reached out.
Cough. Hikaru also found himself thinking that although people often joked about Bea's female Machamp, her Machamp's moveset was actually pretty normal. By contrast, Blue's Machamp in HeartGold and SoulSilver actually had Attract in one of its four move slots...
It really seemed that Blue had put quite a bit of work into studying species, breeding isolation, and the relationship between humans and Pokémon.
"Th-th-thank you!"
Bea stared at her newly evolved Machamp in shock.
Hikaru said, "Evolution is the gate on the path to greater strength. Pokémon gain new forms because they seek even higher power."
"You don't need to thank me. In Challenger's Cave, every living thing that comes here does so to train itself."
"Of course, I do charge a little for items."
"Didn't you say you wanted to get stronger?"
That was Hikaru's offer. Machamp was still standing there in a daze, but Bea had already shouted her answer.
"Yes! We want to become stronger!"
As the descendant of a prominent Galar family, Bea was never short on money. After all, a dojo's income was quite substantial.
Hikaru looked surprised. "You really don't doubt my intentions at all, do you?"
But Bea's face was completely serious.
"Yes. A martial artist like you has already gone beyond caring about money. I imagine this fee is only symbolic, and I completely understand that. Could I treat it as tuition? I can pay much more."
Hikaru laughed. "No, no, that won't be necessary. Fine. I'll just charge a token amount."
Bea said, "...To learn true skill, it's impossible not to pay some kind of price. I have a great dream. I want Galar karate to become famous throughout the world! I refuse to let my parents' training go to waste. I have to become a major division Gym Leader, and I also..."
"I also have to defeat Leon! I'm going to become World Champion!"
That was Bea's dream and her life goal: to strive toward becoming the strongest. And that part of her character had a hidden meaning too.
"Uniform number 193 - the number sounds like 'war.'"
Among martial artists, Bea was the sort who spent most of her time in a fighting stance. She was extremely aggressive, and her personality also had a kind of retaliatory edge to it. That wasn't to say she held grudges. It meant that when she faced humiliation, she swallowed every bit of it and then fought back harder.
Just like the item she gave in Sword and Shield.
When a challenger defeated her Gym, she awarded TM42, Revenge.
Bea blinked. "You said... uniform number 193?"
Hikaru nodded. "That's right. It suits you, doesn't it? That number symbolizes war. Lots of places do that sort of thing, don't they? Getting a good number means good luck. In some places, even sugar candy is used as a lucky sign."
"Your goal is huge. And I know someone else too, someone who's also making extensive preparations to drag Leon off his throne."
"Will you be able to inherit the Gym this year? There's only... it's already October. December isn't far away."
Bea's expression hardened with resolve. "As long as I can win in the Champion Cup, I'll be able to inherit Stow-on-Side Stadium! I won't disgrace my parents! I'll definitely earn Chairman Rose's recognition, and at the same time..."
"I'm also going to enter the Iron Fist Tournament! I have to place well. I have to!"
"I've already reached a dead end... I absolutely... I absolutely have to pull through from the brink!"
Even though she had adjusted her mentality, she still couldn't suppress her battle hunger or her desire for victory.
Defeat after defeat. And now, after being crushed again, Bea had truly fallen into the lowest point of her life.
But still...
Hikaru said, "For a genius as young as you, calling this a dead end is still way too early."
In the games, Bea was still basically a schoolgirl, still at an age where she was attending classes. So the current Bea was probably only around nine or ten years old, basically Ash's age, though in the games she looked more like she was in the twelve-to-fourteen range.
Of course, because of martial arts training and physical development, she had grown tall early, which was perfectly normal. Athletic girls often developed earlier. Boys at that age, by contrast, were usually at a disadvantage. Ash was the exception, naturally.
As for losing to a legendary martial artist like Zaymon, or getting knocked out by Marshal, that really didn't mean much. How old were you? And how many years had they spent training? If someone like that sent out a level-70 Haxorus, stacked Dragon Dance two or three times, and then swept you clean, that would be completely normal.
"Ceruledge... forge the Nugget and the Meteorite with Sacred Fire... then fuse them into the gold belt."
While chatting with Bea, Hikaru had Ceruledge begin forging and passed along the technique as he worked.
At the same time, he summoned Rotom. Under Bea's curious gaze, Rotom switched into Heat Rotom form like a little chef and immediately started preparing food with gleeful energy.
"A Pokémon that can change forms?!"
There really were a lot of amazing Pokémon in the world. Bea felt like she had learned something new again. And as the gradually rising aroma drifted through the air, her stomach gave a small growl, leaving her a bit embarrassed.
Still, this meal was being offered by a martial arts master. That meant she had to accept it gratefully, not make excuses or shy away from it. Refusing would be disrespectful. That was how she saw it.
"The next one is Galarian Farfetch'd." Hikaru looked at the duck that was clearly itching to fight, as well as the Clobbopus that had gone down in an instant yet was still angrily swinging its fists.
Both of those Pokémon needed special conditions to evolve. One had to land three critical hits in a single battle without dropping to the brink, and the other had to learn Taunt at level 35.
As a member of one of Galar's prominent families, Bea naturally knew the secret behind both of those evolutions.
"To land critical hits in battle, it takes more than just Focus Energy and a Leek. In fact, that oversized leek actually limits Farfetch'd's agility when it swings it."
That was also why Galarian Farfetch'd had five less Speed than its normal counterpart, and why it had lost its Flying type.
"Even if you have the power to guarantee critical hits, it means nothing if you can't actually hit your opponent."
"Kwa!" Galarian Farfetch'd was a proud warrior, and it quacked furiously now. What it basically meant was that it wanted to land those three critical hits in a real fight, head-on, and only then would it accept evolving. It refused to evolve because an opponent had deliberately gone easy on it.
As for Clobbopus, it was also one of Bea's signature Pokémon. That said, this particular Clobbopus had only truly shown impressive results after evolving into Grapploct. And if you set the anime aside, Grapploct actually wasn't Bea's ace in the games.
As for its personality, working hard at training, being cheerful, having boundless curiosity, and wanting to punch first and ask questions later were all core traits of Clobbopus as a species.
"Of course, what warriors truly hope for is transformation in real battle, not rushing for massive strength out of impatience. Your evolution path is different from Machoke's, so naturally you care even more about opponents who'll let you fight to your fullest."
Praised by Hikaru, Galarian Farfetch'd instantly puffed out its chest. But when it remembered how it had just been defeated by a Water-type Pokémon, its expression dimmed again.
Still, that said...
Galarian Farfetch'd fixed its gaze on Palafin.
The ocean hero was so cool.
It had been defeated, yes, but it was precisely in that moment that it had recognized Palafin's strength and charisma.
And right now Palafin was muttering to itself. Farfetch'd could actually understand what it was doing. It was repenting.
Why?
Was it because it had used Black Mist in battle?
That move, the one that wiped out the opponent's fighting spirit and reset all stat boosts on the field back to zero, clearly wasn't in line with the spirit of a hero.
But there were times when one had to skillfully use a move like that in order to win.
Heroic spirit was just too cool.
The duck's eyes sharpened. It didn't notice that Hikaru had carved a tiny wooden duck figurine in his hand.
Then Hikaru held the carving in front of it.
"Kwa?"
"Since I don't have any Max Mushrooms ore here, I can't make an Ability Patch, but the effect of this Dream Carving is the same."
Hikaru smiled at Farfetch'd. "The moment to grow stronger has come for you too, hasn't it?"
"Kwa-kwa!!!" Galarian Farfetch'd suddenly felt some kind of power being born inside itself. Its eyes shrank sharply.
The fear and hesitation in its heart rapidly began to fade, and in their place, incomparable courage welled up.
Bea stared at her Farfetch'd in shock.
"What happened? What changed...?"
"When any living thing is attacked, or forced into battle, it feels fear," Hikaru began in a half-chanting tone. "But some Pokémon don't feel that at all."
Right. That kind of Pokémon would be Ultra Beasts... scratch that.
Well, that wasn't completely wrong. Some Ultra Beasts really were reckless maniacs with no fear at all, like Guzzlord. But that wasn't a good description of all of them.
What Hikaru actually meant was this:
"Those Pokémon are the ones with the Ability Scrappy!"
Hikaru continued, "Do you know how Pokémon Abilities differ? Even Pokémon of the same species can have different Abilities. An Ability is a Pokémon's unique power. And the rarer kind are called Hidden Abilities, also known as Dream Abilities."
"In its original form, Farfetch'd's Hidden Ability is Defiant. That's also the root of why it was able to become a regional Fighting-type form. Regional forms are still an immature field of study, so research on them is very limited."
"And Galarian Farfetch'd's rare Ability is..."
"Scrappy!"
"Normally, its Ability Steadfast raises its Speed when it flinches, letting it swing its leek faster, but in practice it isn't actually all that useful. Its true power lies hidden in that Hidden Ability!"
"Pokémon with Scrappy don't flinch before Intimidate, so their Attack won't be lowered. They also release overwhelming presence, allowing Normal- and Fighting-type moves to hit Ghost-type Pokémon! The type interaction becomes neutral, with the second typing still calculated as usual."
"That's right. Especially against Steel/Ghost Pokémon, what would normally be an immunity turns into double-effective damage!"
From Generation VIII onward, Scrappy officially lets Normal- and Fighting-type damage hit Ghost-types and also prevents Attack drops from Intimidate. Galarian Farfetch'd and Sirfetch'd are part of that line. (Bulbapedia)
Once Farfetch'd evolved into Sirfetch'd, the true "Duck King Arthur" would appear. A Sirfetch'd with Scrappy would cover its offensive blind spots completely, and even go a step beyond.
And in real battle, Galarian Farfetch'd and Sirfetch'd were effectively always carrying the Leek item. That meant they were almost permanently in a high-critical state, while their native held object was treated as part of their body and ecology, which in turn meant they could carry a second item as well.
Seeing Bea standing there dumbfounded as she tried to process all of that, Hikaru couldn't help laughing and explaining more simply:
"You know exactly which Pokémon I'm talking about, don't you? If you want to beat Leon, then you need to understand that his team includes Dragapult and Aegislash. A Galarian Farfetch'd with Scrappy, once it evolves into Sirfetch'd, will pose a tremendous threat to Leon's Pokémon."
"Scrappy is an extremely powerful kind of strength. For most Pokémon, it's an unreachable ability. Unless they train in the sword style that cuts down invisible enemies, they simply can't strike foes that should be immune to them."
"Your Farfetch'd has exceptional talent. All I'm doing is drawing that talent out and letting you use it."
Bea didn't know what to say. She looked at the strengthened Machamp, the Farfetch'd brimming with limitless courage, and then...
Clobbopus.
Hikaru placed a hand on Clobbopus's head. The little octopus did have the instinctive urge to punch Hikaru too, but that was only instinct. In reality, it still had enough sense.
It really couldn't beat him.
"Poh..."
That was what the little octopus was thinking, and then it heard Hikaru's voice.
When and where it had met Bea, how it had been entrusted to her by her parents, how much it loved Bea - all of those feelings were laid bare by the human before it.
Then, from the deepest part of its memory, something began to surface.
Clobbopus began to glow.
Clobbopus remembered the move Sucker Punch!
"Sucker Punch is a dark martial art that lets you strike before the opponent. Even if the opponent also uses a priority move, as long as you're faster, Sucker Punch can still land first."
"This is..." Bea's sports-trained brain was starting to lag behind.
Hikaru explained, "Egg Moves. Clarifying Egg Groups is a field that's only really advanced over the past few years, and it's what made large-scale targeted breeding of certain Pokémon possible. So-called Egg Moves are the treasures that a Pokémon's parents leave behind for them."
"Some Pokémon are born already knowing them, while others only trigger them through distant memories. That's probably because the blood relation is further removed. But given enough time, they'll eventually remember those skills."
"This way of recalling them is called chain inheritance."
Back in the old days, breeding was practically its own discipline. Heaven knew how many players had filled entire PC boxes trying to hatch a specific Pokémon, endlessly running in and out of the Day Care. Then, in later generations, Mirror Herb drastically simplified the process. It cost the setting some realism, but for players, it was an excellent change.
That fit perfectly with the idea Larry had once expressed: simplicity is strongest.
"I'm only staying in Challenger's Cave for two days," Hikaru said. "After that, I'm taking on Unova's Victory Road."
Those words filled Bea's eyes with shock and disbelief, but then she quickly accepted them.
"Yes! A master like you would, of course, be heading for the Champion's hall! Even though Galar doesn't have one..."
"Just imagining it a little, I can feel it myself. My whole body... is trembling."
Bea clenched her fists tightly.
The Champion. No matter which region it was, the Champion represented the strongest. There might be many people close to that level, but to actually defeat a Champion, even barely, was an extraordinary honor.
And in Galar, ever since Leon won the title at age ten, he had never lost a single battle.
Hikaru fell into thought. "So then, this is your last chance to learn."
"Huh?!" Bea froze, then immediately became excited. "You... you mean you'll let me train with you?!"
"You've already done so much for me. I have no way to repay... I... I..."
Bea felt dizzy for a moment. She didn't understand many things, but the ones she did understand were very simple and very clear: she had already grown stronger.
And all of that had happened during what had felt like a simple break.
"It's fine. I just think it'll be fun. Let's throw another log on this year's Champion Cup fire and try dragging that invincible Champion down from his throne."
Hikaru laughed loudly, then turned serious.
"In Alola, there's a kind of relationship between Trainers called training partners. And Bruno of Kanto and Brawly of Hoenn have that kind of relationship too."
"So if you don't mind, then for these next two days, we can count as training partners too."
"If you really feel too awkward about it, then just think of it as a brief-"
"Sensei!"
Bea respectfully sat down on her knees, but Hikaru blinked in surprise.
"No, what I actually meant was..."
He had only intended something more like letting her owe him a favor. He hadn't expected it to leap straight into the realm of formal apprenticeship. But then again, there was a huge difference between a teacher and a master. A teacher could be one of many. A master could only be one, and that for Bea would always be her father.
Hikaru sighed. "Well, if that's how you want to see it, that's fine too..."
"Yes! I'll prepare proper tuition and a gift!"
"Not that kind of thing."
Hikaru opened a Master Ball, and with a heavy rumble, Ting-Lu appeared.
The crimson eyes of the colossal deer made Bea's heart lurch.
Hikaru smiled. "For these next two days of training, I want you and your Machamp to bring out every ounce of your strength. My Ting-Lu is going to teach you the ultimate secret technique, the one most perfectly suited to the Ability No Guard."
"That is... Fissure!"
"If you're going to transform, then surpass your past self and climb to a higher peak!"
(End of Chapter)
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