After stepping into September, the weather in Unova remained scorching hot.
As the impact brought by Team Plasma gradually subsided, no major incidents occurred in Unova for some time afterward.
However, if one had to mention something, there was indeed one event.
That was Landorus suddenly appearing above the Rainbow Group building one day and, in full view of everyone, "reaching a consensus" with Giovanni.
Obviously, this brought another huge wave of publicity to the Rainbow Group.
And thanks to the cooperation between the Rainbow Group and Landorus, the pair of runaway brothers, Tornadus and Thundurus, were finally caught.
Their original job was to summon wind and rain and regulate the climate. Without them, it hadn't rained in Unova for nearly a month, no wonder the heat had persisted for so long.
So, under the tyrannical power of their big brother Landorus, the two brothers, with bitter expressions on their faces, quickly made a round across the Unova region, finally allowing the climate in September to gradually return to normal.
For the students of Blueberry Academy, the slightly cooler weather was also more suitable for them to sweat it out, each vying to be the "king of grinding" in the new semester.
However, the students, who had gradually adapted to the "perverted training method," soon received news that was like a bolt from the blue—
Summer vacation was over, and Teacher Aiden was about to leave!
Sitting in front of the sports field, Aiden looked at Keldeo, whose gaze was now completely different, and waved his hand.
"Kel!"
Keldeo, still exhausted from the just-finished training, was lying on the ground panting heavily. But upon seeing his gesture, it immediately got up and trotted over.
This half-month of training had brought a great change to its spirit and energy; it looked significantly more mature.
At the same time, because its own strength had improved and its horizons had broadened immensely compared to its former self, Keldeo understood even more clearly—
If it hadn't been lucky enough to run into Aiden and Master Lucario back then, who knows how many detours it would have had to take to get stronger. It might still be that annoying brat who loved to show off but had no real skill.
No wonder Master Cobalion had said such harsh things to it back then, directly leading to its... not-so-sensible... running away from home.
But things were different now!
"It seems you've gotten used to the current training intensity?"
"Keldeo!"
Seeing Keldeo nod, Aiden reached out with both hands, removed the heavy iron block tied to Keldeo's horn, and subconsciously weighed it in his hand.
Good grief, it's already at a 15kg load?
Keep in mind, Keldeo's total body weight is only about 50kg. With the weights on its four limbs added in, the total load was probably almost as heavy as it was—
But then again, it was a Legendary Pokémon. It was normal for its constitution to be more durable.
Initially, he was a bit worried that Keldeo might not be able to hold on, but thankfully, the little colt was truly a stubborn one. It had held on well under Lucario's silent pressure.
In just over half a month, its originally thin, short horn had become much thicker and sturdier, its enhanced physique giving it the rudimentary form of a "Sacred Sword."
At this point, Keldeo's status as a Sword of Justice was basically secured.
"If your three masters were to see you now, they would probably be very surprised, right?"
Aiden stroked the long horn extending from the top of its head, and a very mischievous idea suddenly surfaced in his mind—
Since Lucario could borrow external power to use Sacred Sword and Behemoth, what if he picked up the little colt and used it like a sword? Could he also use Secret Sword?
But then again, thinking about the little colt's power, it seemed a bit redundant—
It felt like it had less to offer than Hisuian Samurott in terms of raw stats.
So, Aiden quickly shook his head and cast the mischievous thought aside.
"Kel?"
Keldeo blinked, not quite understanding what he was doing.
"It's nothing. I just wanted to let you know that we might be leaving Unova soon," Aiden said with a smile.
"Since your goal is to become a Sword of Justice, then after achieving some growth, the most important thing you need to do is embark on a long journey that spans the entire Unova region."
"During your travels, you might find the meaning of becoming a Sword of Justice and understand what it is you truly need to protect."
Given Keldeo's special status, Aiden decided it would be better for it to remain in the Unova region for its own growth.
Perhaps in the future, he would hear many heroic tales about the little colt?
"Keldeo?!"
Keldeo looked quite surprised, as even Master Lucario hadn't told it about this.
The little colt was clearly a bit disappointed.
Although it knew a day of parting would eventually come, it never expected it to arrive so soon.
The more it trained with Master Lucario, the more it felt its own strength was simply not enough and that it needed to redouble its efforts.
If it couldn't even see its master's back, how could it dare to dream of becoming a hero!
So, it had hoped to at least learn a bit more from its master in the limited time they had, so it could stand on its own two feet sooner.
But before it could even grow up, its master was already leaving.
Aiden could clearly sense Keldeo's thoughts, so he quickly reached out and rubbed its head again.
"Don't overthink it. Even after you set out on your journey, you must continue to maintain this level of effort."
"Keep it up for another three to five years, and I guarantee your three masters will be shocked by your transformation."
"Only then can you truly become the fourth Sword of Justice, recognized by them."
"So, keep up the hard work!"
[I understand—]
Keldeo nodded, replying sincerely with telepathy.
[Thank you and Master so much for your guidance over this past half-month. I will never forget you two!]
"You make it sound as if we'll never see each other again," Aiden joked, though he also felt a bit sentimental.
During his one month in Unova, he hadn't actually gone out much. But it seemed that every time he did, something major was bound to happen—
He even ran into Meloetta just by casually going to see a musical, to the point that Aiden himself began to wonder:
Did Arceus mix something into my body?
Otherwise, how could I run into Legendary and Mythical Pokémon everywhere I went—
It seemed that aside from the Swords of Justice, whom he hadn't met yet, the only one left in Unova was Victini.
It was a shame that that child was probably still sealed away in a castle, and he didn't have time to go there.
So, Aiden quickly looked at Keldeo, another idea forming in his mind. "Little colt, little colt, when you're traveling around Unova in the future, if you happen to go to a place called Liberty Garden, remember to visit the castle."
"You might just run into a little fellow who could become your companion~"
Victini, known as the "Star of Victory," possessed concept-level power to bring victory to its partners.
With it around, if this stubborn little colt ever foolishly challenged other Legendary Pokémon again, at least he wouldn't have to worry about any accidents happening.
And also—
One was Water-type, the other Fire-type. Who knows, maybe they even have a combination ultimate move?
Just like the Loyal Three and their lord, perhaps Victini could also unlock a new form, like the "Riding Keldeo" appearance~
"Keldeo?"
Keldeo looked confused again.
Liberty Garden?
Wasn't that the legendary hometown of a human hero, and also the battlefield where its three masters fought against humans—
If it had the chance, it would definitely go.
But why did he know about that place, and how could he be so sure it would find a companion there?
Keldeo didn't understand, but it honestly committed the matter to memory, raising its priority to the highest level.
Since he is Master Lucario's trainer, he would never do me harm!
Aiden didn't know that his casual remark would soon become a reality, even leaving a bold and vibrant stroke in the annals of Unovan mythology.
Legends and history were originally things that were impressive but incomprehensible, but when they reappeared before the eyes of humanity, a new legend was thus born.
The Victini, "returned from a thousand years ago, retracing the hero's path"; and the Keldeo, "inheriting the will of the Three Swords who once stood against humanity, embarking on a journey with the goal of becoming a hero."
Their journey quickly swept through all of Unova, and even Dream Works produced a movie based on them that took the world by storm.
Kyurem VS. The Sword of Justice
---
September 6th, Sunday.
"Sigh, time passed by so fast—"
Before leaving Blueberry Academy, Nemona sighed helplessly, looking listless.
"I haven't even saved up enough points to become the Blueberry Champion, and now I have to go back to Paldea for boring classes!"
"You just don't want to go back to class, don't you!" Arven facepalmed, sharply roasting her.
Nemona's talent points were indeed all invested in Pokémon battling, a fact he knew very well.
So, relatively speaking, whether it was exercising her body or making up for the basic subjects she'd fallen behind on last semester, both were very painful things for her.
Even though she was a Champion and had proven her strength, allowing her to skip some battle-related classes—
But a school in the Pokémon world, of course, couldn't just teach Pokémon-related things.
Unfortunately, even a Champion couldn't escape fundamental subjects like history, math, and geography, which she had absolutely no interest in.
"So? I'm already a Champion, why do I still have to learn these things!"
So you don't become an illiterate who only knows how to battle!
Penny also muttered this quietly in her heart but didn't say it out loud.
After all, her inner thoughts were often quite harsh, and even the thick-skinned Nemona might get a little angry hearing them.
"By the way, where's Teacher Aiden?"
Just before they were set to head to the airport, Nemona suddenly remembered and subconsciously looked around.
Aside from the Blueberry Elite Four who had come to see them off, she indeed didn't see Aiden.
Damn it, don't tell me Teacher Aiden was actually tricked by Drayton and the others and is staying to teach at Blueberry Academy!
A similar thought had just appeared in her mind when Arven, who was standing beside her, immediately provided the answer.
"You didn't know?"
"There's a brand-new format Premier Ball tournament in the Kalos region this September. Didn't Teacher Aiden sign up for it a long time ago?"
"That's right," Penny added with a nod.
"When Teacher Aiden won the Psychic Master's Tournament, he already announced that the first-ever Double Battle Premier Tournament would be held."
"Nemona, you— don't tell me you forgot?"
"—Ahaha!"
Nemona scratched her head in embarrassment, her voice becoming much quieter.
"It's been half a year, of course, I'd forget something I have no memory of—"
"But, it's a Double Battle tournament, which is Teacher Aiden's specialty!"
"Who is his partner? I feel like I'd be a great fit!"
"—"
Arven and Penny exchanged a look, both their eyes filled with deep despair.
Nemona, as expected, was completely uninterested in anything other than the things she herself was interested in!
"It's Champion Cynthia of Sinnoh!" Arven retorted in exasperation.
"Even if you're the Paldea Champion now, don't you think wanting to be on the same team as Teacher Aiden is a bit of a stretch—"
"You should know better than I do just how much strength the Chairwoman and Elite Four held back for our Paldea Champion title!"
"—"
Nemona finally fell silent.
It wasn't because she was so easily broken by Arven's words. In fact, she thought he had a point.
The main issue was that she suddenly realized—Oh my god, is the Paldea Champion title worth almost no international points?
In other words, I'm still a complete rookie on the international stage. I have to fight my way through the qualifiers to even participate in a Premier Ball tournament?
Damn!
That Red guy is so smart. He actually thought of grinding points in two regions, and I heard the Kanto Champion title is quite prestigious—
He isn't going to get ahead of me and fight Teacher Aiden on the international stage first, is he?
That kind of thing can't happen!
At the mere thought of this possibility, Nemona felt as if she had experienced an unprecedented mental shock.
So, she quickly made a decision in her heart—No, even if I can't escape classes in Paldea, I have to find a chance to go out and compete to grind points.
Next year is the "palace of dreams for countless Pokémon trainers," the Masters Tournament that's held once every four years. If I can't even get into the Top 100 and qualify for the competition because of my points—
Absolutely not! That must not happen!
"—"
Although he didn't know why, the Nemona beside her suddenly became fired up.
But having witnessed this many times before, Arven no longer tried to understand her train of thought.
It seemed only big bro Aiden could manage to be on the same wavelength as Nemona, even for a short while.
Aiden, you're simply a superman!
As for Aiden, who was being missed by both Nemona and Arven, he had already used the Anywhere Door to arrive in the central city of the Kalos region.
Lumiose City, the most populous and artistically atmospheric city in the Pokémon world!
Sitting on a bed in a hotel, Aiden was on a video call with Cynthia.
"Mm, I've arrived."
"Even though the tournament doesn't start for a few more days, coming over early to prepare has its benefits, like getting to know the specific information about the participating competitors in advance—"
Aiden chatted idly with Cynthia, who was listening with a smile in her holographic form. But when the topic turned to their opponents, he suddenly fell silent for a few seconds before continuing to speak.
"I really didn't expect that among this tournament's participants, there would actually be those two battle legends who had long since announced their retirement—"
"Yes, Master Mustard and Professor Oak. It seems they also want to come and stir up the fish pond a bit!"
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