Chapter 871: Pull Yourself Together
New Magical Beast Year 200.
World progression: League Calendar Year 100.
Kazuya and Mewtwo arrived in Mesagoza of the Paldea region.
In the blink of an eye, fifty years had slipped away.
Humanity was entirely extinct.
Leaving only Chloe as the sole remaining immortal.
The remaining Pokémon were few and far between as well.
Only a handful of individuals blessed with immense longevity and formidable survival capabilities still lingered.
Magical beasts still existed.
Yet their numbers were equally pitiful.
For instance, in this grandest metropolis of Paldea, once ranking among the top three most populated cities in the world.
Even if Kazuya and Mewtwo stirred up colossal disturbances.
Not a single magical beast would emerge even after several minutes.
This planet.
Was visibly decaying into a dead world.
The only living beings beside Kazuya who could still be called family and companions were Mewtwo and Chloe.
Chloe sheltered a portion of surviving Pokémon aboard Samiya.
Preferring to go ashore daily to forage for sustenance.
Rather than remaining anchored in any single location.
To prevent Shadow from pinpointing their coordinates, Kazuya and Mewtwo only visited on rare occasions, each stay lasting no longer than half an hour.
Striding brazenly down the broad, empty boulevards of Mesagoza.
Mewtwo lifted His gaze to survey the desolate surroundings: "Shadow and those wretches haven't shown themselves in a very, very long time."
Ever since the two of them narrowly cheated death fifty years ago.
Shadow had never resurfaced.
In the earlier years.
Eternatus and Necrozma would still scour the lands searching for them.
Yet in recent times, even their silhouettes were nowhere to be found.
Who knew where they had hidden themselves away.
As things stood today.
The party forced to hide and scurry was no longer them.
It was Shadow and Her legion of Demon Gods.
Even when Kazuya brought Mewtwo to the Orre region, they couldn't locate a single trace of Shadow; She had long since fled without leaving behind even a stray strand of fur.
"It seems Scizor and Lucario did something that convinced Her She has no certainty of taking us down, leaving Her terrified of ever showing Her face before us again."
Kazuya responded expressionlessly.
"That's just as well."
Mewtwo pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Indeed."
Kazuya agreed.
They were in no rush to force an all-out confrontation with Shadow.
The only dread was lacking the decisive certainty to slay Her once the clash began.
Therefore.
Letting Shadow cower in hiding suited them fine.
They still required time to grow stronger anyway.
Moreover.
The target was already crystal clear.
Was there any fear of Her escaping?
The Power of Space rested squarely within Kazuya.
Without that power, even if Shadow wished to flee, She could never slip beyond this world.
As long as She remained upon this earth.
To the ends of the world.
Kazuya would track Her down.
Until then.
He would make Shadow live every day in unending terror, unable to close Her eyes even in sleep.
This was the price of antagonizing an immortal.
Fail to kill your quarry outright.
And you had best prepare for the day your bones were ground to ash.
As the two wandered aimlessly through Mesagoza, hunting for powerful magical beasts to purge.
Boom——!!
A towering mushroom cloud suddenly billowed in the distance.
A glaring pillar of flame flared violently in the northern quarter of Mesagoza.
The two turned their heads.
Exchanging a glance.
Kazuya tore open a spatial wormhole leading north, stepping through alongside Mewtwo.
To the north of Mesagoza.
Stood an academy.
Naranja Academy.
Founded 1,300 years ago, it was one of the oldest and most storied institutions in the entire world.
Unlike Blueberry Academy in the Unova region.
Though Naranja Academy's curriculum centered entirely around Pokémon, it was far from limited to battling.
Grooming, breeding, contests, history, biology, medicine...
Every field and discipline imaginable.
Was taught within its halls.
Furthermore, this institution imposed zero age restrictions on admissions; its student body spanned an enormous demographic range, from young children to elderly adults, who were even permitted to attend lectures alongside their Pokémon.
Countless troves of knowledge were preserved here.
Having been archived continuously since six centuries prior to the dawn of the League calendar.
There was zero worry that such knowledge would vanish alongside the world's temporal rewind in the immediate years ahead.
Speaking of which.
Kazuya held a certain connection to Naranja Academy himself.
That traced back to his third life.
At that time, Kazuya and Corphish had been captured by a ring of Pokémon poachers, around the same period he first crossed paths with the large cat when she was still an egg.
Later, intercepted by Naranja Academy's pursuit vessels, they were rescued upon the vast, trackless ocean.
Only then did he learn.
The egg in his embrace had been stolen from Naranja Academy by those very poachers.
Which meant.
Naranja Academy.
Was effectively Meowscarada's ancestral home.
The two stepped out from the wormhole.
Gazing blankly across the sprawling, deserted plaza before them.
They had assumed the explosion originated within Naranja Academy itself.
Yet upon arriving inside, they discovered that was not the case.
Kazuya closed his eyes.
Spreading his Aura outward.
He swiftly detected the faint lifeforce of untainted living beings nearby.
They moved toward that direction immediately.
Arriving at their destination within seconds.
Only to be greeted by a disheartening spectacle.
An Arboliva, visibly warped by corruption, was bombarding a Pokémon crowned with burning flames using Energy Ball.
Yet that Pokémon had clearly lost all will to survive, slumping motionless on the pavement.
Because the cherished partner who had shielded her with his own body had already lost his life.
"Quite a rare Pokémon."
Mewtwo murmured, raising an arm.
Formidable pink telekinetic energy condensed into physical form, shaping into a razor-sharp blade that lanced straight toward the Arboliva.
The move Psystrike held no type advantage against the Grass and Normal-type Arboliva.
However.
This Arboliva sat at mid-Champion tier at best.
Strong, undeniably.
Yet before them now, a Champion-tier foe was merely small fry.
Even without exploiting type advantages, obliterating the Arboliva in a single blow was child's play.
Seeing that Mewtwo had already handled it.
Kazuya did not intervene.
Instead, his gaze settled upon the two native Pokémon.
Classic, highly renowned Paldean species.
Armarouge and Ceruledge.
The one lying motionless with extinguished life force was Ceruledge.
While Armarouge was the survivor who had been shielded.
Two beings identical yet entirely antithetical.
Identical in that both evolved from Charcadet, and both commanded the power of flames.
Antithetical in their forms and doctrines of combat.
Armarouge held the creed of fair, honorable combat, generally carrying the temperament of a radiant sun.
Ceruledge pursued victory by any means necessary, leaning cold and ruthless.
They were akin to the Pokémon world's Naruto and Sasuke.
Logically speaking.
Taking the lethal blow for a companion was an act traditionally belonging to Armarouge.
Yet with this pair, the roles had reversed.
Kazuya walked closer.
Leaning down to examine Ceruledge.
Both the flames atop its brow and the blades along its forearms were thoroughly extinguished.
Those spectral azure flames.
Symbolized not only Ceruledge's lingering grudges, but were effectively its vital life energy.
Extinguished completely.
Signaled absolute death.
Even knowing this.
Kazuya still crouched down, channeling the Power of Creation in an attempt to weave life energy into Ceruledge, checking if resuscitation was possible.
For himself.
The Power of Creation could never raise him from the dead.
It was functional only while breath remained in his lungs.
Once dead, it could not be cast.
As for whether it worked on other beings...
In the past, it had failed.
And now...
Looking at the energy dispersing aimlessly into the air.
Kazuya shook his head helplessly.
The life energy condensed through the Power of Creation simply could not enter Ceruledge's frame.
Just like before.
Against a Pokémon that had already drawn its last breath.
The Power of Creation was utterly powerless.
By now.
Mewtwo had cleanly disposed of the Arboliva.
Leaning against a streetlight behind Kazuya, He cast a detached glance over the scene.
He was no longer moved to sorrow over the demise of strangers.
After all.
Their own plight was miserable enough.
"Can you stand?"
Kazuya's voice broke the silence.
Looking down at the devastated Armarouge, he extended a hand.
"..."
Armarouge looked up, staring blankly at him.
A veil of gray mist welled in her eyes, before she lowered her head once more, clutching the fallen Ceruledge even tighter against her chest.
"I can understand your agony, but even so, you must continue living."
"What could you possibly understand?!"
Armarouge's eyes widened in grief and fury as she surged to her feet, grabbing Kazuya by the shoulders and shouting: "Do you have any idea what it feels like to lose your family?!"
"..."
Kazuya's pupils quivered faintly.
His eyelids lowered slightly, then with a soft, bittersweet smile, he reached out and gently rested a palm atop Armarouge's head, smoothing her brow: "No matter how agonizing it becomes."
"You must pull yourself together."
"For the family you have lost, for the companions who still draw breath, and for yourself."
A tender voice laden with suppressed, suffocating grief filtered into Armarouge's ears.
Her mouth parted.
As if catching a glimpse of something profound within Kazuya's gaze.
Her head drooped heavily in remorse: "I'm sorry."
Facing her apology.
Kazuya shook his head, gently lifting the motionless Ceruledge from the pavement, placing the body back into Armarouge's embrace, then turned and walked away.
Mewtwo cast a lingering glance at Armarouge, shaking His head softly.
Had that fellow still been around.
Today's outburst would never have ended with a simple apology.
Mewtwo turned to watch Kazuya's retreating silhouette, the words spoken moments ago echoing in His ears, murmuring softly: "Those words... were you saying them to her, or to yourself?"
He let out a heavy sigh.
Stepping forward to follow.
The world remained cloaked in unbroken darkness.
Leaving this sprawling Mesagoza hollow and empty.
Kazuya looked up at the boutique storefronts and culinary streets lining the avenues, unable to muster a flicker of interest.
The bickering between Scizor and Lucario, the gentle rustle of the wind stirred by Dragonite's wings, the drowsy snores of Skitty curled in his arms, the eerie scrape of Cofagrigus gliding across stone...
All had faded completely from his ears.
The suffocating tide of loneliness washed over him.
Akin to his second life, slowly sinking into the pitch-black abyss of the deep ocean.
Even Mewtwo no longer wandered around clutching a travel guide, reading passages aloud.
Perhaps He Himself no longer knew who He was supposed to be introducing the world to.
So keeping such travel guides around was pointless now.
"When will this journey ever find its end?"
Kazuya murmured quietly.
Mewtwo could offer no answer.
Because that exact question weighed heavily on His own mind as well.
This endless journey...
Did it truly still have a destination?
And if it did.
What lay waiting at the end?
~~~
Get early access to 30+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
~~~
Every 5 new reviews = 1 extra chapters
Every 150 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter