...
After they got far enough away, Kyurem's ice attacks weren't chasing them anymore. Apparently, that ice monster had its limits too, thank goodness.
Natsu secretly felt relieved.
Rushing around at night, no matter how strong you are, isn't something anyone wants to do, but Natsu had to. He wasn't sure if Kyurem would follow. It would be quite awkward if they suddenly started playing hide-and-seek in eternal darkness.
When they stopped again, the gray dawn lighting up the sky slowly cleared away the fog.
Facing the morning sun, Natsu watched the vibrant forest come alive.
"Vull~~"
Vulpix stopped, her clear eyes reflecting the beautiful orange sky and the green of the forest. She looked like she was daydreaming about a delicious breakfast.
"Evv~~"
Eevee jumped onto Natsu's shoulder, squinted her eyes, and took a deep breath of the breeze mixed with the scent of green grass. Apparently, she was picturing a picnic in a meadow.
The other Pokémon were pretty much all smiling.
The Unova Region, especially in the mornings near its eastern coast, felt very different from the Sinnoh Region. Maybe it was the fresher sea air, or perhaps the distinct lack of sudden ghost appearances.
On a tree behind Natsu and his Pokémon, a faint Pokémon was visible. It had wavy emerald green hair, a light blue gem on its forehead, and a headpiece that looked like both a music note and a microphone. It blinked its eyes, the same color as its forehead gem, listening to the rustling leaves as the breeze blew. It gently closed its eyes, and a smile appeared at the corner of its mouth. Looked like a diva enjoying her vacation.
"Melo~~"
As if she sensed something, Dragapult, who was next to Natsu, tilted her head slightly but didn't see anything.
She frowned a little.
Was it just imagining things? Or perhaps the effect of staying up all night?
Natsu also took a deep breath. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt his whole body relax, and his heart couldn't stop feeling happy.
This felt strange to Natsu. He knew he shouldn't feel emotions like this so easily, but right now he wasn't on guard at all.
Or rather, more accurately.
He was alert, but he didn't sense any hostility. Neither through his intuition nor his Psychic abilities, his Pokémon felt the same way. That night might have been exhausting, but this sensation felt like a bonus.
The night's exhaustion seemed to just melt away.
"Eevv!"
Eevee, standing on Natsu's shoulder, opened her eyes, and her ears twitched slightly. Her cry rang in Natsu's ears.
"Yeah, I hear it too."
Natsu slowly smiled. The mental immersion and relaxation he just experienced actually seemed to slightly boost his Psychic abilities, making his perception more sensitive. Maybe this was a side effect of being too happy?
So when Eevee alerted him, Natsu also noticed it.
Not far from where they were standing.
He heard someone's voice.
Natsu masked his presence, using his Psychic abilities to move silently, and headed towards the source of the sound.
The tiny Pokémon in the tree behind them also heard the sound.
It puffed out its cheeks, looking a little angry. Seems someone was disturbing its peaceful morning.
As they got closer, the voices became clearer and more distinct.
"Hurry up! Even though this is just the first finished product, the effect is really good. To catch more Pokémon, the Professor needs more experimental items."
"Even though this way of catching Pokémon is convenient, you can blame those idiots in the Hunter's Guild. If they hadn't messed things up, we wouldn't have to be out here doing all the dirty work." Sounds like they're quite skilled at pointing fingers.
"Huh, the Hunter's Guild? That's just them. Too greedy. I'm worried the Hunter's Guild will disappear completely from the Unova Region soon. Do you know what our philosophy is?"
"Philosophy? What do you mean? If it were a regular member, they'd definitely believe it, but you and I, who've been following the Professor, don't you understand the orders the Professor gives? And how are the things the Professor has been doing related to this so-called philosophy?" Someone's starting to question their paycheck, it seems.
"Quiet, don't talk about the Professor behind his back, you know that's asking for trouble."
"..."
Natsu, hiding in the tree canopy, watched the two of them arguing while controlling a machine that seemed to be doing something to Wild Pokémon.
Even though the machine was half the size of a car, it looked incredibly precise. Perhaps this was the beta version of a cutting-edge Pokémon catcher.
Most importantly.
When this machine shot out light, several Wild Pokémon that had just appeared, almost without exception, were hit by the special light and couldn't move. This looked more like a super-advanced fishing rod than a trapping device.
The two had a clear division of labor: one was in charge of controlling the machine, and the other was responsible for catching the Pokémon.
And on their almost identical clothes, there was a logo.
It was a shield, divided into black and white, with a blue pattern in the middle that looked like an inverted "P" and "Z."
Team Plasma!
Natsu narrowed his eyes as he listened to their conversation. It seemed these two people had somewhat special identities. Or at least, they thought so.
Team Plasma members under Colress knew more than regular Team Plasma members. Maybe they had access to a secret group chat.
They might even know something about the death of the Unova Region Hunter's Guild Leader.
And the "first product" they were talking about had to be the first product Colress created that could control Pokémon. Sounds like they were eager to start mass production.
Natsu continued to listen in silence for a while. He lightly waved his hand after confirming that there was nothing more than boasting and bragging between the two.
His little friends would appreciate this.
Monferno leaped directly from the treetop, the fire on his tail blazing, and flames erupted from the cracks of his clenched fists, covering his entire fists in an instant. Monferno always knew how to make a grand entrance.
As they felt the heat approaching, the expressions of the two Team Plasma members suddenly changed. From arrogant to pale with fright.
One of them reacted quite quickly. He pulled a Poké Ball from the bag on his back and threw it.
A slightly dazed Lilipup appeared in the path of Monferno's punch. Sacrificed as a living shield, how sad.
"Os!"
Latios arrived first, passing Monferno and Lilipup, which was released as a shield.
His movements were swift, and his Psychic energy flickered.
Latios and Monferno switched positions. Monferno wasn't hindered at all, and Latios took the opportunity to pursue Lilipup. Team Plasma, how dare they sacrifice innocent Pokémon!
Bang!
A loud explosion.
Monferno's fist directly hit the machine.
Although this machine seemed like a very good tool for hunters, it was still just an early product, and its stability wasn't high enough; sometimes it was more likely to cause Wild Pokémon to riot. And now, the machine was a pile of scrap.
And with this machine there, Natsu couldn't guarantee that his Pokémon wouldn't be affected.
The two Team Plasma members rolled to the side and watched Monferno emerge from the smoke with burning hands, their faces grim.
"Who are you?!"
"Are you ready to face Team Plasma's retaliation?"
Both of them yelled loudly. Their tone sounded like they were reading lines from a cheap drama.
But there was only time for a quick commotion.
"Vull~~"
Vulpix's "Icy Wind" swept through, and a biting chill blew past their waists, touching the Poké Balls around their waists and freezing them.
This result finally made them look terrified. Perhaps they didn't know Vulpix had a hidden talent as an ice villain.
Thud-thud-thud--
Natsu's feet landed slowly.
In their eyes, Natsu's appearance was completely distorted and blurred, making it impossible to see his features or outline at all. More like a ghost who just woke up.
This movement, Natsu learned it from Sabrina the last time he met her.
Sabrina could use Psychic to distort light and even hide herself.
Natsu couldn't do that at his level, but he could still manage to twist and blur his appearance. Just enough to confuse people.
"Aegislash."
Aegislash emerged. The two, without any protecting Pokémon, immediately fell into a hypnotized state under its power. Looks like they weren't the type to resist temptation.
"What are you doing?" Natsu asked casually.
"The Professor told us to find some experimental materials."
After a brief silence between the two, one of them spoke stiffly.
After confirming their answers were credible, Natsu started asking about something more critical.
"What does Team Plasma want with the Hunter's Guild?"
The two were silent for a longer time this time. Perhaps they were processing the data.
Just as Natsu was getting a little impatient, the other one said frankly: "I don't know, but I vaguely heard it when the Professor and Ghetsis-sama were talking on the phone. The Hunter's Guild, they're the least suitable for Team Plasma, they won't last long."
Natsu frowned slightly.
If Team Plasma kept spreading the word that humans and Pokémon should live peacefully on the surface, hoping Trainers would voluntarily release their Pokémon, while secretly using the Hunter's Guild's power to hunt Pokémon and expand their own strength... This is hypocrisy on a divine level.
It was estimated that in five or six years, the power dynamics of the entire Unova Region would likely undergo unpredictable changes.
Team Plasma wasn't just weakening trainers; they were also strengthening themselves.
However, this was something the Unova Alliance needed to worry about, and Natsu didn't have much control over it yet. He could only be an impromptu whistleblower.
He continued to ask: "Does the death or disappearance of the Hunter's Guild Leader, Mr. S, have anything to do with Team Plasma?"
Sweat continued to bead on both their foreheads. This question seemed hotter than Monferno's fist.
"Aegislash."
Natsu didn't bother waiting for the two of them to struggle.
Aegislash released two threads of silk and wrapped them around the two. With Aegislash's control, neither of them had any resistance at all. Truly helpless puppets.
"I just accidentally overheard the Professor speaking quietly to a stranger. The Professor told that stranger, named Dr. Zager, that the test was successful, but interference from the Hunter's Guild caused the subject to lose control."
Dr. Zager?
Natsu's eyebrows shot up, "Dr. Zager?"
"Yes! Dr. Zager!"
Dr. Zager, he's a Team Rocket scientist.
Is this connected to Team Rocket too? It's like a puzzle just got a whole lot more complicated.
Natsu asked himself one last question.
"Where is Mr. S's body?"
"No, I don't know."
These two people weren't very strong, but they were lucky enough to be close to Colress. Although the information they provided was fragmented and not necessarily completely accurate, it at least gave him some direction. Better than nothing, right?
"Since the body hasn't been found, and Team Plasma doesn't intend to keep looking for it, that means they probably don't know what was on Mr. S and are still searching for it," Natsu whispered to himself.
He gestured with his hand, his Pokémon came to him, and they continued moving east. They moved much faster too. Time is money, or in this case, information.
The cute Pokémon that had been following them looked back at the two Team Plasma members with disgust in its eyes. Looks like even Pokémon know right from wrong.
After Natsu and the others left, the two Team Plasma members gradually regained consciousness.
Not dead?
Both of them suddenly relaxed for a long time. Perhaps they felt they had just won the lottery of life.
But....
Click, click, click—
Before they even had a chance to think about what to do, they heard the sound of Poké Balls opening.
Pokémon filled with anger emerged from the Poké Balls.
Among them were several inherently aggressive Pokémon. It's just that these Pokémon weren't hostile to each other now; their eyes were fixed on the two Team Plasma members. Oh, karma comes swiftly.
Seeing the Wild Pokémon gradually approaching them, both of them suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. Looks like they were about to become impromptu test subjects.
"Melo?" Its wavy emerald green hair swayed. The little Pokémon quickly covered its eyes with its hands, peeked through a gap, and then quickly closed them again. Too horrifying to watch.
It moved towards Natsu and chased in the direction they had left, the corners of its mouth unconsciously turned up, and at the same time, it began to hum an unknown ancient song.
The vegetation around the forest quickly became lush.
It seemed to be in a good mood. Perhaps the song had a side effect of beautifying the environment.
It quickly moved through the forest, following the fading tracks.
Back to Natsu
He stopped again.
As the map showed, he was already not far from Undella Bay on the eastern coast of the Unova Region. And he stopped because a stone tablet stood in the forest.
At first glance, it looked like a special stone tablet carved to worship some entity, but there were no clear marks carved on it, making it hard for him to distinguish. Was this an ancient artifact or just a lonely tombstone?
If he hadn't determined that he wasn't on "Milos Island" right now or in the "Abyssal Temple" either.
He would have thought it was a sign asking Landorus for abundance. But Landorus needs offerings, not just stones.
The dense, chaotic footprints around the stone tablet, as well with some not-so-clear battle marks, told him that Hunter's Guild hunters must have found something here. Perhaps they had a wild dance party.
Natsu hesitantly walked to the stone tablet, noticing the special patterns on it overgrown with moss. He slowly raised his hand, wrapping it in Psychic energy. His intuition told him that there was something to do with this stone tablet. Maybe there was hidden treasure, or at least an impromptu quiz.
However...
Just as his palm was about to touch the stone tablet.
"Mero!!"
A sharp sound came from behind Natsu.
Natsu clenched his hand when he heard the sound.
The next second.
The small Pokémon that had been quietly following him suddenly appeared in front of Natsu, with its hands outstretched between Natsu's palm and the stone tablet. Talk about a dramatic entrance!
Seeing the Pokémon that suddenly appeared, Natsu was a little surprised.
"Meloetta?"
"Evv?"
"Vull?"
Eevee and Vulpix, lying on Natsu's left and right shoulders respectively, tilted their heads to look at the appearing Meloetta. They looked just as baffled as Natsu.
"Evv~Vull~"
But Meloetta replied to them in Eevee's and Vulpix's tones because it had casually stopped Natsu. Meloetta covered its mouth with a laugh when it saw their surprised expressions. Clearly, it enjoyed being a little prankster.
"Melo~~" Meloetta looked very happy.
"Meloetta, what are you doing?" Natsu asked, barely holding back his surprise.
"Melomelo!" It shook its head very hard at Natsu.
"Don't touch?" Natsu asked.
Meloetta nodded again and again.
Boom!
Suddenly, the ground shook.
Natsu's feet trembled, along with the stone tablet. He saw a crack in the ground.
At this moment, they realized that the stone tablet was just part of something.
Something underground was much bigger. Much, much bigger. Like the tip of an iceberg, but for subterranean structures.
"Uh..."
Natsu's wide eyes and Meloetta's small eyes stared, blinking.
Both of them couldn't say anything about the existence of that thing.
There's something like this? Who knew the forest came with hidden architectural wonders?
Without waiting for them to think.
In the next second.
A strong suction force came from the stone tablet, and Meloetta, which was floating in front of the stone tablet, was the first to be sucked in, and Natsu unconsciously reached out and grabbed it.
He couldn't just stand there, but how could he save Meloetta?
He was immediately sucked in too. Well, that's one way to start an unexpected adventure.
"Bartya..."
Dragapult's helpless voice disappeared along with the stone tablet that had been creeping on the surface.
The place returned to quiet. Too quiet, almost as if nothing had happened.
...
(End of this chapter)