Chapter 114: Just Mere Pebbles

This world is anything but ordinary. Let's not even mention the existence of Pokémon, those incredible creatures. Among humans, there are also many special individuals who possess extraordinary abilities, even psychic powers, which can be systematically studied and learned.

Some people with unique abilities can defy imagination. For example, in the Kalos region, there is a place called the Chamber of Emptiness, where a group of people live who worship Arceus, the God of Creation.

A hundred years ago, a legendary Demon Pokémon, Hoopa, ravaged a village, flaunting its immense power. It fought 1v2 against Groudon and Kyogre and came out on top, then went 1v3 against Reshiram, Zekrom, and Regigigas, still easily winning. Its feats were utterly terrifying.

And then what?

Then it was sealed by an old man... a human.

Yes, Hoopa's power was indeed one of the finest among the legendary Pokémon. Yet, despite being so overwhelmingly powerful, it was actually sealed by a mere human.

Its power sealed away, the once terrifying Mischief Pokémon, Unbound Hoopa, became nothing more than a mischievous little creature, bound and only able to play cute tricks. (Hoopa's classification is literally "Mischief Pokémon," a mischief!)

The old man who sealed Hoopa was no ordinary person. Not only did he possess abilities akin to basic psychic powers like telekinesis, but he could also make plants sprout and grow, essentially functioning like a human Pokémon.

His power came from his devotion to Arceus. So, we could just say, "Arceus is incredible," casually gifting humans a bit of power that could be used to seal Hoopa.

However, humans like the one who could seal Hoopa are incredibly rare, especially since the old man's power came directly from Arceus.

Most people with special abilities are just a bit more extraordinary than regular humans. There's also another, very special way for such powerful beings to be born:

The combination of humans and Pokémon!

Team Plasma's King N is one such special human. As a descendant of a human and a Pokémon, N was born with the ability to naturally sense the emotions of Pokémon and communicate with them.

Because of this, he was selected by Ghetsis at a young age, adopted, and raised to eventually become king. However, this also meant that all his thoughts and ideals up until now had been manipulated by others, making him a rather tragic figure.

"Dylan, do you know this 'King'?" Leah asked curiously when she saw Dylan deep in thought.

"I know a bit. He's... quite a unique person," Dylan replied after a moment of contemplation.

"The king of an evil organization. I wonder how strong he is," Leah said, wrinkling her innocent little face. Team Rocket was already tough enough to deal with.

During the last incident in Celadon City, even Champion Lance couldn't take down Team Rocket's leader. Now, Team Rocket was working with Team Plasma?

And Team Plasma even sent their 'King' to Kanto, which showed how seriously they were taking this collaboration.

"If nothing unexpected happens, N's minimum strength would be on par with Lance," Dylan stated.

"Huh?" Leah stared at him in shock, her eyes wide.

"Really? Is that guy really that strong?"

Lance was the strongest Champion Kanto had ever seen. While it wasn't clear if he could hold the title of World's Strongest Champion, he was definitely one of the top-tier Champions.

Could the King of Team Plasma really be that powerful?

"At a minimum. If N truly gains the favor of one of the two dragons, it could be a 60-40 split if he faces off against Lance—Lance having the 40—and that's in a wild battle."

In an official battle, Lance's odds would be even lower.

Dylan shook his head. N, the rival and antagonist from the Black and White games, whose ideals (or truths) were recognized by one of the Dragon Gods. If either Reshiram or Zekrom acknowledged him, N would undoubtedly be a top-tier Champion-level trainer.

Not to mention that N himself was incredibly talented. Even without either of the dragons, he was still a legitimate Champion-level trainer.

Leah was stunned.

"Of course, that's just my guess," Dylan added after a brief pause.

The strength gap between even legendary Pokémon varies greatly. Ordinary legends like Lugia, Ho-Oh, Reshiram, Zekrom, Solgaleo, and Lunala are no match for top-tier legends like Rayquaza, Kyurem, or Necrozma. It's almost like toys compared to them.

Rayquaza can easily handle Groudon and Kyogre as if they were nothing. Kyurem can absorb and fuse with Reshiram or Zekrom with a single move. Necrozma in its basic form could chase down Solgaleo and Lunala from the Ultra Space to the real world, crushing them like helpless prey.

In "Pokémon Evolutions," Necrozma easily overwhelmed Lunala in a one-on-one battle, taking a super-effective Moongeist Beam like it was nothing, before forcing Lunala into fusion to become Dawn Wings Necrozma.

And that was just Necrozma in its basic form!

Trainers like Red, Lance, Giovanni, and Leon have all gone up against legendary Pokémon in the original stories, and even battled them on their own terms. Gold, in particular, made it seem effortless to battle Ho-Oh and Lugia.

So Dylan wasn't sure if Lance could take on Zekrom (or Reshiram), since he hadn't yet truly seen the strength of a legendary Pokémon in this world.

But...

Dylan glanced at Leah and thought to himself, "Yeah, Gold is probably still as broken and overpowered as he was in the Pokémon Adventures manga."

"And what about you, Dylan?" Leah asked after a while, finally recovering her composure. She was curious about Dylan's strength.

"You're a Champion-level trainer too, right?"

Leah clearly remembered how Dylan had easily defeated Athena.

"You're giving me way too much credit," Dylan chuckled.

"If N truly awakens the Dragon God, how am I supposed to fight him with what I've got?"

Unless that particularly fat 'Clefairy' was willing to help him out... but Dylan wasn't sure if Mew could take on Zekrom (or Reshiram).

Dylan pondered this and figured he should ask 'Jigglypuff' about it sometime. Mew hadn't shown much combat ability, except for in "Mewtwo Strikes Back," where it managed to suppress Mewtwo.

But Mewtwo was still fairly young in that movie, so Dylan didn't think Mewtwo was particularly powerful back then.

"Dragon God?" Leah tilted her head.

"The two Dragon Gods from the founding legend of Unova. In terms of status, they're about equivalent to our Lugia and Ho-Oh," Dylan explained with a shrug.

Leah gasped. Just hearing about them made her feel like they were incredibly powerful, but she picked up on something important.

"You said 'now'? So, Dylan, do you think you'll eventually be able to beat those Dragon Gods?"

"That's not such a difficult thing. Even Red will be able to do it someday," Dylan raised an eyebrow.

Once I summon Necrozma, those dragons will just be mere pebbles. Dylan even considered storming Unova to capture the wild Kyurem!

Even without Necrozma, if Dylan maxed out his Articuno and Darkrai, they'd be more than capable of taking down Zekrom and Reshiram in a few months.

The only real issue was that the growth simulator prevented him from repeatedly battling the Elite Four. Otherwise, the raised level of the second-round Elite Four would be the best tool for grinding experience.

"Eh?" Leah tilted her head, confused.

"What do you mean, 'Eh?' Are you really underestimating Red?" Dylan chuckled. The legendary trainer from the original games wasn't a joke.

In "Pokémon Origins," Red became Champion of Kanto, and not long after, he went to Cerulean Cave and single-handedly captured Mewtwo. Even Green had been defeated by that Mewtwo!

"Hehe~ You're all amazing!" Leah giggled, her big eyes sparkling. She had chosen the right people to stick with!

Some might think Dylan was bragging. After all, those were the legendary Dragon Gods of Unova.

Saying you could beat them someday? Anyone could claim that. "I'll beat Rayquaza someday too!" Anyone can boast, right?

But Leah believed Dylan. She knew how quickly he grew in strength. Besides... defeating Zekrom or Reshiram didn't seem impossible to her.

After all, she knew that years ago, someone had already captured Ho-Oh and Lugia. Since others could do it, why couldn't Dylan?

Leah was willing to believe in her good friend—her sturdy lifeline!

"N, when is he coming to Kanto? Or has he already arrived?" Dylan pondered for a moment. If he got the chance, he would really like to meet N.

"According to Team Rocket, he'll be here in five days. The King of Team Plasma will arrive in Kanto, landing in Saffron City," Leah replied after some thought.

"Five days, huh? That works out. Shall we head to Saffron City when the time comes?" Dylan glanced at Leah, thinking she probably came here for this very reason.

"Emmm... sure, but that person is really dangerous. Dylan, you'll have to protect me~," Leah playfully tapped her lips with her delicate finger, pretending to hesitate before smiling sweetly.

"As long as we don't cause any trouble, there won't be any danger. N isn't a bad person, after all."

Dylan rolled his eyes. Although N was the King of Team Plasma, he was actually a kind-hearted man at his core, misled by Ghetsis' underhanded schemes down a path to darkness.

"So what about these next few days?"

"A humble girl like me is ever so grateful for being taken in by the great heir of Silph!" Leah suddenly exclaimed.

"When did I ever say I was taking you in? (confused face.jpg)"

"I've heard for ages that the eldest son of Silph Co. is both handsome and compassionate, and seeing you today proves the rumors true."

"Leah, you're just too good at this~," Dylan sighed deeply, genuinely impressed.

...

Time flew by, and it was now 4 p.m. The Rota Gym had stopped accepting challengers for the day.

Dylan, along with Leah and Lillie, drove away from Rota, heading towards a giant tree visible in the distance.

After about thirty minutes, the car stopped.

"Whew~ What a beautiful view! But Bro, why are we here?" Lillie asked as she got out of the car, glancing around before speaking with curiosity.

"We're here to test our luck."

Dylan pushed his sunglasses up onto his head and gazed at the massive Tree of Beginnings that dominated the landscape, a faint, enigmatic smile crossing his face.

"Let's go. Maybe we'll run into something interesting."

Dylan gestured for Leah and Lillie to follow as they continued toward the Tree of Beginnings.

According to the movie, the Tree of Beginnings was connected to Mew, with the two sharing a life force. Guardians protected the tree from outsiders, ensuring its safety.

The Guardians were the legendary Pokémon Regirock, Regice, and Registeel, collectively known as the Legendary Giants.

The Tree of Beginnings had its own defense mechanisms, automatically attacking intruders. The Regi trio drove away anyone approaching, both protecting the tree and safeguarding outsiders from its danger.

Of course, Dylan understood the risks of the Tree of Beginnings, but that wasn't his reason for coming here today. After all, the most valuable creature inside the tree was currently asleep in his backyard.

After walking for about ten minutes, the ground suddenly started to shake.

"Regi~"

A cold, mechanical voice, devoid of emotion, suddenly echoed. The ground cracked open, and a Pokémon, seemingly made of rock, emerged from underground, blocking Dylan and the girls' path.

"Regi~!"

The Pokémon let out a warning growl, clearly trying to prevent Dylan and his group from proceeding further.

"What kind of Pokémon is this?" Leah asked, her curiosity piqued as she studied the creature she had never seen before.

The Pokémon's body was made entirely of gray and orange rocks, with an 'H' pattern of seven orange dots on its chest. Its thick, arm-like appendages reached all the way to the ground, exuding an intimidating aura. It didn't seem like it would be easy to deal with.

"Dylan, is this why you brought us all the way out here?"

Seeing Dylan completely unfazed by the sight of the Pokémon, Leah quickly realized that he had anticipated this encounter.

"Of course. This is Regirock, the Legendary Pokémon of rock type, and one of the Legendary Giants," Dylan said with a slight smirk as he toyed with a Poké Ball in his hand.

"Is this really a Legendary Pokémon?" Leah and Lillie were both taken aback. Wait, encountering a Legendary Pokémon like this—was it supposed to be this casual?

'Beep~ Regirock, Rock type, the Rock Peak Pokémon.

Ability: Clear Body. Moves: Superpower, Stone Edge, Hammer Arm, Iron Defense, Curse, Rock Slide, Stomp, Ancient Power, Heavy Slam, Charge Beam.

Description: A Pokémon made entirely of rock and stone. Though parts of its body may break off during battle, it repairs itself by adding new rocks.'

It really was Regirock!

Leah stared at the Pokémon in awe. This was indeed a Legendary Pokémon!

"Regi~!" Regirock let out another deep warning growl when it saw the three humans weren't leaving.

"Only one of them showed up? That's a bit of a waste of time; now I'll have to come back for the other two," Dylan muttered as he glanced behind Regirock, noticing no sign of Registeel or Regice.

"Regirock, why don't you go call your two brothers over? That thing you're guarding is currently sleeping in my backyard. Wouldn't it be nice to have a little family reunion?"

Dylan mused, attempting to strike a deal with Regirock.

"Regi???"

Regirock's head tilted, three question marks practically appearing above it.

(End of the chapter)