Ch.161 The Hero Arrives!

The deafening roar startled countless birds into flight.

Breaking the heavy atmosphere, it also interrupted the clan head's wife's internal struggle.

She looked up: "That's—"

"That's Gardevoir's power, right?"

If it were any other power, Hayami might not have been able to discern it clearly from such a distance.

But Gardevoir's psychic energy was different. Hayami had been interacting with this power almost daily for nearly seven years—sweeping, mopping, washing dishes, doing laundry. (Ralts learns Psychic at level 6, and it takes some time to train it for daily use.)

If she couldn't recognize it now, she wouldn't deserve to call herself a mother.

"Mm." Darkrai finally revealed himself.

Until now, he had been following his master's orders, remaining hidden. But now that Akira had torn off the facade and bared his fangs, it was time to act.

"That female Pokémon is that strong?" The clan head's wife was astonished.

Darkrai didn't even bother responding to this clueless, overly confident woman.

Are you kidding? That's the big sister, the most special of all Pokémon, with a bond with her master so strong it could open the door to a new world.

Hayami was also surprised by the destructive power Gardevoir had displayed. After all, Gardevoir had always been a well-behaved daughter in her eyes. It was hard to connect that image with the one who had single-handedly overturned the Jujutsu Union headquarters.

But when she thought about how Akira had gone from no rank to Special Grade in just a few months, and the conversation they'd had before leaving Shikoku, she felt a sense of relief.

"You know, I originally planned to stay in Shikoku for the rest of my life. At most, I hoped that when Noritoshi became the clan head, he might secretly come to see me. That would have been enough for me."

The clan head's wife blurted out, "Then why—"

—Why didn't you do that? Why did you have to step forward?

"Because Akira said he had the power to protect me, even if the enemy was the Kamo family."

"Is this a boast? Or a taunt?"

The clan head's wife's eyes darkened.

She knew that circumstances were stronger than people, but it still made her furious.

"Neither," Hayami shook her head, then nodded slightly. "Well, maybe a little of both. But what I really want to tell you is that back then, we only had Gardevoir by our side."

The clan head's wife's pupils contracted instantly: "You… you mean—"

If just Gardevoir alone gave them that much confidence, how powerful would they be now with so many more Pokémon?

"He never does anything without certainty. You—all of you—have always underestimated him."

This "all of you" included Hayami herself. From enduring in Shikoku, to striving in Tokyo, to this trip to Kyoto—time and time again.

Every time she thought he was in trouble and wanted to help, she found that her thoughts and actions weren't as thorough as his.

Perhaps this was Akira's way of life. But every time it happened, her pride as a mother took a hit.

Of course, Hayami only lost face. As for the birth mother beside her, she stood to lose much more than just pride.

Thinking of this, Hayami's mood improved considerably.

"I'm going to find Akira now. Would you like to come with me, Clan Head's Wife?"

"Guh."

A verbal dagger to the heart.

The clan head's wife's blood pressure spiked instantly, but there was nothing she could do. She could only grudgingly follow behind.

With Akira now on the offensive, there was no safer place than by Hayami's side.

This was exactly what Hayami wanted.

Back in the Kamo family, as a concubine, she hadn't been allowed to walk side by side with the clan head or his main wife. She could only follow behind in small steps.

Now, the tables had turned.

The person who once strutted ahead could only eat dust behind her.

Before, she hadn't understood what this feeling was like. But now… it really was satisfying.

Did they really think gentle people had no temper? The debt of taking my child—I'll remember it for a lifetime, even if it meant gaining one, no, several good children in the process.

...

When the two middle-aged women reached the mountain peak, they were met with a scene of utter devastation.

The main gate was wide open, the walls were cracked, and the roof had vanished. The headquarters building looked as if it had been hit by a category 10 typhoon.

In the center of the building, the directors and executives who held the highest power in the Jujutsu Union were all on all fours, as if practicing the secret "Toad Style" martial arts from White Camel Mountain, their postures bizarre.

The only two who could maintain a human posture were the black-haired young man resting with his eyes closed and the Pokémon girl whose eyes glowed with light.

Noticing Hayami's arrival, they both stood up, left the half-ruined conference room, and came outside to greet her.

"Mom."

"Garde~"

Hayami nodded, first patting Gardevoir's head as she floated over: "Thank you for always protecting Akira."

Then she turned to Akira: "Did I do something unnecessary?"

"How could it be unnecessary? You've been a huge help, Mom. When our family works together, there's no obstacle we can't overcome."

Unlike many parents who make decisions for their children under the guise of "doing what's best," Hayami always discussed her decisions with Akira beforehand, fully listening to his opinions.

This trip to Kyoto was no exception. Although Akira had initially said she didn't need to come, she thought it over and decided she should make the trip. After explaining her thoughts to Akira, he revised the original plan, leading to the current multi-pronged success.

While the Akira mother and son smiled happily, the birth mother was far less pleased.

I'm your mother. I'm your mother. I'm your mother.

All of this should have been mine! Mine! Mine!

Why am I the outsider now?

The resentful woman tried to find a chance to interject, but there was no opportunity.

The three of them seemed to be surrounded by an invisible field, forming their own little world that had no room for her—no, it wasn't that there was no room, just no place for her.

Even the terrifying Darkrai had effortlessly integrated into the group, receiving an affectionate pat on the shoulder from Akira and a word of thanks.

In the end, she was even less than a Pokémon.

Have I… really been wrong all along?

This wavering didn't escape Gardevoir's perception. Just as she was hesitating whether to do something, an abnormal and intense ripple came from above.

It was moving extremely fast, breaking through dozens of barriers in succession.

By the time they could see the source of the ripple, a familiar voice rang out at the same time:

"Everyone below, move! I can't stop! I'm going to crash!"

"Holy… crap…"

Catching sight of the iconic white spiky hair, Akira let out a curse and immediately grabbed his mom to flee.

Darkrai and Gardevoir followed closely behind.

As they moved, Gardevoir didn't forget to use her psychic energy to pull the other mother along. After all, even the birth mother was still a mother.

The moment they moved away, the white meteor crashed into the earth.

The impact point was right at the headquarters' main entrance.

The already full of holes and crumbling building suffered another devastating blow. The relatively intact lobby was instantly turned into a crater.

From the center of the crater, a red-and-white sphere over 1 meter tall bounced out, its eyes and mouth forming a classic angry expression as it shot electric sparks at the spiky-haired, masked man sitting on it.

Unfortunately, it had no effect.

The spiky-haired man waved away the dust and electric charges around him, striking a pose reminiscent of Ultraman:

"The hero has arrived!"