Ch.172 The Pokémon That Nearly Tanked the Pokémon IP

Yoshikichi and Mai Zenin were both hooked by the newborn critter.

"This is… a Pokémon?"

"So Pokémon hatch from eggs—oviparous, huh? First time seeing it. Where'd you hide this one? Part of your 'Pokémon Manipulation Technique'? Come on, spill it!" Mai pestered.

"Too many questions." Akira flicked her forehead.

"Ow, rude!" Mai clutched her head, pouting cutely. "Maki totally knows, right? You heartless jerk—I risked my virtue to fetch you, and you treat me like this? Believe it, I'll cry right here!"

"Cut it out. Freshly hatched Pokémon are like babies—one cries, they all cry. You gonna babysit then?"

Too bad Akira wasn't biting.

Whining and flirting?

Can't top real charm and cuteness.

Ralts' interstellar adorableness and Serperior's sky-high sass had spoiled Akira's standards.

Forget a mildly scheming girl—even a tea-master seductress or queen of the sea couldn't crack him.

Akira's defenses were Gojo Satoru-tier—rock solid!

Mai: "…"

Ugh, I'm pissed.

She wanted to snap but didn't know how.

Kyoto's famed troublemaker, second only to Todo Aoi—why couldn't she blow up?

Her cheeks puffed up high, and Akira clicked his tongue in awe.

Blow up like Jigglypuff, and I'll bow.

Yoshikichi couldn't stifle a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Mai found her outlet, glaring. Can't handle Akira, but you?

"First time seeing you like this. It's… novel," the ultimate shut-in said, straight-man style.

"Oh, that? Never heard women have two faces? Gotta tone it down at school." Maybe the straightness rubbed off—Mai went blunt.

"Even Nishimiya-senpai and M-Miwa? Same deal?" Yoshikichi tried masking his nerves.

But with zero face-to-face finesse, how good could his poker face be? Mai saw through it. "Hmph, Peach too. And M-Miwa… hmph, voice shaking—spill it, you crushing on Kasumi?"

"Guh!"

"No need to blush— not a kid anymore."

"Gah!"

Yoshikichi froze. Good thing scars and bandages hid his flush, or he'd match the tub's little swimmer.

"Puku~"

Speaking of, the tiny swimmer climbed onto Yoshikichi's shoulder, rubbing his face with chubby paws. Like the stiffness melted, his mood lifted.

Akira cut in. "Mai, ease up. Liking someone's their business—outsiders stay out."

"Aw, shame. Was gonna play wingman for Kasumi," Mai said, faking regret, twisting Yoshikichi into knots.

Even he knew assists matter, but Mai's vibe? Admit it, and she'd stir up chaos later.

Kinda jealous of Akira—taming the trickiest classmate like a pro.

Akira added, "If he wants advice, Mechamaru'll ask you."

"Then I'll wait for your call—pro at passing messages." True—she'd linked Akira and Kamo Noritoshi.

"Let's roll. Others are waiting," Akira turned again.

Yoshikichi piped up, "Your Pokémon—"

"Yours for now," Akira grinned back. "Meeting a Pokémon's fate—winning its favor's chemistry. Cherish this with Chansey's kid. You won't regret it."

Chansey's kid—Happiny, the little one's name.

Playhouse Pokémon, 0.6 meters, 24.4 kg.

Legend says their affection brings luck and blessings.

Evolves to Chansey, then Blissey.

See? Yoshi-kichi—luck's all there.

When Akira pitched meeting Yoshikichi, he'd had a hunch. Seeing him confirmed it—meme acquired, hatching fast, rivaling Swablu's bond with An Kaguya.

Post-hatch, it was all over Yoshikichi—straight out of Brock's Diamond and Pearl arc.

If that's not destiny, what is?

"Puku~ Puku~" Hearing Akira, Happiny danced, flailing happily.

Yoshikichi admitted it—he was smitten. Still, he poker-faced, "I'm Kyoto's student. Not afraid I'll hand this to the brass?"

"Try it," Akira said, snapping his fingers.

The tub's screens glitched—garbled code morphed into a quirky cartoon.

A duck-like 3D model, jagged cubes stacked together.

Yoshikichi tried wresting control back mid-process—too slow.

His wary glance at Akira sharpened. "So it's not just Pokémon—you're into hacking too…"

"You're not the only net-surfer around."

Akira dropped that and sped off.

Mostly to dodge follow-ups—he might slip.

Net-surfing? Akira's ace—veteran of the GGMM era, old-school netizen.

Hacking? Nah, he's clueless.

He jacked Yoshikichi's system with Pokémon power.

Porygon.

Akira prefers its alt name: 3D Dragon.

Virtual Pokémon, the first man-made 'mon in modern Pokémon lore.

Code-bodied, it roams digital space freely—Pokémon's Digimon doppelgänger.

Looks odd, 395 base stats—meh in the power-stacked Pokémon world. Yet it's got a rap sheet: nearly trashed the Pokémon IP, punched through dimensions, made Arceus bow. (Google "Porygon incident" for deets.)

Proof virtual stuff's slippery—Pan Zi wasn't wrong.

Porygon's quirks meant Akira set it loose in the data ocean from day one—leveling up, soaking experience, his hidden ace.

With 3D Dragon, anywhere with net or data's under its watch.

In one day, it cloned the Alliance's files—internal and external comms included. The deeper Akira's reach, the fewer cards the conservatives hold.

With it, he could let Happiny vibe far from Kyoto, no sweat.

Fun fact: Porygon's meme came from Yoshikichi too—via that badge. Not just a passkey.

It packed Yoshikichi's logic and memory backup, like Sword Art Online: Underworld's top-down AI.

Only way to keep moving sans net or cursed energy, mission complete.

Synced with Porygon's ethos—humans dreaming of Pokémon hitting space solo.

Tech limits stalled it—needs updates to evolve into Porygon2, Porygon-Z.

But on gravity-bound Earth, OG Porygon's plenty.

A heads-up didn't need this much, but the secret gift tipped the scales. Akira felt owed, so Happiny stayed—a chance for it, and for Yoshikichi.

Every life meeting another sparks something.

Don't let me down—don't waste your name, Yoshikichi.