Chapter 243: The Power of Fear and Gratitude

Chapter 243: The Power of Fear and Gratitude

At that moment, Rochan clearly sensed his own voice echoing in Bellossom's mind.

And Bellossom, in turn, could sense Rochan's words as well.

For the first time—

They could communicate telepathically.

Naturally, this led to yet another round of heartfelt bonding between the two.

This continued until the enforcement officers finally tracked down the location where Ho-Oh had descended—

And arrived at their doorstep.

At the same time, the front door creaked open.

From inside, a small head peeked out—

A delicate and adorable little girl, no older than eleven or twelve.

She was as cute as a porcelain doll.

This must be Rochan's little sister.

"Big brother? Big brother!"

Behind her, a middle-aged couple emerged as well.

Meanwhile, the enforcement officers, true to their nature, hurried over after the situation had already been resolved.

Seeing this, Hikaru knew exactly what would happen next—

A formal debrief, followed by tedious questioning.

Without hesitation, he nudged Gardevoir beside him and quickly recalled his Pokémon.

Gardevoir immediately understood.

In the next moment, both Hikaru and Latias vanished into thin air.

No way in hell was he sticking around for that.

Let's just play the role of a "mysterious savior" and be done with it.

Outside the house, Rochan's parents were on the verge of tears.

The sheer chaos and destruction from earlier—

They had heard every sound while hiding inside.

But what could they do?

They were just ordinary people, and with a child to protect, stepping out wasn't an option.

All they could do was pray that the battle outside wouldn't reach their home.

And yet—

Now that they saw Rochan standing there, battered but alive,

With a fainted Ariados nearby—

Everything became crystal clear.

He had protected them.

But if he had been seriously injured or worse…

They would never forgive themselves.

"Son… are you alright?"

Seeing their concern, Rochan simply shook his head and smiled.

Only then did his parents finally breathe a sigh of relief.

At that moment, an enforcement officer arrived, scanning the battle-torn scene before approaching.

"We need to record the details of this incident. Can you describe what happened?"

Rochan began to sign his responses—

But when he instinctively glanced toward Hikaru's previous position—

He realized Hikaru had already disappeared.

A soft thank you formed in his heart.

Then, he turned back to answer the officer's questions.

Gardevoir's teleportation had landed Hikaru back at school.

By now, the tense and fearful atmosphere had completely vanished.

Everywhere, students were smiling, chatting excitedly—

Their Pokémon standing proudly beside them.

More importantly, every Pokémon had gained at least two to three levels.

Though they didn't know the identity of the mystical Pokémon that had blessed them—

Every student felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward it.

At that moment, Hikaru's Aura flared slightly.

He could feel it—

The gratitude-filled emotions of countless people, gathering into an invisible force—

And then…

Rising into the sky.

The direction it was heading?

The same direction Ho-Oh had flown.

Hikaru quickly put the pieces together.

So this is how it works…

1. Marshadow caused mass panic, absorbing the energy of fear.

2. Ho-Oh arrived to heal and bless—absorbing the energy of gratitude.

3. In the end, both benefited.

A perfectly orchestrated system of emotional energy collection.

Meanwhile, Hikaru—who had unknowingly played into their game—

Had essentially been nothing more than a pawn in their scheme.

"Damn. So I was just a glorified employee in their operation?"

He couldn't help but feel a little cheated.

But then again—

Nobody had died.

People and Pokémon had grown stronger.

And his own Pokémon had received a huge boost.

All things considered—

It was a win-win-win situation.

At that moment, the principal of Waterwood High approached, his bald head shining with excitement.

"Hikaru! My boy! You've done something incredible for this school!"

It was obvious—

This incident had significantly boosted the power levels of the school's students.

Meaning?

Waterwood High's Pokémon Academy rankings were about to skyrocket.

Their college entrance exam results would soar—

Not just next year—

But for at least the next three years!

Meanwhile, Charizard and Greninja returned from their duties, landing beside Hikaru.

Though they hadn't leveled up,

They had still benefited from Ho-Oh's energy.

The principal eagerly grasped Hikaru's hand, his eyes practically glowing.

"Hikaru, my dear boy, we can't thank you enough!"

"Cough…"

Hikaru inwardly sighed.

Here we go again…

But on the surface, he remained polite.

"As a student of Waterwood High, it was my duty. No thanks necessary."

Nearby, Yuki—who had been watching the whole exchange—

Burst out laughing.

She knew Hikaru too well.

He definitely hated being dragged into these situations.

So she quickly stepped in to rescue him.

"Principal, Hikaru was actually planning to leave soon. He has a Gym Challenge to attend."

Hikaru blinked—

Then immediately caught on to her plan.

"Oh! Right! My Gym Challenge! I almost forgot—"

He turned to the principal.

"I'm really sorry, sir, but I have to go. I won't be able to finish the speech after all…"

The principal, though disappointed, quickly waved it off.

"No worries, no worries! You've already done enough. Just remember to visit us often!"

Hikaru let out a long breath of relief.

As he recalled his Pokémon, he mentally noted—

No more impromptu school visits for a while.

But just as he was about to leave—

He realized something.

Yuki had also recalled her Pokémon—

And now, she was smiling mischievously as she walked up beside him.

Hikaru suddenly felt a little uneasy.

His entire body tensed up as she approached.

With her silver hair flowing naturally, she stood before him—

Her clear blue eyes locked onto his own.

A soft, refreshing fragrance drifted from her presence.

Then, with a teasing smile, she tilted her head.

"Hmm? Are you not leaving?"

For a brief moment, Hikaru felt his breath catch.

He instinctively wanted to step back—

But forced himself to stay still.

Despite himself, his gaze flickered with uncertainty.

And for the first time—

He suddenly understood how Ye Yang (Ye Rong) must have felt before.

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