Chapter 227

The Shadow Triad—officers of Team Plasma, most loyal subordinates to Ghetsis and Lord N. All three bore the name "Darkness." Their movements resembled those of ninjas—"appearing and disappearing without warning" being their usual trick in the games.

And, notably... they possessed psychic powers.

In Black 2 and White 2, Hugh once mentioned that the trio had abilities to restrict a person's movements. That likely explained how they could surround the protagonist in-game and say "come along"—at which point the character would be compelled to follow as if under control.

"To pit a psychic against psychics... That's a sound judgment."

Hikaru picked up the remains of a Watchog Drone—a piece of surveillance equipment often used by the Shadow Triad, and which also appeared in the Pokémon Special manga.

If he could reverse-engineer any of Team Plasma's tech from it... Hmm, Team Plasma tech? Just think about the stuff they've made:

Colress Machine?

Mind-control signal transmitters?

The Genesect cybernetic modification project?

And even building a castle beneath the Pokémon League with their insane subterranean construction techniques?

Or the flying Plasma Frigate that could soar the skies?

Too cool! Of course, that thing needed Kyurem as a power source—something definitely not achievable with hand tools. But hey, fun to fantasize.

If they let Team Rocket's trio try, maybe it'd work. Those three actually did build a working space rocket on minimum wage in just two days. Truly, they might be goblin reincarnations.

"Riolu!"

Riolu pointed in a certain direction, indicating where the enemy had fled.

"So Team Plasma has their eyes on me now... Makes sense. After all, I've attracted Lord N's attention."

"Well, let's call it a day."

Hikaru glanced at the curious onlookers nearby and smiled.

They didn't seem to notice the arrival of the Shadow Triad. Those three were notoriously stealthy—coming and going like ghosts. On a night like this, someone just getting off work, a little tipsy, might just shrug it off if someone vanished in front of them.

Then they'd probably think—

"Ah... probably just some psychic showing off."

After all, Mistralton City was a big city. Nothing unusual here.

"That's the luxury of a metropolis, huh..."

Hikaru returned indoors with his Pokémon. The light of the blue crystal pendant slowly faded. It had likely lit up as a warning just now... or perhaps it had activated defensively, triggered by the extreme darkness of the intruder's heart?

———

"Hmm..."

Inside a building across from Mistralton Gym—Team Plasma's secret base.

One of the Shadow Triad "materialized" out of nowhere.

"Failed. The surveillance unit was destroyed. But I didn't take damage—my Pawniard took the hit. Steel-type Pokémon make excellent shields."

"The target is sharp—definitely a unique psychic. His Pokémon are also very troublesome."

He gave his report to the satellite-haired scientist before him.

Technically, the Triad didn't take orders from Colress, but this mission—"monitor that person"—came directly from their King.

Lord N cared greatly for that person. So, for now, they were following Colress's directions. Though, the eccentric scientist clearly didn't need all three members. Only one remained.

The Shadow Triad never acted alone.

This was an exception.

"Ohoho! Not even your kind can approach? I thought psychics might stand a better chance! Ah well!"

Colress's expression was theatrically surprised, quickly shifting to disappointed.

The Triad member said nothing. His duty was done.

"That means we can't monitor his movements regularly anymore. Tracking him will be difficult."

"Psychics with detection abilities are the worst to spy on. What a pain... How will I collect more data like this?"

"To defeat that Pokémon's 'king,' we need even greater power. Use machines to draw out Pokémon potential... to evolve them into something better, stronger, faster, larger... Could the ultimate scientific evolution resemble a king?"

"The thought alone excites me. But there's no good test subject!"

"Oh well. Mistralton's atmosphere is no longer suited for Plasma ops. We'll move on. We've confirmed he's leaving soon anyway."

"N just sent a message. The next campaign cities are Nimbasa, Opelucid, and Driftveil. We'll head that way. Leave this zone to peripheral agents."

Colress wasn't fond of lurking or planning—wasting time on such things only hindered his research. The only reason he was involved now was that he'd found a perfect subject for study.

His true loyalty belonged to knowledge.

"No. I believe I should keep pursuing him," the Triad member suddenly said.

Colress blinked. What?

The Triad only followed Ghetsis and N. And now one of them was making... a suggestion?

"Since just now... I feel something strange in my body."

He appeared contemplative—even surprised by his own emotions.

During his earlier approach, some sort of ripple brushed across his mind. It could have been psychic energy... or ghostly power from that giant sword Pokémon. But whatever it was, it made him feel different.

He wasn't necessarily smarter—but it was like he could see things from a new angle.

A novel way of thinking... and the sudden desire to express it.

That urge to speak up—that itself was proof of change.

"Next time, I won't be detected. Surveillance drone..."

Colress perked up with glee. "I get it! I've got plenty more! Take as many as you need! Incredible—you actually want to keep going!"

"If you uncover anything major—like the source of that Pokémon's power—contact me immediately. My signal's always full bars."

"This mission was always long-term. And you're still willing to do it, so I see no problem!"

Colress resumed testing various Pokémon captured by Team Plasma, recording data.

Meanwhile, the Triad member continued to think.

That ripple... what kind of power was that?

Why had someone like him—used as a tool for so long—felt, for just a moment, like the nightmare had ended?

Yet, his loyalty to Ghetsis and Lord N was unshaken.

They had saved his life. That oath would never waver.

So why... did everything else suddenly feel so false?

He'd never had thoughts like this before.

The answer lay with that man. Was it his power? His Pokémon's power? A device he created?

Info from the Pokémon Center indicated the man was a traveler—or perhaps, a toolmaker?

He had gifted special medals to those who retrieved lost Pokémon. Mistralton Gym reportedly had one.

Should he steal it? But that would be acting on his own. If he failed, local security would tighten. The city was already under heavy reform. Any more disruptions might expose their hideout.

Only a slight risk—but still.

Perhaps there was no need to rush. That man would surely give out more medals. But... why?

In the end, logic triumphed over impulse. He stuck to the plan.

———

After a night of disassembly, Hikaru gained much.

Team Plasma's technology was impressive, but the drone's function was limited to surveillance and tracking—its tech focused on stealth and sensors.

Luckily, Team Galactic's work on signal science was among the best.

[Acquired: Camouflage & Drive Tech!]

[Acquired: Signal Emission & Jamming Knowledge!]

[Bonus: Corresponding mechanical production skills.]

[Can now create: Camouflage Surveillance Drone, Signal Shield, Decoy Drone, Plasma Anti-Jam Badge, Eject Button (Signal Ver.), Sticky Barb (Signal Ver.), Evac Pack (Signal Ver.)]

[Further Plasma & Galactic tech can unlock stronger machines.]

[Linked Tech: Concealment. More tech needed to fully unlock.]

[Note: Using Team Rocket's cheap production methods allows rapid construction—ignoring some conditions—but introduces risk.]

[Risks: Explosion chance +50%, instability +30%, malfunction rate +30%, overload +50%, efficiency -30%, device-vs-device effectiveness -30%]

[Cost-efficiency +300%. Cheap is king.]

Most machines looked flashy, but their functions were unchanged. The drone couldn't yield advanced blueprints, but Hikaru was satisfied.

Team Plasma could never guess that their prized tech had been cracked thanks to Team Galactic's signal science.

Team Rocket had pioneered it with their evolution wave project. Ever since, evil teams across the regions had followed suit. Giovanni truly had long-term vision.

Hikaru recalled that he was once encouraged to explore villainous hideouts for hidden tech. Perhaps even Arceus wanted to dabble in science?

After all, science is humanity's ladder of progress.

"I even got two useful battle items—Eject Button and Sticky Barb. Come to think of it, both were introduced in Gen V. They're Unova-made."

And unlike advanced machines, the Eject Button could be made right away—its core was simply a signal card.

Interestingly, the crafting entry had this extra note:

[Eject Button: When the holder is hit, the attacker is forced to switch to a random Pokémon.]

[With arcane symbols, mystical permits, and strong psychic/ghost/dream energy, it's possible to create an indestructible, signal-free version.]

The same applied to Sticky Barb.

Both items had dual crafting paths—"science" and "mysticism." In Gen V, Eject Button could even be found in the Dream World, making it quite unique.

"Anyway, the first thing I need to make is the Signal Shield."

A small cube-shaped gadget that expands when held. Originally developed by Interpol using Galactic tech. It was excellent at jamming Plasma frequencies.

Currently, Galactic was still active, and Plasma hadn't created new signal weapons. That made this shield incredibly versatile. Useable in any situation.

As night deepened, Mistralton fell silent. For a few hours, the bustling city found peace.

Hikaru and his Pokémon rested.

Team Plasma did not return.

But inside the backpack, the wooden imitation of a Lunar Wing began to glow faintly.

Not just one—all the wings shimmered. The blue crystal pendant also glowed slightly—but this time, not as a warning.

A strange Pokémon appeared in a hazy light. Though not in the Dream World, Hikaru did meet it in a "regular dream."

[So someone can see another world in dreams... But why does this fake Lunar Wing carry real power?]

[Who are you? Your soul... This voice is...]

[I see. One who hears echoes from the spirit realm, and can craft Lunar Wings...]

That Pokémon gently asked—

[Please... do me a favor.]

Hikaru awoke.

The mysterious dream vanished.

"Cresselia?"

(End of Chapter)

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