Chapter 228

In Unova, dreams are deeply significant. Yet even Hikaru hadn't expected that—despite not having entered the Dream World recently—tonight he'd encounter a Pokémon so profoundly linked to dreams.

There was no mistaking it. A pale blue body, yellow underbelly, crescent-shaped yellow ornaments on both sides of her head, and aurora-colored planetary rings across her side and back. The Pokémon said to bring good dreams and dispel nightmares—the Lunar Pokémon.

A radiant creature, cloaked in gossamer feathers, soaring through the skies as the incarnation of the crescent moon—Cresselia.

In that dream, she left only a destination.

Knowing Hikaru might be confused, the will of the Tree of Connection—ever observing him—quickly transmitted suggestions and details:

[Note 1: You've linked to the dreams of the Legendary Pokémon "Cresselia"! Normally, humans cannot do this—but you've succeeded. You have the experience and skill from past encounters.]

[Note 2: Your crystal pendant is the key to that connection. The voice echoing from the blue crystal seems to come from another yellow crystal. It appears your blue pendant has its own will—and can communicate with the yellow and red crystals across space and time.]

[Note 3: Cresselia has requested your help. She wants you to save a child. To reach White Forest, you'll need to cross Marvelous Bridge—and that child is on the bridge. Cresselia has sensed something different in your soul.]

[Note 4: As a reward, Cresselia offers a genuine Lunar Wing. She also warns of a nightmare-inducing Pokémon... and possibly another that can manifest nightmares into reality. There may be two nightmare-related Pokémon.]

[Note 5: Beyond Marvelous Bridge, she also senses a Pokémon in Nacrene City trapped in an eternal nightmare. Its soul echoes with hatred and sorrow, fading slowly toward death. You might find it in the Nacrene Museum.]

[Connection Mission: Fulfill Cresselia's request.]

[Reward: Reveal Glass ×3, Spiritworld Echo ×1, Ghostly Gift ×1, Radiant Soul ×1, Power of Fantasy ×1]

[Possible Extra Rewards: Nightmare Energy ×1, Cosmic Power ×1?]

[Addendum: Something happened on Marvelous Bridge. There are traces of ghostly power... Beyond this, the Tree of Connection cannot describe it.]

"Hm." Hikaru mused, lifting his gaze toward the distant window. The darkness between the high-rises had faded—soft morning light was now breaking through.

The Pokémon in the room were still sound asleep, clearly enjoying pleasant dreams. Of course they were—nearly the whole backpack of Lunar Wing merchandise was glowing!

The blue crystal pendant had ceased glowing, deepening Hikaru's curiosity about it.

If the blue crystal's will is linked to the yellow crystal, and the yellow crystal is protected by a Cresselia...

Then perhaps the crystal sensed something.

"Did Cresselia pass by here last night? Or did her plea come from a great distance?"

Marvelous Bridge... Was it that ghost girl?

That's one of Unova's most famous urban legends.

But what about Nacrene City?

Might be worth a look.

As the sun rose higher, Mistralton buzzed back to life. This metropolis, having briefly paused for rest, was now pulsing again with the flow of people—like fresh blood coursing through the steel-and-concrete veins of the city.

Hikaru opened his PokéGear.

Just as he'd said before—coming to such a big city meant gathering new materials for crafting tools. Although recent days had been tied up dealing with Team Plasma and forging medals, he had managed to buy some crafting components.

However, the biggest department store in Unova wasn't in Mistralton—but at R9 Mall, located on Route 9. A bit odd that the region's largest mall wasn't in its largest city...

Hikaru hadn't forgotten his to-do list or outstanding orders.

The luminous crops developed with Calyrex's help in the Dream World were still a work in progress. Though the Radiant Bloom hadn't blossomed yet, Calyrex was already working on producing luminous radishes, cabbages, eggplants, potatoes, and cauliflower.

Still, cultivating the Radiant Bloom was a priority. High-quality soil and the creation of "Mythic Soil" were essential—another long-term task.

Perhaps this soil existed on some border island. But Hikaru was far from Hoenn, and it wasn't practical to draw a mythic nautical map and sail off. Plus, once there—how would he return? The mythic maps crafted using divine inscription techniques disintegrated after one use.

Second task—he had promised Suicune a useful item. Fortunately, he had already acquired the Mystic Water and Damp Rock.

But the best tool to boost Water-type strength was the "Soul of the Sea," a special orb from Johto's Whirl Islands. Hikaru didn't have access to it, but maybe with enough Mystic Waters and a Reveal Glass as base, he could craft one.

Third task—new artwork for the gallery. He'd mentioned it before to clients like Caitlin.

Now that he had divine inscription skills, he could create any kind of artwork. Plus, he'd inherited artistic knowledge from James of Team Rocket—along with the collective wisdom of his twenty-three eccentric tutors.

Perhaps the Mistralton Gallery visit would prove fruitful.

Fourth task—find the "Dream Link Knowledge" of Unova. This was critical for mysterious terrain and interdimensional crafting. Hikaru believed this knowledge likely referred to the full version of the C Device.

Fifth task—the Arceus Set commissioned by Cynthia.

Though officially Cynthia's request, it was really left behind by Arceus itself. Hikaru had already received the divine gift, and the order had to be completed at full effort.

As for Cynthia's measurements—no need to worry. The Arceus Set would auto-adjust to fit the wearer perfectly. Very convenient.

Though the instructions said it required blessed high-grade fabrics, no material surpassed the "Reveal Glass" born of collective will. Crafting info had updated accordingly.

Unfortunately, Reveal Glass production was very limited. Until the Tree of Connection regained power, Hikaru would only obtain small amounts.

Unova's people were divided—Ghetsis wasn't wrong in saying it was a "land of a thousand disputes."

But really—what region wasn't?

Only Unova had the Tree of Connection—a mysterious will that, in ancient times, might have actually united people's minds and hearts. That's why Unova still yearned to gather collective will again.

So, step one: buy high-grade fabric.

The Arceus Set's schematics also revealed some unique materials:

[Reinforcement Materials: Reinforced Scissors, Thread, Needle, Fabric, and Elemental Plates]

[Owned Plates: Draco Plate, Earth Plate, Spooky Plate]

[Can Obtain: Element-specific fabrics never seen in this world. They were originally meant to appear in the Pasio Region—but that region doesn't exist here.]

[About Pasio: A distant land that transcends space and time.]

"Do other regions have will-avatars like the Tree of Connection?"

A stray thought wandered through Hikaru's mind.

In Kanto—perhaps the Viridian Forest.

In Johto—the Ruins of Alph? Ho-Oh? Or the Shinto Ruins?

He figured the Shinto Ruins could be considered Johto-adjacent. After all, his deliveries were routed through Johto. Even though he hadn't sold much there, somehow he was becoming its representative?

In Hoenn—it should be the Awakened Shrine and Mt. Pyre. The symbols of birth and death.

In Paldea—maybe the Terastal Tree in Area Zero? The Herba Mystica supposedly originated from beneath it.

Regardless, no region's "will" was as active as Unova's Tree of Connection. A mysterious entity in the region with the most interdimensional rifts.

As for Alola—the Ultra Wormholes connected to other worlds, but not of Alola itself.

Returning home with arms full of supplies, Hikaru found Amarys sketching in the living room.

She was drawing Aegislash—capturing its "royal posture."

"A sketch?"

"I like drawing. Just a hobby."

That made sense. Being from Mistralton—the site of Unova's largest art gallery and an Art Gym—she'd naturally grown up surrounded by creativity.

"School resumes tomorrow. I'm disappointed, but also happy. I've learned so much about Steel-types and their moves these past few days."

"I wish I could catch an Aegislash... but I can't travel to other regions."

She'd been awestruck by Aegislash's power. While Hikaru and the others were out, Aegislash had shown Amarys, along with the Deerling and Haxorus at home, his "King's Stance."

The two Pokémon had been stunned—wide-eyed and dazed even after Hikaru returned. But now, their eyes gleamed with absolute loyalty.

Ohh... What a mighty presence! Surely, this was the aura of a Pokémon blessed by the gods!

"Does that stance have anything to do with Steel-type moves?"

"Guaaa! (Nope. It just looks awesome!)"

Aegislash had a show-off streak. Hikaru couldn't help it. At least Amarys wasn't a stranger—and the performance had actually fired her up.

"I've decided—I'm going to convince my dad to transfer me to Dragonspiral Academy."

"With my grades, it shouldn't be a problem."

She adjusted her glasses, wearing a rare confident smile—the pride of a top student.

As a future Blueberry Academy Student Council President, she already ranked in the top five of Mistralton's Pokémon school.

Transferring to Dragonspiral was meant to pressure herself—to shine brilliantly when entering Blueberry Academy, one of Unova's future elite schools. Their "Four Champions" were probably on par with Gym Leaders.

"What about the trainers for these two Pokémon?"

"No word yet. I'll take them to their cities—I've got work there anyway."

"I see... poor things. You must be so worried about your trainers."

Amarys looked at them with sympathy. Deerling was upset and murmured softly—frustration and confusion in its tone.

Haxorus remained silent, but its brows hinted at sadness. Maybe it had forgotten something.

With their companions gone and their trainers missing, they were left in limbo—uncertainty breeding despair.

Hikaru: "If you have nowhere else to go, come with me. But if you want to return home—I'll take you there."

Haxorus didn't respond—still unsure.

Deerling lowered its head and murmured.

It had made its decision.

It wanted to return to Mistralton's sister city, Driftveil—the place where its trainer once lived and where it was born. No matter what, it wanted to go home.

In Unova's distinct four-season cycle, Deerling's antlers reflected the change of time. Some people watched its form to sense seasonal shifts.

Driftveil—a city of dancing leaves. With such clear seasonal variation, it offered a stable home without migration.

"I wonder if Haxorus's trainer is a student from Dragonspiral Academy," Amarys pondered aloud. "But... probably not. That Haxorus is too well-trained. Doesn't seem like something a regular student could raise."

Hikaru looked at her knowingly.

You're one to talk. Sure, your Scizor was a gift from your dad—but your flying pill experiments show that you're the better trainer.

And you're still a student—technically even in prep school.

Wait... if you transfer to Dragonspiral early, would you meet Blueberry's Dragon Champion Drayden ahead of schedule? Eh, probably not important.

"Oh, here. This is for you."

He handed Amarys a medal.

Only three medals remained. Without more Reveal Glasses, he couldn't make new ones.

"A medal made by a psychic?"

"Consider it a charm—or a gift. It may help you grow. Amarys, if you hear voices—within yourself or from the world—reflect on them. Your bond with your Pokémon might shift in response."

Curious, Amarysstudied the medal.

What material was this?

It felt like a mineral—but something about it was... off.

"Thank you!"

Hikaru waved it off. "This afternoon, Gym Leader Skyla invited me to the gallery. I might have to do a Gym Battle too. I tried to decline... but I owe her a favor, so I'll go."

He invited Amarys to join, thinking it'd be a shame to leave her behind.

She loved battles—after all, she was a future member of Blueberry Academy's Four Champions. They were supposedly on Gym Leader level—a force to reckon with even across Unova.

But then his PokéGear buzzed.

Not from customer chat.

It was a message from a new account—tagged clearly with: [Battle Company].

"Apologies for the intrusion. We are the Unova Battle Company—a firm specializing in the development of battle items and upgrading products like Poké Balls."

"We'd like to discuss the possibility of electronic licensing of your battle items—and possibly collaborate on development."

Hikaru raised an eyebrow.

The Battle Company, huh... He'd been introduced to this room through one of their employees. Leaf had mentioned the company's test runs with new e-battle items and their plans to contact developers.

So they'd finally come knocking.

The Battle Company HQ was at the corner of Fashion Street.

But they didn't know his true identity.

Hikaru thought for a moment, then replied:

"Licensing can be discussed—as long as the price is right."

"However, I must decline co-development. I already have limited collaboration with Devon Corp from Hoenn."

The reply surprised them—but the response was swift.

"In that case, we'd like to propose a three-party online meeting—with you and Devon Corp."

"We're ready to make an offer! These new items could revolutionize competitive battling. We're very excited about the future of battle items!"

At that moment, in a certain floor of the Battle Company's tower, a man dressed as a janitor—President Shinnosuke—was fuming at a meeting.

He scolded executives who had failed to grasp market shifts.

Devon and Battle Company were competitors—both in the same niche: Pokémon training and battle gear. Only their specialties differed.

For Battle Company, Devon was a rival—though the two didn't clash often due to regional separation.

But now... Devon was outpacing them in new battle tech!

If this continued, Devon might join the ranks of giants like Silph Co., Macro Cosmos, and the Aether Foundation!

Devon had originally just been an energy company. Back then, it was about on par with Almia's Angel Corporation. But it had grown... and grown.

In business, it's not your rivals who destroy you—it's those from outside your field!

In a corner of the meeting room, Ms. Keiko—the one Hikaru had helped—suddenly had a strange expression.

The crafter account ID showing up on the shared screen—

It looked... very familiar.

Wasn't that...

She discreetly opened her PokéGear and confirmed it with disbelief.

(End of Chapter)

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