September 10th, Thursday.
The new video, Pokémon Legends: Dragon of Ideal and Truth, once again shocked the internet.
Probably because Professor Oak, who had been longing for it, shared and commented on it the moment it dropped, the video's popularity was still climbing even though two days had passed.
However, compared to the ancient myths in the video, the audience who were slowly processing the information were actually more curious about one thing: Wait, what do you mean the Unova League is paralyzed?
Even the locals of Unova were incredibly shocked by Aiden's words.
After all, even though the various cities in Unova were usually quite fragmented and lacked cohesion outside of commercial ties—
That was still just at the local level. If the League wasn't doing its job, wouldn't all sorts of trouble inevitably arise?
This time, the threat of Team Plasma was ultimately resolved by Teacher Azure. Fortunately, it didn't cause too much damage to Opelucid City, and the news was quickly suppressed.
But what about next time?
This world doesn't just have Team Plasma. All sorts of weird and bizarre organizations often pop up to make their presence known.
Take Pokémon Hunters, for example. It's precisely because they exist in large numbers across various regions that an organization like the International Police was created specifically to deal with them.
If the Unova League completely ignored these things—the consequences would be unimaginable.
For a moment, everyone in Unova started wondering: Why did Alder, the man who once made a name for himself alongside Volcarona and had always been dedicated to his duties, suddenly disappear?
Even if he was tied up with something tricky, he should have at least left a complete Elite Four roster behind!
Where exactly did you go, Mr. Alder?!
"Achoo——!"
Far away in the Village of Dragons, Alder suddenly sneezed.
Did he catch a cold?
Why had he been sneezing at such weird times lately?
Oh well, whatever!
Looking at the dark-skinned, deep purple-haired little girl sitting next to him, Alder scratched his head.
"Iris, where was I?"
"The dietary preferences and training strategies for Dragon-type Pokémon—"
Iris yawned, looking a bit bored.
"For stuff like this, wouldn't it be easier to just ask them directly? Even among Dragon Pokémon, their preferences can't be exactly the same."
"That makes sense, but—"
Alder shook his head helplessly and closed the Advanced Pokémon Education Guide he had opened to the middle.
"Normal trainers aren't like you; they can't sense the emotions of Dragon Pokémon."
"Besides, learning a bit about what others have summarized isn't a bad thing, right?"
"Yeah!"
Iris nodded, then patted her cheeks to chase away her drowsiness.
"If doing this can make me super strong and become a 'Champion,' then I'll learn it!"
"Alright, that's the spirit!"
Alder laughed heartily, bending down to look for other textbooks on the ground that might be more suitable for her.
At the same time, he thought to himself:
It's incredible. In the borders of Unova, there's actually such an inconspicuous little place.
Perhaps precisely because it's isolated from the world, they were able to earn the trust of Dragon Pokémon and live alongside them—
The Village of Dragons is truly amazing!
Of course, what was even more amazing was the seemingly ordinary little girl in front of him.
When he first met Iris, Alder initially thought she was just a very wild, energetic little kid.
But after witnessing her ability to pacify the fury of a giant dragon and communicate flawlessly with Dragon Pokémon, he immediately understood—
This child might just be the perfect candidate for the next Unova Champion!
Unfortunately, the Village of Dragons was simply too remote. It was so isolated that many people didn't even recognize him as the Unova Champion.
Because of this, the other villagers didn't agree to let him take Iris away.
Unless he could prove he truly had the strength to be her teacher.
This was the main reason Alder was temporarily staying in the Village of Dragons, almost entirely cut off from the outside world.
Counting the days, he had probably been in the Village of Dragons for a month and a half now, right?
In a little while, once Iris's growth reassured the other villagers, he would be able to take her back to the Unova region and officially begin training her to be the future Champion!
It would only take about three months in total. It shouldn't be such a coincidence that a major incident happens right as he leaves, right?
Alder thought about it and felt the probability of that was almost zero, so he didn't overthink it anymore.
In two months, by the time he returned to Unova, the candidates for the new Elite Four should have been decided. The major house-cleaning of the Unova League would be completely over.
As for this old guy, whose fighting spirit had long been ground down and whose old partner had already left him, it was about time to retire!
Obviously, Alder had no idea what kind of reputation would be waiting for him upon his return—
The trivial matters of Unova were left to the other responsible Gym Leaders to handle. Far away in Kalos, Aiden naturally didn't have the time to worry about them.
After all, today was the day he and Cynthia would reunite.
It was three days before the tournament started. Even though the timing was a bit tight, Cynthia had official duties to attend to, so Aiden completely understood.
After meeting at the airport in Lumiose City, the original plan was to casually stroll around the area.
As the core city of the Kalos region, Lumiose City had always been known as "the most bustling place in the world," as well as a world-renowned palace of art.
Even if they weren't there to cultivate their minds, just appreciating the scenery with Cynthia would be nice!
Unfortunately, before their date could even begin, another "uninvited guest" appeared at the airport.
"Cynthia! Long time no see~"
Under Aiden's stunned gaze, a black luxury sedan suddenly stopped in front of them.
As the window rolled down, the blonde heiress Caitlin revealed a smiling face.
"And you—I guess we can't really say it's been a 'long time' since we last met, can we!"
When she looked at Aiden, although she kept her smile, her tone was obviously a bit impatient.
Seeing that she seemed to think she was all that again, Aiden raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh, so you're participating in the tournament too. Shouldn't you be preparing for your Elite Four assessment at a time like this?"
"And—who is your partner? How come I haven't heard Cynthia mention them?"
"You—!"
Having her defenses instantly broken by Aiden's words, Caitlin's face turned noticeably redder.
So what if you have Cynthia as a partner!
I have very reliable friends too; it's not like I had to have Cynthia!
Just wait! If we run into each other in the tournament, Shauntal and I will definitely wipe the floor with you two!
The more Caitlin thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. She soon quietly pouted, glaring at Aiden with a resentful look, as well as at Cynthia standing next to him.
"Alright, how did we go back to this again—"
Cynthia's smile held a hint of helplessness as she took the initiative to ease the tension between the two.
She previously thought their relationship would have improved a little, but she didn't expect them to return to their bickering ways so soon.
They weren't little kids anymore; was there really anything they absolutely had to fight over?
And what exactly were they fighting over—
But it would have been better if Cynthia hadn't said anything. The moment she spoke, Caitlin felt even more aggrieved.
Because she suddenly realized that, starting from the past, she had literally never won against them even once?
Damn it, Cynthia, you biased jerk!
Just wait, you're going to regret this!
You'll regret not choosing me as your partner, and instead teaming up with this guy, Aiden!
However—
Although she had cursed them out countless times in her head, Caitlin actually had no real confidence. So she only dared to turn red in the face and vent in her mind.
She had already lost to Aiden in her own specialty, Psychic-types. Now switching to Double Battles, a field where he clearly had deeper research, if she wanted to win, she'd probably have to rely on unorthodox methods—
Recalling Aiden's unique and bizarre battle style, Caitlin quickly made up her mind: So what if we play dirty? When the time comes, no one gets to have a clean fight!
Bring it on, let's hurt each other!
Perhaps sensing that Caitlin's mood wasn't great right now—or maybe simply drawn in by the noise outside—
The window behind Caitlin was also rolled down, and a literary young woman with purple bangs and glasses joined the fray.
"It really is Teacher Azure's voice!"
The literary girl's attention was entirely fixed on Aiden. Through her thick lenses, a sparkle could be seen in her eyes.
"Teacher Azure, I'm your biggest fan!"
Her single sentence instantly made the already slightly awkward atmosphere even weirder.
"Uh, hello?"
Aiden scratched his head, seemingly not expecting to bump into a fan here.
And—
Isn't this Shauntal?!
A future member of the Unova Elite Four, a famous novelist specializing in Ghost-types.
Has Caitlin already met her?
It looked like Shauntal was Caitlin's partner for this Doubles tournament.
Aiden nodded. When he snapped back to reality, he noticed Shauntal had lowered her head again, seemingly writing something down.
He didn't even need to look; Shauntal was already muttering the words out loud.
"Blue flames burning in his eyes, determined to lead the world toward the one true justice, this man resolves to defeat all powerful enemies, not sparing even the gods—"
"And the gods defeated by this man seemed to be won over by his power, voluntarily becoming his partners!"
"And this, is the reason to become a King!"
After finishing, Shauntal closed the small notebook she carried with her and nodded in satisfaction.
Then, she realized everyone else was looking at her with strange expressions, so she laughed awkwardly.
"Sorry, it's an old habit of a writer. When I encounter inspiration in daily life, I have to record it immediately."
"Teacher Azure's gaze just now gave me an idea for a very interesting story. Maybe I'll have the chance to publish it someday!"
"..."
What even is this?!
What 'power of a King', what 'flames burning in his eyes'? This is way too chuunibyou!
Especially knowing that the other party seemed to have used him as the blueprint for these settings, Aiden felt his second-hand embarrassment flare up so bad his toes could curl hard enough to dig out a three-bedroom apartment—
He originally thought he was chuunibyou enough, but to think there was an even bigger master out there?
"It sounds like a very interesting story. If it gets published in the future, could you give me a signed copy?"
"Of course!"
In the end, it was Cynthia, with her high EQ, who gracefully wrapped up the topic.
But when she looked back at Aiden, her eyes held a hint of amusement.
Do your best, little guy who's going to become a King~
Although Cynthia didn't say it out loud, Aiden could still read her thoughts from her lips.
And so, he felt even more embarrassed.
However, their silent exchange meant something completely different in Caitlin's eyes—
Damn it, they're not even hiding it from me anymore, flirting right to my face?!
Caitlin gritted her teeth, then looked back at Shauntal, who was already lost in the story in her own head. Her gaze was full of resentment.
And you!
How could you betray me too!
What's so good about Aiden anyway?
Isn't he just good at Pokémon battles, pretty entertaining when streaming, and occasionally capable of solving Legendary Pokémon crises when he gets serious—
As she thought about it, Caitlin fell into silence.
Oh no, I really can't compete with those things!
Other than having a little Psychic power and a little financial power, it seemed she really couldn't compare to Aiden in any other aspect—
No, there was at least one area where she still had the advantage!
Caitlin suddenly looked up, her smile brimming with confidence—precisely because she had lost to Aiden several times already, she didn't have to bear any psychological burden!
On the other hand, if he lost to her even once, she would absolutely make fun of him for the rest of his life!
This was her psychological advantage!
When Caitlin looked at Aiden again, her aggressive gaze made him subconsciously frown.
And this subtle little movement only further confirmed her suspicion!
Hah, I knew it! Aiden is actually a little scared of me!
"Just wait, Aiden. This time, Shauntal and I are going to beat you and Cynthia fair and square!"
Caitlin suddenly pointed at Aiden, dragging Cynthia into the declaration as well.
After "dropping the gauntlet," she immediately rolled down the partition and urged the driver behind her, "Darach, start the car, we're going home!"
"Right away, Miss—"
Butler Darach's voice sounded, followed by the ignition of the car.
Soon, the black sedan Caitlin was in disappeared around the street corner.
Leaving Aiden completely dumbfounded.
It took a long while before Cynthia finally took the initiative to ask, "Did you do something to make her mad again recently?"
"Why did it feel like she was just issuing us a declaration of war?"
"I don't think so? I didn't even see her once when I was in Unova. It's not a crime to just make a phone call, right—"
Aiden spread his hands helplessly.
"But, even though I don't know why Caitlin suddenly said all that, at least our goal is clear now."
As he spoke, the corners of Aiden's mouth curled up. He looked in the direction Caitlin disappeared, his gaze profound.
"Since we've been issued a declaration of war, we have to prepare properly."
"If I actually lose to Caitlin, she'll probably nag me about it for the rest of my life. I won't be able to hold my head up high whenever we meet in the future!"
According to the schedule, if everything went smoothly, they should run into Caitlin and Shauntal in the third round—the Top 16.
A Psychic and Ghost-type combination, huh—
Aiden narrowed his eyes, already having the answer in his heart.
To break through this duo, the most suitable choice was obviously Dark-types.
Although he didn't have any Pokémon like that on his current team, if he wanted to get one specifically to counter them, weren't the Treasures of Ruin the best choice?
It just so happened that Professor Oak also mentioned wanting to observe the combat power of Legendary Pokémon up close—
Well, isn't the perfect opportunity right here?
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