Chapter 266

Chapter 266: Chapter 266

Canalave City

A middle-aged man wearing a mining helmet was watching the livestream.

Byron stared at the young Trainer on the screen.

"..."

His expression slowly changed.

’So THAT’S why he contacted me yesterday!’

Roark had specifically told him to watch the Sinnoh League’s livestream today.

At the time, Byron hadn’t understood why his son was being so insistent.

Now it was becoming clear.

’That brat...’

’He actually managed to get himself a Hisuian Pokémon!’

Byron leaned forward with growing curiosity.

’Now, which Hisuian Pokémon did he get?’

He was genuinely interested in finding out.

...

And he wasn’t the only one.

Oleana had designed the exhibition schedule with the deliberate intention of keeping the audience curious.

Rather than immediately revealing the mysterious new Pokémon, she’d arranged for the Trainers to battle with their usual teams first.

The new Pokémon wouldn’t appear until the later stages of the match.

The result was that the spectators had to sit through the entire battle before discovering what they’d come to see.

And judging by the reactions, the plan was working perfectly.

The viewers were becoming increasingly impatient.

[Mad Silence: WHO THE HELL DESIGNED THIS SCHEDULE?! This is exactly like waiting for Mike to upload the next Chapter of something!]

[Juice Bro: I strongly recommend that Manryo reconsider sponsoring Mike’s research institute!]

[ExploringGrem: I AGREE! Who the hell keeps their own sponsors waiting like this?!]

Then Manryo appeared in the conversation.

[GholdengoIsNumberOne: Um... Ahem. Actually, I already know what both of the new Pokémon are. I even participated in the research for one of them, although I was mostly just watching. [Shy Sylveon.jpg]]

The chat froze.

[Mc54322: ???]

[Professor Purple: ???]

[Mad Silence: ???]

[Everyone: ?????]

[Juice Bro: WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?! BOTH?! THERE ARE TWO OF THEM?!]

[GholdengoIsNumberOne: Why don’t you guess? [Snivy Winking.jpg]]

[Juice Bro: YOU LITTLE FU—!!]

The fan group descended into complete chaos.

Unfortunately, Mike had absolutely no idea what was happening.

He was far too absorbed in watching Aaron and Roark battle.

’Aaron really deserves his position in the Elite Four.’

The Bug-type specialist was demonstrating exactly why he’d risen to such a prestigious position.

Even against Roark’s Rock-type team, Aaron was able to use his Bug-type Pokémon with enough skill and precision to secure victory.

Mike watched the exchanges with considerable interest.

Eventually, both Trainers recalled their fifth Pokémon.

For a moment, the battlefield fell quiet.

Then Roark and Aaron simultaneously took out another Poké Ball.

Roark adjusted his mining helmet and looked toward his opponent.

"Mr. Aaron!"

Aaron grinned excitedly.

"Mr. Roark!"

The two exchanged a knowing look.

"Let’s go!"

They threw their Poké Balls at the same time.

Two flashes of light erupted across the battlefield.

And when the light faded... two enormous, mantis-like Pokémon appeared.

Each possessed a pair of massive stone axes in place of its forearms.

The Pokémon faced one another, their imposing bodies and rough, rocky armor looking completely unlike anything most of the audience had ever seen.

Roark raised his arm.

"Kleavor! Use Stone Axe!"

Aaron immediately responded.

"Let’s go! Stone Axe!"

Both Kleavor charged.

Their enormous stone axes swung forward at almost the same moment.

CLAAAAANG!

The weapons collided in the center of the battlefield.

A sharp, deafening impact echoed through the stadium.

The two Pokémon separated, adjusted their positions, and immediately swung again.

CLANG!

The sheer force of their attacks sent a thrill through the audience.

For a moment, the spectators were too stunned to react.

Then the referee’s voice rang out.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THERE IT IS!"

His excitement was unmistakable.

"THE ANCIENT HISUIAN POKéMON, KLEAVOR!"

He gestured wildly toward the battlefield.

"AN ALTERNATIVE EVOLUTION OF SCYTHER!"

The spectators finally recovered from their shock.

And the stadium erupted.

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"KLEAVOR!"

"THAT’S SO COOL!"

The cheering was so loud it seemed as though the entire stadium might shake apart.

In the guest seating area, Wallace watched the two Pokémon exchanging blows with fascination.

"So that’s Kleavor?"

His voice carried genuine interest.

Cynthia, seated beside him, nodded.

"That’s right. Kleavor is one of the results of our recent research. We’ll be publishing its detailed information after the event."

Wallace continued studying the battling Pokémon.

Then he remembered something.

"By the way, didn’t you also invite Norman?"

Cynthia glanced toward him.

"Yes."

"Norman specializes in Normal-types, doesn’t he? And judging by its appearance, Kleavor seems to be a Rock-type Pokémon."

"It’s both Rock- and Bug-type," Cynthia clarified.

"Ah, I see!"

Wallace nodded.

"That explains why you’ve arranged a match between Aaron and Roark. One specializes in Bug-types, and the other in Rock-types."

He thought about that for another moment.

Then his expression became more curious.

"Which means... Kleavor isn’t the only Hisuian Pokémon you’re introducing today, is it?"

Cynthia smiled.

"Well, since we’re already here, why don’t we keep watching? I’d rather not spoil the surprise."

Wallace laughed softly.

"Of course!"

Then another thought occurred to him.

"Actually, I think I understand. Steven mentioned the Hisuian Pokémon research when we met recently. If I remember correctly, he spent some time in Sinnoh not too long ago."

Wallace glanced toward Cynthia.

"Could he have witnessed the evolution of another Hisuian Pokémon while he was here?"

Cynthia nodded.

Wallace’s curiosity deepened, but he didn’t press for details.

Instead, he returned his attention to the battlefield.

No Trainer could easily resist the opportunity to learn more about a newly discovered Pokémon.

And with Kleavor’s debut now underway, the number of people watching the Sinnoh League’s official livestream was climbing rapidly.

Viewers from across the world were tuning in to witness the ancient Pokémon’s return.

...

Meanwhile, the battle between Aaron and Roark was reaching its conclusion.

Both Kleavor had been fighting fiercely, their massive stone axes repeatedly crashing together.

Finally, Aaron’s Kleavor found an opening.

"Stone Axe!"

Its enormous weapon swung forward.

The attack struck Roark’s Kleavor directly.

The Rock- and Bug-type staggered, struggled to remain standing, and finally collapsed.

The referee immediately announced the result.

"Aaron’s Kleavor takes the victory!"

The stadium erupted in applause.

Aaron and Roark recalled their Pokémon, approached one another, and exchanged a friendly handshake.

After thanking the spectators, they left the battlefield together.

The audience remained excited, with discussions about Kleavor continuing throughout the stands.

But before the excitement could settle, the referee’s voice rang out again.

"Ladies and gentlemen! According to the latest information I’ve just received..."

He suddenly lowered his voice.

The stadium fell quiet.

"...There’s another match!"

A brief silence followed.

Then the referee grinned.

"Which means we’re about to introduce a SECOND Hisuian Pokémon today!"

The audience exploded.

"ANOTHER ONE?!"

"NO WAY!"

"THIS TRIP WAS SO WORTH IT!"

"TWO HISUIAN POKéMON IN ONE DAY?!"

The referee raised his microphone.

"Now, please welcome our next two Trainers!"

He extended one arm toward the entrances.

"First, representing the Hoenn region, the Normal-type specialist whose abilities rival those of the Elite Four—GYM LEADER NORMAN!"

The cheers continued.

"And facing him is one of Sinnoh’s Elite Four, a master of Ground-type Pokémon, and the wildest speed-demon grandma you’ll ever meet—BERTHA!"

Before most of the spectators had even finished processing that introduction, Norman and Bertha were already entering the battlefield.

The referee looked toward the somewhat stunned audience.

Then he shouted into his microphone.

"COME ON, EVERYONE! WHERE’S YOUR ENTHUSIASM?!"

The spectators finally reacted.

"WHOOOO!"

"THERE’S A SECOND ONE!"

"LET’S GO!"

"BATTLE! BATTLE! BATTLE!"

The entire stadium seemed to come alive again.

...

"Elite Four Bertha, I look forward to learning from you."

Norman greeted his opponent respectfully.

Bertha smiled.

"Likewise. Why don’t we see how Ursaluna performs when trained by a Ground-type specialist compared with one trained by a Normal-type specialist?"

Her expression grew affectionate as she thought about the enormous Pokémon.

"I’ve become rather fond of Ursaluna. It’s an exceptionally powerful Pokémon."

Norman laughed.

"What a coincidence! I feel exactly the same way."

Ever since bringing Ursaluna back to Hoenn, he’d spent a considerable amount of time training it.

Under Norman’s guidance, and with the help of his ace Slaking, Ursaluna’s strength had improved dramatically.

The Pokémon had shown extraordinary potential, and Norman was increasingly pleased with its development.

Their battle began much like the previous match.

Rather than immediately sending out their Ursaluna, both Trainers used the Pokémon from their usual teams.

Their commands were precise, and the exchanges were fierce.

However, neither Trainer used their strongest ace.

After each had battled with five Pokémon, Norman and Bertha exchanged a look.

They recalled their current Pokémon at almost the same moment.

Then both raised another Poké Ball.

Two flashes of light appeared.

And the battlefield shook as two enormous bear-like Pokémon materialized.

Both stood on four powerful legs.

Their massive bodies were covered in thick fur, and their intimidating expressions made them look like creatures that had stepped straight out of a prehistoric age.

The two Ursaluna faced one another.

"URSALUNA!"

Their roars echoed through the stadium.

The referee nearly jumped with excitement.

"THERE IT IS! ANOTHER HISUIAN POKéMON!"

He quickly glanced at the information Lucian had prepared for him.

"URSALUNA! THE EVOLVED FORM OF URSARING!"

He raised his microphone again.

"JUST LOOK AT THOSE MASSIVE BODIES! WHAT AN INCREDIBLY POWERFUL-LOOKING POKéMON!"

The audience barely had time to admire the newcomers before something unexpected happened.

Both Ursaluna suddenly grunted in pain.

Dark burn marks appeared across their bodies.

The referee’s eyes widened.

"WAIT A MINUTE!"

He leaned forward.

"BOTH URSALUNA HAVE BEEN BURNED?!"

Then he noticed something else.

"THEY’RE BOTH HOLDING FLAME ORBS!"

His voice rose with excitement.

"AND THEIR POWER IS INCREASING! THAT CAN ONLY MEAN ONE THING!"

He thrust his microphone toward the battlefield.

"GUTS! BOTH URSALUNA HAVE THE GUTS ABILITY!"

It took the experienced referee barely a second to recognize what was happening.

The two Trainers were deliberately using Flame Orbs to burn their Pokémon, activating Guts and dramatically increasing their offensive power.

Norman raised his hand.

"Ursaluna! Use Facade!"

Bertha responded immediately.

"Ursaluna! Headlong Rush!"

The enormous Pokémon charged.

BOOOOOOM!

Their bodies collided with tremendous force.

Massive claws swung toward one another, each Ursaluna attempting to overpower its opponent.

Norman’s Ursaluna was using a Normal-type Facade, whose base power doubled when its user was afflicted by a status condition such as a burn.

With Guts further boosting its physical attacks, the move was devastating.

Bertha’s Ursaluna answered with Headlong Rush, a powerful Ground-type attack that benefited from its own Same-Type Attack Bonus.

Neither Pokémon gave an inch.

The two massive bears crashed together again, their attacks shaking the battlefield.

Norman’s battling style was direct and aggressive.

He preferred to pressure his opponents with relentless attacks, searching for weaknesses amid the exchanges and exploiting them the moment they appeared.

Bertha’s approach was different.

Although her commands seemed equally forceful, and her Ursaluna attacked with tremendous power, her style was fundamentally more defensive.

She carefully observed her opponent, weathered the pressure, and launched devastating counterattacks whenever the opportunity presented itself.

One Trainer commanded Ursaluna to rely entirely on Normal-type moves.

The other focused exclusively on Ground-type attacks.

Despite their different approaches, both were taking full advantage of Ursaluna’s natural strengths.

Powerful Same-Type Attack Bonus moves collided again and again.

Every strike landed with tremendous force.

...

Watching from Mount Coronet, Mike felt his excitement rising.

’Man, this is AWESOME!’

There was something deeply satisfying about watching two enormous Pokémon clash with such overwhelming physical power.

The battle was intense, straightforward, and thrilling.

He could practically feel the impact of every attack through the screen.

...

Somewhere in a forest, a young man wearing a blue vest was watching the livestream on his phone.

His expression was completely impassive.

Beside him stood a powerful Ursaring.

The Pokémon was also watching the broadcast.

On the screen, two Ursaluna were battling with astonishing strength.

Paul stared at them.

’Ursaluna...’

A memory surfaced in his mind.

He remembered something Mike had told him during their earlier encounter.

If he wanted to obtain greater power, he should come looking for him.

At the time, Paul hadn’t fully understood what Mike meant.

But now...

’Did he already know how to evolve Ursaring into Ursaluna back then?’

Paul’s fingers tightened around his phone.

He looked toward the Ursaring standing beside him.

Then his gaze returned to the battle.

His fist slowly clenched.

...

Back on Lily of the Valley Island, the battle continued.

Both Ursaluna were becoming increasingly exhausted, but neither showed any intention of backing down.

They charged again.

Their enormous bodies collided in the center of the battlefield, sending a powerful shock through the arena.

For a moment, it seemed as though they might both fall.

But then Norman’s Ursaluna began to falter.

Its strength finally gave out.

The massive Pokémon staggered before collapsing onto the battlefield.

The referee immediately raised his arm.

"Norman’s Ursaluna is unable to battle! The winner is Elite Four Bertha!"

The audience burst into applause.

Norman recalled his Pokémon, then approached Bertha with a respectful smile.

"Thank you for the battle. I learned a great deal from this."

He extended his hand.

Bertha accepted it warmly.

"And your battling style taught me quite a few things as well."

She smiled.

"That was an excellent match."

There was genuine appreciation in her voice.

Trainers who specialized in different types often approached battle from entirely different perspectives.

A skilled Trainer could learn a great deal simply by observing how another expert commanded their Pokémon.

For Norman and Bertha, this match had been a valuable opportunity to exchange experience.

Norman’s eyes shone with enthusiasm.

"I hope we can battle again sometime."

He paused before adding, "And next time, perhaps we won’t need to restrict ourselves to particular types of moves."

"Of course!"

Bertha readily agreed.

She’d enjoyed the battle every bit as much as he had.

The two Trainers exchanged another friendly smile before preparing to leave the battlefield.

The referee raised his microphone.

"Let’s give Gym Leader Norman and Elite Four Bertha another round of applause for that magnificent battle!"

The spectators responded with tremendous enthusiasm.

Then the referee leaned toward his microphone again.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, I’ve just received another little piece of inside information..."

He deliberately lowered his voice.

The stadium immediately became restless.

"WAIT!"

"THERE’S MORE?!"

"DON’T TELL ME THERE’S A THIRD HISUIAN POKéMON!"

"WHOOOO!"

The referee grinned.

He allowed the excitement to build for a moment.

Then he made his announcement.

"Today’s exhibition matches have officially concluded!"

The cheering stopped.

"..."

"And now, let’s turn our attention to one of Sinnoh’s Elite Four, LUCIAN!"

With that, the referee flew his platform over to Lucian.

He handed him the microphone.

Then, without wasting another second, he hurriedly flew away.

The audience stared after him.

A moment later, the stadium exploded with outrage.

"REFEREE, YOU SON OF A—!"

"I WAS ALREADY GETTING EXCITED, AND YOU PULL THIS CRAP?!"

"YOU’VE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!"

Lucian raised the microphone.

"Hello? Hello, everyone. Lucian speaking."

His calm voice interrupted the increasingly furious spectators.

He stood on the platform and looked over the audience.

"First of all, I’d like to thank everyone for coming to watch today’s exhibition matches."

He waited for the crowd to settle.

"As you’ve all seen, the purpose of this event was to publicly introduce the results of our recent research."

Lucian paused.

"Following the successful reintroduction of Wyrdeer, we’ve now managed to bring two more Hisuian Pokémon back into the modern world."

Although the audience was still annoyed with the referee, Lucian’s announcement immediately captured their attention.

The spectators began applauding.

For the Pokémon world, this was extraordinary news.

Two ancient evolutionary forms had returned!

And unlike fossils revived through specialized equipment, these Pokémon could apparently be obtained through previously forgotten evolutionary methods.

Lucian raised a hand, waiting for the applause to subside.

"I know many of you are eager to learn how Scyther evolves into Kleavor and Ursaring evolves into Ursaluna."

He smiled faintly.

"There’s no need to worry. Immediately after their respective battles concluded, we published detailed information about both Pokémon."

He gestured toward the broadcasting equipment.

"Pokédex databases maintained by the various regional Leagues have also been updated with their basic information. You’re welcome to check those resources yourselves."

The announcement caused another wave of excited discussion.

But Lucian wasn’t finished.

"In addition, over the next several days, the Sinnoh League will be holding a special three-day merchandise and trade event here on Lily of the Valley Island."

His expression became more businesslike.

"During the event, we’ll offer a limited quantity of items required to evolve Scyther and Ursaring into their Hisuian evolutionary forms."

That meant Black Augurite and Peat Blocks would be available for purchase.

For Trainers interested in raising their own Kleavor or Ursaluna, the opportunity was extremely attractive.

Lucian allowed the audience a moment to process the news before continuing.

"Whether we’re talking about Wyrdeer, Kleavor, or Ursaluna, these discoveries have proven something important."

His tone became more serious.

"The return of certain Hisuian Pokémon is not merely a distant dream. It is something we can accomplish through careful research and cooperation."

He looked toward the audience.

"The last time I met Professor Mike, he told me that he believed even more Hisuian Pokémon would reappear in our world before long."

A thoughtful expression appeared on Lucian’s face.

"And when I left him, he was still working tirelessly on his research, determined to restore as many of these ancient Pokémon as possible."

...

In the guest seating area, Cynthia suddenly began coughing.

"Ahem! Cough, cough!"

Wallace turned toward her with concern.

"Champion Cynthia? Are you all right?"

Cynthia quickly regained her composure.

"It’s nothing."

She shook her head and returned to her usual calm expression.

"Something just occurred to me, and I accidentally choked."

Of course, what had occurred to her was the image of Mike happily riding around on a Mamoswine while everyone else worked themselves to exhaustion.

’Tirelessly researching, huh?’

Cynthia could only admire Lucian’s ability to say things like that with a perfectly straight face!

...

Back on Mount Coronet, the entire research team had turned toward Mike.

Mike was sitting comfortably in his chair.

Glameow was curled up in his arms.

He looked around at the researchers staring at him.

"...What?"

Lorelei clicked her tongue.

"Lucian really can say absolutely anything when he puts his mind to it."

She shook her head in amusement.

Professor Oak laughed.

"Hahaha! Well, to be fair, Mike did work hard to discover this place."

He was clearly trying to give the young researcher an opportunity to defend himself.

Mike immediately took it.

"Exactly!"

He adjusted Glameow in his lap and spoke with an expression of complete sincerity.

"Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to travel around gathering footage?"

He continued before anyone could interrupt.

"And coming up with research ideas takes a lot of mental effort too! It’s not like these plans just appear out of nowhere!"

Mike nodded firmly.

"All of that requires energy!"

Lorelei looked at him.

"...Hmph."

She gave a cold little snort.

Mike decided not to pursue the argument any further.

After all, he still had a sleeping Glameow in his arms, and there was no reason to disturb her over something so trivial.

...

Lily of the Valley Island

Lucian continued his announcement.

"Finally, any companies interested in sponsoring Professor Mike’s research team may contact Researcher Oleana, Professor Mike’s assistant, to discuss potential cooperation."

He paused before addressing the audience one last time.

"And with that, ladies and gentlemen, I hope you’ll join us in looking forward to the next Hisuian Pokémon to return to our world!"

A small smile appeared on his face.

"Which Pokémon will it be?"

He adjusted his glasses.

"Well..."

"Even I don’t know!"