Chapter 184: Could We Become Kings Too?

Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Could We Become Kings Too?

"Let’s summarize what we’ve learned."

"First, the Power of Faith isn’t energy in the conventional sense. It’s something far more unique."

"Second, drawing upon it doesn’t harm the believers at all. It’s almost as if the power is created out of nothing."

"And finally..."

"The more someone truly acknowledges you, Calyrex..."

"...the more power you receive from them."

There was still one extremely important point.

Calyrex’s strength declined as his faith diminished.

To the point where he had become so weak that he fell into a deep slumber.

That led Sora to consider another question.

Was Calyrex’s current Level 70... actually his own power?

Could it be...

That Ogerpon and the others’ recognition was the reason Calyrex currently displayed Level 70 strength?

Without them...

Would he only be Level 50?

Or perhaps...

Level 30?

Even Level 20?

"If that’s really the case..."

Sora murmured,

"...then my hypothesis is probably correct."

Calyrex was the King Pokémon.

His strength was directly tied to the number of subjects who acknowledged him.

As long as more and more living beings recognized him...

His power would continue growing without limit.

His former Level 95...

Had been the result of gathering the strength of the entire Galar region.

But now...

Sora’s eyes lit up with excitement.

I can make the whole world recognize him.

When that happens...

Forget Level 95.

Even Level 100 won’t be out of reach.

"Can I..."

"...really accomplish something like that?"

Becoming the king of the entire world...

Calyrex wasn’t some power-hungry tyrant.

He had no such ambitions.

"Leave it to me."

Sora smiled.

"After all..."

"I’m your Trainer, aren’t I?"

He would help Calyrex grow stronger.

And in return...

Calyrex would use his power to help fulfill Sora’s dreams.

Trainer and Pokémon.

Growing stronger together.

"Then..."

"I shall look forward to it."

Calyrex didn’t particularly care about becoming stronger.

He simply wanted Sora to be happy.

Once they returned to Kalos...

Sora decided...

He would officially launch the King of Bountiful Harvests Promotion Project.

He would establish Calyrex as a genuine worldwide brand.

The method was simple.

Use the ability Calyrex excelled at most—

Bringing abundant harvests.

He could cooperate with Jimena to cultivate sections of the Nebel Plateau.

Produce crops of extraordinary quality.

Then sell them throughout the world.

Those products could all bear Calyrex’s emblem.

In that way...

Recognition could gradually spread.

There was another important discovery as well.

Obtaining Faith...

Did not necessarily require someone to know Calyrex by name.

Take the villagers of Freezington.

They accepted the vegetables Calyrex had grown.

They enjoyed them.

Loved them.

Therefore...

Even without knowing where the vegetables came from...

Because they had received Calyrex’s blessing...

They had, in a sense, become his subjects.

"However..."

"That kind of favor differs from true Faith."

"It cannot be maintained indefinitely."

The reason Calyrex had eventually declined to his current state...

Was because the cycle of protection and service had been broken.

The humans and Pokémon who had once benefited from his blessings...

Had all but disappeared over the course of three thousand years.

Only Zacian and Zamazenta remained.

Yet even they had fallen into weakened states.

Unable to continue serving their king.

As for why Ogerpon and the others could provide Calyrex with such tremendous power...

According to Calyrex...

They had effectively joined his kingdom.

They had become his vassals.

The same applied to Sora himself.

The bond between sovereign and vassal...

Was incomparably stronger than ordinary worship.

"Does that mean..."

"One day..."

"You could also bestow your King’s Power upon Ogerpon and the others?"

"In theory..."

"Yes."

After saying that...

Calyrex noticed how delighted everyone looked.

Joining Calyrex’s kingdom...

Didn’t cost anyone anything.

After all...

He was the King of Bountiful Harvests.

Not some tyrant.

As king...

His nature was to give, not to take.

Thinking about it...

Had Calyrex ever actually demanded anything from his subjects?

Never.

Food?

He could produce it with a wave of his hand.

Treasure?

He couldn’t care less.

Power?

He grew stronger simply by existing.

Just how fortunate...

Must Galar have been three thousand years ago...

To have such a king?

Sora even suspected...

Had the Darkest Day never occurred...

Ancient Galar might truly have achieved complete self-sufficiency.

Existential authority...

Was practically a perpetual-motion machine.

"Now that we’ve figured out how Faith works..."

"The next step..."

"...is learning how to further develop your abilities."

"To give your power even more possibilities."

Those would all become future research topics.

Obtaining Legendary Pokémon...

Wasn’t the end.

If a Trainer couldn’t help their Pokémon become stronger...

Couldn’t draw out their potential...

Then what kind of Trainer were they?

"Ponii? Ponii?"

Ogerpon tilted her head.

"So you’re asking..."

"If I became a king too..."

"...what title I’d use?"

Sora burst into laughter.

He vigorously rubbed her head.

"You’ve got your Ivy Cudgel."

"So you’d be the King of Clubs."

"Victini..."

"You’d be the King of Heads."

"Magearna..."

"The King of Cannons."

The moment those words left his mouth...

All three little Pokémon protested at once.

Soon...

Sora and his Pokémon were playing around together.

Only after repeatedly apologizing...

Did the teasing finally come to an end.

"Haha..."

"I was only joking."

Even so...

Calyrex actually began considering the idea seriously.

He wasn’t particularly skilled at combat.

Even if he possessed overwhelming power...

He couldn’t fully utilize it himself.

Rather than hoarding it...

Wouldn’t it be better to distribute it?

Just as Sora had suggested...

Raise more heroic champions.

Create more kings.

After all...

When Calyrex rode one of his steeds...

He evolved from the King Pokémon...

Into the High King Pokémon.

If an emperor possessed a group of mighty kings beneath him...

That sounded perfectly reasonable.

"Hm?"

Hearing Calyrex’s proposal...

Sora was taken aback.

"That’s actually possible?"

Calyrex’s path to greater strength...

Would be to gather more Faith.

Increase his existential authority.

Then forge even more kings.

"Hiss..."

Sora couldn’t help inhaling sharply.

"...That might actually work."

Doing so wouldn’t merely improve Calyrex’s efficiency at using his power.

It would also greatly benefit every Pokémon on Sora’s team.

So...

Does that make my future title...

The King of Kings?

And so...

Sora and Calyrex continued discussing their plans for the future.

At the same time...

They cultivated even more vegetables.

Some for that evening’s banquet.

The rest...

As thanks to the people of Freezington for taking care of them all this time.

They had stayed in the villagers’ cabins.

Eaten their food.

Most of it free of charge.

Faced with such honest, kindhearted people...

How could Sora not grow fond of them?

Gratitude.

He absolutely had to repay their kindness.

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