Master Craftsman of the Pokémon World

In theory, these Pokémon should be handed over to the local Pokémon Center. But Aegislash's sense of duty as a king made it want to personally return them to their trainers.

Still, Hikaru visited the local Pokémon Center first.

While there was only one Pokémon Center in the game version of Mistralton City, in reality, there were several—but they were all overcrowded.

That was the downside of a large city: too many people. With rumors of an upcoming League tournament, the number of Trainers had suddenly surged.

More Trainers and Pokémon meant the Centers became even harder to manage.

"I'm terribly sorry. There are just too many Trainers and Pokémon at the moment…" Nurse Joy said apologetically. The entire lobby was jam-packed with people, filled with sighs and frustration.

"You want to post 'missing person' notices?" she asked. Seeing the large group of Pokémon and hearing about Team Plasma, Nurse Joy's expression turned a bit odd.

The gathered Pokémon nodded vigorously.

Our Trainers are missing! Please help us!

"There really were a lot of Trainers affected by Team Plasma's speech. Personally, I think what they're saying is wrong, but I don't know how to refute it," she said.

"Team Plasma claims they'll take away the 'liberated' Pokémon, saying they'll release them back into nature after centralized care. Many people find it suspicious, but since they're a legal organization, there's nothing we can do to stop them…"

"In any case, being separated from their Trainers like this must be heartbreaking for the Pokémon, even if it was the Trainer's decision."

"Ah! Sorry, I spoke too much. I'll take care of this. If any Trainers come looking for their Pokémon, I'll direct them to the place near Sky Gallery!"

"Thank you. Please contact me if anything comes up. I'll also speak with Officer Jenny tomorrow and begin searching the area with the Pokémon. I'm sure many of them belong to Mistralton residents."

After arranging everything, Hikaru took the Pokémon to their temporary home.

Fashion Street was an excellent location—full of shops and food stalls, offering everything one might need. But for that reason, the real estate prices were high. This was, after all, one of the most prosperous cities in the Pokémon world.

The house's interior was clean and well-furnished. After speaking briefly with the landlord, Hikaru learned that Keiko had already contacted him ahead of time.

The dark-skinned man appeared quite straightforward.

"Your Pokémon's a Steel-type, right? That's a fantastic type!"

His eyes lit up as he looked at Aegislash. "Steel-types are my favorite! And you're that person from the news, right? The one who stopped Team Plasma all by yourself! That's impressive!"

"When Keiko contacted me, I was surprised, of course. I do have a small request though—if you agree, the house is yours!"

Eh?

Hikaru hadn't expected something like this, though it wasn't exactly rare in the Pokémon world.

For example, Steven once bought a massive villa in the Battle Frontier of Sinnoh while digging for stones. When his work there ended, he casually gave the villa to a passerby—much to their bewilderment.

In the Special Edition, the villa ended up with Platinum, while in the games, the player inherits it.

"I'm heading to Black City for some business, and this house was just something I rented out. Sometimes shop owners would use it, and after they closed up, I'd rent it to strong Trainers. The last tenant here was a Ground-type expert—but he only stayed for half a month before heading to Black City too."

"That guy was pretty mysterious, always dressed in a black coat and wide-brimmed hat, never smiled, couldn't tell what he was thinking. But his skills—whoa, they were the real deal! I battled him and lost badly! Though to be fair, Ground does counter Steel…"

"But you're strong too! You stopped that whole Team Plasma riot by yourself! Those guys giving speeches everywhere—what nonsense! They even tried to get into schools to preach their stuff but were stopped in time!"

"News?" Hikaru blinked.

The man pointed to a nearby digital display. "You're already on the scroll feed! The Unova reporters are really good at catching breaking stories. That Central Park riot and the Team Plasma speeches—they're the headline!"

"I saw you on the news and figured you must be a top-tier Trainer. So, thinking of challenging the Mistralton Gym and collecting badges for the League tournament?"

"I'm doing that too!"

"Actually, it's for my daughter. I heard Unova is launching a high-level Trainer academy soon. So for her sake, I'm going back to training, finding my roots, and entering the League again!"

"My daughter and I both love Steel-types, so my little request is… could she battle you, just once?"

This enthusiastic dark-skinned man had a speech pattern that vaguely resembled a certain explorer from Galar. He kept checking his watch—seemed like a very punctual person.

"Oh! Time's up—I gotta go pick up my daughter! Well then, feel free to stay as long as you like!"

He dashed off, leaving Hikaru and Aegislash looking baffled.

Hmm… well, at least there's no need to spend any money now. And the place was nicely furnished.

"That guy's not bad… but I don't plan to challenge the Gym, though."

After bringing the Pokémon inside, Aegislash used its psychic powers to control pen and paper, helping Hikaru gather info about each Pokémon's home, their Trainer's appearance, and unique features. Through its spiritual abilities, it could recreate accurate likenesses.

Soon, all the Pokémon were staring at Aegislash in awe.

Sure, they'd met Ghost-types before—but they'd never seen spiritual power used like this!

No wonder it's called the "King"!

"That should do it. I'll send these to Nurse Joy later for cross-checking."

Though Nurse Joy said Trainers would be sent here to reclaim their partners, some might need counseling. This visual aid would help verify if someone truly was the right Trainer.

After all, emotional support was part of the Pokémon Center's job. They even provided Evolution Stones to help Pokémon overcome psychological blocks.

"Most of these Pokémon are from Mistralton. Only a few are from far-off towns… and some are very far."

Hikaru frowned, tapping the table with his pen.

Locals like Keiko, who had deep bonds with their Pokémon, would likely realize something was wrong and come back on their own.

As for the others, if they weren't extreme victory-obsessed Trainers, they might come back too.

But what about the rest?

"Pokémon House… the shelter for abandoned Pokémon? That was something Rood and Ash did in Black 2 and White 2, right? And it was in Floccesy Town."

The Seven Sages of Team Plasma weren't all cut from the same cloth. Some, like Rood, quickly repented and created shelters to care for Pokémon who'd been stolen or lost.

"Man… if only Rood had been the one giving that speech earlier, he might've defected on the spot."

Seeing Hikaru's deepening frown and the way Aegislash was helping him plan the next steps, the other Pokémon grew anxious.

Not because they distrusted their king or Hikaru.

But because deep down… they feared that their Trainers had truly abandoned them.

Unlike Keiko, not everyone might return.

The clearer the past became, the sharper the pain, and the greater the fear of having lost everything.

Maybe returning to the wild wouldn't be so bad. Their time with their Trainers could be seen as cherished memories.

The Pokémon tried to console themselves.

Then, a sweet floral scent began to spread.

Lilligant's flower crown emitted a fragrance that bolstered their courage and hope. Combined with the power of Aegislash's "Hero's Proof," the gloom in their hearts began to lift.

"Dore~!"

Don't be afraid! Lilligant gently patted several Pokémon on the head.

Support one another, fill in each other's gaps. That's what bonds are. Even if we return to the wild, it only means shifting from human-Pokémon to Pokémon-Pokémon relationships.

Leave the hole in your heart unchecked, and it will only grow bigger. Face it. Be brave.

Soon, the Pokémon were smiling again, clustering around Lilligant as she told magical stories.

Just like the ones Aegislash had shared earlier.

From ancient kingdoms to mysterious forests. From legendary giants to artificial Pokémon. From surreal dreamscapes to mythical dragons—

"Come eat!"

Seeing their spirits lifted, Hikaru took out a ton of Poké Puffs and berries. Being in Fashion Street, ingredients were easy to get, albeit pricey.

While Unova doesn't grow berries in the games, forest rangers are often seen carrying Oran and Pecha Berries—so it's more about regional adaptation.

As long as there were Pecha Berries, everything was fine!

The apartment had full kitchen access. Hikaru bought ingredients from nearby shops and cooked up a feast—hot dishes, energy cubes, and a dozen scoops of Mistralton Ice Cream!

[Item: Mistralton Ice Cream]

[Description: A specialty of Mistralton City. A seasonal favorite, limited to one purchase per week. Though considered a local delicacy, some people find the taste... average.]

[Effect: Cures all status conditions of a single Pokémon.]

Hikaru had previously made Old Gateau, a local dessert from Eterna City in Sinnoh. Though obscure, it unlocked the Hot Food Crafting skill, allowing the creation of food with special effects.

So—could making Mistralton Ice Cream unlock Cold Food Crafting?

The ingredients were simple and nearby, and as for the recipe… Hikaru knocked his head. Wasn't there a Dream World minigame that used berries to make ice cream?

When in doubt, search the PokéNet!

Last time, he learned a lot from Gym Leader Adam about high-end Poké Puffs, and this time—

—he found a video tutorial.

But the creators? Bright red hair, short blue hair, and a short Meowth in an employee outfit...

Wait. Isn't that Team Rocket?!

Oh yeah! Those three did run an ice cream stand once, and it was surprisingly good! But they skimped on berries, so the healing effects were lost…

Even Champion Cynthia once bought from them—probably in the Natural Park area.

『Crafted: Mistralton Ice Cream (Improved Version)』

『Unique Buff: Speed Lv1 — Slight speed boost, less fatigue. +10% Cleverness, +50% Happiness, +10% Energy, lasts 3 hours』

『Description: Though it's Mistralton Ice Cream in name, it combines techniques from other regions. Greatly improved taste. No shortcuts taken, so it still cures status conditions.』

『Crafting unlocked: Cold Food Crafting (C+)!』

『You can now craft cold treats that give Pokémon unique buffs.』

Watching the food chill, Hikaru glanced at the Ice Stones and Never-Melt Ice he got from Regice.

Flash-freezing was so convenient.

Those Ice Stones came straight from Regice's temple and frozen cliffs—not your average stones!

Once the Pokémon ate, their spirits lifted even more. They started playing all over the spacious room—since it was once a shop, the interior was huge.

Lillipup chased Pansear, Seedot and Sewaddle hopped around, Woobat hung upside down, Solosis floated, Sandile hid under the fridge, Minccino swept crumbs with its tail, Trubbish cleaned the trash, Amoonguss stood in a corner like a silent guardian.

The larger ones like Deerling, Zebstrika, and Haxorus relaxed in designated corners, sprawled out contentedly.

By the door was Gigalith—still and silent. Not very tall, but took up a lot of floor space. Luckily, the room was big enough. Being furnished didn't mean it was cramped.

Ding-dong—

The doorbell rang. Hikaru figured it must be the landlord back.

Aegislash opened the door—sure enough, it was the cheerful dark-skinned man. And with him… his daughter!

That dark-skinned girl with glasses looked familiar.

A Trainer. Elementary school age. From prep classes!

"This is my daughter, Nari! She attends the Unova Trainer Academy and is already an official Trainer! Pretty impressive, huh?"

"Right on time," Nari said, checking her watch—though the remark seemed aimed at her dad.

She stared intently at Aegislash.

"A Pokémon I've never seen before. I saw it on the news. Very cool."

"I'm Nari. Hello. I know it's sudden, but I'd like to battle you."

Yep—no mistake.

She's the young Steel-type Elite from Blueberry Academy. Hails from Mistralton.

If memory serves… she uses special leaves to brew flight-enhancing supplements?

A Trainer with unique skills...

(End of Chapter)

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