NOVEL WEB Chapter 227: Chapter 227: The Failure of Marshadow’s Influence
Chapter 227: The Failure of Marshadow's Influence
Hikaru stood in place, watching Rochin's fading figure, lost in thought.
There was no doubt now—this Marshadow had been following him all along.
And the origin of its pursuit was clear—
Phantom Town.
This revelation startled Hikaru.
His Aura Perception hadn't picked up on Marshadow's presence at all.
If he hadn't used Insight, he never would have noticed it.
And yet… after following him, it had suddenly switched targets to Rochin?
Hikaru couldn't understand why.
At the same time, a wave of relief washed over him.
Having an unknown-level Pokémon secretly lurking in his shadow was an unsettling thought.
As for capturing Marshadow…
Hikaru dismissed the idea immediately.
First, capturing a Mythical Pokémon of this caliber would require a Master Ball.
Second, even if he somehow succeeded, there was no guarantee it would obey him.
At best, it would be trapped in the Master Ball permanently.
And third—Marshadow wasn't stupid. It would never allow itself to be hit by a Poké Ball so easily.
---
"You two did great, Gardevoir, Gible."
Shaking off his thoughts, Hikaru retrieved their Poké Balls and recalled them.
Then, he climbed onto Latias' back, sensing the direction he needed to go.
"Let's go find Greninja and Bulbasaur."
---
Unlike before, this time Hikaru and Latias didn't bother hiding their presence.
So before they even arrived, Greninja had already sensed them.
Among Hikaru's Pokémon, aside from Latias and Lucario, Greninja had the sharpest awareness of its surroundings.
When they finally landed, Bulbasaur was dripping with sweat.
Before it, a boulder the size of a small hill was covered in deep razor-sharp cuts from Razor Leaf.
Hikaru extended his Aura Perception to examine the stone.
At first, the cuts were messy and chaotic, as if slashed at random.
But as the training progressed, the slices became cleaner, the angles more refined, and the cuts more precise.
It was clear—under Greninja's guidance, Bulbasaur's Razor Leaf was improving steadily.
However…
Wasn't Bulbasaur supposed to be training for control-based techniques?
Why was it suddenly developing into a long-range artillery unit?
Then again, seeing Bulbasaur's excitement made Hikaru shrug it off.
It was happy.
It was growing stronger.
That was enough.
---
"Kuraaa!"
Greninja leapt over as soon as Hikaru dismounted.
"Kura…" (Bulbasaur said it wanted to train this move...)
Hikaru nodded.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Greninja."
When it came to blade-focused techniques, Greninja was the best teacher.
Each Pokémon had its specialty—and Bulbasaur had chosen to learn from Greninja.
That was fine.
"You're doing great too, Bulbasaur."
Hikaru smiled and patted its head before handing it some talent-enhancing energy cubes.
Bulbasaur eagerly nibbled away, savoring the reward.
---
For Hikaru's Pokémon, the biggest limit to growth right now was talent.
And to a lesser degree…
"Bulba… bulba…"
Bulbasaur blushed, smiling shyly as Hikaru praised it.
Much like Greninja, it narrowed its eyes happily—
But while Greninja did so out of habit, Bulbasaur did so out of sheer embarrassment.
It was shy.
Not around other Pokémon—but around Hikaru and Gardevoir.
Hikaru found it amusing.
There was nothing wrong with being shy.
So he let it be.
---
After watching it finish its energy cubes, Hikaru recalled both Pokémon.
Then, he climbed onto Latias and soared into the sky.
---
---
Meanwhile…
After parting ways with Hikaru, Rochin wandered aimlessly toward the secret realm's exit.
His expression was blank, lost in thought.
Butterfree and Oddish followed closely, worried about their Trainer.
Neither of them realized…
That something sinister was slowly seeping into their Trainer's mind.
An invisible energy, dark and eerie, was spreading through his shadow—
Gradually altering his emotions.
---
Rochin's mind drifted back to the battles he had watched.
Hikaru's matches…
The intensity of his fights…
The deafening cheers of tens of thousands of spectators…
The absolute synergy between Trainer and Pokémon…
Hikaru and his Pokémon had no need for words—
It was as if they could communicate telepathically.
And yet…
Today, Hikaru had shattered that illusion.
He explained that such a bond was only possible because he had Aura Powers.
As for Gardevoir…
Its "Telepathy" ability allowed it to speak directly into a Trainer's mind.
---
Aura…
Telepathy…
---
Rochin suddenly froze in place.
A dark energy flickered in his eyes.
---
If his Pokémon could gain these abilities…
Then wouldn't that mean he could finally be part of battles?
Wouldn't that mean he could finally become a real Trainer?
---
He turned to look at Butterfree and Oddish.
Butterfree flapped its wings hesitantly.
For some reason, Rochin suddenly felt unfamiliar to it.
Oddish, too, stepped back cautiously, its worried gaze shifting to confusion.
Something felt… wrong.
It was as if some unknown force was pushing it away.
---
Seeing this reaction, Rochin smiled bitterly.
"So even they… think I'm not fit to be a Trainer?"
"After all, I'm completely useless in battles…"
---
He slowly reached into his pocket—
And pulled out two Poké Balls.
Bending down, he gently placed them on the ground before his Pokémon.
---
His intent was clear—
"Go."
"You both deserve a better Trainer."
"Not someone like me."
---
Behind him, in the depths of his shadow—
Marshadow emerged, silently watching.
It had been trying to "correct" Rochin's fate.
Its goal was to make him abandon his current Pokémon—
And seek out a new partner with Aura Powers or Telepathy.
---
But something had gone wrong.
The correction had failed.
The result was the same, yet the meaning behind it was completely different.
---
Instead of seeking a new Pokémon, Rochin was giving up entirely.
Instead of chasing his dream, he was accepting defeat.
---
Marshadow's golden eyes narrowed in deep thought.
Just how much did these two Pokémon mean to him?
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