Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 295: Awakening and Aftereffects

Under Celebi's glowing aura, the potted plants on the balcony rapidly grew until their roots cracked the flowerpots.

Outside the window, a few Cherrim were drawn by the energy and pressed their faces against the glass, peering inside.

The entire room seemed to come alive with vitality and renewal.

Under everyone's gaze, Platinum's furrowed brow gradually relaxed. Her eyelids fluttered, and then…

"Ugh…"

With a soft groan, Platinum slowly opened her eyes, only to be startled by the crowd gathered around her.

"Mom… Dad…?"

"Platinum!"

Asahi watched as the Berlitz family embraced, while Sebastian, the butler, discreetly wiped the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief.

He shrugged at Professor Oak and Koga, then stepped aside to give the family some space.

Off to the side, Koga was still in disbelief. "That's it? She's cured?"

He had heard about the Berlitz family's daughter being struck by Darkrai's nightmare powers and rendered comatose despite every known treatment.

And yet, Asahi just summoned Celebi, and with one wave of light, she was cured?

Professor Oak explained, "According to records, Celebi does have the ability to heal wounds and ailments…"

He glanced at Celebi, a nostalgic look flashing in his eyes.

The onion-headed Pokémon was now perched on Asahi's shoulder, whispering something in his ear.

Asahi appeared to be deep in thought.

After finishing its whispering, Celebi noticed Professor Oak watching it, tilted its head, and then gave him a playful wave.

Koga, meanwhile, observed the interaction between Asahi, Professor Oak, and Celebi.

Why did it feel like he was the odd one out here?

Finally, the Berlitz family calmed down.

"Thank you so much, Asahi!"

The Berlitz couple expressed their heartfelt gratitude. Without Asahi, they would've had no idea how to save their daughter.

Asahi waved it off casually. "It's no big deal. I was coming to Sinnoh anyway. Besides… Celebi hasn't fully cured her."

"What?"

Their hearts, which had just relaxed, tightened again at Asahi's words.

"Well… Celebi did remove most of the negative energy from Platina's body and woke her up. But some residual energy from Darkrai remains in her subconscious, which Celebi can't reach."

Asahi turned to Platinum. "So… there may be some side effects."

"Side effects?"

The Berlitz family tensed up.

"Nothing major," Asahi reassured them. "She'll just be more prone to having nightmares than the average person."

No more life-threatening comas. Just an increased likelihood of nightmares—by comparison, it wasn't a big deal.

The Berlitz couple exchanged glances. Asahi's explanation made sense, but seeing Platinum's pale face, they couldn't bear the thought of her daughter suffering more.

"Is there any way to fix it?" she asked.

"There are two options," Asahi said, holding up two fingers.

The Berlitz couple's faces lit up with hope.

"For a permanent fix, you'd need to find Cresselia, the Lunar Pokémon, whose powers naturally counter Darkrai's."

Hearing this, their expressions darkened. They had already tried searching for Cresselia before and had come up empty-handed. That's why they'd reached out to Steven and, ultimately, Asahi.

"As for a temporary solution…" Asahi reached over to his other shoulder.

"Mew~!"

With a soft, cat-like mewl, a sleepy-eyed Mew appeared, dangling from Asahi's hand as he gently held it by the scruff of its neck.

Rubbing its eyes, Mew raised a tiny fist in mock protest.

Everyone stared, dumbfounded.

Even Koga, who had once fought Asahi, was stunned by the sight of Mew.

Mew drifted back onto Asahi's shoulder, disappearing as it curled up for a nap.

"All right. At least there won't be any nightmares for the next week," Asahi said.

Then he noticed that everyone was staring at his shoulder.

In the end, it was Mr. Berlitz who first snapped back to his senses and expressed his gratitude once again.

"I'll arrange for someone to start gathering information about Cresselia as soon as possible!"

But finding Cresselia wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight. After hesitating for a moment, Mr. Berlitz gritted his teeth and said, "Mr. Asahi, I have a rather presumptuous request."

"Before we locate Cresselia, could you let Platinum stay with you for the time being?"

"The Berlitz family is willing to pay any price!"

Platinum was startled. "Father?"

Hearing Dr. Berlitz's words, Asahi couldn't help but marvel at the strangeness of the world.

Back in Hoenn, he had suggested that Ruby join the International Police, only to be firmly rejected by Norman. Yet here in Sinnoh, Mr. Berlitz was actively trying to send Platinum to his side.

"Mr. Berlitz, you're aware of my identity, right?" Asahi asked.

Mr. Berlitz nodded.

"Then you should know that it's dangerous around me."

Though he often appeared relaxed while dealing with Team Rocket, Team Magma, and Team Aqua, even the small fry he defeated were, by outside standards, dangerous criminals.

Despite his interest in bringing Platinum into the Kanto Division, he didn't want Mr. Berlitz to make this decision impulsively.

"In any case, I think you should think it over more carefully—and also consider Platinum's opinion," Asahi said, turning to Platinum.

---

After leaving the Berlitz estate, Asahi, Professor Oak, and Koga walked along the road together.

"Why didn't you agree to it?" Oak asked. "Gary told me you've been scheming… I mean, doing everything you can to expand the Kanto Division. If you had the Berlitz family's support, it would be a great help, wouldn't it?"

Professor Oak, were you just about to say I've been swindling people? Asahi inwardly grumbled.

Adding another mark to the mental "Gary ledger," Asahi replied, "I just wanted them to think it over more. My trip to Sinnoh isn't just about rescuing people; my main task is dealing with Team Rocket."

"And Team Galactic is no easy opponent. Koga, you've been dealing with them recently—you should understand that better than anyone."

Koga nodded silently. No one knew Team Rocket's tactics better than a former high-ranking member like him.

"I've heard some things from Rowan," Oak remarked. "At first, I thought he was exaggerating, but it turns out he wasn't."

As they spoke, the group arrived at Professor Rowan's research lab.

Professor Oak called into the intercom, and soon Rowan emerged, his cape billowing around him, looking more like a gentleman than a typical Pokémon professor.

"Oak! You finally made it! I heard you ran into a hijacking—are you all right?"

Professor Rowan was a renowned researcher who had once worked with Oak in Kanto. Later, as more Sinnoh myths were unearthed, Rowan had returned to his homeland to focus on his studies.

"I'm fine," Oak said, introducing his companions. "This is Asahi, and that's Koga."

"Asahi? You mean that Asahi from the Hoenn incident?" Rowan asked, surprised.

Although the Alliance hadn't disclosed the full details of the Hoenn crisis, as a Pokémon professor, Rowan had caught wind of some things. His gaze turned curious as he looked at Asahi.

Koga, meanwhile, felt increasingly invisible.

"…Have I unknowingly mastered the art of stealth? Why does everyone act like I'm not here?"

Asahi didn't confirm or deny Rowan's assumption. He simply smiled and said, "Hello, Professor Rowan."

"Come inside," Rowan invited.

---

Rowan's lab had a large windmill outside, much like Oak's lab in Pallet Town. Inside, Asahi recognized several familiar pieces of equipment, including devices from both Silph Co. and Devon Corp.

But what caught Asahi's attention the most was a collection of photos hanging on the wall.

"What's this…?"

He stepped closer. The photos depicted ancient, cryptic symbols and abstract murals that made Mew's portrayal look realistic by comparison. But what stood out most were two particular symbols: a weathered, green pentagon and a pink circular emblem.

Seeing Asahi's interest, Rowan explained, "These were discovered at ruins near Jubilife City. Unfortunately, without further context, we haven't been able to determine their significance."

Rowan's expression was one of regret. His instincts told him these symbols were crucial to understanding ancient Sinnoh.

The archaeologists and researchers in Sinnoh may have been stumped, but Asahi instantly recognized the symbols.

"Diamond Clan and Pearl Clan," he said.

"What?"

Rowan was taken aback.

Asahi smiled. "I mean, these are symbols of two ancient Sinnoh organizations: the Diamond Clan and the Pearl Clan."

His words left Rowan, Oak, and even Koga stunned.

"How do you know that…?" Rowan asked.

It wasn't that he doubted Asahi, but the revelation was shocking. Identifying the symbols' origins at a glance was no small feat.

"Celebi told me," Asahi replied, deftly shifting the blame.

Inside the GS Ball, Celebi blinked in confusion. When did I ever tell him that…?

Rowan was still processing this when Oak nodded in confirmation.

"Asahi does have a Celebi. It probably saw these symbols while traveling through time. Besides, Asahi has a knack for archaeology—he even rescued a baby Lugia back in Kanto."

Rowan was astounded. He'd already been impressed by Asahi's role in saving Hoenn, but now it seemed Asahi was even more remarkable than he'd imagined.

After jotting down the names "Diamond Clan" and "Pearl Clan," Rowan heard Asahi say, "Professor Rowan, I'm interested in Hisui's history. Could I borrow some of your research materials?"

Having been surprised so many times already, Rowan no longer found it odd that Asahi knew Hisui's ancient name. He nodded and sent Asahi a file.

Watching Asahi enthusiastically read through the material, Rowan turned to Oak and asked, "What do you think about the upcoming symposium?"

Oak shook his head. "I'm not sure. My knowledge of Sinnoh's legendary Pokémon is limited—I can only offer some general insights."

Hearing this, Asahi looked up. "Legendary Pokémon?"

"You didn't know?" Oak asked, surprised.

"Er… Let's just say intelligence-gathering has always been Green's job." Asahi coughed awkwardly. Without Green's reports to rely on, he'd gotten a bit complacent.

Seeing his genuine confusion, Oak explained, "The full name is the Sinnoh Legendary Pokémon Countermeasures Symposium. It's meant to help the Sinnoh Alliance understand Team Galactic's motives and plan a response."

"Got it." Asahi nodded.

No wonder Team Galactic had taken the risk of hijacking the plane—it was to prevent this symposium.

Still, Asahi wasn't optimistic about the event's effectiveness. It wasn't that he doubted the professors' abilities; with experts like Oak and Rowan, they'd surely figure out Team Galactic's goal. The problem was that Team Galactic wouldn't wait for them to finish their discussions.