Chapter – 11

Hikaru let out a tired sigh, wiping nonexistent sweat from his brow.

This was the third day of his career as a professional soul surgeon, and his long list of patients had finally run out.

Aman and his companions had left first thing in the morning three days ago to report the news regarding the dungeon and Seibel’s death to their superiors.

Before departing, they had informed him that the royal appraiser—the specialist responsible for establishing contact with the newly discovered dungeon—should arrive within a week, and that he should expect them to return around that time.

After they left, Hikaru had immediately gotten to work, temporarily closing the gates to the dungeon and summoning all of his Pokémon to gather on the central island, where he had spent the past few days painstakingly modifying their souls.

And finally, he was done.

Hikaru felt pride swell within him as his gathered Pokémon thanked him for his efforts.

“Okay everyone, that’s it. You should already be feeling the difference, but take it easy for a while. If anything feels wrong, tell me immediately and I’ll check it out. For now, you can all return to your territories.”

Hikaru waved goodbye, intending to retreat into his laboratory and continue his research for the remaining few days.

Then a Mankey raised her hand.

“Yes, Mankey No. Two? Are you feeling alright?”

Hikaru wasn’t exactly fluent in the language of ooh-ooh ahh-ahh, but thanks to the bond he shared with his creations, understanding them wasn’t particularly difficult.

Coming up with an appropriate response, on the other hand, was.

So he turned toward his loyal companion for help.

“What do you think, buddy? Up for a little spar?”

Trapinch had been the first Pokémon to receive the upgraded soul, yet he had remained by Hikaru’s side throughout the entire process.

Well, “remained by his side” was a generous description.

The orange Pokémon had spent most of those three days asleep.

A little exercise would probably do him some good.

Trapinch disagreed.

The antlion Pokémon let out a tired yawn, clicked his jaws and growled at the offending Mankey.

Mankey No. Two immediately flinched and took several hurried steps backward.

Trapinch then turned toward Hikaru, his expression clearly asking:

Got your answer?

Hikaru laughed nervously.

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best. You’d turn her into a pancake.”

Turning back toward the Mankey, who had already recovered from her sudden encounter with [Astonish], Hikaru quickly intervened before she could challenge Trapinch again.

“Well, Mankey, it seems your Great Guardian isn’t interested right now. Why don’t you challenge him some other time?”

Yes, Great Guardian was the actual title the other Pokémon had given Trapinch.

No, Hikaru wasn’t making it up this time.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of it.

“No, Pikachu. You can’t fight either. You’re the floor boss. Act like it and stop bullying your juniors.”

The yellow mouse visibly deflated, his lightning-shaped tail drooping.

Sadly, Hikaru’s attempt to quickly resolve the matter and return to the peace and quiet of his laboratory failed spectacularly.

Apparently, all this talk of battles had awakened the fighting spirit of the rest of his Pokémon as well. One after another, more voices joined in, all demanding their own chance to fight.

“Okay. Okay. That’s enough. ENOUGH.”

A quick flex of his Authority silenced everyone.

Hikaru closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, an old habit from his previous life whenever a headache threatened to appear.

There went his dream of spending the next few days peacefully conducting research.

Still, this could work too.

It would be a good opportunity to observe how well the modifications he had made to their souls held up under actual combat conditions.

“Since all of you seem so eager to fight, fine. We’ll hold a short tournament right here and now. Show of hands, who wants to participate?”

Hikaru looked around and noticed only a handful of raised hands, most of them belonging to three Tentacool.

Weird. He had expected more volunteers.

Then he remembered that most of his Pokémon didn’t actually possess hands.

Hikaru facepalmed.

“Right. Change of plans. Everyone who wants to participate, move into the arena. Everyone else, gather near the base of the tree.”

With another wave of his hand, Hikaru created a temporary battlefield in front of him, modeled after the arenas from the Pokémon anime.

Pointing toward the aquatic Pokémon, he added,

“Tentacools, don’t worry. I’ll modify the arena when it’s your turn, so just wait for now.”

He gave everyone a few moments to organize themselves before creating a collection of numbered slips.

He didn’t exactly have a random number generator, so drawing lots would have to suffice.

Once everyone had selected their numbers, Hikaru created a glowing display board using light mana to reveal the tournament bracket.

“Okay! Our first match of the day is Hoothoot No. One versus Mankey No. Two! Competitors, take your positions!”

While the two Pokémon moved to opposite ends of the arena, Hikaru conjured himself a comfortable chair in front of Celebi’s shrine.

Pikachu immediately claimed the seat to his right, while Trapinch settled down on his left.

Hikaru suddenly felt a little like a Bond villain.

Unfortunately, Meowth No. One—the one who enjoyed cuddling—had decided to participate in the tournament as well, depriving him of a furry lap warmer.

A tragedy, truly.

“Alright! Competitors ready?”

Hikaru raised one hand dramatically.

“Begin!”

Hoothoot immediately took to the skies, gliding silently on her little wings while waiting for Mankey to make the first move.

Mankey, however, didn’t take the bait and rush her immediately.

Despite being hot-headed by nature, Mankey actually used her brain during the fight. First, she used [Focus Energy], mana coursing through her body and enhancing her abilities. Then she followed it up with [Rock Throw], hurling conjured stones at the owl.

Hoothoot easily dodged the first projectile, but Mankey wasn’t deterred. She used the move again, sending another volley of rocks toward her opponent.

Hoothoot avoided the first few attacks, but when it became clear that Mankey wasn’t planning to stop her ranged assault, she finally made her own move.

[Confusion.]

Mankey’s next throw went wildly off target as she suddenly began stumbling around like a drunk.

Hoothoot immediately seized the opportunity, diving straight at Mankey with her beak glowing from [Peck].

Mankey took the hit, but the pain dispelled the effects of [Confusion]. She retaliated instantly with [Karate Chop], mana reinforcing her hands as the strike knocked Hoothoot out of the air.

Mankey immediately followed up with [Low Sweep], but Hoothoot released an [Echoed Voice] at point-blank range, the sound attack proving devastating at such close distance.

Mankey clutched her head in pain, giving Hoothoot enough time to once again take to the skies.

The battle entered a brief stalemate as both combatants reconsidered their approach.

Hikaru sensed Mankey use [Bulk Up] repeatedly, clearly hoping to end the fight during the next exchange. Hoothoot had no such luxury, but she was still wary of taking another direct hit and opted for a second mind attack.

[Hypnosis] wasn’t powerful enough to immediately put Mankey to sleep, but it made her drowsy enough that she missed her opportunity to counter when Hoothoot dove in for another attack.

Unfortunately for Hoothoot, it didn’t make much of a difference.

Strengthened by multiple uses of [Bulk Up], Mankey barely noticed the strike. The wound was little more than superficial, and the pain instantly dispelled the lingering effects of [Hypnosis].

When Hoothoot attempted another [Peck], Mankey was ready.

Her [Brick Break] connected cleanly.

Several bones cracked as Hoothoot crashed to the ground unconscious.

Well, that was a surprise.

Hikaru had expected Hoothoot to win this one. He certainly hadn’t expected such a professional display of strategy from Mankey.

He joined the rest of the spectators in cheering for Mankey’s victory before snapping his fingers and restoring Hoothoot to perfect health.

The battle had certainly been entertaining, but Hikaru was focused on something else entirely.

If anyone had been keeping count, they would have noticed that the Pokémon had used far more than four skills.

That’s right.

With his improved understanding of souls and mana, Hikaru had finally managed to break the old four-skill limitation.

And with their upgraded souls now capable of supporting far greater complexity, he had also begun giving them more sophisticated techniques than simple attacks like [Peck] and [Tackle].

Judging from what he had seen during the match, the modifications were working wonderfully.

His creations now had actual tactical options beyond simply charging at their opponents and hoping for the best.

More importantly, Hikaru could already see the fruits of his labor.

Even during this brief battle, both Pokémon’s souls had grown ever so slightly as they fought and pushed themselves, slowly pressing against the artificial barriers Hikaru had constructed around their souls.

And once those barriers finally gave way, like a balloon filled beyond its limits, the soul would burst outward in a sudden surge of growth.

And the world would witness its first Pokémon evolution.

Soon, my glorious creations. Very soon.

After the cheering finally died down—Mankey No. Two being by far the loudest—Hikaru called out the next match.

“Okay, you two. Great battle. Now get some rest and clear the arena for our next competitors.”

Hikaru glanced at the glowing bracket suspended in the air.

“Next up we have Tentacool No. Three versus…”

He paused.

“Pidgey No. Four.”

Hikaru stared at the bracket.

“…Okay, that’s just unfair.”

He let out a sigh.

Looks like he would have to redo the entire thing.

---

In the end, Hikaru decided to hold separate tournaments for each Pokémon type.

The Bug-type tournament had the most participants by far, though the smaller contestants like Weedle and Spinarak never really stood a chance. The final match came down to Scyther No. Two and Heracross No. Two, the male of the pairs.

Hikaru had never liked Pinsir, so he had never bothered creating one.

The Water-type tournament was much shorter. Neither any Magikarp nor any Seaking chose to participate, leaving the three Tentacool to battle among themselves until Tentacool No. Three emerged victorious.

Unfortunate.

It would take a miracle before any of his Magikarp evolved into the monstrous Gyarados.

The Flying-type tournament was easily the most entertaining, watching the various birds try to outfly one another. In the end, Taillow No. Two claimed victory through an impressive combination of [Double Team] and [Quick Attack].

The Grass-type battles were, unfortunately, the most boring. Most powder moves were ineffective against fellow Grass-types, reducing many matches to prolonged exchanges of [Absorb] until one side finally collapsed from exhaustion.

Seedot No. One put on an impressive performance with [Rollout], but ultimately lost to Budew No. Two, the same one Aman had befriended during his first visit.

Since Heracross had already participated in the Bug-type tournament and there were no other Fighting-types, Hikaru had simply entered both Mankey No. One and No. Two into the Normal-type bracket.

Snorlax, meanwhile, had declined to participate entirely. Which was probably for the best. After the recent upgrades, he was simply too overpowered.

As a result, the Mankey duo utterly dominated the Rattata and Meowth contestants.

However, in a surprising twist, the eventual champion turned out to be Eevee.

Though, in hindsight, Hikaru probably shouldn’t have been surprised.

He knew he was biased.

Making a [Swift] skill had been difficult enough even without adding the homing component. Combined with [Quick Attack], [Bite], [Baby-Doll Eyes], [Double Team], [Yawn] and…

Yeah.

Hikaru may have gone a little overboard.

Still, could anyone really blame him?

He would like to see someone resist spoiling the adorable little fluffball.

There was a reason Hikaru had only created a single Eevee.

Even without any skills, they were rare, precious and absolutely devastating to one’s heart.

And with that, the first official Pokémon Tournament had finally concluded.

Or not.

Hikaru was just about to end the event when his orange companion finally made a move.

Trapinch had remained quiet throughout the entire tournament, silently observing the battles unlike Pikachu, who enthusiastically commented on nearly every match.

But it seemed the spectacle had finally rekindled the fire in the Ground-type’s heart.

Trapinch slowly rose to his feet and walked onto one side of the arena.

He opened his jaws and released a challenging roar.

The message was unmistakable.

Before anyone else could respond, the yellow mouse sitting beside Hikaru had already leapt into the arena, sparks dancing across his fur as excitement shone in his eyes.

“Well, okay then. Last match of the day. Pikachu versus Trapinch. Challengers ready? Begin!”

Unlike in the games, there were no true type interactions in this world. The type chart Hikaru had painstakingly memorized during his youth was completely useless here.

It also meant that Trapinch wasn’t immune to Pikachu’s attacks.

Both of them were among Hikaru’s finest creations, possessing strength far beyond that of ordinary Pokémon and holding numerous skills.

Both sides had an equal chance of victory.

Hikaru was excited to see how this would play out.

Pikachu immediately buffed himself with [Agility], while Trapinch responded with [Sandstorm], whipping up…

That’s right.

A sandstorm.

While Pikachu’s vision was hampered by the swirling debris, Hikaru could clearly see through his Authority as Trapinch reinforced himself with [Iron Defense].

Pikachu didn’t wait any longer.

He immediately launched himself forward with [Quick Attack].

Already blessed with incredible speed, and further enhanced by [Agility], the yellow mouse crossed the distance in the blink of an eye and slammed into his orange opponent with a loud clang.

Hikaru felt pride swell within him as his first creation barely budged from the impact, his jaws already glowing with the dark mana of [Bite].

Unfortunately, before Trapinch could snap them shut, Pikachu was long gone.

The next few moments resembled a reenactment of Flash versus Superman, as Pikachu repeatedly speed-blitzed Trapinch while the latter endured the attacks and attempted to retaliate.

When Trapinch could no longer cope with the mounting pressure, he immediately switched tactics.

Find this and other great novels on the author’s preferred platform. Support original creators!

Opening his mouth, he released an eerie roar.

The [Astonish] managed to stop Pikachu in his tracks for a brief moment, and Trapinch immediately capitalized on the opportunity.

He opened with [Mud Shot], temporarily blinding Pikachu, before following it up with a fluid combination of [Feint Attack] and [Bite].

Trapinch’s form melded into the shadows, his body becoming briefly immaterial as he rapidly traversed the distance.

When he emerged, his jaws were already closing around Pikachu, dark mana crackling between his jaws.

Pikachu cried out in pain, the dark mana briefly destabilizing his skills.

Still, he fought through the pain and unleashed [Thunderbolt] at point-blank range.

The iconic Electric-type attack finally forced Trapinch to release him as his entire body seized up from the powerful current.

Pikachu immediately followed up with [Electro Ball], blasting Trapinch away.

Both Pokémon panted heavily as they glared at one another.

Pikachu was bleeding from the wounds left by [Bite], while Trapinch’s entire carapace smoked from the powerful electrical attacks.

Hikaru was barely staying in his seat, completely absorbed in the battle as his Authority tracked their every movement.

As soon as both Pokémon had recovered their breath, the fight resumed.

This time, Pikachu wisely chose to keep his distance, racing circles around Trapinch while bombarding him with repeated [Thunderbolt] attacks.

Trapinch, however, had no intention of simply enduring the assault.

He used [Dig].

The Ground-type disappeared beneath the earth.

Pikachu immediately stilled, his long ears twitching as he listened intently for any sign of movement.

Meanwhile, Hikaru watched through his Authority as Trapinch slowly tunneled toward Pikachu’s location.

The moment Trapinch burst from the ground, intending to use another [Bite], Pikachu’s ears twitched.

His tail immediately began glowing with metallic mana.

[Iron Tail] collided directly with [Bite].

Before Pikachu could press the advantage with another Electric-type attack, Trapinch had already kicked up another localized [Sandstorm]. At the same time, the earth itself rose at his command as [Rock Slide] crashed down upon Pikachu.

The boulders struck the little mouse, launching him into the air and breaking his concentration.

By the time Pikachu landed, Trapinch was already waiting.

With a powerful stomp, [Bulldoze] caused the earth to shake violently, preventing Pikachu from regaining his footing before Trapinch once again used the combination of [Feint Attack] and [Bite] to catch his opponent in his jaws.

Pikachu tried to free himself with another [Thunderbolt], but Trapinch wasn’t having any of it.

The antlion Pokémon simply shook the smaller Pokémon like a ragdoll.

When that failed, Pikachu finally decided to go all out.

[Discharge.]

A massive surge of electricity erupted outward.

Trapinch had no way to stop the attack.

Even so, he refused to let go this time.

Hikaru sensed him reinforce himself with [Iron Defense], but the attack was clearly taking its toll.

The battle had become one of pure endurance.

Who would give out first?

Pikachu?

Or Trapinch?

Hikaru clenched his fists in excitement.

If he had still been human, he was fairly certain he would have fainted from forgetting to breathe for the past several minutes.

The battle finally ended not with a bang, but with a whimper.

A whimper from Pikachu, as his body finally gave out from accumulated injuries and blood loss.

Trapinch blinked, noticing that the electricity had stopped, and finally released the limp Pokémon from his jaws.

He wasn’t in much better shape himself, remaining upright through little more than sheer stubbornness.

The Ground-type slowly staggered back toward Hikaru before finally collapsing beside his creator, unconscious.

Hikaru allowed the cheers to continue for a few moments as everyone celebrated the Great Guardian’s victory over the Big Boss before using his Authority to restore both combatants to perfect health.

Pikachu quickly jumped back to his feet, shook his head and looked at Hikaru questioningly.

“Sorry, buddy. You lost. It was an amazing fight though.”

Pikachu looked dejected for all of ten seconds.

Then his ears perked back up and his eyes once again burned with determination.

Hikaru smiled.

That was his Pikachu.

Finally rising from his seat, Hikaru waved a hand and dispelled the temporary arena.

“And that concludes our first official Pokémon Tournament!” he announced loudly. “Thank you, everyone, for participating and doing your best. For all the winners, extra berries of your choice. For everyone else, don’t worry. You’ll get another chance next time.”

He looked around at his gathered Pokémon.

“Now, it’s getting late. I’m tired, you’re tired, so let’s all head home and get some rest.”

Amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the surrounding Pokémon, Hikaru snapped his fingers, teleporting everyone back to their respective territories while he and Trapinch returned to the Pokécenter.

Finally, the day was over.

Now, while his champion enjoyed a well-deserved nap, Hikaru had some research to continue.

The secrets of the universe weren’t going to reveal themselves, after all.

---

Hikaru stepped inside his laboratory, the glow of his core providing the only illumination in the room.

He was glad to finally be done upgrading all of his Pokémon, making them stronger and even closer to their original counterparts.

However, his laboratory had been calling to him throughout the entire process, patiently waiting for him to return and unravel the mysteries of mana, inching ever closer toward a higher stage of enlightenment.

He was glad to have finally answered its call.

Though, to be fair, he had enjoyed watching the tournament just as much.