The pulsations from the Trial Boulder had faded.
After Hikaru and his Pokémon left, the ancient stone returned to its humble, dormant state. It disturbed nothing around it…
Except for the now-frenzied martial artists nearby.
Having witnessed its overwhelming energy firsthand, they now believed training beside the Trial Boulder was far more beneficial than making a pilgrimage to the "Training Cavern."
"The next one to be recognized by the Trial Boulder… will be me!"
Fueled by this fervor, one trainer threw themselves into pummeling the rock with everything they had—but was rewarded only with bruised and bloodied hands.
"I've heard that in distant regions, there's a special move where Trainer and Pokémon act as one. We may not have such a technique in Unova, but when it comes to bonding with my Pokémon—I won't lose to anyone!"
Kentarō clenched a medal in his hand.
Before they parted, that mysterious psychic—Hikaru—had given him this medal, explaining it could help one hear the resonance of the world and oneself. A few others had also received medals.
He mentioned the supply was originally scarce, but he'd recently obtained materials to craft more.
Clearly, these weren't ordinary medals. Kentarō resolved to treat his with care.
And perhaps… it would be useful for him.
Fixing his gaze on the boulder, Kentarō recalled nearly a decade of training—from childhood to now. That was his ideal. His truth. His journey—and now, it became his power!
He felt it. A faint resonance!
To the surprise of the other martial artists, Kentarō and Timburr struck in perfect unison—Brick Break!
BOOM!
The Trial Boulder cracked and shattered into fragments. A powerful wave of energy responded!
In that moment—ideal, truth, and history collided—birthing a mysterious "Power of Transmission."
———
From a hidden vantage, one of the Shadow Triad appeared near the boulder, having tracked Hikaru since he left Castelia City and crossed Skyarrow Bridge. With his special movement abilities, he had even tightrope-walked the bridge's arch.
But the moment Hikaru entered Pinwheel Forest, he vanished from sight—as though the forest itself had rejected all surveillance. Forced to wait outside, the Triad member finally spotted Hikaru exiting again.
Something had changed.
His Torterra now glowed with autumn-red hues—had it evolved within the forest? And the strange humanoid Grass-type Pokémon wore a glowing crown.
Unable to get close without being sensed through aura, he followed from a great distance. What he could tell was that Hikaru had distributed medals to some trainers… and that those trainers had become wildly inspired.
"I wonder… could I see your medal for a moment?"
Disguised as a fellow martial artist, the Shadow member approached one of the trainers. The man generously handed over the medal.
The moment it touched his hand—a wave surged through him.
It felt like something was being "transmitted" from this trainer… directly into his mind and soul.
What was this power?
His Pawniard, standing nearby, also sensed something and turned to look at its "master" in confusion.
"…What is it? You want to say something?"
Though he smiled on the outside, everyone knew he was a man without emotion. Pawniard, startled, lowered its head again—but it had felt something too.
Was that… its master's thoughts?
The Shadow member was unsettled.
This wasn't just a trinket—this medal did something.
It bridged thoughts between people and Pokémon.
It deepened their bond—just slightly—but enough to matter.
Though the medal looked like copper or iron, it clearly wasn't. It was… significant.
He'd have to report this to Ghetsis. Then again, was it truly worth panicking over?
Even if these medals boosted bonds, Team Plasma could easily erase them with a little mind control and the memories of Eternatus. No need to fear such a weak force.
"…That medal really did something. I feel closer to my Pokémon now. Here, take it back."
He returned the medal. Not because he didn't want it—but stealing it might draw too much attention.
Before you rob someone… you prepare.
"Hey bro, your Pokémon is Steel-type, right? You won't get any reaction from the Trial Boulder with that."
"Ah, that's fine. I'm heading to Nacrene City anyway, just thought I'd stop by." The Shadow agent smiled, then left with his Pawniard. As he disappeared around a tree, he muttered to himself:
"I'll find a way to get one of those medals… in Nacrene."
It confused him—he'd always been loyal to Ghetsis and N, never straying from orders. But now, he wanted a medal of his own.
Maybe he'd hand it over for analysis. Or… maybe he'd keep it.
He glanced at his Pawniard.
This wasn't his original partner. After pledging allegiance to Ghetsis, he—like the other Triad members—had been assigned one. Their signature Pokémon. A Dark/Steel-type. Sharp. Obedient. Ruthless.
He'd trained it well over the years.
It would take a lethal hit for him without hesitation. That's what Pokémon were—loyal, powerful tools.
"You did well last time," he muttered suddenly.
Pawniard's eyes widened.
Was… was that a compliment?
It looked at him with hope, but the man said no more. Pawniard, disheartened, lowered its head again.
Must've been… his imagination.
He was just a tool. No one praised tools.
Yet even the Triad member was unsettled.
Why would he—a tool himself—praise another tool?
It had to be the medal. Its power. No… perhaps it was Hikaru himself. Like Colress and Eternatus, perhaps he had a way of influencing people's minds.
"My loyalty is unwavering. I will observe all your actions… and report everything to Ghetsis and Lord N."
"…But I must understand… where this crack in my heart began. That dreamlike unease—what caused it?"
———
[The Forest of Connection has sensed a new will and is slowly growing.]
[The will of people has been transmitted—'Power of Transmission' has been born!]
Hikaru had indeed done something important—distributing medals to martial artists using the Revelation Orbs he'd earned through Gym battles.
He also collected fragments from the shattered Trial Boulder. These rocks possessed a living energy, and even separated from the whole, they retained their vitality.
Hikaru used his Rock Principle to cultivate some of these stones—embedding them into the soil on Torterra's back.
Others went into his backpack—for crafting three new talismans:
Sturdy Charm – reduces all damage taken
Power Charm – boosts all offensive power
Time Fragment (Cosmic Charm) – unknown effect, requires the Adamant Orb
Pinwheel Forest wasn't far from Nacrene City. As Hikaru arrived, the sky had turned to dusk.
The city was alive with chatter. Backpackers buzzed excitedly through the streets.
"Nacrene's got that perfect blend of rustic charm and urban flair! So trendy!"
"You have to check out Soco Café—it's stylish and folksy! Discounts on Wednesdays and Saturdays!"
"This place is full of artists, musicians, designers, maids, poets, singers…"
"Y'know, Nacrene became the Art Capital when a bunch of young hopefuls converted abandoned warehouses into studios!"
Hikaru walked among them with his Pokémon. A few stared, but seeing his oversized backpack and how even his Pokémon carried gear, they assumed—
Oh, he's just another backpacker.
"Did you know Professor Juniper and her dad used to backpack too?"
"No way! I could be a professor one day!"
As voices faded, a few curious locals struck up conversation—fascinated by Hikaru's rare Pokémon. He gained useful intel:
"Nacrene—'Seven Treasures City'—was revived from old warehouses built over a hundred years ago. The abandoned railways suggest it was once Unova's main cargo hub."
"They offered those warehouses to artists. That's why it's called the City of Art. Burgh's from here too! He returns sometimes to work on art in his old studio."
Unlike the anime's colorful portrayal, the real Nacrene was closer to its game design—vintage and classically beautiful.
One of Hikaru's goals here: find Zitan, the furniture designer who could craft Dream Furniture. She might not yet possess that power, but in this world, many NPCs had awakened special abilities.
She had a warehouse studio. It shouldn't be hard to track down.
His second goal came from Cresselia—a Pokémon in Nacrene was trapped in a nightmare.
This wasn't in the games or anime.
Speaking of nightmares… that meant Darkrai.
While Darkrai didn't appear in BW's base games, he had been distributed during the era—through the "Dark Explorer" card set and even via a special event from an airline.
Why an airline?
Airlines and nightmares… The only airport in Unova is Mistralton City.
The planes from Mistralton went to Lentimas Town.
That secluded mountain town—famous for its clay—and located near Unova's lone Gen V ghost house: Stranger's House.
Lentimas was based on the Pueblo peoples of North America.
And in tribes… what matters most? Spirits.
It all seemed connected. Perhaps Unova truly did hide a forgotten Darkrai. Yet Cresselia had said… there were two nightmare-related Pokémon?
"Anyway, the museum's closed for the night…"
For now, Hikaru decided to find Burgh's old studio. Even if he couldn't, he could use Secret Power to create a cozy hidden base—a trick from Hoenn every good traveler knew.
As he walked, he overheard locals:
"Did you see that aurora over the museum?!"
"Auroras only appear at the poles, right?"
"Not exactly. All you need is high-energy particles, magnetic fields…"
"Yeah, well I didn't feel any charged particles!"
Excited voices filled the city, with rumors flying fast—haunted paintings, ghostly reappearances, temporal powers hidden in the city's old bones.
Eventually, Hikaru found the "Art Studio Warehouse" near the train tracks. Next door, a few youths debated whether to open a warehouse store—though the Pokémon Center was right next to it.
Someone nearby even wore a device on their arm resembling a Duel Disk—ready to yell "My turn!"
Actually, that was a Wonder Launcher.
A Unova-exclusive battle system, it let Trainers use in-battle items by spending points. It hadn't spread to other regions.
Local chatter claimed it could only fire status boosters for now, but the most intriguing effects were: Ability Call, Stat Shield, and Item Knockdown.
"This device has potential. If it's made by the Battle Company, I should ask President Shinnosuke for one."
With mechanical tweaks, it could do much more. Heck, turn it into a TCG launcher—then you'd really be dueling!
As he mused, Hikaru arrived at the warehouse. It had been refurbished—graffiti lined the walls, but so did famous artwork.
Most residents were gone, having traveled to Castelia for an art exhibition.
"Miss Zitan might've gone too…" Hikaru thought. "I'll search for her tomorrow."
Tonight's agenda:
Remove rust from the Giant's Key
Grow four-leaf clovers on Torterra's back
Brew potions
Craft the two known charms from Star Fragments
Make more medals
Build some machines
He took out a special die, rolled it on the desk—click!
It extended antennae and released a yellow wave field.
[Device: Electromagnetic Shield]
Description: Used by the International Police to block signal interference and tracking. Can jam malicious waves and filter harmful data.
Effect: Say no to shady signals!
"Gotta block any Plasma surveillance. Always use a signal shield."
———
Inside Nacrene Museum
Gym Leader and museum director Lenora stared at a cosmic meteorite.
Her husband, Deputy Director Hawes, described what had happened.
"This meteorite had cosmic viruses—but they're inert now. Investigations confirmed they pose no risk to humans or Pokémon. That's why we display it."
"Still… this meteorite shouldn't emit high-energy particles…"
Lenora called Professor Juniper via video, informing her of the aurora over the museum. She feared it might attract thieves.
She had her husband bolster security.
["If it came from space, it must hold cosmic energy. Maybe it's been lying dormant."]
["Some Pokémon even arrive via meteorites! Plenty of evidence links them to space. Some trace their origin to meteors themselves."]
Juniper was out in the field, exploring the Wellspring Cave near Nacrene:
["If you want, I can help investigate. I'm nearby, and this cave holds mysterious energy—I even found a Mystic Water here."]
Relieved, Lenora thanked her. But then—
"Dear! Look—the meteorite is glowing again!"
"It's releasing intense light waves—is it sending signals?!"
Even Juniper on the video call saw it—and froze.
["…Reacting to a signal? But… there was nothing unusual just moments ago…"]
["Lenora—what's wrong?"]
Lenora clutched her head in pain—so did Hawes.
"I'm… seeing memories. Memories of… history? A yellow-headed Pokémon… grey body… two tails… it grants us wisdom… What am I saying?!"
"No—it's the meteorite! It's trying to speak!"
"Dreams—death—resentment—unborn sorrow—I saw the cosmos! Why… must it be rejected?!"
Juniper grew alarmed:
["Hold on, Lenora! I'm coming right now! This… this is a dream-related phenomenon!"]
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]