"How I did it… of course, by using 'wind-and-soil'."
Hikaru said this to Benga, then looked toward Cyrano and the three kids. "Everyone, this is the power of the land."
In his earlier lesson, Hikaru had mentioned the breath of the earth, and now, through the E-Dart Gun, he made it visual, drawing gasps all around.
"Is that a Ranger's tool? Invented by a Mechanic?" Cyrano rubbed his chin; he'd heard that top Rangers carry many strange devices—cutting-edge gear that only the Ranger Union possesses.
That's also because researchers exist across Leagues and organizations, but truly powerful "Mechanics" are a profession unique to the Ranger Union!
Hikaru: "No, this one is my own device. Rangers use Capture Stylers. I'm not a formal Ranger, so I don't carry that."
"But this seems far stronger than a Styler." Burnet's eyes shone as she proactively examined the specialized machine.
"Firing 'wind-and-soil' to let its breath form a specific 'array'… That takes deep knowledge and a lot of soil sources, plus an accurate understanding of each Pokémon's homeland. Still, this black Haxorus was born here, and its rage is about something else—yet this still calmed it?"
Hikaru: "Of course—because what I fired was Origin Soil."
"Even with the same soil, if you 'activate' a homeland's breath through an array, you can maximize the soothing of a panicked or terror-struck Pokémon. The wind-and-soil has power, but if you don't awaken that power, it's no use."
At the same time, Hikaru sized up Professor Burnet before him.
Oh—this is the not-yet-'tanned' Professor Burnet!
This look of hers is little-known; most people remember the sun-bronzed Burnet after she arrived in Alola.
As the discoverer and researcher of Dream Rifts, for quite a while Burnet-hakase, like Fennel-hakase, carried out research on the dream world.
And the only place where one can access the dream world is Unova.
Because of her Dream Rift research, Burnet later became head of the Space Research Lab in Alola, studying interdimensional space.
Cyrano: "Professor Burnet, I think I've heard a bit—you study matters related to 'dreams,' right?"
Skyla: "I think I heard Fennel-hakase mention that!"
Burnet chuckled. "Mm, you must be Miss Skyla and Mr. Cyrano. To me, you two are celebrities as well, so I recognized you at a glance."
"I'm just an obscure junior researcher, really, but recently I made extra progress in dream-world studies, so I came here—to the Nature Preserve. I've been researching on-site for about a week."
"And that's thanks to Fennel—and to a researcher named Hikaru."
At that, everyone's eyes swung in unison to Hikaru, which made Burnet blink, then look surprised. "Eh? What's going on…"
Could it be? But coincidences can't be this perfect, can they?
"Ahem, that's me."
Hikaru gave a small cough and straightened his expression.
That Fennel and Burnet would be in contact was expected; he just didn't think they'd cross paths in a place like this.
Human ties really are mysterious.
"This is quite a surprise… No—call it good fortune!"
Burnet grew excited. "Fennel said you have very deep insights into the dream world and discovered the existence of a 'Link-In World'!"
"That in your hand—is that the completed C Device?"
"Want to try it?" Hikaru patted the C Device. Burnet looked a tad embarrassed. After a moment's thought, she glanced skyward. "As much as I want to try it right now, there's clearly something more urgent to deal with first."
Cyrano: "By the way—the Dream Rift?"
Professor Burnet: "It's a fissure split from the dream world that connects to other dimensions, and beyond it is where Pokémon's dreams lie."
She offered a concise overview of the dream world. Only Skyla already understood; Cyrano and the three kids listened with rapt attention.
"Amazing! You're tackling such a cutting-edge topic—and already getting results? Ahh, would you consider teaching at Blueberry Academy as well?"
Cyrano extended an invitation on the spot, but Burnet gave an apologetic smile.
"While being invited by Mr. Cyrano is a great honor, I've actually decided to go to the faraway Alola region for my research."
"Yes, the 'space' there is very peculiar. What I study as dream rifts is in fact part of space itself. Space, in essence, is the place that grants matter its existence."
Hikaru: "But not only matter—mind is also part of space."
Burnet pondered. "An interesting proposition. The mind is insubstantial, yet indeed possesses power. But why say mind is part of space…?"
"Ah! Now's not the time to debate this—let's handle the crack in the sky first."
"From my investigations, this special black fissure is also a tear leading to another space. As it splits and expands, it will turn into—"
"The Pokémon's panic and unrest stems from something trying to pass through that tear. However, while Unova's space is distorted, it's also extremely sturdy in other respects."
"Perhaps because of the Dream World and the Link-In World, there's no room here for foreign extradimensional forces."
"But just recently, I detected a strong spatial rupture in Eastern Unova—so intense that even the Nature Preserve felt it."
"Uh, I haven't noticed anything unusual these days." Principal Cyrano pressed down his hat brim. Burnet smiled. "Of course—because that rupture didn't occur in our world. It happened in another dimension."
"It took something from our side…"
"Ahem—yeah, somebody got isekai-transferred." Hikaru coughed.
That Burnet could pick up spatial waves from East Unova didn't surprise Hikaru—Unova's tech really can do that.
For example, the Season Research Lab on Route 6 can detect the instant temperature change between Lacunosa Town and Giant Chasm—across the entire Unova!
Burnet: "Isekai-transferred?"
"Oh, did a 'Fall' occur? How pitiful."
The trio: "Fall?"
Burnet: "Mm, meaning—yes, someone transmigrated! A person who stumbled into a spatial fissure and entered another world, or one who fell from another world into ours!"
"That label is pretty fitting!" She shot Hikaru a wry look.
Benga chimed in: "So, uh! I was training here—doing tough drills with Larvesta! But then the powerful Pokémon in the woods suddenly got restless. To keep them from going wild, I fought them to keep things under control."
"You're amazing! You look even younger than us, yet you can fight such a strong Haxorus!" Nate stroked his chin, praising Benga's strength. The kid—destined to shine later as the final boss in the Black Skyscraper or White Treehollow—puffed out his chest proudly.
"Heh-heh! That's what grinding gets ya!"
By age, Benga is a bit younger than Rosa and the others—around nine right now.
"The source of the panic is that!" Benga's face hardened as he pointed at the widening fissure in the sky. From within it, an unnerving aura spilled out!
"It's coming. Will it be an isekai human—or something else…?"
Hikaru's face hardened as well.
Is it that in some 'Ultra Sun • Ultra Moon' world, Necrozma's power stirred the Ultra Beasts into activity?
If so, this would be the first Ultra Wormhole and Ultra Beast sighting in Unova—though chances are it may also be the last.
Unova is a nexus of many spaces. The next Ultra Wormhole to appear might be the one that tries to swallow Benga.
Boom!
The black rift abruptly swelled, then became a net-veined void!
Seeing the Ultra Wormhole's shape, Hikaru felt it was oddly familiar… like the "gate to the Digital World."
Thinking that way—good thing it's linked to the Ultra Space. If a "Mega-level Digimon" popped out, that'd be awkward. Why don't "Mega levels" count as Ultra Beasts, anyway?
As wary, scrutinizing, and curious gazes lifted to the sky, a figure flashed out of the Ultra Wormhole!
A tiny Ultra Beast—yet bathed in extradimensional energy—its "blades" were perilously sharp!
Rosa: "What is that? Origami?"
Hikaru: "UB-04: Blade! Also called Kartana!"
(End of Chapter)
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