"Ryo, these samurai are seriously stubborn."
In the Land of Iron, inside a small inn, Cynthia spoke with evident frustration as she turned to Ryo.
It had already been a week since they left the village. After wandering around the outskirts of Konoha for a few days, they headed straight for the Land of Iron.
Their reason for coming here was simple—some characters from the main story lived here, and they hoped those people could bond with Pokémon. At the same time, they wanted to spread the presence of Pokémon in this samurai-only nation.
But things didn't go as planned. From the very start, they were met with rejection. The samurai held a dismissive attitude toward Pokémon.
No matter how much Ryo and Cynthia explained, it was pointless.
Each of the samurai believed their sword was the only true power. Anything that didn't improve their swordsmanship was worthless to them.
So despite all their efforts, no one was willing to accept a Pokémon.
"It's fine. If they don't want to, they don't have to. It's their choice—we can't force them," Ryo said, shaking his head, trying to calm Cynthia down.
He understood how she felt. After working so hard toward something, only to have it belittled, it was bound to sting.
"Alright, I guess it's about time we head back. It's already been a week."
Just as Ryo tried to lighten the mood, Hoopa, who had been chatting with Diancie nearby, turned toward him. "Ryo, are we heading back now?"
"Yeah, just for a short rest. We'll return tomorrow," he replied.
Cynthia nodded. "Let's go. I don't want to stay in this place any longer."
Ryo twitched slightly at her bluntness, but didn't argue. He turned back to Hoopa. "Hoopa, if you don't mind."
Hoopa gave a nod and tossed out a ring, opening a dimensional portal.
...
The moment they stepped through the golden ring and reappeared in the backyard of the Pokémon House, Ryo saw Nagato and Konan walking over.
"You're back?"
Nagato and Konan nodded.
"How did it go? Any answers?" Ryo asked.
Nagato shook his head. "No, but we found a lot of suspicious signs."
Ryo nodded without pressing further. "So why are you here this time?"
"Boss, I wanted to ask... can Pokémon really bring peace to the world?"
Even though they hadn't confirmed all the facts, it was already obvious that they'd been deceived.
They just hadn't been able to track down the man calling himself Madara. Otherwise, they'd already be confronting him.
Hearing Nagato's words, Ryo immediately understood. So he's realized he's been fooled and is now thinking of another way to achieve peace?
He couldn't help but admire that. Even after everything, he was still chasing peace. That's a real peace-bringer for you.
With a soft smile, Ryo began explaining the same ideas he had shared with Tsunade and Jiraiya before—how Pokémon could reshape the environment and bring a more comfortable life to people.
After hearing his explanation, Nagato and Konan both frowned slightly, struggling to believe such a simple method could bring peace.
"It's not that we doubt the power of Pokémon," Konan said. "It's just hard to believe peace could come so easily."
"You're not lying to us, are you?" she asked with a raised brow.
Ryo shook his head. "I'm not. Everything I've said is true. In fact, Pokémon's loyalty to their partners can even make people grow tired of war."
"I know it's hard to believe, but it really is true."
Nagato nodded, then asked, "Boss, what should I do to help spread this peace?"
"Just spread Pokémon to the other villages."
"Huh?" Konan looked confused. "Didn't you say before that you'd need legendary Pokémon to reshape the lands of the Five Great Nations?"
"Ah—" Ryo froze for a second. "Well yes, but I don't have those legendaries yet. The more Pokémon we spread, the more likely they'll show up."
After all, only by getting important characters to bond with Pokémon could he unlock more treasure chests—and with those came a better chance of obtaining legendary Pokémon.
Konan grew even more skeptical hearing that.
But Nagato nodded. "Alright, Boss. Tell me what to do to help promote Pokémon."
Konan turned to him in disbelief. How could he fall for something so full of holes?
Nagato saw her reaction but didn't explain.
He knew there were flaws in Ryo's plan.
But he also knew… right now, this was the only hope for peace.
Only Pokémon—and Ryo—offered a real possibility.
Even if Ryo's ideas sounded overly optimistic, Nagato believed in the Pokémon themselves.
Ryo was genuinely touched by his trust.
He knew even Tsunade and Jiraiya had doubted him at first.
But Nagato had chosen to believe in him and was ready to help spread Pokémon across the world.
"Don't worry, Nagato," Ryo said with a serious look. "Once Pokémon are everywhere, I swear I'll bring true peace to this world."
Seeing Ryo's expression, Nagato nodded solemnly. Even Konan's doubts seemed to ease a little.
"As for how to spread them, it's simple—just open Pokémon Houses in other villages, just like we did in Konoha."
Nagato nodded again. "Anything else I should know?"
"You can stay here for a couple days. Watch how Itachi and the others form bonds with their Pokémon. Then, do the same when you go to other villages."
"One more thing," Ryo added, "never force anyone—human or Pokémon. If either side isn't willing, just leave it be."
He was genuinely worried that Nagato might use something like Almighty Push to force bonds.
Nagato nodded. "Got it. I'll observe things carefully these next few days."
With that settled, Ryo said no more. He sent the two of them off to the back mountain to bond with some Pokémon and got ready to rest.
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