North Province (Area Two) was a great place to train.
Treacherous mountains, deep valleys, ruins that hid ancient secret treasures, lush bamboo forests, waterfalls plunging straight down.
Even after leaving the Firescourge Shrine, Hikaru didn't leave North Province (Area Two). Instead, he stayed nearby, let his Pokémon eat their fill, and then started training.
At the same time, he began working on those important scrolls, and also had his Pokémon continue studying the three major scrolls they already had.
The training tools Hikaru took out drew quite a bit of interest from Raifort-san.
For example, those talismans and pendants.
And those three scrolls also fascinated Raifort-san so much that this tomb-raider lady didn't leave at all. Instead, she stayed by Hikaru's side and basically switched into "daily antique appraisal" mode.
"The Secret to Accuracy, the Secret to Power, the Secret to PP… These words seem to contain some kind of special power, and even Pokémon can understand them?"
"The shapes of these letters are a script I've never seen before. What is this, exactly? A writing system that was lost in some historical era? This is truly captivating."
"They're Unown," Hikaru said to himself. In Generation IX, Unown as a whole hadn't "passed customs," and their paperwork was still stuck back in the Hisui era. Of course Paldea hadn't seen them.
In fact, even though the Pokémon world had a common spoken language, there were multiple writing systems. What was known was that Generations I through IV shared one script, while the regions in the following five generations seemed to use different scripts.
"Unown?" Raifort-san had clearly never heard of that. "Is that some kind of riddle?"
"No. It's a Pokémon. In other words, a Pokémon that looks like letters," Hikaru said, quite happy to chat with the tomb-raider lady. The various bits of history and grave-robbing expertise Raifort-san had really were intriguing in certain ways.
Later on, even if she quit tomb-raiding, she could just write a 'tomb-raiding autobiography' and sell it as a novel. Hikaru figured it would absolutely blow up.
Of course, that might encourage even more people to go digging through ruins. Overall, that would be bad for ruin management in the Pokémon world.
…Come to think of it, in this world, aside from grassroots ruin exploration teams and the Ranger Union, was anyone actually managing ruins at all?
"Did you know there's a kind of Pokédex called an Unown Dex?" Hikaru explained to the curious Raifort-san. "It's the oldest kind of Pokédex, dedicated to recording Unown forms. But you know how Unown and ancient writing are exactly the same, right? So that kind of Pokédex can also be treated as a dictionary."
"It's said that Unown writing is the oldest writing system ever discovered. The earliest humans took inspiration from Unown's shapes and created incredible ancient scripts. In Johto, Professor Spencer Hale is an expert in Unown research."
"In past generations, there was also a Professor Laventon who dabbled in this field. But the mystery of Unown hasn't been fully solved even today."
"If you write using Unown letters and show it to Pokémon, then the recorded words and power can be conveyed to Pokémon completely."
"In a very ancient era, ancient bracelets and scrolls used to record history were tools used to help Pokémon learn moves, granting inheritance and power. Even today, there are still peoples who pass down the same power."
"Oh." Raifort-san was intensely interested. Every single thing she heard from Hikaru was something she'd never learned in her previous life.
She drank it in gladly, feeling as if she'd never experienced time this wonderful before.
Like a dried-out sponge soaking up the flow of water called knowledge and legend, interpreting mysteries of the world that no one else knew.
Her eyes shimmered faintly as she pressed on, excited. "From what you're saying, it sounds like you're saying you're one of those peoples, too. You hinted at it before."
"And it's because of that inheritance that you seem so mysterious, isn't it?"
"Ah, having outstanding ancestors really is nice," Raifort-san sighed. "My ancestors left me nothing. They even took their treasures into their graves and refused to share with their descendants. Even those precious book collections were all left in the biggest academy in this region."
"Though I'm technically of royal descent, in reality I have nothing but the title. That's why I'll do anything to decode ancient mysteries."
"I'm good at decoding ancient scripts too, but I've never seen anything related to Unown. Can you teach me this writing system? Hehe, it's purely out of interest, of course. And I'll give you something good as 'tuition.'"
Hikaru laughed and shook his head. "Unown writing isn't that hard to learn. A friend of mine is skilled at decoding it. But Unown writing itself contains powerful energy. Once you learn it, you must be careful."
"You might get noticed by the Unown, who'll find you interesting and drag you into an other-dimensional world."
Watching Raifort-san freeze up and start weighing it seriously, Hikaru continued crafting the more important scroll.
[Martial Arts Tool: Single Strike Scroll of Piercing — Piercing Scroll!]
[There is the fire of great brightness, vast and luminous in its radiance.]
[A secret martial art from a distant region, focused on defeating the opponent in a single strike. By gathering true qi to break through the obstruction of elemental energy—martial arts technique "Bullet Breakthrough." When treated as a Pokémon move, its power is 120. This attack's damage isn't affected by Weakness or Resistance, or by any effects on the opponent (Trainer or Pokémon)!]
"Here!"
Hikaru tossed the scroll to Riolu. The blue-furred pup leapt up, caught it in one grab, and immediately began flipping through it.
Was this the insight of a martial arts grandmaster? In any case, it was an incredible manual mastered by Trainers.
Yeah, a completely different style from the "Scroll of Swirls"!
Hikaru said, "As for training with the Piercing Scroll, I think it'll work better if you practice once we return to the training grotto. Bullet Breakthrough is extremely powerful, and it can ignore an opponent's resistance. You could say that, aside from type matchups, it's truly a martial art that can break any fortress."
"But because its training style is very different from the Scroll of Swirls, I don't think you can master both in a short time. You can only choose one of the two to learn."
These "legendary scrolls" were, in truth, Tools from the TCG. There were six in total, and their "battle styles" all inherited either the Single Strike style or the Rapid Strike style.
Single Strike Scroll of Piercing, Single Strike Scroll of Scorn, Single Strike Scroll of the Fanged Dragon.
Rapid Strike Scroll of Swirls, Rapid Strike Scroll of the Skies, Rapid Strike Scroll of the Flying Dragon.
After making the Single Strike Scroll of Piercing, Hikaru also learned the secret hidden within these scrolls. Those six scrolls, along with "Wicked Blow — Scroll of Darkness" and "Surging Strikes — Scroll of Waters," these kinds of martial arts secrets, totaled eight in all.
And "Unseen Fist" was not among them.
Unseen Fist was an Ability belonging to a Pokémon called Urshifu, the evolved form of Kubfu. Depending on battle style, it evolved into either Rapid Strike Style or Single Strike Style. The difference in appearance wasn't huge, but its Gigantamax form changed.
And that Ability was, in battles, absolutely disgusting.
If it used a move that made contact with the opponent, it could ignore protection effects and still strike.
In other words, the legendary "pierce Protect."
The universal move Protect was meaningless in front of Urshifu. But rather than calling Unseen Fist an Ability, it was more accurate to say it was a special "martial art" Urshifu mastered through relentless training over time.
Before that, it wasn't like there were no moves that could pierce protection.
For example, the famous move that almost nobody ever brought: Feint.
It could hit opponents using Protect or Detect and remove their protection effects.
It used to have a base power as high as 50, and with Abilities like Technician it could output solid damage. But it got nerfed in Generation V, dropping to only 30, and basically vanished from practical battles.
In training terms, Feint was learned by slipping around an opponent's frontal protection and striking swiftly from the side, which was why it could pierce Protect's effect.
[Let me see?]
Riolu heard Iron Valiant's voice. The blue pup was pondering how to train this technique and planned to begin once they returned to the training grotto, but Iron Valiant seemed to have taken an interest in the Piercing Scroll.
Her pixel eyes began scanning the scroll, and once she had fully read it through, the Unown writing on the scroll lit up.
Humm—
As if it had come alive.
"The letters are glowing!" Raifort-san stared in shock at what was happening.
Hikaru chuckled and pointed off to the side. "Don't mind it. The scroll over there is glowing too. That one is also something I wrote by hand."
Not far away, by the great waterfall, Aegislash and Lilligant were sparring.
They were practicing "a sword art that can sever invisible enemies."
Aegislash was Ghost/Steel. Fighting-type moves hitting it had only impact and no damage, so it needed another Pokémon that had mastered this sword art to spar with it, so it could understand its shortcomings and steadily improve.
And the one suited to that role was, of course, Lilligant, who likewise excelled at "slashing," "kicking," and "dancing."
So now, the scroll Hikaru had written and placed outside the waterfall was also giving off a faint glow.
"That glow represents the Pokémon in training gradually comprehending the essence of what's recorded in the moves!"
"Even if it glows, it doesn't necessarily mean it'll be learned immediately. And even after learning it, there's still a higher stage: true mastery."
"Once you refine a move to the point of perfection, you can use even greater combat techniques—Strong Style and Agile Style."
Hikaru and Raifort-san watched as Iron Valiant grasped the move before their eyes.
This iron knight from the future briefly surveyed her surroundings, then locked onto a massive boulder.
Light blades snapped out from her arms. The recorded contents streamed through her internal databank, and a powerful surge of Fighting-type energy began rising!
Single Strike Scroll of Piercing!
The legendary martial art: Bullet Breakthrough!
Her light blades spread, becoming a dancing greatsword. The pink energy cleaver swung straight down—almost without resistance—striking the center of that huge boulder as if cutting into soil!
And then, the rock itself showed no cracks. Instead, behind the rock, a violent shockwave erupted in an explosive burst.
It pulverized the soil behind it and the entire rear face of the rock into dust.
The beam pierced through the boulder, throwing off sparkling bursts. She was a machine, yet the instantaneous outburst just now had employed the technique of "true qi"!
"…?!" Riolu stared, mouth agape, at Iron Valiant using a legendary martial art. He rubbed his eyes, unable to believe it, and then sucked in a sharp breath.
This was ridiculous!
[Bullet Breakthrough, I've learned it!]
Iron Valiant retracted her light blades. The intense qi swirling around her body dispersed like a gentle breeze, and she lifted her head proudly.
Then she looked at the dumbfounded Riolu. A trace of eagerness and excitement appeared in her cold pixel eyes.
[Want to spar and try it? You use the Scroll of Swirls, and I'll use the Piercing Scroll. Riolu, do you accept my challenge?]
[Who is the strongest Fighting-type, anyway? You and me, and Lilligant too—who is it?]
"Awooo!"
Riolu stroked his chin with a thoughtful look, then after a brief moment of consideration, took a stance toward the iron knight!
A hero of aura feared no knightly challenge. A spar invitation from a partner only made him more excited!
Iron Valiant-nee-san, whether your light blades are sharper or my claws are harder, let's find out!
"What incredible power. That's a move I've never seen before," Raifort-san murmured, pushing up her glasses as she watched the two Pokémon spar, her expression growing more and more shocked.
That robot-like Pokémon seemed able to speak, but she didn't understand her voice. And that Riolu was absurdly strong too. Was that really the "Emanation Pokémon"?
"Woooo-chien~"
Raifort-san heard the voice of the Treasures of Ruin beside her and turned her head.
…Right.
The little fish that created a sea of fire was leisurely munching on charcoal, and it even looked like it was enjoying it.
A jealous fire jade had really turned into a goldfish, huh. Was that burning charcoal its fish food or something?
Also, this place was full of Fighting-type sparring. There was no room for these Dark-type troublemakers to show off at all.
"And hey, Chien-Pao, what are you doing? What's so fun about my shadow…?"
"Hah!" Chien-Pao suddenly bristled, shifting into its saber-toothed form. Its icy fangs and blade-like teeth flared with intense light as it lunged straight at Raifort-san's shadow and bit down hard!
Crunch!
Boom!
The ground was bitten through, blasting a deep gouge into the earth. Raifort-san was yanked up by Wo-Chien's vines and wasn't hurt, but she was badly shaken, unable to understand why Chien-Pao—who had looked like nothing more than a big cat—had suddenly attacked!
"What's wrong with Chien-Pao?!"
Wo-Chien seemed to sense Chien-Pao's state. Its eyes turned toward the shadow.
Raifort-san felt like she understood what Wo-Chien meant. She looked at her own shadow. "There's something in my shadow…?"
"Red eyes!"
Inside Raifort-san's shadow, a pair of red eyes stared back. After Chien-Pao attacked, a black fist suddenly shot out of the shadow and punched forward!
Retaliate! A Fighting-type move with a base power of 60, but if it had been hit by an opponent's attack, it would deal double damage!
"Chieeen!"
As expected, four-times-weak-to-Fighting Chien-Pao instantly got wrecked. One punch sent it flying, and it landed with a sad splat not far away, flattening into a cat-shaped strip.
And in Raifort-san's shadow, a short figure slowly emerged—eyes glowing a ghostly red like lantern flames—watching the battling Pokémon with obvious interest.
The strongest Fighting-type Pokémon?
Then that would be…!
Hikaru saw that short shadow and was genuinely startled.
"A guide within the shadows…?"
"Marshadow!"
(End of Chapter)
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