After receiving congratulations from all their companions, the excited Togekiss gradually returned to its usual demeanor and shyly slipped out of Mark's arms.
"Kiss~"
Togekiss flew over to the dull gray Odd Keystone, studied it with a hint of seriousness for a while, then turned to Mark and muttered something.
"Should we bury it? Or smash it? Uh..." Mark scratched his head, completely unable to understand what Togekiss was trying to say.
In the end, Togekiss rolled its eyes adorably and directly used the tip of its wing to pick an empty Poké Ball from Mark's battle belt.
"HEEEEY!"
Mark shouted in surprise. He didn't have time to stop it, Togekiss had already hurled the empty Poké Ball at the Odd Keystone at its feet.
Which meant… at the fainted Spiritomb.
Panic flashed in Mark's eyes. He had learned long ago what could happen when forcibly capturing a Pokémon.
Seeing the Poké Ball absorb the Odd Keystone, Mark even considered destroying it right then and there to release Spiritomb.
"Kiss~"
Togekiss stopped him. Its broad white wings patted Mark's back, and its soft chirp seemed to be comforting his panicked heart.
'It's okay~'
Mark understood what Togekiss meant, and he knew there was no reason for Togekiss to harm him.
Ding~
In that short moment, the Poké Ball on the ground stopped shaking and emitted the chime of a successful capture.
In other words, Mark had caught Spiritomb!
With absolutely no warning, he had completed his full six-member Pokémon team…
"Mark…" Sato had also walked over, frowning slightly as he looked at him, unsure whether to offer congratulations.
"Boss… Togekiss said it's okay. I believe it." Mark gave a faint smile, accepting the situation more calmly than expected.
Because Spiritomb was strong!
Just from the way it had held its own against so many Pokémon earlier, it was clear that this Spiritomb had immense power, catching it made it Mark's new ace.
But at the same time, no one knew how long Spiritomb had lived, and it had openly absorbed the souls of other Pokémon.
Such a "malevolent spirit". Whether it would obey orders was the least of the concerns. Whether it would eventually turn on Mark as its Trainer… that was something Mark should really be worried about.
Thinking that, Sato didn't hold back and voiced his concern directly. Mark fell silent upon hearing it.
"Kiss!"
Togekiss chirped again and confidently patted its own chest with its white wings, signaling that it would take full responsibility for this.
Sato said no more. As a Pokémon that had been raised by Mark since its egg days, Togekiss likely wouldn't allow harm to come to him.
"Let's head back. If Joseph helps us, we'll find the answer more quickly," Sato said, then turned and nodded to the trembling Chanel and Yamato behind him before striding toward the village.
The siblings obediently followed. Their thoughts were simple… 'Finally, they were going home.' Everything they'd seen tonight was too much for them, and even with wobbly legs, they didn't dare fall behind.
"…Yeah." Mark quietly responded, picked up the Poké Ball with a complicated expression, and hurried after the others.
When they returned to Chanel's house, Joseph was still waiting in the living room. Meanwhile, Chanel's parents were sound asleep, completely unaware that their kids had just witnessed an intense "show."
After telling the siblings to hurry off to bed, Sato pulled Mark and Joseph back into the room.
"…That's pretty much everything. If Togekiss was so determined to have Mark catch Spiritomb, it must have had its reasons."
Sato summed it up concisely, then looked over at the well-behaved Togekiss.
"Togekiss, I'll translate. Tell us why you did that." Joseph gently stroked Togekiss's smooth feathers.
"Kiss… Ki… Kiss…" Togekiss had no objections. It began its "performance" with full emotion, and Joseph nodded occasionally to show he understood.
"Joseph, your Viridian Power is so useful…" Mark said sincerely, filled with envy. Being able to communicate directly with Pokémon was such a practical ability.
"Your ability isn't bad either," Sato said with a side glance at Mark. Just as Mark perked up from the compliment and looked ready to push his luck…
"…Perfect for a mascot," Sato added.
Mark: …
"Ahem…" Joseph cleared his throat to cut off their bickering and said directly, "I think I understand what Togekiss meant. This Spiritomb, in a way, was fated for Mark, just like Togekiss was."
Mark: …?
"The idea that Togekiss's line brings good fortune to those close to them has been around for a long time. And that's already been proven true with Mark," Joseph explained.
"But the legend surrounding Spiritomb is the complete opposite. Every account of it is linked to misfortune, bad luck, even disaster… like it's the source of ruin, a destroyer of all good things."
As Joseph spoke, behind Mark -unnoticed by anyone- the Poké Ball containing Spiritomb shook slightly.
"But good luck, bad luck… it's all still luck… In Togekiss's words, Mark's special ability doesn't just attract good fortune. It should also be able to control misfortune. And the key to mastering misfortune… might be Spiritomb itself!"
After Joseph finished, the room fell so quiet they could hear each other breathing.
The three looked at one another. Sato and Joseph finally turned their eyes to Mark.
Mark blinked innocently, then looked at his own Togekiss.
"Kiss~" Togekiss tilted its head and gave Mark a wide, joyful smile full of happiness.
Mark: "…"
"For now, it doesn't seem like a bad thing. Let's wait until morning, then we'll try communicating with Spiritomb and decide what to do based on how that goes," Sato concluded.
Joseph and Mark both nodded in agreement.
It was already midnight. After finishing their discussion, the three returned to their rooms to rest a bit before dawn.
However, once Mark got back to his room, he couldn't sleep at all. He held the Poké Ball containing Spiritomb in his hands, staring at it as if trying to uncover some hidden truth.
"Cha~"
Arbok gently curled its tail around Mark's waist, as if to say, 'No matter what happens, I'll be here with you.'
…But Mark didn't react at all. He just kept staring at the Poké Ball.
Arbok: …（▼へ▼メ）
The next moment, Arbok suddenly sensed a strange energy slowly emanating from Mark's body and rushing straight into the Poké Ball in his hand.