Chapter 65. Unknown Effect
"How strange.
What did Natsume and the others go to do?"
By the sea, although it was pitch dark, Ash and his friends still waited for Natsume with unease.
"Pikachu!"
"Spit it out.
Spit it out right now!"
When Tentacruel came back, what they saw was a despairing Natsume.
Center-parted had fallen fast asleep and couldn't be woken.
Natsume didn't think this was some drowsiness side effect from absorbing the divinity.
Because when he took out center-parted's favorite little snack, it would immediately open its eyes and gobble it up.
Then it went right back to sleep.
This proved its sleep wasn't uncontrollable narcolepsy.
But Natsume, well-versed in Pokémon knowledge, also knew very clearly that center-parted wasn't faking sleep, either.
Center-parted had truly reached the wondrous state of sleeping whenever it wanted and waking whenever it wanted.
When it wanted to sleep, no matter how noisy the outside or how much Natsume fussed, center-parted still slept soundly.
No way.
Such a big divinity shard, and it gave you this function?
"Natsume, where are you going?"
"See you at the Pokémon Center!"
Natsume, unconvinced, slid down Tentacruel's tentacle, grabbed center-parted in his hand, and was carried away by Rotom's Teleport.
A divinity shard big enough for a Pikachu to lie on and sleep could be called enormous.
For such a big divinity shard to be completely absorbed by center-parted without any abnormalities was itself abnormal.
Center-parted neither Dynamaxed nor showed any change in level, and its stats hadn't budged at all.
Way too abnormal.
At the Pokémon Center in Porta Vista, inside a room, the light flickered, and the silhouette of a girl wavered.
Before the computer desk, the clacking of keys sounded.
Honora had a headband around her brow emblazoned with the words "Strive."
Her gaze was fixed on the computer screen.
In the blink of an eye, almost a month had gone by, and the time she had agreed on with Natsume was in just a few days.
She had to devote herself entirely and fight to stay by Mr. Natsume's side.
A tremendous noise arose outside, and she remained unmoved.
Sirens sounded outside, and she remained unmoved.
A bright glare flashed outside, and she didn't even glance.
She had to stay by Mr. Natsume's side.
Unless someone blew up the Pokémon Center.
Otherwise—
"Boom!"
Honora's room suddenly cracked open from the floor.
"Huh?"
Honora looked down and saw the enormous head of a Pikachu with a center part pushing up through and bursting the floor.
"Boom—"
Another thunderous crash.
The Dynamaxed center-parted sat blankly amid the ruins, and on top of its head sat Honora in a chair, looking completely baffled.
What happened?
"Mr. Natsume."
At the side, Nurse Joy looked at Natsume with a smile hiding a knife.
"Uh… send the bill to my home."
Natsume spoke as he handed Nurse Joy a slip of paper with an address on it.
The moment they teleported to the Pokémon Center, center-parted's body size went out of control and enlarged.
"Sigh."
Nurse Joy let out a breath and didn't take the slip Natsume offered.
"Forget it.
You're a hero who protected the city.
I'll apply to the League."
"Is that so."
Natsume took back the slip with Professor Oak's address on it.
"Mr. Natsume!"
A familiar voice came from atop center-parted's head.
Natsume looked up and saw that it was Honora.
"Mr. Natsume, it seems to be getting smaller."
Honora's voice held a touch of fear.
Natsume looked to center-parted beneath her.
Its enlarged body was gradually shrinking.
What's going on?
Natsume found it strange.
The giant Dragonite and the giant Tentacruel hadn't shrunk.
Center-parted suddenly opened its mouth, and as its body shrank, black-and-red particles kept drifting from its mouth.
At the same time, as if filtering something out, countless white, mist-like hazy particles began to gather atop center-parted's head.
"Aaah—"
Above, Honora was the first to be shrouded by the mist, and she let out a big yawn.
"I really want to sleep."
As she spoke, her body fell uncontrollably.
Natsume reached out and caught the falling Honora just in time.
"What is that."
Natsume muttered to himself, eyes locked on the top of center-parted's head.
The black-and-red particles from center-parted's mouth were continuously filtered, and its body got smaller and smaller, gradually returning to normal.
But correspondingly, more and more of the white, mist-like particles spouted from the top of center-parted's head.
In the end, center-parted was like a super high-powered humanoid humidifier, and the mist spread across the entire Pokémon Center.
It rolled over the surrounding city, the beach, and the nearby sea.
"Ah—so sleepy."
Nurse Joy rubbed her eyes, leaned against Chansey, and collapsed, unable to control her body.
"Chansey~"
Chansey had already drifted off ahead of her.
"What's going on?"
Natsume was unwilling to accept it, and he also felt his eyelids getting heavier.
Holding Honora in his arms, Natsume toppled into the fog, completely beyond his control.
Even to his last glance, he was staring fixedly at the top of center-parted's head.
In the instant before he lost consciousness, Natsume still saw something.
Atop center-parted's head, at the densest point of white particles, something was shining.
Like a crystal.
"Pika?"
Center-parted looked curiously at the Trainer who had fallen.
Not far away lay collapsed passersby.
The entire city had fallen into slumber, and even the Tentacool horde lingering by the shore had all turned belly-up, drifting on the surface fast asleep.
"We were supposed to be catching these Tentacool, meow."
"But my eyelids are so heavy."
"Is today, like, perfect for sleeping?
Even the fish in the sea are asleep."
Beneath the surface, the trio sat inside a machine shaped like a Magikarp.
Even with the water's surface as a barrier, it seemed unable to stop this sleep-inducing white mist.
Soon, with no one at the controls, the Magikarp sank slowly into the seabed sand.
"Pika—haa~"
Center-parted yawned.
It didn't understand why these people suddenly wanted to sleep.
But it understood that these people didn't know how to sleep.
"Pika."
Center-parted shook its head at its Trainer in disappointment.
That's not how you sleep.
Tucking its little blanket, center-parted found a soft spot on Chansey and flopped down to sleep.
As for the unknown thing venting from above its head, center-parted couldn't be bothered.
Was anything more important than sleeping?
That night, Porta Vista was exceedingly quiet.
The next day.
Natsume had a dream.
He dreamed he was at the seaside, with the wind salty and fishy.
When he woke again, Natsume found himself bound by something.
It was Honora.
She was clutching him at random, her scissor legs clamped around his head.
Memories surged like the tide.
Natsume sprang up and began searching for center-parted.
"Mr. Natsume, center-parted is here."
Honora's voice sounded from behind.
Natsume looked over and found center-parted sleeping in Chansey's pouch.
"…"
"You're awake."
Natsume turned to look at Honora.
"Ah, right, yes, I just woke up."
For some reason, Honora started getting anxious again.
"Ah—what a wonderfully comfortable sleep."
Nurse Joy's voice came.
"Oh no, the Pokémon Center's machines!"
Nurse Joy jolted awake.
She roused the Chansey beside her, and the two of them, looking like something big had gone wrong, headed toward the still-intact rear area of the Pokémon Center.
Seeing this, Natsume's expression shifted slightly.
Some instruments in a Pokémon Center are extremely expensive and must be constantly monitored and periodically powered down.
If problems cropped up because of some stunt center-parted pulled, reporting it to the League probably wouldn't get you compensated.
Natsume picked up the culprit that Chansey had set on the floor.
"Pi—"
Center-parted looked curiously at Natsume.
"Do you know how big a mess you've caused?"
Natsume flicked a finger toward center-parted.
"Hoo—"
Before the flick landed, center-parted fell asleep in an instant.
That way it wouldn't feel the pain.
Natsume: "…"
Enjoyed the story? Support me and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at: Patr*eon*.com/Resium
Free members can read 10+ Chapters Ahead of Release
Paid member can read 150+ Chapters Ahead of Release
Stories Available
Honkai? No, This Is Daily Life
Hogwarts Pet Master
Pokémon: Who Let Him Leave Pallet Town!
Scrolling Yu-Gi-Oh! Shorts