Chapter 66. The Most Useless at Home Ate the Most Useful
"Sigh, how strange?"
In the Pokémon Center's backyard, countless precious instruments were set up.
At this moment, Nurse Joy stood before the machines, looking left and right, feeling endlessly puzzled.
"Is something wrong, Nurse Joy?" Natsume and Honora walked in.
"Mr. Natsume, could you help me check these instruments?
Why do I feel like someone swapped in brand-new ones?"
Nurse Joy patted her cheeks to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
"Chansey—chansey—" Chansey mimicked its owner and stepped aside to make room for Natsume.
"The instruments turned brand-new?"
Natsume was a little at a loss.
He stepped forward and began checking them one by one.
After a long while, Natsume started to doubt life.
Too weird.
These machines…
How to put it?
Not only had their exteriors suddenly become good as new, but even their performance loss was no worse than at the factory.
Even more absurd, a unit that had already been scrapped could actually boot up again!
"Mr. Natsume, did you feel like you slept better last night?" Honora suddenly leaned in, her face so red it could drip blood.
"You're a genius.
These instruments are just like people—after a good sleep, they're full of energy!"
Enlightened, Natsume gave Honora a thumbs-up.
The only anomaly here was the white mist that drifted off center-parted last night, the kind that puts people to sleep.
These changes in the instruments were probably related to that white mist.
It could make machines "sleep" like people and recover energy and performance.
Thinking back to the Dynamax energy that center-parted expelled like impurities, Natsume raised an eyebrow.
Could it be that the shard of Eternatus's Divinity that center-parted absorbed had formed another Divinity with a different authority inside it?
A Divinity related to sleep?
Natsume suddenly thought of the Mythical Pokémon Darkrai and the Legendary Pokémon Cresselia.
In official records, those two are tied to dreams.
"Natsume!"
Behind him came a familiar voice.
He looked back and saw Ash Ketchum and his friends at the doorway.
"Natsume, what happened here?" Brock was frightened by the ruins outside and thought the Pokémon Center had been attacked.
"Was it Team Rocket?" Misty asked anxiously.
"It was center-parted."
Natsume lifted the peacefully snoring center-parted.
"Huh?"
Everyone was confused, but Natsume looked straight at Ash.
"Ash, let's have a battle!"
Natsume's eyes sparkled.
"I'll battle you with center-parted."
As he spoke, Natsume hefted center-parted in his hand.
"Checking center-parted's training results, huh?
Okay, I accept!"
Ash ran excitedly toward the backyard battlefield.
Soon, everyone arrived at the battlefield.
"I'll act as referee," Brock suggested.
"No, I'll use the Rules Field for this battle."
Natsume refused without beating around the bush.
An instant later, an invisible barrier fell from the sky.
With just one fight in the Rules Field, Natsume would know whether center-parted really had Divinity within it.
Common boosts from Divinitys: damage increase, damage reduction, and a second HP bar.
All of those could be seen directly in the Rules Field.
[Natsume vs. Ash Ketchum.]
"Go, Pikachu!"
Ash swept his arm forward.
[Trainer Ash Ketchum sent out Pikachu, LV40.]
"Go, center-parted!"
[Trainer Natsume sent out Pikaremon "center-parted", LV36.]
"Eh?"
Ash and Natsume both froze.
Center-parted's species changed?
"Center-parted, Fake Out!"
The classic chip move.
["center-parted" used Fake Out.
Pikachu flinched!]
"Pika!"
Across the field, Pikachu was stunned by the sudden strike and stood dazed.
"Why isn't there a damage-boost broadcast?"
Natsume muttered.
He'd asked the system.
Although each Legendary's Divinity effects differ, there are common traits like damage increase, damage reduction, healing, and a second HP bar.
"Center-parted, Iron Tail!"
Natsume refused to believe it and ordered another attack.
"Boom—"
The HP bar above Pikachu's head shortened at once.
"Okay!
We won't lose!"
Having been under Natsume's Rules Field forever collecting data, Ash was extremely familiar with the arena.
Natsume frowned slightly, still holding out hope.
Maybe center-parted had let most of the Divinity's energy dissipate, so even the basic Divinity loadout wasn't enough to activate.
Even if there was no damage boost, perhaps there were others—like damage reduction or healing.
"Ash, try dealing damage to center-parted!"
Natsume called out.
"Got it, Natsume!
We won't hold back!"
Then he declared, firm and resolute:
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
[Because of "center-parted"'s Lightning Rod, "center-parted"'s Special Attack rose!]
Natsume: "…"
"Hey, Ash, are you throwing the match?" came Misty's voice from outside.
"Keep using Iron Tail."
Natsume was speechless.
All he could say was: as expected of Ash.
"Boom—"
Pikachu's HP dropped again, now on the brink.
"Pika!"
Pikachu let out a full-throated cry, fighting spirit still blazing.
"Pikachu, use Magnetic Storm Sword Tail!"
Ash shouted.
Pikachu's tail exploded outward, with countless black magnetic particles swirling like a greatsword.
Lightning flared along the blade!
"Pika—"
A violent sound erupted, and still there was no Divinity damage-reduction broadcast Natsume had been longing for.
Center-parted's HP instantly bottomed out, and there was no Divinity healing broadcast either.
"Center-parted, Iron Tail!"
Frowning, Natsume clung to one last sliver of hope.
What if there was a second HP bar?
What if?
"Boom—"
[Pikachu held on so its Trainer wouldn't be sad!]
With that blow, Pikachu should have fallen, but it forced itself to endure.
"Nice work, Pikachu!"
Ash threw his hand up in triumph.
"Quick Attack!"
"Whoosh!"
[center-parted fainted!]
Center-parted had no such thing as "not wanting to make its Trainer sad."
If it could fall, it had no desire to keep fighting another second.
Natsume gazed at the fallen center-parted and silently prayed.
[Please send out your next Pokémon.]
The second HP bar never came, but the system's urging did.
Natsume: "…"
"All right, I forfeit."
Natsume raised his hand and canceled the Rules Field.
"Hooray, I beat Natsume!"
Ash jumped with excitement.
"Pika!"
Pikachu jumped with him and high-fived.
"Mr. Natsume, what's wrong?"
Honora noticed something off in Natsume's expression.
"Nothing," Natsume said, letting out a long sigh.
He picked up center-parted, his heart full of melancholy.
The most useless one at home ate the most useful thing.
Such a big Divinity shard, and eating it only changed the species name.
A rename card?
Natsume was on the verge of tears.
If that Divinity shard had been in his hands, he'd have dissected it no matter what.
After all, if he wanted to make a god, how could he lack a Divinity?
Even so, his road was still long, and Rotom's body had only just begun.
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