Chapter 156. Professor Westwood V
Ancient Gengar used Shadow Ball!
Shadow Ball struck center-parted, and center-parted fell!
Center-parted's HP dropped to zero in an instant, and it collapsed on the battlefield with a silly grin still on its face.
Too many pleasant dreams can… wake you up?
Natsume's mind stalled for a heartbeat like rusty gears.
He suddenly realized he not only had to put center-parted through nightmare training to toughen its will to face danger.
He also had to run pleasant-dream training to strengthen its will to refuse temptation.
After all, keeping to the Land of Eternal Sleep's standard has nothing to do with what you dream about, and everything to do with whether you stay asleep.
Dragonite and Diglett were automatically sent out.
Ancient Gengar used Dark Pulse on Dragonite!
Dragonite fell!
Ancient Alakazam used Psycho Cut on Diglett!
Diglett fell!
In a flash, Natsume was defeated, and the battlefield dissolved.
"Geng—ga!"
"Huu—!"
Ancient Gengar and Alakazam traded a look, a trace of relief in their eyes.
Then, in unison, they turned and glared fiercely at Natsume.
Black light pulsed in Gengar's hand, and a ripple shot toward Natsume at high speed.
"Mr. Natsume!"
Honora's face changed drastically.
In her panic, she set down the bronze bell in her arms and pulled an RPG from the black case.
She lined up the reticle, centering Ancient Gengar and Ancient Alakazam alike.
But just as Honora's thumb was about to press the trigger, her targets vanished.
Inside the reticle, the figures of Ancient Gengar and Ancient Alakazam disappeared, replaced by a mass of raging lightning.
"Gaa—na!!!"
A bald chicken crackled with electricity, becoming a giant sphere of thunder as it dove straight at the ripple.
How did that Zapdos follow us here?
Natsume froze.
Within the lightning, Zapdos glanced back at him, eyes burning with stubborn defiance.
This human—and that Pikachu—can only be defeated by me!
Boom—
The ripple and the thunderclap collided.
A violent shockwave swept the area.
The gale was so strong no one could keep their eyes open, and Zapdos's body was flung away like a ragged sack.
Gengar hesitated, clearly not expecting the sudden turn.
Behind it, Alakazam calmly followed up with another Psycho Cut, which flashed into being right in front of Natsume.
"Hou—hou!"
A furious Primeape appeared.
Its comrade being grievously wounded was unacceptable.
Black light flickered over its fists, condensing at last into something solid!
"Is that… Rage Fist?"
Natsume was startled that this Primeape had awakened Rage Fist on its own.
Primeape charged straight in, its jet-black fist about to smash into the Psycho Cut.
The very next moment—
"Jiggly?"
A familiar voice rang out.
Natsume looked up to see a gigantic Jigglypuff covered in black patterns, interposing itself to block the blow for Primeape.
At the same time, Primeape was punted away by the suddenly enlarged Ancient Jigglypuff, who had popped up out of nowhere—who knows where it went flying.
"Jiggly jiggly?"
Ancient Jigglypuff seemed puzzled as to why it had appeared here.
No matter.
Sing first.
The bronze bell enlarged as well, and Ancient Jigglypuff gripped it upside down like a giant microphone.
Sure enough, Ancient Jigglypuff had a similar balance-type tool.
Natsume's gaze locked onto the bronze bell in Ancient Jigglypuff's hand.
Over there, seeing Jigglypuff raise the bronze bell, Ancient Gengar and Ancient Alakazam both blanched and, in unison, looked up at the sky in alarm.
What's in the sky?
Natsume didn't know.
He only knew that as Ancient Jigglypuff's song began, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
And he had clearly sealed off his senses with telekinesis…
Maybe it was because the opponent carried the energies of Dynamax/Gigantamax and Primal Reversion.
Just before he blacked out, Natsume felt as though the dark clouds above were split open.
Countless beams of light poured down, flooding the entire forest.
Straining to raise his head, Natsume could only make out a golden gleam in the cloudbank, as if a great door had been torn open.
Three beams fell from the door and took away all three Ancient Pokémon.
Arceus?
Natsume's consciousness sank into sleep.
All life in the snowy-mountain region slumbered deeply.
When Natsume opened his eyes again, it was already the next day.
He found it a little hard to breathe.
Looking up, he discovered Honora had his head clamped in her arms, sleeping soundly.
…Huh?
Weren't you up on the mountain—how are you here?
Natsume stared for a moment, then hurriedly sat up, the motion rousing Honora.
"Where are those Ancient Pokémon?" Natsume asked himself aloud.
"I—I only just woke up," Honora answered, dodging the question.
"The Ancient Pokémon are gone, and those artifacts are gone too."
Eve's voice sounded from behind, and she gave Honora a curious look.
Honora had gone off alone to find Natsume.
But after circling the area, Eve hadn't seen Natsume return to base, so she'd come here too.
Looking back, Natsume finally noticed Eve had brought a whole squad.
"You all searched just now?" Natsume glanced at the expedition members behind Eve.
"Yes. We didn't find anything at all—like they evaporated into thin air," Eve said, troubled.
She had initially thought the Ancient Pokémon had been sealed back into the artifacts.
But now it didn't seem that way.
Because the expedition had scoured the whole forest all morning and found nothing.
"I see."
Natsume nodded.
In that case, the sight before he fell asleep wasn't an illusion.
Ding! Task rewards issued: Master-Ball-tier Scratchcard ×3!
The system's voice chimed, and Natsume paused mid-step.
Those three Master-Ball-tier scratchcards must correspond to the three Ancient Pokémon, right?
Weird.
It's not like I cracked anything…
Weird or not, Natsume didn't waste a second.
Before the system could react, he ripped open all three Master-Ball-tier scratchcards.
Master Ball ×3!
Even if it was three minimum-guarantee rewards, after finishing up the Ultra Ball Rotom, he was about to move on to the Master Ball Rotom.
More Master Balls meant more forgiveness for mistakes.
After scratching off the rewards, Natsume finally spoke.
"When did you even post a task?"
The system stayed silent.
Natsume didn't press it.
Getting three free Master Balls was plenty nice.
Eve led her expedition back into the forest, refusing to give up.
Natsume took Honora and returned to Professor Oak's Laboratory ahead of them.
At the lab entrance—
"Hahaha, the beach was amazing.
It's a shame Natsume and Honora missed out on such a fun place," Misty said, cupping her cheeks in bliss.
"Yeah, going once in a while is pretty nice," Ash agreed with a nod.
"By the way, Ash, you haven't trained these past few days," Brock said, turning to Ash.
"Uh… I'll start tomorrow!"
Behind them, a white-haired, balding gentleman in casual wear watched the group with a kindly smile.
"My, my, Professor Oak really is blessed," he chuckled.
So many young people at this lab, brimming with energy.
Not like him—a lone old man.
"Grandpa Westwood, don't say that.
Your lab may not be this big, but it's way more luxurious!" Ash replied, thinking he meant Oak's lab.
"Heh heh," Professor Westwood V smiled and shook his head, then asked, "I hear Professor Oak's taken on an impressive pupil.
Where might he be?"
"Uh… I just contacted Natsume.
He said he's on his way," Brock said.
"Look—they're here!"
As Brock spoke, Natsume and Honora appeared in the distance.
"Hello, Professor Westwood!" Honora called as they approached.
"Grandpa Westwood," Natsume greeted with a nod, then glanced at the others.
"Why aren't you going in?"
"Haha, we don't have any keys.
We were waiting for you.
Go on—open up," Professor Westwood said cheerfully.
"Oh…"
Natsume paused, suddenly remembering he'd lost the front-door key a while back.
He stepped up, took the padlock in one hand, and fished a piece of wire from his pocket with the other.
Professor Westwood: "…?"
He'd been invited here, yet somehow this felt like breaking and entering.
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