Baimu had made up his mind and was about to go to sleep, only to find a pair of bright eyes staring intently at him.
"You all haven't slept yet?"
"Roar~""Chee-do~""Lucky~"
All three Pokémon shook their heads in unison. As their Trainer tossed and turned, how could they, as Pokémon, remain oblivious?
They could vaguely sense even the extreme turmoil in his mind.
At this moment.
In the bedroom, it was still the four of them—the most familiar old companions. Deino was temporarily still sleeping with its little friends and hadn't fully joined this big family.
"...Listen to me, you guys."
Baimu took a deep breath and shared his future plans with Aggron and the others.
The bond between a Trainer and his Pokémon is the most intimate relationship. Regardless of the considerations, he had to let Aggron and the others know what he planned to do in the future.
After hearing him out, Aggron and the others began to struggle with understanding.
After all, getting involved in rescuing Ore, seeking mental clarity, and enlightenment were all quite complex concepts for them; their life experiences weren't enough to grasp these things.
It's like someone never having encountered a computer and not knowing what a graphics card, motherboard, or CPU is.
So.
Trying to make it easier for them to understand, Baimu switched to simpler terms.
"Defeat villains! Rescue good people! Seize territories! Be worshipped by thousands! Greeted with cheers by countless people! And never look back with regret!"
The three of them brightened up immediately upon hearing this.
"Goo-do?" Seize territories?
"Chee-do?" Worshipped by a lot of people?
"Lucky?" Rescue good people?
Aggron and the others exchanged excited glances and burst into smiles.
Because these were exactly the things they had always yearned for and wanted to do! Nothing could be more appealing!
Having clarified everything.
Baimu lay in bed, contemplating the future.
Aggron lay down, silently pondering just how large a territory it should seize: a mountain, perhaps an entire mountain range, two valleys and basins, slowly planting trees, and digging up underground springs to create lush landscapes...
Hmm~ One for Baimu, one for Chansey, one for Mawile... As for Deino, if the youngster doesn't bite his trees, then it'll reluctantly help seize one too.
Hehe.
It was almost bubbling with joy.
In a princess bed, Mawile was already asleep, cradling a stuffed toy and having a super sweet dream where she was called the "big sister" by crowds of people and Pokémon.
Chansey cuddled its own egg, with a simple dream.
It dreamt of encountering many worried people, but through its hard work, those people all smiled and thanked it.
'Chansey, it's wonderful to have you.'
'Chansey, you're amazing.'
Baimu's praise echoed around, making it overjoyed.
Inside the bedroom.
Four different individuals, each holding different thoughts, were bound by an inexplicable connection, moving toward the same goal.
——
The next day.
Baimu got up early.
Though he hadn't slept long, he was still full of energy, as if he had taken a Ten-complete Great Replenishing Pill, drawing glances from Wu at the breakfast table.
"Did something happen that I don't know about?"
"Something did indeed happen, but it's a good thing."
Baimu smiled at him.
Wu found it somewhat strange but didn't delve into it and continued eating his breakfast.
After breakfast.
Baimu planned to visit Liu Ge again to explain his thoughts. Of course, he wasn't planning to join the International Police, despite likely not qualifying.
He just intended to do what he needed to do and then plan the next step.
But just as he was heading out, he received a call from Shanren.
"Yesterday, Liu Ge and the others must have laid everything on the table for you, right?" he asked as if predicting.
"...Yes."
"What are your thoughts now? Are you planning to leave this troubled place quickly, or just watch and see, taking things step by step?"
"And you? Shanren, Liu Ge told me you're not with the International Police, so what are you planning to do to save Ore?"
"Sounds like you've decided to stay." Shanren didn't answer his question, a hint of amusement in his voice, "If that's the case, instead of me answering you, why not come and witness what I plan to do firsthand."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's work together, Baimu. Great ideals require the support of companions. One person can never reach the end alone. Sweeping away the old, bad order is only the beginning. There's much more that needs to be done in Ore, whether it's re-establishing order or improving the land."
"The Pokémon Alliance?"
"That's just the first step. You should know about President Luozi of the Galar Alliance. The Galar Region used to be poor, but he, a former miner, brought it new life. Ore might not have Gigantification, but this land still has a direction to move forward!"
"...Sounds tempting, but you think you can lure me onto your pirate ship with just a phone call?"
"Not at all, I'm already here."
Two similar yet distinct voices sounded simultaneously.
Baimu looked up and saw a dignified-looking young man holding a phone, smiling as he walked toward him along the path in the front yard.
"Do I need to visit seven times, and you refuse all seven?"
"What's that?"
"It's a story from outside. A king wanted to invite a wise person to assist him, visiting seven times but couldn't recruit him. However, the eighth visit moved the wise person, and he agreed to help the king."
Much like the story of the Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage...
Baimu smirked, "Are you saying you're the king?"
Shanren replied, "You can be the king, I don't mind."
Their gazes met, emotions swirled, with each understanding the other's goals mirrored their own.
Baimu said, "By the way, I still don't know your true identity."
Shanren replied, "I've always believed the background doesn't matter, but I understand the labels on me aren't easy to remove, and I do indeed need the power of the background.
"—I'm Dennis's son, my father is responsible for the mining exports from Pyrite Town. In other words, my family is the provider for the Pyrite Town People."
"Oh? Aren't you rebelling against your father then?"
"No, he also intends to change the Ore Region and is even a leader among them. He had connections with the International Police before I was even born. This operation will see him fight the biggest battle in Silicon City."
Shanren's words contained so much information that Baimu couldn't immediately process it.
"So who are our actual enemies?"
"In the narrow sense, the enemies are the powerful interest group led by Ergin, the mayor of Silicon City. Broadly, the enemies are the negative trends through all of Ore."
Shanren extended his hand, speaking deeply and temptingly, "Join me. No matter what you pursue, as long as we move forward together, you will take pride in the Ore Region, and the Ore Region will take pride in you! I'm convinced that you're the one who must be my companion!"
Baimu looked at him, then after two or three seconds, he shook his hand, "I'm touched, but why do you sound like an ambitious schemer—you wouldn't become a dragon from a Dragon Slayer, would you?"
What started as a mere joke, Shanren, however, answered with utmost seriousness:
"If that day comes, kill me. I believe you can do it. Likewise, if you ever walk that path, I will come to kill you."
"...Why haven't you gone to the Unova Region?"
"Hmm? What's that?"
"There's a legend in the Unova Region about a jet-black giant dragon, offering its power to warriors with the highest ideals, ultimately helping them become heroes."
"Is it not too late for me to go now?"
"Better not, the legend has it that the descendants of the ideal hero fell, and the jet-black dragon and its brother, the pure white dragon, eventually burned the entire continent."
"The more you say, the more interested I get."
Their hands clasped tightly, as if sparks of fire danced between them.
Sparks sufficient to ignite a wildfire across all of Ore.