NOVEL NEXT Chapter 122: Chapter 122: The Loyal Arcanine and the Abandoned Sceptile
Chapter 122: The Loyal Arcanine and the Abandoned Sceptile
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With Sceptile defeated, Kei Hoshino stood frozen in place, unable to process the loss.
How could he still lose after all this?
"Kei Hoshino, please send out your next Pokémon!"
"Go, Arcanine..."
In a daze, Kei released Arcanine. Once a proud and confident Pokémon, Arcanine now stepped onto the field with a hint of trepidation.
This hesitance came from years of being blamed and scorned, especially after its past encounters with Charizard's overwhelming power.
The memory of fiery clashes lingered in its mind, leaving a deep impression.
Now, facing Charizard again, Arcanine could only emit a low, hesitant whine.
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"You've never cared about your Pokémon's emotions, have you?"
Seeing Arcanine's demeanor, Hikaru instantly understood.
This was a Pokémon that had never been truly understood or respected by its trainer.
What a pity.
This Arcanine, in the hands of a compassionate trainer, would never have become so timid.
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"Flamethrower."
Hikaru sighed, giving his command. This wasn't his Pokémon to save.
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The battle was short.
Charizard's Flamethrower, a dazzling blend of white and yellow flames, easily overpowered Arcanine's own fiery attack.
"Dragon Claw."
With a swift follow-up, Charizard's claw struck, leaving Arcanine barely able to stand.
But then Charizard stopped.
Standing before the trembling Arcanine, it seemed to hesitate.
"Arf..."
Arcanine whimpered, instinctively taking a step back.
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Hikaru noticed Charizard's intent.
It wanted to convince Arcanine to leave Kei.
Hikaru didn't interfere.
This Arcanine truly deserved better.
Even wandering freely in the wild would be better than staying under Kei's command.
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"Arf... Arf..."
Arcanine lowered its head, visibly torn.
Loyalty.
Arcanine embodied this trait completely.
Once it recognized a trainer, its loyalty was unwavering.
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"What's happening? In the middle of a match, Charizard seems to be... talking to Arcanine? Are they about to become friends?"
The audience buzzed with curiosity.
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"Arf..."
Arcanine shook its head, turning to look at Kei. Slowly, it padded back toward him.
It had made its choice.
Even if this loyalty was blind, even foolish...
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Hikaru sighed.
Convincing an Arcanine to abandon its trainer was nearly impossible.
It was the very embodiment of loyalty.
Kei, oblivious to the exchange between the two Pokémon, seemed too lost in his own despair to notice.
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"Kei Hoshino seems to have lost the will to fight. The match is over! Hikaru advances to the finals!"
The commentator glanced at the referee's stand for confirmation.
The Elite Four members nodded, signaling that the match could end.
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"What an incredible match! Even in the semifinals, the intensity was off the charts. I can't imagine how thrilling the finals will be!"
"Will Sakura finally use her Dragon Force in the finals?"
"And that Charizard—honestly, it could hold its own in a youth league! It's that powerful!"
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As the crowd erupted into cheers, Hikaru calmly exited the arena.
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Meanwhile, the national broadcast caused waves across Shuimu City.
The sight of Hikaru and Kei Hoshino representing their small city on such a grand stage set the entire town abuzz.
No one could have imagined that two semifinalists in the National High School League would both hail from the same small city—and even the same high school.
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Hikaru's success brought instant fame to Shuimu High School.
Investors lined up to pour funds into the school, recognizing its potential.
It wasn't hard to see the ripple effects.
Shuimu City was set to experience a surge in economic growth, all thanks to Hikaru's influence.
If Hikaru won the championship, the impact would only grow exponentially.
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Back in Kyoto...
On a quiet street, Kei Hoshino wandered aimlessly after leaving the stadium.
He had submitted to the post-match inspection but remained lost in thought.
Why couldn't he beat Hikaru?
Or rather... why couldn't he beat Charizard?
That little Charmander he once mocked—it couldn't even produce a proper Ember.
How had it risen so high, transforming into such an overwhelming force of nature?
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"Why?!" Kei roared into the night, his voice echoing down the empty street.
At that moment, his phone buzzed.
It was a call from his father.
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"A single loss means nothing. Focus on the slate I gave you," his father's stern voice said.
"That fragment of the Arceus Plate—if used wisely—could elevate your Pokémon to the Champion level at the very least."
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Kei's eyes lit up with renewed determination.
"Yes, Father."
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But when he summoned Sceptile moments later, he realized something was wrong.
The slate... was gone.
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He turned to Sceptile in a panic.
"Did you hide it?!"
Sceptile shook its head, its gaze cold and distant.
A chilling possibility dawned on Kei—had the slate been lost during the battle?
His frustration boiled over, and he unleashed a torrent of abuse on Sceptile.
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Sceptile stood silently, its expression unmoved.
After Kei finished venting, Sceptile took a few steps back, leaped into the air, and disappeared into the Kyoto skyline.
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It had reached its limit.
Sceptile's disappointment in Kei had grown insurmountable.
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Later, rumors spread of a rogue Sceptile, now a Champion-tier Pokémon, wreaking havoc in a secret wilderness near Kyoto, harboring a deep hatred for humans.
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That night...
In his lodging, Hikaru examined the fragment of the Arceus Plate.
"Other types of Pokémon can only reach Champion level with this?"
The information seemed to confirm his suspicions.
The fragment was incredibly powerful but came with limitations.
While it could elevate a Normal-type Pokémon to Legendary-tier status over time, other types could only reach Champion level at best.
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"Well, I guess this thing's just going to sit in my system space and gather dust," Hikaru sighed.
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[Note: Arceus Plates attract each other. Plates of the same type have a stronger pull.]
Hikaru's eyes brightened at the system's unexpected message.
This was the first time his system had spoken up about something like this.
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"Then tell me," he asked eagerly, "why aren't all of Arceus's Plates with Arceus itself?"
The system went silent.
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"So you're playing hard to get, huh?" Hikaru muttered, rolling his eyes.
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[Collecting all fragments of Arceus's Normal-Type Plate will grant an additional yearly trait activation!]
Hikaru's excitement surged.
An incentive like this wasn't something to take lightly.
Immediately, he made a wish: to find more fragments of the Plate.
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"Ralts!"
The familiar voice of Ralts suddenly chimed in.
Hikaru smiled.
"Here to hear another story?"
Ralts—or rather, the mythical Pokémon disguised as Ralts—fluttered closer to Hikaru, eager to listen.
This wasn't cowardice; Hikaru knew better than to underestimate such beings.
Every Legendary Pokémon possessed the power to reshape the world.
This one, which even his system couldn't analyze, was undoubtedly a powerhouse.
He'd already marked it with a summoning card, just in case he ever found himself in a dire situation.
"Alright, everyone's here," Hikaru said with a grin.
As he prepared to start a new story, a knock echoed at the door.
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