Chapter 221
Was Asahi afraid of Arceus coming after him?
To be honest… maybe just a little.
Judging by the sheer power Ho-Oh and Lugia had shown — far beyond their anime portrayals — Arceus's true strength was anyone's guess.
But then again… fleas don't itch when there are too many, and debts don't worry you when you already owe a mountain.
Counting the Icicle Plate, Asahi now had four Plates in his possession.
At this point, his strategy was simple — the faster he collected the Plates, the fewer Arceus would have left when it eventually came knocking.
Tucking the Plate away, Asahi was about to chat with Celebi — maybe build a bit of a bond — when a familiar voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Mew?"
Asahi froze.
For a second, he thought he was hearing things.
Why would Mew's voice suddenly pop into his head? It was supposed to be at the Tree of Beginning — there was no way it could be here…
But then—
"Mew?"
This time, it wasn't just Asahi who heard it — Celebi's ears perked up too.
Asahi lifted his head — and there was Mew, floating right in front of him, staring curiously at both him and Celebi.
"?!"
Asahi's face twisted in shock. "Mew… why are you back?"
"Mew~!"
Mew pulled out a communicator from somewhere and waved it in front of Asahi.
On the screen, a message from Mewtwo appeared.
…
Asahi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He could only blame himself for telling Mewtwo that Mew was its "mom."
And now Mew had rushed back home like a worried parent.
Meanwhile, Mew floated over to Celebi.
Unlike its awkward relationship with Mewtwo, Mew and Celebi clearly knew each other — and seemed to get along quite well.
Perching on the couch, Mew tilted its head at Celebi. "Mew? (Why are you with Asahi?)"
"Bi~…"
Celebi slumped, too embarrassed to explain.
For once, Asahi felt like the outsider in his own house.
This time, Mew seemed in no rush to leave.
According to Mew, it had already dealt with a small issue at the Tree of Beginning and even asked Suicune, who happened to be passing by, to keep an eye on the place. At least for now, there wouldn't be any problems.
Asahi: "…"
If it were any other Legendary Pokémon, Asahi wouldn't doubt their ability to guard the Tree of Beginning.
But Suicune…
He had some reservations.
Still, seeing how unconcerned Mew was, Asahi didn't say anything. Besides, most of Kanto's criminal organizations had already been dealt with.
Team Rocket was struggling just to hold onto their own turf — they definitely didn't have the time or energy to cause trouble at the Tree of Beginning.
With that in mind, Asahi let it go.
Just then, Green walked out of her room. When she saw Mew and Celebi sitting hand-in-hand on the sofa, she rubbed her eyes, wondering if she had been staring at her report for too long and was hallucinating.
She shot Asahi a questioning look: What's going on here?
"Mew came because Mewtwo called it over… Let's not dwell on that. Want to join me in interrogating Pryce?" Asahi asked.
Green thought about it. She'd been working on her report for so long — a break sounded nice.
She nodded.
…
In the cell, Pryce had already woken up, thanks to Celebi's healing.
He looked at Asahi, Green, and Celebi in front of him, but remained silent.
"Pryce, don't you have anything to say?" Asahi tapped the table.
"What do you want to know?" Pryce replied.
That question caught Asahi off guard.
What did he want to ask Pryce?
Evidence of his crimes? The League had already gathered plenty from the Masked Army officers. Anything Pryce added would just be minor details.
His motives? Asahi already knew — Pryce had walked the path of crime in an attempt to save the parents of his Lapras, Glacier.
His methods? With all the evidence in hand, how he committed the crimes didn't really matter anymore.
After a moment of silence, Asahi asked, "How do you create those ice clones?"
He couldn't stop thinking about the Silver Mask reward he didn't choose earlier.
Pryce looked at Asahi, sizing him up, before replying calmly, "You wouldn't be able to learn it."
"?"
A question mark slowly appeared in Asahi's mind.
What do you mean?
I beat you, didn't I? Why are you so sure I can't learn it?
Seeing Asahi's unconvinced expression, Pryce's tone remained flat. "To master the ice clone technique, you'd need an Ice-type Pokémon at the Champion level and at least half of my understanding of the Ice element. Only then can we talk."
Asahi: "…"
Alright. Fair point.
He was skilled with Psychic-types, decent with Dragon-types…
But Ice-types? He couldn't claim to know the first thing about them.
The only Ice-type Pokémon he had was the Lapras Pryce himself had given him.
Still, he refused to back down.
"Fine. I'll come back once I've improved my Ice techniques," Asahi said stubbornly.
Pryce remained indifferent.
Ever since his failed attempt to capture Celebi, he seemed to have lost all motivation — nothing seemed to matter to him anymore.
Then, Pryce shifted his gaze to Green. "Green… we meet again. Where is Silver?"
Hearing Pryce mention Silver, Green tensed up for a moment.
But she quickly remembered that Pryce was now a prisoner. She met his gaze and said, word by word, "I'm not afraid of you anymore."
Pryce was silent for a moment before softly saying, "…I'm sorry."
Green pressed her lips together.
She thought she would yell at him, question him, or at least feel the urge to take revenge.
But looking at the defeated man before her, Green didn't know what to say.
She already knew the full story from Asahi — how Pryce's crimes stemmed from a desperate attempt to undo a tragedy, only to create another in the process.
In the end, it was just someone who couldn't accept his own heartbreak, trying to rewrite his past.
Noticing Green's conflicted expression, Asahi gently patted the back of her hand under the table.
After a brief silence, Asahi turned back to Pryce. "Is there anything else you want to say?"
He started to regret bringing Green down here.
He thought it would give her some closure, but instead, it only seemed to weigh her down further.
"…Take care of Glacier. If possible, help it find its parents," Pryce said softly, then closed his eyes and said no more.
Seeing this, Asahi signaled the Indeedee.
Pryce didn't resist as they led him back to his cell.
…
In the living room, Green typed the final word of her report.
She handed the finished report to Asahi.
"You okay?" Asahi asked, watching her carefully.
"I'm fine," Green replied, puzzled.
"Are you sure you're not pushing yourself?"
"…?" Green reached out to touch Asahi's forehead. "You're not running a fever… so why are you saying such weird things?"
"During Pryce's interrogation—"
Realizing what he meant, Green chuckled. "Pryce's arrest is something to celebrate. Did you really think I'd get all gloomy over a few words from him?"
Asahi: "Alright… maybe I was overthinking it."
Of course — Green had survived the harsh life under the Masked Army.
A few words from Pryce wouldn't break her.
Just as they were talking, Sabrina walked in, eyeing the two of them. "What are you guys up to?"
Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed a small cake from the table and took a bite — right as Asahi opened his mouth to stop her.
Sabrina's eyes lit up. "This is good — did the Indeedee make it?"
Asahi sighed. "Yes… but that was for Baby Lugia."
Sabrina froze. "…Baby Lugia?"
A sense of dread crept over her.
Sure enough, the next second—
A sudden surge of heat coursed through her body.
Sabrina's face flushed bright red as she glared at Asahi. "Why didn't you stop me?!"
Before he could answer, she teleported away, retreating to her room.
Green, after handing Asahi the USB containing her report, quickly followed to check on Sabrina.
Watching them both vanish, Asahi muttered helplessly, "You grabbed the cake so fast — how was I supposed to stop you?"
Oh well.
It wasn't the first time Sabrina had accidentally eaten Baby Lugia's food anyway.
Shaking his head, Asahi plugged the USB into his computer and sent Green's report to the International Police HQ.
Now that he thought about it…
With such a successful mission, shouldn't HQ give him a hefty promotion?
Wait…
He'd just been promoted recently.
Wouldn't it be a bit too fast to move up again so soon?
Pondering this, Asahi grabbed the mischievous Mew playing with Celebi and pulled it into his arms.
…So soft.
…
HQ's reply came quickly — Asahi sent the report at noon, and by dinner, they had already responded.
Considering the time difference, Asahi couldn't help but wonder if HQ had people working 24/7 in shifts just to monitor emails.
The response was long.
It was full of the usual praise — commendations for his outstanding work in the Johto operation and encouragement to keep it up.
Asahi skipped past the formalities and scrolled to the bottom.
To his surprise, in addition to another significant budget increase for his department this year, HQ really did promote him again — completely unfazed by the fact that he had already jumped several ranks recently.
"I must be the fastest-promoted officer in International Police history," Asahi mused.
Green, curious, leaned over. "Promoted again?"
"Yep. Everyone involved in the Johto operation got a promotion."
The team was thrilled — especially Ethan.
"Wait… I got promoted too?" he asked, pointing at himself.
He had only joined recently — he didn't feel like he did much, so how did he get a promotion?
"Of course," Asahi said. "Green told me how you held your own against Rika — that wasn't nothing."
"Though… you and Silver still have a long way to go. Your next step is to train as rookie trainers and grow stronger."
Ethan didn't object. Silver, though unimpressed with Ethan, still gave a silent nod.
He needed to get stronger.
Only then could he destroy Giovanni's evil plans with his own hands.
"Good." Asahi smiled, pulling out two registration forms. "Here — these are for the Pokémon Certification Exam. Your first training task is to pass the exam and enter the Indigo Conference!"
A test?
Ethan stiffened — exams weren't exactly his forte.
"Is there a problem?" Asahi asked. "If you're not up for it, I won't force you."
Feeling challenged, Ethan grabbed the form. "No problem at all!"
Silver silently accepted his as well.
Watching this, Sabrina couldn't help but sigh.
So young.
Even Gary wouldn't fall for such a simple taunt.
Then again, only Asahi would think of pushing rookie trainers straight onto the Indigo Conference stage.
But Asahi saw no issue with his plan.
Special talents deserved special treatment — with Ethan and Silver's potential, this pressure would only push them further.
Of course, after all that, Asahi made sure to share his promotion news in their group chat.
Seeing Gary's dramatic complaints about "missing out on another golden opportunity," Asahi rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Was that anonymous viewer in Kiki's stream really Gary?
He was very curious.
With the Johto matter wrapped up, it seemed Asahi's swift and decisive actions had left even HQ a bit stunned.
Since Asahi hadn't received any new assignments, he finally got to enjoy a rare vacation.
—
A Private Beach in Lumiose City
Returning to this familiar resort spot, Asahi lay on the beach, soaking up the sun.
Gardevoir lounged beside him.
Nearby, Salamence, along with Slowpoke, Marshtomp, and Gengar, were gathered around a barbecue, happily munching away.
Mareep, not a fan of water, stuck to the sand, playing with Green's Jigglypuff and Clefable.
Meanwhile, Eevee, Celebi, and Mew had somehow formed a trio, busily building a sandcastle together.
However, as always, things didn't go smoothly for Eevee.
Just as they were halfway done with the sandcastle, a crimson Gyarados suddenly burst out from beneath the waves. The gust from its sudden emergence sent a blast of wind across the beach, instantly toppling their sandcastle into a pile of scattered sand.
Eevee stared at the ruins of their sandcastle, frozen in disbelief.
This wasn't the first time — last time, it was Professor Oak's Dragonite that accidentally flattened its creation.
And now… Gyarados?!
Fury flared in Eevee's eyes.
"Vee!"
Seething, Eevee prepared to charge at Gyarados for payback, but Celebi quickly grabbed its tail.
"Bii~!"
Celebi gently waved its hand, releasing a mysterious ripple of energy that enveloped the fallen sandcastle.
Before Eevee's astonished eyes, the scattered grains of sand seemed to reverse time itself — slowly drifting back into place, reconstructing the sandcastle exactly as it was before.
"Vee! Vee!"
Eevee looked at Celebi with wide, sparkling eyes, full of admiration.
Celebi, puffing out its chest, stood proudly with its hands on its hips, clearly waiting for praise.
From his spot on the beach, Asahi noticed the commotion. When he realized Celebi had actually used time reversal — just to fix a sandcastle — his mouth twitched.
He was about to say something when his communicator suddenly buzzed.
Opening the message, he saw it was from Blaine.
[Cinnabar Island Riddle Master]: Asahi, about that meteorite you gave me — I think I've made a discovery. Want to come take a look?
Asahi blinked. Already?
It hadn't even been that long since he handed the meteorite over.
Just as he was about to ask for more details, Blaine sent a photo.
The moment Asahi saw the image, he immediately sat up.
Floating in a tank of nutrient fluid was a very familiar-looking Pokémon.
Though it was only half a body, Asahi recognized it instantly — Deoxys!
—
Asahi's first reaction to seeing Deoxys was pure excitement.
But he quickly calmed down — something about the Deoxys in the photo didn't seem right.
For starters, it only had half a body, and — most crucially — it was missing its core.
On top of that, the Pokémon's colors were unusually pale, resembling the mindless clones Deoxys had created in the original storyline — copies that could follow simple commands but lacked true consciousness.
Even if it was just a clone, though, this was still a huge breakthrough.
Asahi didn't hesitate — he replied to Blaine immediately:
[Wait for me — I'm on my way!]
After sending the message, Asahi called out to Green and Sabrina, who were playing in the water, letting them know he had to leave.
He then summoned Salamence — who was still busy munching on barbecue — and grabbed Gardevoir. After a brief pause, he also decided to bring Celebi and Mew along.
Without wasting any time, they took off toward Cinnabar Island.
Eevee: "?"
It blinked, staring at the half-finished sandcastle… then at Asahi flying away with its friends.
A sudden wave of sadness washed over it.
Meanwhile, out on the water, Green floated on her swim ring. "What you think got Asahi so worked up?"
Sabrina scoffed. "Who knows? Just ignore him — let's keep playing."
With that, she grabbed her Psyduck-shaped float and dashed back into the sea.
Green didn't think too hard about it and followed her in.
Just then, a Dragonair surfaced from the ocean, sending a cascade of water into the air — a beautifully serene scene.
—
Cinnabar Island
It had been nearly a month since Asahi's last visit to this island of hot springs.
This time, he noticed the place was even more packed than before — the streets were bustling with tourists.
"Guess it's peak hot spring season," Asahi mused.
He didn't dwell on it, guiding Salamence straight to Blaine's new research facility.
A lab assistant was already waiting outside.
Seeing Asahi step off Salamence in nothing but swim trunks and a T-shirt, the assistant was briefly stunned — but quickly recovered.
After all, this was the Asahi — the lab's mysterious benefactor, basically the "Steven Stone" of the research world.
"The professor is expecting you," the assistant said, leading Asahi inside.
Asahi glanced around at the well-organized lab and felt a sense of satisfaction.
Money well spent.
He finally found Blaine in the lab's core research area.
Without any small talk, Asahi got straight to the point. "What's the situation?"
"Follow me."
Blaine led him to a large tank filled with nutrient fluid.
Inside was the half-formed Deoxys from the photo.
Without keeping him in suspense, Blaine explained, "I cultivated this unknown Pokémon using the DNA extracted from the meteorite you gave me."
"This DNA is completely different from any currently known Pokémon. I believe it's extraterrestrial in origin."
Asahi nodded — Blaine was absolutely right.
Deoxys was born from a space virus attached to a meteorite, its DNA mutating when exposed to radiation.
"Can you… fully create it?" Asahi asked.
Blaine shook his head. "Not yet. This is the best we've been able to manage — we're still missing a crucial component needed to complete its form."
Asahi knew exactly what that missing piece was — Deoxys's Core Gem.
That core was essentially Deoxys's brain. Without it, the Pokémon was incomplete.
The core should currently be in Mossdeep City's Space Center in the Hoenn region.
But how am I supposed to ask Mossdeep for it? Asahi thought.
Even though he had a good relationship with Steven, this wasn't something he could just casually request.
After some thought, Asahi decided to put the matter on hold until after the Indigo Conference.
He had already promised Lance that he'd help oversee the event's security.
"Blaine, this is a major breakthrough," Asahi said sincerely.
If he could eventually get Deoxys's core, there was a real chance they could recreate the legendary Pokémon.
Blaine nodded, then handed Asahi a small box. Inside was a meteorite fragment, crafted into a pendant.
"This is the DNA-extracted meteorite. Based on my research, it seems capable of absorbing natural energy… I thought you might find it useful."
Given Asahi's tendency to face off against either criminal masterminds like Giovanni or legendary Pokémon, having a stone that could harness natural energy might come in handy someday.
"Thanks a lot!"
Asahi pocketed the pendant — but then suddenly remembered something.
"By the way… has Ash arrived yet?"
He had recommended Ash train under Blaine, and judging by the timing, the kid should have shown up by now.
"Ash? He's been training at my old gym site," Blaine replied. "Just like you suggested, I put together a special training plan for him. He's making fast progress."
Asahi never doubted Ash's talent. "Yeah, his potential is undeniable… it's just a shame."
"A shame?" Blaine looked confused.
"Nothing," Asahi said, brushing it off. "Just keep pushing him — we'll give Gary a surprise soon."
Blaine shook his head, not quite understanding Asahi's mischief.
Still, he didn't mind training Ash. Over the past few days, he had grown to admire Ash's dedication and raw talent — he even started viewing him as a sort of apprentice.
Too bad Ash had no interest in inheriting Cinnabar Gym… otherwise, Blaine thought, he'd be a perfect successor.
—
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