"Advisor, what was that just now, meow?"
The Meowth trio had clearly also noticed the little colt that had been sent flying by Landorus and caught by Aiden, so they snuck over.
"Him, ah—"
Looking at the now-unconscious Keldeo, Aiden sighed helplessly.
"I happen to know. His name is Keldeo, and he's a very special Pokémon."
Keldeo, the Colt Pokémon.
Due to its cute little colt appearance, Aiden was more accustomed to calling it the Little Colt.
Although it looked like an ordinary Pokémon, and in terms of cuteness, it certainly couldn't compare to a Galarian Ponyta, its actual identity was quite special.
It was both a Mythical Pokémon and classified as one of the "Swords of Justice," the fourth member of the trio.
However, one could tell just by looking at it that it was still just a reckless youth, needing long-term training to truly grow into a worthy Sword of Justice.
As for why it appeared here, Aiden had a pretty good guess in his heart—upholding the foolhardy spirit of a newborn calf that fears no tiger, this little colt in its own movie had dared to challenge Kyurem one-on-one, and as a result, paid a heavy price, directly shattering its own horn—
So, it probably just happened to run into Landorus, wanted to spar with it, but wasn't noticed at all and was treated like a speed bump and brought along to Milos Island, right?
Although it sounded hard to believe, it actually seemed quite plausible for Keldeo.
Truly a reckless youth.
"Never mind it. We can talk after it wakes up."
Aiden simply placed it on the ground, then looked up in the direction of Giovanni and Landorus.
At some point, Landorus, having transformed into its Therian Forme, brought an almost tangible sense of oppression, so much so that even Meowth covered its eyes, not daring to look anymore.
And facing it, before Giovanni, stood a Beedrill with a grave expression and sharp eyes, buzzing by rubbing the needles in its hands, countering the threatening pressure from Landorus.
"Can the Boss really get Landorus's approval—"
James patted his chest, a lingering fear in his heart.
"After all, that's a Legendary Pokémon. I heard its popularity in Unova is even higher than that of the black and white dragons—"
"You idiot! The Boss is the strongest! He will definitely win an easy victory, meow!"
About an hour later.
Keldeo suddenly opened its eyes, looking around its surroundings in a daze.
It still vaguely remembered that it had happened to encounter one of the legendary "Incarnates," so it had proactively blocked its path, hoping to receive some guidance from it.
And then, what happened—?
It couldn't remember clearly.
Keldeo shook its head and struggled to its feet.
Now that its consciousness had returned, it seemed to have arrived on a strange island.
Three humans and a Meowth stood before it, but they didn't seem to be paying it any mind, their gazes all directed toward the other side of the island.
Keldeo suddenly felt curious, so it looked over there as well.
With just one glance, it was immediately stunned.
Wh-wh-wh-wh-what's going on?
Why was a half-naked human having a free-for-all brawl with Landorus in its Therian Forme?
And—wasn't Landorus supposed to have no physical body, that it was an incarnation of clouds and mist? So why was it already getting beaten to a pulp by that human?
Was that even a human?
"Kyeo!"
Keldeo subconsciously let out a cry of surprise, and its voice was noticed by Aiden, who turned his head to look.
"You're awake?"
Aiden smiled and squatted down, looking at the bewildered little colt.
"Just in time. The battle is almost over."
"Landorus's defeat is all but certain. When it comes to raw power, Giovanni is indeed superior."
As a professional Pokémon battle commentator, Aiden's judgment of the situation was always top-notch, even if one of the parties this time wasn't a Pokémon.
However—
The moment his words fell, Keldeo immediately saw the man called Giovanni throw a punch that missed nothing but air, forcing him to cross his arms and harden his body to take Landorus's pounce.
"..."
Feeling the somewhat subtle gazes of the Meowth trio, Aiden couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Forget it, I'll just stop talking!
He turned back to Keldeo and waved a hand in front of its face.
"Hey, can you see clearly?"
"You were swept up to Milos Island by Landorus. I'll take you back to the Unova region in a bit."
Keldeo nodded.
Although it didn't recognize the human before it, he seemed quite friendly.
So it quickly mustered its will, trying to communicate with him using telepathy.
[Thank you, human.]
"You're welcome."
Aiden wasn't surprised that the little colt could use its mind to speak.
If anything, it made communication much more convenient.
"By the way, why did you think to challenge Landorus?"
Since they were just standing around anyway, Aiden decided to strike up a conversation.
The little colt might be reckless, but it was actually quite timid inside. Something must have happened, just like in the movie, to make it so suddenly brave.
[...]
Hearing Aiden's teasing question, Keldeo suddenly fell silent, lowering its head.
A lot had happened, but how should it explain it to a human?
Should it say that it had a little falling out with its three masters and, in a fit of pique, ran away from home, wanting to defeat a powerful Pokémon to prove itself?
After calming down, Keldeo felt that it was probably mostly its own fault—
[I need a powerful opponent to hone my sword!]
So, after careful consideration, Keldeo finally lifted its head and conveyed a cool-sounding phrase with its mind.
Aiden:?
He suddenly felt like laughing and poked the little colt's adorably small horn.
"Swords of Justice use their horns flexibly as swords, but yours looks more like a dagger, doesn't it?"
"..."
[Don't you laugh at me!]
Keldeo's face immediately flushed red. It shook its head, flicking Aiden's finger away.
It knew its skills were lacking. Master Cobalion had also said that it couldn't yet use its sword freely and didn't have what it takes to be a Sword of Justice.
But it was because of those words that it had run out to prove itself!
Aiden still had a smile on his face, but seeing that Keldeo was already getting a bit angry, he decided to drop the subject for now.
"Alright, I believe you will become a worthy Sword of Justice in the future."
After a pause, he added the second half of his sentence.
"However, for now, you should focus on your training. You still have a long way to go~"
[I know, you don't have to tell me!]
Keldeo suddenly found the human before it very annoying. How did he seem to understand it so well—
And he even dared to order it around!
It was the successor to the Swords of Justice, the fourth swordsman who had sworn to protect nature and the peace of Unova! (Even though it wasn't one yet)
Seeing its displeased expression, Aiden felt a delightful sense of success, like he had just teased a child.
So cute, Little Colt.
But, the current Little Colt was too weak. It felt like it might not even be able to beat a slightly stronger wild Pokémon—
Aiden suddenly raised an eyebrow, thinking of an interesting idea.
"Speaking of which, I happen to have a Pokémon on my team that can use 'Sacred Sword.' How about I let it give you some pointers?"
He was, of course, talking about Lucario.
Although in the Black and White era, Sacred Sword was a move that only the Swords of Justice could use, in reality, a few other ordinary Pokémon could master it as well, like Gallade or Aegislash.
His own Lucario had learned Sacred Sword through some rather illegitimate means, but it was more than capable of instructing this little colt.
[Really?]
Keldeo was skeptical. It had a feeling that the human before it wasn't very reliable.
So, it had to see a true master first!
And if he was a master, his strength couldn't be inferior to its masters, Cobalion and the others!
"Of course, it's true."
Aiden smiled and rubbed the red mane on top of Keldeo's head, thinking that it seemed to be the most guarded little fellow he had ever met.
But, also the weakest—
"Once the battle over there is finished, I'll have a sword master instruct you for a bit."
[Okay!]
Keldeo nodded heavily.
It didn't expect that its rather reckless actions this time might lead to an unexpected surprise.
The unpleasant memory of being teased by the human before it was now completely forgotten.
Indeed, only with sufficient courage can one grow into a worthy Sword of Justice!
The wind on Milos Island continued to howl.
However, Landorus, who possessed the power to summon wind and rain, had also reached the end of its rope.
"Hah... hah..."
After being knocked down once more, the panting Landorus could barely maintain its physical form. It could only stand up with sheer willpower.
From the very beginning of the battle, it had sensed its opponent's determination, as well as the strength that matched that determination.
That Beedrill, which had mastered the power of Mega Evolution, had indeed caused it significant trouble, even suppressing it with its speed at one point.
However, it was clearly lacking in terms of stamina.
After defeating Mega Beedrill, Landorus had thought it would be a straightforward victory.
Although it had won in the end, being able to command a Beedrill to battle it for so long was proof that this human, Giovanni, was capable.
At that moment, it had already acknowledged Giovanni's will.
However—the battle did not end with Beedrill's fall.
Giovanni suddenly stepped forward and said with a smile, "The warm-up is over, isn't it?"
"Now, it's my turn to experience the power of a Legendary Pokémon for myself."
Landorus:?
What did he mean, that was just a warm-up?
And for a mere human to dare to provoke a god—
If it had continued to use its Incarnate Forme, Giovanni would never have been able to land a hit.
However, out of respect for its opponent and the inviolable dignity of a Legendary Pokémon, it had transformed into its Therian Forme to engage in a melee battle with Giovanni that was as fair as possible.
The result proved—
Giovanni really had some skills.
His fists weren't hard enough, and his destructive power was far inferior to Beedrill's poison-tipped needles.
But no matter how many times he was hit, his expression remained unchanged. He would even become more ferocious, launching one round of counterattacks after another.
Finally, after another reckless, all-out assault that traded blows, completely disregarding his own safety, Landorus's last bit of stamina was drained. It could only lie on the ground, panting desperately.
"Is it over?"
Giovanni was covered in wounds—both bruises from being punched and bloody gashes left by claws.
He should have collapsed long ago.
Yet, he seemed to feel no pain at all, still wearing that somewhat wicked smile.
He really didn't look like a good person—
Landorus, struggling to maintain its Therian Forme, lay on the ground and let out a great laugh, as if it had completely let go.
"What a strange human!"
"However, I acknowledge your will."
"After I deal with the trouble left by Tornadus and Thundurus, I will temporarily become your partner, until you leave Unova!"
With that, Landorus lost all its strength and fainted on the spot.
Giovanni was silent for a moment, then heaved a sigh of relief.
Afterward, he took a Poké Ball from his pocket.
But after clutching the Poké Ball and staring at Landorus for a good while, he suddenly smiled and casually tossed it behind him.
"Forget it. A meaningless bond cannot be called cooperation."
"Since it has already shown its sincerity, why should I do something unnecessary?"
"..."
"Am I right, Aiden?"
He suddenly glanced to the left. The corner of his eye could just make out a figure.
"Truly worthy of being Boss Giovanni—are the physiques of you Kanto people a bit too absurd?"
Aiden raised an eyebrow, his expression complex.
This was Landorus in its Therian Forme. To go toe-to-toe with a Legendary Pokémon with human strength—
Was that even human?
He probably wouldn't be able to learn that trick in his lifetime.
Of course, someone as cautious as himself would never dream of brawling with a Pokémon anyway.
"I'm done on my end. Let's get ready to go."
Giovanni bent down, picked up the suit jacket he had casually thrown on the ground earlier, and dusted off the ash.
"Once Landorus wakes up, I'll have it come find me."
"Sure, but wait for me for a moment."
Remembering his promise to the little colt, Aiden turned to look at Keldeo, who was full of anticipation but also a little nervous.
It looked like it was afraid of Giovanni—
Which was normal.
If I were a Pokémon, I'd be scared too after seeing a human beat a Legendary Pokémon!
[Human, where's the sword master you promised!]
Keldeo's thoughts soon arrived, and Aiden reached into his pocket, taking out a Poké Ball.
"Lucario, what do you think of this kid?"
"Luca?"
After a flash of red light, Lucario appeared by his side, holding the Sword of Ruin, and looked at Keldeo in confusion.
During its time in the Poké Ball, it had also been silently observing the situation outside with its Aura, so it could roughly understand what Aiden meant.
But—
That little colt's horn was so short. Could it really be used as a sword?
At least, Lucario couldn't imagine doing so.
However, in stark contrast to Lucario, Keldeo was incredibly excited.
Because—
This Lucario's aura was immensely powerful, and it was holding an ice sword that looked extraordinary at a glance. It was clearly different from an ordinary Lucario!
Moreover, Keldeo could sense that its strength was probably even greater than that of its three Sword of Justice masters. It was truly an extraordinary expert!
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
So, Keldeo no longer hesitated. It immediately trotted over to Lucario.
Then, it slowly lowered its body.
[Master, please accept my bow!]
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