Pokémon: Starting with a Bound Entry System

Chapter 180: Hikaru's Dedication

Seeing how Hikaru effortlessly processed the S-rank berries into highly refined Pokéblocks within just half an hour, Granny's expression turned complex.

If it had been her, she would have needed at least five hours—

And even then, the quality of the final product wouldn't have matched Hikaru's.

"All done."

Hikaru nodded with satisfaction as he looked at the freshly made Pokéblocks, still steaming slightly.

Indeed, with his Aura Force advancing to a higher level, his Pokéblock-making skills had also greatly improved.

It was as if his hands had memorized the process, functioning on pure instinct.

Each S-rank berry, combined with Greenfruit and other rare ingredients, yielded twenty Pokéblocks.

In total, there were around a hundred.

"Serperior, this half is yours, and this half is mine!"

Hikaru pushed the two piles apart.

Serperior hesitated for a moment before extending its vines to pick up a Pokéblock.

The moment its red tongue coiled around the cube and pulled it into its mouth—

Serperior's entire expression froze.

First, there was the taste. The blend of spices and herbs made the flavor incredibly pleasant.

Then, there was the energy surge.

Serperior's pupils widened.

Just one of these Pokéblocks provided more energy than eating a whole raw Sandscale Berry.

Was this alchemy?

Serperior turned to stare at the stack of Pokéblocks before it.

It had initially come to offer treasures—

But now, it felt like Hikaru had doubled their value.

With these Pokéblocks,

Its strength could likely improve even further.

For a brief moment, Serperior felt a twinge of regret about its earlier decision.

Maybe following Hikaru wasn't such a bad idea?

But the thought vanished as quickly as it came.

Serperior had its pride.

Unless Hikaru defeated it,

It would not acknowledge him as its Trainer.

"Serperior…" (Thank you…)

It bowed its head again, and Hikaru instinctively reached out, running his hand over its smooth, cool scales.

They said snakes were cold-blooded creatures—

But Serperior's scales were incredibly pleasant to the touch.

However, the gentle stroking made Serperior feel strange.

A sensation it wasn't familiar with.

It quickly lifted its head, shaking off the feeling.

Their eyes met briefly before Serperior nodded, wrapped up its Pokéblocks in its vines, and slithered away.

"Wait for me, Serperior! I'll come back to catch you next time!"

Hikaru called out, clearly in high spirits.

He then turned back to face the three Elite Trainers, smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry for making you wait. This was my first time working with such high-grade ingredients. I was a little slow…"

The League President and Granny exchanged stunned glances.

It was as if they were silently asking each other—

"Are all Breeders this ridiculously talented?"

Granny, meanwhile, just felt like she had lived for nothing.

All her years of experience—and yet this boy had outperformed her so effortlessly.

"Alright, let's head back. I'll take the Salamence into custody."

Lance, afraid that any more time spent here would lead to even more surprises, quickly spoke up.

Seeing this, Hikaru gathered his remaining Pokéblocks and happily climbed onto Latias's back.

Two Pokémon soared through the sky, leaving streaks across the horizon.

—

By the time they returned to Aura Town, it was already nightfall.

After parting ways with the others—

Lance went back to investigate the Ghost-type trainers.

The League President and Granny both had important duties to attend to.

Hikaru, on the other hand, stated that he wanted to rest before preparing for his Gym Challenges to qualify for the Youth League.

This made Granny's eyes light up.

She immediately said—

"If you're challenging National-Level Gyms, don't forget about Granny's Ghost House~"

To qualify for the Youth League, a trainer had to either:

Defeat three National-Level Gyms,

Or earn eight Provincial Gym Badges.

Hikaru had chosen the first option.

If time allowed, he might try both routes.

So, he nodded and agreed.

—

Back in Aura Town

"Phew…"

Back in civilization, Hikaru let out a long sigh of relief.

Even though he had only spent two or three days in the Qinling Mountains,

He felt mentally and physically exhausted.

Restoring the World Tree, healing Serperior—these tasks had drained a tremendous amount of his Aura and stamina.

He had almost been wrung dry in that forest.

"Let's go, Latias. Time for some proper rest!"

Hikaru decided to take two days off.

"Mmm."

Latias, now in her human form, responded absentmindedly.

Hikaru instantly knew—

She was still immersed in the story of Riley's sacrifice.

It was already late evening,

And after days of constantly flying around,

Hikaru figured she deserved a good rest.

So, he led her back to the inn where they had stayed before.

As they arrived—

They saw the old innkeeper just about to close up for the night.

"Wait, Grandpa—hold on!"

Hikaru called out.

Small towns had a habit of sleeping early.

It wasn't even 10 PM, yet most homes had already turned off their lights.

"Oh? It's you two?"

The old man's gaze brightened slightly when he recognized them.

But this time, his tone was much warmer.

"Come in, come in."

"Phew… I thought we'd have to sleep on the streets tonight."

Hikaru joked as he entered.

Then he turned to the old man—

"Thank you, Grandpa."

The innkeeper smiled.

"No need to thank me. After all, you're the Champion who saved Aura Town's harvest this year."

Hikaru froze.

"Huh? How do you know about that already?"

The old man chuckled.

"Haha… Small towns spread news fast. Everyone knows about it by now."

"But what I didn't expect—was that the kid staying in my inn would turn out to be this year's High School League Champion. How was the tree? Did you see it?"

His aged eyes fixed on Hikaru.

For a moment, Hikaru hesitated.

The tree—without a doubt—meant the World Tree.

"…Yeah, I saw it. It was incredible."

Hikaru nodded.

"Then… thank you."

The old man suddenly bowed deeply.

His voice was filled with genuine gratitude.

Most people didn't know—

But as Riley's father, he understood all too well.

Years ago, his son had gone into the Qinling Mountains,

To protect that tree.

He had never returned.

But soon after, the Pokémon riots had mysteriously ceased.

And now, years later—

Another Aura Guardian had arrived.

A young man who traveled all the way from Kyoto—

To save that very same tree.

He knew—

That this boy must have sacrificed a great deal.

Hikaru's eyes widened in shock.

Hurriedly, he reached out to support the old man.

Come on, we're decades apart in age—why are you bowing to me?

"You're gonna shorten my lifespan like this!"

---

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