Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 313: Choose Your Reward

After seeing Cynthia off, Asahi returned to the interrogation room with Green.

But this time, the target wasn't Sird—it was Darkrai.

Standing before Darkrai, Asahi slammed a folder onto the table.

"Darkrai, you've been exposed!"

Darkrai's blue eyes flickered with confusion.

Like Sird, it had no idea what had happened. Its last memory was being grabbed by Giratina—then, it woke up in this strange place.

Seeing its bewilderment, Asahi's tone turned stern.

"Do you have any idea? You and your Trainer have violated thirty-six laws—six of which are felonies!"

"You've caused multiple people to fall into a coma with your nightmares. That includes one of my subordinates!"

Darkrai: "…"

Darkrai wasn't good at expressing emotions, but upon hearing Asahi's words, it lowered its head in guilt.

It had indeed done many bad things. Even if it was acting under Sird's orders, it was still the one carrying them out.

As for the nightmares... those were beyond its control.

Just as Darkrai was bracing itself for Asahi's judgment, his tone suddenly shifted.

"Of course, considering that you were merely following orders and that you don't have a truly evil heart, I'm willing to give you a chance to redeem yourself."

Darkrai's head snapped up in disbelief.

It never expected that after committing such serious crimes, Asahi would still offer it a chance.

Nearby, Sabrina had already turned her head away, unable to watch any further...

Meanwhile, Asahi simply smiled.

"Join the Kanto branch of the International Police. Become an agent and fight against evil."

"The path to redemption lies ahead!"

Darkrai's eyes flickered with determination, but then hesitated.

It was known as the embodiment of nightmares, feared and shunned by both humans and Pokémon alike. Wherever it went, nightmares followed.

Could someone like it really be redeemed?

Asahi seemed to sense its doubts and smiled as he pointed at the red chain wrapped around Darkrai.

"Have you noticed? You've been here for a while now, yet none of us have been affected by your nightmares. The Red Chain effectively suppresses the uncontrolled release of your nightmare energy."

"If you choose to join, I'll lend it to you."

Darkrai had personally witnessed how Asahi used the Red Chain to suppress Dialga and Palkia in the Distortion World.

It never expected Asahi to willingly hand over such a powerful artifact.

Darkrai was deeply moved.

It nodded firmly.

"Welcome aboard!"

Asahi extended his hand. At the same time, the red chain around Darkrai loosened and draped over its body like a sash, giving it a look reminiscent of a ghostly knight.

Darkrai hesitated for a moment before finally placing its hand in Asahi's.

When it saw that Asahi was truly unaffected by its powers, an expression of relief and joy surfaced on its face.

—[Psychic Girl: You brainwashed another one.]

—[Gardevoir Is Best Girl: Brainwashing? No way, this is a mutual agreement. Don't slander me, okay?]

—[Psychic Girl: Sure, sure.]

Even as he bickered with Sabrina in his mind, Asahi turned to Darkrai with a warm smile.

"Let me give you a tour of the base. Come meet your new colleagues!"

When Asahi led Darkrai into the main hall, the lively atmosphere instantly fell silent.

Asahi was pleased with the dramatic entrance.

"Everyone, welcome our new member—Darkrai!"

All eyes turned toward Darkrai.

A brief moment of silence…

Then, a crowd instantly surrounded it.

"Darkrai? The Nightmare Pokémon?"

"That's so cool!"

"Our team just keeps getting stronger!"

"Wait… how did Asahi trick you into joining?"

...Somewhere in there, a voice seemed a little off.

Darkrai was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm. It wasn't used to this.

Normally, Trainers would attack it on sight. When had it ever been welcomed like this?

Sensing its discomfort, Asahi quickly stepped in and led Darkrai to Platinum.

"Platinum, let's see if we can finally cure your nightmares completely…"

Platinum nodded.

...

Inside the Office

Asahi was reviewing the rewards he received for arresting Cyrus and capturing Dialga and Palkia at Spear Pillar.

Honestly, he felt like his system was getting stingier.

Catching Cyrus and subduing two Legendary Pokémon should count as two separate achievements, yet the system only gave him one reward?

Shaking his head, he pushed aside those thoughts and focused on the system screen.

[Please choose your reward:]

1. Azure Flute

2. The Legend Plate

3. Sinnoh-Hisui Travel Pass

Asahi raised an eyebrow.

What was going on?

Had the system bugged out? Why was it being so generous all of a sudden?

All three options were incredible.

The Azure Flute was the key to accessing the Hall of Origin and challenging the almighty Alpaca.

The Legend Plate was the most unique of Arceus's plates, containing the power of all attributes, granting Arceus complete mastery over every type.

The Sinnoh-Hisui Travel Pass was a ticket for unlimited travel between modern Sinnoh and ancient Hisui.

For once, Asahi found himself genuinely torn.

Which one should he choose?

They all seemed amazing, but then…

Wait.

If he remembered correctly, the Legend Plate was something Arceus always carried with it.

And right now, he was in Sinnoh—Arceus's domain.

If he chose the Legend Plate, wouldn't that be like stealing from Arceus itself?

Wouldn't that petty alpaca catch him in the act?!

"...Hiss."

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

A trap. This was absolutely a trap option!

Besides, the Legend Plate only worked for Arceus. It was useless to other Pokémon. That made eliminating it an easy decision.

As for the Azure Flute… Nope.

He was already trying to avoid Arceus. Why would he pick an item that would literally summon it?

Which meant…

"It looks like my safest choice is the 'Sinnoh-Hisui Travel Pass'?"

That seemed like the least risky option.

Plus, he had always been interested in Hisui. It was a vast region—surely, he wouldn't be unlucky enough to bump into Arceus there… right?

Having made up his mind, Asahi confirmed his choice.

[System, I choose Option 3.]

The moment he spoke, a golden light enveloped his phone.

Frowning, Asahi picked it up and found a new icon on the screen.

A golden alpaca.

"…"

Staring at the icon, Asahi fell into deep thought.

What exactly was the connection between his system and… ahem… the highly respected Creator, Arceus?

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Green's voice came from outside.

"Asahi, everyone's waiting for you!"

"Huh? The party's starting already?"

Asahi checked the time and realized over an hour had passed.

...

The Party at Hunter J's Base

The celebration was being held at Hunter J's former base.

To ensure Hunter J could "participate" in the event, Asahi had installed a screen in her solitary confinement cell so she could watch him throw a party in her base.

Judging by the distant sounds of something slamming against a wall, she was… enthusiastic.

Lounging on a sun chair by the newly built pool, Asahi took a sip of a Nanab Berry juice Gardevoir handed him, looking utterly relaxed.

Nearby, Slowbro was lazily paddling at the pool's edge. As the MVP of the battle against Cyrus, it was granted a month of no training as a reward.

Meanwhile, Salamence was devouring food at an alarming rate. In just ten minutes, it had consumed what an average Pokémon would eat in a week.

Good thing Asahi had foreseen this and hired an army of chefs—otherwise, feeding Salamence alone would have bankrupted him.

On one side, Eevee was standing on Blastoise's back, wrestling with a Sneasel riding on Feraligatr.

Blastoise and Feraligatr, both bulky Water-type starters, seemed evenly matched.

Until Eevee suddenly used Helping Hand.

Boom!

Feraligatr was flipped over.

Eevee, meanwhile, whistled innocently, as if nothing had happened.

…Where had it learned that trick?

Gengar was playing cards with Ethan and Togepi.

Asahi clearly saw both Ethan and Gengar cheating—switching and hiding cards. Gengar even used the Ghost World to manipulate the game.

Yet, despite all their tricks, they were still getting utterly demolished by Togepi's absurdly good luck.

Meanwhile, Darkrai hadn't fully integrated into the group yet, but it seemed to have found common ground with Mewtwo. The two stood in a corner, engaged in a mysterious conversation.

Everything was peaceful and harmonious…

Until—

Two figures rushed into Asahi's view.

Celebi, covered in cake, was furiously chasing after a giggling Mew.

Mew was incredibly agile, effortlessly dodging left and right to avoid Celebi's pursuit. It even turned around mid-air to make a playful face at Celebi.

Seeing that it couldn't catch Mew, Celebi became frustrated. It suddenly flapped its wings and let out a sharp cry.

"Labi~!"

A green light shot up into the sky.

The air shimmered as two more Celebi appeared out of nowhere—summoned from different timelines.

Now, three Celebi stood together, each holding a piece of cake, glaring at Mew with determination.

Mew was stunned.

It waved its little paws frantically, protesting that this was cheating.

But Celebi smirked smugly.

"Labi~!"

As the three Celebi closed in, Mew frantically looked around for an escape route—until its gaze landed on Asahi.

Its eyes lit up instantly.

In a flash, Mew teleported onto Asahi's shoulder, sticking out its tongue at Celebi.

"Bleh~!"

If you have the guts, throw the cake at Asahi!

Celebi hesitated, clearly troubled, while Mew grinned in victory.

But before it could celebrate too much…

Asahi suddenly reached up and grabbed Mew by the scruff of its neck, lifting it to eye level.

"You're using me as a shield…?"

"Mew!!"

Realizing the danger, Mew's eyes widened in alarm. It quickly turned to Mewtwo for help.

Mewtwo glanced at Asahi, then at Mew, and made it clear it couldn't help.

Asahi casually grabbed Mew and handed it over to the surrounding Celebi. "Celebi, she's all yours!"

…Ten seconds later.

Mew, now completely covered in cake thanks to its dear friend Celebi, stared at Asahi with a look full of grievance.

However, Asahi showed no remorse whatsoever. Instead, he reached out, scooped a bit of cream off Mew, and licked it. Then, he nodded in approval.

"Creamy mint flavor. Not bad."

"Mew~!!"

Seeing Asahi's reaction, Mew blushed in both embarrassment and frustration. Without hesitation, it dove straight into Asahi's arms and rubbed itself all over him, covering him in cake as well.

Asahi: "….."

A suicide attack, huh?

Off to the side, Gary saw everything unfold and burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. He was laughing so hard that he could barely stand straight.

"Hahaha… Asahi!!"

"…Hmm?"

Asahi cast a glance at him.

Gary, still holding his stomach, instantly straightened up and put on a serious face. "Ahem… Nothing, I just had a sudden stomach cramp."

"Uh, I think Silver's Slowpoke tail roast should be done by now—I'll go check!"

Without giving Asahi a chance to respond, Gary vanished at lightning speed.

His movements were so practiced that Asahi couldn't help but wonder…

Have I been too harsh on him lately?

…Nah.

Shaking his head, Asahi turned his attention to Cynthia, who was hesitantly approaching with two cups of ice cream in her hands. She looked like she had made a difficult decision.

"Asahi, do you want some ice cream?"

She seemed to be offering it, but at the same time, she was gripping the cups tightly as if reluctant to let go.

Asahi: "….."

I know you have decision paralysis, but the way you're holding them makes it really hard for me to choose!

In the end, Gardevoir couldn't bear to watch any longer and used Psychic to mix both cups of ice cream together before evenly dividing them between Asahi and Cynthia.

The moment Cynthia took a bite, a blissful expression appeared on her face.

"This is amazing! What brand is this ice cream?"

It tasted completely different from anything she had ever had before—on a whole other level.

"Of course it's amazing. I hired a professional dessert team from the Galar region for this. Their team boasts a full set of Alcremie in all 64 forms, including Gigantamax!"

"That's incredible! That must've cost a fortune…"

Asahi waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, it's covered by expenses. Joke's on them—the budget's practically endless."

...

The fun party didn't last forever. As much as Asahi wanted to keep the music going and the dancing non-stop, reality called him back.

Sitting on the couch, he opened his laptop and casually pressed Eevee's head down as it tried to peek at the screen.

With a few clicks, a software window popped up, displaying the silhouette of a figure hidden in the shadows.

"Asahi, we owe you big time again! I received your report. If it weren't for you, Sinnoh might not even exist anymore."