Chapter 260: The Ancient Solar Spirit!

【Mission Complete!】

【Reward: Released Jade ×4, Fertile Soil ×10, Sunlight ×1, Fertile Blessing ×?, Unknown Badge ×?, Unique TM (Earthquake/Heat Wave/Psychic)!】

【Fertile Soil: Fertile earth nurtured by the powers of wind and thunder! When given to Ground- or Grass-type Pokémon, it greatly enhances their strength and improves their training potential.】

【Sunlight: Solar essence condensed from the desert’s blazing rays by Land Cloud. When given to Pokémon that know light-based moves, it dramatically boosts the energy of those moves and makes them more attuned to radiance.】

【Fertile Blessing: The Fertile Blessing bestowed by Land Cloud, enhancing Pokémon vitality. You have received five blessings (including yourself)!】

【Fertile Messenger’s Badge ×5: Tokens recognized by Land Cloud as its messengers.】

【Description: Once Land Cloud acknowledges you in any way, you may visit its shrines across Unova to temporarily summon it to join your team.】

【Effect: During Ground and Sky battles, the Speed and Power of Ground- and Flying-type Pokémon increase!】

【Awarded 3 TMs!】

【Description: Land Cloud’s rage has subsided; the ancient spirit has departed from it. Its choice is to leave quietly, avoiding control by those with ulterior motives—and thus it turns to you for aid!】

Land Cloud has temporarily joined the team!

Guang Tai didn’t expect this, but Land Cloud, unlike its siblings, seemed to better understand human hearts—and thus concluded these Plasma members posed a threat.

It wasn’t false; in the Special Episodes world, Land Cloud and its kin were indeed captured by the Dark Trio.

Guang Tai walked to the unconscious Plasma elites and used Mind Shatter on each of them.

Faint cracks of mental shattering echoed softly.

This is damage control!

“But I didn’t expect Plasma to appear here—wait, the sands left Ancient City because of my arrival, so things might be worse!”

Guang Tai slapped his forehead, recalling that in the game, a sage had long resided in Ancient City, aiming to capture Heatran.

In the Special Episodes, they even succeeded!

Plasma had a sage stationed long-term in Ancient City—he had already been researching here before the Unova storyline began. Guang Tai remembered him clearly; during his second playthrough, he encountered this old man while hunting Heatran.

Among Plasma’s Seven Sages, only Luo De and A Shu could truly be called wise; the rest had their own agendas.

Plasma’s activities across Unova began earlier than players realized. In Black 2, Ash explained that five years before the Black 2 storyline, Plasma was already active across Unova!

That means three years before the Black and White storyline began!

Meanwhile, Lileep seemed to sense a certain fluctuation—it turned its head, its sensitivity heightened by the Star Badge.

Hmm… is it… the earth’s fluctuation?

Though it felt like an earth fluctuation, it lacked Ground-type energy.

Lileep tried channeling this force; faint earth-yellow aura gathered on its claws, making it pause in thought.

“Hey (What are you thinking?)” Shieldon asked the blue-haired Mao Xiaogou.

“Awo (Fluctuation—the earth’s fluctuation)” Mao Xiaogou fell into deep thought.

I feel I can use it soon!

Hmm, this battle was also very enlightening!

This made Shieldon extremely envious.

Hey, look at them—what an incredible move pool! Just one battle brought enlightenment; truly a natural-born cultivation master! My own move pool was rated average by my Trainer—I have to work twice as hard to learn anything! [114] On Guang Tai’s chest, the blue crystal erupted with unimaginable light, as if battling against the solar force!

Take Aura Sphere, for example—I still throw it like a Brownian motion projectile. The upside? The opponent never knows where it’ll fly.

“Hey, that Pokémon—did you catch it?”

Cai Ren approached with his device, staring at Guang Tai in disbelief, sincerely praising: “You’re one of the strongest psychics I’ve ever met… Compared to you—oh! The new Elite Four member of Unova League, Miss Jia Deliya—perhaps you’re as strong as her!”

“No, I know Miss Jia Deliya—her psychic power far surpasses mine.”

Guang Tai shook his head: “Let’s keep moving! That Pokémon has regained consciousness. As for catching it—for now, consider it done!”

“Something bad seems to be happening deep in Ancient City. If you need to calibrate your device, I’ll go ahead!”

“Wait! I can’t handle those ancient guardians!” Cai Ren shook his head: “I’ll go with you!”

“Measure the lower levels too. If you run into trouble, I’ll just hide somewhere. And those people—who the hell are they?”

Cai Ren stared at the Plasma members in bizarre attire, trapped in the sands as if awaiting death. The two sprinted toward the deepest part of the fourth level!

Guang Tai: “A mysterious religious group. They preach under the guise of helping Pokémon, urging trainers to release their partners—and even use Pokémon to alter memories.”

“What? That’s vile…” Cai Ren shook his head, filled with deep disdain for Plasma. He thought: if his own partner left him, it would be his greatest pain.

“But come to think of it, Unova is full of these mysterious groups… Sometimes I feel our region never cares about these issues. Everyone’s too busy with their own lives—I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”

Busy with their own lives, so hearts grow distant—that’s probably it.

But this is the society of the new age. There’s no helping it.

Following the Plasma members’ path, Guang Tai quickly found the entrance to the fourth level’s depths—below, powerful tremors erupted!

Beneath the earth! No one knows how many levels down!

“Ladong—”

At that moment, Land Cloud’s voice reached Guang Tai’s mind. Inside its Poké Ball, Land Cloud guided him forward, guessing the humans’ ultimate goal was the deepest spiritual chamber—a room housing a powerful Pokémon it had fought before.

The upper levels were its dwelling—untouchable, impassable. Below, everything belonged to it.

Still, it showed no intention of leaving the depths!

Guang Tai and Cai Ren entered the fifth level. Inside the Poké Ball hanging at Guang Tai’s waist, Land Cloud began conversing with Deoxys.

Honestly, Land Cloud was stunned.

This person had another Pokémon not released? No—three! But the other two held no interest for Land Cloud. This glowing warrior of light, however, was extraordinary.

Land Cloud chatted while acting as a map, guiding Guang Tai. Soon they broke through the fifth level, then the sixth, then the seventh.

Cai Ren couldn’t scan Ancient City fast enough. The deeper they went, the stronger the psychic power he sensed—bright, blazing, like the sun—making him sweat profusely and grow exhausted.

“Pant! I stop here!”

Cai Ren waved his hand at Guang Tai: “I can’t go further. Normal people feel nothing, but psychics sense this immense psychic pressure—it’s crushing my mind. I can’t go any deeper.”

“The stairs below lead to the eighth level—that’s the underground. I’ll leave it to you. I’ll finish my survey here.”

Cai Ren collapsed to the ground and released his own Pokémon—unexpectedly, it was another Symbol Bird!

“Ha, surprised, right?” Cai Ren stroked his Symbol Bird, letting its psychic power ease his burden:

“I found it in the desert. It was wandering like a headless fly, terrified, afraid of the outside world. I was training my psychic power then—and I lost to it in a psychic duel.”

“Because of that, it grew close to me. Later, I caught it. I feel like we’re kindred spirits—not just friends or partners, but a vital part of my life as a psychic. Our lives are one.”

“I think… you’re rushing down here because the Pokémon buried under the sand is your partner, right?”

“Since you appeared, I’ve felt you’re mysterious—strong psychic power, and even the sands part for you. You must be extraordinary.”

“So… that mysterious group… you must—pant—”

Cai Ren, despite his Symbol Bird’s aid, still struggled under the pressure. Guang Tai handed him some medicine:

“Go up first. I’ll return to you soon.”

“No need. Things below will end quickly. Though I’m not good at battle…”

“My partners are!”

Guang Tai’s words made Cai Ren laugh. He nodded and sprinted back toward the sixth level with his Symbol Bird.

“I’ll wait for you in the sixth level!”

He left those words behind. Guang Tai descended the long staircase, sprinting forward, his Pokémon—revived by medicine—rushing into the ancient chamber!

Following Land Cloud’s guidance and the psychic resonance from below, the overwhelming power matched exactly the state Land Cloud had been in when possessed by the ancient spirit!

And that solar power had always existed for Heatran!

Flames erupted violently outward; Plasma members guarding outside staggered into view!

“Who is it?!” They heard rapid footsteps and immediately released their Pokémon!

Guang Tai gave the order: “Iron Head!”

Shieldon raised its massive shield and unleashed a devastating attack at the Plasma grunts!

In tribute to the Legendary Investigator, the Destroyer Beam’s spokesman, Kadabra!

Silver radiance drowned them—along with their Pokémon, all blasted backward!

“Suck—”

Shieldon’s other ribboned arm grabbed a First Aid Jelly, healing itself while firing beams!

This commotion drew the attention of Yaguse inside the chamber—he was attempting to capture Heatran with several elites. But the ancient spirit hidden here possessed immense power; Heatran’s strength surged beyond their control!

“Mera!”

Heatran hid behind the sun mural, peeking out. The overwhelming psychic power in the air reached even it—this sensation was like a thousand Reuniclus using psychic power simultaneously!

Wow wow wow, this is incredibly huge!

Though one Reuniclus is weak, a thousand? That’s unimaginably strong!

Heatran muttered this inwardly!

No time to mourn Reuniclus as a unit—Guang Tai entered the chamber. The ancient spirit’s crushing pressure now bore down on him directly!

Here, the ancient spirit raged. Ordinary people felt only a whisper of pressure; psychics felt far more. Guang Tai saw the phantom of the Giant King, the Legendary Giants, Heatran—the sun god once shining over the land—and even a faint, colossal legendary dragon!

Countless people with special abilities gathered in this city—the cradle of Unova’s civilization, the core that opposed the underwater city ruins. One buried underground, one sunk beneath the sea—they represented Unova’s ancient history.

Endless emotions whispered here—furious hatred strong enough to burn any intruder into a mental fool!

【Event Quest: The Ancient Solar Spirit!】

【Reward: Released Jade ×5, Unknown Gift ×1, Historical Record ×1, Unknown Badge ×?, Sparkle Scale Powder ×?, Vital Clay ×10, Ancient Medal ×1.】

【Description: Ancient City represents Unova’s origin, gathering the history and psychic power of all who came before. This vast psychic force, like a sun, lies hidden in the final spiritual chamber—and now, enraged by the ambitions of intruders! Calm this power, and you shall receive gifts beyond imagination. And perhaps… save your partner and the Sun God. Could this also be the ancient spirit’s trial for you?】

The Link Tree’s quest eased Guang Tai’s pressure—it helped him resist part of the ancient spirit’s corruption. If a psychic of this caliber—Jia Deliya, Na Zi, or even Yi Shu—came here, they’d face no issue.

My level still falls far short of Elite Four, especially true masters of psychic power!

First, you must learn teleportation, right!

Short-range teleportation, then long-range teleportation— the strength of this ability itself reflects the user’s psychic power level!

“Hmm, something’s wrong— the energy here is going wild. Why?”

Yorges felt something on his body growing hot; he pulled an item from his robe—the Move Tutor “Meditation,” obtained from Kuiqisi!

The move’s disc is truly “glowing”!

“Whoa!”

Yorges’s mind was invaded by ancient spiritual power; he clutched his head and screamed in place, then his entire body erupted with solidified solar phenomena!

Brilliant light blasted the other Plasma Group members beside him away; when Guang Tai entered the room, the possessed Yorges snapped his gaze toward him—his eyes now filled entirely with radiant solar energy!

“Volcarona, burn every intruder to ash—”

The ancient spirit-controlled Yorges now commanded Volcarona, issuing orders to Guang Tai:

“Fire Dance!”

The ancient spirit-controlled Volcarona likewise flapped its three pairs of crimson wings, unleashing unparalleled, furious flames—like the very embodiment of the sun, illuminating the entire Mental Chamber in blazing light!

On Guang Tai’s chest, the blue crystal erupted with unimaginable light, as if battling against the solar force!

For a human, the most important thing is the “heart”!

Faintly, behind Guang Tai, appeared a tall, blue-haired foreign prince—he raised his hand, resisting the entire ancient city’s spirit!

(End of Chapter)