Chapter 468

As Dr. Muyin appeared, Lycanroc's dazed mind instantly snapped clear.

It was fine not seeing the person, but now that it did, memories of its time in the purification chamber flooded back.

For a Pokémon capable of soaring through sky and sea, the purification chamber was worse than a cage—it was a box, a box where even its wings could not stretch.

Helplessly, repeated darkening forced it to endure in silence.

Honestly, back then, Lycanroc couldn't tell whether its physical mutation or its inner torment was more painful. Fortunately, as a legendary Pokémon, its resilience was immense, allowing it to hold on until the end.

But.

The darkening had not been fully cured.

As its consciousness was once again overrun by chaos, its heart sealed shut once more, Lycanroc helplessly watched the forests, mountains, and rivers it had destroyed—the Pokémon whose homes it had shattered, fleeing in terror—and could not suppress a wave of despair…

And a small resentment toward Dr. Muyin.

"Woo—"

It lifted its head and emitted a low, warning growl, forbidding him to approach.

But when it saw Dr. Muyin standing frozen, awkwardly smiling, his face unhidden with guilt, it briefly fell silent and lowered its head.

Lycanroc knew it shouldn't resent this man—he had always wanted to help, never intended harm, and the failed purification only proved his limits; the return of darkening was not his fault.

But…

Its gaze shifted back to Baimu.

Lately, the darkening had grown more frequent; it understood that if things continued, a full return to darkness was merely a matter of time.

This human's appearance offered it a new choice.

If it could find another Lycanroc that bore the scent of this one, even if it could not be saved, it could use the other's power to return to the planet's ocean currents.

Yes.

Lycanroc intended to abandon its life.

Honestly, for it, the line between life and death was blurred; death did not frighten it.

It only felt regret—that it would never again feel the soft caress of wind against its feathers as it soared, never again feel the slick glide of water over its body, never again witness the vibrant life of nature.

Hard to let go, yet unbearable to cling on.

"Woo…"

Lycanroc urged Baimu with a low growl.

Having come to terms with its fate, it no longer wished to delay—find the other Lycanroc as soon as possible, accept fate's judgment, and accept any outcome—

"I brought the purification spray. Want to try? Maybe it'll work. At least it won't have side effects."

Yet the boy before it still gave no answer to its question—only pulled out a strange bottle and smiled, speaking words it did not want to hear.

Anger flared in Lycanroc's heart.

It sharply whipped its long white tail, trying to knock the bottle away—but Baimu gripped it too tightly, so it ended up sending both bottle and man flying several meters.

This—

Lycanroc's heart jolted the moment he hit the ground; its anger turned to deep confusion. It had clearly communicated its needs, and he clearly understood.

So why refuse? It was just one clue—why force it to endure pointless effort?

Did it not know whether purification worked or not!

"Happy!"

Seeing its trainer flung away, Happiny sprinted forward in panic; Hu Pa and Dr. Muyin were also startled, rushing over immediately.

"Little White, are you okay?!"

"Baimu-kun!"

"I'm fine, fine—this little bump is nothing."

Baimu waved his hand, revealing the purification spray unharmed in his arms. He locked eyes with Lycanroc's sapphire gaze, reading its fury and confusion, and said with utmost seriousness and earnestness:

"Lycanroc, I want to save you."

Dr. Muyin is a genius—if he could fully purify Dark Lycanroc in the game, there's no reason he couldn't in the anime.

After all,

This is a world where good triumphs over evil, where miracles can be summoned!

No matter how ultimate the Dark Pokémon, if Dr. Muyin keeps researching, he will surely create the ultimate purification item!

Whether out of compassion, love for Pokémon, or the quiet wish that one day it would willingly return to Ourei to spread rain and bring abundance—

Baimu longed to truly help Lycanroc, and his heart held not a single thought harmful to it—pure and clean.

In this instant,

He seemed to have grasped the final step toward the 【Dragon Heart】, stepping forward unconsciously and pressing his palm against Lycanroc's forehead, which had gone still.

Golden light flowed from his palm, pouring into the other's body.

Hu Pa's eyes widened in shock, "Huh? Little White can also—mmph mmph mmph!"

It never finished—Happiny, fearing its shouting would disrupt the trainer's state, yanked it down from midair and clamped a hand over its mouth.

Hu Pa was deeply displeased, struggling to protest.

Happiny responded with a dark glare.

It had to be said, when a gentle Pokémon got angry, it was truly terrifying; even a fearless troublemaker like Hoopa was forcibly reduced to silence.

Dr. Muyin adjusted his glasses, wishing he had a camera to record this moment for later study—but he'd come in such a rush, he'd brought nothing.

And as for the two main figures—

Though they appeared to be locked in eye contact, their consciousnesses had already entered a golden space.

"How is this possible!"

Baimu was profoundly startled—had he successfully used the Dragon Heart? But why was the target Lycanroc, a Flying and Psychic-type Pokémon…

Could it be that Lugia has a Dragon type? Or is it that his heart, though similar to the Dragon Heart, is somehow not quite the same?

There was no time to ponder further.

Because he couldn't let the Lugia before him wait any longer—in the world of the mind, the latter was shrouded in a dark aura, seemingly representing the corruption of its darkening.

"Listen to my thoughts. Speak yours."

He once again gently pressed his "hand" against the other's "forehead," completing the mental link, their wills transmitting fully and unreservedly, without a trace of concealment.

—Trust in Dr. Mu Yin, pity for Lugia, the desire to make Orre prosperous, the hope that Lugia might understand humanity's wishes, and the absolute determination to purify successfully.

—Resentment toward Dr. Mu Yin, confusion toward Baimu, anguish over the calamity it had brought upon itself, the unyielding hatred toward those actions, and within its heart, confusion, helplessness, and regret.

Baimu and Lugia "gazed" at each other, their perceptions constantly being rewritten.

The former was immensely relieved he hadn't told the latter the fate of its kind, while also being astonished that the legendary Pokémon had developed a self-destructive tendency.

The latter, meanwhile, felt a touch more guilt and a faint stirring—especially upon receiving the signal from the other's mind: "A miracle will surely come." Its longing for life gradually revived.

It felt that perhaps most humans were worthy of disdain, but at least the Baimu before it could be trusted absolutely.

All misunderstandings, doubts, and contradictions were effortlessly resolved by this exchange of hearts, thoughts communicated with perfect efficiency, the misunderstandings born of language and ignorance completely dissolved.

A mutually satisfying outcome was reached; the prior entanglements became mere clouds.

In the instant his palm detached from the other's forehead.

Baimu couldn't help but think: This isn't the Dragon Heart at all—it's clearly the Transcendence of Damos and Hina! Could it be I have Damos's bloodline?

Hmm…

Perhaps the boundary between mental power and mental power is very thin.

Baimu "opened" his eyes.

"Phew, I never thought it would end up resolved this way," he turned his head and said helplessly to the three onlookers.

"Resolved?"

Dr. Mu Yin was utterly taken aback—just half a minute ago he'd been poised to strike, and now it was resolved?

"Uh, not exactly resolved—more like we reached the best possible agreement between us." Baimu raised his hand to pat Lugia's head beside him, then froze mid-air.

Because he felt it might be impolite.

Unexpectedly, Lugia eagerly leaned its head forward, placing its forehead perfectly beneath his hand.

Baimu met its gaze and strangely realized he no longer needed the Multivolt 2's translation—he clearly understood what the other was thinking.

The power of the mind is terrifying.

"In short," Baimu whispered, "at my suggestion, Lugia chose to have it all." "It will undergo purification again, but also hopes to resolve the issue through the power of its kind."

Essentially, their extreme opposing thoughts had turned a multiple-choice question into a single-choice one.

Lugia could fully accept purification again to delay its darkening, seek help from its kind, and if they failed, then rely on the purification chamber and Dr. Mu Yin's research to solve the problem.

Of course.

This time, the purification chamber must be larger—at least large enough for Lugia to spread its wings, even to fly a short distance.

And during this period, Lugia must be allowed to fly or swim outside.

The patient actively seeks treatment; the "doctor" diligently researches methods—in the animated world, this could create the most beautiful outcome.

"Wonderful!"

Dr. Mu Yin was extremely excited. Since hearing Lugia's darkening remained unresolved, he had felt constant guilt, believing it was his own earlier revelation of too much purification knowledge that had caused Ailina to repeatedly strengthen Lugia's resistance.

Now that Lugia was willing to entrust its trust once more—even if it was to Baimu—he was overjoyed.

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As for the former's requirements for the purification chamber.

Is that a problem?

Perhaps in the past, when Dr. Mu Yin conducted his own research, he hadn't been wealthy enough to build a spacious purification chamber—but now, the Orre region's primary governing body, the Rescue Organization, was flush with funds. Upon hearing they were to capture the last remnant of Shadow Team, they certainly wouldn't hesitate to spend.

Everyone is happy. Everyone is happy.

"What should Hu Pa do?" Little Hu Pa snatched its mouth back from the Chansey and raised its hand to ask.

"Hu Pa naturally does what Hu Pa does best—using its ring to transport Lugia."

Baimu said without hesitation: "But you must also tell Barza and Mei Mei Yali. Besides, your Desert Tower hasn't been repaired yet… take it slow. No rush."

He turned to look at Lugia. "We're not short on time anymore."

"Uu~"

Lugia emitted a long, whale-like cry. Though its darkening remained far from resolved, after the mental connection with Baimu, it was as if it had been injected with adrenaline—filled with hope.

No wonder the power of the mind is OP.

In "Transcendence of Time and Space," Arceus, nearly killed and pushed to the brink of destroying the world, had its rage instantly calmed after a mental connection with Damos.

Hey!

In an instant, it stopped being angry, gazing at Damos with an "I understand you" look that brought Damos to tears.

How terrifying!

"I like this Hu Pa!"

Little Hu Pa chuckled gleefully—it was like the Genie of Aladdin's lamp, always fulfilling requests, especially those solvable with its ring.

On the other side, Chansey keenly noticed Baimu's shift in speech: "We."

Was this the rhythm of adding a new companion?

That thing's so huge—it looks like the trainer's logistical burden is about to increase again. Luckily, you've got Chansey! Chansey is absolutely the most loyal, diligent little assistant to any trainer!

Leave it to Chansey!

Imagining the trainer's approving gaze after she met Lugia's daily needs, Chansey's tiny wings on its shoulders fluttered joyfully, as if ready to carry it to heaven.

No!

His consciousness was already on it!

"Happiness Egg? Happiness Egg!"

A call from the human world shattered Happiness Egg's paradise dream.

It blinked its eyes and found its trainer looking at it curiously, "What are you thinking about? So serious?"

"Ha, happy~"

Happiness Egg guiltily shifted its gaze, its little hands rubbing back and forth across its chest. Imagining was one thing, but the shy thing wouldn't dare tell its trainer about it — that would just be too embarrassing.

—

After testing the Purify Spray on Lugia.

All Baimu first returned to the Desert City Park and introduced Dr. Muyin to Balza and Mei Mei Yali. As for N, there was no need — he was quite familiar with Dr. Muyin —

Back when the Purify Spray had been sprayed all over Hamanasu Town, the two of them had coordinated on it.

And regarding what had happened to Lugia, N didn't seem too surprised either, a faint inscrutable smile on his face.

"Did you know all along?"

All Baimu asked suspiciously. Given N's level of concern for Pokémon, hearing that Lugia was trapped by Darkinization couldn't have left him so calm all this time. Besides, in terms of sensitivity to the heart and mind, this fellow was far more experienced than him.

"I always believed you could resolve all of this well."

N didn't answer his question directly. In his seemingly hollow eyes was written absolute trust. "You haven't let me down either... haha, should say you never let me down."

"Mm."

All Baimu didn't quite dare look this Son of Pokémon in the eye.

Intimidating.

N didn't mind at all. A large part of the reason he was willing to stay in the Orei region was precisely because of All Baimu.

If Ash had let him understand that humans and Pokémon could form a bond, letting him see that possibility; then All Baimu and the Orei region let him comprehend the way to extend that possibility onward.

If a single golden ear of wheat standing out from the crowd could once grow from mud, then once the mud became fertile soil, could the wheat ears grow in clusters across the land?

He greatly looked forward to it, and was working hard toward it.