[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham":3,"chapter-pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-682":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Pokemon: The Reemployment of a Paldea Former Champion",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2324699,4546,"Chapter 682: Soul Crystal, Heart","pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-682",682,"\u003Cp>My name is Aoki, I’m 34, and I’m technically a white-collar worker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hold multiple positions within the Paldea League: publicly known as the Gym Leader of Jinhuizhen, and also holding the title of Elite Four member of the Paldea League.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in my view, my true job is being a staff member in the Paldea Pokémon League’s Business Department, and a mere brick in Chairman Yici’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many probably think Yici has assigned me too many tasks, with clear signs of exploitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only I know that this seemingly hectic workload is actually the maximum assistance the Chairman can offer within her official duties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because my performance as a Business Department staff member is poor, and my household expenses are slightly high, I take on so many jobs hoping quantity can make up for quality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The root cause? My household’s Pokémon—whose upkeep still falls short even with the full Gym Leader and Elite Four allowances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I like Normal-type Pokémon because I’m just like those two words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as an Elite Four member, I can’t be so casual—Chairman Yici strictly requires me to use Flying-type Pokémon, which I’m relatively better at.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the expenses for most of my Normal- and Flying-type Pokémon are fully covered by the allowances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Except for one kind of Pokémon: a Pokémon named Kabutops, which makes me feel like I’m racing against death every single day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They eat so much they instantly drain my empty wallet and worsen my miserable situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse still, they reproduce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After my daily feeding routine, I often find one or two Poké Balls lying around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first I thought they were eggs from other Pokémon, but with experience, I learned to identify them by their random patterns—they’re all baby Kabutops eggs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—God knows how these lazy, gluttonous Kabutops manage this. Don’t they even find turning over too tiring?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, time has come to the present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the last night of this month, as I dragged my exhausted body home from League Headquarters to Jinhuizhen on the other side of the Paldea Pit, and saw yet another Poké Ball appear out of nowhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My fingers, clutching my newly issued salary, trembled involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, I understood what it meant for the sky to fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That, above, is Aoki’s inner monologue as he slumps wearily on the sofa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Luo Mu could only fall into silent disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because this was truly hard to evaluate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never imagined Aoki worked so hard, pushed himself to the brink of collapse, all because he kept a whole bunch of Kabutops at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seriously, who the hell keeps that many Kabutops at home? Do they have too much money?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aoki covered his face, his voice weak and barely audible beyond three meters: “I really can’t handle it anymore. The batch of baby Kabutops hatched months ago are on the verge of evolution, and now another Poké Ball has appeared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In a moment of emotional breakdown, I ran all the way here from Jinhuizhen because your farm should be able to afford the food for one baby Kabutops.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But now that I’ve calmed down, I realize how immature I’ve been—trying to dump my burdens onto you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m truly ashamed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Aoki begin to self-reflect, Luo Mu’s lips twitched slightly, trying to comfort him from another angle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, if it’s really that bad, just get them all sterilized.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mid-sentence, Luo Mu’s heart skipped—a sudden chill froze the rest of his words in his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d almost instinctively given Aoki advice based on his pre-transmigration experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, Pokémon don’t need sterilization—they’re the kind of creatures that, after a picnic, you find extra eggs when packing up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suggesting sterilization to stop Kabutops from laying more eggs? That idea, upon reflection, is absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu sighed deeply, recalling Aoki’s reason for keeping so many Kabutops: sleeping on their bellies helped him sleep better, letting him wake up after only six hours to become a nuclear-powered donkey—his expression had been half-sob, half-laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Aoki in such misery, and knowing his farm still had enough reserves to feed one baby Kabutops and its evolved form, he decided:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Consider this compensation for always making Aoki work overtime—he’d take the egg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu picked up the Poké Ball Aoki had rushed out with, still tucked inside the incubator, and examined its pattern closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the egg from the old woman in Kaminari Town, whose type couldn’t be identified by pattern, this one clearly bore features linked to the Kabutops line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aoki lifted his head in surprise—he hadn’t expected Luo Mu to actually accept the egg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu nodded helplessly, giving a firm confirmation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aoki stared at Luo Mu for a long time, then spoke with solemn gravity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you. And… I must sincerely apologize for previously seeing you as a ‘curse’ and a ‘magnet for bad luck.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu: Σ(°Д°;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, what did you just say!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing Aoki off, Luo Mu crossed his arms and stared at the two Poké Balls before him, expression complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why does my place keep turning into a daycare center?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu asked himself, genuinely puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Flareon had just begun to grow, and the Ballistea had fully adapted to the farm environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t even caught his breath, and now two more unhatched eggs were piled in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Am I some cheap, easy-to-use dad now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, Aoki’s revelation had left him uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He claimed all his work was self-requested, making Yici seem innocent—but Luo Mu didn’t believe a word of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yici, after all, was the kind of person who’d hire a nine-year-old to work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu just thought Yici was terrifying—what had she turned Aoki into?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d quietly exploited him, and yet he still sincerely defended her. It was terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clearly, choosing not to hold any responsible position within the League was the right decision.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu once again felt proud of his own foresight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After considering tomorrow’s class schedule, he shook off his thoughts, stood up, and instructed Alakazam to properly store the two Poké Balls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he shuffled back to his bedroom in his slippers, still untouched by the Gengar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reuniclus was already waiting there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this wasn’t some romantic “sleeping foot-to-foot with the former Galar King” scene—it was simply Luo Mu resuming the conversation Aoki had interrupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cosmog had been entrusted to the empathetic Mimikyu, so the room held only Luo Mu and Reuniclus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Luo Mu return, Reuniclus wasted no time and spoke directly through telepathy: “Let’s continue discussing the crystal you brought back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.” Luo Mu pulled out a chair from under the desk and sat, listening intently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had considered using the hint system to cheat and learn the crystal’s secrets outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he suppressed the urge, deciding to investigate its origin with Reuniclus and the others after returning to the farm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—After all, a life where you know everything is a little too dull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unaware of Luo Mu’s thoughts, Reuniclus’s eyes glowed blue, and the “mysterious crystal,” still wrapped in soil from Da Wu, floated into the air between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Reuniclus’s usually calm telepathic voice spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, the conclusion: this soil-covered crystal, when scanned by psychic energy, reveals a perfectly natural spherical shape.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The outer soil shows no unusual energy signatures, but the crystal itself—within my perception—I’ve discovered it possesses ‘life.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Life?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu couldn’t help interrupting, a hint of surprise on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you mean this crystal might be a living being, or contain a life within it, or even be a Pokémon egg with a changed form?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or perhaps something like Deoxys’s core?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not any of those.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reuniclus shook its head, dismissing Luo Mu’s guesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Strictly speaking, the ‘life’ within this crystal cannot manifest as anything you imagine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because this crystal is the soul of a Pokémon after death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In other words—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A soul’s crystal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Reuniclus finished speaking, its gaze upon the crystal held a barely perceptible sorrow and sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A soul’s crystal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu whispered the phrase, his expression slowly turning thoughtful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This concept felt vaguely familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered… it was something unique to certain Legendary Pokémon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, his memory was sharp, and he now had a key keyword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, he recalled why the crystal felt familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it be… the Heart’s Tear—?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He murmured the words softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reuniclus tilted its head in curiosity: “Do you know the name of this crystal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… sort of.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu nodded lightly, and began telling Reuniclus what he knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of which, without his knowledge, Ash and his companions had already visited that city during their journey through the Johto region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water City, Alto Mare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, this water city is home to a legendary Pokémon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Latias and Latios.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They possess gender and typically travel in pairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet their relationship is not that of spouses, but of fixed siblings: an elder brother and a younger sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Latias is the sister; Latios is the brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They guard the secret garden of the water city, protecting the artifact that safeguards the entire Alto Mare island—the Heart Scale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And according to the plot Luo Mu remembers, the Heart Scale was later corrupted by evil forces, plunging Alto Mare into imminent destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, the brother Latios chose to sacrifice himself, unleashing all his power to stop the tsunami, then died and transformed into a brand-new Heart Scale, continuing to protect the water city of Alto Mare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This movie, this story, was Luo Mu’s unfulfilled longing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But given the current timeline, Ash and his group had already experienced the Alto Mare story while traveling through Hoenn; Luo Mu had no reason to dwell on it anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the mysterious crystal floating before him, encased in earth and rock, as if a dusty treasure, and whispered: “The Heart Scale is the physical manifestation of the soul-crystal of Latias or Latios after death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That means the Heart Scale before us was once a Pokémon—perhaps Latias, the sister, or perhaps Latios, the brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With an inexplicably heavy heart, Luo Mu turned to the Crowned Rook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Crowned Rook looked back at him; both fell silent for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, the Crowned Rook let out a long sigh and said gravely: “Well, anyway, keep it safe for now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.” Luo Mu gave a slight nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although in the game the Heart Scale merely boosts Latias\u002FLatios’s Special Attack and Special Defense by 1.5 times, later changed to increase the power of Dragon- and Psychic-type moves by 20%,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>after learning its backstory, it was impossible to treat it as an ordinary item.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a world where “ghosts” truly exist, a soul-turned-crystal carries a meaning far beyond the ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the slightly heavy conversation ended, he noticed the time was nearing midnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tomorrow morning, the Orange Academy, freshly renovated from Grape Academy, would hold its opening ceremony; as a teacher and head of the Battle Department, Luo Mu had to attend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, his courses would welcome two new students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Ursaluna and Dandy, who had moved from North Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The potential talents he and Yeci had recruited from Blueberry Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another opening ceremony to attend, another pair of new students to meet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what, he couldn’t show up with dark circles that looked exactly like a mischievous Pandarbear’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Luo Mu could only tidy up, climb into his long-unused bed, and prepare to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before dozing off, he quietly pondered how to use “the first class of the semester” to host a “welcome ceremony” for the two new students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If all else fails, let Piplup and the others—those seasoned veterans—fight a few more rounds with the newcomers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Orlin and Professor Forte’s vacation hasn’t ended yet; they won’t return to the Paldea Crater for a few more days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wonder if that kid Piplup will bring Gholdengo and Milcery to school.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1983,"2026-06-20T17:11:50.049Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c8cb3da7ab60e1ecbb13647a54fc17b88e7b6a3481f68270de25fc53f2e26a6f","pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-683","pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-681",695,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fpokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-cover.jpg"]