You are not allowed to be a Pokémon Trainer!

Chapter 316N: Xia Chi is right, this isn't the ideal I've been pursuing! (I'm back!)
The cities in the Unova region are almost polar opposites.

It could be either a densely populated metropolis like Flying Cloud City or Raven City, or a sparsely populated town like Sanki Town or Kagome Town.

The castle where N grew up is located in an even more remote area, deep in the northern hinterland of the Unova, like an isolated island forgotten by modern civilization.

After finishing his conversation with Quigish, N boarded Team Plasma's private airship and returned to the land that held almost all of his childhood memories.

As the ancient and magnificent castle gradually came into clear view, N stood by the porthole, a complex longing flowing in his icy green eyes.

The mottled exterior walls are covered with the marks of time, and the pointed roof seems to pierce the gray-blue sky. Everything seems exactly the same as when he left, yet he feels a strange sense of distant unfamiliarity.

"It's been a long time since I've been back."

He spoke softly, as if to himself, or perhaps to the companion beside him.

Zoroark silently moved closer to him and nodded in response, "Zoro!"

It also gazes upon that castle, where countless moments it shared with N are also preserved.

The longer N has been away from home, the longer it has been away from this homeland.

"Let's go."

N raised his handsome face beneath his baseball cap and strode inside.

As soon as you push open the heavy castle gate, a unique homey scent, a blend of old wood dust and faint floral fragrance, wafts out.

The loyal servant, who was meticulously wiping the handrails in the lobby, immediately noticed the commotion. It turned around, and when it saw that the people who came were N and Zoroark, its face instantly lit up with immense joy.

"Mee-ee—!"

It immediately put down the rag in its hand, almost ran over to greet N, and without saying a word, opened its arms and hugged N tightly.

Despite being much shorter than him, she was acting like a mother who had finally welcomed her son home.
That's true, though. As perhaps the oldest elf in the family, N has watched N grow up from a tiny little thing.

For the servant, no matter how old N gets, he is still its child.

N smiled gently as he obediently knelt down, making it easier for Ai Guan Shi to hug him.

After a while, the servant calmed down a little from the overwhelming maternal emotion. It stepped back a little, carefully examined N's face, and asked with concern, "Meow?"

Why haven't you been home for so long?

N smiled and said gently, "There are some things I have to do outside."

The servant nodded as if he understood, then shook his head vigorously and began to ramble on with worry: "Mee—"

[I don't quite understand those things, but you must take good care of yourself while you're out! You've never liked eating tree fruits since you were little, how can you get enough nutrition? And the weather's been so cold lately, you're dressed so lightly.]

N showed no impatience, simply listening quietly to the maid's rambling instructions. Only after the maid, who had such a motherly personality, finished her tirade did he ask, "Where are my sisters?"

The servant tilted his head and replied cheerfully, "Mee~"

[Barbena and Helena? They took Gardevoir and Gothic to town to buy things. Judging by the time, they should be back soon.]

As if suddenly remembering something, it added, "Mimi!"

[Growlithe and Darmanitan have gone to play in the back mountains. They don't even know you're back yet. I'll go and call them back!]

N nodded: "Okay, I'll go up and take a look first."

The steward hurriedly responded and then ran briskly towards the outside of the castle.

N then climbed the familiar stairs step by step.

He suddenly realized that the castle, which he thought was as big as a maze in his childhood and that he could never reach the end, no longer seemed so vast and boundless.

On a whim, he went straight up to the fourth floor and gently pushed open the door to a room that had been sealed away in the depths of his memory.

This is the room that holds almost all of his childhood memories.

N hasn't been inside for many years.

The murals of blue sky and white clouds that my friends and I painted together on the wall have faded and become mottled, but we can still glimpse the innocence and dreams of those days.

The toys on the floor were not scattered haphazardly, but were carefully and neatly arranged in a corner, as if waiting for their little owner to visit again.

Several toy train tracks showed signs of recent movement, perhaps because some playful creature had come up and played for a while not long ago.

There was even a toy airplane fixed in place by a long pole, slowly circling around its designated circular track, emitting an extremely faint hum.

N walked over curiously.

In his memory, this toy had been spinning like this since he was a child.

It's unbelievable that after so many years, it's still running, as if time has never passed.

He examined the spinning plane closely but couldn't find any openings to replace the batteries. He only noticed a line of small print under the wing.

Devon Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

N frowned slightly.

It seems to be a well-known manufacturing company in the Hoenn region?
Why did our childhood toys come from there?

The thought only flashed through my mind and I didn't delve into it further.

His gaze was then drawn to the slightly worn basketball on the ground.

He crouched down and easily picked up the basketball with one hand.

The rough, familiar touch against my fingertips instantly brought back a flood of memories—

There was a time when he needed both hands to barely hold the ball, and he and his partner, who was still in Zoroa form, clumsily played a shooting game in this room.

N suddenly turned his head and looked at Zoroark, who was quietly by his side, with a warm smile in his eyes: "Do you still remember this basketball?"

He winked mischievously. "Back when we had shooting competitions, you always secretly cheated using your supernatural powers."

The usually calm and collected Zoroark seemed to have been stepped on, immediately turning his head and vehemently denying it, "Zoroark!"

No, not at all!

N was amused by its unusual embarrassed and annoyed appearance, and unconditionally sided with it, saying, "Alright, alright, it was Arcanine who cheated using superpowers."

Although it was somewhat of a distortion of the truth, Zoroark was quite pleased with this blatant favoritism, and he lowered his head and rubbed his furry cheek against N's palm.

Feeling the softness in his palm, N suddenly felt a little dazed.

It seems like it's been a very, very long time since I've had such a simple and intimate interaction with Zoroark.

When did it start to change?
Did it begin with the evolution from Zoroark to Zoroark, becoming more stable?
It all started when he resolutely shouldered the heavy mission his father had given him, the mission of "liberating all Pokémon."
Wait, why are my thoughts circling back to this?
N subconsciously rubbed his slightly throbbing temples, a helpless, bitter smile appearing on his lips.

It seems that ever since he parted ways with that trainer named Xia Chi, this problem has been rooted in his mind like a nightmare, and he can't get rid of it.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, which his attendants and sisters had kept spotless, and slowly swept his gaze across the room that he had once thought was his whole world, letting out a soft sigh.

But no matter what, I just can't forget it.
Zoroark keenly sensed his low spirits. It crouched down in front of him, looked up, and said, "Zoroark?"

[N, what are you thinking about? You seem really strange lately.]

N had no intention of hiding anything from this partner who had been with him since the beginning of his life and with whom he shared a deep understanding.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked a question: "Do you hate humans?"

Like many Pokémon that N later encountered, Zoroark also had a painful past, suffering from the cruel pursuit and harm inflicted by Pokémon hunters when it was young.

What he saw and heard later in the Plasma Team further reinforced the idea that "humanity is the source of suffering."

Therefore, the answer to this question is undoubtedly yes. N originally thought so.

However, Zoroark's answer was completely unexpected.

Its voice was calm and firm: "So—"

Hate? That kind of thing doesn't matter. I don't care about humanity.

It moved closer, its gaze fixed intently on N's somewhat bewildered eyes.

All I know is that I like N, and that's enough.

The sudden "confession" left N completely stunned, his heart feeling as if it had been struck hard by something warm and soft.

Zoroark pressed its furry cheek closer to his cool palm, continuing to convey its feelings.

"Swoosh—"

I can sense your recent confusion and anxiety. I want to tell you to follow your heart and do whatever you truly want to do. Whatever that is, I, Arcanine, Indeedee, Darmanitan, and all of us will always stand by your side and support your decision!

Like warm sunshine that instantly dispelled all the fog.

All of N's worries and anxieties vanished, and the world before him seemed to open up before him!
Just like when you were a child, you were trapped in this small room and could never imagine the vastness of the outside world.

If you don't try it yourself and verify it with your own eyes, how can you know if the path you firmly believe in truly originates from your heart and is truly indestructible?

A clear and firm resolve settled in his heart.

I'm going to pursue my own true ideal!

The moment the decision was formed in his heart.

hum-

The dark stone in his pocket, which had been dormant for countless years and had been questioned countless times by Quixote about its reaction, suddenly began to hum and vibrate without warning.

N: "."

Could it be that Xia Chi was really right?
This recognition and response from the legendary dragon points to the ideal that I truly yearn to pursue deep within my heart.
------

Meanwhile, in a luxury hotel suite in Raven City, warm yellow light spilled onto the soft carpet.

"Teacher Gadalia, look quickly, have I gotten longer?!"

Xia Chi looked excitedly at Cattleya, who was lounging lazily on the sofa.

The latter glanced at him casually, her red lips parted slightly: "Ten centimeters is considered getting longer? It's completely impractical, okay? Stop talking nonsense and continue."

Xia Chi lowered her head in frustration. "Okay, but I don't have any left now. Let's talk about it tomorrow."

Cattleya gave a soft snort, gracefully crossing her legs, her silk dress flowing like ripples with her movements: "Tsk, so useless."

Xia Chi protested loudly, "Don't compare me to you, okay? How long have you been practicing the deep meditation method you taught me? It's already amazing that I have the mental strength to practice teleportation for an afternoon, okay?"

"So many excuses."

Cattleya casually tossed out a remark, then turned and went back to playing the game.

Xia Chi didn't care, after all, in just one afternoon, the distance he could teleport instantly increased by ten centimeters!
This achievement was enough to excite him.

If it weren't for the limitations imposed by his mental strength, he felt that his length could have doubled today, breaking through the 20-centimeter mark!
If I double my training every day and keep practicing like this, one day I will be able to teleport from Hezhong back to Donghuang in an instant!

This was obviously a joke; Xia Chi's goals weren't that ambitious.

In the short term, as long as you can dodge for ten or five meters and have enough self-defense capabilities, that's enough.

Let's skip it today though.
Exhausted but feeling strangely satisfied, Xia Chi lay on the carpet and became a lazy bum.

Just then, a warm energy flowed into my body like a gentle stream.

He instantly felt his depleted mental energy replenished, as if a parched riverbed had received sweet rain.

Xia Chi couldn't help but let out a comfortable groan, "Ah~"

Cattleya gave her another disapproving look, her brows furrowing slightly: "What are you yelling about?"

"Sorry, sorry, it was just so comfortable."

He reached out and touched the furry little creature that had suddenly appeared beside him.

"Thank you, Victini."

Victini, who had just emerged from stealth, affectionately nuzzled its head into Xia Chi's palm, letting out a soft giggle, like a string of clear wind chimes.

While petting the plush, doll-like Victini, Xia Chi casually asked, "Do you have any leads on that coronation ceremony in a month?"

Now that I have accepted Gadriya's teaching, I must do my best to fulfill the promise I made to her.

Xia Chi had no clue about the coronation ceremony.

As far as I remember, the coronation ceremony in the game's storyline took place when N was still an infant.

He was essentially a puppet king with more symbolic meaning.

The main idea is that the Quixote ideology uses N's ancient United States royal status to start a rebellion, which is quite similar to "holding the emperor hostage to command the princes".

From our last meeting, it was clear that N's condition could not have been that of an infant.

It can't be "This guy is eight years old," can it?

Therefore, the coronation ceremony described by Gadriya is clearly quite different from the one in the game.

When this topic was brought up, Cattleya's expression became much more serious.

Although she didn't stop playing the game, she sat up slightly, and the lazy aura around her subsided a little.

"I don't know much more about this than I've told you."

She stared at the screen, her fingers moving deftly. "What we can confirm right now is that this is a very high-level event within the Plasma Team, with almost all the high-ranking officers and core believers participating. The location will most likely be near the Alliance headquarters."

Xia Chi clicked his tongue lightly upon hearing this: "Going all out at face-to-face, that's really daring."

He suddenly remembered something and pressed on, "Wait, I have a question. If this event is really that big and important, then it's not exactly a secret, is it?"

Cattleya nodded, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the edge of the game console: "Of course. The Plasma Team executives we monitored, who were lurking within the League, all received the news at almost the same time. They made no attempt to conceal it; in fact, it felt like they were deliberately letting the League know."

Xia Chi unconsciously sat up straight, his fingers tapping his chin lightly as he pondered: "So, Team Plasma may already be prepared for a full-scale war with the League, or perhaps... this ceremony is more like a 'trap'?"

Cattleya finally shifted her gaze completely away from the game screen and turned to Xia Chi, a meaningful smile curving her lips.

“I know, that’s why I didn’t let Camille and the others come along, but only you and I went.”

Xia Chi paused slightly, then said incredulously, "You're afraid that Team Plasma has the ability to wipe out the Gym Leader and the Heavenly King all at once, so that's why..."

The sound of "KO" rang out from the television; Gadria, controlling Gallade, had defeated her opponent, Magic Masked Meow.

She put down the game console and said softly, "That's it. So, are you scared? It's not too late to back out now."

Xia Chi pouted, "Scared? Are you kidding me? I'm more worried that something might happen to you. I might as well go by myself."

Cattleya's tone faltered, and she turned her face away, her ear tips turning slightly red: "Hmph, you'd better mind your own business."

Although she said that, a warm glimmer of light quietly flowed in the depths of her eyes as she looked back at the game screen.

(Just a quick update on the past few days. Basically, I've been driving, picking up relatives from the high-speed rail station who've all rushed back. Because it's in a rural area, over 40 kilometers from the county's high-speed rail station, it was quite a hassle. Today I spent the whole day performing rituals, so that's all I can write for tonight. Sorry. I'll update regularly except on the day of the burial, but there won't be many updates. I'll make up for the missed updates after that!)

(End of this chapter)