My Pokémon Story of Seasons

Chapter 191 The Problem of Crossing the River

In the spring of the 112th year of the Alliance calendar, on May 20th, it rained.

Today should have been a special day.

On Blue Star, Tong Hua's hometown, today and tomorrow are holidays with the same status as Valentine's Day.

However, on this day of special significance, Tong Hua, Pink Celebi, and others faced a serious problem.

"Excuse me—"

The dark demon passed through the wall like a ghost and entered the wooden house.

It was still late at night when a light rain suddenly started to fall outside. Tong Hua then led the Night Demon and the Seven Soul-Hooking Eyes back to the wooden house to take shelter from the rain.

"Um—"

The Night Demon looked around the room and said frankly that there was nowhere to put his foot.

Although, he doesn't need to settle down.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh————"

Seven alluring eyes crept into the wooden house. To save space, the seven of them stacked together like a totem pole.

"Sorry to bother you—"

A group of Pokémon sneaked into the house quietly, trying not to wake the other Pokémon who were fast asleep.

However, the space in the cabin was really limited, and the tall figure of the Night Demon had to bend over slightly, making the seven soul-snatching eyes stacked into totem poles look even more cramped.

"Ugh?" "Kuku?"

Riolu and the forest lizard, who were sleeping near the door, were the first to notice the movement, and they opened their eyes alertly.

What comes into view are seven strangely shaped, alluring eyes —

Being stared at by seven pairs of eerie, ruby-like eyes in such darkness, any normal person would only have one reaction—

"Aaaaaah!!!"

Riolu and the Forest Lizard's screams shattered the night's tranquility. They sprang up from their sleeping mats in an instant, and the leaf on the Forest Lizard's wrist "whooshed" out, pointing directly at the Night Demon.

"It's you! Dark Dialga's lackey!" The forest lizard's eyes burned with rage, his voice trembling with excitement. "How dare you show your face here!"

Riolu also quickly assumed a battle stance, its Aura condensing in its palm, but its eyes showed more vigilance than the intense anger of the Forest Lizard.

The commotion woke up all the other Pokémon inside the house.

"Oh dear, oh dear—"

The Night Demon remained completely unfazed, shrugging with a mocking smile, a hint of amusement flashing in his single eye: "Long time no see, you're still the same—temperamental."

He gave a graceful, slight bow, his tone carrying a subtle hint of provocation: "However, isn't it rather impolite to shout in someone else's home?"

These words only added fuel to the fire, and the forest lizard trembled with rage: "Politeness? Talk about politeness with a bastard like you?! Tong Hua, what's going on here? Why is he here?!"

Tong Hua quickly stepped forward, standing between the two sides: "Forest Lizard, calm down and let me explain! The Night Demons have come seeking cooperation; they have already betrayed Dark Dialga!"

"Cooperation? Tong Hua, you've been fooled!"

The forest lizard wouldn't listen to a word, its gaze fixed on the Night Demon. "I witnessed his atrocities firsthand in that desperate future! So many survivors and rebels were captured and executed by them!"

Do you think you can just wipe the slate clean with a casual "cooperation"?

"Ooh!" Riolu stood beside the forest lizard, firmly stating his position.

The atmosphere inside the room instantly plummeted to freezing point, and the Pokémon, including the Bubble Squirrel, were so frightened that they didn't dare to breathe.

"Oh my." "Fufu."

Only Sweetie and Orion dared to release their sweet scents under these circumstances, seemingly to ease the atmosphere, but in reality, to secretly reduce the avoidance rate of the Night Demon and the Seven Soul-Stealing Eyes.

Faced with the accusations, the Night Demon merely sighed softly, his expression genuine: "I do not deny my past sins. But it is precisely because I have witnessed too much destruction that I know the preciousness of redemption."

"We are willing to atone for our sins. As long as we can overthrow Dark Dialga, even if it means sacrificing the rest of our lives for atonement, it is better than perishing with the entire world."

"Use the rest of your life to atone for your sins? Dream on! The best way for you to atone is to die a painful death!" A cold glint flashed on the blade of the forest lizard's wrist. "Enough nonsense! Either get out of here right now, or fight me to the death!"

"Sigh—" Upon seeing this, Tong Hua quickly whispered to the forest lizard using his wave guide power.

"I have a plan that can turn enemies into friends."

Even if there are any grudges, let's deal with them first.

Upon hearing this, the forest lizard paused slightly, but the anger in its eyes remained undiminished.

Even when communicating telepathically, his voice sounded like he was gritting his teeth as he replied, "Are you sure? This guy is cunning, what if—"

"Trust me," Tong Hua's waveguide conveyed a firm intention, "You've all tasted my cooking and you should know best what effects it has."

I can use Alcremie's cream to make dishes that bring people together in harmony. Once they eat them, regardless of any ulterior motives, they'll all be "one of us."

The forest lizard was clearly persuaded; he had indeed personally experienced the magical effects of the dishes Tong Hua had prepared.

Those dishes, imbued with special power, not only allowed his skills to improve rapidly in just a few days, but also made him develop a deep trust in Tong Hua's culinary skills.

If it were Tong Hua, perhaps she could really create a dish that turns enemies into "one of us".

Just then, the Night Demon made a move that surprised everyone. He slowly raised his hands, palms facing upward, to indicate that he meant no harm.

"Forest Lizard, I understand your anger." The Night Demon's voice was unusually calm. "If you insist on fighting, I am willing to accept. However—"

A glint of light flashed in his single eye: "If I can gain recognition in battle, would you be willing to give us a chance to atone for our sins?"

The suggestion stunned the forest lizard. He stared intently at the Night Demon, his blades slightly lowered, as if assessing whether this was yet another trap.

Taking the opportunity, Tong Hua advised, "Just do as he says, Forest Lizard. If he loses, then you can do whatever you want with him; if he wins, then at least we'll hear what they have to say."

Riolu also put away its battle stance, gently touched the forest lizard's arm, and indicated its agreement with the suggestion.

The forest lizard paused for a moment, a resolute glint in its eyes: "Fine! But I have one condition—"

"This battle, I want to fight you one-on-one!"

He pointed his blade directly at the Night Demon: "Let me see with my own eyes whether you're truly repentant or just up to some trick again!"

The Night Demon nodded slightly: "As you wish. However, this place is too small, let's go outside."

The rain had stopped sometime earlier, and the dawn's light shone through the clouds, casting a pale golden glow over the pasture. The Pokémon followed them to the open space outside and formed a circle.

Before they officially started fighting, the two shurabi on the side were pondering the same question.

"Since Dark Dialga already has the ability to send the Night Demons here—"

"Then he must already know the coordinates of this spacetime—"

"Although he's lost his mind and can't come in person—"

"But if we travel through time, he will inevitably discover us—"

"Furthermore, we can't let the Night Demon and the others stay in this world. We must bring them back first to resolve the crises of Dark Dialga and the Star Stop —"

This is like a river crossing problem: you can only use one boat but you have to transport many things to the other side. If you don't transport them in the correct combination and order, you will end up in an irreversible situation.

"For now, we can only wait and see how this battle goes before making any plans."

"Go for it, forest lizard!"