Chapter 278: Completely Clueless Little Asher

The video continued playing.

At the center of Lake Valor, rings of ripples spread across the surface.

They grew denser.

Faster.

More violent.

Quaxwell immediately stepped in front of Hina.

Behind its sunglasses, its expression instantly changed from lazy to serious.

Surskit poked half its head out from behind Quaxwell, its antennae stretched perfectly straight.

"Sur-sur!" (Master, the enemy’s intentions are unknown. Shall we strike first?)

Quaxwell pressed one wing down on Surskit’s head.

"Quax, quax!" (Ancestral teaching of the Quaxmen—the enemy does not move, we do not move. If the enemy moves, we kick first.)

Shaymin lay on top of Hina’s head and spoke through telepathy.

"Hina, Shaymin doesn’t think that thing is an enemy."

"Its energy feels really gentle..."

"Like... marshmallows floating in hot cocoa."

The moment Shaymin finished speaking—the surface of the lake exploded.

A pillar of water shot high into the sky.

The spray gathered into an enormous mushroom-shaped cloud of water before crashing back down with a roar.

Once the watery mushroom dispersed—

A Pokémon was hovering above the center of the lake.

Azelf.

The Being of Willpower.

It slowly opened its eyes.

Its orange gaze swept across the four Pokémon and one human standing by the lakeshore—

Before locking precisely onto Hina.

Azelf seemed to sense something unusual about her.

It slowly raised one hand.

Blue light began glowing around its body.

The instant Surskit saw that—All four of its little legs pushed off at once.

Its entire body shot toward Azelf like a blue bullet.

"Sur-sur!" (Villain! Do not harm my princess!)

Its antennae traced two silver arcs through the air.

Its right front leg stretched straight forward—

The Midair Volley Style, personally taught by Quaxwell.

Azelf didn’t even move.

It merely flicked one fingertip.

An invisible force field exploded in front of Surskit.

The Midair Volley Style was broken on the spot.

Surskit flipped seven or eight times through the air before plunging headfirst into the reeds along Lake Valor’s shore.

Quaxwell immediately rushed over.

It grabbed Surskit’s hind legs with both wings and yanked its disciple out of the reeds.

"Quax, quax!" (Disciple! Disciple! Are you all right?!)

Surskit shakily raised one front leg.

"Sur-sur!" (Master... this villain clearly harbors sinister intentions toward Her Highness! Even if this humble Surskit must sacrifice its very life today, I shall—)

Before it could finish—

Quaxwell chopped Surskit on the head with one wing.

"Quax, quax!" (Disciple, even if you sacrifice your little bug life, you still can’t beat this opponent. Stand down.)

Shaymin hopped onto Hina’s shoulder.

"Hina, Shaymin still doesn’t think this blue Pokémon means any harm."

"Its energy still feels really gentle."

Hina nodded.

"Mm. I can feel it too."

Azelf slowly floated over from the lake.

It stopped less than a meter in front of Hina.

"...There is a very unusual power within you."

Shaymin moved in front of Hina and looked up at Azelf.

"Blue Marshmallow, do you need our help with something?"

Azelf fell silent for a moment.

Then it slowly nodded.

"You are very perceptive."

Shaymin proudly raised its head.

"Of course! Shaymin’s intuition is SSR-tier!"

Azelf raised one hand and traced a circle through the air.

A blurry projection appeared within it—

An overhead view of Lake Valor, Lake Acuity, and Lake Verity.

"The connection between Mesprit, Uxie, and me is being interfered with by some unknown force."

Azelf’s voice grew lower.

"It feels as though an increasingly thick layer of fog has formed between us."

"I do not know what this fog is."

"Nor do I know where it came from."

Its gaze returned to Hina.

"So I hope you can help me find them and confirm that they are safe."

Azelf’s body gradually began turning transparent.

Blue light spread outward from its forehead.

"If you are willing, then please accept this Mark of Willpower."

"No matter where you are, it will allow you to summon me whenever you need me."

Hina stared at the tiny glowing object.

Then she reached out and poked it.

The instant her fingertip touched its surface—

Smack.

The mark stuck to the back of her hand like a magnet.

A faint blue pattern appeared on her skin.

"Okay."

Hina raised her head.

"I’ll go find Mesprit and Uxie."

"Thank you."

Azelf’s figure completely dissolved into the air.

Only one tiny speck of pale-blue light remained.

It drifted downward—

And merged into the mark on the back of Hina’s hand.

[VIP Chat Group]

[Steven]: HERE IT COMES! HERE IT COMES! HERE IT COMES! Azelf personally showed up to give her a quest! I know this storyline—Brother Asher, you arranged this again, didn’t you?!

[Asher]: Steven, do you get physically uncomfortable if you go one day without slandering me? Azelf came to Hina on its own! What does this have to do with me?! I’m sitting at the Day Care in Twinleaf Town! My arms aren’t long enough to reach all the way to Lake Valor!

[Gary]: "What does this have to do with me?" I’ve heard that sentence for five whole episodes now. At this point, my ears automatically translate it as, "Yes, I arranged it, but I’m not admitting anything."

[Lance]: Asher’s attitude toward Legendary Pokémon is always this casual.

[Lucian]: He’s casual because he’s seen too many.

[Steven]: He’s seen too many because there are too many at his house.

[Volkner]: There are too many at his house because he attracts them himself.

[Wallace]: He attracts them himself and then refuses to admit it. Every single time it’s: "I don’t know." "It has nothing to do with me." "That was parallel-world me."

[Raihan]:"Completely Clueless Little Asher."

[Leon]:"I Have No Interest in Legendary Pokémon Chairman Asher."

[Aaron]:"These Legendary Pokémon Followed Me Home on Their Own Advisor Asher."

[Sidney]: Hahahaha! What is this, a relay race?

The video continued playing.

On the shore of Lake Valor—

Hina lowered her gaze toward the faint blue mark on the back of her hand.

She gently touched it with one fingertip.

The mark immediately gave off a faint glow, almost as though it were responding to her.

"Hina."

Shaymin hopped back onto Hina’s shoulder.

"Are we changing where we’re going now?"

"But what about the Pokémon Contests?"

"You still haven’t collected all five Ribbons."

Hina gently lifted Shaymin and placed it back on top of her head.

Her voice was soft—

But firm.

"Dad taught me that when a Pokémon needs help, helping it should come first."

"That’s what makes someone a proper Pokémon Breeder."

Shaymin blinked.

"Hina..."

"You suddenly looked really cool when you said that."

Hina’s cheeks immediately turned pink again.

She hurriedly waved both hands in front of her chest.

"R-Really?"

"I-I was just repeating something Dad once told me..."

Quaxwell pushed up its sunglasses.

Then it walked over to Hina’s side—

And raised one wing in a firm thumbs-up.

...

TL: Thanks to SacredLoneWolf for another month of membership, and to SenseiiDayy for the Tier 3 membership as well! Muah! Sorry, I’m still busy today, but I’ll be releasing nine Chapters tomorrow for each fanfic I’m translating.