Chapter 285: Rational?! What Rationality Do You Expect Me to Have?!

The scene changed again.

Following the guidance of the marks, the group successfully found Cresselia.

Unfortunately—

Cresselia looked absolutely terrible.

It had been working continuously for ninety-seven days.

Twenty-four hours a day.

No breaks.

Its mental state was already on the verge of complete collapse.

And the culprit behind all of this—

Was Darkrai.

Three months ago, Darkrai had suddenly lost control, causing nightmare production to skyrocket by three hundred times.

Naturally, Cresselia’s workload had also increased by three hundred times.

"Do you have any idea what it means to work overtime for ninety-seven days straight?!"

Cresselia hovered above Arrowroot Town.

There was no longer even the faintest trace of hope for life in its eyes.

"I’m tired."

"I’m really tired."

"Just let me become a salted pokémon."

Hina stood at the very front, clutching the hem of her clothes with both hands.

Her voice was soft.

"Um... Cresselia..."

"Please calm down..."

"CALM DOWN?!"

Cresselia’s feathers suddenly puffed out.

"WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO USE TO CALM DOWN?!"

"Do you have any idea how many nightmares I’ve had to deal with over the past three months?!"

"THREE HUNDRED TIMES!"

"THREE HUNDRED TIMES THE WORKLOAD!"

"Darkrai has already been caught by my mom..."

Hina spoke carefully.

"It shouldn’t lose control again..."

"So... your workload should go back down from now on..."

Cresselia fell silent for several seconds.

Then its head slowly drooped.

"Then what the hell was all that overtime I worked for the past three months supposed to count as?!"

"MY PASSION FOR WORK?!"

"Well..."

Asher took a sip of coffee.

"From the perspective of labor law, that probably counts as a workplace injury."

Dawn tugged lightly on Asher’s clothes.

"Um... hubby..."

"Cresselia’s mental state seems a little bad."

"Can’t be helped."

Asher took another sip of coffee.

"This is a textbook case of overwork-induced stress syndrome."

"I’ve seen several people like this in the League."

"Anyone who works overtime for more than three months straight ends up with roughly the same mental state."

Cynthia folded her arms and nodded thoughtfully.

"I see."

"So Cresselia’s psychic energy field went out of control because of its deteriorating mental state, and that indirectly interfered with the connection between the three lake guardians."

Hina stepped forward again.

"Um... Cresselia..."

"Would you like me to use the Power of Viridian to help relieve some of your fatigue?"

Cresselia froze for a moment.

Then it decisively turned its head away.

"No."

"I’m done."

"Starting today, I am a salted pokémon."

"The trivial affairs of the mortal world shall never touch me again."

Just then—

A light-blue figure shot forward from beside Hina’s feet.

Surskit’s four tiny legs moved at incredible speed, its antennae stretched perfectly straight with excitement.

It skidded to a stop directly in front of Cresselia.

"Sur-sur!" (Great Deity of Good Dreams! Since you have already severed all attachment to the mortal world, why not abandon worldly desires and enter Quaxmen? From this day onward, you shall live freely and unrestrained, forever untouched by mundane burdens!)

Cresselia tilted its head.

"Quaxmen?"

"What’s that?"

Surskit immediately sprang into the air.

"Sur-sur!" (Quaxmen is the greatest and the carefree beneath the Arceus! The ancestral teachings of Quaxmen declare—no overtime! No pointless competition! No living as a corporate beast of burden! A disciple of Quaxmen lives only for themselves!)

[VIP Chat Group]

[Flint]: The moment Cresselia said "ninety-seven straight days of overtime," tears started falling from my eyes.

[Lucian]: ...

[Flint]: Lucian, what does that ellipsis mean?! You don’t relate?! Aren’t you working overtime too?!

[Lucian]: I’m looking for tissues. My tears are dripping onto the keyboard.

[Volkner]: No overtime. No pointless competition. No being a beast of burden...to think such a magnificent sect exists in this world. I, Volkner, hereby formally submit my application to join Quaxmen.

[Aaron]: I’m joining too.

[Raihan]: Starting today, I am no longer a Gym Leader of the Galar region. I am a disciple of Quaxmen. Quaxmen! Quaxmen! Quaxmen!

[Lance]: ? Is the League planning to shut down?

[Lorelei]: The overtime-generating machine is forbidden from participating in this conversation.

The video continued playing.

"No overtime..."

"No pointless competition..."

"No being a beast of burden..."

Cresselia murmured the words to itself.

The emptiness in its eyes gradually transformed into longing.

"HOW DO I JOIN?!"

Surskit pointed toward Quaxwell, who was standing nearby in its sunglasses.

"Sur-sur!" (You need only perform the disciple ceremony before Master, and you may become an disciple of Quaxmen!)

Quaxwell immediately chopped Surskit on the head with one wing.

"Quax, quax!"(Disciple, the Master is present. How could your master dare overstep his authority?)

Surskit clutched its head.

Its antennae swayed in confusion.

"Sur-sur?" (Grandmaster? Where is the Grandmaster?)

Quaxwell didn’t answer.

Instead—It slowly turned toward Asher.

More precisely—

Toward the Poké Ball at Asher’s waist.

Asher noticed Quaxwell’s gaze.

He took out the Poké Ball and tossed it.

Red light flashed.

The black Quaquaval landed in front of Quaxwell.

Quaxwell placed one wing horizontally across its chest and lowered its head respectfully.

"Quax, quax." (Father.)

Surskit stared blankly at the black duck before it.

Its presence was countless times more imposing than its master’s.

"Sur-sur?" (Master... could this be...?)

Quaxwell pushed up its sunglasses.

"Quax, quax." (Correct. This is the true founder of Quaxmen—your grandmaster.)

Surskit’s four legs instantly went weak.

Its entire body flattened itself against the ground.

"Sur-sur!" (This disciple had eyes yet failed to recognize Mount Coronet! I did not know Grandmaster had graced us with his presence! Grandmaster, please grant this disciple death!)

The black Quaquaval remained silent for a moment.

Then it lightly tapped Surskit on the head.

"Quax." (Live.)

"Sur-sur!" (Grandmaster’s mercy knows no bounds! This disciple shall devote every ounce of strength until death itself!)

Quaquaval ignored its overly dramatic grand-disciple and turned toward Quaxwell instead.

"Quax, quax, quax." (Your father has long since seen through the vanity of the mortal world. This position of the master should have been passed to you long ago.)

Quaxwell stepped forward.

"Quax, quax, quax!" (But Father! Quaxmen cannot exist without you!)

"Quax." (No. In this life, your father has followed Boss across the four seas and kicked down more Legendary Pokémon than I can remember.)

(But those days are already behind me.)

(Now, your father only wishes to reti— ahem... pursue an even higher realm.)

The black Quaquaval extended one wing.

It gently rested it on Quaxwell’s head.

"Quax, quax." (In short, from this day forward, all affairs of Quaxmen shall be entrusted to you.)

The instant it finished speaking—

Quaxwell’s body began to glow.

Within the light, its body grew taller.

Its once-rounded silhouette became longer, sleeker, and more fluid.

The light faded.

A Quaquaval now stood on the grass of Arrowroot Town.

It slowly raised its right wing—

And pushed up its sunglasses.

"Quax." (Father, your child shall not fail the trust you have placed in me.)

"So..."

Cresselia slowly spoke from the side.

"Who do I need to bow to if I want to join Quaxmen now?"

"No need for a disciple ceremony."

The newly evolved Quaquaval walked over to Hina.

"You only need to follow my Trainer."

The instant Cresselia heard that—

It dove headfirst into the Poké Ball at Hina’s waist.

Red light flashed.

The Poké Ball didn’t shake even once.

Click.

Capture successful.