"Huh?!!"
Peter's jaw dropped open.
What the heck was happening?!
While he stood there stunned, the glowing sphere in the sky gradually shrank. Emerging from the center of the waterspout was a majestic eagle-like Pokémon with gorgeous wings spread wide.
Its feathers were still silver-gray, but its wingspan had now reached nearly five meters. Its underbelly carried soft gray-white plumage, while the three flowing crest feathers atop its head had become even longer than its wings, fluttering elegantly in the wind and gleaming brilliantly beneath the sunlight.
[Pidgeot ♂ Lv38 (Advanced Tier)]
Ability: Unburden (Doubles Speed after losing held item)
Talent Value: 540 (Has surpassed species limit of 479)
HP: 100
Attack: 40
Defense: 70
Sp. Atk: 140
Sp. Def: 70
Speed: 120
Friendship: 221
Newly Learned Moves: Air Burst, Icy Wind, Heat Wave
Description: A Pidgeot whose dormant bloodline awakened under Lugia's blessing. Its ancestors belonged to a branch family of Lugia's lineage. Through atavistic reversion, it inherited magnificent silver wings. After crossing the ocean, it gained Lugia's recognition, prompting the Sea Guardian to personally descend and grant its blessing.
————
"(๑°⌓°๑)… So that's what it was…" Peter muttered blankly.
No wonder Pidgeotto's talent had always surpassed others of its species.
No wonder a tiny bird had possessed enough endurance to cross an entire ocean…
Wait, scratch that.
What "endurance"?!
Its ancestors were literally from the Sea Guardian's family line!
Could something really happen to it in its own backyard?!
Peter sighed inwardly while silently thanking Pidgeotto's ancestors for the next hundred generations.
Then he looked up and met Pidgeot's crystal-bright eyes.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"Then let's test it out… Pidgeot, use Air Burst!!!"
"PIDGEOOOOT!!!"
A sharp, majestic cry echoed through the heavens.
A spiraling vortex slowly formed before Pidgeot, rapidly draining the surrounding air away. After a brief moment of suffocating pressure, a violently rotating explosive cyclone roared forward with overwhelming force!
Fearow, still trapped in post-Giga Impact recoil, had absolutely no means of defending itself. It could only watch helplessly as the devastating Air Burst slammed directly into its chest.
"BOOM—!"
Fearow's body smoked black as it crashed helplessly to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
[Ding! Victory against a higher-level opponent achieved. Reward: Universal Talent Value ×10. Pidgeot has leveled up...]
"Pidgeot~!"
The silver-gray giant bird swooped down and immediately tackled Peter flat onto the ground, rubbing its head affectionately against his face.
"You were amazing, Pidgeot~ Especially your emergency response just now."
Peter praised it warmly while feeding it the Rare Candy he'd already prepared.
"Pidgeot~"
White light flashed across the great bird's body as it leveled up to Lv40. Its wingspan officially surpassed Braviary's.
Because it specialized in energy-based attacks, one could even feel currents of air constantly flowing around its body. Riding it would probably feel incredible.
"So handsome…~" Whitney stared at Peter and Pidgeot, though it was impossible to tell whether she meant the Trainer or the bird.
Peter recalled Pidgeot and walked over to the heavily wounded Fearow, taking out two Energy Cubes and a Rare Candy.
"Fearow…?"
Fearow froze in surprise.
The boy smiled gently at it.
"Your temper may be awful, but you're still a Pokémon I really like… Back where I'm from, some people even call you the discount version of Ho-Oh."
"Fearow…"
Its eyes trembled slightly.
Even if it didn't fully understand the words, it could feel the admiration and sincere kindness flowing from the boy before it.
Fearow lowered its head and swallowed the cubes and candy.
Sweetness exploded across its tongue as its injuries slowly recovered.
Then it raised its head again and looked deeply at Peter.
After a moment, it lowered its sharp beak beneath one wing and carefully pulled out a sky-blue diamond-shaped crystal, placing it gently onto the ground before him.
"Fearow~"
It gave Peter a small smile before beating its wings and soaring into the distant sky.
Peter bent down and picked up the crystal, his heart filled with emotion.
Pokémon…
Every single one of them truly possessed hearts as pure and radiant as diamonds.
[Flyinium Z: A crystal containing Flying-type Z-Power. Once equipped to a Z-Ring, Trainers and Pokémon with deep bonds can unleash the powerful Z-Move "Supersonic Skystrike."]
That's right.
What Fearow had given Peter… was a Z-Crystal.
A completely unexpected bonus.
"Honey, Hapu said Mina's over there. Let's hurry~" Whitney walked over while carrying the Pokémon Egg.
"Right, coming~"
Peter stored the crystal away before heading with Whitney toward a cliffside nearby.
Massive waves crashed endlessly against the rocky shore, producing booming echoes.
Standing before a colorful canvas near the cliff edge was a blonde girl, calmly moving her paintbrush across the surface.
"Sister Mina!" Hapu called out.
"Hm?"
The girl turned around, allowing Peter and the others to finally see her appearance clearly.
She wore a simple long solid-color T-shirt, ripped jeans, and large canvas sneakers. Her blonde hair naturally draped beside her face, while half-lidded eyes and a streak of pink-purple paint slashed across her cheek gave her the unmistakable aura of an artist.
"Alola~ Hapu… and… new friends." Mina waved lazily toward the three of them.
"Alola~"
Peter and the others approached and explained their purpose, hoping she could call back the Totem Ribombee.
However…
Mina shook her head apologetically.
"I'm afraid I can't… I accepted a commissioned painting recently, and I have to finish it within three days."
She briefly explained her situation.
Apparently, she had entered a regional art exhibition and needed to submit her work to the association in just a few days.
But lately, inspiration had completely dried up.
That was why she'd come to these cliffs—to observe the ocean waves and listen to the crashing surf in hopes of stimulating her creativity.
"To find Ribombee, you need to gather seven brightly colored flower petals first… Normally, I'd just paint them myself."
"But now…" Mina sighed softly, lowering her gaze. "I can't calm myself enough to paint anymore…"
"Ah… so that means we can't challenge Ribombee…" Hapu frowned. "Peter, maybe you should just choose another trial instead?"
Peter shook his head.
"No need."
He still wanted to obtain the Fairyium Z from Ribombee.
"Actually… I might know a way to solve Mina's problem. Give me a second, I need to make a call."
With that, Peter pulled out his phone and dialed Nemona.
The call connected almost immediately, and her energetic voice burst through the speaker.
"Peter?! Why are you calling all of a sudden? Is it finally time for a battle?! I'm always ready!"
"…"
Peter's mouth twitched.
"No… I actually need your help with something."
Afterward, he got the contact information for Artazon Gym Leader Brassius from her.
That's right.
The abstract artist who had once achieved enlightenment after Peter's bizarre "fusion art theory" lecture...
When it came to artistic problems, Brassius was definitely the specialist here.
Peter dialed the number.
A somewhat gloomy voice soon answered.
"Hello. This is the Kaito Kid, Cerise Hanamichi, and Hinata Shoyo Ultra-Amazing Artistic Association. I am Chairman Brassius. How may I assist you?"
"(°ー°〃) …?"
Peter opened his mouth slightly.
For the first time in a while…
He genuinely had no idea what he was supposed to say next.