Because of its Mythical Pokemon origins, its Dark Pokemon traits, and its calm personality, Akira agreed. The result was not only faster leveling and more experience, but also detailed information about Cursed Spirit distribution and the flow of curses. The first time he heard the report, both Akira and Makoto were startled, since he had never expected Pokémon to think this far ahead.
That alone would have been fine, but after coming to Kyoto, it took another step forward and even began correcting its owner's assumptions. From its birth to now, it had not even been two full months. Akira found himself finally understanding how Akemi Aki must have felt when raising him.
A child that was too wild was a problem, but one that was too reliable was not much better. There was no sense of achievement at all, and it even made him feel useless. He could not help wondering who this personality took after.
It had his own tendency to worry, and even Kento Nanami's maturity, which made him pause in disbelief. Did a Pokémon's personality depend on the first person it saw at birth? Then what explained Pancham?
That one had been raised by his mother Akemi Aki. Could it be that a mother who walked the Yamato Nadeshiko path was, deep down, actually a troublemaker herself? Thinking of that, Akira laughed softly, then stopped and did not pursue the thought further.
It was not a big deal in the end. Innate personality mattered, but later guidance mattered more. Pancham was mischievous enough, yet under Panda's education, it behaved properly all the same.
The real issue lay in formally revealing the existence of "Pokemon" in public and the impact of Swablu's birth. The women led by Utahime Iori might not think too much about it, but that old man Yoshinobu Gakuganji certainly would. His willingness to cooperate with Satoru Gojo's nonsense was already unusual.
An old man who did not die was often a thief, and dogs that bit did not bark. The words were unpleasant, but the logic held. Akira hesitated over whether to let Darkrai monitor things in secret, just in case the higher-ups caught him off guard.
However, this was Kyoto, unfamiliar territory with an unclear security system. Acting rashly could give others an excuse. As he hesitated, a faint pulse came from the darkness.
It was a warning from Darkrai. A foreign presence was approaching. When Akira focused his eyes, he saw the only anti-Cursed Spirit mecha in all of Japan, if not the entire world.
"Good evening, Ultimate Mechamaru. Couldn't sleep either, so you came up to get some air?" Akira greeted with a smile. The response he got was cold.
"Do you think I have any need to get air? Do not make meaningless jokes. You were the one who asked to see me, through Mai Zenin."
"That is true. I did not expect you to come so quickly."
Mechamaru and the real body behind it, Kokichi Muta, were the most mysterious and deeply hidden existence in Kyoto Jujutsu High. No matter what, Akira had wanted to meet them, so he had deliberately sent an email to Mai Zenin, using one of his rare chances to pass a message. He had expected it would take at least until the next day, but the response was unexpectedly prompt.
"Because I am monitoring the movements of Pokemon."
With that single sentence, his hidden move was exposed without mercy. Akira felt a surge of relief that he had not let Darkrai act recklessly. Never underestimate the power of technology, a truth shared by Pokemon World and the world of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Yes, technology.
In Jujutsu Kaisen, there is no need to say much. Before this, there were the Cursed Object imagined by Akira and the Kars SAMA Side-by-Side Plan, and after that came this Jujutsu version of Iron Man. Taken together, it was enough to remind anyone to stay alert.
The early technology owned by Iron Man was basically all present in Mechamaru. This included hacking, communications, artificial intelligence, and energy storage based on Cursed Energy, among many other things. None of this was exaggerated.
Darkrai failing to hide from him did not surprise Akira at all. From the start, he had assumed it would be noticed sooner or later. As for Pokemon World, there was far too much to say to finish in one breath.
Just picking two examples at random, Mewtwo, a strong contender for the title of strongest Pokémon, was cloned by humans using the eyelashes of the progenitor Mythical Pokemon, Mew. And the ruler of the Distortion World, Giratina, had once overturned because of technology, had all its power copied by technology, and had nearly been beaten to death by that same technology.
The relaxed mood was wiped away at once, and Akira became fully alert. Back when he read the manga in his previous life, he always felt that characters like Satoru Gojo and Saitama were a bit too careless. While people were facing life-and-death danger over there, these characters were still wandering around as if nothing mattered.
At the time, Akira thought it was just for the sake of the plot. If they acted too fast, there would be nothing left to draw, especially with Makoto being invincible and able to defeat anyone in a single move. Now he understood it a little better, because when things go smoothly for too long, people naturally let their guard down.
Akira himself had only been smooth sailing for a short time and was already getting careless. Satoru Gojo had been invincible for ten years. Makoto really deserved to thank Mechamaru, because right now, he did not have the freedom to act recklessly.
"I only let it circle the city to find something to eat. Do not be so sensitive about it."
"That is exactly why I came alone." Mechamaru's voice was as inorganic and emotionless as ever, but the meaning was clear. If you cross the line, I will gather people and take you in.
"Thanks for understanding."
Although Akira was curious whether he had the ability to drag the Conservative Faction into a direct fight together, there was no need to do that through Mechamaru. Toward this pitiful yet talented Boy, the goodwill Akira felt far outweighed any hostility.
In the original story, he ultimately stopped at the level of Junpei Yoshino. Akira believed he also had the potential for Special Grade, and the reason was obvious if one just looked at Iron Man standing in the center position of the Avengers.
"Where are you, exactly? I mean your real body. I should have made it clear to Mai Zenin that I want to see the real you."
"Mai Zenin has already passed on your message to me. However, I do not want to see you. That is all I want to say. Goodbye."
After saying this, Mechamaru turned and prepared to leave. His posture showed no hesitation.
"Wait," Akira said from behind him. "You are not even going to hear why I am looking for you?"
Mechamaru paused and turned back. The movement was slow, but deliberate.
Akira smiled slightly. "I am very interested in your mecha manufacturing technology. I hope you can help me make some equipment, and in exchange, I can provide you with some help, related to your body. If I am not mistaken, there is something wrong with your body, which is why you interact with the outside world through a mecha."
Mechamaru's eyes lit up, releasing a cyan-green glow. It was a sign of Cursed Energy filling his body and also a symbol of a Jujutsu Sorcerer's will. "How did you know?"
The real reason, of course, was that Makoto had read the original work. On the surface, Akira had already prepared a reasonable explanation.
"This is not hard to guess. Miwa mentioned once by accident that you like No. 5 batteries, which shows she treats you like a robot and has never seen the real you. It has been a few months since the semester started, and if there were no unavoidable reason, the Tokyo Jujutsu High side would not allow a student to be absent for so long."
Mechamaru said nothing. Silence itself was also a kind of response.