Pokémon Detective Case Files

Chapter 472 The Distance Between Reality and Ideal

Chapter 474 The Distance Between Reality and Ideal

"Your Majesty, the Order's operation has begun."

In Fukiyori City, the Heaven Tower where the championship battle once took place has been completely repaired, its battle scars—damaged by an earthquake and melted by a heatwave—have been thoroughly restored. Even the large hole inside the tower that Garchomp once jumped through has been transformed into an automated elevator for people with disabilities to access the tower.

A green-haired youth is standing on the edge of the white tower's top level, with the historic clock of the Tower of Heaven behind him.

The young man's gaze was fixed on the clouds in the east, which were growing brighter with the rising sky, as if he did not notice the old man below climbing the old stairs to the top of the tower.

"Vio and Asura have been captured, and Joggs was seriously injured during the breakout. As for public opinion, Smura's propaganda only achieved 30% of the expected effect. This year's league champions are much smarter than Adek, having quietly done a lot of preparation work and even dismissed all the staff working at the league headquarters in advance. Ghetchis and Gerald judged that the league had already discovered the Order's underground project within the league, and that continuing to hide would only put them in a passive position, so they activated the final plan of the 'City Defense Division' ahead of schedule."

Known as the "Balance Game," the red-robed sage Rhodes, who is regarded as the "money bag" within the plasma cluster, quietly walked to N's side and began to talk to himself as if discussing the weather.

"Your Majesty, you have not returned to the castle, nor have you made any public appearances before any church organization. Is it because you harbor resentment towards our actions?"

The green-haired youth turned his gaze away from the distance and shook his head.

"Whether it's lofty ideals or concrete realities, you can't obtain them by relying on the charity of others—this idea still hasn't changed for me. The current situation is exactly the goal that the Plasma Group was destined to achieve since its inception. If I had any doubts about it, I should have objected during the planning stage, instead of letting it falter halfway through now that it has already begun, and letting my father and everyone in the cult's efforts go to waste."

Upon hearing this, Rhodes was not reassured, but continued to ask earnestly, "Does Your Majesty still have any concerns?"

N remained silent for a while, and seeing that the red-robed sage was still patiently staring at him, he slowly spoke: "If it weren't for Teacher Rhodes, or even my father or a friend outside the Order, I probably wouldn't have told you this."

The green-haired youth stared into the economist's eyes and said—

"Actually—for the past year, I have been trying to awaken another Unova Dragon."

"The one in the Dark Stone?" Rhodes shook his gray beard, a rare look of hesitation on his face.

"Although Zekrom and Lehiram always give the impression of being at odds, that is actually just a partial record left from the time when the royal brothers fought each other during the division of the ancient United Kingdom. In the true history of the founding of the United Kingdom, those two legendary dragons once stood side by side, jointly assisting the first king who founded the ancient United Kingdom."

"But Your Majesty, the stone that sealed Zekrom has most likely already been sent out of Unova by that detective—"

"—" Rod said with a look of shame.

"No. I once awakened Reshiram, so I understand that perfectly well."

N interrupted the sage's self-reproach, his tone resolute—

"Items are never a necessary condition for awakening legendary spirits. Dragons that truly follow their kings always appear spontaneously in response to the king's will. Did that former king, who founded the kingdom a thousand years ago, ever stand before the stone begging for the dragon's mercy? Given the connection and resonance between Reshiram and Zekrom, if I truly possessed the qualifications to obtain the 'ideal dragon' Zekrom acknowledges, that Dark Stone simply could not be sent off this continent. My failure to do so precisely demonstrates that I have not yet truly possessed the kingly will capable of simultaneously awakening 'truth' and 'ideal,' sufficient to reshape Unova."

A gentle morning breeze swept through, and the top of the Tower of Heaven remained silent. Rhodes seemed to feel a chill and shrank his neck.

"Your Majesty, aren't you being too hard on yourself? The founding myth is, after all, a legend that has been passed down for thousands of years, and it's inevitable that it will be distorted and exaggerated. How could anyone possibly embody both reality and ideals simultaneously, gaining the approval of two legendary Pokémon?"

"Teacher." The green-haired youth looked earnestly at the sage who taught him economics, "I can hear the voices of Pokémon, voices that are completely devoid of false emotions—and the same is true of Reshiram, which I have awakened."

The red-robed sage remained silent. N continued—

"It was the will of the first hero who founded Unova that resonated with the legendary Pokémon, causing two dragons representing truth and ideals to spontaneously awaken from their slumber and come to the hero's side to help him establish this unified nation. However, towards the end of the ancient Unova dynasty, the hero's offspring fought amongst themselves. The two brothers, in the name of reality and ideals respectively, abused the blessings left by their ancestors, wantonly igniting the rage of Reshiram and Zekrom, leading to a battle between them. This caused them to turn against humanity and punish the brothers, no longer protecting their kingdom. The dragons also paid the price for their conflict and subsequent destruction, almost as a form of self-punishment, being sealed within two legendary stones—this is the Unova history that Reshiram told me from his heart. I once asked Professor Joggs to verify the relevant historical records, and the conclusion confirmed the legendary dragon's experience."

Having understood the meaning behind N's words, Rhodes finally realized why N could only say these things to him.

Friends outside the Order would never agree with N's actions, while Ghetsis and Vio would only push N forward. The King's faction, including Asura, believed in N's abilities without reservation. Although Joggs was independent and unaffiliated, his views inevitably became biased when it came to matters related to legendary Pokémon.

At this moment, the only one left who had the standing to enlighten and advise N was him, the centrist who had always remained neutral among the Seven Sages.

The red-robed sage placed his hands on the student's arms: "You were able to awaken Reshiram on your own; isn't that enough to prove you're worthy of being a hero?"

"To become a hero like those two brothers, manipulating a paranoid reality and constantly waging pointless wars?"

The green-haired youth gave a bitter smile—

"Actually, I've always known why I haven't gained recognition for my ideals. Even though I have enough willpower to act on what I believe in as reality, and I'm determined to change this unfair world for Pokémon—compared to reality, my ideals aren't very firm. I can't be like my father—"

Even if one day the Order replaces the Pokémon League and I become the true king, I still wouldn't be sure what I should do.

His speech quickened, as if long-suppressed doubts were finally bursting forth. "Should we immediately call on everyone to release their Pokémon? If so, how can we ensure the order is implemented effectively? What kind of laws should be enacted? Who should be sent to enforce them? How should the released Pokémon live? How can we distinguish between those who genuinely want to leave humans and those who want to continue living with their original trainers? The personnel sent to enforce the order can't possibly have my ability to listen to their hearts. What if those humans are lying?"

Will the liberation of the elves bring the city to a standstill? How can we ensure that food and energy supplies don't face a crisis?

What status should the Pokémon who work alongside humans have? How should we mediate when the liberated Pokémon turn against humans—these are just the beginning. If I were to become king, how would I govern this vast nation? Just thinking about it is like a tangled mess—how do I build public trust and mitigate the impact of the Unova League's collapse? How do I manage relationships with other regional leagues? How do I select talent? How do I develop the economy? How do I deal with Team Plasma after becoming the rulers of the new world? How do I fairly distribute the benefits that have gathered in our hands? Can I do all of this well? Can we really do better than the previous Unova League? I frantically searched for data throughout Unova, listing formulas in my mind in an attempt to find answers, but every time I thought I had grasped a little bit of the picture, an even heavier problem would immediately appear in my way. My father always said that when the time came, we could leave all the difficult problems to the wise men, but teacher, if we want to create a nation ruled by wise men, why should we let an ignorant king sit on the throne at the top? How could I possibly gain the approval of the Dragon God, who is so indecisive, if I were to act on his ideals like this?

Rhodes hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

N usually presents a calm and composed demeanor to outsiders. Only now, as Team Plasma finally begins their ultimate plan, this young king, who has just come of age, reveals his most vulnerable side for the first time under this unstoppable pressure.

"Your Majesty."

Looking at his most outstanding student, 'Balance Game' made up his mind.

"An uncertain future can still be a basis for realizing your ideals; you just haven't realized it yet."

"What does this mean?" N looked at the teacher in confusion.

"Economics is essentially a doctrine about expectations; we only call it ideal when all conditions are perfect." However, in reality, there has never been a perfect market or a completely certain future—the "rational expectations" model is precisely built on the acceptance of uncertainty. An economist who firmly believes in their own "ideal" is actually dangerous; they ignore the complexity of the system, suppress different expectations, and often ultimately trigger systemic collapse.

"Teacher, I understand what you mean, but—"

"You don't need another legendary dragon."

Rod said decisively, his voice like a chess piece striking the center of a chessboard. He didn't realize that he had subtly changed his form of address for the young man before him from "you" to "you (formal)."

"Although Jogs isn't here, I can answer your question for him—history never simply repeats itself. A thousand years ago, the first king faced a land of ignorance and scattered tribes; he needed the overwhelming power of two dragons to forge the foundation of unity. But you face a complex, intertwined, and rigidly shaped modern alliance system. Breaking it with destructive force might not be difficult; the challenge lies in rebuilding better expectations for everyone afterward. This isn't some simple, easily achieved ideal; it requires a hero with sufficient patience and understanding to solve each and every real-world problem for this nation."

Rod's voice grew softer and softer, as if carried away by the wind, yet it still carried an undeniable solemnity.

"Your Majesty, you possess the ability to hear the truth, which is your most precious gift. Therefore, please be sure to trust the truth you hear yourself, even more than any ideal described by others, no matter who the describer is, no matter how high a place that person once held in your heart."

N stared intently at the red-robed sage, while Rhodes also scrutinized the king to whom he had secretly sworn allegiance without flinching.

The king did not reaffirm the sage's final words, nor did the economist impart any further instruction to his students.

But after that day, a white figure mixed with blue flames soared into the sky from the top of the Tower of Heaven.

Amidst the melodious chimes, the dragon, a symbol of reality, spread its wings and, under the gaze of many, soared across the entire Unova region, flying towards the castle that rose from the ruins of the Alliance.

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