Chapter 172: Because His Dad Isn’t as Good as Mine
The video continued playing.
"Mm."
Drayden lowered his voice slightly.
"In Unova’s creation myths, no human has ever completely controlled the powers of both the Dragon of Ideals and the Dragon of Truth at the same time."
"The last person who attempted to control both dragons was Ghetsis. Do you know what became of him?"
Miori blinked.
"Ghetsis? Who’s that?"
"The former leader of Team Plasma—a madman who intended to use the two dragons’ power to rule the world."
Drayden paused.
"Your father never told you about him?"
"My dad never tells me things like that. He only appears at crucial moments to suddenly assign me another mission."
Miori’s face was expressionless.
"Like now. He suddenly called and told me to come to Opelucid City to see you, then disappeared to who-knows-where again."
"I see."
Drayden studied Miori.
"He probably didn’t tell you because he didn’t want you to become distracted."
Miori remained silent for quite some time before collapsing backward against her cushion.
"That dad of mine... He’s clearly forcing himself too, yet he always pretends to be lazy and carefree whenever he’s around me."
"Then, Miori..."
Drayden raised his teacup and leisurely took a sip.
"What is your ideal?"
Miori froze upon hearing the question.
"Huh?"
"Your ideal," Drayden repeated. "Zekrom is the Dragon of Ideals. It will follow only those who possess an unwavering ideal. Your father should have told you that."
Miori remained silent for a long time.
"My ideal..."
Her expression gradually became serious.
"Honestly, I never gave that question much thought before. Ever since I was little, I’ve been busy trying to meet the goals Mom and Dad set for me. I rarely stopped to think about what I wanted for myself."
"It wasn’t until I began traveling and encountered all kinds of people and Pokémon..."
Miori placed her teacup back on the table.
"That I realized I couldn’t simply ignore people and Pokémon who needed help."
"I want to help them because I have the ability and the patience to do so. When there are things other people can’t—or aren’t willing to—do, I can do them."
Miori looked at the Dark Stone resting on the table, her gaze exceptionally resolute.
"So my ideal is this—to use my own abilities to help every person and Pokémon who needs it."
[VIP Chat Group]
[Iris]: "When there are things other people can’t—or aren’t willing to—do, I can do them." That sounds so powerful!!
[Ash]: Is this what it feels like to declare your ideal? I remember saying something similar when I first began traveling!
[Misty]: Now that you mention it, Raina has the same personality. If she sees an injured Pokémon, she has to save it. If she sees the ocean being polluted, she has to intervene. She’s exactly like Miori.
[Lorelei]: They were raised by the same father, so it’s only natural that their values would be similar.
The video continued playing.
The moment Miori declared her ideal, the purple patterns across the Dark Stone erupted with an exceptionally dazzling light.
Drayden rose and stared at the brilliantly glowing stone before slowly nodding.
"I understand now why Zekrom acknowledged you."
Miori lowered her gaze toward the shining Dark Stone.
"...It lit up just from that? All I did was tell the truth."
"A genuine ideal has no need for elaborate embellishment."
Drayden sat down again.
"You need only believe in it sincerely and wholeheartedly."
Miori stared at the Dark Stone for quite some time before raising her head toward Drayden.
"Mr. Drayden, I have another question. Who is the other hero?"
Drayden lifted his teacup.
"The current leader of Team Plasma—N."
Miori’s expression didn’t change. She merely nodded slightly.
"I thought it would be him."
Drayden placed his teacup down and slowly continued:
"N can understand the voices in Pokémon’s hearts. Ghetsis adopted him when he was very young, and he was raised within Team Plasma."
"As a result, the voices he heard were always those of Pokémon who had been injured by their Trainers, abandoned, or treated as mere tools."
"At that time, N truly possessed an ideal of changing the world, and Zekrom acknowledged him."
"But once Ghetsis’s true nature was exposed, N learned that he had merely been a pawn used by someone else. The ’ideal’ he once believed in had been a carefully constructed trap."
"So..."
Miori understood.
"From that point onward, he no longer dared to trust his own ideals."
"Correct."
Drayden nodded.
"When someone begins doubting their own ideal, the Dragon of Ideals will naturally cease to acknowledge them. The Dragon of Ideals doesn’t seek someone whose beliefs are necessarily correct. It seeks someone brave enough to remain true to those beliefs."
"Then I understand why I can remain committed to my ideal while N could only turn toward truth!"
Miori shrugged.
"Because his dad isn’t as good as mine."
[VIP Chat Group]
[Steven]: Hahahahahahahaha! Brother Asher was elevated to godhood by a single sentence from his daughter! N’s defeat was completely justified! Completely justified!
[Gary]: Miori’s logic genuinely is flawless. N’s ideal wavered because Ghetsis manipulated him, whereas Miori’s ideal remained firm because Asher was always supporting her from behind the scenes.
[Raihan]: Ideals, truth, a confrontation between two dragons—when you get down to it, this is all just a competition between fathers!
[Valerie]: What kind of "my dad is better than yours" novel is this...?
[Brock]: But when you think about it, Miori’s joke actually reaches the heart of the matter. The support parents give their children truly affects how far those children can go.
[Drayden]: Indeed. In all my years, I have encountered countless Trainers. Some children possessed extraordinary talent, but without a good mentor to guide them, they eventually faded into obscurity.
The video continued playing.
Miori returned the Dark Stone to her backpack, stood, and brushed the dust from her knees.
"Grandpa Drayden, now that we’ve finished exchanging information, I have one more request."
Drayden raised an eyebrow.
"What request?"
"A Gym Battle, of course."
Miori planted both hands on her hips, speaking as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I’ve already come all the way to Opelucid City. Wouldn’t the trip be wasted if I didn’t challenge the Gym?"
"Besides, after hearing everything you just told me about the two dragons, I’m completely fired up. I need a battle to calm myself down."
Drayden remained silent for a moment before slowly nodding.
"Very well. I would also like to witness the strength of the Trainer chosen by Zekrom."
Before long, the two stood at opposite ends of the battlefield.
The referee raised both flags from the center of the field.
"The Opelucid Gym challenge between Gym Leader Drayden and challenger Miori will now begin!"
"Each side may use two Pokémon. Only the challenger is permitted to make substitutions."
"Let the battle begin!"
Drayden was the first to throw a Poké Ball.
Red light flashed, and a Druddigon landed firmly on the battlefield.
Druddigon lowered its head and released a deep growl, its thick tail striking the ground once.
Miori threw her own Poké Ball.
"Luxray, I’m counting on you!"
The moment Luxray landed, it lowered its center of gravity on all four legs.
Blue electrical arcs crackled through its mane as its golden eyes locked onto the opposing Druddigon.
...