[Miss Yamato, hello, this is your 198th challenge. Are you prepared to fail again?]
It was still that familiar figure, Hilona who had squeezed out Unova Champion Iris's position—though this was just an AI with the same face. And then there was that line...
"There's no need to specifically mention the number of times, and no need to say 'fail' either! Things aren't like they were back then anymore, okay!"
"You've said that line over a hundred times as well. I don't think it has any reference value."
"Damn it, I'm definitely going to complain to my adoptive father and tell him not to give you such a high level of intelligence!"
That line didn't get any response. This was, in the end, an AI with hardly any self-awareness or emotions; what she'd just said seemed to be beyond its processing capacity. As for Yamato, just like the previous times, she arrived at the battlefield where war was about to break out.
This time she didn't wander around, but instead experienced what life in ancient Unova was like. After hundreds of attempts, she gradually discovered the secrets hidden in this Trial Space.
Although it was fake, everything here felt just as real. Aside from not actually dying, she still felt pain, she could still taste the deliciousness of food, and there was always a buffer period before each trial.
In the past hundred-plus attempts, she had tried contacting the local powers, but it was completely meaningless. The conflict between the two brothers could not be reconciled; it was a difference in ideals. Even if she could forcibly order them to stop the war, the enraged twin Dragons would not halt.
If she treated this as a game, then the clear condition was to prevent Unova's destruction.
To defuse this situation, the best method was to gain the recognition of both Dragons at the same time. The hint about choosing one side was basically a lie. No matter which side she helped, the aftershocks of the battle would still result in Unova here being destroyed.
Yamato gradually discovered the bug in this option, but she headed down an even stranger path. Compared to earning both Dragons' recognition simultaneously, she wanted more to defeat them both at once, treating this as a special kind of battle.
So after the battle started, she didn't join either side, but instead tried to use force to make the twin Dragons stop.
"Zekrom, have you ever regretted the choice you made back then?"
The result of this space would be witnessed by Zekrom and Reshiram, including Yamato's changes.
"Wanting to defeat both of us at the same time—does that kind of naïveté have your approval as well?"
"You've seen her persistence. She's working hard for her dream. Being able to defeat both of us simultaneously, or rather to stop our fight—how is that not a lofty ideal?
If she really can reach that point, what would be so impossible about it?"
Zekrom refuted Reshiram's words. In terms of actions, he also didn't think Yamato could succeed, but in terms of ideals, he didn't agree with Reshiram's idea of vetoing it outright with a single vote.
"You're still as naïve as ever. Ideals that are pure fantasy can never be realized."
"Heh, reality without dreams will only become hollow. If you strip the world of ideals, then truth becomes the cruelest blade. There will be no further progress, only gradual self-destruction, grinding away all emotion."
No one knew how long the two Dragons' quarrel lasted, but neither could convince the other. Whether in words or in force, they existed in a strange balance.
...
A few hours later, Yamato opened her eyes once more. From her expression alone, it was clear she had failed again, but she had gained something else. Several special streams of Haki wrapped around her arms—not Armament, but her Supreme King.
Supreme King is innate and cannot be strengthened through later training; this is a fixed piece of knowledge in this world. Yet in battles within the Trial Space, Yamato discovered something very special.
After dozens of rounds of tempering, her Supreme King seemed to have grown stronger. Even if the increase wasn't obvious, it was still stronger than before.
Armament and Observation Haki can still be strengthened through physical training, but Haki as a power is inseparable from the power of the heart, and this is even more true for Supreme King. To enhance it, what must be tempered is not the body, but the soul and the spirit.
Physical training can temper a person's willpower, but willpower is merely one's persistence, not a power on the level of the spirit. The Trial Space created by Arceus, however, could compensate for this shortcoming.
That special space had nothing to do with the body; what it trained was the spirit, indirectly becoming the only currently known method to slowly strengthen Supreme King.
Yamato did come here with a bit of a vacation mindset, but in the process she hadn't slackened off, instead training herself through different methods.
Aside from intimidating small fry, another use of Supreme King is Entanglement. It can, like Armament Haki, be attached to weapons, giving attacks greater power.
It's just that for everyone else, the upper limit of their Haki Entanglement's power is set on the day they're born, whereas Yamato had gained a chance to break this ceiling.
"This is so hard... Don't tell me convincing those two with reason is actually the correct approach?"
Zekrom and Reshiram unleashed at full power were extremely strong. Yamato already found it very difficult just to intervene in their battle, let alone control the aftershocks.
If fighting didn't work, she might have to switch to another method.
On that front she couldn't think of any leads, so the idea of looking for outside help surfaced.
"Diancie, got any suggestions?"
"No. I don't have any ideas in that area either."
"Hmm... let me think... Robin hasn't come back for a while. Maybe she'll have some ideas?"
Her words were phrased as a question, but her body had already taken action. She picked up her Rotom, found Robin's number, and dialed.
....
At this moment, the Rotom possessed in Robin's device quietly glanced around at the surrounding environment. Only after confirming there was nothing unexpected did it use vibration to send a signal to Robin.
"One moment."
Glancing at the man and woman in front of her, Robin, without much concern, directly took out her Rotom Phone and even answered the call right in front of them.
"Yo, Robin, long time no see."
"Long time no see. What's up?"
"Nothing major, I just wanted to discuss something with you. Are you busy with something? Then I'll call you back later."
The convenience of the Rotom-possessed Rotom Phone was that it wouldn't ring at critical moments. Since it chose to vibrate, that meant what Robin was facing was just some everyday trivial matter. If she were in the middle of some operation, Rotom would have chosen silence.
"Alright, go on."
Watching Yamato directly hang up, she turned her gaze back to Princess Vivi and Igaram in front of her. They were discussing a rather special matter with her.
"I know this is somewhat inappropriate. After all, this kingdom's affairs aren't yours. But your academic background can help us a great deal, so... I'd still like to presumptuously ask, Miss Robin, would you be willing to join us in a certain somewhat risky operation?"