"It might hurt a little, so bear with it, Greninja."
Taking out a Paralysis Heal to remove Greninja's status condition, Silas only then sprayed a Hyper Potion onto its wounds.
"Nin~!"
Greninja turned its head toward him, baring its teeth with a clearly pained expression, as if it hurt a lot.
"Sorry, sorry, I used a bit too much." Silas scratched his head awkwardly and quickly wiped away the excess medicine.
After treating the injuries, Silas took out a poffin that carried a bittersweet taste and handed it to Greninja.
"Nin??"
"It's really delicious, you'll know once you try it."
As he spoke, Silas also handed a spicy poffin and a sour-spicy one to Charcadet and Cyclizar.
The big and small Pokémon happily accepted them, affectionately rubbing against Silas before savoring the treats with expressions full of satisfaction.
Only then did Greninja accept the poffin. It first took a small bite, then silently sped up its eating.
No Pokémon could resist the charm of poffins. If one could, it only meant the quality was not high enough or the flavor did not suit its taste.
With one bite, it was already considered one of their own.
Greninja grew slightly closer to Silas, though due to its naturally proud and aloof personality, it did not show it very obviously.
That was fine, bonds could be built gradually.
"Greninja, do you have any friends nearby? Do you need to say goodbye? We'll be heading back to the ranch early tomorrow morning."
"Nin Nin~"
Greninja stood up and looked toward the direction opposite Couriway Town.
With a few agile leaps, it appeared atop the canopy of a tree ahead, gesturing for Silas to follow.
Swinging himself onto Cyclizar's back and holding Charcadet close, Silas leaned forward. "Cyclizar, let's follow it."
Both Pokémon moved swiftly, with Greninja leading the way.
They traveled farther and farther from Couriway Town, eventually arriving deep within an uninhabited mountain forest. Before them lay a closed-off valley.
"Nin Nin~ Nin!"
Greninja called out. Not long after, two Pokémon appeared one after another.
One was a Heatmor, its body glowing red with orange patterns, its sharp snout spewing flames as it emerged from within the valley. The other was a Staraptor, a large bird Pokémon that swooped down from the sky, its fierce appearance making it look anything but friendly.
The three Pokémon exchanged words among themselves, then all turned their attention toward Silas.
"Nin Nin~"
"Moor!"
"Scree—"
From their gestures and expressions, Silas roughly understood what they meant. He tried to confirm, "You're saying there's a group of humans in the valley constantly fighting, making so much noise that you can't even rest, and you want me to stop them?"
"Nin Nin!" Greninja nodded vigorously. It had been driven away by the disturbance, moving to the waterfall to train instead. Now that it was leaving with Silas, it wanted to help its friends resolve this problem.
"In a place like this, there's actually a human settlement?"
Silas was extremely surprised. Still, despite his doubts, he agreed.
Led by the three Pokémon, Silas reached the highest point of the valley.
The view suddenly opened up.
Inside the valley was a hidden paradise. From above, rows of wooden houses could be seen.
The houses were clearly divided into two opposing sides, with a neutral zone in between.
After observing for a moment, Silas saw groups of people rushing out from both sides, commanding their Pokémon as a chaotic battle broke out.
Explosions echoed throughout the valley, and due to the enclosed environment, the sound lingered endlessly.
No wonder Greninja had left, and why Heatmor and Staraptor had asked for help.
The fact that they had endured this until now showed how good-tempered they were. If it had been something like Tyranitar or Gyarados, the humans would have been wiped out on the first day.
After watching for a bit, Silas judged from their clothing that this was a ninja village.
Ninjas were a profession that originated during the Kalos Empire era. They believed in absolute strength, with power determining status.
"In that case…"
Silas patted Cyclizar gently.
It was time to appear in the most overwhelming way possible.
Above the ninja village, thunderclouds silently gathered. Before anyone noticed, the sky was completely covered.
BOOM!
Thunder roared through the valley, accompanied by blinding flashes of lightning.
The battling ninjas were forced to stop, all raising their heads to look up.
"What is that?" one ninja, Hanzo, exclaimed in shock.
"It looks like a powerful Pokémon… and there seems to be someone on its back."
Beside Hanabi, a Liepard crouched low, letting out a whimper.
It was not just Liepard. All the Pokémon present, big and small, showed similar submissive postures.
Silas shook his head regretfully. Not a single one dared to step forward, he had wanted to make an example of someone.
"Let's go down, Miraidon."
Patting Miraidon, Silas descended, with Greninja and the others following.
After a round of very friendly discussion, the two leaders of the ninja village shook hands and made peace, deciding to let go of past grievances and begin a new chapter.
They also agreed to step down and hold a new election for leadership.
Thus, the ninja village turned over a new page in an atmosphere full of hope.
A new leader was chosen by the people, receiving a golden shuriken statue symbolizing their authority.
To prevent future conflicts, the new leader was recognized by Heatmor and Staraptor, who would provide support if needed.
The smooth resolution was also because everyone had grown tired of fighting and longed for a normal life.
With Silas descending like a god alongside Miraidon, the ninjas simply followed the flow, finally finding a reason to abandon their conflicts.
Another factor was that they learned about the outside world and no longer had the desire to keep fighting.
Arguing endlessly over such a small place felt meaningless, like children playing pretend, only inviting ridicule.
With decisive action, Silas resolved the conflict and left with Greninja, trusting the new leader to handle the rest.
As for what happened later, the ninjas built a shrine dedicated to the hero Pokémon.
On both sides were images of Greninja, Staraptor, Heatmor, and Charcadet, while at the center stood the image of the so-called "Thunder Lord," the hero Pokémon.
...
Meanwhile, Silas returned to the inn in Couriway Town.
The little ones had all rested well. Upon hearing from Silas that a new companion had joined, they immediately surrounded Greninja, led by Cinccino.
"Cin! Cin!" (You're so cool! You're so, so handsome!)
"Brioon~" (Yeah, yeah, super cool!)
Surrounded by the group, Greninja looked visibly uncomfortable.
It leaned against the doorframe with arms crossed, trying to maintain a cool demeanor, though the slight upward curve of its mouth was hard to hide.
"Cyc!"
Cyclizar was not convinced, placing its hands on its hips. Clearly it was the strongest one.
Greninja was just a defeated opponent.
But strength might be temporary, while style lasted forever.
In terms of appearance, Cyclizar had lost completely.
Frustrated, Cyclizar scratched at the floor but could not bring itself to compete directly for attention. It turned and threw itself into Silas's arms, seeking comfort pitifully.
"It's alright, it's alright." Silas placed a hand on Cyclizar's head, then delivered a perfectly aimed follow-up. "Even though you're not handsome and not very smart, always grinning foolishly…"
Before he could finish, Cyclizar pounced on him, refusing to let him continue.
After a while, Silas finally freed himself from the crushing embrace and said the rest.
"Even though you have many flaws, you're still my favorite little bike. You're my most reliable partner."
"Cyc!"
With a loud cry, Cyclizar leapt at him again.
(End of Chapter)