The castle tremors grew more violent.

“Nimi~” Victini lay limp on Lu Ye’s head, cowering and clutching his hair.

That’s going to make him bald.

The thought flashed by and Lu Ye closed his eyes to sense the laws of Transcendence. Threads of white light extended through his vision toward Victini.

“Nimi…” Victini lifted his little head, then looked down at Lu Ye.

“It’s okay.”

Teacher Lu offered a reassuring smile. “Because I’m here.”

Victini’s eyes slowly widened, and he nodded with the courage he mustered:

“Nimi!”

Darkrai stood in the shadow stretching in the distance, gazing up at the white pillar of light piercing the sky.

Indeed, compared to previous times, this was a smaller-scale affair.

Darkrai’s gaze flickered slightly as he glanced at Lu Ye.

A strange yet familiar chill crawled up Darkrai’s spine.

As long as Lu Ye didn’t jinx it and accidentally fuse any Legendary Pokémon, everything would be fine!

“Victini is said to be a friend of the king of Ein Doach,” Shata said, “that king is the father of the two black-and-white heroes.”

“Rumor says the king used Victini’s power to protect Ein Doach, but war still broke out between his two princes.”

“The war eventually subsided, and Victini helped considerably. But Victini could not leave the castle’s barrier, and lived here for nearly a hundred years…”

Shata glanced at the little V on Lu Ye’s head, her eyes filled with reverence, guilt, and gratitude.

The mayor fell silent. Victini was the city’s savior, yet Ein Doach could not give its hero freedom.

Victini lay on Lu Ye’s head, baring a small tiger tooth in an innocent grin as he smiled:

“Nimi~”

Selfless help for those he trusted was Victini’s nature.

Every trainer favored by Victini, without exception, became synonymous with victory.

Lu Ye reached up, handed over a macaron, and gave Victini’s soft cheek a little pinch.

“Nimi! (✪ω✪)”

Victini’s eyes sparkled as he happily cradled the little pastry and chomped ‘awoo’ on it.

Lu Ye mused inwardly, “By the lifespan of a Mythical Pokémon, he’s still a child.”

Ash said, “So now that the barrier is weakening, does that mean Victini can leave the castle and live freely?”

Shata hesitated, and the mayor sighed: “Maybe you’re right, Ash…”

Relying too heavily on Victini’s power is unfair to Victini.

Mayor: “But now, we must rely on Victini’s power—”

He didn’t voice the rest—“to calm Reshiram.”

Lu Ye said, “Instead of sealing Reshiram, why not use Reshiram’s power?”

The mayor’s eyes widened.

“Use… Reshiram’s power?”

“Only the True Hero of Unova can command Reshiram,” Shata hurriedly interjected. “Otherwise, you’d be consumed by the judgmental blue flames!”

Kalita tugged her mother Shata’s sleeve and whispered, “That would be Teacher Lu…”

Shata froze, realizing the person before them was the Unova hero who saved Twinleaf City. The rumors—half true, half exaggerated—only confirmed this champion’s might.

If it’s Teacher Lu… he might actually gain Reshiram’s approval!

The mayor nodded hard. “I understand. Lu Ye, please accompany me to the underground steps!”

Victini remained on Lu Ye’s head while Haunter hovered beside him, grinning and clutching a bundle of snacks to feed Victini.

“Gengarrr~” Haunter offered a macaron.

“Nimi!” Victini took a bite, only to see Haunter snatch the macaron back, his eyes watering in panic.

“Gengarrrr!” Haunter burst into laughter, and seeing the little V’s hurt expression, hastily fed the pastry back to Victini.

With everything happening, who had time for this…

Lu Ye stroked his chin.

In the original story, Ash became the White Hero;

Teacher Lu never sought to steal his student’s chance.

But in the current world, N is much more likely to become the Black Hero.

Lu Ye felt uneasy.

A fused Dark Kyurem would not be something Ash could handle alone…

“Roar!!”

The dragon’s bellow cut off Lu Ye’s thoughts.

Lu Ye looked at the stone steps leading underground;

the white pillar of light was rising from beneath.

“Nimi!” Victini trembled and tightened his grip on Lu Ye’s hair.

“So this is the cost of getting stronger.”

Lu Ye muttered, then looked to the side. “Are you all going down together?”

Shata shook her head. “Only those whom the dragon permits can enter the spiral staircase for the trial. I don’t qualify.”

Kalita said dejectedly, “I was rejected by Reshiram too…”

Ash cautiously stepped toward the stairs, stood on a step, then turned and asked, “Does this mean I’m allowed the trial?”

Shata was stunned. “Yes… as long as you pass the spiral stairs, connect with the Light Stone and awaken Reshiram, you can complete the trial.”

Could this inconspicuous boy be the one Reshiram recognizes as hero?

Lu Ye relaxed slightly. If he followed the original plot, it should be solvable.

It made sense that the Tactician rejected by the World Tree wouldn’t get a trial opportunity…

Then an unexpected change occurred.

With a ‘thud’, a streak of red light shot out from a Commemorative Poké Ball and landed on the steps. Sirfetch’d sharply turned his head toward Lu Ye, resembling a fearless knight.

“Gah! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧”

I heard someone calling me, quack!

Lu Ye: (⊙ˍ⊙)

He looked up at Sirfetch’d, then at the step beneath Sirfetch’d.

“Teacher Lu and Sirfetch’d… have also been given the trial?!”

Shata gasped. Two heroes at the same time—both might qualify for Reshiram’s recognition!

Lu Ye: ???

Sirfetch’d: “Gah… (°ー°〃)”

Seems like it's not the time to come out of the ball, quack…

Just as Sirfetch’d attempted to sneak back into the Commemorative Ball, he realized he didn’t have the moves “Relay” or “U-turn” and froze.

Lu Ye: “...Let Rotom stew you tonight.”

“Gah! (´థ౪థ)σ”

The trial began. Sirfetch’d could not leave the spiral stairs and locked eyes with Lu Ye through a transparent barrier, speechless.

He looked like a little white duck staring at you through the glass of a roast-duck shop.

Lu Ye stepped into the depths and recalled the trembling Sirfetch’d into the ball. He stared at the white pillar rising from the center of the spiral staircase.

‘I wonder if Reshiram will grant Lu Ye a favor.’

Teacher Lu thought.

“That’s Reshiram…” Ash said.

“More precisely, Reshiram within the Light Stone,” Lu Ye said.

The spiral staircase resembled an Escher-like maze with no end.

Lu Ye used his Power of Transcendence to disperse the mist and soon reached the bottom cavern, realizing the stairs weren’t as long as he had imagined.

He glanced back at the steps and twitched.

Ash tumbled all the way down the stairs, groaning in pain, wiping dust and scratches from his cheeks.

That fool’s tenacity… worth praising!

“Aah…” Ash looked up. “Teacher Lu, what’s this?”

“Tree fruit powder.” Lu Ye shook a small glass vial. “It’s applied to wounds to ease the pain.”

“I’m fine.” Ash lifted his chin and smiled. “When I was little I had worse injuries. I even carried someone out of a forest!”

Lu Ye felt a twinge in his heart, the déjà vu in his mind dispersing as he looked at the Light Stone gleaming on the stone slab.

It was a round stone, luminous like glass—the legend says the deeply sleeping Reshiram slowly transformed into this over time.

The white pillar from the Light Stone dimmed, finally dissolving into crystalline light flakes that drifted through the cavern.

Lu Ye stared at the flakes in a daze, then, regaining his composure, looked around the void-like space.

“A mental world?”

Lu Ye realized this wasn’t space-power like Palkia’s, but more like an exchange between consciousnesses.

Reshiram, too, had seen storms and trials.

Teacher Lu calmly looked up.

Before him floated a graceful, proud white dragon—

Feathers soft and cloudlike, snow-white. White wings spread, cloud-like hair long and smooth like twin white ponytails.

Reshiram lifted its slender neck adorned with silver rings. Its bright blue eyes looked down and met Lu Ye’s gaze.

Lu Ye’s eyes drifted down to Reshiram’s soft belly feathers, the strong legs with sharp rear plumage, and the torch-like engine on the side of its tail root.

“So cute—it must be a boy,” Lu Ye thought.

“Gender has no meaning for Legendary Pokémon,” Reshiram’s neutral, calm, ethereal voice said, lowering its head to look at Lu Ye.

“But if it helps you humans, I will say I am male.”

Lu Ye raised an eyebrow.

“Here, you can communicate directly through thoughts,” Reshiram explained.

Compared to the Temporal-Spatial Twin Dragons Lu Ye had encountered, Reshiram’s temperament seemed gentler.

“May I ask you a question?” Lu Ye asked.

“Of course, human hero,” Reshiram inclined its head lightly.

You and the Blue-Eyed White Dragon—scratch that.

“Is Zekrom in trouble?” Lu Ye asked directly.

Reshiram was silent, then nodded lightly.

As expected… Lu Ye’s expression turned odd. Poor N!

“Now, I will ask you something.”

Reshiram’s calm hid a slight heartbeat of worry. “Why do I sense Arceus’s aura on you?”

“Because I smashed Arceus to pieces,” Lu Ye said.

As a True Dragon, Reshiram could tell truth from lies.

Reshiram stared: “…”

Lu Ye looked candid: “…”

Reshiram: ???!

The thing he’d just said was actually ‘true’!!

“Start the trial quickly,” Lu Ye said. “I’m in a hurry to rescue people.”

Judging from that roar, Zekrom was likely in danger—perhaps forced to become fusion material.

“Ahem, um… allow me a moment to prepare…”

Reshiram hadn’t fully recovered;

this truth hit it too strongly.

Lu Ye looked around and asked, “What about the other boy? He didn’t gain your approval?”

“Regrettably, he does have the potential to become a hero, but not yet,” Reshiram said.

Version updated: Ash and N’s ranks don’t match—’White Hero’ account handed to substitute Lu Ye!

Reshiram unfurled majestic, snow-white wings, its cloudlike fur swirling. Its crystalline blue eyes met Lu Ye’s, and in a solemn tone it intoned:

“What is your truth?”

Lu Ye blinked.

One moment they were chatting, the next he was being interviewed?

The atmosphere shifted sharply as crystalline white light spread through the dark mental world.

Lu Ye stroked his chin and pondered for a moment.

If asked about ‘ideals’, Teacher Lu could answer easily.

But ‘truth’ was too broad: the truth of Surf’s accuracy, the truth of the diary’s “A-Jin” that could never be erased…

Considering the true purpose of his trip to Unova, Lu Ye tentatively answered: “To compete in the Baby Cup?”

Reshiram fell silent, and the surroundings began to fade.

Lu Ye snapped back and saw the Light Stone before him blaze brilliantly.

Reshiram materialized in the light, fanning swaying white wings and stirring powerful winds. Its tail engine glowed red-hot, sparks flying with the heat, and its voice was majestic and grave!

“Your courage is what’s true!”

Lu Ye’s mouth twitched.

What does the Baby Cup have to do with courage?!

Any answer would do—this was just going through the motions, right?

So sincere, Reshiram!

…

Reshiram’s telepathy echoed in the hearts of everyone waiting.

“Reshiram has truly awakened?!” Shata cried in disbelief.

The sleeping True Dragon, dormant for hundreds of years, had accepted a new White Hero today!

Mayor: “Is it Ash, or Lu Ye?”

Suddenly everyone widened their eyes as the snow-white form burst through the subterranean barriers and beat its wings, whipping up a fierce wind!

Shata braced herself against the gust and looked up at the white dragon hovering in the air;

her heart nearly stopped.

To believe in truth, to guide goodness across the world, to help those brave enough to pursue truth!

The legendary white dragon, Reshiram!

Surrounded by a halo-like energy barrier, Reshiram lifted its slender neck proudly, folded its wings, and slowly descended onto the platform.

Only then did Shata and the others see a trainer riding on Reshiram’s back—

“Teacher Lu?!” Kalita exclaimed.

They already thought Teacher Lu being recognized was the limit—

They never expected Reshiram to allow him to ride!

The entire Ein Doach Kingdom had seen no one gain Reshiram’s recognition in centuries.

Teacher Lu had been here less than a day;

the guardian beast Victini was ready to flee with him, and now Reshiram had also fallen for him!?

Lu Ye was stroking Reshiram’s silky, cloud-soft white feathers with delight, grinning.

This texture beats real leather sofas—irresistible!

Reshiram tilted its head slightly and gave him a look of quiet grievance, but then thought of him as “Arceus’s messenger” and decided to show some favor.

Suddenly a warm aura flowed from the World Tree’s vicinity through Reshiram’s back, wrapping its whole body.

That World-Tree-like warmth made Reshiram involuntarily relax.

“Wuu~!” Reshiram raised its head and emitted an ethereal, far-reaching cry;

its twin-white hair swayed in the wind.

This True Hero I have chosen—Huupa (Hoopa) couldn’t stop him now!

Lu Ye had ridden Regigigas and piloted Giratina;

in terms of comfort, nothing beat Reshiram.

“Nimi~” “Chajiduyi!” Victini and Togepi rolled in Reshiram’s feathers, delighting in the softness of the white plumage.

Reshiram’s bright blue pupils revealed a trace of humanlike helplessness, but the blue flames it used as punishment only targeted evildoers.

Someone like Teacher Lu—with dark humor, cunning, and a slightly flawed heart—still possessed the qualities of a True Hero! (Confirmed)

“Using Reshiram’s flames can break the Sword of the Land’s barrier.”

Lu Ye rode between Reshiram’s snowy wings, his black fringe whipping in the wind. He looked at Victini’s upturned face and smiled:

“Would you like to go see the snow with me, Victini?”

Victini slowly widened his eyes, radiated light, bared his little tooth, and made a V sign with a wink:

“Nimi!”

“I will aid my brother, Zekrom,” Reshiram’s telepathy said.

“I understand,” Teacher Lu replied. “I also have a student I must save.”

“Student?”

“A student forever seeking the meaning between humans and Pokémon—innocent and kind.”

Reshiram fell silent, then said, “Perhaps I judged wrong.”

“What?”

“You are not merely truth.”

Reshiram turned its head slightly, its deep eyes looking back at Lu Ye.

“Your ideals reveal your truth.”

Whoosh—

Under a clear blue sky, Reshiram beat its snow-white wings, its body shrouded in a halo-like barrier, and soared through the clouds.

Shata and the mayor stood on the platform watching the disappearing figure, stunned.

Through the swirling clouds, the ‘Dragon Knight’ Teacher Lu tilted his head slightly, his expression growing subtly complex.

“Reshiram, let’s discuss something.”

“Please speak.”

“Slow down a bit.” Lu Ye said sheepishly. “I’m afraid of heights…”

Reshiram: “…”

You really are something, True Hero!