“Hey! Don't say that! I think it really could work,” Iron Boulder said, his eyes suddenly brightening with excitement.
“Then it's settled that all three of us agree you're the most suitable,” Iron Crown said, nodding slightly, his movements steady and certain.
“Iron Crown, I can help you connect, but can't you just communicate directly with the Dragon Country?” Chen Kai still tried to distance himself, feeling the matter was too complicated and trivial.
Iron Crown slowly shook his head, his tone calm but with an undeniable rationality: “The rules of human society are complex and subtle, like an intricate web. Only when you humans interact with other humans can many potential problems be effectively avoided.
And we, with humans, inherently have huge differences.
Just like the island guardians you mentioned, if we directly communicate with too many human individuals, the vast differences and uncertainties could easily breed misunderstanding, provoke vigilance, or even lead to conflict. In such cases, it would often be counterproductive, or even lead to an outcome contrary to our wishes.”
He paused, seemingly giving Chen Kai time to think, then continued:
“A trustworthy human agent who understands both sides' needs and bottom lines is the most efficient and risk-controllable choice.
You, Chen Kai, have been in contact with us for nearly half a year, witnessing some of our ways and attitudes, and you are also familiar with the rules of the human society outside.
Considering everything, you are currently the most qualified candidate.”
Chen Kai fell silent.
He repeatedly chewed on Iron Crown's words and had to admit that the other party's considerations were extremely far-sighted and thorough.
The island guardians, as native Pokemon of Blue Star, faced many problems in communicating and interacting with humans, let alone having these powerful Paradox Pokemon from another world suddenly appear directly at the negotiating table. It was indeed not appropriate.
And he himself was indeed a rare intermediary who could communicate smoothly with both sides.
Moreover, he was the one who initially proposed this idea.
Now that Iron Crown, after careful consideration, entrusted this important task to him, he seemed to have no reason to back down, both emotionally and logically.
“I understand.” Chen Kai nodded firmly, his eyes revealing determination:
“Good! I accept this responsibility as an agent!
I will do my best to properly handle communication with the outside world and strive to find a way for both parties to coexist satisfactorily.”
Hearing Chen Kai's solemn promise, Iron Crown nodded gently and said, “Very good. Then I will have to trouble you a lot in the future.”
Then, the cluster of sharp horns on his forehead glowed blue, and the space in front of him seemed to ripple almost imperceptibly, as if he was searching for something from nothingness.
The next moment, a fist-sized, dark green, perfectly smooth cubic metal block, so smooth it could reflect moonlight and starlight, appeared out of thin air in front of Chen Kai.
This metal block had no superfluous patterns but emitted an extremely restrained yet resilient energy fluctuation, as if silently proclaiming its extraordinariness.
“Since you have taken on this responsibility, you need something to rely on.” Iron Crown handed the blue cube to Chen Kai:
“Iron Boulder gives you a gem that can store items, Iron Leaves gives you a gem that can summon him, and I, accordingly, should give you some assurance.”
He calmly explained: “This object contains abundant Steel-type energy.
When you need it, it can respond to your will, instantly forming an invisible Steel-type energy shield on your body, which can greatly enhance your resistance to physical impact.
Though not indestructible, it is sufficient to deal with most unexpected situations.”
Chen Kai was both surprised and delighted, not expecting such a precious gift.
He carefully reached out and took the blue cube.
The metal felt slightly cool and heavy in his hand, with an exceptionally smooth texture, as if holding a block of extremely compressed, cold energy.
“Thank you, Iron Crown! This is truly precious to me!” Chen Kai sincerely thanked him, then carefully put away this unexpected gift.
This gift was not only practical but also represented a deeper level of acceptance and trust, making Chen Kai feel Iron Crown's confidence in him.
“Alright, kid, it's settled.” Iron Boulder yawned, the alcohol seeming to kick in again, and he said gruffly:
“The specifics… when you've talked enough with the outside, come back and discuss them in detail with us… I need to go to sleep first…”
Saying that, he swayed to his feet, his steps slightly unsteady, preparing to float down from the rooftop.
Iron Crown also nodded slightly, his huge body silently floating backward, merging into the shadows again, as if he had never appeared, leaving only a faint aura as proof of his recent presence.
At this point, Iron Leaves elegantly took a step forward, his posture like a noble dancer, “It's getting late, I'll take you back.”
Chen Kai understood that the time for farewell had come. He went down and recalled all his Pokemon into their Poké Balls, then nodded to Iron Leaves, sincerely saying, “Thank you for your trouble.”
Iron Leaves said no more, a pink light flashed in the middle of his forehead, a soft, dreamlike glow that instantly teleported Chen Kai to the small cave entrance on the mountaintop that connected Area Zero and Blue Star.
“Oh! That's right!” Chen Kai suddenly remembered something and pulled out a bag of items from the orange gem, containing various things he had collected from France, the Capital, Alola, and other places.
There were small and exquisite models of the Eiffel Tower, commemorative badges of the Forbidden City from the Capital imbued with historical charm, Hawaiian shirts from Alola full of tropical flair, and uniquely shaped fishing hooks, etc…
“I forgot to give these to Iron Crown just now. Could you please hand them over?” Chen Kai wasn't sure if these things would be useful, but he just felt he had brought a lot and perhaps Iron Crown would be interested.
Iron Leaves gently opened the bag, glanced at its contents, and then put it away, his voice still elegant: “Okay, I will give them to him.”
Saying that, Chen Kai curiously looked at the cave in front of him. A question had been lingering in his mind for a long time, and at this moment, he finally couldn't help but ask: “Iron Leaves, do you know why this cave is the passage connecting Blue Star?”
The cave in front of him, rather than a cave, was more like a narrow crack between a large rock on the mountaintop and the mountain itself.
This crack extended inward, forming a small space that could barely be called a cave.
This cave looked truly ordinary, with nothing remarkable about it.
The entrance was small, just big enough for one person to squeeze through. For someone like Xiao Gao, who was a bit larger, or for Hydrapple and others, entering would be very difficult.
There was nothing pleasant to look at around either, just some scattered small pebbles lying around.
There were neither the beautiful stalactites of various shapes commonly found in solution caves, nor the legendary priceless rare treasures.
But it was precisely such a seemingly unremarkable cave that was currently the only passage connecting Blue Star and Area Zero.
Chen Kai and Miraidon had previously tried to find other places in Zining Mountain that could lead to Area Zero, but all their attempts were in vain. Miraidon also couldn't explain why.
Hearing Chen Kai, Iron Leaves also turned his gaze to the cave in front of him.
He carefully examined it, and even a pink light glowed in the middle of his forehead. The light was like a probe searching for truth, illuminating the inside of the cave. He was using his Psychic ability to investigate this cave.
The pink light slowly scanned the cave, as if to see through every inch of space.
A moment later, Iron Leaves shook his head, a hint of doubt in his tone: “I can't see anything unusual about this place.
It's highly likely that this place happens to be the weakest point in Area Zero's spacetime, or perhaps it's the closest place to Blue Star.”
“Maybe.” Since even Iron Leaves said so, Chen Kai could only agree with this speculation.