บท 192: Chapter 192: Creating a Pokémon, Soul Prison
Lucy was practically dragged out of bed and into the bathroom, where she began her morning routine of brushing her teeth and washing her face while listening to Nate explain his 'Celestial Pokémon' idea.
"Hmm? What's it about?" she asked.
"Stop talking with your mouth full," Nate replied.
Finishing up, Lucy rinsed, dabbed her face dry, and admired her reflection in the mirror.
"Ah, always so naturally gorgeous," she mused with a smile before turning back to Nate. "So, how am I supposed to help?"
"You've got that Celestial Spirit, Plue, right? Summon him."
"Like when I summoned him to sing last time?"
Lucy, as usual, was taken aback by Nate's imaginative ideas. She left the bathroom and opened the drawer of her bedside table, pulling out her keyring for the Celestial Spirits.
Without even realizing it, she'd managed to collect nearly all the Zodiac keys. Out of the twelve, she had nine: Aquarius, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, and Capricorn. Only Leo, Libra, and Pisces remained.
She looked at Nate with a warm smile, picked out the key for Canis Minor, and began the summoning:
"I am the one who opens the path to the Celestial Spirit World. Answer my call and cross the gate!"
"Open, Gate of the Canis Minor, Nikora!"
With that, the Celestial Spirit summoning circle glowed, and a small, white, shivering figure appeared in her room.
"Plue~"
Plue made its familiar sound, standing there with its legs trembling.
"Got to admit, it's cute," Nate thought. "As a pet, it'd definitely be popular. And, well, it is technically a pet."
"Plue's more of a companion-type spirit, not really for battle, but it's great at making people smile," Lucy explained, chuckling. "Plue, would you help Nate out with something?"
"Plue~!" Plue nodded eagerly, then, legs wobbling, shuffled over toward Nate.
Nate sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, gently patting its head and observing closely with his Six Eyes. He found Celestial Spirits fascinating—he'd studied Virgo several times before, but Plue was different. Maybe it was the difference between companion-type and combat-type spirits?
Lucy interrupted, "I'll go make breakfast. Want anything?"
"Already ate," Nate replied, not breaking his focus.
"Alright, I'll let you and Plue have your little talk," she said with a laugh as she left for the kitchen.
Once alone, Nate asked, "So, Plue, how many of you Canis Minor spirits are there?"
"Plue! Plue!" Plue raised its paws, making a circular motion in the air.
"A lot? How many is 'a lot'?"
"Plue~"
"Just 'a lot,' huh?" Nate chuckled. "Is it more than a thousand?"
Plue thought for a moment, hesitantly nodded, then shook its head as if unsure.
Nate sighed slightly. Not quite what he was hoping for.
There might only be a few hundred. For a typical Celestial Spirit Mage, that was more than enough. But for his 'Celestial Pokémon' game? A few hundred was nowhere near enough.
"Plue, I'm going to send some magic energy into you, alright? Don't resist."
Picking up Plue, Nate sent a controlled stream of magic energy into its body, using his Six Eyes to analyze its essence in detail. If the number of spirits was an issue, he could potentially create something similar himself.
If Zeref could create demons like those from the Book of Zeref, then surely he could attempt to create something akin to 'The Book of Pokémon.'
Back during the 'Lullaby' incident, he had studied a bit of demonology by observing the demon form of Lullaby. At that time, his understanding of Soul Magic had been too limited to succeed, but now? With his advanced understanding of Celestial Energy, he could try to craft a new type of life—something like Celestial Spirits but tailored to this game's needs.
He'd call them 'Celestial Pokémon!' They wouldn't need great strength; they would just be simple creatures, acting as vessels for [Magic Apps].
Half an hour passed.
Lucy prepared a hearty breakfast and, coming out of the kitchen, saw Nate sitting cross-legged, his palms facing each other. A small orb of golden celestial energy was forming between his hands, gradually taking the shape of a golden mouse. Then it continued to change, ultimately becoming a large, yellow mouse-like creature.
The creature had two brown stripes across its back, a lightning-bolt-shaped tail with a heart at the end, red cheeks, and long ears with black tips.
Lucy stared in astonishment. "What kind of magic is this?"
Her voice interrupted Nate's creation process. For a moment, a bead of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Thank you, Lucy—you saved me from a potential problem."
Lucy blinked, puzzled. "I didn't do anything, though."
"You interrupted me at just the right moment."
"Oh! Sorry!"
"No, actually, I'm glad you did."
Nate let out a sigh of relief. He had been so absorbed in the thrill of creating life that he was about to give this creature, which looked like a 'Pikachu,' a soul. But doing so might have invoked the curse of Ankhseram, the God governing Life and Death. Although he wasn't certain if a curse would fall, he didn't want to risk provoking a god he still held some respect for—at least, not until he was stronger.
Lucy, unaware of the danger, picked up the Pikachu-like creature and exclaimed, "What is this? It's adorable!"
Nate explained, "I based it on the demon Lullaby that Zeref created and on your spirit, Plue, to create a new type of being. I'm calling it a [Celestial Pokémon]." He clarified, "But right now, it's just a shell."
The energy cost for this creation wasn't high; it didn't have any powers and could be thought of as a simple puppet.
"So, did Plue help you?" Lucy held up the Pikachu, marveling, "I can feel its energy—it's kind of like a Celestial Spirit!"
"Well, of course," Nate thought, "I used celestial energy to replicate Plue, so it would have a similar aura."
Out loud, he replied, "This one's called Pikachu."
"Pikachu?" Lucy repeated, savoring the name. It was catchy.
"But it can't move. How will players command it in battle?"
"That's where another type of magic comes in. I'm going to show you a place, but you absolutely can't tell anyone about it."
Lucy's eyes widened as she pulled her arms around herself. She gave Nate a suspicious look.
Ouch. That reaction really stung.
"Promise—I'm not tricking you this time."
"Are you sure?"
"If I'm lying, I'm a little puppy."
"Alright, I'll trust you this once."
Nate laughed and extended his hand. "Take my hand. Where we're going is deep in the heart of Internet Magic, in its core."
Lucy felt a rush of excitement and placed her hand in his.
"I'm ready!"
In an instant, Nate focused his thoughts, and Lucy's consciousness detached from her body, joining him as they entered the depths of the network.
When her vision cleared, she found herself standing before a large cage in an endless void.
"What is this place?" Lucy asked, looking down to realize she was still holding Pikachu. It had come along with her?
Nate walked toward one of the cells, where a figure stood, someone she recognized—Kain Hikaru.
"This," he said, "is the Soul Prison."
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