Chapter 288:The Story of Meloetta

Misuzu took a bite of the sandwich.

The flavors of fruits, vegetables, and meat exploded in her mouth.

Though the ingredients were diverse, they blended together perfectly. Misuzu then took a sip of the fresh milk with honey, which was topped with petals from Fairy Flowers.

As she drank, Misuzu slowly closed her eyes.

The sweet, creamy aroma overwhelmed her senses.

At that moment, Misuzu felt as though she were standing in a garden, with Combee fluttering around her.

Miltank leisurely walked past her.

This feeling was so comforting~

"Ah~"

Misuzu exhaled, then opened her eyes again.

"Indeedee?"

Indeedee looked at Misuzu expectantly.

Misuzu spoke softly, "Even the best food made by top breeders couldn't compare to this."

"It's truly delicious."

"Indeedee~"

Indeedee sensed the emotions radiating from Misuzu and couldn't help but smile.

Misuzu held her milk cup and suddenly turned to Natsume. "Gym Leader Natsume, have you heard of Meloetta?"

Natsume nodded slightly.

"Of course."

"Meloetta, the mythical Pokémon of legend."

"It's said that many of the world's most famous melodies originated from Meloetta's performances. It's the deity of melody."

After speaking, Natsume looked at Misuzu and asked, "Your inability to sing—is it related to Meloetta?"

Misuzu's grip on the cup tightened unconsciously. "Yes."

"Three months ago, I was filming in the Giant Chasm Forest in the Unova Region."

"At the time, I was recording a song, and some Pokémon were flying around."

"But suddenly, an explosion sounded."

Misuzu recounted her experience in the Giant Chasm Forest three months ago to Natsume.

The Giant Chasm Forest lived up to its name, with towering trees everywhere.

It was a sunny day, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, illuminating the straight forest path.

Boom~

With a loud crash, a beam of light struck the middle of the road. Amid the billowing smoke, a small Pokémon rushed out.

Rumble~

Behind it, an airship descended.

A transparent crystal, guided by some mysterious force, floated beside the airship.

Inside the crystal was a person dressed in special attire.

"Meloetta, if you run again, this so-called guardian will die."

From the airship, a man in a black uniform and special glasses flew down on a small aircraft.

"Meloetta."

Meloetta looked at the man inside the crystal with hesitation. Seeing this, the man in black grinned and waved his hand. Instantly, electricity surged through the crystal.

"Ah!"

A piercing scream echoed.

"Meloetta!"

Meloetta grew frantic.

The man in black sneered, "Meloetta, you don't want him to keep suffering, do you?"

The man inside the crystal, however, remained defiant.

He shouted, "Meloetta, run!"

"Don't worry about me!"

Zap~

Electricity crackled.

"Ah!"

Another scream.

"Meloetta!"

The man in black coldly said, "Meloetta, I'll give you one last chance. Do you want him to live?"

Meloetta nodded dejectedly.

"Meloetta."

The man in black laughed. "Then please cooperate."

As he spoke, a small glass crystal, resembling a box, floated toward Meloetta.

Meloetta didn't resist.

"Meloetta!"

The imprisoned Meloetta pointed at the guardian.

The man in black mocked, "How naive."

"This guy has caused us so much trouble. There's no way we're letting him go."

As Misuzu reached this part of the story, Aiko walked out of her room. Hearing the crucial part, Aiko couldn't help but ask, "Meloetta wasn't captured, was it?"

Misuzu shook her head at Aiko.

"No, when Meloetta realized it had been deceived, it became furious."

"Then, it suddenly began to sing in the air."

Meloetta's singing was incredibly beautiful, like the voice of an angel.

On the ground, Misuzu, who had been watching everything in confusion, felt her body grow weak as she listened to Meloetta's song. She wanted to sleep.

The man in black on the aircraft seemed to realize something and shouted, "Stop it!"

Zap~ Boom!

A powerful surge of electricity rushed toward Meloetta.

"Meloetta!"

Boom!

The last thing Misuzu heard was a painful cry and an explosion.

Then, she passed out.

When she woke up, she saw Pokémon firefighters.

The airship was burning on the ground, and there were many Pokémon Rangers and police officers.

After that, we halted filming and returned to Japan.

Misuzu looked at Natsume and touched her neck.

"But from that day on, I lost my ability to sing."

"Every time I try to sing, I see Meloetta's angry face in my mind, and I feel a sharp pain."

After finishing her story, Misuzu looked at Natsume with hope. "I'm worried about that Meloetta."

"I'm also afraid I'll never be able to sing again."

"Gym Leader Natsume, please, if you can, help me."

[Prompt: Optional Quest Triggered]

[Quest Name: The Singer and Meloetta]

[Quest Requirement 1: Find and resolve the singer's inability to sing]

[Quest Reward: Secret Treasure Draw1; Rare Candy1]

[Quest Requirement 2: Help Meloetta escape danger]

[Quest Reward: Secret Treasure Draw3; Rare Candy3]

Natsume rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.

"Lopunny~"

Lopunny immediately ran behind Natsume, standing on a chair to massage his shoulders.

Lopunny hoped Natsume would help her.

Natsume glanced at Lopunny. "I'll help her."

"After all, I'd like to hear Meloetta's legendary singing too."

"Lopunny~"

"That's great, Yao Xi."

Aiko cheered. "If Gym Leader Natsume is willing to help, then there's no problem at all."

Natsume flicked Aiko's forehead. "While I've agreed to help, I can't guarantee a 100% solution."

Misuzu spoke gratefully, "I understand, but with Gym Leader Natsume's help, I at least have hope."

Natsume smiled wryly. "Actually, regarding your issue, I think it's likely due to the effects of Meloetta's sound waves and psychic powers."

"It caused some mental damage, so to heal, we just need to find Meloetta."

"And based on what you said earlier, Meloetta probably escaped in the end."

Natsume then turned to Rotom.

"Rotom, help me look up information about the Giant Chasm Forest in Unova."

"Got it, Rotom~"

Rotom quickly provided the results.

"Rotom, I found out that the Giant Chasm Forest is currently under lockdown. No one is allowed to enter without permission."

"And the lockdown started three months ago."

Hearing this, Natsume looked at the two in front of him. "Good news. It seems Meloetta really wasn't captured."

"And it's very likely still hiding in the Giant Chasm Forest!"