Pokemon: Skybound Chapter 456: 456. Willpower or Crystal?

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The banquet was only halfway through, yet before Ash, Misty, and Brock stood towering stacks of empty plates, dozens of them sared with sauce and crumbs. Each of them leaned back against their chairs, rubbing their bulging stomachs with satisfied groans.

As always, whenever an opportunity like this ca around, they didn't hold back. If they weren't leaving the banquet hall barely able to walk, they didn't consider the feast a success.

Now that the food coma had set in, the group finally had ti to engage in casual conversation with Maya.

Of all of them, Brock was clearly the most enthusiastic. From the mont he laid eyes on the elegant priestess, he had practically turned to stone in admiration.

Now, with no restraint at all, he launched into every story from their journey, thrilling battle, and quirky tale, throwing everything he could at her in hopes of earning her favor.

Maya, however, was no stranger to this kind of attention. She had seen plenty of n chard by her looks and had perfected the art of maintaining a polite but unmistakable distance.

Still, it was clear that Maya, who had likely spent most of her life confined within temple walls, found their stories genuinely fascinating.

As she listened to their wild, daring adventures, her expression shifted unconsciously tinged with admiration and yearning.

Her interest peaked when Ash recounted their battle on Shamouti Island: the chaos involving the Legendary Birds, their fight to stop the collector, and how they ultimately joined forces with Lugia to restore balance. Maya wasn't the only one caught off guard the nearby attendants were visibly stunned.

"You've seen the Sea Guardian with your own eyes?" she asked, wide-eyed.

Ash nodded. "Of course! Not only did we see it we fought alongside it. With Kai's three birds joining the battle, there were seven Legendary Pokémon in total—"

Crunch!

Before he could finish, Misty stomped on his foot so hard that Maya actually turned her head in surprise.

"OWWW! Misty! What was that for?!"

Idiot.

Misty glared at him, exasperated.

You almost revealed Kai's trump card!

That kind of information wasn't sothing you casually shared with outsiders especially not with soone tied to a sacred institution like the Sea Temple.

Of course, she couldn't explain that in front of Maya, so instead, she shoved a giant drumstick straight into Ash's mouth.

"You're clearly still hungry," she said sweetly. "Have another chicken leg."

Whether it was the force behind it or the poor angle, the drumstick practically lodged itself in Ash's throat, causing him to gag and clutch at his mouth.

Kai wasn't surprised by any of this. He had seen these two bicker too many tis to count, but Maya looked mildly alard until she realized no one else seed bothered. She quickly understood: this wasn't a real fight, just the casual roughhousing of close companions.

Friends… What a beautiful word…

With the awkward mont behind them, conversation resud.

But as the banquet drew to a close, the tone shifted.

Maya's expression sobered, and Kai instinctively sat straighter. He could sense it this was the part where things got serious.

Seated at the long table, Maya cleared her throat gently and formally addressed Kai, extending an invitation for him to remain at the Sea Temple.

Only now did Kai learn of the tradition: when a local champion won the Whirl Cup, they were often asked to stay and assist with temple duties, symbolizing a bridge between strength and faith. It was a mutually beneficial arrangent one that brought honor and influence to both the champion and the Temple.

But for outlanders, the Temple held no sway. Very few had ever chosen to stay.

Kai didn't even hesitate.

He declined.

Maya sighed softly, not surprised in the slightest.

She had expected this. Soone like Kai was never ant to be tethered to a single place. Still, tradition demanded she ask.

Once her composure returned, she shifted gears.

"After we returned from the arena," she began, "I dug through the Temple's records. In nearly two thousand years, no one else has experienced what you have. But I discovered sothing… intriguing."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "You an I'm the only one?"

Maya nodded. "The Sea Warrior is chosen once every three years. Aside from a brief interruption centuries ago due to regional unrest, there have been nearly 600 Warriors recorded in our history. We've reviewed every single one—none of them received the blessing the way you did."

"Except one," she added, her gaze eting Kai's. "The first Sea Warrior. At the founding of the Sea Temple, he experienced sothing identical to yours."

Kai leaned forward. "And after all this ti, no one else?"

"Not a single case," she said firmly. "And after your ceremony… have you noticed any changes? Anything different about yourself?"

Before he could answer, Misty chid in excitedly.

"We've tested it already! Kai might not have full telepathy with Water-types, but he can sense their emotions clearly!"

Maya fell silent for a mont, stunned. Then she looked at Kai with a renewed intensity and nodded slowly.

"Then it's true. You really are the one chosen by the Sea Guardian."

Kai frowned slightly. "So what is that gem—the Ocean Soul? Why does it have this kind of power?"

Maya paused, then spoke with reverence.

"The ancient texts say it ca from the deepest parts of the ocean. It's said that the oceans will crystallize into a tangible form—brilliant, radiant, and alive with energy. But there's another theory…"

She lowered her voice.

"So believe the Ocean Soul is the essence—the crystallized remnant—of the Sea Guardian itself. That perhaps… Lugia once died, and from its passing, this gem was born."

A long silence fell.

The will of the ocean?

The remnants of a dead god?

Either possibility sounded almost too mythical to comprehend.

Everyone fell quiet, their minds reeling.

Why now?

Why Kai?

And what made him different from the hundreds who ca before?

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