In the end, Dian politely declined Professor Xiuli's invitation to stay the night. As a grown man, it would have been inappropriate for him to spend the night in a home with the man's wife and daughter.
After recalling Ursaring and retrieving Misdreavus, who had been sneaking snacks, Dian finally headed home.
Before leaving, Dian promised Professor Xiuli that, if needed, he could teach his daughter how to raise Teddiursa.
His methods were rather rough, however, and might subject Teddiursa's worldview to a certain irreversible overhaul.
Aboard the Airship, Dian slowly exhaled and drew the curtains. Only now did he truly appreciate the saying that a haven of tenderness was a hero's grave.
That was not necessarily a bad thing. It was simply that, when someone weighed on your heart, certain things became inconvenient or difficult to do.
Dian slowly closed his eyes, tapping his fingers against the armrest. Eventually, he took another deep breath, his gaze turning contemplative.
As a Pokémon Ranger, he naturally had an area to investigate, and it was one he knew very well,
the Land of the Earth, Eindoak Town!
"While I'm at it, I can test whether the power separated from Jirachi can resolve the malice of the earth."
Dian murmured to himself. During his absence, Beheeyem had used his technology to separate out a portion of Jirachi's power.
Tests had confirmed that this power could indeed affect the earth's veins and even stimulate plant growth.
Whether it could neutralize the malice of the earth, however, remained unknown.
Still, the root of Eindoak Town's problem was the distortion of the dragon vein. There was a good chance it could solve that; failing that, it should at least provide some relief.
There was also the Phantom Core that Zorua and Zoroark had deciphered.
Dian had