Back at the apartment building, Mingyou finally escaped Flutter Mane's clutches. He had planned to tell Auntie Hibari how the missing-person case had turned out, but she wasn't home. She must have gone out on another errand.
He would have to wait until she returned that evening. So he went back to the neighborhood park. His apartment was too small; Iron Valiant and the others would only feel cramped inside.
"I'll contact Slaking Moving Company tomorrow and have them send some Vigoroth to help me move. If I put it off a few days, I might run out of time."
Mingyou planned to return to Kitakami that weekend. He had originally intended to sell the apartment after moving, but he no longer needed the money, and on second thought, he was reluctant to part with it.
After careful consideration, he decided to give the apartment to Auntie Hibari's family as a small repayment for all the years they had looked after him.
He looked over and saw Kirlia standing anxiously beside Iron Valiant. Iron Valiant didn't seem injured, so why wouldn't it wake up? Kirlia couldn't sense any sign of life from it, either. It had become a heap of scrap metal.
It wasn't dead, was it?
"Neru..."
"It's just shut down to rest. Paradox Pokémon are a little different from you."
Mingyou walked over to explain and comfort Kirlia.
Future Paradox Pokémon had no stamina to speak of. They moved entirely on energy converted from electricity. In that future, even humans had become Digital Life, so Pokémon had naturally changed to adapt.
"Wumu..."
Would the future really turn out like that?
Ogerpon grew worried at the explanation. That future sounded frightening and cruel, both for humans and for Pokémon.
Noticing how Ogerpon felt, Mingyou smiled and stroked its head.