Under the sparse, starry sky from last month, two mysterious figures appeared high above, ascending rapidly.
"Sir Dimension Merchant, you're truly incredible!"
The three led by Crickets, lying in the safety seats behind Pidgeot, were filled with awe. At Mach 3 speed, it was difficult for them to even lift their heads, yet Leo, beside them, was flying effortlessly through the sky using only his physical abilities.
Soon, the gap between the two figures widened.
Although they had set off to ascend together, Leo's speed far outstripped that of a level 30 Pidgeot. After a brief farewell, Leo shot ahead, disappearing into the moonlit clouds in the distance.
Even in the dark night, the moonlight illuminated the rolling clouds before him.
Passing through layers of mist-like clouds, Leo suddenly encountered a strange resistance.
"We're almost there..."
Leo grinned.
Based on the settings of this world, he should be at an altitude of about 7,000 meters.
At this altitude, the clouds are primarily composed of a special type called "sea clouds," forming a sea where ships can sail—the White Sea.
Leo's destination lay 3,000 meters above the White Sea—the White—White Sea!
Suddenly, with a sound like a barrier being pierced, Leo burst through the white clouds.
Moonlight bathed him, casting an immense shadow on the White Sea below, like a giant spirit descending from the sky.
"Fuu~ I'm finally here!"
Leo, who hadn't traveled like this in a long time, smiled softly and called forth Eevee, who was still engrossed in playing "Pokémon Arceus" in another space.
Eevee appeared suddenly, momentarily stunned, and looked around blankly at the unfamiliar surroundings while continuing to control the game console with its paws.
"Eevee? (Where are we?)"
"This is Sky Island," Leo chuckled, clearly enjoying the surprise.
Ignoring Eevee's resistance, he placed it on his shoulder with a smile, saying,
"Enough with the games, little guy. There's a tough battle ahead for you~"
As he spoke, Leo suddenly released his psychic powers, fully revealing his aura. At the same time, he activated his Observation Haki, covering the entire Sky Island.
Within seconds, Leo's eyes gleamed with excitement.
He smiled and said, "I've found you, God of Sky Island!"
In an instant, Leo's psychic power activated, and he vanished.
At that very moment!
In the palace of Upper Yard on the Island of Gods, Enel, who was about to eat his last apple before sleeping, was suddenly startled, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Strange, why would someone suddenly appear there!?"
Muttering curiously, he prepared to release his Observation Haki, mixed with radio waves, to investigate.
But before he could, a voice echoed in his ears:
"Good evening, Enel."
Enel: !?
ZAP!
A brilliant flash of lightning erupted as Enel shot a bolt of thunder toward the source of the voice.
"Who's there!?"
He yelled, transforming his body into pure lightning, leaving his warm bed to stand in the center of the room.
Looking up, he spotted a strange man standing next to his bed, smiling at him.
However...
Enel, whose Observation Haki was powerful, suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
Despite the friendly smile, in his perception, the man looked at him as if he were a predator eyeing a delicious meal.
"How dare a mere mortal intrude upon the palace of a god!!!"
Enel's body radiated with a brilliant white light, his face twisted in fury. Heat radiated from his skin, though whether it was from anger or something else was unclear.
Enel had always considered himself a god, but today, he was shocked by a mere mortal!
If word of this got out, where would he hide his shame?
Without hesitation, Enel extended a hand, summoning a bolt of lightning to his palm.
"Die!"
WHOOSH!
The terrifying bolt shot out, like a sharp arrow aimed directly at Leo's heart.
But Leo, unfazed by Enel's attack, merely smiled and gently extended a finger, tapping the lightning bolt.
And then, a miraculous thing happened!
The blazing white bolt of lightning froze in mid-air, as if time had stopped.
Even the flickering light of the bolt became static.
Leo's smile remained unchanged as he softly said,
"Why are today's customers so irritable?"
"Business really is getting difficult..."
Leo murmured with a half-amused, half-exasperated tone.
As he spoke, he flicked his finger against the lightning.
In that instant, the lightning seemed to become solid, shooting backward towards the wall behind Enel.
BOOM!
The lightning struck the wall with terrifying force, blasting a huge hole through it.
"..."
Enel was stunned, unable to comprehend how his simple attack had been returned like a missile.
Looking into Leo's dark, deep eyes from such close range, Enel—who claimed to be a god—began to sweat profusely.
For the first time, he felt that he couldn't defeat the person in front of him.
This wasn't Enel giving in; his Observation Haki was simply so sharp that he could sense the overwhelming strength Leo possessed.
At first, he thought it was just an illusion, but after seeing Leo block his lightning with a single finger, Enel was certain...
His mental network hadn't deceived him!
He couldn't win against this man!
"Who... who are you!?"
Enel asked, his voice betraying his nerves.
For someone who considered himself a god, asking this question was more humiliating than death.
But the terrifying strength he sensed in Leo made him deeply fearful.
"Me?" Leo continued to smile as he snapped his fingers crisply.
Snap!
An invisible wave surged out.
All the guards and priests in the God's Palace who had heard the commotion suddenly closed their eyes and froze in place, as if hypnotized.
Then, Leo answered,
"I am a dimensional merchant from the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce. I'm here to find suitable traders..."
"The Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce? A dimensional merchant?"
Having never encountered the outside world, Enel had no concept of other dimensions. His face showed confusion.
But Leo just smiled softly, extending his hand towards the empty air.
Information about Pokémon and trading flowed into Enel's mind like a stream.
After a moment, Enel slowly opened his eyes, disbelief evident in his expression.
He looked at Leo again, unconsciously starting to compare the gap between their strengths...
The man before him seemed far closer to the title of [God].
"This..."
Understanding everything clearly, Enel was at a loss for words.
In truth, he wanted to apologize to Leo for his earlier offense, but his arrogance prevented him from lowering himself.
Fortunately, Leo didn't seem to mind.
Just moments ago, Leo had scanned the entire Sky Island and discovered a large cache of gold stored in one of the rooms in Enel's palace.
Based on Leo's understanding of the current redemption rates, that gold could be worth at least 300,000 points!
And this was only a portion of Sky Island's gold reserves!
Beneath the underground of Shandora lies a vast amount of gold.
However, since Enel hasn't claimed the gold yet, it's still ownerless and cannot be traded.
But...
30,000 points—even if Leo gives a fifth of that to Enel, the remainder is enough to make him excited!
Driven by the prospect of gaining points, Leo decided to take the initiative when Enel remained silent for a while.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Leo looked at Enel and said,
"So, Enel, God of Sky Island, are you interested in a dimensional trade across worlds?"
"Trade?"
Enel hesitated for a moment, remaining silent.
After a brief pause, he suddenly raised his head, staring at Leo as he asked,
"Are you a god?"
"A god?"
Leo, who could perceive Enel's true thoughts through the power of the waveguide, was momentarily stunned. Then, a genuine smile appeared on his face.
He sensed a deep uncertainty in Enel's heart—a realization that, after discovering he was merely a big fish in a small pond, Enel began doubting his own existence and significance.
Leo responded:
"If by 'god' you mean what you believe in, then yes, I am."
Leo smiled lightly as a powerful force emanated from his hand, forming a massive palm that suddenly enveloped Enel.
A fatal sense of crisis instantly gripped Enel's mind.
In that moment, Enel was horrified to find that his body was completely immobilized. He could only watch helplessly as the terrifying giant palm descended upon him.
Bang!
Just when Enel thought he had angered Leo with his question, the sky-encompassing palm suddenly burst like a balloon and disappeared.
Leo continued:
"If gods can control the lives of living beings at will and know everything in the world, then yes, I can indeed do that."
"Not only that, I can freeze time, reverse life and death, cut through space, and reshape the world…"
"According to your understanding, in your world, I do indeed possess the power of a god."
Leo smiled, his tone devoid of any arrogance, as if he were merely stating a simple truth.
And perhaps because of this, after seeing the mysterious black light shining in Leo's deep pupils, Enel felt as though he were witnessing a true god.
The arrogance in Enel's eyes gradually faded, replaced by profound respect.
Thud!
To Leo's surprise, the once proud and arrogant Enel suddenly knelt to the ground with a heavy thud!
Removing the Thunder God's drum from his back, Enel bowed his head and kowtowed:
"Your Majesty, God, mortal Enel pledges to follow you as your humble servant. I hope you accept me!"
???
Leo, who had been planning to guide Enel through the trade, was suddenly taken aback. Seeing Enel kneeling on the ground, Leo's eyes widened in disbelief.
What's happening?
Does he want to follow me?
Leo blinked in confusion as he stared at Enel in disbelief.
What's going on?
Wasn't the plan for me to demonstrate my powers, introduce the concept of Pokémon, and convince him to trade gold for points?
How did it suddenly turn into a scene where I, as the king, gain a subordinate out of the blue?
Is this still the self-proclaimed god, Enel, the Thunder God who believed, "Heaven is the boss, and I'm the second in command"?
Enel's sudden change in behavior left Leo completely puzzled.
It wasn't that Leo disliked being revered or followed by others.
The problem was that if Leo accepted Enel as a subordinate, then all of Enel's possessions would automatically become part of Leo's.
And that would mean Leo wouldn't be able to exploit the loopholes in the system rules to exchange for points!
No, I can't accept him!
Leo quickly calmed himself and used the power of the waveguide and his observational Haki to probe deep into Enel's mind.
This was the first time since his time travel that Leo had encountered something so unexpected so he wants to see what's on this guy's mind.
After a moment, Leo suddenly revealed a faint smile, understanding why Enel had suddenly submitted.
It turns out...
In Enel's heart, gods are supreme beings!
Just as he once believed himself to be a god and expected everyone on Sky Island to respect and obey him, this wasn't driven by a desire to rule.
Rather, in Enel's mind, this was simply how mortals should treat gods.
So, upon realizing the vast difference in power between himself and Leo, he immediately acknowledged Leo's status as a [god].
That's why he knelt down and offered his devotion to this "god."
This shift in mentality had truly caught Leo off guard.
He couldn't help but laugh to himself.
Yes, I've dug a hole and now I've fallen into it.
Now, I must change Enel's view on worshiping gods...
Otherwise, in Enel's subconscious, there's this notion that "everything in the world belongs to the gods."
And that would mean all the hundreds of thousands of points that Leo values would be completely wasted!
Enel, Enel, who would have thought that beneath those big ears of yours lies such a devout heart?
But…
I preferred your unruly demeanor at the beginning. Can you go back to that?
"Ahem!"
Leo cleared his throat and said helplessly,
"Get up, Enel."
With a wave of his hand, he summoned a telekinetic force to lift Enel to his feet.
Leo shook his head and continued,
"The true god does not stand on the same level as those who worship Him."
In that moment, Leo was immensely grateful that before his time travel, he had lived in a country where the people were the masters and everyone was a sovereign being.
For Leo, it might be challenging to change someone's beliefs.
But he certainly had plenty of advice to dissuade someone from feudal superstition!
(End of this chapter)