It took Aoki 20 minutes to convince Regice that the Slowking was in some way connected to Mew.
To show respect, Regice deliberately bowed halfway to the Slowking, acknowledging its reverence for Mew. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ noᴠelfire.net
This gesture nearly frightened the Slowpoke.
Twenty minutes later, Aoki's psychic powers were exhausted, and he could only maintain contact with Regice through Slowking's assistance.
Finally, they returned to the main topic. Regice had two reasons for seeking Mew—one was to return to Neverland, and the other was to ask Mew for a favor.
Aoki chose not to reveal that Neverland had already been discovered and that Team Rocket was invading it. Returning now would only lead them into a trap.
Though Regirock and Registeel in the Mew Ruins were powerful, the champion-level trainers Team Rocket had dispatched might eventually overpower them.
Aoki was certain that Team Rocket's victory in the Mew Ruins was only a matter of time.
If Regirock and Registeel resisted, they would either be captured and imprisoned or outright eliminated.
As part of the Legendary Titans, Regice, Regirock, and Registeel held deep reverence for Mew and would not obey human commands, even if caught in a Pokeball.
Unless Team Rocket used extreme measures to control them, their loyalty could not be guaranteed.
Would Regice soon suffer the same fate?
Aoki made a promise—if Regice waited patiently, he would help locate Mew within a few years. In exchange, Regice would assist Aoki in battles when needed, facing powerful foes.
However, capturing Regice was beyond Aoki's current ability.
It was Slowking who ultimately convinced Regice to trust Aoki.
This was the main reason it took 20 minutes for Regice to acknowledge Slowking's connection to Mew.
After consideration, Regice agreed but limited his assistance to three battles.
For Mew's sake, it was enough.
For now, Regice served as Aoki's insurance—a last resort against unbeatable opponents.
Aoki had initially considered luring Regice to Verdanturf Town but realized it would raise suspicions if a vanished Legendary suddenly reappeared there.
He then asked Regice what favor he needed from Mew—perhaps Aoki could help?
After repeated assurances, Regice finally explained.
What followed left Aoki stunned.
The sealed, mirror-like ice covering Regice's body suddenly cracked open. At first, Aoki assumed damage had weakened Regice, but then—
A fragment of ice broke away and transformed into a miniature Regice!
Aoki was completely baffled.
Since Regice was genderless, this had to be a form of splitting.
When a Carbink splits to create another, its strength drops drastically—sometimes halving entirely.
Regice's level had fallen because it had split off a smaller version of itself—a child, of sorts.
Father or mother? Irrelevant.
Aoki could only imagine the toll such a process took on Legendary Pokemon.
Yet Regice had only lost four levels—significant, but not catastrophic. Perhaps it had been recovering over time.
Aoki activated his system to scan the tiny Regice.
Pokemon: Regice (Quasi-Blue) (Incomplete)
Basic Moves: Explosion, Stomp, Icy Wind, Charge Beam, Bulldoze
A voice in his head urged him—Capture it! This Regice has no loyalties yet—a fully controllable Legendary!
But reason prevailed. The larger Regice was watching.
If Aoki tried to take the small Regice, the consequences would be dire.
Even if he escaped, Regice would pursue him relentlessly. Worse, the League would take notice, forcing Aoki to flee to Team Rocket.
He took a deep breath, dismissing the reckless thought.
Still, seeing the small Regice clarified Regice's request.
The miniature Regice was incomplete—likely because the splitting process had been halted prematurely.
This might explain why Regice had only lost four levels.
Aoki's system couldn't analyze a solution—only a being like Mew could fix this.
He sighed, torn between disappointment and relief.
Disappointed that the small Regice was flawed. Relieved he hadn't acted on impulse.
Having achieved his goal, Aoki prepared to leave.
Capturing Regice now was impossible—but perhaps in the future?
Before he left, Regice stopped him.
From the ice behind it, Regice produced a palm-sized ice crystal and stuffed it into Aoki's hands.