Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 344: 343



Naoki's question seemed to catch Alder off guard for a moment before he smiled, his face lighting up with enthusiasm. "Of course there are!" he said. "The most famous ones are the Twin Dragon Pokémon that represent ideals and truth."

"Twin Dragon Pokémon?" Naoki asked, his curiosity piqued.

Alder nodded. "They are Zekrom, an Electric-type, and Reshiram, a Fire-type," he explained. "Zekrom is a legendary Pokémon spoken of in myth. It generates powerful lightning with its tail. There's even a tale of a traveling trainer who once spotted it cutting across the sky."

He paused before continuing. "As for Reshiram, its tail ignites with flames that generate intense heat, altering the atmosphere and even changing the weather. According to ancient Unovan myths, Reshiram's flames would burn down kingdoms consumed by greed and deceit."

"That sounds incredible," Naoki remarked, his admiration evident.

"It is!" Alder said proudly. "These Pokémon have existed since before the founding of Unova itself. They embody the region's rich history and culture."

However, as Alder spoke, his expression grew somber. "But their allure is a double-edged sword. Many people, blinded by greed, have sought to control their legendary power for selfish purposes."

Alder's words carried weight. They hinted that Reshiram and Zekrom might not always remain dormant in their Dragon Stone forms. Occasionally, they might roam freely across Unova, much like ordinary Pokémon.

Naoki recalled an episode from the Pokémon anime where Ash first encountered Zekrom in Unova. Zekrom's attack had temporarily disrupted Pikachu's electrical abilities.

Alder, unaware of Naoki's musings, changed the subject. Unova's unique situation made him wary of saying too much. While the region appeared tranquil on the surface, he knew all too well about the undercurrents of unrest.

Months ago, a mysterious organization advocating the "liberation of Pokémon" had emerged. Through impassioned speeches, they stirred up public opinion, even accusing Alder of overburdening his Volcarona and causing its injuries. This ordeal had planted seeds of doubt in Alder's heart and played a part in his decision to step back from his duties as Champion. But these burdens weren't Naoki's to bear, so Alder chose to keep them to himself.

Instead, he steered the conversation in another direction. "By the way," he began, "just like Paldea has its shrine for Calyrex, Unova has its own Shrine of Abundance!"

"The Shrine of Abundance?" Naoki echoed, the name triggering recognition. "You mean the one connected to Landorus?"

Alder nodded. "Exactly. But unlike Calyrex, the Pokémon enshrined in Unova's shrine is Landorus. According to legend, Landorus absorbs wind and thunder, transforming them into energy to enrich the soil. Wherever it visits, the land flourishes, and crops grow abundantly. That's why it's often called the 'Guardian of the Fields.""

"It sounds remarkably similar to Calyrex's abilities."

"Indeed," Alder agreed with a chuckle. "Calyrex excels at instantly making crops grow, while Landorus specializes in rejuvenating the soil. Together, their powers would create an agricultural utopia!"

Naoki nodded thoughtfully, though his mind lingered on Reshiram and Zekrom. While Landorus and Calyre's abilities were impressive, it was the allure of the Twin Dragons-and their connection to Unova's mythology-that truly captivated him.

Naoki pondered Alder's earlier words and concluded that while finding Reshiram and Zekrom seemed improbable due to their elusive nature, Kyurem might be easier to locate. In the games, Kyurem resided in the Giant Chasm near Lacunosa Town. However, given the differences between the game's simplified geography and the vast, anime-like realism of this world, even that wasn't guaranteed.

Determined to gather more information after arriving in Unova, Naoki considered visiting Dragonspiral Tower in Icirrus City if time allowed, hoping to encounter the legendary Pokémon there. Such an experience would be unforgettable.

The flying taxi carried Naoki and Alder swiftly to their destination. Once they arrived, they immediately headed to the bustling port. At the ticket counter, they purchased two direct tickets to Driftveil City, in the Unova region.

As luck would have it, a luxury cruise ship was about to set sail. The duo hurriedly boarded, tickets in hand, just as the ship's whistle blew. The grand vessel began to glide gracefully from the dock into the open sea.

Watching the city's skyline shrink in the distance, Naoki let out a breath of relief. "We made it just in time," he remarked.

Alder, ever the optimist, clapped Naoki on the back. "This ship will reach Driftveil City tomorrow morning. Until then, enjoy the food, entertainment, and relaxation! Cruise life is meant to be savored."

Naoki smiled, appreciating the sentiment.

As the ship buzzed with activity, Naoki observed his fellow passengers. Elegantly dressed ladies and dapper gentlemen mingled with trainers sporting various Pokémon. Some trainers, unable to resist the call of a battle, headed for the onboard arena, eager to test their skills against fellow enthusiasts.

While Alder, ever curious, drifted toward the action, Naoki chose to stay on the deck, enjoying the fresh sea breeze. He considered the Pokémon he had brought along. Excited to share this moment with them, he released them from their Poké Balls.

In a flurry of light, the Pokémon appeared. As they took in the expansive ocean, awe spread across their faces. Alcremie and Glaceon approached the ship's railing, gazing at the sparkling water with wide-eyed wonder.

"Alcremie..." Alcremie murmured, clearly mesmerized.

"Buyi..." Glaceon added, its crystalline eyes reflecting the shimmering sea.

Flutterbone, normally stoic, seemed momentarily spellbound by the endless waves. Even Dragonite, who had seen much of the world, scratched its head with confusion.

'Awoo'. 'What was so fascinating about this?'

Koraidon, standing nearby, chuckled. "Ah, gah..." 'It wasn't surprising; not everyone had grown up near the sea.'

Naoki laughed, watching his Pokémon's reactions. "This is the sea," he explained gently. "We're sailing on it, leaving the land behind."

Ogerpon, quick to understand, nodded energetically. "Pon!" it exclaimed.

Naoki raised an eyebrow. "Have you seen the sea before?" he asked in mild surprise.

As Naoki spoke, he pulled out a bag of translation seed crisps from his bag and began munching. These crisps were made from sunflowers he had previously asked Calyrex to help ripen. Having this handy snack made traveling much more convenient.

Ogerpon jumped up and down enthusiastically. "Oge, Pon!" (I've seen the sea before! My dad and I once took a small boat across the sea to get to Kitakami Township!)

As expected, Naoki thought, Ogerpon must have traveled to Kitakami Township from somewhere else.

At that moment, Ogerpon's expression brightened as if recalling a memory. "Pon!" (Back then, I also saw a huge bear with a crescent moon on its forehead swimming across the sea!)

Naoki raised an eyebrow in surprise. "A big bear? Was it a Pokémon?"

Ogerpon nodded earnestly. "Oge!" (Yes, it was! My dad said it was a Pokémon. When our boat passed by it, I asked where it was heading. It told me that a terrifying Pokémon had appeared in its hometown, so it was trying to escape by crossing the sea.)

At this, Ogerpon's excitement faded into worry. "Pon..." (But our boat was too small to carry it. I wonder if it managed to make it across the sea safely.)

Ogerpon clearly cared about that Pokémon deeply, but its own struggles had distracted it from thinking about the bear Pokemon's fate later on.

Naoki mulled over the details. 'A large bear Pokémon with a crescent moon on its forehead.

Could it have been an Ursaring? But Ursaring doesn't have a crescent moon. Could it have been an Ursaluna? That seemed unlikely since Ursaluna, a Ground/Normal-type, is weak to water and shouldn't be capable of swimming across the sea.'

Still, Naoki didn't believe Ogerpon would lie. If it wasn't an Ursaring or an Ursaluna, then what could it have been?

Could a Teddiursa really have swum across the ocean? No, Teddiursa is not that big What intrigued Naoki even more was the bear Pokemon's mention of a terrifying Pokémon in its homeland. Could it have been referring to the time-space distortions in the Hisui region? The space-time rift caused by Giratina, Palkia, and Dialga created havoc, according to Professor Laventon's research. The overlapping of universes and the resulting energy saturation led to the distortion of space and time. This phenomenon brought powerful, red- eyed Pokémons to the land-Pokémon that didn't belong to that era.

Naoki's imagination ran wild.

The bear Pokemon may have witnessed these distortions firsthand, seeing red-eyed Pokémon

emerging in chaos. Fearful of its safety, it left the Hisui region and attempted to cross the sea in search of refuge. During its journey, it met Ogerpon, who was on a boat heading to Kitakami Township with its trainer. The two Pokémon exchanged words briefly. But what became of the bear Pokemon? Naoki couldn't help but wonder about its fate.

As Naoki pondered the fate of the mysterious bear Pokémon, his thoughts shifted to his own Teddiursa. Judging by its behavior, it seemed to have no intention of evolving into an Ursaring. To ensure it wouldn't evolve, Teddiursa carried an Everstone with it at all times. Naoki's musings were interrupted by an excited female voice from behind.

"Oh my! What a beautiful and wild Pokémon!"

Naoki and the Pokémon turned to see an elegantly dressed woman in a flowing gown and a stylish hat. Her eyes gleamed with enthusiasm as she stared at Flutter Mane.

"If I'm not mistaken, that's a Misdreavus, right?" she said, her gaze fixed on the Pokémon.

Naoki replied cautiously, "Umm...yes. What do you want?"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The woman laughed lightly. "Oh, don't be so guarded, young man. I really like this Pokémon.

Would you like to trade it with me? I could offer you a very rare Pokémon-a Servine!"

Naoki blinked in disbelief. "What?"

The woman produced a Poké Ball, releasing a small green Pokémon with a cream-colored

underside and a yellow stripe down its back. Its elegant demeanor matched her own.

"You see, you can use the machine over there to swap Pokémon between our Poké Balls," she explained, pointing to the nearby trading machine.

Now understanding her proposition, Naoki firmly refused. "No, thank you."

The woman sighed, clearly disappointed. "Well, if you change your mind, come find me." She gave him a playful wink before strolling away.

Flutter Mane, however, was seething with anger. The very idea of being traded away like an

ordinary item was an insult. Its small fangs bared, it grumbled fiercely and prepared to chase

after the woman.

Naoki noticed Flutter Mane's agitation and quickly grabbed it. "No, stop!" he said firmly, pulling the Pokémon back.

Flutter Mane squirmed, letting out a high-pitched growl of protest.

"Mrrreeah"

Alder returned just in time to witness the commotion. "What's going on here?" he asked.

Naoki sighed. "Someone wanted to trade their Servine for Flutter Mane, and Flutter Mane

wasn't happy about it."

Alder chuckled lightly, understanding the situation. "I see. You must have turned her down." Naoki nodded. "Of course. I would never trade any of my Pokémon."

Once Flutter Mane calmed down, Naoki turned to Alder. "Mr. Alder, is Pokémon trading a

common practice?"

Alder scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Not exactly, but it's not unheard of. Sometimes trainers and Pokémon aren't compatible. When that happens, if the bond isn't deep, a

Pokémon might feel more comfortable with a different trainer. In such cases, they might arrange a trade."

Naoki tilted his head. "That makes sense. Still, this...." Alder, understanding Naoki's thoughts, nodded. "It's rare, but it happens. Unfortunately, not everyone forms strong bonds with their Pokémon. For some people, Pokémon are just tools or

status symbols. When a 'better' Pokémon comes along, they'll discard the old one without hesitation."

Naoki frowned at the thought.

Alder thought, 'It's attitudes like that which lend some merit to Team Plasma's ideology

about liberating Pokémon.'

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