November 20, 2024.
As the end of the year approached, the temperature began to drop.
Along with the cold air came snowflakes drifting down from the gray, overcast sky.
In the brief moment he was distracted, the snowfall grew denser and denser.
In less than half an hour, it had turned the entire Aokigahara Forest into a silver-clad world.
A distinct layer of white had already appeared atop the tree canopies. Only the snow on the ground had yet to accumulate enough, leaving it wet and slushy underfoot.
The Zarude seemed to dislike the winter climate. One after another, they holed up at home and became stay-at-home monkeys. After all, they were classified as Mythical Pokémon, and aside from foraging, they had no real need to go out.
The more extreme ones could even rely on stored energy to stay indoors and endure the entire winter.
Even the scar-faced Zarude Leader, who often watched Diancie and the others train, had not shown himself for several days.
Su Hao did not really care.
He was happy to have some peace and quiet. It meant preparing one less portion of food.
As far as he was concerned, the Zarude Leader was not there to watch their training at all.
Every day at mealtime, he would show up right on time, pretending that he had merely happened to be taking a stroll nearby.
He would even threaten the other Zarude and keep them from getting close.
He was plainly there to mooch a meal.
After spending half a month on it, Diancie had finally thoroughly grasped Ho-Oh's understanding of the "Law of Light."
While its moves became even more dazzling, the progress of filling the Law of Light within the Authority Shell surged to 8% in one go.
That might not seem like