Back to Big Shell Village

Early the next morning, Professor Birch had someone drive them to Rustboro City. He had thought Sapphire would kick up a fuss, but to his surprise, she was unusually well-behaved and even sweetly said goodbye to her two senior brothers. Professor Birch felt deeply gratified; his daughter had finally grown up.

It was Zeno's first time visiting Rustboro City, though he had heard of it many times before. He had originally planned to come here to study, but by a twist of fate, he had ended up at Littleroot Research Lab instead. Zeno remembered that Jia Ya, whom he had met before, seemed to live here as well. Unfortunately, they were in a hurry and had no chance to properly look around.

It was Zeno's first time flying, and he was quite excited. He had been nervous for a long while when the plane first took off, but felt much better once it had leveled out.

His senior brother had specifically bought him a window seat. From this angle, the sky looked especially beautiful. A few Swellow occasionally flew past outside the window. If the window could have been opened, Zeno really would have wanted to reach out and touch them.

"You got up early today and have been riding in cars the whole time. Are you tired?" Gu Yan asked with concern, noticing that Zeno did not look too well.

"A little." Once the excitement faded, Zeno began to feel tired.

"It'll take about two hours to fly to Lilycove City. Get some sleep first. I'll wake you when we arrive."

"Okay. Thanks, Senior Brother."

Zeno fell asleep the moment he closed his eyes. The airplane seat was soft, and he slept quite comfortably. By the time Gu Yan woke him, they were already nearing Lilycove City.

"Dear passengers, hello. Hoenn Airlines reminds you that we will soon arrive in Lilycove City. Please gather your belongings and disembark in an orderly manner."

Neither of them had brought much, only one backpack each. Although he lived nearby, Zeno had never properly seen Lilycove City. Even last time, he had only passed through in a hurry. Looking down over the entire city, Zeno finally understood just how large it was. It truly deserved to be called the largest city in the Hoenn Region.

"Senior Brother, let's take the bus!" There were long-distance buses from Lilycove City to the towns near Big Shell Village. Zeno had heard the villagers mention them before.

"No need. Let's get out of the city first. Do you remember the way to Big Shell Village?"

"Of course I do. Why?"

"Nothing. You'll find out in a moment."

Gu Yan was being mysterious, but Zeno did not ask further. Fortunately, the airport was right by the edge of the city, and they were out of the urban area after walking for a few minutes.

"Come out, Tropius."

Before Zeno could react, the enormous dinosaur before him gave him a fright. It had a long neck, a brownish-gray body, powerful limbs, and three gigantic leaves growing from its back.

"Don't be afraid. It's very gentle." Gu Yan smiled as he explained, then fitted it with riding gear.

"Senior Brother, are we flying to Big Shell Village?"

"That's right. I'll be relying on you for directions." Gu Yan jumped onto Tropius's back and held out his hand to Zeno. "Come on."

Tropius's back was broad enough to comfortably seat two people. Gu Yan handed Zeno a helmet and wind goggles. His spatial backpack was huge, far larger than Zeno's.

"Sit tight. We're setting off." Once Gu Yan confirmed that Zeno had fastened his seat belt, he had Tropius take off.

Tropius was not slow in the air, and they were traveling in a straight line. Half an hour later, Zeno saw Big Shell Village again after so long. Flying on a Pokémon felt completely different from taking a plane. The former was far more thrilling, and even after climbing down from Tropius's back, Zeno still had not had enough.

When the villagers saw a massive dragon flying overhead, they thought some important figure had arrived and gathered around one after another. It was only when the two people on its back came down that they realized it was Zeno.

"Zeno, why have you come back?" an old man asked in surprise, taking Zeno's hand.

"Grandpa Kuchi, I came back to take care of something. Have you been doing well lately?" Zeno was close to him and had often received candy from him as a child.

"I've been doing well. You, on the other hand, have gotten much thinner."

"Zeno, you're back!"

"Uncle Kam!"

At first, Kam had thought it was someone from town who had come to inspect the village, so he had thoroughly cleaned the house. As it happened, that preparation now came in handy.

"And this young man is?" Kam turned his gaze toward Gu Yan. Just from his bearing, he seemed far from ordinary.

"This is my senior brother, Gu Yan. He'll be staying at our house for a few days."

"So he's your senior brother! Welcome, welcome!"

"Hello, Uncle. Sorry to trouble you." Gu Yan felt a little embarrassed. If Zeno had not insisted, he would have stayed at an inn.

"Let's go home first. I'll make something delicious for you!"

"I really have been craving Uncle Kam's cooking after so long."

Once they got home, Zeno felt completely at ease. He ate three huge bowls, and Kam's cooking was excellent. Gu Yan ate quite a bit as well.

"Why did you come back? Are you on break?"

"I am on break, but not entirely." Zeno spoke mysteriously.

"What kind of answer is that?"

"Uncle Kam, aren't there quite a few Clamperl in the shallows near our village? I mentioned it to my teacher and asked whether we could try raising them here. My teacher thought it was a good proposal, so my senior brother and I came here to conduct an on-site investigation. If there are no problems, we can begin the experiment directly."

"Raise Clamperl?"

"That's right. Going out to sea is too dangerous for you all. Clamperl can produce pearls, and if this works, the villagers won't have to go out to sea anymore." Zeno explained.

"Th-This can really work?"

"We can give it a try. My teacher has already agreed."

"Fine, do as you please. But you are not allowed to force those Clamperl, and you are not allowed to damage the environment." Kam's tone was extremely stern, afraid that Zeno might act recklessly.

"Uncle Kam, what are you thinking? This is my hometown. Don't you know me?"

"I'm only reminding you. Mountains of gold and silver can never compare to clear waters and green mountains. Oh, right. If you're going to the shallows, you can use the old boat at home. The engine has a minor problem, but I'll repair it for you."

"That would be great. It'll make getting back and forth much easier."

"Clamperl live on the seafloor. How are your senior brother's swimming skills? Do we need to prepare diving equipment for him?"

"My swimming is decent. Thank you for your kindness, Uncle, but we already prepared everything before coming." Gu Yan had made thorough preparations, as was his usual style.

"Alright. Repairing the wooden boat may take some time. Why don't you show your senior brother around?"

Zeno thought Uncle Kam's suggestion was excellent and took his senior brother on a tour around the village. Compared with the state of their village, Gu Yan was more interested in the Clamperl habitat.

"Zeno, let's go take a look at those Clamperl."

"But Senior Brother, the boat hasn't been repaired yet. Should I ask Uncle Kam to let us use the other boat first?" Zeno had not expected him to be so impatient.

"No need. I have a way. Come out, Lapras."