Early the next morning, Xinhai got up earlier than usual.
Dawn had not yet fully broken. The eastern horizon had only just begun to pale, while the stars still hung in the sky.
He woke his companions, washed up quickly, ate breakfast, and set off early in the cool morning air.
Unlike Route 120, Route 121 was flatter and broader, and the scenery on both sides gradually opened up.
For the first half of the journey, dense woods still lined both sides of the road. The trees were mainly oaks and maples, their canopies intertwining overhead into a green dome. Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting mottled shadows across the ground.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of plants, mixed with the damp fragrance of earth and dew.
Every so often, a Zigzagoon would poke its head out of the bushes, give them a curious look, then quickly retreat.
Eevee lay on Xinhai's shoulder, its fluffy tail swaying gently as its large brown eyes curiously studied the wildflowers by the roadside.
Charmander and Axew walked at Xinhai's feet, their steps light. After resting well yesterday, the two little ones were full of energy today.
After walking for around two hours, the scenery around them began to change.
The forest gradually thinned out, and the trees on the right side of the road receded, replaced by an expansive coastline.
The middle and latter stretches of Route 121 had a unique landscape: deep woodland on one side and the coast on the other.
The air now carried a faint salty dampness from the sea breeze, intertwining with the fragrance of vegetation to form a distinctive scent unique to coastal regions.
"Eevee!" Eevee poked its head out from Xinhai's shoulder, its large brown eyes fixed on the vast blue