The Shelter inside Mt. Silver was somewhat different from what Chen Shi had imagined.
He had originally thought it would be something like an air-raid shelter, but after coming down from Diantha's quarters, he realized otherwise.
It was an enormous alloy shelter, like a gigantic hollow alloy sphere.
Spacious corridors crisscrossed like blood vessels, linking the Shelter's various sections.
Overhead, bright lights illuminated every corner. Indicator lights blinked on all sorts of high-tech equipment mounted on the walls, accompanied by a faint hum.
Everything here was orderly, with clearly designated living, working, storage, and other functional areas.
Countless humans and Pokémon busied themselves at their respective posts. Although their faces showed exhaustion, their eyes held a trace of determination and hope.
"Well? Our place isn't bad, is it?" Cynthia looked at him and spoke slowly.
Chen Shi merely smiled without answering.
Cynthia didn't mind. Looking at the busy people, she spoke with a complicated look in her eyes:
"We once had vast expanses of land to live on, but now we can only huddle inside this tiny Shelter."
"Although I'm grateful we still have somewhere safe to survive, I also loathe this place."
"Because it constantly reminds me that humans and Pokémon can never return to the way things were. Shadow creatures rule the world now."
Chen Shi listened quietly without interrupting her.
"Do you know?"
"When dark matter first arose, there were actually many humans and Pokémon who survived."
"But most of them died while fleeing, and most of those had volunteered to stay behind and cover our retreat."
"Even now, I often dream about that scene when I sleep at night."
"I'll never forget the final looks in their eyes-so resolute, yet filled with such deep attachment to this world."
"They left us the chance to live, hoping