Not knowing when Team Magma would arrive, Xia You erred on the side of caution. Once they left Lilycove City, he released Dragonite and flew toward Mt. Pyre.
White clouds seemed close enough to touch, while the land below flashed past.
The distance looked short on the map, but actually traveling it was another matter. It was a solid half-day's journey, with a water route to cross as well. Once they reached the mountains, the terrain grew rugged. The main road disappeared, followed gradually by even the little trails, making the going increasingly difficult.
Fortunately, the two of them were traveling through the air. Dragonite spared them all that trouble and allowed them to reach their destination relatively quickly.
After several hours of uninterrupted flight, Dragonite reached a peninsula.
Looking down, they could already take in the whole of Mt. Pyre!
Mt. Pyre was not the barren mountain people might imagine, but a towering, lush green peak. The sea and rivers lay in the distance, dense forests covered its foot, and thick fog shrouded its summit year-round, making the paths impossible to see. Though it looked just as scenic as other places brimming with life, whether because of a psychological effect or the countless Pokémon remains buried there, an eerie sense of sinister danger seemed to permeate every corner!
There were even rumors that some truly terrifying things appeared on Mt. Pyre at night!
Some villagers living at the foot of the mountain had therefore established a rule: once night fell, they absolutely must not go up the mountain!
To Xia You, however, it was probably just some Ghost-type Pokémon playing tricks, or perhaps the occasional rare Pokémon or two. It really was nothing to make a fuss about.
Only those who failed to see the truth of the matter