Encountering the Legendary Pokémon

After about thirty minutes on a ferry from a port near Yoshino City, they approached their destination.

The city that Cynthia and Kaim were heading for came into view.

"Oh, you can see it now."

"That's Alto Mare."

"Yes. A city on the water. It's also called the most beautiful city in the world."

Alto Mare

A historic city on the waters of the Johto Region. Waterways ran through it, and visitors could tour the city by Gondola.

It looked beautiful and was very popular, so it was always crowded with tourists.

"I didn't expect it to be such a huge city."

"Although it stands on the water, its foundation is an island. That island must have been expanded artificially to become what it is today."

The ferry entered the city. Several pillars stood at the entrance, topped with statues that looked like Pokémon.

"This city has a deep-rooted faith in Latias and Latios."

"Yes. According to legend, 'Latias and Latios drove out the Evil Force that attacked this city.'"

"Huh."

"Oh, are you interested?"

"No. I was just wondering what that evil thing actually was. Was it something that had to be described so abstractly, or something that 'couldn't be forced into an abstract description'? I'm concerned about what happened."

"You could ask at the museum. There's one here with lots of historical artifacts on display."

"That sounds interesting."

While they were talking, the ferry arrived at the port.

They took their luggage and headed to the hotel they had booked.

Since there was still some time before check-in, the two left their luggage at the hotel desk and went for a walk through the city.

"This really is a beautiful town."

Cynthia said this as she crossed a stone bridge over a canal.

Instead of her usual black coat, she wore a pale blue sleeveless top and sandals, strolling around cheerfully.

Kaim, on the other hand, wore a black short-sleeved hoodie over a navy short-sleeved shirt, looking little different from usual.

The water flowing beneath the bridge was clear for an inhabited city, and they could even see aquatic Pokémon swimming in it.

"It's very different from other cities."

"For example?"

"For starters, the houses are built very differently. They look like crowded apartment buildings, but in this city, they might be treated as what we'd call 'detached houses.' The character of the old town is still intact."

"That's true. This city is classified as part of the Johto Region, but it actually feels rather foreign. The culture that developed here is very different from Johto's. I think the only thing they have in common is the Pokémon native to the Johto Region."

Every region had a somewhat different culture. That was true everywhere; ways of life changed with the land. Since the Sinnoh Region received a lot of snow, people often needed to take precautions against it before settling down. Each town had developed to a different degree, but the overall atmosphere was similar throughout the region.

Alto Mare, however, had an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in the Johto Region. Its architecture, food, and everyday scenery were unlike those found anywhere else in Johto.

"But that's nice. Getting a taste of another region."

"Yeah. Seeing a completely different way of life up close like this... I can't quite put it into words, but it's nice."

Looking into the canal, they could see several Quagsire swimming past.

"We've come all this way. Let's have a look around."

"Yes."

"Come to think of it, the hotel we're staying at offers rides to pick you up."

"A Gondola ride? Interesting."

"Then why don't we take one on the way back?"

"Why not? It's been a while. Let's take a ride."

They arrived at an open space overlooking the sea.

"Wow, what a view."

"This seems to be the largest square in town."

The square was bustling and filled with stalls.

Something resembling a pillar stood in its center, topped with statues of Latias and Latios.

"Is there a battle going on over there?"

"They're really excited. Want to take a look?"

"Sure."

For a moment, Kaim wondered whether Champion Cynthia would end up surrounded by people if she went to watch. But this was a different region, and since arriving in Johto, she had not been approached while talking with him. Perhaps Kaim was a special case. He decided not to worry about it.

The battle was still underway amid an excited crowd. One participant was a local, and the other was probably a tourist.

It ended shortly after Cynthia and Kaim arrived.

The winner was the local. The two congratulated each other and shook hands.

"Looks like it just ended."

"Was our timing bad?"

Just as they were about to leave after the match, the victorious local walked toward Shirona.

"You're beautiful, miss! You look strong, too!"

Judging from his gaze that he was addressing her, Cynthia walked toward the gathered crowd with a graceful smile.

"Would you be all right with me?"

"Of course."

"Was your Pokémon injured in that battle?"

"He's already recovered. These guys are getting fired up. They can handle more than one battle."

The male Audino gave an affirmative cry.

"I see. I'd like to accept, but I'm someone with a certain standing."

"Hey, what do I have to do to qualify? I'm already good enough to enter the Pokémon League."

Cynthia smiled gracefully at the man, whose grin was fierce.

"If you can beat my student, I'll be your opponent. Kaim, you're up."

"So I'm the chosen one."

With a hum, Kaim walked over to Cynthia.

Honestly, he had expected this. The moment Cynthia said she was "someone with a certain standing," Kaim had already seen exactly what she would make him do.

Still, since Cynthia had asked him, he had no intention of refusing.

"Show me what you can do."

"I won't embarrass myself in front of my teacher."

As he stepped forward, Kaim took a ball from his waist.

"I'm counting on you, Little Black."

"Go! Audino!"

As soon as Black emerged from the ball, Audino stepped forward, and the battle began.

"Flint Chrysanthemum! Leaf Blade!"

"Little Black, dodge and use Shadow Ball."

Little Black narrowly dodged the unleashed Leaf Blade and fired a Shadow Ball.

The opposing Meganium avoided a direct hit, but accumulated damage had slowed its movements, and even a little more damage looked difficult to endure.

"Go! Charge!"

Meganium mustered its last bit of strength and charged at Kuroko.

"Little Black, dodge at the last second and finish with your tail."

Little Black dodged Meganium's charge and landed a powerful kick to its face.

Unable to dodge because of its momentum, Meganium took the blow from Moro and went down.

"Meganium!"

"Don't get back up. Your jaw's hurt. You'll be dizzy for a while."

"Damn! I lost!"

Kaim's victory was decided the moment Meganium fell, and the surrounding crowd erupted with excitement.

Deciding the battle was over, Kuroki approached Kaim and rubbed his face against Kaim's leg, seemingly praising him.

"Thanks. You did great."

He picked up Little Black and expressed his gratitude.

"Damn, I never thought Kuroko would sweep all three."

"We've been training."

The man walked over, sounding disappointed.

Kaim had defeated Audino, Quilava, and Meganium with a single Kuroko. The man had every reason to feel disappointed.

"Even I managed to get all the Gym Badges."

"If all you can do is level up and throw punches, you won't beat me."

"Oh, right. If I entered the Pokémon League like this, I'd definitely lose in the preliminaries. I should use my head more."

Kaim took the hand the man offered.

"I learned a valuable lesson. Thanks."

"Did you?"

"The next time we meet, I'll beat you and get to battle that lady, okay?"

"Don't do that. She's much stronger than I am."

After all, she was the Sinnoh Region Champion and remained undefeated in official matches. No matter how hard this man trained, honestly, he had no chance of winning.

"Haha! That's fine! Either way, I won't lose next time."

With that, the man waved to Kaim and left.

Finally free of everyone's stares, Kaim took a deep breath.

"Well done."

"Could you make the schedule any more unreasonable?"

Hearing a voice behind him, Kaim turned to see Cynthia smiling gracefully.

"You wouldn't lose to someone who just levels up and throws punches, would you?"

"I think anyone who can properly raise their Pokémon's level is still a good Trainer."

Depending on how someone raised their Pokémon, leveling up could be easy, but Pokémon battling was first and foremost a sport. Level was only one factor that determined victory or defeat. That was why the Pokémon themselves needed to learn "how to fight." Kaim knew there were situations where blindly wielding power would not bring victory.

In fact, if someone only wanted to collect all the Gym Badges, leveling up and working hard would suffice. But the Pokémon League was different. The fierce competitors who reached the main tournament were Trainers who had "raised their levels and established a battle style." The same was true of serious Gym Leaders. They discovered which styles suited their partners and developed techniques to match.

Kaim was still in the process of establishing his own style. He did not yet have enough experience to put it fully into practice. That was why Cynthia had pushed Kaim into a battle: to help him gain as much experience as possible.

"But that was good. You have a style."

"It helps to have someone teaching me."

"Hehe, you know how to make me happy."

Cynthia offered him a bottle, and when Kaim took it, he gulped down its contents.

"Little Black did very well, too."

Kaim smiled slightly as he watched Cynthia petting and tickling Kuroko.

"Kaim only gets a passing grade."

"Huh? Seriously?"

"You should have given better instructions."

"For example?"

"For that final counter, rather than aiming for a counterattack, you should have used a follow-up attack."

"I see. That's true."

"But you really have improved. You can be proud of that."

"Thanks."

He had become much stronger than before, but even so, from a Champion's perspective, there was still room for improvement.

"Let's go. There are still lots of places I want to visit."

Kaim and Umbreon followed Cynthia as she cheerfully led the way.

After wandering around town for a while and having a meal, the two entered the museum.

"The Alto Mare Museum, huh?"

Alto Mare was a city with a long history. As a result, many of the museum's exhibits had great historical value.

Its interior was magnificent, and even among Alto Mare's many old buildings, it felt especially ancient.

"Amazing."

"Yes. This is my first time here, too, so it's fascinating. It's a great place to learn how people in this town lived, from its beginnings to the present."

Alto Mare was also called the "City of Water." As such, many of the machines on display were used to control water.

There were also historical accounts of record-breaking disasters, including details such as how much damage they had caused and what had caused them.

"A city of water sounds nice, but surviving here must be pretty difficult."

"Since this city faces the sea, it's a city that owes both its life and its destruction to water."

"The ocean's weather alone could easily sink it."

"Yes. The day of a great storm must have been very difficult."

"The very existence of this city is proof of our efforts."

"I see."

They headed to the museum.

Some of the exhibits were Pokémon that had become fossils.

"Huh, Kabutops?"

"Fossil Pokémon, right? Pokémon like these existed a long time ago."

"Fossil Pokémon vary a lot between regions. There's one in the Hoenn Region, but that Pokémon isn't on display here."

"Each region has a different ecosystem. I'm pretty sure Lileep is one of the Hoenn Region's fossil Pokémon."

"Yeah. The one in the Sinnoh Region is called Cranidos."

"We've developed technology to revive fossil Pokémon now. Sometimes I see Trainers using them."

"It's innovative, but I don't know whether it's a good thing."

Technology could be good or bad, depending on how it was used. Any technology could become "the worst technology" depending on the person using it.

Kaim was also an inexperienced student of history. I knew of several cases in the past where the misuse of innovative technology had caused disasters.

"I don't know whether it's a good thing either. But we shouldn't think about what it's like or what dangers it poses."

"I know."

"That's a big machine."

An ancient yet enormous, magnificent machine stood on display in the museum's largest hall.

"This place feels more like a cathedral than a museum."

"It seems it originally served as a cathedral, but now the building is used as a museum."

"Huh."

Please read the description of the large machine on display.

Apparently, the device was used to repel "evil" from outside.

"Is this some kind of defense mechanism?"

"It looks like a machine that protects the city from outside 'evil.' As expected, it doesn't say how."

"Kaim?"

"It's nothing."

Cynthia looked at Kaim with concern. His expression turned bitter for a moment, but he immediately composed himself and walked away.

I seemed to understand why Kaim had looked so bitter, but Cynthia said nothing.

"Yes?"

After leaving the museum and wandering around the city again, I suddenly felt someone watching me from behind and glanced back. But there was nothing there, just a narrow street. Little Black, at my feet, must have sensed something too, pricking up their ears and looking behind us.

"What happened?"

"No, I just feel like someone's watching me."

"Oh, I wonder if there's a Ghost-type Pokémon."

"I don't know."

Kaim decided it was just his imagination and stood beside Cynthia.

"Maybe there's someone like Latias around."

"Latias? Why? Is there anywhere along this street where Latias could hide?"

"Quite a few Legendary Pokémon can turn invisible. It's to keep their power from being exploited when they show themselves."

"Oh, really?"

Kaim had never encountered a Legendary Pokémon before. As a result, although he knew something about Legendary Pokémon, he knew very little about their ecology. I knew a little about Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza, and the cashier-type Pokémon originally from the Hoenn Region, but that amounted to little more than legends even children knew. After becoming Cynthia's assistant, I had also learned about the Sinnoh Region's legends, so I knew a little about those too, but I had yet to meet a Legendary Pokémon.

"Have you, Cynthia? Met a Legendary Pokémon?"

"Me?"

"Is Fullmoon Island an isolated island in the northern Sinnoh Region?"

"Yes. That's where I met Cresselia. She's a very beautiful Pokémon."

Apparently, Cynthia had once met Cresselia, the ruler of the moon.

Judging by the fact that Kaim knew nothing about it, and Cynthia's own remark that it had happened long ago, it was probably around the time she became Champion. I hadn't asked for details, but from the way she spoke, I guessed she had simply made her acquaintance. There had been no battle, only an "encounter." Legendary Pokémon often protected their own lands. If one disappeared from its home, the Pokémon there could lose its divine protection. That was why Shirona had neither caught her nor fought her.

Kaim thought that was typical of her love for Pokémon as a species.

"I didn't do anything special, but I was happy to meet her."

"I see. I'd like to meet a Pokémon like that someday too."

"Are you interested?"

"Any Trainer would be interested. I don't intend to catch them, but I'd like to meet them once."

Legendary Pokémon held immense power. Kaim himself had not the slightest desire to capture one, but he was still interested in their existence.

"You'll meet one someday."

"Why can't you just say that outright?"

"Because Pokémon take to you so easily."

"I don't think that means we'll just meet."

With a look of distaste, I turned away from Cynthia and glanced ahead, noticing a flyer on the wall.

When I approached, I saw that it read, "Seeking participants for a water race exhibition."

"There's something posted here."

"Oh, it's a water race."

"A water race?"

"That's right. It's a race held on Altomare City's waterways. Water-type Pokémon pull small boats, and their Trainers steer them with reins to reach the finish line."

"But they only hold those in summer, don't they?"

"It says this is an exhibition, so it might be different from the race we hold every year."

"You need a Water-type Pokémon to enter."

"Are you interested?"

"No."

I had thought he must be interested in it, given how eagerly he was reading, but apparently not.

"For starters, I don't have a Water-type Pokémon."

"Could you borrow one?"

"Even with one of Cynthia's Pokémon, it'd be hard for me to get decent results in such a short time."

"I thought you were interested because you were reading so eagerly."

"I just thought it'd be fun to watch."

The event fell during my stay, so the timing was perfect.

"The prize is a medal made from the deep sea's famous glass."

"Oh, that's beautiful."

"Do you like it?"

"Yes."

Then an idea suddenly came to Kaim.

I remembered how the battle before our trip to the museum had been left entirely to me, and planned to strike back.

"Hey, hey, has this scared off the Sinnoh Region's Champion? Cynthia, who battles on much bigger stages?"

"Battles and races are different. Besides, I've ridden Milotic before, but I've never had her pull a boat."

"True. But Shirona can manage something, right?"

"How can you say that?"

"Because she's my teacher, the best teacher in the world."

I wouldn't say what she was best at. There was no need to say it for her to understand.

"And just now, I showed you how much I've grown in battle, didn't I?"

"Do you want to get back at me?"

"That too, but there's another, stronger reason."

"What reason?"

"I want to see how cool Cynthia can be."

Kaim, who rarely smiled at anyone, lifted the corners of his mouth slightly and gave Cynthia a challenging smile.

That expression struck Cynthia right in the heart. The last trace of resistance vanished, and she raised both hands.

"I surrender. When you put it like that, I can't back down."

"Don't worry. I'll cheer you on properly."

"That goes without saying, right? If you don't cheer for me, I'll cheat during the race."

"If you cheat, that'll be a problem, so please spare me."

With a wry smile, Kaim took a photo of the flyer with his smartphone.

"It looks like you can register online, but this gondola repair shop seems to be organizing it."

"It's not far, and we're here to sightsee. Let's go."

The two began walking, following the map.

Little Black followed them, but stopped to stare behind them. There was nothing there after all, yet Kuroko sensed "something."

"Little Black."

At the sound of Kaim's voice, Little Black turned and rushed toward him.

"Excuse me."

The two visited the gondola repair shop near the museum.

"Coming, coming."

When I raised my voice, a sturdily built old man emerged from the back.

From his appearance, I couldn't tell whether he was the shop's owner.

"How's it going? If you've got a gondola that needs repairing, I'll take it."

"Oh, no. I'd like to enter the upcoming water race."

"Oh, yes! I'm glad to hear it. We were still one person short."

"Oh, we just made it in."

"May I have your name?"

"Cynthia."

"Cynthia? Are you from the Sinnoh Region?"

The old man knew of Cynthia.

In particular, he seemed to recognize her name rather than her face.

"Yes."

"W-well, you're quite a famous person."

"I'm not hiding my identity, but it wouldn't be good to cause a fuss, so could I ask you to keep quiet?"

"No problem. Rest assured."

"All right."

"Sorry for the delay. My name is Pengola. I make my living repairing gondolas in this town."

After introducing himself as Pengola, the old man turned his gaze toward Kaim.

"Who are these people?"

"Oh, my assistant."

"My name is Kaim. It's nice to meet you."

"Mr. Kaim, then. It's nice to meet you."

Pengola smiled cheerfully and handed Cynthia a sheet of paper.