Latias looked extremely excited. She sat sideways at the edge of the boat, repeatedly dipping her hand into the river, scooping up water to play with it like a child. Even though she had lived here for who knew how many years and should have been long familiar with every aspect of life and entertainment in Alto Mare, she still greeted each day with the same joy and enthusiasm.
Perhaps this was one of the fundamental differences between Pokémon and humans.
It was also likely the reason why these Legendary Pokémon could live for such immeasurable spans of time without their hearts ever growing barren.
Before long, the boat drifted into the plaza in front of the city hall. Latias pointed toward two towering stone pillars in the square and said,
"…Look, that's Alto Mare's famous plaza. The Pokémon carved on the left pillar is Latios, and the one on the right is Latias. According to legend, it was them who saved this city from catastrophe."
Her words came quickly, as if seeing her own statue had made her even more excited.
Logan couldn't help but smile faintly at the sight.
Pokémon really had no sense of embarrassment at all.
If there were a statue of him standing here, and he personally pointed at it and said, 'Look, that's the great Kanto Champion Logan,' he would probably be so mortified that he'd want to crawl into a hole on the spot.
"That's Alto Mare's guardian deity,"
The elderly boatman rowing the boat chuckled as he spoke.
"…Alto Mare's history has always been intertwined with Latios and Latias. Many of the souvenirs sold here are modeled after those two Pokémon. Young man, you're not from Alto Mare, are you? Before you leave, you could buy some as gifts for your friends. Even now, plenty of people still firmly believe that they're watching over this city."
"Mhm! Mhm!"
Latias nodded repeatedly at his words, as if strongly agreeing with the statement 'they're still protecting this city.'
"Then, sir, has anyone in Alto Mare ever actually seen those two Pokémon?"
Logan glanced at Latias and smiled as he asked the boatman.
"How could anyone really have seen them?" the old man laughed.
"Sure, every now and then someone claims they saw Latios or Latias flying over Alto Mare, but everyone just takes it as a joke. Since they're called Legendary Pokémon, there's no way they'd be that easy to spot."
He paused, then continued in a tone both philosophical and pragmatic.
"Honestly, whether Latios and Latias truly exist in Alto Mare isn't that important. What matters is that people believe they do. It's precisely because of these legends that Alto Mare attracts so many tourists, all contributing to the city's GDP."
The old boatman burst into hearty laughter after saying that.
"But Latios and Latias really are here, sir."
Latias suddenly spoke up.
No matter how earnest her words were, her expression still carried that ever-present bright smile, making her tone sound more like playful insistence than solemn declaration.
"Hahaha! I hope that's true, little girl!"
The old boatman laughed it off. Clearly, he didn't believe her—but being advanced in years, he didn't bother arguing.
"Alright, this is where the ride ends. I hope you both enjoy your time in Alto Mare."
He steered the boat toward the riverbank. Despite his age, his voice remained loud and powerful.
"…You there, young lady—since you're from Alto Mare, be careful. Don't let some outsider kidnap you."
Hearing the boatman's laughter and teasing words, Logan's lips curved upward.
The old man had actually hit the mark.
Logan had indeed come to Alto Mare to kidnap someone—but not a human. He had come for the guardian deity of the water city itself.
Logan took Latias's hand and helped her onto the shore with perfect gentlemanly grace. Together, they waved goodbye as the boatman rowed away.
"It's getting late."
Logan looked up at the sky. The sun was sinking, stars beginning to rise and chase after the Milky Way. The laughter and noise of Alto Mare gradually softened. This wasn't a city that never slept—aside from the bar district, most residential areas grew quiet once night fell.
Logan continued holding Latias's hand. Latias didn't feel anything strange about it at all—in fact, she happily followed him as they wandered aimlessly.
"Latias, are you working at the Pokémon Center again tomorrow?"
Walking along the increasingly quiet riverside, Logan felt a strange sensation—like he was strolling at night while holding his girlfriend's hand. Yet no matter how soft that hand felt, what he was actually holding was, in truth, a dragon's claw.
"I work at the Pokémon Center five days a week and have two days off."
Latias looked at him with her ruby-like eyes and blinked as she answered.
"It's already pretty late today. As a girl, you should head home soon—your family would worry otherwise. How about tomorrow? After you get off work, you can show me around Alto Mare again."
Logan stopped and looked at the girl beside him—human in appearance, dragon in essence.
"Okay! Then wait for me at the Pokémon Center entrance after I finish work!"
Latias nodded vigorously. She always seemed to radiate a cheerful aura, as if simply standing near her could make worries melt away.
Nearby was a crepe stand. Logan brought Latias over and ordered two crepes. As they waited, he casually asked,
"…Latias, do you live alone?"
"I live with my brother."
She answered without hesitation.
Hearing that, Logan ordered one more crepe. When the vendor handed them over, Logan gave both bags to Latias and said,
"…Then take two home. The extra one's for your brother."
Latias stared straight at Logan with her crimson eyes, making him feel inexplicably uneasy. He laughed awkwardly.
"…What's wrong, Latias?"
"I just think you're very strange. I really like you."
Latias didn't realize what such a declaration meant to a human. She happily accepted the bag containing the two crepes.
To Latias, Logan was one of the very few humans she genuinely liked. For most humans, she felt neither fondness nor aversion—they were simply humans.
"I actually like you a lot too, Latias…"
Logan said meaningfully.
They soon reached a fork in the road. After agreeing on the time to meet the next day, the two finally parted ways.
Watching Latias jog away, Logan found a bench by the river and sat down. He opened his crepe, took a bite, then tore off a small piece and handed it to the Eevee on his shoulder.
"…Looks like we'll be staying in Alto Mare for a few more days, Eevee."
"Eevui! Eevui!"
Eevee's ears twitched as it happily ate the crepe, letting out cheerful cries.
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