"I see..."
Phoebe didn't hold a grudge against Natsui. Just by looking at him, she could tell he had given everything he had. If anyone was to blame, it was her own recklessness for walking into Maxie's trap, which had set this entire disaster in motion.
She stood up and gave Natsui a slight bow, offering her sincere thanks. "Thank you for everything you've done. Since things turned out this way, there's no point in me lingering. I'll take my leave now."
This wasn't the formal bow of an Elite Four member, but rather the gesture of a granddaughter and a friend, expressing her genuine gratitude for Natsui's help.
Natsui couldn't help but look at her with newfound respect. His impression of her had definitely improved. She truly earned the title of an Elite Four member at such a young age; she might be a bit impulsive at times, but her character was beyond reproach.
"Wait, you're leaving already?" Misty, who had just returned with a tray of food, overheard Phoebe and asked in surprise. "Right now? But it's so late. Why not stay the night?"
Phoebe smiled, seemingly unbothered by the darkness outside. "It's alright. I'm used to traveling at night. Besides, for Ghost-type Pokémon, the night is when they're most at home!"
"I see." Misty sensed that Phoebe had already made up her mind and didn't try to force the issue. "So, where are you headed next?"
Although they hadn't known each other long, they had fought side-by-side, extinguished the fires on Mt. Pyre, and traveled to Lilycove City together. While it wasn't exactly a lifelong bond, they were certainly on friendly terms now.
Phoebe replied without hesitation, "Even though those people snatched the Orbs, I still have to bring my grandfather and grandmother back to the mountain and help them rebuild. They've lived there their whole lives. Whether they need to guard the Orbs or not, that place is their home!"
After placing the tray in front of Natsui, Misty gave Phoebe a warm hug.
"I hope our paths cross again soon!"
"Me too!"
While the two girls hugged, Ash and the others could only watch awkwardly from the side. Since they weren't close to Phoebe and had barely exchanged a few words with her, they were essentially just background characters in the scene. Once the hug was over, they joined Natsui and Misty in seeing Phoebe off at the door.
With Phoebe gone and no outsiders left in the cafeteria, the atmosphere instantly became more relaxed.
Ash was eager to share everything that had happened to them recently. Natsui nodded occasionally, focusing on finishing his meal.
As Ash had mentioned earlier, they had come specifically to accompany May for the Lilycove Contest. The competition had concluded that afternoon, and May had emerged victorious, earning her third Ribbon.
"Your third Ribbon already!?" Natsui looked at May in surprise. He hadn't expected her to improve so quickly.
May gave an embarrassed laugh. "Yeah. If you don't count that first loss in Slateport City, I've participated in the Verdanturf, Fallarbor, and Pacifidlog Contests, along with this one in Lilycove. I was eliminated in Pacifidlog, but I won the other three!"
"Congratulations. You're well on your way to becoming a top-tier Pokémon Coordinator. With just two more Ribbons, you'll qualify for the Hoenn Grand Festival! It's a shame I missed it; otherwise, I definitely would have gone to the Lilycove Contest to see your performance in person!"
"Yes, that's what I'm working toward!" May's face flushed slightly, and she waved her hand. "It's okay that you missed it. There will be other opportunities in the future."
Her blush was purely out of shyness; having a guy praise her like that in front of everyone made her feel a bit flustered. Besides, she knew all about Natsui's achievements, and receiving praise from someone of his caliber gave her a real sense of validation.
"And me! Don't forget me!" Ash blurted out, unable to wait any longer once May's progress was discussed. "I've already collected six Badges!"
"Six already?" Natsui arched an eyebrow. He was a bit surprised, but it made sense. "That's the same number I have. Where are you headed next?"
Ash's journey wasn't like Natsui's—he wasn't constantly dismantling criminal organizations—but it was still full of variables and surprises. Somehow, Ash always managed to find the right path even when starting in the wrong place. Generally speaking, his pace for collecting Badges was impressively fast.
Ash grinned. "Next, I'm heading to Mossdeep City to challenge the Gym. What about you, Natsui-nii?"
Natsui shook his head. "I have something important to handle right now, so I can't leave just yet. Even when I get back to the Gym challenge, I have to go to Fortree City first. I can only head to Mossdeep after that's finished."
"Eh? So we can't travel together?" Ash looked disappointed. "That's a shame. I was hoping if we were going to Mossdeep, we could stop by LaRousse City together."
"LaRousse City?" Natsui asked, curious about the unfamiliar name. "What kind of place is that? Is there something special there?"
Ash blinked. "Wait, you don't know? Well, actually..."
Ash was about to explain, but before he could get a word out, Max cut him off!
Max puffed out his chest, speaking with the authority of a walking encyclopedia. "LaRousse City is very famous! It's known as the 'City of Technology,' a high-tech metropolis with moving walkways and cube-shaped helper robots. There are massive parks and a bustling shopping district. But of course, the most famous landmark is the Battle Tower, where trainers from all over come to compete!"
Ash stood there with his mouth open, looking quite embarrassed that Max had stolen his thunder.
But Max wasn't done. He glanced at Ash and delivered one final blow.
"Heh, for the record, Ash only found out about that city this afternoon. Ever since he heard about the Battle Tower, he hasn't stopped shouting about how much he wants to go see it!"
With Max around, Ash's "cool facade" was stripped away entirely. He couldn't even pretend to be mysterious.
"Seriously..." Ash complained to Max. "We finally have a chance like this; couldn't you let me show off a bit in front of Natsui-nii?"
Max adjusted his glasses, completely unmoved. "I was just stating facts!"
The daily bickering between the two brought a smile to everyone's faces.
Amidst the laughter, Natsui finished a mouthful of food, his mind racing. Although the name "LaRousse City" didn't ring a bell initially, the mention of cube robots and moving walkways sparked a sudden memory.
Wait... isn't that the setting for the Deoxys movie?
And speaking of Deoxys...
Natsui remembered the promise he had made to his own Deoxys not long ago—that he would help it find its kin during their journey. It seemed like this was the perfect opportunity.
He looked up and asked, "Is that city far from here?"
Ash and Max were both taken aback by the sudden question, confused by his sudden interest. Only Brock immediately pulled out a map, checked the coordinates, and shook his head. "It's not far at all. In fact, it's very close to Lilycove. It's located on a river fork on the peninsula southeast of here. Why? Do you want to check it out too?"
Misty's eyes sparkled as she looked at Natsui. Just from Max's description, she was sold on the city. More importantly, if they went with Ash and the others, she could spend more time with May!
May seemed to have the same thought, looking at Natsui with hopeful eyes, waiting for his answer.
Under the weight of their collective gaze, Natsui didn't answer immediately. He calculated his options for a moment before saying, "I can't decide yet. Let me make a phone call and check something first."
"A phone call?"
Ash and the others looked at each other in confusion. Did Natsui need to ask someone for permission to go somewhere? Who could that person be?
Ignoring their puzzled looks, Natsui stood up and walked to a quiet corner. He pulled out his phone, found Zinnia's number, and dialed.
He didn't need permission to go anywhere, of course. But in his original plan, he had intended to find Zinnia during this window and have her take him to the Sky Pillar.
However, the arrival of Ash's group had shifted his perspective. He definitely had to go to the Sky Pillar, but could he squeeze in a trip to LaRousse City first?
Deoxys was an extraterrestrial Pokémon that had traveled the lonely vacuum of space for a long time; it deeply craved companionship. Could he use his Deoxys to convince the two Deoxys in LaRousse City to help him in the upcoming battle?
Even if they were hard to approach or had no interest in helping, he could at least let his Deoxys meet its own kind. That alone would fulfill one of its greatest wishes. From that perspective, even a "wasted" trip would be worth it.
Of course, to save time, he would have to convince Zinnia to come to him.
But Natsui wasn't sure if a single phone call would be enough to make Zinnia travel halfway across Hoenn to meet him. He could only try.
The phone rang for a while before she picked up.
Zinnia's voice sounded low and tired. From her tone, Natsui could tell she wasn't asleep, but she sounded utterly defeated. It seemed that Rayquaza's escape during their last encounter had dealt a massive blow to her confidence, one she still hadn't recovered from.
Natsui didn't beat around the bush. He went straight to the point and told her his objective.
As expected, when he mentioned wanting to go to the Sky Pillar, Zinnia refused immediately!
"I can't help you with that," Zinnia said with a firm, uncompromising tone. "The Sky Pillar is a sacred place guarded by the Draconids for generations. Only the Draconids and a select few with explicit permission are allowed to enter. An outsider like you has no right to be there!"
Natsui told her about Groudon and Kyogre, but Zinnia's refusal remained unchanged.
"I'm sorry, but I really can't take you there."
Truly stubborn...
No matter what Natsui said—even when he framed it as a matter of protecting the entire Hoenn region—he couldn't move her.
Left with no other choice, he narrowed his eyes and decided to try a different tactic: provocation.
"Actually, even if you don't tell me, I already know where the Sky Pillar is."
"You know where it is?" On the other end of the line, Zinnia actually let out a short, scoffing laugh.
She obviously didn't believe his bluff. The name "Sky Pillar" was only whispered among a very small circle of people. Aside from the Draconids and a few high-level researchers, most people had never even heard of it.
Only groups like Team Magma or Team Aqua, who actively hunted Kyogre and Groudon, would discover the name through deep research into ancient texts. They might know it wasn't a legend, but that was as far as it went.
The fact that Natsui knew the name didn't surprise her, to be honest. But claiming to know the exact location? That was pure nonsense.
This man is just trying to fish for information, she thought. That's definitely it!
However, Natsui's next words made her pupils contract instantly.
"I know the Sky Pillar is on Route 131, near Sootopolis City!"
Hearing this, Zinnia's heart began to pound against her ribs. Despite the shock, she forced herself to stay calm, keeping her voice as steady as possible. "You guessed wrong. It's not there."
Natsui chuckled. "Not there? You don't have to hide it. To tell you the truth, I've actually been to that place before."
He had been to the Sky Pillar—on that point, Natsui wasn't lying to her.
It was just that he had been there in the video games.
And the location of the Sky Pillar was exactly as Natsui described—on Route 131 near Sootopolis City. Unfortunately, the game had a fixed route; in the real world, trying to find that specific deserted island among the thousands of islets in the area would be an incredibly difficult task.
"You... what exactly...?" Zinnia was completely stunned. Her voice rose several octaves before she finally managed to rein in her emotions. "Hmph. Even if you've been there, it's useless. The Sky Pillar is sealed off. You can't possibly—"
Before she could finish, Natsui cut her off. "You mean the seal on its entrance?"
Damn it!!
He even knows about that!?
But how is that possible?
Did the people of Sootopolis tell him!?
Instinctively, that was the only conclusion Zinnia could reach.
She shouted into the phone, "Who told you that!?"
Hearing her voice shift so violently, Natsui knew he had reached her. He smiled into the phone. "Didn't I tell you? I've been there. I discovered all of this on my own!"
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