The "Sootopolitans" mentioned by Zinnia and Natsui were not ordinary residents of Sootopolis City. They were a hidden people who had lived there in seclusion and made a pact with the Draconids long before the city was ever established.
Much like the Draconids, the Sootopolitans were an ancient group of guardians—one that endured through the centuries to protect Rayquaza's secrets. They lived in close cooperation with the Draconids, sharing the responsibility of safeguarding the legendary Pokémon.
The difference lay in their roles.
The Draconids worshipped Rayquaza and sought to commune with—or even tame—it. The Sootopolitans, on the other hand, served strictly as the keepers of the seal. And compared to the Draconids, they were even more obscure—known to fewer people, and wrapped in deeper mystery.
At present, the only Sootopolitan Natsui knew by name was the "Prince of Water" himself—Wallace.
Only a handful of people in the world likely knew Wallace's true identity. Even Lisia—despite being close to him—was probably unaware. If Natsui hadn't learned it in his previous life, he never would have suspected that a man who drew attention everywhere he went was, in fact, a hidden guardian.
Without giving Zinnia time to process her shock, Natsui pressed on.
"And I don't just know that," he said. "I even know the top floor of the Sky Pillar is called the Dragon's Altar!"
This time, Zinnia stopped entertaining the idea that he was simply fishing for information. That name wasn't something an outsider could casually guess. If he knew it, then he truly possessed secrets that were never meant to leave the Draconids' world.
And she was certain of one thing: this information hadn't come from the Sootopolitans. Even they—despite guarding the seal—didn't enter the Sky Pillar. They wouldn't know what lay at the top.
Then who told him?
Had he really been there?
Zinnia fell into a long, heavy silence.
Natsui let the silence hang for a beat, then asked, "Well? Do you believe me now?"
Zinnia drew a slow breath, forcing her voice to steady. "What is it you're really after?"
"Exactly what I said." Natsui's tone remained flat. "Originally, I wanted to cooperate with you and ask for your help finding Rayquaza. But clearly, that was wishful thinking. So from here on, I'll rely on myself—reach the top, and capture Rayquaza."
In her agitation, Zinnia missed the obvious flaw. If it were truly that straightforward, he wouldn't have bothered calling her at all.
"That is absolutely impossible!" Zinnia snapped. "Don't think that reaching the Dragon's Altar means you'll actually see Rayquaza. It only responds to the summons of the Seven-colored Shard—and that shard was lost ages ago. Even if you get there, you'll be making the trip for nothing!"
Zinnia wasn't lying. The Seven-colored Shard really was lost, which meant even the Draconids couldn't summon Rayquaza through the altar. That was why she had been so desperate during the Deoxys incident—because it had been her only chance to see Rayquaza directly.
"Maybe," Natsui said evenly. "For you, the shard is required."
Then his tone sharpened, just slightly.
"But don't forget—I have a Deoxys."
That single sentence yanked Zinnia back to reality.
She couldn't deny it. Aside from a formal summons, the fastest way to bring Rayquaza down was to provoke it—force it to notice. And with Deoxys's power, drawing Rayquaza's attention near the Sky Pillar would be far easier than she wanted to admit.
Her thoughts raced.
On one hand, she couldn't tolerate an outsider entering the Sky Pillar. On the other, if Natsui truly could make Rayquaza descend to the Dragon's Altar… it would give her another chance.
A chance she couldn't afford to lose.
"I understand," Zinnia finally said, voice tight. "Where are you now? I'll come to you."
A faint smile tugged at Natsui's lips, though his voice stayed calm. "I'm in Lilycove City. How long will it take you to get here?"
Zinnia considered it. "I'm far. I can't leave until tomorrow morning. At the earliest… three days."
"Three days." Natsui nodded. That was more than enough time for a round trip to LaRousse City.
"Fine. Three days from now—Lilycove City."
He ended the call and walked back to Ash and the others. They were still watching him, curiosity written all over their faces.
Natsui gave a simple nod. "Looks like I have two days to spare after all."
Morning light spilled into the boys' dormitory at the Pokémon Center.
Natsui opened his eyes—not because he was rested, but because he'd been jolted awake by the noise. He glanced at the clock.
Just after 6:00 AM.
And, unsurprisingly, the source of the commotion was Ash—already loud—locked in a full-volume argument with Max.
Natsui stared at the ceiling for a moment.
Kids will be kids.
No matter the world, they always had this much energy first thing in the morning. It reminded him of his first school trip in his previous life—how excited he'd been, how impossible it had felt to sit still.
The thought drifted further than he expected, tugging him into a rare bout of homesickness.
After a few minutes, he forced himself up, went through his routine, and headed to the cafeteria.
Despite eight hours of sleep, his body still felt heavy. Everyone else was already ready, packs and luggage gathered neatly beside them.
"You're so slow, Natsui-nii!" Misty teased, sitting next to May and pulling a face. "Every time we stay at a Pokémon Center, you're always the last one up!"
Natsui yawned wide, ignored her, and sat down to eat.
There was one major upside to going to LaRousse City: they didn't have to walk. They could take the high-speed monorail straight from Lilycove.
That meant he could rest during the ride—and right now, every bit of saved energy mattered.
He finished at an unhurried pace. Under the group's eager, expectant stares, he finally slung on his backpack and waved once.
"Let's go."
They left the Pokémon Center and headed to the monorail station. The train only had two cars, but with tourists flooding in, one departed every ten minutes.
They bought tickets, boarded—and the monorail pulled away almost immediately.
At first, they chatted. But once the train climbed onto the elevated track, voices naturally faded. Everyone turned to the windows.
From above, Lilycove looked even more prosperous—bright and sprawling, with people reduced to tiny dots. The view was strangely refreshing.
The moment they left the city limits, the train accelerated. About half an hour later, after cutting through dense forest, they reached the outskirts of LaRousse City.
LaRousse was built on a massive island at a river fork. With Lilycove behind it and the ocean beyond, it was perfectly placed for trade—and it showed in the city's scale and polish.
Before they even arrived, dozens of wind turbines came into view, their blades turning steadily. Beyond them rose LaRousse itself: sleek, oddly shaped towers and clean, futuristic lines.
Natsui scanned the skyline briefly, then looked away. After everything he'd seen lately, even a high-tech metropolis struggled to hold his attention for long.
Max, on the other hand, couldn't stop reacting.
"Wow!"
"Incredible!"
"No way!"
So noisy… he's croaking like a frog, Natsui thought.
When the train finally stopped, Ash and Max bolted out first. By the time Natsui and the others stepped off, the two boys were already halfway up the escalators.
They hadn't even left the station when a small robot—made of green cubes—floated up to them.
"Welcome to LaRousse City!"
A smiley face appeared on its screen. Its crisp electronic voice sounded almost cheerful.
The robot drifted closer and snapped several photos in quick succession. May flinched in surprise—her expression twisting mid-reaction—and the robot captured it perfectly.
A moment later, it dispensed several ID cards.
"These are your city passes. You may use them for purchases and transportation. Please keep them safe!"
Everyone immediately compared cards.
Most photos looked fine.
May's, unfortunately, featured a hilariously startled expression that looked like she'd just seen a Ghost-type up close. Ash and Max teased her mercilessly; May stared at the card in silence.
"…I really want a retake."
Too late.
They followed Natsui outside—and only then did the city's charm truly hit them. Even the trash cans were smart: they identified waste type automatically and opened the correct compartment on their own.
"Wow… so cool…" Max murmured, as if he might combust from excitement.
Ash's attention was elsewhere. He ran ahead, craning his neck and scanning for landmarks.
"Where's the Battle Tower? I don't see it anywhere!"
He was so focused on looking around that he didn't watch his footing. He stepped onto a moving walkway—and was swept forward instantly.
Ash startled, spun, and tried to run back toward Natsui.
It didn't help. The walkway was too fast. The harder he ran, the farther away he got.
His flailing only drew more attention. A few stylish girls nearby giggled openly at the spectacle.
When it came to embarrassing himself, Ash never missed.
Natsui was about to step in—when a small group approached from the opposite direction. One young man casually flicked out a Poké Ball and released a Blaziken.
With two quick leaps, Blaziken grabbed Ash and pulled him off the walkway as if rescuing a runaway toddler.
"Whew… saved…" Ash wiped his forehead and exhaled hard. "Thank you so much!"
"Don't mention it." The young man barely spared Ash a glance, waving a hand with cold indifference. "I wasn't trying to save you. I just couldn't stand watching someone look that stupid."
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