Chapter 54: A Dip in the Ocean
After returning, Ryū was lost in thought.
Liz's talent as a Trainer was quite good. She didn't just mindlessly command her Pokémon to attack but also knew when to evade. But how could they solve the problem of move names?
When Liz told Little Flare to 'start a fire,' it knew to use Ember. That was because it was the only fire-starting move it knew. If it also learned moves like Flamethrower and Fire Spin, it might hesitate, losing its rhythm in battle.
'How does the army solve this problem?' Ryū wondered. When Trainers in the army shouted commands like 'use fire' or 'use electricity,' which move would their Pokémon choose? Did they decide for themselves?
"Forget it, it's too complicated. Let future generations figure it out," Ryū decided after a while.
After all, Liz was the Queen. Even if she went to a battlefield, she likely wouldn't be personally commanding Pokémon. All Magikarp and Little Flare needed to do was protect her. Right now, having Liz command Little Flare was more about deepening their bond.
"Let's go a bit further and find another opponent."
Ryū took them and flew off again. During that lunch break, Liz and Little Flare had two battles: one win and one loss. The second battle was lost because Little Flare was exhausted. It was still at a low level and didn't have much battle experience, so it used its full power with every attack, whether it hit or not. By the second battle, it had no strength left.
"It's okay, Little Flare, we'll try harder next time!"
Returning to the caravan, they continued their advance. Liz clenched her fist and encouraged the dejected Charmander beside her.
"Yes, comforting your Pokémon after a defeat is also very important," Ryū nodded as he watched.
Liz's gentle personality made her a natural-born Trainer. Gentle people often found it easier to gain a Pokémon's favor and trust, which was a great advantage.
Days passed.
One morning, Ryū's somewhat cloudy eyes suddenly opened wide, becoming incredibly clear.
"I smell... humid air. This must be the scent of the sea."
Ryū quickly left his sleeping bag, rushed out of the tent, and looked south.
Does the sea have a scent? Yes, it does. As a human, Ryū had been to many coastlines. Some were odorless, while others were foul-smelling. But after becoming a Pokémon, he hadn't even seen the ocean of this world, let alone smelled it.
Now, the scent filled his nostrils. It was a fresh, invigorating aroma that felt as if all the pores in his body had opened at once.
"Alan?"
"Char?"
Liz and Little Flare were woken up by the commotion and walked out of the tent, rubbing their eyes.
"We're almost there. Cherrygrove City," Ryū said, turning his head to look at Liz.
"It seems we're arriving soon," Liz agreed. At that moment, she also felt the sea breeze and couldn't help but perk up.
"My Queen, we should arrive at Cherrygrove City around noon," a guard reported upon seeing Liz awake.
"I can't wait. Liz, let's go now!" Ryū shook his body, stretched his limbs, and then wrapped his tail around Liz and Little Flare, flying towards the direction of the sea breeze.
He had been cooped up for 10 days, and the entire journey had been through grasslands, lowlands, or forests. It was typical Johto terrain, and the neighboring Kanto region was likely similar.
"Char! Char!"
Flying into the air again, Little Flare immediately snapped out of his sleepy state, full of energy.
"The air here is so humid; it's a little uncomfortable," Liz said, rubbing her skin.
"Have Little Flare use some fire to dry the air."
"CHAR!!!"
As soon as the words were spoken, Little Flare tilted his head back and used Ember on the sky.
"Ah! Little Flare, what are you doing?!"
"Char?" Little Flare tilted his head. Didn't you tell me to use fire?
"Haha," Ryū couldn't help but chuckle, his good mood fueled by their nearing destination.
The journey would take three to four hours by carriage, but for Ryū, it was only a half-hour flight. However, this speed came at the cost of comfort. A long carriage ride might leave Liz with a sore bottom, but flying at high speed for half an hour was physically and mentally exhausting.
Fortunately, all the aches and fatigue were forgotten the moment the vast, boundless blue sea appeared before their eyes.
"The sea of the Pokémon world!"
Ryū stared at the ocean below, immediately adjusted his direction, and dove toward the surface. Liz wasn't as curious, as she had seen the ocean before.
"Ah, I see Cherrygrove City," she said, her gaze focused on the town built by the sea.
At this stage, Cherrygrove City was a small town with a permanent population of only a few thousand. It was once the territory of a local tribe but was now part of the Dragon Kingdom. Its defining features were the sea breeze and the fragrance of flowers.
The old men walking on the rural roads below noticed the giant Pokémon in the sky. They all looked up with expressions of astonishment. It was their first time seeing a Dragonair. They had only heard from traveling merchants that 'the Queen has a Pokémon that became especially beautiful after evolving,' so they couldn't recognize Ryū.
"Wait, Alan, what are you doing?!" Liz cried out. She was just about to greet the citizens below when she realized something was wrong.
They were only about 20 meters from the ground, but Ryū showed no intention of slowing down. Instead, he accelerated toward the ocean.
"Char!!"
The simple-minded Little Flare didn't notice anything amiss and continued to dance excitedly. He was so thrilled by the increased speed that he hugged Liz and cried out in joy.
"Alan!!!"
"Char!!!"
"Time for a swim!" Ryū let out a long cry as he wrapped his tail tighter around Liz and Little Flare, plunging them headfirst into the ocean.
The world suddenly became quiet.
What met their eyes was a vast expanse of blue, filled with various swimming fish, seaweed, and... endless aquatic Pokémon from all over the world!
"This is... the ALL BLUE," Ryū thought, staring blankly at the underwater world as his brain stopped for a moment in sheer awe.