Chapter 142: A Thousand Years Gone By
Ryu still preferred Sprigatito's old personality. Though she was naughty, she was straightforward and cute. Now, in her adolescent phase, she had learned to hide her feelings. It was an inevitable part of growing up.
Forrest called for his Gyarados carriage. "Let's go, I'll take you around Cherrygrove City. This should be your first time here, right?"
Ryu just went along with it.
"Pull open the curtain and smell it. This is the biggest feature of our city," Forrest said proudly.
Ryu pulled back the curtain, and a rich floral fragrance, blended with the damp scent of the sea breeze, rushed in. "The city attracts many wild Bug-type and Grass-type Pokémon," Forrest explained. "Coupled with its proximity to the sea, Water, Grass, and Bug-type trainers are very common here. Anyway, in my opinion, Water-type Pokémon are the most charming!"
Ryu just grinned. The young man was very straightforward, saying whatever came to mind, much like Max from the anime.
"By the way, why are you coming with us to Blackthorn City?" Ryu asked. The journey would take at least a week.
"Isn't it because I'm afraid you'll get lost again?" Forrest replied. "Also, I invested in building a Pokémon kindergarten in Blackthorn City, and I plan to go over and see how it's doing."
They rode around the massive city for the entire afternoon.
The next morning, they set off on Forrest's fishing yacht. It was smaller and slower than Tom's speedboat, but it was quiet and could travel day and night.
Seven or eight days passed in a flash. Forrest was completely immersed in fishing, while Floragato grew more and more restless from boredom. To keep her occupied, Ryu began teaching her a few simpler moves.
When they reached the middle of the river section, the yacht slowed down. "Sceptile, look," Forrest said, pointing to a small mountain. "That's the direction of Mt. Silver. Originally, there was a road here, but it got blocked later."
Ryu looked at the small mountain with a sigh. In the past, the banks of this river were vast, lush plains. Now, they had become so crowded.
"That Mt. Silver is quite something," Forrest continued, retelling the legend he knew. "It's said that it was originally the habitat of the Dragonite, but a large silver bird slapped it from a distance, and it became the Indigo Plateau of today. The Alliance's records say so, but I don't believe it. How can there be such a powerful Pokémon?"
"Then I hope you never have to realize their strength in your lifetime," Ryu smiled. The story was wrong—the war had been on the plains, far from the mountain—but he didn't correct him.
"As for the other direction," Forrest said, pointing to a mountain on the other side, "that's where the former Royal Capital was. Time is truly terrifying. The first kingdom on this land just disappeared without a trace."
Ryu glanced at the barren hills, then quickly turned his head back.
"Not interested? Then let's go," Forrest said, finding the Sceptile's strange, distant gaze a bit odd.
As the yacht sped up, the Sceptile couldn't help but turn its head for one last look. In the long river of history, how many secrets and truths are buried by time?
[Inorin Note:
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