Could it be...
They've already prepared to head to the Cobalt Coastlands early?
Kamado leaned back in his chair, his expression complex for a moment.
Over the past month, everything Ash and Cynthia had done, he basically saw with his own eyes.
At first, he indeed had strong suspicions about the origins of the two.
Two overseas individuals who suddenly appeared.
One with physical abilities far surpassing the average person and two mysterious powers, the other claiming to be from an overseas region named Sinnoh and having a very high status.
Anyone sitting in Kamado's position would find it difficult to trust them completely without asking anything.
But over the month... the villagers they helped increased in number.
They calmed down Kleavor, solved Ursaluna's anomaly, and now have restored Lilligant back to normal.
These things couldn't have been faked.
"Could it be... I've been too wary of them?"
Kamado muttered softly to himself.
But as soon as this thought occurred, he quickly suppressed it again.
The actions Ash and Cynthia have taken thus far are worthy of trust.
But being trustworthy does not mean, as Leader of Team Galactic, he can completely lower his guard.
He's responsible for the entire Jubilife Village.
If there's a mistake in judgment, he won't be the only one facing the consequences.
Maintaining necessary vigilance is part of what he should do.
It's just that...
Kamado no longer jumps to the worst conclusions just because Ash and Cynthia go out for an ordinary action.
At least in this regard, it is indeed different from a month ago.
On the other side.
After leaving Jubilife Village, Ash and Cynthia did not immediately use the Arceus Phone near the road.
The two first walked a distance along a normal route.
Once they entered a small grove away from the road, Ash stopped.
Blue Aura quickly spread outward.
No signs of other human activity were present nearby.
"It's okay."
Ash took out the Arceus Phone.
Cynthia naturally moved closer to him.
Pikachu, already used to the routine, promptly jumped onto Ash's shoulder.
Blue light swiftly spread.
The surrounding woods vanished in an instant.
The next moment, the three of them found themselves in a previously repeatedly used safe spot deep within the Obsidian Fieldlands.
"Pika~"
Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder, stretching lazily.
Cynthia took out the Celestica Flute.
The melodious flute sound soon spread across the plains.
Before long, a rapidly approaching figure appeared in the distance.
"Woo-hoo!"
Wyrdeer lightly leapt over a slope, quickly arriving before them.
"Good to see you again."
Cynthia laughed, patting Wyrdeer's head.
They had been riding Wyrdeer for travel just two days ago, so the reunion was only due to a day's gap.
"Pikapi!"
Pikachu adeptly jumped beside Wyrdeer, raising a small paw to greet him.
The two Pokemon had become quite familiar over the past month.
Sometimes Pikachu already found his most comfortable spot even before Ash and Cynthia were seated.
"You're really not holding back."
Ash smiled as he climbed onto Wyrdeer's back.
Cynthia followed, sitting behind him with ease.
"Let's head out."
"Woo-hoo!"
Wyrdeer immediately started moving.
However, this time they had no urgent tasks.
No goal they needed to reach before nightfall.
So Wyrdeer didn't need to rush at full speed.
The trio slowly progressed along a familiar route in the Obsidian Fieldlands.
When they encountered wild Pokémon from previous interactions, Ash would stop to say hello.
Seeing places they'd rushed past during tasks without really observing, Cynthia would have Wyrdeer veer slightly to check them out.
Pikachu was fully in holiday mode.
Spotting familiar wild Pokémon, he would run over to chat for a bit.
When it comes to befriending Pokémon, Ash sometimes had to admit, he might not be better than Pikachu.
After all, when communicating with Pokémon, he often had to rely on Aura to grasp the more complex meanings.
Pikachu didn't have that problem.
They were all Pokémon.
Often, a simple gesture or growl conveyed what the other wanted to express.
Moreover, Pikachu was naturally sociable with other Pokémon.
Unless the other party held obvious hostility, it usually didn't take long for them to mingle together.
The sun gradually set in the west.
The sky above Obsidian Fieldlands was slowly tinted with orange.
"Let's stop here for today."
Cynthia glanced at the sky: "No need to proceed further at night."
"Alright."
Ash agreed as well.
Their chosen spot was an area they had camped at several times over the past month while on missions.
Few strong wild Pokémon actively roamed nearby.
It wasn't far from a water source.
Perfect for camping.
Ash took out a tent and sleeping bags from the Space Backpack.
Cynthia handled clearing stones and debris near the campsite.
Their teamwork was seamless.
Soon, the simple tent was set up.
Pikachu lay nearby, lazily rising only after they finished their tasks.
"Pika~"
"You just now thought to help, huh?"
Ash gave him a teasing look.
"Pikapi."
Pikachu responded confidently.
"Isn't today a rest day? A rest day means resting well!"
Ash: "..."
Why did that actually make sense?
Cynthia laughed out loud beside them.
The night slowly descended, occasionally punctuated by the cries of wild Pokémon in the distance.
A rare quiet day came to a peaceful end.
Once in the sleeping bags, Ash quickly placed his hands behind his head.
"Sis."
"Hmm?"
"Shall we head to the Cobalt Coastlands tomorrow?"
"Yes."
Cynthia's voice came from nearby: "We'll first visit Palina, get the tuft left by Growlithe, then summon Ursaluna to track from Growlithe's last known location."
If Ursaluna could use the scent to find the captured Growlithe...
They would formally enter the Cobalt Coastlands, where the throne remained vacant.
As for where the slate left by the previous king currently lies.
Whether the special Mount Pokemon of the Cobalt Coastlands guards a new slate.
These answers... will be sought when they actually arrive there.
"Sleep."
"We'll be busy again tomorrow."
"Okay."
Pikachu had already curled up beside Ash.
Soon, the tent was completely quiet inside.
...
Early the next morning, just as daylight broke fully, Ash and Cynthia finished packing the tent and sleeping bags used the previous night.
Pikachu sat nearby yawning, then adeptly jumped back onto Ash's shoulder.
"No play today, let's start by finding the taken Growlithe."
"Pika!"
Pikachu immediately perked up.
Yesterday he ate and played to his heart's content, today it was business!
Ash pulled out the Arceus Phone, opening the unlocked Hisui Map.
Currently, the Cobalt Coastlands remained in a state where direct teleportation wasn't possible.
Since they hadn't entered that area yet, they couldn't simply teleport there.
However, the Crimson Mirelands were completely accessible.
Ash quickly selected a Crimson Mirelands teleport point near the Cobalt Coastlands they've previously visited.
"Let's go."
Blue light swiftly spread, engulfing Ash, Cynthia, and Pikachu.
The next second, the cool morning air of the Obsidian Fieldlands vanished, replaced by the familiar environment of the Crimson Mirelands.
Cynthia took out the Celestica Flute.
The melodious sound spread, and Wyrdeer soon approached from afar.
"Today we'll travel further, please help us reach the Cobalt Coastlands."
"Woo-hoo!"
Wyrdeer lowered his body.
Ash took the front seat, Cynthia settled behind him, while Pikachu adeptly lay on Ash's shoulder.
With Wyrdeer exerting his limbs, they quickly headed out of the Crimson Mirelands.