Chapter 62 The Reappearance of the Demon
Leaving Verdant Town from the south, an endless expanse of paddy fields came into view.
The long road leading to Sinnoh had only one bus stop at the end, and a bus only ran every three days.
Despite how easy it seemed in the game, Link had been walking for half an hour and still hadn't left the terraced paddy fields at the village entrance.
If only Guldawn were here.
But right now, Pipa hadn't even been born yet, and the exploration of Sector Zero and the research on the Crystal Beads were probably still incomplete.
He wondered when he would have the chance to become a Cave Explorer and explore Sector Zero to uncover the truth about Crystal Beads, the Time Machine, and the Wishing Machine—things Game Freak hadn't included in the game.
Fortunately, Growlithe was already in his team, and he had already exchanged for a Fire Stone…
Once he went to the city with the Pokémon Center to have it tested and confirmed its level was up to standard, he could directly evolve it into Arcanine!
"Finally, we've reached the water's edge."
Half an hour later, Link arrived at the river at the edge of the paddy fields and released Dolphin into it.
"This is a Water Pulse Dolphin, also a member of the team."
Growlithe immediately wagged its tail and came to the water's edge to familiarize itself with the other's scent. The latter gently touched the dog in a friendly manner, a stark contrast to the exceptionally troublesome Litten.
His own Pokémon all had pretty good personalities, making the addition of new teammates much easier than expected.
Beginner Pokémon, police dog, lifeguard… although they either didn't become members or were eliminated, it at least meant that these four types of Pokémon had relatively stable personalities, perfect for a newbie like him who had a wealth of theoretical knowledge but no practical experience.
The humans and Pokémon played and explored together. Each time they encountered a new Pokémon, the trainer would explain its attributes and characteristics, allowing their own Pokémon to gain a basic understanding of various opponents.
Spider-Man, Flygon, Wobbuffet, Coyotes, Buggy, Burrowstrike, Poliwag, Corphish, Oolong…
Due to its relatively close geographical location to Kanto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, the wilds of Kitakami Township are mostly populated by these familiar names.
However, there are also many Pokémon that Link wouldn't recognize at all. After all, in reality, it's not like in the game where only a dozen or so Pokémon form the ecosystem of a region.
Just as Link was memorizing every Pokémon he hadn't seen or recognized, he suddenly overheard the conversation of farmers not far away.
"Have you heard? The field at Masaku's house was haunted again last night."
"Yeah, I went to check this morning and found that a large section of turnip field was missing!"
"I heard it was done by a ghost emitting an eerie glow?"
"It must be that inherently evil demon from legend! Let's go to Hobbiton Square tonight to offer some sacrifices…"
Could the resurrection of Hobbiton be related to the villagers' centuries-old worship?
Listening to the farmers' idle chatter, Link couldn't help but become curious about the phenomenon in Kitakami Township where Pokémon that had won the revival battle could be resurrected.
Ursaring had undoubtedly killed Pokémon 3 and Momotaros, but how could they be resurrected from their remains?
Did this mean that other dead Pokémon could also be resurrected?
Was this the same principle as Calyrex gaining power through the faith of others?
In Link's memory, the Pokémon world rarely had such overly "fantasy" elements.
"Tai-Crystal..."
Perhaps due to his increased Intelligence, several clues suddenly flashed through his mind.
At the highest peak of Kitakami Township, there was a pool of water that had long ago incorporated crystals from an unknown source—the Crystal Pool. It was said that when people gazed into the lake, they could see the illusions of the deceased.
Despite its seemingly excessive heavy metals or inorganic salts, the water in the Crystal Pool is of exceptional quality. Flowing down from the high mountains, it's a widely used water source for the people of Kitakami Town.
For centuries, the people and elves of Kitakami Town have drunk water from the Crystal Pool.
The crystal energy of Kitakami Town is so strong that it even causes the local elves to spontaneously exhibit a phenomenon theoretically only possible in the Paldea region: "Crystallization."
Considering that both the game and the *Horizon Zero Dawn* anime portray the Crystal Pool as a true "wishing machine" (Riko summoned her great-great-grandmother within it), Link finds it hard not to suspect that the villagers' centuries-old faith, under the influence of crystal power, made their "wishes" come true, leading to the successful resurrection of the Three Musketeers.
"This is absurd,"
Link shakes his head. The current information is insufficient; he'll consider it again after gaining a deeper understanding of crystals and the Lakul element.
However, the connection between the name of the Paldea region (パルデア) and the names of Palkia (パルキア) and Dialga (ディアルガ) is so close that it's hard not to suspect that the ancient Sinnoh people who came to the Paldea region were hinting at something to their descendants... As
noon approached, Link and his Pokémon prepared lunch by the river.
With Litten and Growlithe joining the team, the Pokémon's needs for daily care and food increased dramatically.
If it weren't for the fields cultivated by Diglett in the Dreamland, and the fact that he had been planting high-energy Starf berries to save on major expenses, he probably would have spent a lot on food every day.
And when Litten and Growlithe evolve...
it's a happy problem indeed.
The five thousand dollars he has won't last long; he still needs to work or compete in tournaments to earn prize money in his spare time.
"Woof!"
Just as he was calculating where he could save money and where he couldn't, Growlithe excitedly ran up to him and gently nibbled at his trouser leg and the ankle underneath.
"Do you have sheepdog blood in you?"
Link looked in the direction Growlithe was trying to lead him, noticing a rich, intense, and almost tear-inducing aroma emanating from a pot not far away.
Fennekin, Litten, Dolphin, and even some wild Pokémon that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere were all gathered around the pot. Owl, Wobbuffet, Poliwag, and Garchomp couldn't wait to approach, but were quickly "intimidated" and retreated.
"I expected this, so I cooked curry for over a dozen people. You should all try my cooking."
"Woof?" Curry rice? What kind of cooking is that?
The lavish and exquisite Pokémon food that Butler Shilan provides at the villa—that's real cooking!
"Hey, compared to a sandwich where you just pick up the ingredients, curry rice is a much more difficult dish to make."
Link said, approaching the pot.
The aroma grew stronger, even making his eyes and skin feel hot.
He eagerly lifted the lid.
A blazing red light shot into the sky, and an explosion of fragrance instantly enveloped both him and the elf.
Secret seasoning—yes, Link had added secret seasoning!
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(End of Chapter)