Chapter 67: The Legend of the Bloodmoon
That night, apart from the Finizen on night watch, both new and old Pokémon entered the Dream Realm.
Growlithe was overjoyed to see a variety of Pokémon and make friends with them, while Munchlax was so captivated by the food at Poké-Pelago that it accidentally fell off the Sky Island.
If Fennekin hadn't used Psychic to pull it back in time, it would have been in serious trouble on its first day.
Link then realized a weakness in his team again—no one could fly.
To be honest, a Charizard would perfectly solve all his needs. He would definitely train one once he got a Mega Charizard Y.
But before that…
Becoming Champion in one year meant that Link had very little room for error and couldn't rely on luck like "finding a Mega Charizard Y." He had to gather all the main Pokémon in his team within a month to have enough time to train them.
Spending time digging for stones… that was too extravagant a way of using time.
Another night of total training…
…
The next morning, after breakfast.
Link returned to the village hall with his Pokémon. Along the way, he overheard the farmers talking about the "ghost" from the day before—it turned out to be a small, translucent Munchlax with a crystallized body.
A wild Terastalized Pokémon… a Pokémon that transformed after consuming large amounts of single-type Tera Shards while dwelling in energy nodes.
The villagers seemed to have overlooked the Ghost-type Tera Jewel on its head when discussing the Terastalized Munchlax. Such an obvious sign shouldn't have been missed.
Could it be that real-world Pokémon don't form crowns after Terastalizing?
Filled with this question, and wondering if he could invite Cynthia to explore a Tera Den together to verify his theory, Link met up with her at the village hall.
"Link, you caught a Munchlax in just one day?"
Noticing the large Munchlax accompanying him, Cynthia took another look with interest.
It's rare to see a Munchlax that grows to over a meter tall; its fluffy, dark blue fur is a sight to behold.
Presumably, once it evolves into Snorlax, it will be large enough for an entire team of Pokémon to lie on its soft, warm belly.
Regardless of its battle strength, Link has truly struck gold.
"Take good care of it; Snorlax won't disappoint you."
Not only did Link have a fruitful haul, but Cynthia also learned about the "Bloodmoon Beast" from the villagers.
According to a craftsman named Sazare, the "Bloodmoon Beast" has a long history, said to be a Pokémon that crossed the sea from the Hisui region to Kitakami long ago.
It is both cruel and cunning, only appearing to attack villagers on foggy nights.
The markings on its head reveal a "blood moon" omen, and its single remaining eye seems to see through the fog and darkness, emitting a scarlet glow in the mist. Its tall and resilient body is impervious to all attacks, and its claws can shatter the earth with a single blow.
Therefore, since ancient times, the legend of the Bloodmoon Ursaluna has been a way for villagers to scare children and prevent them from wandering into the dangerous Timeless Woods.
If the Ursaluna itself is a "deity" worshipped by the ancient Sinnoh people, then this one is undoubtedly a ferocious god.
It is said that until decades ago, a legend circulated in Mossui Town that sending elderly people or children to the Timeless Woods could appease the beast's rage…
While it's unknown whether it's true or not, Cynthia believes that the Ursaluna, which Link calls "Bloodmoon," most likely lives within the Timeless Woods, just as Link says.
"So, did that Ursaluna really kill someone…?"
Link sighed inwardly, recalling the ancient era when even venturing into the wild could be fatal.
"How will we know if we don't go and see for ourselves?"
Cynthia was unimpressed by such legends; she had seen plenty of them while studying mythology and history.
Famines had led to the expulsion of the elderly from villages; wars had resulted in raids; and development had led to the relentless encroachment on Pokémon's habitats… There were countless choices made out of necessity.
If Link's version of the story was closer to reality, wasn't the legend of the "demons" similar?
Learning from history is crucial to avoiding repeating the mistakes of our predecessors.
Link pondered for a long time before making a decision: "Then take me with you. I can understand Pokémon's language and communicate with them."
Cynthia was stunned for a moment, surprised by Link's versatility.
"Do you possess Aura?"
"Not at all. Perhaps it's more like the Blessing of the Forest."
Cynthia seemed thoughtful; she had heard of similar abilities.
Although her Lucario and Togekiss could also do this and communicate normally with trainers, as a champion, taking a new trainer along wouldn't be a problem.
Having learned the location of the Timeless Woods, Link and Cynthia, riding Togekiss and Garchomp, arrived at a basin in the northeast corner of Kitakami.
A river flows through this area, forming a small lake.
This place, considered a forbidden zone by the people of Mossui Town, has been sparsely populated since ancient times, retaining an exceptionally pristine environment. Even the Pokémon that inhabit it are superior to those in other parts of the region.
"The Timeless Woods is so vast, and there are trees everywhere, making it impossible to find from high places. Let me ask the local Pokémon."
Only then did Cynthia suddenly realize—Link must have found Growlithe because he learned its location from a Pokémon.
However, this time, her communication skills wouldn't be needed.
"Come out, Lucario."
Lucario, the Aura Pokémon. It can detect the aura emitted by everything and understand human language. After training, it can even sense feelings and detect things within a 1-kilometer radius.
Cynthia's Lucario, having trained on Iron Island, is a far superior Aura Master. It can detect objects within a 3-kilometer radius.
Emerging from its Poké Ball, Lucario immediately unleashed a powerful Aura in all directions.
Link tried to learn this technique but failed.
After a moment, Lucario nodded, noticing two extremely powerful energy sources in the lake to the northwest, seemingly engaged in battle.
To avoid alerting them, the two didn't fly directly to the lake but instead traveled through the forest below.
Link was astonished to find that even with his high stats, he couldn't keep up with Cynthia's agility.
Unbelievable! Is this what a Sinnoh Champion is like?
She even had time to warn Link, "Be careful, there are traps everywhere in the forest."
"I suspect it's the mischievous Impidimp or Morgrem of the woods; they love playing these kinds of pranks."
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End of the chapter...