Silas' expression remained unchanged.
"What reason?"
He had accepted Professor Elm's request to help ensure the successful establishment of the research institute. Naturally, there was no way he would give up simply because of a single sentence from Slowking.
Even if it possessed Champion-level strength.
If things really came to that, Professor Elm could always ask Professor Oak for help.
Surely Professor Oak would be extremely interested in such an incredibly rare Champion-level Slowking.
If the younger generation couldn't win, they could always call in the older generation. That had always been the way.
Silas wasn't worried in the slightest.
Slowking, standing with its hands behind its back, fell silent.
Having lived at the Slowpoke Temple and interacted with humans for so long, it naturally understood how powerful the Pokémon League was.
Even the one it served was generally unwilling to interfere in conflicts between ordinary Pokémon and humans.
Because that was both the law of nature and the will of the Great One.
But this time was different.
"If the research institute could be built somewhere else, I'd be more than willing to offer whatever help I can. Among the nearby marine Pokémon, I have a fair amount of influence."
Slowking "spoke" through the blue-violet psychic glow shining from its eyes.
Even so, it still refused to reveal the real reason.
Silas frowned.
From a rational standpoint, it wasn't actually a bad suggestion.
Judging by the way Slowking had directed the marine Pokémon over the past half month, its influence went far beyond merely "having some reputation."
If his guess was correct, Slowking acted more like a wise leader, guiding the marine Pokémon living in the nearby seas and rivers.
But relocating an entire research institute wasn't something that could be done on a whim.
Silas wasn't an expert in research, but it was obvious enough.
Pokémon research was highly specialized. The researcher had almost certainly chosen that location because of its unique marine environment. Move somewhere else, and the research probably couldn't continue.
That would be no different from canceling the institute altogether.
Just to be certain, he contacted Brock through his Pokégear.
"I'm sorry."
A moment later, under Slowking's watchful gaze, Silas finished reading Brock's reply and shook his head apologetically.
"The institute's location can't be changed unless you can convince that herd of Lapras that passes through here every year to permanently alter its migration route."
"Then there's nothing more to discuss."
Slowking sighed helplessly.
Lapras were gentle by nature, but they valued their companions above all else.
Their migration routes almost never changed because they served as a guide for any companions that became separated during the journey.
Even Slowking had no way to influence that.
The human and the Pokémon stared at one another in silence inside the wooden cabin.
"Then how about telling me why the institute can't be built there?"
Silas sighed.
He hadn't expected what was supposed to be a simple defense mission to become so troublesome.
Champion-level Pokémon certainly weren't common.
Who would have guessed that the famous Slowpoke Temple of Johto actually had a Champion-level Slowking serving as its abbot?
If it truly insisted on preventing the institute's construction, things would become rather difficult.
The biggest problem was that this Slowking insisted on speaking in riddles.
A very human expression of hesitation crossed Slowking's face.
Silas' sudden appearance had completely caught it off guard.
The institute had been on the verge of collapse after enduring attacks for over half a month, yet this human had appeared at the last possible moment.
Even without the League's influence, the numerous Legendary Pokémon auras surrounding Silas made Slowking unwilling to attack him.
It was genuinely curious how this human had managed to meet so many Legendary Pokémon.
Only now did it finally understand why its previous Future Sight predictions had never shown Silas.
What a joke.
Its Future Sight wasn't powerful enough to pierce through such an overwhelming concentration of Legendary Pokémon aura.
Besides, Future Sight wasn't omnipotent.
Perhaps the future it had seen simply didn't include Silas at all.
"Sigh..."
It let out a long sigh.
Just as Silas thought the negotiation had failed, Slowking finally spoke.
"The truth is the Great One I serve has recently given birth to a child. The youngster is rather mischievous. If humans were to discover it, things could become troublesome."
"Huh?"
Silas' expression instantly became rather strange.
"Do Legendary Pokémon actually coordinate among themselves when it's time to have children?"
If he didn't already know that Legendary Pokémon couldn't produce offspring together, he'd almost suspect Articuno and Lugia had become a couple.
That's right.
Lugia.
According to the legends, the Sage of the Sea always served beside the Guardian of the Seas.
Its role resembled that of a loyal steward.
Although there was probably only one true Guardian of the Seas, that didn't stop individual Lugia from being accompanied by Slowking.
Slowking tilted its head, clearly not understanding what Silas meant.
"The Articuno on Snowcap Mountain is planning to have a child too."
Silas explained weakly.
"And not just that. My Urshifu seems to have similar plans."
Understanding dawned on Slowking's face.
"The Articuno, you mean? That is probably because its lifespan is nearing its end. My great-grandfather once told me about such things."
"May I ask how old are you?"
Silas asked instinctively.
"Me?"
Slowking looked puzzled but answered honestly.
"I should be eighty-six this year. Why?"
"It's nothing."
Silas waved it off.
Eighty-six years old wasn't too bad.
By Slowking standards, it had only recently entered adulthood.
No wonder he hadn't sensed the frailty of old age from it.
"But that really does make things complicated."
Silas sighed.
Slowking nodded in agreement.
"If it weren't for this reason, I wouldn't have bothered managing the waters near New Bark Town from such a distance."
"But as the Great One's loyal servant, it's my duty to protect its child."
"If malicious humans were to discover the young one, the consequences could be disastrous."
"Especially now. After giving birth, the Great One remains asleep deep beneath the sea in a weakened state. Its awareness of the surroundings has become extremely limited."
"If anything happened to the child, it might not notice in time. The only fortunate thing is that you're a human favored by Ho-Oh."
"Otherwise, I never would have revealed this secret so easily."
Silas' thoughts raced.
He already had a good idea who this newborn Lugia was.
It was almost certainly the young Lugia Ash would later meet, Silver.
The only difference was that, according to the anime, Silver's territory was around the Whirl Islands in western Johto rather than the seas near New Bark Town in the east.
Then again according to legend, Lugia had once split a single island into the Whirl Islands in a fit of rage.
It was perfectly understandable that a parent wouldn't want its child wandering around such a dangerous place.
As for why Lugia later appeared there. Ash's protagonist aura wasn't something to underestimate.
Or, in Pokémon terms, the invisible bond of trust between humans and Pokémon had once again manifested through Ash.
That was why Lugia had appeared before him.
Whatever flaws Ash might have had, his love for Pokémon had never been in doubt.
"Maybe we could try it ahead of time."
Silas murmured.
"Try what ahead of time?"
Slowking asked curiously.
Silas looked up.
"What I mean is why not have the young Lugia move somewhere else?"
"For Lugia, as long as it's somewhere within Johto's seas and waterways, the exact location shouldn't make much difference."
"And honestly, there are quite a lot of people active around New Bark Town's coastline."
Slowking instinctively wanted to object.
But after thinking it over carefully, it actually made sense.
The only reason it hadn't considered this before was because Silas hadn't been involved.
To put it simply, it had been a matter of pride.
From Slowking's perspective, if it weren't worried about the young Lugia's safety, why should the Great One's child have to avoid humans?
Even if they couldn't openly warn people away, driving them off would have been perfectly justified.
But Silas changed the situation.
Everyone knew about the relationship between Ho-Oh and Lugia.
Giving a little face to someone favored by Ho-Oh wasn't unreasonable.
Seeing Slowking wavering, Silas quickly pressed the advantage.
"Johto may not have as many waterways as Hoenn, but it still has several excellent locations."
"For example, Alto Mare in the southwest."
"Further north, there's the Whirl Islands."
"If those don't work, the waters south of Cherrygrove City would also be a good choice."
Alto Mare, also known as the City of Water, was an island city off Johto's southwestern coast and one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
More importantly, it was home to Latias and Latios.
Based on everything Silas knew, the various Legendary Pokémon generally maintained friendly relationships with one another.
If the young Lugia lived there, perhaps the sibling duo would even help protect it.
Meanwhile, the waters south of Cherrygrove City were known to be part of Suicune's territory, making them another excellent option.
Slowking fell into deep thought.
"Alto Mare, the Whirl Islands and Cherrygrove City."
All three were indeed excellent choices.
The Whirl Islands had once belonged to the Great One, so returning there wasn't impossible.
But Slowking was only a servant.
It couldn't make such an important decision on its master's behalf.
Slowking looked up at Silas.
Silas immediately returned a sincere smile.
More than anything, he hoped this matter could be resolved peacefully.
His perfectionist tendencies made him dislike seeing his mission success rate decrease.
Even if no one would blame him for circumstances beyond his control, the statistics themselves wouldn't change.
"I'll need to ask the Great One."
Slowking closed its eyes for a moment before replying.
"Of course."
Five minutes later.
Riding atop Pidgeot while following Slowking through the skies, Silas was filled with excitement and anticipation.
He hadn't expected that Slowking's idea of "asking for permission" meant going directly to meet Lugia and even bringing him along.
He had assumed two Psychic-type Pokémon could simply communicate through telepathy over long distances.
Still, this was an unexpected delight.
Although he had already met quite a few Legendary Pokémon, they had all been the Legendary Birds and the Legendary Beasts.
Not that he looked down on them, but compared to Lugia, they were clearly on an entirely different level.
Even if this Lugia wasn't the true Sea Guardian, its strength was surely extraordinary.
"So which sea does it live in?" Silas asked, turning toward Slowking, who was flying alongside Pidgeot.
Its Champion-level psychic power granted Slowking incredible mobility.
Even though it wasn't a Pokémon known for flight, its psychic propulsion allowed it to keep pace with Pidgeot effortlessly.
"The waters where Kanto and Johto meet."
Slowking didn't bother hiding the location. After all, Silas would see it for himself soon enough.
Silas blinked.
That's pretty close to the Orange Archipelago.
"What are you staring at?"
Feeling Silas's completely undisguised gaze, Slowking instinctively lowered its flying altitude slightly.
"Nothing," Silas answered honestly.
"I just think the way you're flying looks kind of funny."
"..."
Slowking clenched its hands.
Its body wasn't all that different from a Slowpoke's. Watching that chubby pink body floating through the air was already amusing enough.
With both hands folded behind its back, glowing blue-purple eyes, and the orange-and-white Shellder around its neck, it somehow looked even less dignified and even more comical.
Slowking resisted the overwhelming urge to throw this human into the ocean.
Before long, under Slowking's guidance, they arrived above a vast, tranquil stretch of sea.
Splash!
Without another word, Slowking wrapped itself in psychic energy and plunged straight into the water.
Silas sighed.
"Come out, Prinplup. Return, Pidgeot."
At the same time, he quickly pulled a portable oxygen tank from his dimensional backpack.
"Prin—!"
Splash!
After a brief moment of weightlessness, trainer and Pokémon followed Slowking into the sea.
The instant he entered the water, Silas opened his eyes in surprise.
"My psychic barrier contains air. There's nothing to worry about."
Slowking floated calmly underwater with its hands behind its back.
An invisible barrier formed around its body, pushing the seawater away.
Inside it, Silas could breathe and move just as freely as he could on land.
"Is this your Pokémon?" Slowking asked curiously, looking at Prinplup.
"Why did you send it out?"
Silas remained calm, keeping the oxygen tank in hand.
"I can't really swim," he admitted.
"So it's just in case. Besides, it gives Prinplup a chance to stretch its legs."
Slowking immediately understood and simply shook its head.
"Relax your body. I'll take you down."
Without another word, it carried Silas deeper into the ocean.
Prinplup swam outside the psychic barrier, flapping its flippers to keep pace.
As a Water-type Pokémon, it naturally needed no protection from the sea.
Meanwhile, Silas stared wide-eyed at the breathtaking underwater scenery.
Countless Water-type Pokémon swam peacefully through the ocean.
This was a region humanity had never explored. Common species like Magikarp and Goldeen.
Rare ones like Gyarados and Starmie.
He even spotted a group of Horsea living together with Seadra along the seafloor.
Perhaps because Lugia lived here, the local Pokémon were noticeably stronger than average.
Despite the sudden arrival of two humans and a Pokémon, none of them reacted.
Even the notoriously aggressive Gyarados ignored them completely.
As they descended, sunlight faded.
The deeper they went, the darker everything became.
There were fewer and fewer Pokémon.
300 meters.
500 meters.
1,000 meters.
1,500 meters.
Prinplup, swimming alongside them, was visibly beginning to struggle.
In Silas's previous world, emperor penguins could dive a little over 500 meters at most.
At that depth, the pressure acting on a human or a penguin was roughly equivalent to balancing a polar bear on top of a single coin.
Although Pokémon possessed physiques far beyond ordinary animals, after tripling that depth, Prinplup still far from its final evolution, finally began to feel the strain.
"If you can't keep going, come inside."
Using the faint glow of the psychic barrier, Silas gestured toward Prinplup.
Prinplup flapped its wings, indicating it understood.
Slowking hesitated briefly but said nothing.
It quietly shrank the size of its psychic barrier.
Even for a Champion-level Pokémon like itself, resisting the crushing pressure of the deep sea wasn't something it could do carelessly, especially while protecting a human.
Silas also sensed the danger.
If Slowking's barrier failed even for an instant, the immense water pressure would crush him into little more than pulp.
Humans in the Pokémon world were far tougher than ordinary humans, but not nearly tough enough to survive that.
Instinctively, he tightened his grip on Gallade's Poké Ball at his waist.
"Don't worry. Nothing will happen."
Slowking's expression turned serious as it reassured him.
"That isn't very convincing," Silas replied dryly.
He was beginning to regret coming.
Slowking rolled its eyes.
"My lord recognizes my aura. It's probably because my lord didn't expect me to bring a human that there hasn't been any reaction while resting."
"Besides," it continued, "Don't you carry Ho-Oh's blessing? My lord would never just stand by and let you die."
"I certainly hope so."
Silas shrugged helplessly before pulling the exhausted Prinplup into the barrier.
"Prin..."
Prinplup panted heavily.
It flapped its flippers unhappily, complaining to its trainer.
"Yes, yes, I know you could keep going," Silas said, gently patting its head.
"But there's no point exhausting yourself. Let Slowking handle the rest."
For a proud, tsundere little Pokémon like Prinplup, reassurance like this worked wonders.
Knowing now wasn't the time to argue, Prinplup obediently curled up in Silas's arms.
Fortunately, at only about one meter tall, it wasn't large enough to make the cramped barrier uncomfortable.
5,000 meters.
6,000 meters.
7,000 meters...
The deeper they descended, the smaller Slowking's psychic barrier became.
Eventually, it was only large enough for Silas and Prinplup to stand inside.
Slowking finally lowered one of the hands it had kept behind its back, extending it forward to maintain the immense psychic output required.
Neither Silas nor Prinplup dared to move.
Far below them in the darkest depths of the ocean. A pair of enormous white eyes slowly opened.
They gazed upward toward the approaching figures.
"Luuuu..."
..
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