Lucas spent quite a while in the cemetery with the Dragonite leader and the others. Dragonite, the Dragonair, Tapu Fini, and Lucas himself took turns offering bouquets to the now-spotless tombstone. They stayed by the Dragonite leader's side as it inevitably grew melancholy again, only leaving after it had collected itself. Lucas and the Pokémon bid farewell to Ria, promising to tell her all about the changes in the Paldea region the next time they visited.
The elderly caretaker simply watched quietly from the side. After Lucas and the others left, he lit a single incense stick for Ria on his own. A faint smile appeared on his wrinkled face, as if he was glad that the tombstone's owner still lived on in the memories of those close to her.
Back at the farm.
Although it was still a while until lunch, Lucas had already begun roll call. The Pokémon gathered together, staring eagerly at the list in Lucas's hand. If their name was called, they would have the chance to follow Lucas to the Hoenn region!
Being stared at by so many pairs of eyes put immense pressure on Lucas himself. After all, considering the number he could actually care for, the Pokémon he could take with him were far fewer than the total currently living on the farm. Some Pokémon were bound to be disappointed.
Lucas couldn't avoid that, but even if it didn't work this time, there would always be a next time. The Pokémon all understood this, so they simply stayed obediently in place, hoping their name would be called.
"Ahem. Then I'll begin announcing the list of Pokémon who will accompany me to the Hoenn region."
Lucas cleared his throat lightly, his gaze falling on the paper as he read out the names one by one.
"Luxray."
"Swampert."
"Mimikyu."
"Moltres."
"Politoed."
"Comfey."
"Victini."
"Ninetales."
"Milotic."
When he reached this point, Lucas felt his pant leg being tugged. He looked down. Sure enough, it was Terapagos.
With a helpless expression, Lucas stared at the blank space on the paper and manually added one more spot.
"…And Terapagos."
"These are the Pokémon who will accompany me to the Hoenn region. Don't be sad, everyone. There will be plenty more opportunities to go out and explore together in the future."
Terapagos's innocent, joyful cheers rang in his ears. Looking at the Pokémon below him—some showing surprise and others disappointment—Lucas felt both heartache and helplessness.
He had originally planned to bring Regice as well, but Regice now saw the farm as the ruins it was meant to protect as its guardian. Unless absolutely necessary, it didn't want to stray too far from the farm. Having learned this in advance, Lucas could only drop the idea.
Serperior, who hadn't been called this time, flicked its tail in mild displeasure and completely ignored the slightly smug look the Moltres beside it was giving. If it couldn't go this time, then so be it. Serperior wasn't some shortsighted snake that fought over petty, short-term gains. Not to mention its unshakable status after accompanying Lucas on his travels for a full year—if its strength remained where it was, there would be plenty of chances to go out together.
At worst, it could spend the next half-month in intensive training with Calyrex and try to overtake everyone in one go!
Hmph, it wasn't disappointed at all!
After a lavish farewell lunch, Lucas shouldered the spatial backpack that Oranguru had stuffed full of all kinds of necessities. Besides the invisible Victini that could follow him undetected, the Pokémon by his side included Terapagos, who had entered a Poké Ball but preferred staying outside. Lucas simply emptied out his satchel and let it stay inside. It actually fit quite well, just like how Bonnie's Dedenne would do in the future.
"Young Master, have a wonderful time."
Oranguru offered his blessing in the simplest yet warmest way.
"Mm. I'll leave the farm in your care while I'm away."
Lucas smiled at Oranguru, then turned to the other two heavyweight figures: Calyrex and Zygarde Core—these two big shots. To be honest, with the two of them around, Lucas felt extremely reassured about the farm's safety. Otherwise, when he went out, he generally wouldn't take more than half of his main battle team.
Calyrex still looked as reliable as ever. Its gentle yet dignified voice echoed in Lucas's mind.
"If you encounter any problems, just call my name, friend. I will rush to your side at once."
Looking at Calyrex's sincere expression, Lucas was certain this was its heartfelt promise—the vow of the King of Bountiful Harvest who once governed the Galar lands.
"Alright. If it really comes to that, I'll do so."
Lucas replied with a smile, though he privately doubted anything would force him to call for help.
But the next words from Zygarde Core, which hopped forward one step, froze the smile on his face. It said meaningfully, "The natural energy in the Hoenn region has been a bit unstable lately. Although you are already nearly unmatched among humans, it's best not to let your guard down."
Lucas: "..."
What kind of ominous remark was that? He suddenly felt like he didn't want to leave anymore!
Although a drum of retreat had already materialized in his heart, he had already set a time with Wallace. By current moral standards, Lucas couldn't bring himself to stand up a friend. He could only call out Moltres with some unease and fly toward Sootopolis City.
The Hoenn region was a warm-climate area where water surfaces and land were almost equal in area. Compared to Paldea, perhaps because Hoenn was separated from Paldea by a vast expanse of ocean and was close to the Kanto, Johto, and Sinnoh regions, it was still January—with spring approaching—yet Hoenn already showed signs of all things reviving. Green plants covered the land, leaving no trace of any previous heavy snowfall.
However, this was only the coastal scenery of Hoenn. Deeper inland, the environment was far harsher than along the coast.
The historically sleeping mysterious city—Sootopolis City. In the past, this city could only be entered by riding flying mount Pokémon, by ferry, or by sea mount Pokémon. But perhaps due to the progress of the times, Sootopolis City now had its own dedicated airport. After all, the city was no longer limited to the small visible portion from the games.
Lucas was already quite familiar with airport procedures in the Pokémon world. After getting off the plane, it didn't take him long to reach the arrivals hall. He had already told Wallace in advance that there was no need to pick him up at the airport. After all, this was Wallace's home base. With his status as a Contest Master, if Wallace showed up at the airport, it wouldn't be strange for utter chaos to ensue. Rather than dealing with that kind of battlefield, it was better to walk out on his own two feet.
But before leaving the airport, Lucas's attention was drawn by a "Bago!" from Terapagos in his satchel. He stopped in front of a load-bearing pillar and fell silent.
A huge poster was plastered on the pillar. The handsome man with a healthy smile showing his white teeth, wearing a white hat, with teal hair, and holding a trophy and ribbon—wasn't that Wallace?
"Wallace Cup. Welcome all who dream of becoming Coordinators to sign up. The winning ribbon is recognized by the Contest Associations of every region."
The more he read, the stranger Lucas's expression became. So it was the period when the Wallace Cup was being held? No wonder plane tickets to here had been so hard to get.
He remembered that the last time Wallace personally came to the Naranja Academy and held a Contest, it had received widespread recognition. Formally establishing an association and beginning official Contests was only a matter of time. It was foreseeable that in the future, a group called Coordinators would also flourish in the Paldea region.
In a sense, as the Contest Master at the pinnacle of Contests, Wallace's achievements in this area even overshadowed his honor as the Hoenn League Champion.
Did they understand the weight of— #Coordinator No.1 Award#
#Strength Not Inferior to Steven Award#
#Still Champion Despite Busy Schedule Award#?
The Wallace Cup promotions had even been posted at the airport. While Lucas was surprised by Wallace's popularity, he was also glad that his earlier decision had been correct. If the other party had appeared at the airport, he probably wouldn't have been able to leave all day.
"Bago, right?" Lucas lifted the curious Terapagos along with the satchel and said with a smile.
"Bago? Bagogogo!" Terapagos tilted its head. Though it didn't understand what Lucas meant, it still obligingly cried out.
While interacting with Terapagos, Lucas didn't forget Victini, who was following beside him. He took a small round biscuit from a prepared box and fed it directly to the little Pokémon.
"Let's go. We'll head out of the airport first. Wallace should be waiting for us somewhere with fewer people."
Stepping out of the airport, what greeted his eyes was an incredibly vast and grand cityscape. Sootopolis City was built on a volcanic island, so most of the buildings here were constructed on land at varying elevations, stretching all the way to the highest point. The architectural style of the entire city was remarkably uniform—all pure white square buildings, with some areas featuring tower-style structures with domes. The first impression the city gave was an indescribable sense of sacredness.
"…I wonder where the Cave of Origin is."
Muttering casually, Lucas followed his intuition, looked left and right, and headed toward the right side of the street. He felt Wallace would be waiting for him around the corner there.
The influence of the Wallace Cup far exceeded Lucas's expectations. Even though he was still on airport roads, the surrounding area was brightly decorated and bustling. It wasn't quite crowded to the point of people pushing each other, but it was close. If the newly built airport was already like this, he didn't dare imagine how packed the port—which handled Sootopolis City's most traditional transportation—must be right now.
Shaking his head to dismiss the stray thoughts, Lucas turned and walked into the small alley at the street corner.
The moment his front foot stepped inside, a pleasant male voice filled with delight rang out.
"Oh, my dear friend Lucas, as expected, our hearts are in sync like streams flowing together into the vast sea!"
Wearing sunglasses and seemingly in disguise—but with his signature outfit completely unchanged—Wallace no longer leaned against the hood of his sports car. Instead, he enthusiastically spread his arms and came forward directly.
This was Wallace's way of expressing welcome. Lucas didn't refuse; he simply teased, "Your metaphors are still as strange as ever. But anyway, it's been a while, Wallace."
After a brief, warm hug, Wallace's gaze fell on Lucas. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with his clothes; he had simply noticed Terapagos hiding in the satchel with only its eyes showing, and Victini boldly perched on Lucas's shoulder.
"Such an angelic, adorable face, and those eyes as bright as the most brilliant stars in the night sky—your Pokémon surprise me every single moment~!"
Wallace's eyes sparkled as he looked at Victini and the hidden Terapagos. He felt that the Contest-worthy Pokémon around Lucas were simply too numerous to count! There was also Ninetales, exuding a sacred and austere aura like a snow-capped mountain, and Milotic—whose beauty was completely different from his own Milotic yet arrived at the same destination through different paths. Not to mention the various Pokémon that went beyond the domain of beauty—handsome, strong, intelligent ones. Every Pokémon's charm made Wallace feel especially fond.
Seeing that Wallace was about to launch into another long, eloquent praise, Lucas quickly changed the subject.
"Why don't we set off first? If we stay here too long and your fans spot you, it'll be hard to get out."
Suppressing his urge to sing praises, Wallace smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about that. I've already disguised myself."
As he spoke, Wallace winked from behind his sunglasses.
Lucas: "..."
You call that a disguise? Was it because Team Rocket had come to Hoenn with Ash? So putting on sunglasses and changing your hairstyle counted as perfect camouflage that no one would recognize? Don't be ridiculous!
"Still, you're right. By my calculations, I also want to pick up another person on the way and introduce him to you," Wallace added.
Moments later, with the roar of the engine, a flashy-colored sports car sped out of the alley and vanished down the road in a flash.
Lucas held Victini in his arms to prevent it from being blown away by the oncoming wind, while looking at the seat beneath him and the one under Wallace with a hesitant expression. One unavoidable thought popped into his head:
—This convertible only has a driver's seat and a passenger seat. After picking up your friend, where is he supposed to sit? Between us?
…
…
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