Chapter 480: There is a Road in Front of the Mountain, and Not Necessarily No Dawn Behind It
Considering Diancie's existence.
Will and Cynthia did not take her to the bustling Lumiose City.
In Ambrette Town on the border of the Kalos region, not many people know Diancie's identity as a Mythical Pokémon, but Lumiose City is different.
It is full of a large number of trainers, Breeders, Coordinators, scholars, and bad guys.
But in order to let Diancie experience the big cities in human society.
They still decided to take her to a few more places.
And the next destination.
Is Cyllage City located in the north.
A city with a very Western cowboy style.
Speaking of the scale of the city.
Cyllage City is about the same as Ambrette Town.
But the reason the former can be called a city is naturally because it is better developed and has a larger flow of people.
Cyllage City is a city located between the sea and high mountains, and those steep and winding mountain roads form natural bicycle racing tracks.
This is a city deeply loved by climbers and bicycle racers.
"Coming to this city, what we want to experience is nothing more than mountain climbing and bicycle races. As for the ocean, we've already played with it before, so right now we..."
Cynthia faced a choice.
Thinking.
Struggling.
Overturning ideas, rethinking...
"With Diancie's body structure, she can't experience a bicycle either, right? Let's go, let's go climb a mountain; I heard the highest mountain in the Kalos region is near here."
Will interrupted Cynthia's casting.
"Climbing a mountain, what's the difference from climbing a tunnel?"
Diancie held Will's hand and asked doubtfully.
"In terms of action, there shouldn't be any difference, both are 'climbing', but the scenery seen during the process and as a result, I suppose, is different."
Will grinned lightly.
Climbing a mountain.
Speaking of this, one couldn't help but recall the period of time with Big Cat in the past.
Because whether it was Sceptile or Meowscarada, both were extremely good at climbing.
So they climbed mountains quite often.
Common rocky mountains and forest mountains, less common snowy mountains and volcanoes, they had climbed many.
"Oh~ I know, Mount 'Xiaoyao' (Carefree), right? I heard it's named after a famous incense nearby."
Cynthia's eyes lit up, taking out a travel guide.
"What is incense?"
"Thin sticks made of wood shavings mixed with spices; they emit various scents when burned. Now they are basically used when making offerings to gods."
Will explained briefly.
He remembered when traveling in the past, he had seen monks in Ecruteak City's Bell Tower using incense to make offerings to Ho-Oh.
Oh.
And in Rota (Cameron Palace), he often saw people making offerings to the Tree of Beginning god there.
Praying for everything.
Safety and peace, having children soon, prosperity and good fortune, immense wealth...
Of course, the most common one was still a long life of a hundred years.
"Why use this kind of thing to name a mountain?"
"Because only at the peak of that mountain can the spices used to make this famous incense be gathered; it's a very precious thing. Diancie can personally gather some to take back as souvenirs."
"Okay, okay, then let's go quickly; I want to bring some back for Majima and the others, Majima definitely doesn't know what 'incense' is."
A secretly delighted expression appeared on Diancie's face.
It was finally her turn to teach Majima.
"As newcomers, I think it's more reliable for us to find an old senior to guide us. I heard people often climb to the top of a mountain only to find the neighboring mountain is higher."
"Mm, looks like it's indeed the case; the peaks of many mountains around here are covered by clouds."
Will nodded and scanned the surroundings.
Cyllage City is indeed worthy of being the location of the Rock-type Gym.
Not only are there many mountains around here, but none of them are ordinary mountains; each one towers into the clouds.
If they didn't find a knowledgeable local to ask.
I'm afraid it would really be hard to distinguish which one is 'Xiaoyao'.
"That uncle and Sudowoodo over there look professional at first glance, having the demeanor of hidden experts."
Cynthia reached out and pointed to a bearded uncle passing by, carrying a mountaineering bag and holding a climbing stick.
"Really?"
A look of doubt appeared in Will's eyes.
He felt this was no hidden expert, just a pure salted fish (someone lacking ambition).
"Oh~ I heard someone praising me."
The uncle's ears immediately perked up, stretching his head and sidestepping over like a crab.
"Uncle, uncle, we want to climb Mount Xiaoyao, can you take us there?"
"Xiaoyao, huh, no problem. But I still have to advise you to give up; Xiaoyao is the highest mountain in the Kalos region, with a peak height of 6666 meters. The area above 6000 meters is completely covered in snow; it's not something ordinary people can climb up in a short time."
The uncle shook his head while introducing it, like a charlatan.
"Huso!"
The Sudowoodo beside him imitated the uncle's appearance, making Diancie stare blankly.
"Ah? Plants can actually grow on such a high mountain?"
"Hahaha, you're talking about the raw material for 'Xiaoyao', the Aurora Plum, right? It's exactly because it's so unbelievable and precious that 'Xiaoyao' has become a world-renowned famous incense."
"Uncle, have you climbed up there?"
Will asked curiously.
Honestly speaking.
When traveling in the Kalos region in the past.
Although he saw the mountains around Cyllage City were extremely high, he didn't expect the altitude to be so outrageous.
6666 meters.
Probably wouldn't rank in the top five globally.
For example, the height of Mt. Coronet goes above nine thousand, being the veritable roof of the world, the Mount Everest of this world, the stairway to heaven leading to the Hall of Origin.
However.
In this Kalos region dominated by flat terrain.
This 'Xiaoyao' is already considered an exception.
"Unfortunately, no. I've been fond of climbing since I was twenty, and I've climbed over a dozen big and small mountain peaks around here, but this Xiaoyao alone... sigh."
"Huso..."
One person and one Pokémon both sighed.
"What's wrong?"
Cynthia asked curiously.
"Over six thousand meters already belongs to the limit of human physical endurance; the climbing risk is not low. Generally, a commercial team's cooperation is required to reach the summit."
Will explained for the uncle.
"Oh~ You know quite a lot, kid. That's right, climbing Xiaoyao requires teamwork. Although Xiaoyao belongs to an entry-level peak in our climbing circle, even for experienced people wanting to trek to the summit, it takes 12 days or more."
The uncle nodded when speaking of this, and at the same time couldn't help sighing,
"Moreover, Uncle is not a person with much perseverance; I often give up halfway through the climb, so I've never reached the summit all this time."
"Then you're really not good at this."
Diancie continued to give sharp reviews.
Will reached out and knocked the crown on her head.
"Eh? You child..."
The uncle noticed Diancie at this time.
Diancie was currently wearing a large sun hat and a floral dress; the pink diamonds on her body were tightly covered.
The probability of exposing her identity was very small.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing, just feel she looks a bit familiar, like a Pokémon widely circulated in our climbing circle."
"That's not me!"
Diancie excitedly bounced behind Will and hugged his big tail.
"..."
A drop of cold sweat flowed down Will's and Cynthia's foreheads.
"I didn't say it was you."
The uncle looked at her strangely, but didn't really take it to heart, turning his head to look at Cynthia,
"This is why I said I advise you to give up. You guys are amateurs, right? Wanting to challenge Xiaoyao on your first mountain climb, that's no longer on the level of overestimating your capabilities, it's purely courting death."
The words weren't very pleasant to hear.
But it was the truth.
Physical discomfort could cause them to experience altitude sickness, sudden death, hypothermia leading to falls, and other situations.
Unfamiliarity at the technical and environmental levels might cause them to be handed a death sentence by the high mountain when facing sudden situations.
"Even for those who are not beginners, the death rate of independent climbing without a guide is as high as 40%; this is also one of the reasons why I gave up halfway many times. So I still advise you to give up."
The uncle patiently advised.
"But I finally got to come here once, I just wanted to experience climbing Mount Xiaoyao and personally pick some Aurora Plums to take home."
Diancie lowered her head pitifully, but after considering for two seconds, she still took the initiative to say,
"Will, Cynthia, how about we just climb another mountain instead."
"That's right, this is the correct way of thinking! Don't be so disappointed, whatever life gives us, we take; whatever it takes away... we just watch."
"Huso!"
The uncle and Sudowoodo crossed their arms over their chests, nodding gratifyingly at Diancie's voluntary surrender.
Little life and experience.
Which one is more important doesn't need much distinguishing, right?
"..."
This uncle really is a salted fish.
Will knew he hadn't misjudged the person.
He just knew it.
Over a hundred years of an eye for people, there ultimately wasn't that much water (inaccuracy) in it.
"Don't give up so easily! Uncle, think of a way again. I can tell at a glance you are an otherworldly expert, you definitely have a way! My friend rarely comes to Cyllage City once, who knows how many years it will be before the next time."
Cynthia clasped her hands together and shook them at the uncle.
"Sigh, you child..."
"There is a road in front of the mountain, and not necessarily no dawn behind it. Even if others can only see smoke, the fire in the heart cannot be extinguished. Dreams require persistence to be realized; Uncle, you also want to personally see the Aurora Plums at the peak of Mount Xiaoyao, right."
Will crossed his arms over his chest and looked at him with a smile.
No one can disguise themselves in front of him.
This uncle, saying words of giving up with his mouth, was full of unwillingness in his heart.
Probably what he was thinking in his heart at this moment was not 'don't persuade me anymore', but 'persuade me a bit more, and I'll agree'.
"...Hmph, really let you brats convince me."
"Huso."
The uncle and Sudowoodo's faces turned stern.
The eyes that originally looked like salted fish became bright and piercing at this moment.
"Uncle is so handsome!"
Diancie bounced out, raising her hands high and cheering.
"Hmph hmph, keep a low profile."
The uncle and Sudowoodo felt their noses tickle a bit and reached out to wipe them.
"As long as we find a team, we won't need to worry about our safety issues, right? I think finding this team, for you Uncle, should be very easy?"
Will grinned lightly.
"Well, just leave this to me."
The uncle casually lifted his chin, then looked down with a complex expression at the climbing stick in his hand that was already full of scratches,
"I am already 48; two years from now, I don't know if I'll still be able to climb. Perhaps this is my last chance; no matter what... I want to try again."
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