Through the door.
Natsuhiko and his Pokémon arrived at a brand-new place once again.
This place was different from the previous appearance of the Hisui Region, resembling an idyllic paradise full of birdsong and fragrant flowers.
Taking a deep breath.
It was filled with a rich scent of grass.
In the line of sight.
There was a vast expanse of grassland, at the edge of which a dense forest could be vaguely seen, while in another direction, a large rocky area was visible, and at the end of the Rock Area, there seemed to be a snow-capped mountain shrouded in clouds and mist.
Behind them was a large lake, its surface calm, reflecting the clouds in the sky.
As a gentle breeze blew by, the grass swayed its tender leaves, and ripples spread across the lake surface.
It gave off a very peaceful and harmonious vibe.
Many Pokémon were lively here.
"Is it another Illusion Realm?"
Natsuhiko thought to himself.
The Unown seemed to relish creating Illusion Realms, crafting them effortlessly one after another.
And in such an environment, the mood of Natsuhiko and his Pokémon improved significantly.
The heavy heart due to the Hisui Region's Zorua was also soothed.
Chimchar jumped to the ground, stretching its body.
It was almost frozen stiff earlier.
Whoosh—
A figure swooped down from the sky, landing beside the lake behind Natsuhiko.
Following the sound, it was a Swellow.
Its jet-black feathers and distinctive scissor-shaped tail marked its identity.
Immediately after.
Flap—Flap—
One Swellow after another, along with some Taillow, flew in from afar, standing by the lake, drinking water.
Apart from the first Swellow that arrived, which kept staring in the direction of Natsuhiko and the others, the rest of the Swellow and Taillow were merely drinking water silently.
On the other side of the lake, several Swanna, with some ducklings, were leisurely swimming on the lake surface.
The leading Swanna also kept its gaze fixed on Natsuhiko and his team.
This made Natsuhiko involuntarily raise an eyebrow.
On the other shore.
A Ludicolo was clapping its hands and swaying its body, singing a song in an unintelligible tune that others found hard to appreciate. In the water opposite it, Lombre and Lotad seemed very excited, swaying their bodies along with Ludicolo, causing heavy ripples on the lake surface.
But Natsuhiko noticed that the gaze of this Ludicolo also casually swept over him from time to time.
Natsuhiko hesitated slightly before walking toward the lake.
Flap—Flap—
A few Taillow seemed frightened, fluttering their wings and soaring into the sky, actively avoiding the approaching Natsuhiko.
At the same time, several Swellow also took flight, watching him warily.
Seeing he made no further unusual moves, they refrained from launching a direct attack.
"Can you see and feel me?"
So...
This isn't an Illusion Realm?
Suddenly.
Before Natsuhiko could make any further exploratory moves, the Taillow and Swellow drinking by the lake all flapped their wings and flew up, quickly distancing themselves from the lake surface as they headed back the way they came.
Simultaneously, the Swanna and ducklings leisurely swimming on the lake also fluttered their wings and flew to the opposite shore.
The singing Ludicolo abruptly stopped its song, and both Lombre and Lotad eagerly climbed ashore, diving into the grass around the lake.
Crash—Crash—
Immediately after.
The water surface suddenly broke apart, and a huge blue figure burst out of the lake, casting a vast shadow over Natsuhiko.
Emerging from the water was none other than a Gyarados!
The splashing water hit his face, bringing a slight coolness to Natsuhiko.
"Roar——!!"
Under the light's illumination, the reflected water droplets made the Gyarados' blue scales shine brilliantly.
The airflow stirred up by its roar continuously rippled through Natsuhiko's hair.
"Chimchar!"
"Alakazam!"
"Oss!"
"Noivern!"
The four Pokémon immediately reacted.
Alakazam instantly used Instant Movement, appearing in front of Natsuhiko, with two spoons hovering before it, and dense Psychic Energy gathering upon them.
Togekiss and Latios were no slower, stopping to hover right in front of Natsuhiko amidst the rushing air currents.
Chimchar, albeit slightly slower, also arrived in front of him in time, flames igniting in its hands, ready to engage in battle at any moment.
However, Natsuhiko himself remained quite calm.
He had already confirmed something.
The previous Hisui Region was likely an Illusion Realm, but this place should not be.
And thus a thought was born...
"Gyarados is also a dragon, right..."
The great pioneers tell us that as long as you don't feel embarrassed, the embarrassment is someone else's.
Similarly.
As long as you think so, then it's someone else who is wrong.
Since this Gyarados is real, some ideas started stirring in Natsuhiko's mind.
After all, his dojo construction was imminent, and the opening day was not too far off.
Among Dragon-type Pokémon, there were only Noivern, Tyrantrum, and Turtonator, perhaps counting the young Noivern too, but the power gap was too wide and far too few in numbers.
Unable to provide an accurate assessment by sending out Pokémon of corresponding strengths when facing different challengers.
This suddenly appearing Gyarados seemed suitable, though not particularly strong.
It was at most at the Elite Level.
This just happened to meet Natsuhiko's requirement.
"But since it's an Elite Level, it still requires a suitable opponent."
Natsuhiko threw a Pokeball.
"Tch!"