"A gathering of Pokémon?"
Lionel stood up curiously, carrying two small Vulpixes to the edge of the ship's railing.
The sight before him made him hold his breath instantly!
On the sea ahead, hundreds upon hundreds of Tentacool and Tentacruel floated.
Their translucent caps refracted a purple light in the sunlight, and their slender tentacles swayed with the waves like tassels, appearing from afar like a moving sea of purple flowers.
Further away, several enormous Wailords surfaced, spewing water columns tens of meters high. Sunlight pierced through the water droplets, creating rainbows in the air.
When the water columns fell, they startled those around them." Fish-type Pokémon like Goldeen, Wailord stcleaped out of the water, creating a spectacular sight that was hard to look away from.
"Wow, this is so beautiful!"
"This is the first time I've ever seen so many Water-type Pokémon gathered together. Do they know they're going to the festival?"
"This is amazing! I've never seen so many Pokémon gathered before. Is there any danger?" someone asked a crew member beside them curiously.
The crew member, a local of Sootopolis City, smiled proudly:
"Don't worry, there won't be. This is because the Water Festival is approaching. Every year at this time, Water-type Pokémon from the surrounding area gather towards Sootopolis City in preparation for Kyogre's arrival."
"Get ready."
"Really? Will Kyogre really appear?"
"Liar! They said the same thing last year, but all we saw was torrential rain; Kyogre didn't appear at all."
Hearing this, the person awkwardly scratched his head.
"I'm not lying! The torrential rain is a sign that Kyogre is about to appear. Five years ago, Kyogre appeared. Maybe this year Kyogre is in a good mood and will show up! Who knows!"
The people around him chattered excitedly, their eyes filled with anticipation. Many took out their phones to take pictures and videos, recording this rare sight.
Lionel looked at everything before him, lost in thought.
These Pokémon were clearly drawn by some unseen force, spontaneously gathering in Sootopolis City, which also, confirmed the sacredness of the Water Festival.
The passenger ship slowly traversed this Pokémon-filled sea, taking nearly an hour to pass completely.
The rest of the journey was relatively peaceful. Lionel spent most of his time in the cabin training the Pokémon, occasionally going up to the deck to enjoy the sea breeze and watch the seagulls chasing the waves at the stern.
On the morning of the third day, as the first rays of sunlight touched the sea, a gasp suddenly rang out on the deck.
Lionel looked up and saw a massive stone wall appear on the distant horizon, like a barrier descended from the sky, dividing the entire sea in two.
The stone wall soared into the clouds, its surface covered with the marks of time, gleaming with an ancient and weighty luster in the morning sun.
"Is this Sootopolis City? I heard it's built inside an underwater volcano. This is my first time visiting here. I hope I won't be able to get back."
"Ahhh~~ There's an underwater volcano down there! Will it erupt? Aren't the residents of Sootopolis City afraid living in here?"
The passengers were buzzing with excitement, and Lionel was also deeply moved. The pictures online couldn't possibly capture the grandeur of what he was seeing in person.
The passenger ship slowly turned, following the edge of the rock face.
After about half an hour, a huge passage appeared in the rock face, as if cleaved by a giant axe, large enough for three passenger ships to pass side by side.
"This is... a water tunnel."
"?"
Lionel murmured. He had seen many caves and tunnels on land, but he had never imagined such a spectacle existed at sea.
Upon entering the tunnel, the light dimmed instantly, but soon, countless faint lights shone from the bottom of the water.
Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be countless starfish and jewel starfish emitting tiny points of fluorescence beneath the surface, illuminating the ferry's path.
This dreamlike passage captivated the passengers on board.
After passing through the tunnel, the view suddenly opened up before them... Looking out, the surrounding mountain walls had been transformed into tiered steps, with white houses scattered gracefully along them, their blue roofs contrasting beautifully with the surrounding green vegetation.
The ferry terminal stood in the heart of the city, where a vast, crystal-clear lake reflected the blue sky and white clouds.
There were no noisy car horns, only the crisp sound of wind chimes and the calls of fairies. The air was filled with the salty scent of the sea and the fragrance of flowers, refreshing the mind and spirit.
The entire city was quiet and peaceful, like a paradise.
"This is Sootopolis City..." Lionel stood on the deck, looking at the scene before him, and couldn't help but sigh, "It's even more beautiful than I imagined." The ferry turned and slowly headed towards the dock.
Lionel, holding the two Vulpix, stood up and prepared to disembark.
As Lionel stepped onto the soil of Sootopolis City, the two Vulpix in his arms, Vulpix and Ice Vulpix, were curiously looking around, their little noses twitching and sniffing incessantly.
Just then, the Poké Ball at Lionel's waist vibrated slightly; it was the Poké Ball containing Larvesta.
Lionel didn't pay much attention, assuming that Larvesta had woken up and wanted to come out to play. Lionel told Larvesta to wait a little longer, until they arrived at the Pokémon Center and picked up Tyrantrum. Find a good place to let them all come out and play together.
Unbeknownst to Lionel, the Larvesta inside its Poké Ball was still fast asleep.
The vibration in the Larvesta's Poké Ball was due to a change in the Groudon symbol mark on its forehead.
The mark flashed red light extremely quickly, then swiftly disappeared into the Larvesta's white forehead, as if it had never appeared.
Meanwhile, in the center of Lake Sootopolis, at the very bottom of an underwater volcano extending 10,000 meters into the deep sea, in a special body of water, slightly reddish from being baked, A colossal blue beast, its body as large as an island, was fast asleep.
Its form resembled a magnified orca, with enormous fins resembling wings on either side of it, and a faint mist swirling around it.
Kyogre!
It was none other than Kyogre, one of the Hoenn Legendary Pokémon and the ruler of water.
At this moment, Kyogre was snoring comfortably, the warm seawater heated by magma beneath it making its sleep incredibly pleasant.
Suddenly!
Its tightly closed eyelids twitched slightly, as if sensing something that made it uncomfortable.
In the depths, a faint, somewhat unpleasant aura seemed to intrude into its territory, carrying a hint of heat.
Kyogre frowned impatiently, struggling to open one eye. Its massive body swayed slightly, instantly stirring up undercurrents in the surrounding seawater.
"Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~~"
A low humming sound emanated from Kyogre's throat. It sensed its surroundings but found nothing amiss. The unpleasant aura vanished like a phantom.
"Could it be a nightmare?"
Kyogre shook its head in confusion.
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