After several more hours of travel, the train finally arrived in Cloud City.
David, who had finally reached his destination, quickly left the train station and directly boarded a pre-arranged private car, heading straight for the hot spring hotel he had booked.
Not long after arriving at the hot spring hotel, David, Zoro, and Kirlia went straight to the bathroom without a word. After a quick rinse, they immediately headed for the indoor hot springs.
Ever since adapting to life after the world's changes, everything else was fine, but when it came to food, clothing, housing, and transportation, David had never shortchanged himself or his Pokémon.
This time was no different. He had booked a VIP suite at the nearest four-star hot spring hotel, which offered a private VIP hot spring, so he didn't have to squeeze into a large public bath with other guests.
Although it was almost midnight, the VIP private hot spring room was still brightly lit.
"Hoo..."
The moment David stepped into the hot spring, a warm and comfortable sensation instantly enveloped his entire body. It felt as if every pore was celebrating. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.
Today had been truly exhausting. So many things had happened that even David, who had developed a "Heavenly Aura Physique," was thoroughly worn out.
Now, under the healing power of the hot spring, he could finally relax properly.
"How is it, Lucario? Natural hot springs are much better than the bathtub at home, right!"
David turned his head. At this moment, Lucario, Zoro, and Kirlia had also entered the hot spring.
The most famous attraction of this hotel was a natural hot spring that had emerged from a Secret Realm. It had to be said that the natural hot springs in the Pokémon world were infinitely better than the questionable ones David had visited before the world changed.
"Luca..."
Lucario, wearing a shower cap, enjoyed the comfort brought by the hot spring and responded with uncharacteristic cheerfulness.
Besides the central natural hot spring, there were also several smaller, special hot spring pools nearby, such as rose pools and traditional Chinese medicine pools.
Zorua and Kirlia were quite fond of the petal pool. Under the effect of the heat, the faint fragrance of the petals subtly permeated the air, which perfectly suited their preferences.
Lucario, on the other hand, was soaking alone in the traditional Chinese medicine pool, which was said to contain many special herbs that could effectively relieve fatigue for those who regularly exercised.
On a whim, David even brought the Light Stone he had obtained into the hot spring.
If David remembered correctly, the information he had read before stated that in the design concept of the Black and White Dragons, they also symbolized two industrial revolutions in human history.
The Electric-type Zekrom symbolized the Second Industrial Revolution, when humanity entered the age of electricity, which was why its tail was designed to resemble a generator, capable of producing immense electrical currents.
The Fire-type Reshiram, on the other hand, symbolized the First Industrial Revolution, when humanity entered the age of steam, which was why its tail resembled a turbine flamethrower, capable of spewing all-consuming flames.
This was why David thought that a hot, steamy environment might make it more comfortable, so he placed the Light Stone in the sauna room.
The group soaked in the hot spring for several hours. After all, with the Pokémon's physical endurance, there was no need to worry about feeling unwell from soaking for too long.
It wasn't until around five or six in the morning that David and his Pokémon tidied up and returned to their rooms, falling into a deep sleep.
However, no one noticed that while they were comfortably soaking in the hot spring, in an inconspicuous corner nearby, the hot spring water there subtly rippled...
"Ugh... mm!"
The next day, with the sun high in the sky, David groggily rolled out of bed. He checked the time and exclaimed, "Wow, I really slept for a long time!"
It was already past two in the afternoon. Yesterday's hot spring had been too comfortable, and coupled with being exhausted from the whole day, David and his Pokémon had slept for nearly ten hours straight.
The little fox and the others were the same. Even Lucario, who usually woke up early to train, had a rare sleep-in today.
But it was all right. David had originally planned to rest today anyway, and even his challenge to the Umbra Gym, which he had booked on his phone, was scheduled for tomorrow.
This entire day was for them to rest properly.
After all, before challenging a Gym, it was essential to maintain peak condition!
Therefore, after enjoying a grand meal with the little fox and his Pokémon at the hotel, David prepared to go out and explore Cloud City.
This was a trip, not a business trip, so upon arriving at a new place, he naturally had to have some fun and experience the local customs and culture. That was part of traveling!
Didn't Ash and his friends in the Pokémon anime often participate in town tournaments or city festivals whenever they traveled?
Perhaps it was the treatment of being the "Chosen One," but every time Ash and his friends arrived at a new place, they would "coincidentally" stumble upon an event.
So, of course, David—did not encounter any festivals. In the real world, how could there be so many cities holding festivals every day!
David strolled through the city. The urban architecture of the Eastern Splendor Empire in the Pokémon world was much more distinctive than that of his previous country.
As one of the largest ore-producing areas in the western Eastern Splendor Empire, especially for iron ore, Cloud City's style was very similar to Pewter City and Oreburgh City in the Pokémon games.
As a city built upon abundant mineral resources, it naturally had an inseparable connection with stones and steel.
David walked around casually and, upon entering a small market, found that there were stalls everywhere selling special stones.
It was important to know that the mineral deposits in the Pokémon world were naturally different from those on the former Earth. In this world, under the influence of eighteen types of elemental energy, many excavated minerals often contained corresponding energy.
The top-tier ones were naturally the Type Gems that David had used before. Once Type Gems and Mega Stones were discovered, the value of that mineral vein would skyrocket by an unknown multiple.
However, such treasures were extremely rare. More often, what was excavated along with the minerals were just ordinary stones that had been affected by the energy.
At most, these stones contained a slight amount of energy, but they didn't have the miraculous effects of Type Gems and Mega Stones. Therefore, except for a very few with excellent quality, their value wasn't particularly high.
But due to the energy, these stones became strange and varied in color and texture, making them highly ornamental.
Consequently, many cities that relied on mineral resources as their primary industry would craft these stones into handicrafts and ornaments, selling them to tourists.
And this was one of David's goals. Since he was already traveling, how could he not bring back some local specialties?