Kiyomi walked in front to lead the way. After walking a short distance, she glanced back at the Dratini in Roy's arms.
The Dratini was curled up in the crook of Roy's arm, and the medicinal herbs applied to its body emitted a bitter, herbal scent.
Its shivering had eased significantly, and its breathing had steadied quite a bit, though it would still twitch the tip of its tail slightly from time to time.
Kiyomi slowed her pace, waiting for Roy to catch up to her side.
"Roy, let me ask you something," Kiyomi said, turning her head to look at him. "Did your Dratini go swimming in that pool after a fierce battle?"
Roy looked down at the Dratini in his arms.
"Yes," he replied truthfully. "It finished training there and said it couldn't stand the heat, so it wanted to swim in the pool for a while. I agreed."
Kiyomi let out a soft "Ah," with an "I knew it" expression.
She reached out and touched the tip of the Dratini's tail. There was still a patch of cold, pale discoloration that hadn't completely faded, and it felt like an iced stone to the touch.
"That explains it," Kiyomi said, withdrawing her hand with a tone of realization. "It's no wonder the cold energy inside this little guy is so deep. That pool... even a Pokemon in a normal state would easily get sick after swimming in it, let alone one that had just finished a fierce battle with all its pores open."
Roy looked down at the Dratini. The little one shrank its neck and tucked its head into the crook of his arm, as if it knew it had done something wrong.
Delia, who was following behind, frowned upon hearing this.
"Is that pool that dangerous?" she asked with lingering fear. "When we first arrived there to set up camp, I even thought about going over to wash my face."
Kiyomi looked back at Delia and nodded.
"It's a good thing you didn't."
"If you even touched the water in that pool with your hand, you'd feel it piercing your bones. If you had washed your face, the cold energy would have entered through your pores, and you would have been suffering from a headache later."
Misty was walking at the very back, still clutching half a skewer of cold roasted mushrooms.
Upon hearing this, she suddenly froze.
"Wait... wait a second." Misty pulled the mushroom away from her mouth, her expression becoming quite vivid. "The pool you're talking about, is it the one they mentioned just now? The one the Dratini swam in?"
Kiyomi nodded.
Misty's expression changed.
"I..." she swallowed hard. "I had just finished eating, and I was almost about to let my Starmie go in for a swim!"
As she spoke, she patted her chest, looking like someone who had just escaped a disaster.
Delia hurriedly reached out and patted Misty's shoulder to comfort her, though her own expression wasn't much better.
"Miss Kiyomi," Delia said, stepping forward to walk beside Kiyomi, "what exactly is going on with that pool? How can it be so cold? The sun hadn't even set yet; the water should have been warmed up."
Upon hearing this question, Kiyomi slowed her pace slightly.
She reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, thought for a moment, and then spoke.
"Actually, I'm not entirely sure about the specifics," Kiyomi said, her tone becoming somewhat uncertain. "I only heard it from my grandmother."
"Deep in that pool, there is the remains of an incredibly powerful Ice-type Pokemon."
As soon as these words were spoken, the mountain path went silent for a moment.
"Re... remains?" Misty recovered, her voice rising to a high pitch. "What kind of Ice-type Pokemon is so powerful that its remains alone can make the entire pool this cold?"
Delia also frowned, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"If it's such a powerful Ice-type..." she said while walking, "then it certainly wasn't an ordinary Ice-type Pokemon, right? At the very least, it must have been the kind that lived for a very, very long time, the kind whose Ice-type energy had already permeated into its very bones."
Kiyomi shrugged.
"I wouldn't know about that," she said, her tone tinged with helplessness. "My grandmother only heard it from her grandmother. It's been passed down from generation to generation, and no one can say for sure what kind of Pokemon it was."
"Anyway, among the older generation in our Town, that pool is called 'Cold Bone Pool'."
"Cold Bone Pool..." Delia repeated the name, feeling a chill run down her back.
Misty rubbed the goosebumps that had popped up on her arms.
"No wonder the Dratini got sick." She looked at the Dratini in Roy's arms; the little one was already asleep, its breathing steady and rhythmic, surrounded by the scent of medicinal herbs. "To be able to stay in that kind of water for so long, the Dratini's physical constitution must be quite good."
Kiyomi looked at the mountain path ahead. "We're almost there. Just one more turn and we'll be at my house."
After a gentle slope, the mountain path turned into a relatively flat area on the hillside. Kiyomi's courtyard appeared before them.
It was a very old wooden house, clearly showing its age. The color of the wood had turned a deep, dark brown, but it was well-maintained; the wood was sturdy, and it didn't feel dilapidated. The roof was covered in thick thatch, and strings of medicinal herbs hung under the eaves, swaying gently in the breeze.
The courtyard was large, with rows of bamboo mats spread out on the ground, on which various medicinal herbs were laid out to dry. Some were already dried and curled, while others still held their fresh green color. The air was filled with a rich, medicinal aroma. It was a deep, earthy scent, true to the plants themselves, and breathing it in made one's entire chest feel clear.
Roy stood at the courtyard gate and took a deep breath. This scent was very comforting.
Delia, standing beside him, couldn't help but take a deep breath as well.
"It smells so good," she exclaimed, her expression relaxing quite a bit. "This kind of herbal scent makes you feel at ease just by smelling it."
Misty followed from behind, her nose twitching, and then she sneezed.
"The medicinal smell is so strong," she said, rubbing her nose. "But it really is that kind of medicinal smell that isn't unpleasant."
Kiyomi walked into the courtyard, placed the bamboo basket on the open space under the eaves, and reached out to push open the small picket gate.
"Come in, don't be shy."
"My grandmother should be pounding medicine in the main room right now; you can just go straight in."
Just then, a hoarse voice suddenly came from the main room. The voice was slow and leisurely, carrying the distinct tone of an elderly person. It wasn't loud, but it was heard clearly.
"Kiyomi..."
Kiyomi quickly responded, "Yes, Grandmother, I'm back."
"You're back so late today," the voice from the main room continued slowly, with a hint of teasing in its tone. "If you keep dawdling, your special medicine will be very hard to complete this year."
"Grandmother, I wasn't dawdling!" Kiyomi raised her voice slightly, her tone carrying the unique coquettishness of a young girl. "Today was a special situation; I rescued a Pokemon that had gone swimming in Cold Bone Pool!"
The main room was silent for a moment. Then, a burst of hoarse laughter came out.
"Cold Bone Pool?" The grandmother's voice was filled with obvious amusement. "Then this Pokemon and its Trainer are certainly very bold!"
Kiyomi crouched down and began taking the medicinal herbs out of the bamboo basket, bundle by bundle, spreading them on the bamboo mats in the courtyard.
"Grandmother, don't say that," Kiyomi said, speaking up for Roy and the others while arranging the herbs. "They are just passing Trainers; it's normal that they didn't know the ins and outs of that pool. Please don't make fun of them."
She spread out the last bundle of herbs, clapped her hands, and stood up, raising her voice to add,
"Grandmother, could you please trouble yourself to prepare a prescription for cold-dispelling medicine? That little Pokemon needs a more in-depth treatment; the medicine I have with me isn't enough."
The main room was quiet again. Then, the grandmother's hoarse voice sounded once more, but this time with a hint of mischievous amusement.
"Oh... I see," the grandmother said, drawing out the long tone. "Kiyomi, ask them if they want to add a Gyarados whisker to the medicine?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the courtyard went instantly silent.
A Gyarados whisker.
For Misty, who had a fear of Gyarados, these words were like a bomb exploding directly in her brain. The color drained from her face in an instant.
"Gya... Gyarados whisker?"
Her voice cracked, and her throat felt as if it were being choked by something.
Instantly, images of a Gyarados's massive mouth, sharp teeth, crimson eyes, and that Roar that could shake a person's bones to jelly flashed through her mind. The image was too terrifying.
Misty subconsciously took a step back, her heel hitting the stone steps of the courtyard, and she nearly sat down on the ground.
Delia was quick-witted and caught her.
"Misty, Misty, calm down!" Delia said, gently patting her back.
Kiyomi put her hands on her hips and shouted in the direction of the main room.
"Grandmother!! Stop saying such strange things!! You've scared them!!"
The main room was silent for two seconds. Then, a hearty burst of laughter came out.
The laughter was raspy, like wind blowing through old tree bark, but it was full of vitality, not sounding at all like something an old lady could produce.
"Hahahaha..." The grandmother couldn't stop laughing. "Alright, alright, I won't say it anymore. Why are you young people so serious? It's just a joke, just a joke!"
Kiyomi blushed and turned to apologize to Roy and the others.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. My grandmother is just like this; she doesn't speak seriously. Please don't mind her." She pointed to the Dratini in Roy's arms.
"Um, Roy, go ahead and carry the Dratini inside. Although my grandmother speaks strangely, her medical skills are truly excellent. If you leave your Dratini with her, it will definitely make a full recovery."
Roy nodded.
"Thank you."
He carried the Dratini and stepped toward the main room. The wooden door of the main room was half-closed, and it gave a creaking sound when pushed open. The light inside was much dimmer than outside, and his eyes needed a few seconds to adjust.
The air was filled with an even stronger medicinal scent, mixed with the smell of old wood.
The main room wasn't large; bottles, jars, and medicine cabinets were lined up against the walls, and in the center was a low table with a mortar and various tools for pounding medicine.
A thin, small old lady sat behind the low table. She was gray-haired, combed into a neat bun, and wore a dark gray old cloth garment. She looked to be at least seventy, but her eyes were startlingly bright. Those eyes were currently scanning Roy from top to bottom.
"Ma'am," Roy said, bowing slightly. "I leave my Dratini in your care. It is a very important partner to me."
The old lady's gaze shifted from Roy to the Dratini.
Then, her expression changed. The change was very subtle, but Roy saw it clearly. The old lady's pupils constricted, then returned to normal.
"Dratini?"
The old lady's tone rose slightly, completely different from the joking tone she had used just moments ago; her voice carried genuine surprise and gravity.
She slowly raised her head and looked Roy over again. From head to toe, from toe to head. Those startlingly bright eyes seemed to be trying to Detect Roy entirely.
"So young..." the old lady's voice slowed down. "You actually managed to capture a Dratini?"
Roy didn't say much, just nodded.
"Just a bit of good luck."
The old lady stared at him for several seconds, then slowly withdrew her gaze and extended a wrinkled hand, gently pressing it onto the Dratini's body.
"Rest assured," the old lady said, withdrawing her hand, her tone becoming firm and steady. "I will heal this Dratini. You go wait in the courtyard."
Roy thanked her again, settled the Dratini into a small nest lined with soft cloth next to the low table, and turned to walk out of the main room. The wooden door closed behind him.
He had just stepped into the courtyard and hadn't yet had a chance to speak when the old lady's voice came from the main room again. The voice was intentionally lowered, but the courtyard was small, and standing in it, he could still hear it clearly.
"Kiyomi!"
Kiyomi was in the courtyard turning over herbs; hearing her grandmother call her, she looked up and responded.
"Yes, what is it, Grandmother?"
"This lad, to be able to capture even a Dratini, he's a remarkable Trainer." The old lady paused, her voice carrying an extra layer of meaning. "You... make sure you seize this opportunity."
Kiyomi's hand froze in mid-air.
"Seize the opportunity?" She subconsciously repeated the phrase, a look of confusion first appearing on her face.
Then, she saw Roy standing just a few steps away. His figure was tall and straight; the sunlight shone from behind him, casting half-light and half-shadow on his face.
Kiyomi blinked.
Her gaze slid down a little, from Roy's eyes and brows to his shoulders, and then to his waist cinched by his belt.
Then she thought of the "Dratini" her grandmother had mentioned. A Trainer who could capture a Dratini—his strength went without saying. And just now on the way here, he had been so careful while holding the Dratini, and his tone had been so steady when he spoke.
Kiyomi's brain suddenly felt as if it had been struck by something. She finally understood the meaning of her grandmother's words.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to banish all the messy thoughts from her mind. Then she pressed her lips together tightly, as if having made a big decision, and walked quickly up to Roy.
She looked up at Roy, her hands unconsciously twisting together, her fingers gripping each other.
"Roy."
"I... can I ask you for a favor?"
Roy looked at her. The young girl's eyes were bright, filled with anticipation and a hint of nervousness.
"Go ahead."
Kiyomi took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling.
"Besides being a student of pharmacology, I am also a Trainer."
"I have a Paras... it has a small problem."
"I've been worried about it for a long time."