Chapter 311: The Legend of Canalave City
A few days later, Ryan and Lillie arrived in Canalave City in the Sinnoh region. Lillie had wanted to visit during their previous trip through Sinnoh, drawn primarily by the city's renowned library and its collection of ancient texts. The detour to Kalos for Zygarde's situation had cut that plan short before it started.
This time things were different. Ryan had cleared his backlog of Guild business, and with Matori having an extra set of capable hands helping her manage operations, there was genuine breathing room for the first time in a while. Ryan and Lillie were finally free to explore at their own pace.
Canalave City was their first stop.
"Canalave City is one of Sinnoh's most historically significant locations," Lillie read aloud from her guidebook as they walked toward the library, her eyes moving between the page and the scenery around them. "The city is divided by a central canal, with a lift bridge connecting the two halves. It has a distinctly old-world atmosphere — the harbor here was one of Sinnoh's most important cargo hubs in ancient times, and several large seafaring vessels are still docked at the pier."
Ryan walked alongside her, taking in the salt-tinged air and the deep blue of the canal below the bridge. Ancient history wasn't usually at the top of his reading list, but he was happy enough to be here and willing to learn something new.
He'd also checked in with Ash earlier. Ash had just challenged the Canalave Gym, and the battle against Byron had apparently given him more trouble than expected. The particular problem was a Rotom in its Mow Form — the one Ryan and Lillie had given Byron as a gift — which had proven to be a genuinely awkward matchup for Decidueye. Ghost-type moves in an unusual form factor, varied move coverage, and Decidueye's grass typing all made for a difficult combination. Ash had complained about it at considerable length.
Ryan had listened patiently until Ash got around to mentioning his new Pokémon — Chimchar, Turtwig, and a Starly he'd caught locally — and the familiar pride crept into his voice.
Ryan had let him finish, then said simply, "Come talk to me after you've beaten me."
The call had ended shortly after that.
By then, Ryan and Lillie had reached the Canalave Library. They obtained library cards at the front desk and made their way to the rare texts section on the upper floor.
Lillie pulled several volumes from the shelves and settled at a reading desk. After a moment she leaned close to Ryan and said quietly, "There's actually a specific reason I wanted to come here. I found out recently that when the Aether Foundation was in the development stages of the RKS System — Silvally's core ability — some of their researchers made trips to this library to reference ancient texts. I only learned about it recently. I wanted to see what they were looking at."
Ryan opened a well-worn volume of his own and nodded. "I'd already guessed something like that. Silvally's RKS System and its base capability profile both show clear traces of Arceus as a design template. But Arceus is Arceus — replicating even a fraction of what it represents is a genuinely staggering technical achievement. The Aether Foundation deserves credit for pulling it off at all."
Lillie smiled quietly. "I think so too. Before I actually witnessed Arceus's power firsthand, I probably wouldn't have fully appreciated how difficult it was. Now I understand exactly how remarkable it is that they got as far as they did."
After that, both of them settled into silence and read.
Ryan's volume turned out to be a collection of local legends — specifically, the ancient accounts surrounding Canalave City itself. He worked through the text carefully.
The story centered on Darkrai and Cresselia.
According to the legend, Darkrai passed through the waters near Canalave City once each year. Darkrai carried no malicious intent — but its nature as the Nightmare Pokémon meant that its mere presence caused the residents of Canalave to suffer intense nightmares for the duration of its passage. It couldn't help it. The effect radiated from it involuntarily.
Cresselia, who made her home on Fullmoon Island just offshore, had taken it upon herself to appear in the city during this period each year, using her lunar energy to dispel the nightmares and protect the residents.
Ryan found himself smiling at that. Darkrai's nightmare aura was genuinely inconvenient for anyone nearby — nobody wanted that following them into sleep every night. If Darkrai ever fully mastered its own origin power, that trait would become something significantly more serious. As it stood, Canalave's most prized protective charm was the Lunar Wing — a feather shed by Cresselia. Carrying one provided protection against Darkrai's passive nightmare release.
Ryan and Lillie both had Lunar Wings already. Cresselia had given them to Ryan, Lillie, and two other members of their party when they had encountered Darkrai previously. The effect had been immediately noticeable — no nightmares at all since then. Nothing but quiet, undisturbed sleep.
He closed the book, stretched quietly, and became aware that he was hungry. He looked over at Lillie, who was completely absorbed in her reading with the focused expression that meant she had fully left the rest of the world behind. Left to her own devices, she would read straight through until closing time without registering hunger, thirst, or the passage of hours.
Ryan slipped out of the library, found a small café near the harbor, and came back with two burgers and two cold drinks. Eating wasn't permitted in the library, but after a quiet word with the librarian at the desk — and a reasonable tip — the librarian found something else to look at.
When Ryan returned to their table, however, someone had taken his seat.
He wasn't concerned — if it had been the kind of person Lillie had no patience for, Shaymin and Manaphy would already have made an appearance. The person sitting in his chair and speaking with Lillie in a low, engaged voice was Aaron, one of the Sinnoh Elite Four — the Bug-type specialist known as much for his scholarly temperament as his battling ability. Ryan wasn't surprised to find him here. Aaron loved books and had the quiet, considered manner of someone who spent a lot of time in places exactly like this one.
Ryan set the food down on the table and said lightly, "Didn't expect to run into an Elite Four member in the library. What brings you here, Aaron?"
Aaron looked up from what had apparently been a discussion with Lillie about the mythology surrounding Dialga and Palkia. He gave Ryan a measured smile. "Chairman Ryan. I'm a member of the Sinnoh Elite Four — it would be stranger if I didn't visit the Canalave Library occasionally. Though I should mention — eating isn't allowed in here."
"Already handled it with the librarian," Ryan said, pulling up a nearby chair. "And Lillie needs reminding to eat when she's reading — if I don't bring something to her she'll just forget entirely."
Aaron glanced over at Lillie, who had accepted her burger without looking up from her page and was now reading and eating simultaneously. He shook his head with a quiet, resigned expression.
Ryan couldn't really argue with that reaction.
(End of Chapter)
[Chapter Rewards]
500 Power Stones unlock 1 chapter
10 Reviews unlock 1 chapter
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
30+chapters ahead on P1treon Soulforger