When Volcarona seemingly came back from the dead, Grey's first thought was that his eyes were playing tricks on him. Perhaps his aura had somehow revealed Volcarona's spirit instead of its physical body.
Then he examined it with his Aura Force.
Well, well!
Volcarona's aura might have been weak, but it was still stubbornly clinging to life.
It reminded Grey of those ancient patriarchs in fantasy stories who constantly announced that they were on their deathbeds, only to keep living for another century. Volcarona always seemed to be one tiny step away from dying.
Whether that final step was truly tiny or absurdly enormous remained unknown.
At the very least, Grey could not tell how much longer Volcarona had left.
Honestly, the old moth might even outlive him.
"Volcarona." Judging by your expression, you thought I was already dead. Now you're confused because I suddenly woke up, aren't you?
Volcarona turned its gaze toward Grey.
"That's exactly right."
Grey did not deny it. He genuinely wanted to understand Volcarona's current condition.
If it truly was close to death, he could give it the branches and leaves from the Tree of Beginning that Riolu was bringing back. Grey had no need for them, so he might as well give them to Larvesta's father.
At least they would not go to waste.
"Volcarona." Hahaha. These old bones simply haven't felt sunlight for far too long, which is why my body ended up like this. Had you returned any later, I really might have fallen into an eternal sleep here. However...
Volcarona stopped halfway through its explanation.
Grey looked to the side and realized that Larvesta had finally completed its evolution.
The newly evolved Volcarona was shiny, just like its father. The older Volcarona possessed the deep, weathered presence of something that had endured countless years. Grey's Volcarona, meanwhile, resembled a blazing sun that had just begun to rise.
"However, what?" Grey asked.
"Volcarona." You brought Reshiram back with you. The instant you arrived, I felt an enormous amount of energy pouring into my body. That was what allowed me to awaken again.
Once the older Volcarona finished explaining, it began catching up with its son.
Their conversation was simple. It mostly asked how its son had been living since becoming Grey's Pokémon.
Seeing that its son was now healthy and well-fed, the older Volcarona felt that allowing Grey to catch it had been the correct decision.
Once father and son finished talking, it was time to leave.
Grey deliberately left several restorative ingredients behind for the older Volcarona, including a few Energy Roots. They were not particularly old, but they should help it survive for quite some time.
With that, Grey left Relic Castle.
Where should he go next?
Should he head directly to the Unova League, or visit Nimbasa City?
After considering his options, Grey decided to message Caitlin.
[Dojo Annihilape: I'm in Unova. I just left Relic Castle. Should I come find you now, or what?]
[Sleeping Beauty: You're here already? I, I'm not ready yet!]
When Caitlin learned that Grey had arrived, she did not immediately tell him to come see her.
Instead, she panicked.
She had been eagerly waiting for Grey to pick her up for a long time, but now that he had actually come to take her away, the thought alone was unbearably embarrassing.
Inside the Unova League headquarters, Caitlin sat at her desk with both hands covering her face. Her cheeks were as red as a perfectly ripe Applin.
"Caitlin, what's wrong?"
Rosa, who had been helping her process League paperwork, stopped working and curiously poked Caitlin's arm.
"Grey has arrived in Unova."
Caitlin's voice was barely louder than a mosquito.
The moment Rosa heard that, she raised her thumb.
"Leave today's League work to me. You should go meet Grey!"
Caitlin's face turned even redder.
She still had not prepared herself!
That was what she thought, at least.
Despite her embarrassment, Caitlin could not suppress her desire to see Grey.
[Dojo Annihilape: Should I explore Unova for the rest of today and visit you tomorrow instead?]
Grey sent another message.
Caitlin stared at it.
He had already come all this way. How could she possibly let him leave?
Clutching her phone, Caitlin quickly replied.
[Sleeping Beauty: Absolutely not! I want to see you today!]
[Dojo Annihilape: Then should I come to you, or are you coming to me?]
Grey's question immediately threw Caitlin into another dilemma.
When Rosa noticed Caitlin struggling with the decision, she leaned over to see what was happening. Once she realized that Grey was asking where they should meet, Unova's rising movie star and future Grass-type Elite Four member hurriedly offered advice.
"Caitlin, you need to make the first move! Grey has already come all the way to Unova, so you need to grab hold of him before someone else does. He's such a wonderful man. What happens if some other beautiful girl notices him while he's exploring Unova?"
Rosa's concern was not baseless.
Rumor had it that Lacey from Blueberry Academy had feelings for Grey. She simply had never dared to act on them.
Judging by Grey's message, he had just left Relic Castle.
Relic Castle was located in Unova's desert, and the two nearest cities were Castelia City and Nimbasa City.
What if Grey went to Nimbasa City, happened to run into Lacey, and then started wandering around the Nimbasa amusement park with her?
Rosa immediately shared this terrifying possibility with Caitlin.
Perhaps in some parallel world, Caitlin would tell Grey to explore Unova for the day, only for that exact scene to occur.
Everything or nothing.
Caitlin, this moment would decide the outcome!
"Caitlin, this is already the third time. You absolutely cannot let Grey get away!"
Caitlin's face had turned completely crimson.
She stared at Grey's message on the screen.
This time, she replied with absolute determination.
[Sleeping Beauty: I'll come find you!]
When Grey read those words in the middle of the desert, he instinctively looked around at his surroundings.
[Dojo Annihilape: Should I wait for you in Nimbasa City?]
[Dojo Annihilape: Video.mp4]
He recorded a short video showing himself standing in the middle of a desert filled with blowing sand.
If he opened his mouth for too long, he would probably end up eating it.
Grey did not particularly want a mouthful of sand.
[Sleeping Beauty: Not Nimbasa City! How about Humilau City?]
After thinking it over, Caitlin decided that Humilau City would be perfect.
The Marine Tube connected Humilau City to Undella Town. Undella Town sat beside the ocean, and Caitlin's coastal villa was located there.
She had made up her mind. She and Grey would walk through the Marine Tube together, then spend the night at her villa in Undella Town!
[Dojo Annihilape: No problem. I'll head to Humilau City now.]
The moment he saw Humilau City, Grey confirmed the route.
He would leave the journey to Reshiram.
"Reshiram, I'm counting on you! Take me to Humilau City!"
At Grey's command, Reshiram emerged. Azure flames resembling blooming lotus flowers flowed continuously around its body, creating a dazzling sight.
Grey bent his knees, leaped into the air, and landed on Reshiram's broad back.
"Which direction?" Reshiram asked.
Grey activated the navigation app.
An electronic voice immediately began speaking.
"Route confirmed. Total distance: 1,980 kilometers. Estimated travel time: 21 hours and 34 minutes. Begin by heading northeast."
The instant the navigation finished speaking, flames flashed around Reshiram. The Vast White Pokémon transformed into a streak of azure light that tore across the desert sky toward Humilau City.
Only two hours had passed when they arrived.
The estimated twenty-one hours had been calculated for a car.
Grey was traveling on Reshiram, so naturally there was no comparison.
However, judging by the situation, Caitlin had not arrived yet.
Grey scratched his head but did not mind.
He strolled casually along Humilau City's streets. Rather than contacting Caitlin immediately, he wandered around alone without any particular destination.
The afternoon sunlight stretched his shadow across the street, where it repeatedly crossed and separated from those of passing pedestrians.
Humilau City truly was a relaxing place.
Compared to the rapid pace of Castelia City, Humilau was a peaceful tourist destination where visitors could genuinely unwind.
While Grey was lost in thought, a young girl carrying a woven flower basket approached him.
The basket contained many flowers still covered in fresh dew.
One flower in particular caught Grey's attention. Lush green leaves surrounded its base, while vivid pink petals bloomed above them.
Judging by its appearance, it was clearly no ordinary flower.
Grey examined it with the system.
Well, it truly was extraordinary.
[Item: Gracidea Flower]
[Description: On birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions, these flowers are sometimes arranged into bouquets and given to express gratitude.]
The Gracidea was capable of transforming a Pokémon named Shaymin from its Land Forme into its Sky Forme.
Aside from that, it was commonly given as a gift.
Because Gracidea flowers were beautiful and relatively rare, many people sought them out for bouquets.
Grey immediately considered buying the Gracidea flowers for Caitlin.
She would probably love them.
Noticing Grey's interest, the passing girl stopped and looked up at him.
"Why are you wandering around all by yourself? Are you waiting for someone?"
Grey smiled and nodded gently.
"That's right. I'm waiting for someone."
The girl immediately beamed, her eyes curving into cheerful crescents.
"Then would you like to buy a bouquet? When the person you're waiting for arrives, you can give her the freshest flowers. I'm sure she'll be very happy!"
Grey's gaze moved through the basket before settling on the beautiful Gracidea flowers.
He lightly touched one of the petals.
"How much are these?"
The girl raised five fingers and waved them in front of him.
"Five hundred Poké Dollars?"
Grey reached for his wallet.
"No."
The girl tilted her head, maintaining her sweet smile.
"Five hundred million."
Grey froze.
His hand remained suspended halfway to his wallet, and even his breathing stopped for a moment.
He wondered whether he had misheard her. His gaze shifted repeatedly between the girl's innocent face and the vibrant Gracidea flowers.
Five hundred million?
Was she serious?
That price was completely outrageous!
A little girl who disrupted the market this badly deserved a stern lesson.
For a moment, Grey felt that the person standing before him was not an ordinary little girl at all.
She was Unova's regional variant of Green.
A shameless profiteer!
Gracidea flowers were expensive, but there was no possible way they were worth that much.
Five hundred million?
Why not simply rob someone?
Then again, robbery probably would not earn money this quickly.
The girl seemed completely unaware of his shock. She stepped closer and thoughtfully reminded him, "You can pay by card if you don't have enough cash."
Before she even finished speaking, she expertly pulled a portable card reader from the corner of her basket and presented it to Grey with both hands.
Grey fell silent.
Was this really not something she did regularly?
"Do you think there's any chance you could bundle these Gracidea flowers together and offer me a discount?"
Grey attempted to negotiate.
"Hmm. How much of a discount do you think would be fair?"
The girl returned the question.
"How about knocking off the extra zeros?" Grey asked cheerfully.
"How many zeros?"
"Bring it down to five million."
The girl stared at him.
"Wow! You're awful! You're trying to buy my Gracidea flowers for only five million!"
She narrowed her eyes and looked as though Grey had terribly wronged her.
She seemed ready to burst into tears at any moment.
Grey was speechless.
Had she not asked him to name a price?
The girl rubbed her eyes before abruptly changing her tone.
"Still, five million might be acceptable."
"How so?"
Grey raised an eyebrow.
He had the distinct feeling there was a trap involved.
She had opened with such an outrageous price that nothing she proposed could possibly be simple.
"You aren't scared, are you? In that case, I'll have to give the Gracidea flowers to someone else."
The girl's mischievous behavior left Grey completely confused.
Something about her did not match her age.
Grey instinctively looked toward Riolu.
Riolu merely shrugged, clearly unable to make sense of the girl either.
"Hey, Riolu. Are there any other Mythical Pokémon besides you that enjoy disguising themselves as humans?"
Grey suspected the girl might have been transformed from a Pokémon, so he asked Riolu directly.
"Riolu." No. She's definitely a real human. However, she seems to be working with a certain Pokémon.
That was Riolu's assessment, although it could not yet be completely certain which Pokémon was involved.
"Which Pokémon?"
Grey used his Aura Force to establish a private connection between them.
"Riolu." Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests. If it's involved, producing several Gracidea flowers would be effortless.
"Calyrex?! Isn't that the Legendary Pokémon from the Crown Tundra in Galar? Why would it appear in Unova?!"
Grey was stunned.
If Calyrex was involved, everything made sense.
But why was Calyrex in Unova?
It had wandered into the wrong region!
"Riolu." I don't know either, but this girl's body is filled with the essence of Grass-type energy, and she possesses Gracidea flowers. There must be a connection.
Riolu shrugged.
There was no other reasonable explanation.
After hearing that, Grey narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the girl.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Hmm. Could you take these two seeds to the Crown Tundra in Galar and plant them in its two fields? If you're willing to help me with that tiny favor, I'll give you the Gracidea flowers for free."
//Check out my P@tre0n for 30 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810.