Chapter 76: Arrival at the Island of Ruins!

June 1st.

On the fifth day since leaving the Island of Slowpoke, a faint mist finally began to rise over the sea.

"Looks like it's about to rain again, doesn't it?" The old sailor stood at the edge of the boat, gazing at the sky and muttering to himself.

Hearing this, Hu Yang glanced up at the overcast sky.

Nothing to worry about! As long as it wasn't another thunderstorm like last time, there was no need for the Ancient Moonbird to intervene.

It was now late spring, soon to be early summer. As the months passed, the air grew ever more pleasant. Hoenn's climate was mild and humid, with abundant rainfall—perfect for both Pokémon and humans to thrive.

Several of Hoenn's most livable cities came to Hu Yang's mind: the city of Rustboro, where nature and science intertwine; Fortree, the forest city where people play among the treetops; and Mossdeep, where land ends and the sea begins.

Since leaving school, he had no place to call home. Once he returned from the sea, Hu Yang planned to visit these cities in person, consult his Pokémon for their opinions, and then decide where to settle down.

As for money to buy a house... Simple enough—another few trips to Meteor Falls to gather supplies would suffice.

Still, he couldn't keep exploiting a single place endlessly. Besides Meteor Falls, Granite Cave in Dewford Town, known for its rich stone deposits, seemed like a promising alternative.

Decision made! This time, on the way back, he'd stop by and have a look.

As his thoughts drifted, the captain's voice reached his ears:

"Honored Trainer, according to the radar map, there's an island ahead in the mist. Please see if it's the one you're searching for?"

Hu Yang rose to his feet and, together with Gengar, made his way to the bow of the White Sealeo. Standing there, he gazed into the distance.

Though still some way off, he could make out the faint silhouette of an island.

"Is this the place?" Hu Yang asked, turning to Gengar for confirmation.

Gengar nodded gravely, appearing somewhat anxious.

At last, they had arrived.

Hu Yang let out a sigh of relief and turned to the captain. "This is it. Bring us alongside and anchor."

"Aye, sir!" the captain responded.

Noticing Gengar's uneasy expression, Hu Yang asked, "What's wrong?"

After hesitating, Gengar replied, "I sense a powerful presence..."

So that's it, Hu Yang thought, reassured. "Don't worry. Even if Dodo and Yaya can't handle it, we still have the Ancient Moonbird."

Gengar responded with a muted "Mm."

The White Sealeo passed through the mist, and the island Gengar had sensed at last appeared before Hu Yang's eyes.

It was a vast island, no smaller than Dewford Town. From where he stood on the deck, he could clearly see the endless forests and towering peaks that blanketed the land.

Perhaps due to the weather, the entire island appeared dark and somber.

"You all wait here," Hu Yang said to the crew behind him. "I'll be back as soon as I'm done."

"Take care," the captain cautioned.

This route wasn't officially open, which meant the island wasn't recorded in the League's charts—no one knew what might be waiting there. Although they knew Hu Yang was a powerful trainer, it was his Pokémon who were strong, not his own body.

In places beyond the League's law, there was no need to follow the code that forbade trainers from attacking one another.

"I understand," Hu Yang replied.

He'd been here nearly a year now; he was well aware of wild battles, and how vulnerable humans were before wild Pokémon. That was precisely why he had made it out of Petalburg Woods unscathed when he first arrived.

Hu Yang packed simply, bringing emergency medicine and a special spray to repel wild Pokémon.

Once everything was ready, he picked up the scarf Gengar had requested and said, "Let's go!"

Gengar let out a muffled response.

Hu Yang assumed Gengar was still worried, but thought little of it.

He disembarked and crossed a barren stretch of beach, soon arriving at the edge of a towering forest.

The woods teemed with wild grasses and tangled plants. When the salty, stifling sea breeze swept through, a primordial, untamed scent rushed toward him.

The scene reminded Hu Yang of descriptions of tropical rainforests he'd read in books in his previous life.

Places like this were always favored by snakes and giant serpents.

A chill ran down Hu Yang's spine, but remembering that Gengar's body was somewhere on this island, he pressed forward despite his apprehension.

For safety, he released Roserade and the Ancient Moonbird.

Gengar led the way, following its senses. Roserade and the Ancient Moonbird took up their roles as bodyguards, clearing a path ahead.

He had barely gone a few steps when, at Roserade's warning, he spotted an Arbok lurking in the grass.

The moment it realized it had been discovered, the massive Arbok opened its jaws and unleashed a barrage of purple venomous needles from its ferocious maw.

Hu Yang saw the primal, predatory glint in its eyes and immediately understood—they had been marked as prey.

Among Pokémon, as among ordinary animals, there were natural enemies and predator-prey relationships: Pidgeot and Caterpie, or Arbok and Zangoose, for example.

This Arbok was clever, choosing to attack the seemingly weakest member of the group—Hu Yang himself.

But appearances could be deceiving.

An Arbok living on a remote, isolated island could never imagine just how cunning and dangerous a human could be when hiding behind powerful allies.

As soon as Hu Yang was attacked, the Ancient Moonbird's protective instincts kicked in. Shielding him from the poison needles, it retaliated with a compact Roar of Time.

With a simple call, the attack ended. The Ancient Moonbird, as if nothing had happened, uttered a vacant cry and returned to Hu Yang's side.

Hu Yang fell silent.

He suddenly felt as though he could stroll through the most dangerous Rocket headquarters and emerge unharmed.

With the Ancient Moonbird by his side, anyone who tried to attack him was courting death.

It was just as the saying went: the best hunters often appear in the guise of prey.

Hu Yang couldn't help but grumble to himself, then pressed onward.

In this pristine wilderness, besides the peril posed by wild Pokémon, there also grew a wealth of rare berries.

His gaze landed on a fruit tree not far away, and at once the details of the berries growing on it surfaced in his mind.

[Mushroom Berry: When Pokémon eat this, it can slightly boost their intelligence and make them smarter.]

A true treasure! He'd take it!

Hu Yang immediately had Roserade use Vine Whip to gather a whole row of Mushroom Berries.

In the game, these were used to make Pokéblocks to boost a Pokémon's smartness for contests.

In real life, though, their effect was more like a six-nut brain tonic, aiding in the development of the mind.