Chapter 472: My Handwriting Is a Bit Ugly
In the end, Arthur still managed to fleece Suicune. He "borrowed" a Mystic Water of exceptional quality for Greninja, an ancient Dragon Fang preserved like a sacred treasure for Old Flame, and a good number of Big Roots and White Herbs that grew in the mountain streams.
Of course, he didn't let himself take a loss. Before leaving, he deliberately summoned Little Eevee and had it evolve into Leafeon right on the spot. Suicune, who had been in an excellent mood, instantly changed its expression.
"Get out! Take your things and get out!"
Arthur whistled, feeling like he'd evened the score. Little Eevee, nestled in his arms, was completely oblivious. "Master, what's wrong with that big Legendary sister?"
Arthur replied, "Nothing. She just remembered something happy."
"???"
Afterward, with Suicune's "sponsorship," Arthur and Lina took to the skies once more. It had to be said, the treasures of a Legendary were truly impressive. The Mystic Water he had borrowed this time was of such high quality that it surpassed any other similar item he had seen in the human world.
"As expected of a Water-type Legendary that's lived for hundreds of years."
With this item, the power of Greninja's new and improved Water Shuriken would be boosted even further. "This trip was definitely worth it."
Celebi, floating beside him, shot him a look. "You only think it's worth it because you got to annoy Lady Suicune with Little Eevee, right? Before that, you were clearly—mmmph!"
Arthur calmly adjusted his backpack, shoving a certain onion-headed Pokémon back inside.
Little Eevee looked up, its ears twitching. "Did I just hear something?"
Arthur's expression didn't change. "It's nothing. Just the wind."
From inside the backpack: "Mmmph!!"
...
After returning, Arthur booked a flight, extended his vacation time with the club, and contacted a few acquaintances. Soon, he was officially on his way to the Ashen Desert. His first stop was the nearby Batta Alliance. This was the local proxy force that the Kubfu Alliance had propped up. Two hundred years ago, when Arthur had first come to intervene in the desert's affairs, it was under the pretext of aiding Batta.
After getting off the plane, the scenery was drastically different. Located on the edge of the desert, the area was constantly battered by wind and sand. Most people on the streets wore headscarves and veils. Due to the intense sunlight and scorching heat, their clothing was predominantly white or in cool colors. He also saw people with painted faces, another local custom.
But although the street views, architectural styles, and clothing were all different, there were still many familiar sights. Most of the shop signs were written in the script of the Kubfu Alliance. As a proxy force supported by Kubfu, the Batta Alliance's key sectors—energy, communications, trade, and transportation infrastructure—were all deeply intertwined with the eastern power. Over ninety percent of the population spoke the Kubfu language, and the currency was accepted everywhere, making things very convenient.
Of course, all of this was the result of centuries of continuous support from the Kubfu Alliance. Their war for independence had been won only with Kubfu's assistance.
The moment Arthur stepped out of the airport, someone asked him, "Hey, kid, where you from?" The accent was a bit strange, but it was easy enough to understand.
"The Kubfu Alliance," Arthur replied.
The man immediately became incredibly enthusiastic. "Oh, then we are friends! Forever friends!" He grabbed Arthur's hand and shook it vigorously for several moments before finally revealing his purpose.
"So, friend, need a hotel? A tour guide? Anywhere you want to go? Or maybe you want to rest first? I can introduce you to many special services you won't find anywhere else. We have very professional Gardevoir and Roserade cosplayers, and even a specially customized Fairy Terrain-themed room. Interested?"
"..."
Arthur looked at him, a deadpan expression on his face. He finally understood the man's enthusiasm. The Kubfu Alliance didn't share a direct border with Batta, so anyone who came all this way was generally well-off. The man had mistaken him for a rich young master traveling alone.
"No, thank you."
"Hey, don't go, friend! Our services are very professional! Won't you give it a try?"
After shaking off the tout, Arthur hailed a taxi. "To the Shurima Royal Academy."
"You got it."
Even the taxi driver spoke the Kubfu language fluently. Communication was no issue. Along the way, Arthur noticed that the Pokémon on the streets were mostly Ground, Rock, and Steel types. Ice and Water types were noticeably rarer than in other places. Passing by the city square, the birds flying overhead were mostly Fletchling, not the Pidgey and Taillow that were common in the Kubfu Alliance. This was because Fletchling's final evolution, Talonflame, was a Fire-type tropical bird, better suited to this climate.
After a drive of a few dozen minutes, he arrived at the most famous institution of higher learning in the Batta capital: the Shurima Royal Academy. It was the oldest university in the Batta Alliance, though it had once been destroyed in the war and was rebuilt two hundred years ago with support from the Kubfu Alliance. That was why the school's nameplate at the entrance was written in the Kubfu script.
Arthur stood at the school gate, feeling a wave of nostalgia. "Man, my handwriting really wasn't that good back then."
A couple of students passing by overheard Arthur's quiet mumbling and scoffed. "Where did this country bumpkin come from? Saying our school's nameplate is ugly? Who does he think he is!"
They had no idea that when the academy was rebuilt, the plaque with the school's name had been inscribed by Arthur himself. If he hadn't defeated the Sinnoh League's Champion on the edge of the desert, the Batta Alliance would never have reclaimed this land, let alone rebuilt their academy here.
Entering the Shurima Royal Academy, he occasionally saw squadrons of students jogging in formation, shouting cadence as they passed. This was a semi-militarized preparatory academy. It didn't just offer cultural studies; it also taught Pokémon training, breeding, and battle command. The martial atmosphere was very strong here, a fitting characteristic for the Ashen Desert region.
Passing by a training field, Arthur saw many students engaged in Pokémon battles. Competitive battling truly was a global sport, seen everywhere. Of course, the level of competition here was a far cry from the professional league playoffs he had just finished. Most of them were just at the amateur level.
As he was walking by the field, he suddenly heard a shout. "Look out!"
He turned his head and saw a spherical energy projectile veering off course, heading straight for him. It looked like a Fighting-type Aura Sphere. This was the problem with amateur competitions—no energy shields around the fields. Professional arenas were always equipped with them, but amateur fields didn't have that luxury. An unlucky bystander could easily get hit by a stray attack.
This time, it was Arthur's turn to be the lucky bystander. The only difference was: he wasn't an ordinary one.
He tossed a Poké Ball, and Greninja appeared. Faced with the stray Aura Sphere, Greninja took a mere tenth of a second to realize that it probably didn't need to do anything.
So, it raised one hand, spreading its three webbed fingers. Its palm caught the Aura Sphere with a soft thump. The only effect was that Greninja's arm bent back slightly from the impact.
"Uh..."
The group of students who had shouted the warning were all completely stunned. "Oh my god! He caught an Aura Sphere… with his bare hands?!"
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