Chapter 30 30: Leaving Kitakami
After defeating the resurrected Loyal Three, Sora no longer lingered in Kitakami.
Before departing, however, he sent Victini to Mossui Town once more to search for any trace of Pecharunt.
Unfortunately, perhaps because the timeline had not yet reached the point where the story truly began, the general store contained no pink peach ornament.
Sora and Elder Yukito exchanged contact information.
If anything unusual happened in Kitakami, Sora would return immediately to deal with it.
Would that be too late?
According to his plans, as long as he was given a bit more time, he would certainly find an excellent Flying-type Pokémon.
Once that happened, traveling between regions would become effortless, and he would never again have to worry about long journeys.
"Looks like we'll have to wait until next time."
Besides, the food expenses for four Pokémon now rested entirely on his shoulders. Achieving financial freedom had become an urgent priority.
"I'll be relying on you to lead the way, Ursaluna."
Sora, Ponpon, and Victini rode on Ursaluna's back as the team sped through the dense forest.
As for Lilligant, Sora had returned her to her Poké Ball.
Unlike the Legendary Pokémon, her stamina had limits.
Over the past few days, she had sparred with Ponpon and stayed up late searching for Ursaluna, leaving her thoroughly exhausted.
Sora cared deeply for his Pokémon. For the next stretch of the journey, she would rest comfortably inside her ball.
"Rustle—whoosh—"
It had been a long time since Ursaluna had run so freely through the forest.
In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Ursaluna served as a ride Pokémon capable of crossing mountains as easily as walking on flat ground.
Although this Bloodmoon Ursaluna was not the same individual, it had absolute confidence in its riding ability.
Its broad back provided a stable platform; there was no risk of sudden turns throwing anyone off.
"ROAR!!"
With a single thunderous roar, Ursaluna frightened off wild Pokémon blocking the path long before reaching them.
The great bear seemed even more excited than Sora—completely carried away by the thrill of running.
"Haha."
Seated on Ursaluna's back, Sora held Ogerpon in front of him while Victini clung to his shoulder.
Everyone was enjoying the exhilarating rush through the forest.
Before long, the group had traveled deep into the eastern mountain range of the Kitakami peninsula.
To the west lay the sea facing Iron Island.
To the east, beyond the mountains, stretched one of the most famous forests in the Sinnoh region:
Eterna Forest.
"If we keep heading this way, it should take about three days to cross the mountains and enter Eterna Forest."
Without modern navigation devices like the Rotom Phone, Sora had to rely on a paper map to determine his location.
For traveling trainers, getting lost in a forest for a week was perfectly normal.
Environmental preservation in the Pokémon world far surpassed that of Earth.
Vast primeval forests and unique landscapes were common. Sora had already seen many during his time in Eindoak.
"Looking at it this way…"
Comparing the mountain range beneath them with the size of Eterna Forest on the map, he murmured:
"It actually feels like Eterna Forest is even larger."
"Poné?"
"Bi-ni?"
The two little Pokémon tilted their heads in perfect sync.
They were clearly asking what Eterna Forest was.
Sora smiled.
"Eterna Forest is a dense woodland maze connecting Floaroma Town and Eterna City. It's home to a huge number of Bug- and Grass-type Pokémon."
The real Eterna Forest was nothing like the small area depicted in games.
It was enormous—covering nearly half of northwestern Sinnoh.
An ordinary person entering alone could easily become trapped forever.
Even trained trainers depended on their Pokémon's abilities to survive in such a dangerous environment.
On the flip side, it was also a paradise for trainers.
Whether for adventure or capturing Pokémon, Eterna Forest was an ideal destination.
"Too bad there aren't any Pokémon there that I particularly want."
He already had Grass types.
Lilligant and Ogerpon were unquestionably among the finest Grass-type Pokémon available.
As for Bug types—
To be honest, Sora wasn't fond of them.
First, many Bug Pokémon lacked visual appeal.
Second, their overall strength and potential often ranked near the bottom among Pokémon, making them inefficient to train.
"Though that moss-covered rock deep in the forest does interest me."
The Moss Rock—a special natural formation capable of evolving Eevee into Leafeon.
Its effect resembled a Leaf Stone, yet functioned through environmental energy rather than a consumable item.
Of course, simply observing it up close would be enough.
Actually chiseling off a piece would be environmental damage, and Sora had no intention of doing that.
If he ever needed a Leaf Stone, he could just buy one.
They weren't expensive—only tens of thousands of Poké Dollars.
Compared to the peat blocks he now possessed, commercially available evolution stones had lost much of their appeal.
"Alright, let's stop here for a moment, Ursaluna."
Perhaps because it had not run so freely in years, Ursaluna had carried them nonstop for more than two hours.
"Let's take a break and eat something before continuing."
Sora signaled Victini to fly upward.
The little Pokémon scanned the surroundings from the air and quickly spotted a suitable campsite.
"Bi-ni, bi-ni~~"
Soon, under Victini's guidance, they arrived at a small stream winding through the forest.
"Nice find, V."
Sora was very satisfied with the location.
The morning mist had cleared. Sunlight filtered down onto a riverbed covered in smooth pebbles. The stream flowed gently, producing a soft, rhythmic murmur.
Several Water-type Pokémon noticed their arrival and slipped into the water, leaving only half their heads visible as they watched cautiously.
"Ah, sorry to disturb you."
Sora dismounted from Ursaluna and opened his backpack, pulling out cooking equipment.
At the same time, he handed Victini some snacks to distribute to the nearby wild Pokémon.
This was one of his favorite ways to build goodwill.
"Here—try this. It's really tasty."
Victini flew to the riverbank carrying the snacks, immediately drawing the attention of the wild Pokémon.
Ogerpon hesitated and stayed back.
She was, in truth, a bit socially anxious.
Unlike Victini—
Victini was the ultimate social butterfly.
Within moments, she had befriended the local Pokémon.
Under her introduction, the surrounding wild Pokémon gradually relaxed. Their fear faded, replaced by curiosity, as they gathered around to watch Sora busily set up pots, pans, and utensils.
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Pat reon Advance Chapters: /YonkoSlayer