Chapter 116: Arriving at Cyllage City
"That's your grandfather, you know?"
"But the opponent is Master."
Korrina replied matter-of-factly:
"Since we're all on the same side, obviously I should cheer for the stronger one, right?"
If Gurkinn heard that, he'd probably cry on the spot.
The battle hadn't even started yet, and the old man had already been assigned to the losers' table.
What could Sora even say?
He could only silently mourn for the old man for three seconds.
And so, Korrina officially joined Sora's traveling party.
The two departed from the center of the Nebel Plateau and headed toward Shalour City.
Along the way, thanks to Korrina acting as guide, Sora's travel speed improved dramatically.
Roads weren't straight lines.
Some areas were impossible to cross directly and required lengthy detours.
But Korrina was extremely familiar with the region and knew plenty of shortcuts.
As a result, what was originally planned to be a five-day journey only took three days before they left the Nebel Plateau and entered Cyllage City.
"So this is Cyllage City?"
Sora surveyed the town before him.
"The terrain really is unique. What's with all these stone formations? Were they carved by humans or naturally formed?"
The real-world inspiration for Cyllage City was Carnac in France.
In the Pokémon world, however, the area surrounding the city was covered in neatly arranged stone formations stretching for kilometers in every direction.
At a glance, the endless forest of giant standing stones was truly breathtaking.
"No idea."
Korrina shrugged.
"Anyway, when Grandpa was young, Cyllage City already looked like this."
Sora suspected the stone formations were likely remnants of Pokémon moves.
Perhaps, long ago, unimaginably powerful Pokémon had battled here and permanently altered the landscape.
Honestly, Ogerpon and Volcanion could probably do something like this too.
Sora imagined Ogerpon smashing her cudgel into the earth, shattering the entire region around Cyllage City.
Then there was Volcanion—
if one of his Hydrogen Clouds exploded here, the entire town would be wiped off the map in an instant.
"Without realizing it, I really have gained control over this level of power…"
Sora didn't plan to stay long in Cyllage City.
He'd probably come here many times in the future anyway.
Not this trip.
"So what route do we take next?"
With a guide around, of course you ask the guide.
Sora was increasingly convinced that Korrina was incredibly useful.
"There are three routes from Cyllage City to Shalour City."
"The first is taking an aerial bus—basically riding Flying-type Pokémon across the mountain range."
Korrina explained:
"It's the fastest option, but there's also a chance of being attacked by wild Pokémon, so it's somewhat dangerous."
The mountain range separating the Nebel Plateau and Shalour City was called the Saint Michel Mountains—
a natural barrier.
"The second option is taking riding Pokémon around the long route. That takes about three days."
"And the last option is entering Reflection Cave and traveling underground to reach Shalour City."
It was honestly hard to imagine that a major city like Shalour had such inconvenient transportation.
But really, it made sense.
In the Pokémon world, humans coexisted with nature.
Many areas retained their untouched landscapes because the presence of Pokémon made large-scale human development impossible.
That was also why Ash constantly encountered remote wildernesses and incredible natural wonders during his journeys in the anime.
Most travel to Shalour City relied on sea routes.
But Sora was far too far inland right now.
There wasn't even a port nearby.
"Master, which route do you want to choose?"
"Going around is too slow."
"And flying over sounds a bit dangerous…"
Sora only hesitated briefly before deciding:
"Let's go through Reflection Cave."
No helping it.
The only Pokémon he had capable of flight was Volcanion.
If something happened midair, their safety measures would be… questionable at best.
So underground it was.
Besides, Sora wanted to look for Carbink while they were there.
Maybe he could even find clues related to Diancie.
"How long does it take to cross Reflection Cave?"
"Not long."
Korrina estimated:
"It's still morning now. We can eat in Cyllage City first, then head into Reflection Cave directly. By tomorrow morning, we should reach Shalour City."
"Sounds good."
Sora nodded in satisfaction, inwardly thinking once again that this newly accepted disciple really was dependable.
"Does Cyllage City have any good food?"
"The beef stew, baked escargot, and coq au vin here are incredible."
Korrina grinned.
"You'll definitely love them, Master!"
As expected of Kalos—a region based on France.
Between Azoth's delicious cakes and desserts and the meal they enjoyed here in Cyllage City, Sora was extremely satisfied.
And people in Kalos were deeply proud of their cuisine.
The region never lacked gourmets or food connoisseurs.
Sora had already lost count of how many times he congratulated himself for making the right decision.
Compared to this—
Galar was practically a culinary wasteland.
Well, Britain had its own national conditions.
Who needed gourmet cuisine?
Potatoes were enough!
"Scenery can wait until later, but good food must never be missed!"
Sora declared:
"Quick, lead the way, disciple!"
"Understood!"
Korrina gave a playful salute before charging ahead.
"Hey, slow down! Watch the rocks!"
"Hehe, I won't crash!"
Korrina sped forward.
"Even Master isn't allowed to underestimate my skating skills!"
"This girl…"
Sora shook his head while jogging after her.
To his surprise, Korrina had rushed ahead just to line up early at the city's most famous restaurant.
That thoughtfulness once again made Sora think:
Having Korrina as a disciple is really nice.
She truly devoted herself wholeheartedly to helping her master.
"Over here, over here!"
After lunch, Korrina led Sora to the entrance of Reflection Cave.
Reflection Cave was merely a general term for the underground entrances, not a single location.
Various entrances were scattered throughout the mountains outside Cyllage City.
Naturally, Korrina chose the one she knew best.
The girl loved physical training.
Ever since becoming a trainer, she'd treated traversing the underground caverns as part of her practice and frequently traveled between Shalour City and Cyllage City this way.
She knew the route by heart.
"Be careful. Watch out for wild Pokémon."
Sora and Korrina walked through the dim cavern.
Beside them were Ogerpon, Victini, and Lucario.
With those three Pokémon protecting them, even sudden emergencies posed little danger.
Though considering the physical capabilities of people in the Pokémon world…
there probably wasn't much to worry about anyway.
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