Stay alert and don't act recklessly. It's your responsibility to yourself and to your companions."
With that, Beyond's smile disappeared, replaced by a firm, resolute gaze fixed on the mysterious land ahead.
Meanwhile, as the group's mood turned solemn, Larry looked out at the Dark Continent with calm curiosity.
'If Lake Mobius was said to have birthed Kyogre, the god of the sea, could this Dark Continent be the birthplace of Groudon, the god of the earth?'
'Maybe he still has a chance to get another godly pokemon.'
'As for the sky god, Rayquaza, it's uncertain whether that's even possible. Would he need to fly up into the atmosphere himself?'
With a soft "bang," the ship landed safely, watched closely by everyone around.
Since the entire coastline was a beach, their ship could land directly on the shore.
There was no need to swim or kayak a long distance.
Even though the boat was docked, no one moved immediately; instead, they stayed alert, scanning the surroundings carefully.
At first glance, nothing seemed out of place.
What caught their attention was the stretch of golden sand, glowing warmly under the slowly brightening sun.
Occasionally, a wave would roll in, washing away the outermost layer of sand and leaving behind some unknown debris.
Further out stood massive purple trees, so numerous they formed a dense purple forest.
From a distance, they hadn't noticed just how enormous these trees were, each as tall as a skyscraper.
If someone were inside, it would feel like wandering through a bustling city, except this was a real jungle instead of a concrete one.
The forest was so thick and vast that it completely blocked the view beyond it.
But before even considering the purple forest in the distance, the beach itself seemed empty, no signs of life anywhere.
Although called a beach, it was more like a desert, stretching over a huge area.
The purple forest was visible only at the far edge of their sight; the rest was endless sand dunes.
Suddenly, everyone shared the same concern: water.
In a desert, food is important, but water is crucial.
It's well-known that water sources are scarce in deserts, and running out during a long trek could be deadly.
"Though visual estimates aren't entirely reliable, if we maintain our usual pace..." Miru estimated that it would take about one or two days to reach the purple forest.
However, this calculation assumed a smooth journey without any obstacles.
In reality, the actual time would likely be longer since various dangers could arise along the way.
How long the trip would ultimately take depended on how many hazards they encountered.
After some thought, Miru broke the journey down into smaller segments to better plan their route.
For example, traveling from the landing point to the purple forest was one such segment.
For each part, he listed the estimated time and potential risks.
So far, they hadn't spotted any biological threats, but one important concern was the availability of water.
Although crossing the desert wouldn't take long, they still needed to be careful about their water supply.
Miru presented two options.
The first was to carry their own water.
As soon as he said this, everyone except Larry, Ging, and Beyond pulled out their special water bags.
Compared to kettles, these bags were lighter and easier to carry, so they had all chosen to bring them filled with fresh water.
Beyond, on the other hand, touched the silver bracelet on his wrist, causing a transparent water bead to appear in his hand.
Larry immediately recognized it as a water collection bead since he had one as well.
Beyond explained confidently that in addition to the water bags, he had prepared plenty of these water beads to meet their hydration needs.
Despite being only about half the size of a fist, each bead could provide enough water for an adult for an entire day.
They were especially useful for supplementing water when fresh sources were scarce.
Larry recalled that these beads came from a fish known as the "water bead fish," found in Carter Port.
This fish had a very unusual appearance.
It had almost no meat, and its body was made up of these water collection beads.
The fish secreted a special membrane that compressed and purified water, making the beads highly effective for storing and carrying water.
The salty, fishy seawater is purified and transformed into droplets of water that are just like fresh water.
This particular fish is incredibly rare and only found in the deep sea, which makes each drop of water it produces extremely valuable.
From the
start, Larry had guessed that people aiming for the Dark Continent would be interested in something like this, since water-collecting beads work best there and are absolutely crucial.
Sure enough, Beyond had bought a large number of these beads, likely spending a fortune on them.
"Yeah, the water supply we're carrying is pretty solid," Miru agreed, then moved on to his next point.
"Once our carried water runs out, we'll have to rely on local water sources."
"That's where Sammy's nen comes in," Miru explained.
"He can use his ability to check if nearby water is safe to drink."
Sammy nodded in agreement.
"The only concern is if we can't find any drinkable water on the Dark Continent," Miru added, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.
While Sammy's nen can detect if food and water are safe, it can't purify them.
"Don't worry, we won't be stuck in that kind of situation because we still have Sir Larry," Beyond said with a laugh, glancing over at Larry.
Larry chuckled and replied, "Yeah, I'm carrying plenty of fresh water with me, enough to last our whole trip."
The bulk of that water was actually hidden away, more precisely, stored inside Gengar's belly.
"Well, that solves the water problem," Miru said, looking at both Larry and Beyond with relief.
He wasn't sure how exactly Larry managed to carry so much fresh water, but since the team's leader and second-in-command assured him, he was willing to trust them.
"Now that we've got water covered, we need to focus on safety."
Miru called out to Matthew, who had a watermelon-shaped head, standing on the other side.
"Coming," Matthew replied as he approached, holding a live chicken in his hands.
The chicken seemed intimidated by his presence.
They had brought this chicken specifically for moments like this, before setting off.
"The Dark Continent is full of dangers," Miru explained.
"So we need to be extra cautious when we land. We'll use this chicken to scout the path ahead first."
At Miru's signal, Matthew tossed the chicken overboard.
Luckily, the boat wasn't very high, so the chicken flapped its wings and landed safely on the shore, right under everyone's watchful eyes.
Once on the soft yellow sand, the chicken tilted its head forward, took a couple of steps, and pecked at the ground twice before wandering around for a bit.