"Thank you for your help. May I ask your name?" Sabrina stepped forward after the man fled. Ash, however, suddenly paused, as if he had sensed something.
"Hello, my name is Yuriko. I run the shop over there. Welcome to Silver Rock Island." Yuriko smiled and pointed toward a nearby storefront.
"My name is Sabrina, and this is my fiancé, Ash," Sabrina replied, gesturing toward him.
Ash remained silent for a moment, focusing.
"There is indeed an unusual Aura fluctuation near this island, but I can't pinpoint its exact location. It seems my Aura perception range is still limited," he said after finishing his sensing.
Yuriko then brought Ash and Sabrina into her shop, explaining more about Silver Rock Island, including the scams they had just encountered involving fake Silver Rock.
"Miss Yuriko, could you tell us more about the Silver Wings?" Ash asked after examining the decorations in her store.
Although he already knew that Lugia protected the islands, the reason why Lugia had once destroyed and split them into four remained unclear to him.
"Well… in that case, I'd like to introduce you to someone who knows much more about it," Yuriko said with a smile. She then led them toward the rocky coastal area of the island, where many houses stood clustered together.
"Shintaro! Shintaro!"
After arriving at one of the houses, Yuriko knocked on the door, but no one answered.
"That's strange… the door isn't even locked. Come in with me," she said, gently turning the handle and stepping inside.
Once inside, Ash and Sabrina noticed that the house was filled with finely crafted decorations made of Silver Rock. The workmanship was exquisite. With his sharp perception, Ash immediately recognized that these items were crafted here, and they closely resembled the silver wing brooch on Yuriko's chest.
"That's odd. He should be home at this time," Yuriko muttered.
The house was large, with a long corridor leading inward. Both sides displayed Shintaro's proud creations.
"Hm? This is… a Sandslash. Why is it here? And something feels off…" Ash said as he noticed a fainted Sandslash lying beside one of the ornaments. He walked over and gently touched its head.
"This is Shintaro's Sandslash… why is it like this? Could something have happened to him?" Yuriko's expression changed instantly. She rushed toward the end of the corridor, pushed open a door, and ran inside.
"Shintaro! Shintaro! Are you alright?"
Sure enough, inside the room lay Shintaro, also unconscious. Both he and his Sandslash were burning with a high fever for unknown reasons.
"Let me handle this."
Ash stepped in, carrying the Sandslash. He placed his hand over it and released a gentle green Aura. The life energy flowed steadily, stabilizing both the Pokémon and Shintaro.
Gradually, their breathing eased, and the fever began to subside.
"I'm really sorry to trouble you," Shintaro said awkwardly after waking up and hearing the situation from Yuriko.
"Shintaro is a craftsman who specializes in processing Silver Rock," Yuriko explained from the side. "His skills are among the best on the island, and he knows more about the Silver Wings than anyone."
"I see," Ash nodded.
"If you want to understand the Silver Wings, you can leave it to me," Shintaro said confidently. "No one knows more about them than I do."
"But the full story goes back a long time… five generations ago, when my great-grandfather was still a child. Everything we know has been passed down from generation to generation since then."
"I remember my father once said that on a clear day, when a cargo ship passed through the nearby waters, it suddenly encountered a violent storm. Thunder roared, and towering waves surged… it was said to be the greatest storm in the history of the Whirl Islands."
"The massive waves struck the ship relentlessly. Just as everyone onboard was about to lose hope, a tornado suddenly rose from the sea, radiating a dazzling light."
"The tornado pierced through the sky, and in an instant, the storm was completely dispersed. The raging sea calmed, returning to its original peaceful state."
"When the people wanted to know who had saved them, a single silver feather slowly descended from the sky… what we now call the Silver Wing. The sea guardian associated with that feather saved everyone on the ship. All the crew believed it without question."
"Since then, silver wing-shaped ornaments have been regarded as amulets that bring good fortune."
Shintaro finished recounting everything he knew about the Silver Wings.
"I see… so that's how it is," Ash nodded slightly. "No wonder the people here worship the so-called sea god. But do you know why Lugia later destroyed the Whirl Islands and split them into four separate islands?"
"I don't know," Shintaro shook his head. "But… what did you just say? Lugia?"