Crown Shrine, noon.
Calyrex stood at the center of the shrine hall, with Glastrier and Spectrier by its side, occasionally breathing out white wisps.
They looked toward the entrance of the shrine, as if waiting for something.
No one spoke, and the surroundings were silent and tranquil.
At some point, Glastrier seemed a bit bored and began pawing at the ground with its hooves.
Suddenly, the annoying sound of clattering hooves echoed throughout the empty, silent shrine.
Beside it, Spectrier exhaled heavily, turning its head angrily to glare at Glastrier, apparently displeased by the noise.
"Hiss-huff!"
Glastrier was absorbed in the little pit it had dug and didn't hear Spectrier's voice.
Spectrier's expression grew sullen, with a glowing purple mist emanating from its body.
"Crown!" Calyrex noticed the little antics of its beloved horses and immediately spoke to stop them.
With this, Glastrier and Spectrier quickly calmed down, loyally staying by the king's side.
At that moment, the sound of running footsteps came from outside.
Accompanied by a lively voice saying "I'm back!", the three Pokemon saw Naoki and Koraidon running in, carrying bundles.
With their arrival, the cold and silent shrine immediately became lively.
Calyrex seemed puzzled: "Why bring so many things?"
Naoki and Koraidon placed the bundles on the floor, rubbed their hands, and replied:
"It's not that much, mainly carrot seeds for Spectrier and Glastrier, and some food and daily necessities I got from the village."
Saying this, Naoki opened the parcels and took everything out.
On this trip, he nearly emptied the Freezington Village store of carrot seeds, and from the store, he also bought plenty of fresh ingredients like potatoes, fish, and steaks.
Calyrex floated forward, inspecting the items placed in the shrine, and began recounting past events.
"In the past, humans used to offer these things as tributes to I and my beloved horses, but I do not need them."
"Later, by observing the horses' preferences, they brought specially grown carrots for me and my companions."
Naoki asked: "Is there anything you particularly like to eat?"
Calyrex reminisced carefully: "I differ from other Pokemon and don't need to eat to maintain this form, though if I encounter something I am interested in, I might taste it."
"Oh?" Naoki raised his brow curiously: "What is it?"
"An orange-red food, similar in shape to the carrots the horses like." Calyrex said, "I have tried it once; it was brought by my followers from a distant city, as the tundra soil cannot grow such carrots."
Orange-red carrots...
A vegetable image floated in Naoki's mind.
Isn't that a carrot?
However, there's a curious thing—the Crown Tundra soil can only grow Iceroot and Shaderoot carrots?
Is it due to the soil or environmental factors?
Thoughts flashed across Naoki's mind as he pondered and said to Calyrex:
"That kind of carrot only grows outside the tundra; it's also abundant in the Paldea Region."
"I see." Calyrex said: "It seems the tundra's soil is different."
Calyrex looked quite puzzled and turned to its beloved horses, starting to ponder.
Meanwhile, Naoki began handling ingredients, preparing today's lunch.
He peeled and chopped the potatoes, then placed them in a pot along with the sliced meat to simmer.
There aren't many ingredients on the tundra, not as abundant as those on farms.
Plus, with the cold climate and harsh environment here, a warm and hearty pot of potato stew would be perfect.
The potatoes and meat are cooked tender and flavorful, the broth rich; the air filled with the aroma makes one's mouth water.
Naoki couldn't help swallowing, then lit a bonfire, hung the pot, and started simmering.
While waiting for lunch, he took out the needle and thread, Spectrier's mane, and the Radiant Flower he bought from the village, beginning to sew Calyrex's second set of Unity Reins.
Koraidon and Cyclizar sprawled beside Naoki, opposite Calyrex and its beloved horses.
As Naoki sewed the Reins of Unity, they quietly watched, observing the blue-purple mane transform into reins in Naoki's hands.
The warm bonfire reflected in Calyrex's eyes, giving it an elegant look instead of its initial regal demeanor.
Soon, the reins were mostly finished.
"Next, singing with gratitude is essential." Naoki thought.
Just as he raised his head, he saw Calyrex gracefully watching him.
This made Naoki feel a bit embarrassed.
"Uh…there's the crucial next step, and I mustn't be disturbed during this process; I need to do it alone." Naoki started spouting nonsense seriously.
Calyrex paused and then chuckled, nodding: "I understand; I shall take the horses for a walk."
With that, Calyrex mounted Glastrier, followed by Spectrier, and strolled away from the shrine.
Only then did Naoki breathe a sigh of relief.
Once Calyrex's figure was out of sight, he proceeded with the final step—singing.
"The flowers round together~♬"
"Offer the mane to our King~♬"
After singing, Naoki turned around to see Koraidon and Cyclizar staring at him.
Naoki: "…Don't tell anyone, got it?"
Koraidon: "Ah-gah hiss..." (Got it...)
Cyclizar: "Gah-ao!" (Oh oh!)
Only then did Naoki feel at ease.
When he looked again at the reins in his hands, they were already emitting a faint glow.
This marked the completion of the second set of Reins of Unity!
Five minutes later, Calyrex returned leisurely riding.
Naoki handed the finished Reins of Unity to it.
Calyrex glanced down, showing grateful eyes.
It didn't speak but held the reins, riding atop Spectrier.
As a light flashed, a ghostly purple glow erupted from Calyrex and Spectrier.
When the Reins of Unity fully merged with Spectrier, Calyrex's cloak grew longer.
And Spectrier experienced a transformation; the mist on its limbs became denser, covering the shrine floor, making Spectrier appear to float on air, exuding a vivid purple glow.
After a while, the purple mist was drawn back into Spectrier's body.
Calyrex, atop its back, with the King's Cloak gently swaying, maintained a regal demeanor yet had grateful eyes looking at Naoki.
"Thanks to you, I have now regained my full strength."
"I once thought I was no longer believed by humans and without my beloved horses, I wandered alone into the abyss of solitude. You pulled me from that abyss."
"So-called unending gratitude, unable to repay, that's this moment's sentiment towards you!"
"Naoki, from now on, I ask you to guide me further."