The family of four walked until they reached the two big trees atop the plateau. It was one of the highest points of the Nebel Plateau. From there, they could see most of the plateau's landscape.
They could also clearly see the distant Azoth Royal Capital.
"Let's rest here," Ange suggested, sitting down on the grass.
Diancie and Munchlax sat beside him, one on each side.
"Ange, are you looking at the Azoth Royal Capital?" Diancie asked when she noticed his dazed expression.
Ange came back to his senses and smiled. "Yeah, I wonder what the Azoth Royal Capital looks like now."
Diancie nodded. "I'm curious too."
Munchlax tilted its head in confusion at hearing Ange and Diancie mention the Azoth Royal Capital again and again.
Seeing this, Ange rubbed its head and smiled. "The Azoth Royal Capital is my and Diancie's hometown," he explained, pointing toward the city's direction. "See that? It's over there!"
Munchlax nodded half-understandingly.
Munch~ Munch~~ Master, are you homesick?
"A little, maybe," Ange replied.
Hearing that, Munchlax panicked.
Munch~ Munch~~ Then will you leave the Nebel Plateau? Will you abandon me?!
"How could you think that?" Ange looked at it in surprise. "Of course not. The Nebel Plateau is my home now. I'm staying here, not going anywhere, and I'll never abandon you!"
Munch~ Munch~
Hearing that, Munchlax was overjoyed and jumped into Ange's arms, hugging his waist and rubbing against him affectionately.
Munchlax had leveled up recently, so it had grown stronger. Ange almost couldn't breathe from the force of its hug.
He gently patted its back. "Munchlax, have you gotten fatter lately?"
At that, Munchlax puffed up its cheeks in protest, sitting up and pounding its chest. Munch~~ Munch~~ I'm not fat, I'm just strong!
"Pfft~" Ange laughed, pinching its soft belly. "Yes, yes, you're strong, not fat!"
Munchlax's Ability was Thick Fat, so it was naturally prone to gaining weight, and for it, being fat was indeed a sign of strength.
After playing with Munchlax for a while, Diancie asked, "When do you plan to go to the Azoth Royal Capital?"
Ange thought for a moment. "Tomorrow. Any day's fine, but the sooner we go, the sooner we come back."
Diancie nodded. "Alright."
****
The next morning, after Ange and Munchlax finished making breakfast for the Pokémon, he packed up his things and got ready to head for the Azoth Royal Capital.
Chiruu~ Chiruu~~
Just then, Swablu flew over before leaving.
"What is it, Swablu?" Ange asked curiously.
Chiruu~ Chiruu~
Swablu chirped and gestured, but Ange didn't understand a single word, so he had to call Diancie over to translate.
Chiruu~ Chiruu~ Ange, I heard you're heading to the Azoth Royal Capital, right?
Swablu asked.
"Yeah, how did you know?" Ange replied, surprised.
Chiruu~~ Munchlax told me.
"I see… then why are you here?" Ange asked, even more puzzled.
Chiruu~ Chiruu~~ My mom said she can take you there.
Swablu replied.
Ange's eyes lit up. "Really?" He was surprised; he hadn't expected Swablu's mother, who was usually grumpy and stubborn, to offer help on her own.
Chiruu~ Chiruu~ Really! Follow me!
Swablu tapped Ange's shoulder with its wing.
"Alright!" Ange said, waving to Diancie.
"Do you need me to come with you?" Diancie asked.
Ange waved his hand. "No need. When I get there, I'll just summon you. You forgot I can call you all anytime, anywhere?"
Diancie blinked. "Right, I forgot. Okay, I'll wait for you."
"Munchlax, Komala, take care of the house!" Ange called out.
Munch~~ Munchlax waved, wishing him a safe trip.
Komala hugged its log and continued snoring, completely ignoring Ange's words.
Following Swablu, Ange reached the shore of Lake Nebel. He looked around in confusion. "Didn't you say your mom would take me? Why bring me to the lake? She's not in the water, right?"
Chiruu~ Chiruu~
Swablu gestured again, and after a moment, Ange finally understood. It wasn't Swablu's mother who would personally take him, but a friend she had asked for help.
That made more sense. After all, Swablu's mother had always disliked humans. How could she change so suddenly, and let a human ride on her back, no less?
Chiruu~ Chiruu~~
Swablu called toward the lake, and the surface rippled. A Lapras slowly emerged from the water, swimming quickly toward the shore.
Wuu~~
Reaching land, Lapras greeted Ange warmly.
Unlike most Pokémon of the Nebel Plateau, this Lapras wasn't afraid of humans at all.
In truth, Lapras couldn't be considered a true Plateau Pokémon, as it lived in the Nebel River. The river flowed from the mountains in the northwest, ran across the Nebel Plateau, and then continued southward. It was vast, and Lapras spent most of its time migrating rather than staying in one place.
Lapras were gentle Pokémon that enjoyed carrying humans on their journeys, so naturally, it didn't reject Ange.
"Lapras, I'll be in your care this time."
As he spoke, Ange pulled a soft Mantou from his System Backpack and handed it to Lapras. The backpack had a freshness function, so he always kept a few Mantou and buns inside for lunch.
Wuu~~
Lapras swallowed the Mantou whole, eyes half-closed in bliss as it chewed.
[Happiness Points +100]
Wuu~~
After finishing, Lapras called to Ange, signaling that they could set off.
Ange leapt up and landed firmly on Lapras's back, then turned to Swablu and said, "Swablu, you should go home now. Don't worry about me."
"Chiru~ chiru~~"
Swablu flapped its wings and bade Ange farewell.
"Wooo~~"
With a soft hum, Lapras set off, and Ange immediately felt the scenery around him start to blur as it sped away.
Even though Lapras moved incredibly fast, so fast that within moments Swablu had vanished from sight, it swam with such smooth grace that Ange hardly felt any shaking or bumps.
No wonder it was known as a transport Pokémon.
Nebel Lake was vast. As Lapras glided swiftly across its calm surface, Ange could see all sorts of Pokémon living within it, elegant Swanna floating on the water, Duckletts following closely behind them, Goldeen and Seaking racing each other through the currents, and pairs of Luvdisc swimming affectionately side by side.
The sight of so many adorable creatures filled Ange's heart with delight.
Suddenly, he thought he heard the sound of rushing water.
"Is that a waterfall up ahead?"
Ange knew that the place where Nebel Lake connected with the Nebel River was marked by a powerful waterfall.
Lapras nodded lightly in response.
Ange's face twisted in alarm. "We're not seriously going to jump off the waterfall, are we?"
"Wooo~~"
Lapras let out a chuckle-like hum, its eyes curling into crescents as it shook its head, clearly amused by Ange's panic.
Even with its excellent swimming skills, there was no way it could handle a waterfall that tall and fierce!
"That's good, that's good," Ange sighed in relief. "My poor heart can't take that kind of scare."
As they drew nearer to the waterfall, Ange noticed Lapras steering toward the side. Before long, a gentler stream appeared before them.
Following that path, they safely reached the area beneath the waterfall.
Looking up from below, Ange found the waterfall even more majestic and imposing.
Just as he turned to admire the roaring cascade, a flash of red appeared amid the white torrent.
"What's that?"
"Wooo~~"
Lapras turned its head toward the waterfall too, as if suddenly realizing something. It tried to explain, but sadly, Ange couldn't understand.
As he stared, more and more flashes of red appeared. Ange soon realized that they were Magikarp climbing the waterfall.
"Is this the legend of the carp leaping over the Dragon Gate?"
Lapras nodded slightly, confirming his guess.
Every year around this time, Magikarp that had spent the year training their jumping ability would gather beneath this waterfall in the lower Nebel River. Using Bounce, they would struggle against the current to climb upward.
Those who succeeded in overcoming this natural barrier would evolve into mighty Gyarados and continue their journey west along the Nebel River, seeking even stronger opponents to challenge.
Those who failed would remain Magikarp and try again the next year. And if they never managed to make it, they would simply spend their lives in the lower river, living, breeding, and dying as Magikarp.
Of course, some Magikarp evolved into Gyarados even without crossing the waterfall. When that happened, they would abandon the challenge entirely, choosing instead to live peacefully in the lower Nebel River.
Gyarados were proud creatures; if they didn't cross the Dragon Gate as Magikarp, they considered themselves unworthy of that title.
Seeing Ange so captivated, Lapras decided to stop.
Watching the countless Magikarp climb with tireless determination, refusing to give up even when they were swept away again and again, Ange felt a deep sense of awe.
This… this was the power of life itself.
Magikarp were among the weakest Pokémon in the world, yet even after watching for so long, Ange hadn't seen a single one reach the top.
Still, the more they failed, the more they pressed on, one after another.
After a long while, realizing he couldn't stay forever, Ange said softly, "Lapras, let's go," silently offering a prayer for the Magikarp in his heart.
Hang in there, Magikarp!
But just as he turned away, a thunderous roar echoed through the air—so loud it nearly drowned out the waterfall itself.
Ange turned back in surprise and saw a mighty Gyarados at the top, rearing its head and roaring to the heavens, releasing all its pride and triumph.
Encouraged by that cry, the Magikarp below suddenly surged with renewed hope, throwing themselves against the current once more.
Congratulations.
Silently blessing the Gyarados, Ange patted Lapras on the neck. "Let's go."
"Wooo~~"
Lapras sang out in response, its tone now more spirited than before, as if inspired by the Gyarados itself.
As the waterfall faded into the distance, Ange asked, "Lapras, how long does this 'leap of the Dragon Gate' last?"
"Woo~ woo~ woo~"
Lapras called three times in reply.
"You mean three days?" Ange asked.
Lapras nodded.
"Then let's hope enough Magikarp make it through these three days." Ange offered his heartfelt wish.
"Wooo~~"
Lapras hummed softly, echoing his blessing.
As they left the Nebel Plateau, the river's current grew gentler, and the trees along both banks grew taller and denser.
Ange could see Mankey and Primeape leaping between the branches, Deerling drinking from the riverside, and Azurill and Marill playing in the shallows.
Once they completely exited the Nebel Plateau, the vegetation became sparse, the landscape turned yellow and dry, and the air gradually became colder.
That was when Ange realized that it was already late autumn beyond the Plateau.
The Nebel Plateau was full of life not only because of its geography but also, according to legend, because a certain Pokémon lived there.
It was said that this Pokémon's presence kept the Plateau in eternal spring.
To influence the climate of an entire region… Ange guessed it might be a Legendary Pokémon, though he hadn't been fortunate enough to meet it.
Before long, the towering walls of the Azoth Royal Capital appeared clearly in the distance.
Were the city walls always this tall? Ange tried to recall.
When Lapras brought him close to the section of river nearest the city, he leapt ashore. "Lapras, thank you for your hard work. Please wait for me here."
As he spoke, he handed Lapras a Mantou.
"Wooo~~"
Lapras nodded while chewing, and after finishing, dove back into the water, leaving only gentle ripples behind.
Finding a secluded patch of grass, Ange used the Summon Function to call Diancie to his side. She was surely just as curious about what had become of the Azoth Royal Capital.
Seeing Diancie, who had been far away in the Nebel Plateau, appear before him in an instant, Ange couldn't help but exclaim, "This system really is amazing!"
"That's incredible!" Diancie gasped in awe herself.
"Let's go."
Taking a deep breath, Ange looked toward the Azoth Royal Capital that stood just ahead.