The Northland region is a remote mountainous area with towering mountains.
Most of the young adults have gone to Sinnoh to work, while those who remain live at the foot of the mountains, relying on agriculture, local specialties, and beautiful natural scenery to drive their economy.
That noon, Cynthia and Link arrived in Verdant Town of Northland, riding Garchomp and Togekiss.
"So, 'Fly' doesn't interfere with airflow. Togekiss is amazing."
After landing, Link looked around and realized that Northland was quite different from the impression he had of Verdant Town; everywhere was filled with the atmosphere of a modern, reformed rural area.
"That's because Hidden Techniques allow the user and Pokémon to become one, using the energy of the move to provide some protection against airflow during flight." "
When Cynthia first arrived in Kitakami Township, she found it to be a truly peaceful and scenic place.
Considering the danger of the 'Killer Bear,' she didn't intend to involve the new trainer. Instead, she recommended that the trainer visit the famous 'Kitakami Six Selections' during this time, to encounter the local people, things, Pokémon, and beautiful scenery.
After that, Cynthia arranged a meeting time and went to investigate the myths and legends of Kitakami Township on her own.
But to be honest, Link was a little worried about whether Cynthia could handle Helios on her own. In the game, Helios' level was equivalent to a level 70 legendary Pokémon... It was probably just due to the game's mechanics.
After all, she was the champion, so he decided to trust her first.
So he immediately switched to a tourist's mindset and released all the Pokémon except for Dolphin.
Fennekin, Litten, and Growlithe were still far from the goal of a 'Sunny Day Team,' but they were already showing signs of becoming Fire-type trainers, weren't they?"
It's more like a picture of a life winner with both a cat and a dog.
He hadn't had a chance to introduce the other members of the team to Growlithe before, so this was his opportunity.
The cheerful Growlithe's eyes lit up, and it immediately went to Fennekin and Litten, sniffing them as if familiarizing itself with their scents.
However, dogs in the Pokémon world don't socialize by smelling excrement like on Earth; they communicate directly with language.
Seeing Growlithe's overly familiar manner, Litten, who had been observing coldly, suddenly felt annoyed and barked threateningly.
Growlithe, not to be outdone, barked back.
Just as Link, concerned about the team's atmosphere, was about to mediate, the cat and dog, who had been threatening each other, put away their hostility, as if the Pokémon that seemed about to fight just a second ago weren't them at all.
"Meow~"
Litten acknowledged Growlithe's courage and strength, deeming it worthy of being its teammate.
However, just as Growlithe happily went over to lick its fur, it received a slap.
"Meow-ka!"
Acknowledgment was one thing, sticking together was another… Seriously, why is this dog's head so hard!?
"Limete, it's like this: you need to be mindful of boundaries, proceed gradually, and encroach on its territory little by little. Most importantly, you need to maintain a tacit understanding."
Link ruffled Growlithe's sturdy head, imparting all his experience dealing with Litten to it.
Litten: "!?!
You trainer, I was actually quite comfortable with you, but it turns out you were thinking of invading my territory!
A cat's territory is inviolable!
" "Fom."
Fennekin didn't care about any of this; it found Litten's personality of thinking things but not saying them and keeping its distance extremely awkward.
Hearing this, Growlithe immediately ran happily to Fennekin's side.
This made Litten even more unhappy, and it immediately gave it a death stare.
"Woof?"
This teammate is troublesome!
The Dolphin in its Poké Ball silently watched this scene, and it was overjoyed because it could sense emotions through ultrasound.
"Alright, let's go for a walk. The waterfall at the confluence of the rivers along the northbound street from the south of town is one of the six northbound options, and it'll be a good opportunity for Dolphin to get some fresh air."
Speaking of which, most fish in this world (although dolphins aren't fish) are neither saltwater nor freshwater, and being able to live in both ocean and freshwater is quite an amazing ability...
Remembering that smartphones didn't provide navigation in this era, Link opened the navigator given to him by Cuckoo and found that the map only showed the Hoenn area.
To avoid getting lost like Ash did, Link walked for about ten minutes after leaving the village office and found the only convenience store in town.
The shopkeeper, Granny Momozawa, still looked quite young... and a certain peach-shaped ornament was already on the shelf.
"Auntie, could I have a map of Kitakami Village?"
Link glanced at the peach instinctively. "This peach-shaped ornament is quite unique. I think I've only seen it here before. Is it a specialty of Kitakami?"
"Oh, it's just an ornament that's been there for who knows how long. Over time, it's come to be called the 'Incorruptible Peach.' It's nothing special."
"I see. Then I'll just buy apples as local specialties."
Link took the map and left without lingering for a moment, taking his Pokémon with him.
At this time, no one in Kitakami knew that this peach was actually the mastermind behind all the tragedies in the Pokémon Legend—
Momots, the Poison/Ghost type Pokémon with the ability "Poison Golem."
The peach-shaped shell was a reservoir of deadly poison. The Poison Chain Sticky Rice it made could unleash the deepest desires and corresponding potential within the eater, allowing them to control others.
Long ago, somewhere, lived an elderly couple who had no children of their own. They treated the timid Momotaro as their own child, loving him dearly.
To gain more affection, Momotaro used his poison to create an incredibly delicious sticky rice cake for the couple, which in turn fueled their greed.
The elderly couple's desires swelled infinitely, and Momotaro, fulfilling their every wish, received even more love.
Until one day, the couple heard about the exquisitely crafted jewel-encrusted mask worn by a foreign man, and their greed was reignited.
So Momotaro resolutely embarked on a journey, taking with him his tamed Gouzan dog, and capturing the precognitive Wish-Growling Monkey and the pheromone-wielding Jijiji, sending these spirits—later known as the Three Jewels—to steal the mask…
Before Momotaro could even rejoice in his success, a furious demon descended the mountain and stormed the festival, killing both the Three Jewels and Momotaro in succession, defying the elemental nature of the demons.
But Momotaro never gave up, and to this day still hopes to be resurrected, to steal the mask, and to fulfill the elderly couple's wish for love…
This is the first half of the legend Link didn't tell Cynthia; he didn't want to create a side story and introduce a champion-level boss.
The champion's little tune is very nice, but I'll listen to it when I go to Lily of the Valley Island later.
There are still more than ten years until Momotaro's resurrection, so there's no rush to kill him again.
I'm exhausted from updating so much yesterday.
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(End of Chapter)