Chapter 290: Instant Cross-Communication

Hikari: "The problem beneath Ross Mountain?"

Elder Chrysanthemum nodded, looking troubled: "Yes. That mountain is my mining zone; the ore extracted here is shipped all across Unova and even exported overseas—it’s rich in mineral resources."

"Extracting high-quality ore from Ross Mountain is our company’s mission, and I’m the merchant known as the Mine King! Though I admit that’s a bit of self-promotion."

"By the way, trainers often come here to train inside the mountain."

"But recently, the deeper we dig, the colder it becomes—even workers in thermal gear can no longer continue. Many trainers have also left because they can’t endure the cold, and some claim to have seen strange flashes in the caves, accompanied by crackling sounds and bizarre roars."

"So underground mining at Ross Mountain has been temporarily halted, and it’s causing me great distress."

Elder Chrysanthemum’s words triggered a crucial realization in Hikari.

Deep beneath Ross Mountain lies an extraordinary coldness—in the game, a massive Frozen Rock rests quietly at the mountain’s lowest level, and inside it lies a vast ancient chamber.

Within that ancient chamber sleeps the King of Giants.

And the mysterious flashes—given that the enigmatic Moon Gate also lies deep within the mountain, though that should be discovered along Elder Chrysanthemum’s path, at this point in time…

Could it be the spacetime distortion seen at the bottom of Ross Mountain in the anime?

Similar to the spacetime distortions of the Shining Pearl era, yet different—after the distortion in Ross Mountain, a phenomenon called the “Door of Time” appears.

"The lost link connecting past and present."

But that spacetime distortion isn’t problematic—it’s merely a naturally occurring time tunnel.

Hikari: "I need to go deep beneath Ross Mountain for something important. Please let me assist with this investigation."

Elder Chrysanthemum beamed: "Ha! I knew psychics would have some insight into this! Then it’s settled—let’s do it!"

"But you’ve come a long way—you must be tired. Rest a bit in Fanba City first. I’ll head to Ross Mountain ahead of you. Here, take this town map—you just follow the route."

"Frankly, the shutdown is hurting me badly—I’m losing a lot of money, so the sooner we find out what’s going on, the better. I’ve hired other psychics, but your arrival is undoubtedly my ace card!"

"Hmm… that feeling’s coming again."

Among the Shin-Kai people, there’s a mutual resonance—Elder Chrysanthemum vaguely sensed something, a premonition identical to the one he felt back in the Ancient City.

"I think someone said it’s the effect of psychic power, though I might be misremembering."

"Whatever. I don’t understand psychic abilities anyway. But rest assured, your payment won’t be reduced! I’m off to Ross Mountain now. This situation’s forced me to suspend even my Gym challenge—luckily, no challengers have shown up recently."

"…You’re not planning to challenge the Gym, are you?"

Elder Chrysanthemum looked at Hikari, who smiled wryly: "I actually am."

"I didn’t expect you’d voluntarily challenge a Gym—Ati and Kikuko both invited you, right? What’s the appeal? Do you find Gym challenges fun?"

Elder Chrysanthemum didn’t get angry; he laughed heartily, then pinched his hat in resignation: "But as you heard, we can’t challenge right now. But if you insist, we’ll fight underground in Ross Mountain once this is over!"

"I’ll carry the badge with me—I’ll award it to you right after the battle. After all, Ross Mountain is my property; challenging there is no different than in a Gym!"

Elder Chrysanthemum handed Hikari a card:

"This is a stay voucher for Fanba City’s famous hotel. You can stay as long as you like—but don’t keep me waiting too long."

"I do have some business in Fanba City myself—thank you." Hikari accepted the card. Elder Chrysanthemum nodded, visibly relaxing, bid farewell, and immediately set off for Ross Mountain with his workers.

They walked there.

It wasn’t because they didn’t want to drive—it’s because reaching Ross Mountain requires crossing the Electrum Cave, a labyrinthine natural cavern where vehicles simply can’t pass. That’s why, years later, they dug the “Elder Chrysanthemum Road” directly to Ross Mountain.

In the Special Episodes, Elder Chrysanthemum also walked to Fushia City with Black.

"Transportation in southern Unova is very convenient, but roads from south to north are far from smooth—two great mountains separate the south from the north."

Of course, when Hikari arrived in Fanba City, he headed for that peculiar church.

The church was easy to find—anywhere in Fanba City, you could see the hill-like platform, upon which the secret church stood. Beneath it still lay forest and mountain terrain; the starting point of Elder Chrysanthemum Road was right there.

But before heading to the church, Hikari first visited Fanba City’s market.

Fanba’s market is one of Unova’s largest, selling all kinds of useful items and materials, and offering seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Around the market, you’ll also find Fanba’s celebrity: “Love-struck Charles.”

He introduces Three-on-Three battles and Spin Battles here, though unfortunately, due to their complexity, these formats never became popular in later generations.

In the anime, Ash even claimed that the Sinnoh League’s official battle rules were strictly one-on-one—Double Battles weren’t even considered legal.

But we don’t know the rules of other Leagues—certainly, the Paldea League encourages Double Battles.

Hikari hoped to get lucky at the Fanba market and find some rare items.

Herbal shops, fresh milk stalls, incense vendors—products from all over the world dazzled the eyes, but Hikari found nothing particularly rare.

"Pokémon ingredients, interesting foodstuffs, crafting materials, energy drinks, special feathers…"

"Huh? What’s this berry?"

At a berry vendor’s stall, Hikari spotted some berry-like fruits shaped like strawberries, priced very high—labeled as a new hybrid variety cultivated in the Kalos region.

"Oh, young man, you’re interested in these berries! These are a brand-new variety—deliciously sweet, bred in Kalos, called the Lo-Mei Berry! A popular fruit in Lumiose City!"

The vendor pushed hard—these berries didn’t exist in Unova and were imported, but their high price made them hard to sell.

Hikari began haggling. The shopkeeper, surprised that his rare customer was a bargain hunter, reluctantly agreed to sell them after Hikari’s persuasion.

[Berry: Lo-Mei Berry.]

[Description: A rich sweetness with a subtle bitterness. Perfect for adding unique flavor to dishes, or for brewing Lumiose City’s famous tea, “Herbal Tea.”]

[Effect: When hit by a super effective Fairy-type move, halve the damage from that move once.]

[Effect 2: Combine Lo-Mei Berry with Mysterious Berry to create a special juice: “Wonder Soda.”]

[Note: Wonder Soda—drinking it instantly raises a Pokémon’s level by 5.]

"Mera (I wanna eat)~"

Pyroar wriggled on the ground, pawing at the vendor’s stall, drooling over the red berries, eyes sparkling. Hikari didn’t hesitate—he bought all of them.

"Here!" Hikari grinned and handed one Lo-Mei Berry to Pyroar, who immediately began munching happily, beaming with delight.

Having found something incredibly useful at the market, the next step was obviously “fresh juice!”

Wonder Soda’s effect is even stronger than Rare Candy—but since it requires two rare berries, Hikari still had to rely on Torterra.

By the way, the last Pear Berry should be ready by now. Thanks to the connection with Little Tree, berry cultivation became easy—normal Torterra can’t grow berries on its own.

"But I still have no clue about Dream Link knowledge. I’ve got the C Device—could it be because others’ worlds haven’t been restored yet?"

Hikari chewed on a Lo-Mei Berry as he and Pyroar climbed the Fanba City platform.

The strange church stood there. Hikari pushed open the door; Pyroar peeked out from behind, sneaking a look, then emitted a pleading sound!

This time, no need for Torterra’s Flash, no natural glow like in White Forest—finally, let me show off!

"It’s so dark inside. I thought there were lights here… Alright, Pyroar, use Flame Wheel."

"Mera!"

Flames erupted from Pyroar’s five curling antennae, forming a twisting, dynamic “Flame Sun.”

Though it can’t learn Flash, this method of illuminating with flame evokes the atmosphere of ancient texts and murals.

"No one here."

"Sorry, this church is currently vacant. Though renovated into a residence, no one’s moved in yet."

Light streamed in from the open door as a short-haired woman in black, wearing a white scarf, stepped into the church. She smiled and nodded at Hikari’s confusion, then walked inside and flipped the switch at a specific spot.

The room instantly lit up. Pyroar stared blankly at the overhead bulb, then puffed up its cheeks in annoyance.

"You’re here to visit? I’m the temporary owner of this church—my name is Valachia."

"Your Pokémon seems to have an issue with me?"

Valachia looked at the pouting Pyroar: "Oh? Is it because I turned on the lights?"

"Mera!" Pyroar protested—finally, its moment to shine, and now this!

"Your flames looked fascinating—I saw them. Next time, I won’t turn on the lights so quickly. Don’t be upset."

Valachia complimented Pyroar, who stared at her fingertips for a long while before reluctantly grumbling.

Fine—next time then!

Hikari: "Though it’s called a church, there doesn’t seem to be any deity worshipped here… no stained glass or religious murals. I came because I heard there was a church—I’m something of a mythology enthusiast."

"Really? Many mythology enthusiasts have visited here before," Valachia smiled warmly, her expression radiating a strange, contented happiness.

"The stained glass disappeared long ago, and after a major renovation, this place is no longer really a church—it’s more like a private home now."

"When was it originally built? Elder residents say this church has existed for ages and has been renovated many times."

"They say strange things happened here—some claim it connects to another world."

Valachia spoke softly, then chuckled gently:

"If someone told you that, you’d think they hadn’t slept well."

"Do you believe people across the world can truly share feelings?"

"They say if you make this wish in this church, you can help someone in another world, sending your thoughts across."

Hikari suddenly asked: "Have you ever seen the other world?"

Valachia turned to Hikari, paused thoughtfully, then laughed: "What if I said I had?"

Hikari: "Then that’s wonderful—I know that world too."

Valachia froze, then a visible wave of joy spread across her face.

"You know the world on the other side of the bridge?"

She was astonished, almost disbelieving—until Hikari nodded. Only then did she calm her excitement, lowering her head slightly:

"Since childhood, I’ve heard legends of another world. My grandfather told me here in this church that the other world is where people’s dreams converge—a wondrous space of the heart."

"When I was very young, I entered that world. But when I told others, they didn’t believe it existed—they just thought it was a strange dream."

"In that world, I saw a beautiful Pokémon—its color was emerald green, like a flying dragon or a jet aircraft. It communicated with me through thought… we became inseparable friends. Those days in that world were the happiest of my childhood."

"Later, I returned to this world, but no matter how hard I tried, I could never find the entrance again."

"As I grew older, I began doubting those childhood memories, thinking they were just dreams—until recently, I met someone who had experienced the same thing."

“He was a gentleman who said he had lost himself on the other side of the bridge; the change in his identity and the unfamiliar environment left him overwhelmed.”

“At that very moment! A stranger came to his aid and sent him back to this world!”

“His appearance made me believe the other world must be real. Later, I met others who had the same experience—a girl with a single braid, a man who climbed mountains, a young athlete—all said they had seen an unfamiliar person on the other side of the bridge, a person who kept helping them and bringing them back to this world.”

“The feeling of gratitude lingered in their hearts even after they returned, and they were certain it had not been a dream. After returning from the other world, they reclaimed their former dreams and became more positive and driven.”

“So I remembered my grandfather’s story, returned to Fanba City, found this church with its strange legend, and bought it.”

“I plan to gather all those who have been to the other world here. Doesn’t that sound like some secret hermit society? Heh.”

Guang Tai felt an unusual energy filling the church, the same tranquil force he had sensed in forests across the land—the ripples of the Dream Gap.

【Triggered! Instant Cross-Communication Event!】

【Description: At the church in Fanba City, encountered those who had traveled to another world and returned. Special information received at this unique location!】

【People’s dreams are linked to the other world—this can be confirmed at the special church!】

【Items hidden by people and Pokémon from the other world are here. Use the C Device to reveal a corner of the world?】

【The items contain wondrous memories. Submit the obtained items to Madame Valachia?】

Hiding items is a special task within the world. There are two types: one is selling the items at a high price, the other is concealing them at designated locations.

If the opponent speaks to you during the hiding task, it counts as failure. The opponent may pick up the hidden item after the task is completed.

Guang Tai activated the C Device, and the room before him shifted.

A faint black-and-white environment enveloped the space; in this colorless world, the hidden items became clearly visible.

Two orbs, glowing with a delicate, crystalline light.

One was a blue orb, the other a jade-green orb.

(End of Chapter)