Chapter 479: Sky Pillar

As expected.

All Baimu wasn't at all surprised by the trial's location — if anything, he'd have been more surprised if it had been somewhere else.

But what made him more curious was the trial's content.

【Inheritor】 was essentially the reserve corps for the People of the Stars' elders, so the difficulty certainly wouldn't be simple — there might even be a small chance of life-threatening danger.

If it came to that, he could just retreat in time; no big problem.

He had no intention of competing with Miss Xijiana for the Inheritor title, so there was no need to invest too much. His main reason for participating in the trial was to fulfill his promise — he'd taken their Star Stone and Mega Stone, so he had to follow their arrangements.

The second reason was to satisfy his curiosity.

What did the Sky Pillar look like in the anime? Every Pokémon fan would surely not want to miss the chance to adventure inside it — pass up this village and there might not be another shop like it!

"Where's the Sky Pillar? How do we get there?"

He asked.

God only knew whether it hadn't been discovered by outsiders yet or was under secret protection by the Pokémon League, but searching online turned up no detailed information about the island where the Sky Pillar was located, and none of the maps available for purchase on the market included it either.

If there had been one, All Baimu would have planned to head straight there to take a look.

"Just follow me. You have half an hour to make your final preparations." Miss Xijiana generously gave him time to adjust.

"Thanks for the offer, but let's head out right away. The preparations I needed to make are already done."

He shook his head in refusal and smiled at Gu Niu Niu, who was so shy she was hiding behind the former's waist.

Unfortunately, this little one named "Xijiana" seemed to have forgotten that there had once been a young fellow in the Star Village who often fed her delicious Pokéblocks — she acted as if she'd been teased by some passing weirdo and tried to hide.

Truly heartbreaking.

Speaking of which, over the past two days he had constantly been recalling the Sky Pillar from every version, and had specifically bought a lot of items to handle every situation inside, practically stuffing his backpack full.

It couldn't be more comprehensive.

Miss Xijiana grabbed Gu Niu Niu, who was squeezing herself behind her waist, and stood up. "In that case, let's set off!"

Her words carried great momentum, and since they were in a quiet café, it immediately drew the attention of those nearby — but in the end, those people were looking at All Baimu.

The latter inwardly thought, "This is bad."

"All Baimu? It's All Baimu!"

"The rising star of the Contest, All Baimu, has come to Sunset Water Town?"

When those two lines rang out in the café, cold sweat nearly broke out on him. He hurriedly stood, nodding to the surrounding patrons while quietly urging Miss Xijiana and Gu Niu Niu out the door.

"So you're actually this famous?"

Miss Xijiana was thoroughly amused. She only had the most basic understanding of Contests and only knew that All Baimu was very good at them.

"Empty fame, just empty fame."

All Baimu quickly glanced at the café door behind him, and once he saw no one had chased after them, he let out a slight sigh of relief.

In towns where Contests flourished, the chances of him being recognized were just too high. It looked like he'd have to find a chance to get a pair of Clark's glasses someday — in the anime world, disguise techniques were very effective, and Team Rocket often used theirs, whether skillful or crude, to toy with Ash and his friends.

The two arrived at the shore.

He had assumed they'd be flying to the Sky Pillar, but he didn't expect Miss Xijiana to jump straight into a pure-white-painted small boat at the shore. "Get in!"

【A novel app that has run stably for many years, comparable to the old version of the bug-catching source-switching app everyone uses, huanyuanapp.】

"We're actually taking a boat…"

"If you want to fly over on a Pokémon, I can accept that too."

"I didn't say anything."

All Baimu obediently jumped into the cabin.

Flying through wind and waves wasn't pleasant, especially with the bottomless ocean below — All Baimu would feel a lack of security because of it.

Taking a boat was actually the same, but a little better than riding a Pokémon.

Perhaps because the activity space was relatively larger.

"Hold on tight! If you fall off, climb back up yourself!"

Miss Xijiana started the boat with practiced skill and headed out to the open sea, chatting as she drove, half-turning her head as she spoke.

Her veteran-driver manner was admirable.

And from her account, All Baimu learned the brief story of Allis successfully reaching Star Village and fighting evenly with Zhenya and others — a very important "character" in the story was the Dragonite from Allis's family.

Miss Xijiana's assessment of it was that it had a lot of nerve, because it had provoked nearly every household's Dragon-type Pokémon.

In the rather cruel natural world of his previous life, a Dragonite like that would probably have been torn apart long ago by a large group of dragons working together. But alas, in a place like the Pokémon world, as long as it didn't develop a will to submit, losing repeatedly yet fighting on meant it would eventually have a chance to grow strong.

Besides, Allis was there too!

All Baimu firmly believed that no Dragon-type Pokémon in the world could bear ill will toward her — those Dragon-types that had been provoked wouldn't hit the Dragonite too hard, if not for the monk's face then for the Buddha's.

Able to recover quickly and challenge continuously, the Dragonite couldn't help but get stronger!

Huh?

Why did the plot feel so similar to Ash's Charizard and the Charizard Valley?

All Baimu had once suspected that if Allis could become a Champion in the future, the Dragon-type Pokémon in Star Village that kept feeding it experience would deserve a lot of credit… Thinking about it this way, maybe he should change his plans and spend the pre-tournament preparation period at Star Village.

Pressure is motivation!

Life in Green Shade Town was too comfortable — unlike Star Village, which had a place like the Dragon's Nest, suitable for Pokémon to grow stronger through getting beaten up.

He silently pondered and decided to ask everyone for their opinions in a couple of days, even though the result would basically always be that wherever he went, those guys would agree to go there too.

"Gu!"

The shy Gu Niu Niu seemed to have finally recognized who All Baimu was, and her courage grew enough to come closer.

The latter was very gratified. He took out a Pokéblock. "I'm so happy, Miss Xijiana — you didn't recognize me just now, that really hurt~"

"Gu~"

After eating the familiar-tasting Pokéblock, Gu Niu Niu shyly nodded.

Catching this from the corner of her eye, Miss Xijiana said nothing, only the smile on her face lingering.

The island where the Tower of Heaven stood was very far away.

And extremely well-hidden.

Why do you say that?

Because the ship had to pass through a stretch of fog before one could see that tower — a towering grey-rock giant standing atop a lush green island, its outer walls mottled with peeling fragments, soaring into the clouds, far more magnificent than in the game, with wispy clouds veiling the upper pillar as if propping up the sky to keep it from collapsing down.

Hard to imagine what kind of craftsmanship the People of the Meteor employed thousands of years ago — this level of construction…

It's unreasonable!

"The ancestors of ancient times were incredible."

All Baimu sighed sincerely, and Miss Xijiana beside him added, "Actually, they also had the help of the People of the Glaze. Even now, they still guard the seal of the Tower of Heaven."

The People of the Glaze generally referred to the earliest group of people who lived in Glaze City, and they were now even scarcer than the People of the Meteor.

Mi Ke Li and Miss Liuqi were both People of the Glaze.

As for the seal, however…

Suddenly.

Miss Xijiana cut the engine and moored the ship to a reef jutting out of the sea.

"There are too many submerged reefs ahead — the ship can't get through. Let's fly." She swiftly answered All Baimu's doubt and released her vigorous Salamence.

Hydreigon appeared a second later, and the two powerful Dragon-type Pokémon locked eyes, both showing expressions of delight and eagerness.

The two had once exchanged a few moves without any Trainer's command, leaving quite a deep impression on each other, and both silently resolved in their hearts that the next time they met, they would have a real, no-holds-barred battle.

"Quiet."

Miss Xijiana's gaze fixed straight on the Tower of Heaven, her face, originally full of smiles, now brimming with reverence and solemnity.

Having set aside the extreme end of her world-saving mission, she had not set aside her intense faith in Rayquaza, nor her sense of responsibility and mission as a Person of the Meteor.

For her, the sacred ground was a place where fooling around was not permitted.

In this respect, Miss Xijiana was even a touch more traditional than her grandmother.

Salamence flicked its tail, not even daring to make a sound in reply, and after All Baimu silently patted Hydreigon's skull, the fellow also settled down.

Both are smart and perceptive Pokémon.

Unlike the bare island in the game, in the anime the island where the Tower of Heaven stood was thick with green trees; even on its battered outer walls, plants resembling moss and vines grew in abundance, and many damaged spots had vegetation growing into them.

Of course.

The vegetation coverage wasn't that high, so the Tower of Heaven was still grey-rock colored for now.

There were damaged spots, but the overall structure was quite solid.

And around it stood quite a few stone houses — upon closer inspection, one could see traces of human habitation, though they were generally quite ancient.

Miss Xijiana leapt down from Salamence's back and explained, "A hundred years ago, the People of the Glaze gave up continuing to garrison the Tower of Heaven. These houses are what they left behind."

"A hundred years ago?"

"Mm, the Great Social Transformation — Trainers appeared in large numbers because Poké Balls became easier to obtain. The already-scarce People of the Glaze chose to keep up with the change, switching from permanent garrison to periodic patrols."

The Great Social Transformation…

Could it be when Poké Balls gradually moved toward mass production?

All Baimu was well aware that in this anime world he lived in, the development of Poké Balls was extraordinarily complex — from the handcrafted wooden Poké Balls of the Hisui version, to today's ordinary Poké Balls containing high technology capable of teleportation and networking at will — countless world-altering developments had occurred in between.

The People of the Glaze seemed to be one of the ethnic groups deeply affected by the times.

But judging from Mi Ke Li and Miss Liuqi's current situation, the People of the Glaze's transformation was quite correct, while the People of the Meteor lagged by several decades. Without their innately powerful Dragon-type Pokémon and Mega Evolution, they might well have been eliminated by the times.

Like the People of the Water in the Prince of the Sea.

Once so brilliant, and yet…

All Baimu turned to ask Miss Xijiana, "Do we still have the technology to build another Tower of Heaven now?"

"Build another?"

She was taken aback. "What are you planning to do?"

"I just feel it's a pity such technology wasn't passed down…" All Baimu spoke from the heart, then suddenly stalled.

Because he realized that the very position of Inheritor was established precisely to pass down the People of the Meteor's once-brilliant past and the technology they contained — even if those things would inevitably become outdated in the future.

His own utilitarian mindset was too heavy, and he had subconsciously overlooked the essence of being an Inheritor.

What an idiot — infected by Hydreigon and Milotic.

He thought, vexed.

And Miss Xijiana, seeing the expression on his face, laughed and said, "Do you need me to explain it to you?"

"…No need, thank you."

All Baimu felt inexplicably ashamed.

"Actually, I'm not surprised you'd think that way."

She instead offered comfort. "There are even people among the People of the Meteor who infinitely magnify the rights of an Inheritor while ignoring the responsibilities and duties it entails. But what's truly sad is that the treasures left by our ancestors have already transformed from technologies worth cherishing into mere texts in books…"

The People of the Meteor were forgetting their ancient heritage.

All Baimu could understand Miss Xijiana's thinking — the latter was most likely very worried that in another few decades, the People of the Meteor would completely merge into the broader outside world, indistinguishable from anyone else.

So many ancient lineages with long heritages had vanished just like that.

It wasn't that no one felt assimilation was better, but at least Miss Xijiana was clearly quite resistant to abandoning the People of the Meteor's heritage — a steadfast nationalist?

Fortunately, this one was born in the mainstream region of the anime world, and her personality hadn't gone to extremes.

"I really hope someone can share the Inheritor's responsibilities with me, so that our people can continue until the end of history — more important than any so-called Elder seat."

Miss Xijiana said very seriously, "If you're willing—"

"My goal is to return to the Orei region and become World Champion. If by some chance I become an Inheritor, continuing the People of the Meteor by spreading our roots in the Orei region would also be a fine choice."

All Baimu cut her off, making no attempt to hide his future plans. "Being an Elder or whatever — leave it to you. I think you're more suited for it."

Miss Xijiana responded with silence. After a few seconds, she chose to pretend nothing had happened:

"The Inheritor's trial isn't actually that difficult. Just use your own two feet to walk from the lowest level to the highest, and earn Rayquaza's acknowledgement. That's all."

Half a second earlier, All Baimu had been steeped in a solemn sense of mission — now his brain short-circuited for an instant.

"…Wait, earn Rayquaza's acknowledgement?"

"Earn Rayquaza's acknowledgement."

The wheat-skinned girl repeated it while nodding. "I don't think that'll be hard for you."

"I'm glad you have so much confidence in me, but honestly, I have absolutely no idea how to earn a Legendary Pokémon's acknowledgement."

All Baimu couldn't help but recall the shiny Rayquaza he'd seen on the plane — just getting close enough for a peek had nearly scared him to death.

If even a shiny one was like that, what kind of deterrent power would the real Hoenn's third Legendary have?

He always felt that this being, called the 【Dragon of the Sky】 among Pokémasters, didn't have a great temper — probably the combined impression left by the anime movies and the Special chapters.

Miss Xijiana's expression remained unchanged as she said softly, "You only need to stand before it and tell it your purpose."

All Baimu asked uneasily, "Will it really listen to me?"

"Then what do you think our ancestors relied on to resist the wars between the ancient Pokémon?"

"What if it's not there?"

"It will definitely be there, as long as you can reach the very top."

"Now I understand why you're the only one who passed the trial and became the Inheritor…"

"Relax, nervousness is unavoidable. Get yourself in shape and get ready to set off!" The spirited Miss Xijiana was already getting a little impatient with him.

All Baimu could only take a deep breath and walk toward the great door of the Sky Pillar.

Halfway there, he turned around and said, "Oh right, didn't you say there's a seal?"

"The seal only applies to outsiders. People of the Meteor can come and go freely — you'd better hurry. The Sky Pillar after dark is far more dangerous than during the day."

The way Miss Xijiana spoke, she looked ready to drag him inside if he didn't go in on his own.

What's the rush!

All Baimu let out a sigh.