Chapter 1301: The Celestica People

The Crimson Mirelands.

This is the south of the Crimson Mirelands, the habitat of the "King," Ursaluna.

Yellowed, withered leaves detach from dry branches, piling up in the swamp filled with sediment and sludge. Bubbles rising from time to time seem to suggest something is constantly fermenting beneath, and the slightly pungent odor makes every Stunky and Skuntank feel intoxicated.

As Poison-type Pokémon, the swamp is undoubtedly their paradise.

Therefore, even though a group of very troublesome Hippowdon lives nearby, the Stunky are unwilling to leave.

Of course, the relatively docile Hippowdon rarely look for trouble, and even if they did, they could be driven away with intense, foul-smelling toxins, so the two types of Pokémon coexist peacefully.

It's just that, occasionally, a "demon" passes through paradise.

"Boom—!!"

A giant Steelix, flying wantonly, crosses the sky. Its level has skyrocketed, and it is arrogant beyond measure, like a metallic mountain range spreading across the horizon, casting a massive shadow over the ground.

The wild Pokémon either flee in panic or huddle in corners, shivering.

All Baimu overlooks the swamp, thinking that with such a grand display, Ursaluna surely wouldn't remain indifferent, right?

Sure enough.

Before long, ripples appear on the calm swamp.

Accompanied by violent tremors of the ground and a low, rumbling sound, a giant bear covered in brown fur and mud charges out of the dead forest, its tank-like body ramming forward, looking quite irritable.

"Guma—!!"

It tilts its head and roars at the Steelix, the threatening growl filled with the intent to drive it away.

Who would have thought the other party has no intention of leaving at all, instead lowering its flight altitude.

Ursaluna, unwilling to provoke a conflict: "..."

Where did this ghost thing come from?

Not letting a bear sleep early in the morning is one thing, but daring to approach it so blatantly?

Ursaluna feels that it's mostly because it hasn't fought much in recent years, and the nearby Pokémon have gradually forgotten the prestige of Grandpa Bear.

"Guma!"

Then let's fight!

Ursaluna stands on its hind legs, ready to face the enemy.

However, compared to the Steelix it was waiting for, two figures, one tall and one short, leap down from the latter's head.

Ursaluna stares in a daze, "Guma?"

Not wild?

The attire of the people in front of it is slightly unfamiliar, which reminds it of the Galaxy Team mentioned by Calaba.

Heard they came from another continent...

Huh!?

Ursaluna's gradually shifting pupils shrink, and its sturdy, upright body unconsciously lowers, "Guma?"

"Ogerpon..."

Ogerpon quietly observes Ursaluna, also feeling a bit familiar.

The two Pokémon just look at each other until All Baimu confirms that Calaba, the Pearl Clan warden responsible for taking care of it, is not around.

"The 'King' of the Crimson Mirelands, sorry for the intrusion. I have come for the Plate of the Almighty Sinnoh, so please make it convenient for me."

He shows the Legend Plate.

The golden, shining pendant immediately draws Ursaluna's attention.

"Guma?"

After Ursaluna observes it carefully, it glances at him meaningfully twice, then looks at Ogerpon again.

Those lazy eyes reveal a sense of contemplation.

Ogerpon feels that the Pokémon in front of it is both strange and familiar, as if it had seen it before, and even the surrounding environment looks somewhat familiar.

"Ogerpon?"

"Guma."

Ursaluna raises its upper limbs, and its thick bear paws pat its body, shaking off large chunks of gray peat.

One of the chunks happens to contain a dark brown plate, with only a corner exposed.

"Many thanks!"

All Baimu is overjoyed, hurriedly picking it up and handing it to the Legend Plate to absorb.

The sixth plate is successfully obtained!

Although there were no twists and turns in the previous few times, Ursaluna's cooperation still surprises him.

Recalling Wyrdeer from yesterday, it seems it also gave it away as soon as it was asked.

Are all ride Pokémon this easy to talk to?

In the game, Wyrdeer and Ursaluna were not only unaffected by Giratina and didn't fall into a frenzy, but even became a great help to the protagonist, and could be summoned anytime, anywhere via the Celestica Flute.

Even more considerate than Pokémon caught with Poké Balls.

It's hard to say whether they received instructions from Arceus.

All Baimu looks around and still doesn't see the Pearl Clan warden responsible for taking care of Ursaluna, so he asks: "There is one more small matter..."

He and Ogerpon look at each other, asking Ursaluna if it knows the location of its hometown.

Ursaluna is enlightened, "Guma!"

No wonder it felt a bit familiar!

So it was you!

Its eyes looking at Ogerpon are full of reminiscence, thinking back to a hundred years ago when it was still a little bear.

At that time, Ursaluna had not yet inherited the "King" position and had seen Ogerpon from afar once.

"Guma?"

Ursaluna thinks to itself, could this person be a descendant of that human tribe?

Although it didn't participate in the war between the Pearl Clan and the Diamond Clan back then, it knew that the human tribe where Ogerpon lived fell apart in the catastrophe, and many members fled separately.

Are they back to find their hometown now?

At this thought, Ursaluna's eyes looking at All Baimu and Ogerpon become much gentler, "Guma!"

It lowers its body.

Porygon2 says in surprise: "Ursaluna is letting you and Ogerpon get on its back, it will take you there itself!"

So friendly?

All Baimu excitedly prepares to climb up.

As a result, he takes a closer look and sees that Ursaluna's back is covered with wet mud, clearly just rolled in and stuck on.

Having a slight case of mysophobia, he immediately loses interest.

"Ahem... no need to trouble you, I'll just sit on my Steelix."

All Baimu greets Steelix.

As a Pokémon that also possesses the Ground type, his Steelix is cleaner; after digging, it knows to shake off all the dirt.

"Guma?"

Ursaluna doesn't know it was disliked, shakes its body, and walks forward on its own.

To be honest, if it weren't for having met Ogerpon once, and All Baimu "seeking his hometown" being pitiful enough, it wouldn't want to carry people at all!

The quiet peat plateau.

The sturdy Ursaluna runs wildly, the dangerous swamp is like flat ground under its claws, and it splashes large amounts of mud and water when running, making Steelix afraid to get too close.

Steelix itself doesn't mind; sometimes digging holes and mining underground inevitably makes it dirtier, the key is that the Trainer is on its head.

If it's not careful and rolls the mud and water onto the head with a horizontal steel bone rotation, what then?

Steelix doesn't have the habit of using the Trainer as a mudguard.

Not to mention that it was just "favored," and its strength has greatly improved, so it wants to continue being intimate for a while.

How fun it is to carry the Trainer everywhere!

Steelix can very well understand why Hydreigon is always jealous of various transportation tools, the only regret is that All Baimu doesn't like to dig with it.

Traveling underground is beautiful!

Not worse than the sky!

Steelix tosses and flies indignantly, chasing the Ursaluna running wildly in front, and soon arrives at the latter's base—

【The Bear's Arena】.

As the name suggests, a large number of Teddiursa and Ursaring live here, which can be called the training base for the next generation of "Kings."

It's a pity that the current Ursaluna "King" has lived for over a hundred years, and I don't know how many Ursaring or even Ursaluna have been "Crown Princes" for decades.

All Baimu overlooks the bears, only to see that the vast majority of Ursaring and Ursaluna lower their heads, making way for the "King" with great respect.

The young Teddiursa look up at him and Steelix curiously, the sight of the group sucking their paws is very cute.

His heart moves, and he wants to sprinkle some candy down.

But Ursaluna seems to have quickened its pace, and Steelix is forced to accelerate, soon passing through the arena territory.

Moving south, the scenery changes, and after crossing I don't know how many mountain peaks, under the towering mountain range, patches of broken walls and ruins come into the eyes of All Baimu and Ogerpon.

Ogerpon immediately becomes excited, "Ogerpon~!"

Michina Ruins!

Compared to the prosperity of the Damos era, Michina in the Hisui era only has large patches of ruins left, with only a small number of Roman-style stone houses and courtyards similar to the Temple of Sinnoh remaining.

The ruins on the high mountain are still there, but they also show signs of disrepair.

Ogerpon hurriedly lands and rushes into the architectural ruins alone.

"Ogerpon? Ogerpon!!"

It shouts loudly, trying to find its former clansmen, but only echoes are left for it.

All Baimu follows behind it and asks Ursaluna, "Is there no one here?"

"Guma~"

Ursaluna shakes its head.

It doesn't usually climb mountains and cross ridges to come here, so how would it know the specific situation.

All Baimu sighs secretly, gently patting Ogerpon's shoulder, "Don't panic, I'll take you to look around."

Damos's descendants appeared in "Arceus and the Jewel of Life," so logically Michina shouldn't be completely empty.

Did they not come back?

All Baimu releases Calyrex, asking it to use its psychic power to search for signs of life.

"Very well."

Calyrex agrees, and a pale blue psychic ripple immediately spreads out from it as the center, spreading in all directions.

Ogerpon has been waiting for an echo, its uneasy heart gradually withers, and its shining eyes become dim.

"Ogerpon..."

"Found them!"

Calyrex looks at the distant peak, "There are a few households living around the temple!"

A few households?

All Baimu wanted to ask clearly, but Ogerpon couldn't hold back and ran towards the mountain peak where the temple is located.

The familiar environment constantly stimulates many scenes deep in its memory, it runs on the dirt road in the countryside, and the beautiful past washes over its soul.

When Ogerpon arrives at the foot of the temple mountain, it finally sees the first living person.

A young boy carrying a bucket of water, followed by a Psyduck.

He looks at Ogerpon, then throws down the bucket without hesitation, running along the mountain road while shouting, "Dad! A stranger is here!"

Ogerpon wants to chase, but stops timidly after running two steps.

Michina is no longer the Michina it knew, and the people are likely no longer the people it knew.

Even if it stops the other party, what should it say?

At this moment, Ogerpon, as a Pokémon, tastes what it means to be homesick.

All Baimu catches up to its side, sees the child running away on the mountain road, and says, "Why don't you chase?"

"Ogerpon..."

Ogerpon subconsciously hides behind him, clutching his clothes tightly.

It has an introverted personality and is shy about meeting outsiders, even after hundreds of years, there hasn't been much change, otherwise it wouldn't have lived alone on the Ghost Mountain all the time.

It was fine when it didn't see anyone just now, but now that it sees someone, it immediately retreats.

"You."

All Baimu touches its head lovingly and says, "Let's go together, it's okay, you hold my hand."

"Ogerpon~"

One person and one Pokémon hold hands and go up the mountain.

Steelix, Calyrex, and other Pokémon choose to stay at the foot of the mountain, and Ursaluna simply walks away.

After all, this territory has nothing to do with it.

Following the boy's trail, All Baimu and Ogerpon arrive in front of a house, just in time to see the boy pulling a middle-aged man out of the door, and the two sides suddenly meet.

Before he can say anything, the man who sees Ogerpon opens his mouth wide in shock.

"Holy! Holy Beast!"

"Dad, what are you talking about?"

The boy looks at his father in confusion.

The man ignores him and shouts excitedly: "The Holy Beast is back! You! Whose descendant are you? Dark red hair... Kisin clan?"

All Baimu's hair is dark red, almost black, which happens to be similar to a certain ancestor of Michina, Kisin.

But that's a villain!

He observes the man's attire, only feeling that it is no different from the initial Volo, and says: "I am not of your clan, are you a descendant of Damos?"

"Not of the same clan?"

The man's face changes drastically, and it improves after hearing the name Damos, immediately saying: "Please follow me! The clan leader is in the temple!"

He leaves the boy full of question marks behind and takes All Baimu and Ogerpon to the temple higher up.

Compared to the dilapidated village at the foot of the mountain, the temple is relatively well-preserved.

This triggers Ogerpon's memories again.

Arriving at the temple on the top of the mountain.

With the man's extremely excited shouting, many people emerge from various places, as many as dozens.

Although I don't know how many subjects the Michina Kingdom had in its heyday, there are only so few people left now, which inevitably makes All Baimu sigh at the power of time.

Deep in the temple, a woman in a robe with blue eyes and brown hair walks out, and the moment she sees Ogerpon, she can't help but say: "Ancestors bless! It really is the Holy Beast returning!"

And when All Baimu sees her appearance, he immediately connects it to Volo and asks: "Do you know Volo?"

"Volo... is our ancestor!"

The woman asks in return: "Are you also a descendant of the ancestor?"

All Baimu shakes his head and says: "No, I am an envoy of the Almighty Sinnoh. I came here following a mission."

Almighty Sinnoh!

There are gasps all around.

Although Damos's descendants are not Celestica people, because they have a good personal relationship with Arceus, they revere the Almighty Sinnoh.

The key is that the people of Michina know that the Almighty Sinnoh is actually Arceus, not Palkia or Dialga as the Pearl Clan and Diamond Clan believe.

This persistence also led them to be forced to participate in the religious war, and finally the tribe fell apart.

Even worse than the militant Diamond Clan and Pearl Clan.

All Baimu shows the Legend Plate, and the leading woman has no doubts, solemnly inviting him into the temple.

The woman invites him to the seat of honor, arranges for a little girl to pour tea for him, and offers fresh melons and fruits for Ogerpon.

And from the brief conversation, All Baimu learns that the woman's name is Suia, the current temporary clan leader of the Michina tribe, and the little girl is her daughter named Jetina.

The reason why she is the temporary clan leader is that her brother went overseas to search for the scattered clansmen.

"It has been a hundred years since the war, and I don't know how many can be found..."

Suia's expression is dim.

She was not born in Hisui either, but moved from Johto after the Galaxy Team launched the Great Expansion.

When she returned to Michina, only two households were left in the once prosperous town.

Suia's brother was unwilling, determined to find the Michina people scattered all over the world to recast the glory of their hometown.

Now he has been away for three years, and occasionally letters arrive.

"Not easy."

All Baimu is full of emotion.

Ogerpon looks up at everything in the temple, also falling into reminiscence. ===== CHAPTER 1302 =====