Chapter 543: The Planet's Arteries

All Baimu paused before a mural.

"Hm? Mega-evolved Pokémon?"

He saw Mega Pokémon of all sizes scattered across the rock face like stars in the sky; upon counting, not a single one was excluded — even Mega Diancie was among them — only Mewtwo's two evolutions were absent from the list.

Of course, it was only normal that they weren't there; if they had been, he would have been creeped out instead.

He looked left and right, taking in the whole scene.

Baimu, still clinging to a shred of hope, let out a sigh.

So the Mega Evolution system had been completely abandoned…

By rights, when XY got remade they should have tossed in a few new Megas, along with this or that new setting. Maybe it wasn't searchable online, but an ancient mural like this might just hold some new Megas.

Not seeing any could only prove either that the Pokémon world he'd transmigrated into was wrong, or that the XY remake was most likely like the Omega Ruby remake — an outsourced "HD remaster" version.

All about that authentic flavor.

He couldn't help feeling a touch of regret.

Because no matter how unbalanced Mega Evolution was, it really was cool.

Perhaps it was because he'd grown tired of their base forms — standing from a purely personal aesthetic standpoint, almost every Mega hit the mark for him somewhere.

Looking at the generations after XY and the gem remakes, the design elements were interesting enough, sure, but not many Pokémon actually suited his taste.

Especially the "Frankenstein monsters" designed to mock the museum's haphazard fossil拼接.

The cuter they were portrayed in the anime, the more pitiful he felt for them afterward.

But being able to fight alongside Ash all the way to the Eight Masters and even the Champion — their battle power was at least guaranteed… in the words of some things he'd seen in his past life—

How can there be such cool Pokémon!

"Reached the end?"

Baimu glanced at the wall before him, knocked on it a few times without finding any hidden mechanism, and left in mild disappointment.

A secret room really wasn't meant for him to discover.

He returned to the temple entrance.

Blue sky and white clouds came into view; the gentle breeze on his face made his heart feel especially at ease.

Suddenly.

"Little brother, are you from Meteor Falls?"

"And you are?"

Baimu looked toward the voice and saw a short, thin, but kindly-faced old man in strange clothing, holding a staff.

His gaze drifted to the top of the staff, where a small Key Stone was set, reflecting the sunlight.

"I'm Gangzang, the keeper of this Awakening Temple."

The old man said with a chuckle, "It's been far, far too long since a Star People came here. I got so excited I called out to you — sorry for the bother, little brother."

"You're too kind… how did you know I'm one of the Star People?"

Baimu couldn't help but ask.

He wasn't even wearing a cape, and there wasn't a Dragon-type Pokémon beside him — how could anyone tell?

Even the Dragon Tamers Champion Dawu had called over had mostly needed to look at the plaque first before daring to search him for Star People traits.

"Hahaha, I won't hide it from you — in my youth I roamed the world on the strength of these discerning eyes of mine. Your bearing and your features all prove your identity without exception." Old man Gangzang shook his head, looking quite pleased with himself.

Bearing? Features?

Baimu couldn't help lowering his head to look at his own outfit, unable to figure out what feature about him could let someone recognize him as Star People at a glance.

"You seemed especially interested in this Key Stone — you must be an Inheritor too, I suppose?"

Old man Gangzang raised his staff and said regretfully, "It's a shame this old body of mine isn't what it used to be — even if I wanted to battle, I couldn't anymore."

"Mm…"

"Speaking of which, since you're Star People, there's no reason not to go see the true Awakening Temple."

"The true Awakening Temple?"

"That's right — at the deepest part of this island, where it all began."

Old man Gangzang showed a mysterious smile. "You must know the origin of Sootopolis City…"

As he spoke, he walked on ahead; seeing Baimu still standing in place, he hurriedly waved his staff. "Don't just stand there — hurry up and follow!"

"Okay."

The latter glanced at his phone, saw no reply, and followed.

Old man Gangzang led him back into the Awakening Temple. At first it was the familiar route, but upon reaching a dead end, he suddenly turned a corner — and out of a dark spot on the side, an extra passage leading downward had appeared.

Baimu rubbed his eyes.

He was certain there had been nothing here a moment ago… an illusion created by something?

Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

Countless motion-sensor lights lit up one after another.

Baimu looked ahead and somehow felt the tunnel ahead stretched a full thousand meters.

"A thousand years ago, a meteor from beyond the sky smashed Sootopolis City into being, but it also cracked open the ley lines of the earth. The planet's natural energy surged up from beneath, causing Groudon and Kyogre to undergo Primal Reversion and come to Sootopolis to fight over the meteorite and the natural energy here…"

Old man Gangzang was recounting a history familiar to him when suddenly the tone shifted. "But do you know the story after Rayquaza suppressed the ancient Pokémon? About the torn earth and the traces of the meteorite — have you heard it from the elders of your clan?"

"…I heard the giant stone mysteriously vanished."

Baimu relayed the information Champion Dawu had obtained from the elder.

"Mysteriously vanished…"

Old man Gangzang said softly, "Hehehe, looks like the Star People don't really want their descendants chasing after its trail either. Too bad it still revealed itself to the world.

"You must have heard about the great battle a month ago — Kyogre, Groudon, and two Rayquaza fighting it out off the coast of Cianwood City, right?"

Of course I've heard of it, I was even at the scene cheering 666 for the black one.

Baimu grumbled inwardly, but on the surface picked up the thread: "You mean?"

"You've probably guessed it already. That's right — they were fighting over that mysterious meteorite that once smashed out an entire Liuli City."

Elder Gangzang said: "In the distant past, the People of the Meteor realized this meteorite would bring endless calamity, so they entrusted the People of Liuli to hide it away and bury this chapter of history. I never imagined I'd live to see it with my own eyes."

So that ruin was built by the People of Liuli.

Baimu thought the ancestors of the People of Liuli really had it rough — they had to build Liuli City, hide the meteorite, and guard the Pillar of the Sky, and probably even helped construct the Pillar of the Sky in the first place.

Mid-grumble, as if finally remembering, he asked: "You said the meteorite was eventually hidden away — what about the riven earth?"

"As for the riven earth, you'll know once you see it with your own eyes."

Elder Gangzang chuckled, pointing at the deep, pitch-black cave mouth at the very front: "Inside there is the true Awakening Temple — a place every Person of the Meteor should visit."

If not for the fact that the other party was just an elderly man in his eighties, gave off not the slightest hint of hostility, and his phone still had signal, Baimu would never have dared to venture rashly into such an unknown place.

The unknown means danger.

Faintly, he could hear rumbling from within, like water flowing past.

An underground river?

Hmm, maybe the sea?

He drew a deep breath and walked in slowly.

In an instant.

Before his eyes was utter darkness, as if shrouded in cloth.

The ground beneath was mired in mud; the slightest movement sent splashing water sounds echoing out, while the sound of flowing water in the distance grew clearer, as if more streams were surging.

Baimu didn't panic too much. He blinked a few times and fully adapted to this place lit only by hazy light.

The surrounding scenery gradually came into view.

"... Water-Curtain Cave?"

He stared in surprise at this strange place, where seawater poured down from the rock walls on every side, and a vast, glowing-blue deep pool lay directly ahead.

"This isn't any Water-Curtain Cave. This is the Cave of Life's Origin — the breach in the planet's great artery."

Elder Gangzang followed behind and said softly: "You can see your surroundings clearly because the deep pool before you is emitting light, and that light is the natural energy spilling out."

"Eh?"

Baimu froze for a beat, then turned his head in disbelief: "It's still leaking?"

"Once a breach is opened, closing it is no easy matter. Even after exhausting the wisdom and strength of our ancestors, all they managed was to patch the leak to a harmless degree."

Elder Gangzang shook his head: "A leak of this scale won't just fail to attract Kyogre and Groudon, it's actually beneficial to the bodies of the ancestors and Pokémon living here. You could call it a small bonus."

No wonder they picked a giant crater to build their city.

In the original Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire version, the origin of Liuli City's development was that long ago an undersea volcano erupted, its main body rose above the water, and people discovered the climate here was pleasant, so they chose to live inside the volcanic crater.

In the Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire remake, after it was changed to a meteorite falling from the sky, the reason for settlement became rather mysterious.

Until now, the answer was finally in hand.

Baimu felt a sudden enlightenment, and couldn't help but be moved by the thrill of uncovering buried history. He said aloud: "Is it really alright for you to just bring me here? After all, you haven't verified my identity yet — just my word alone…"

"Don't worry. I'm old, sure, but I'm not so far gone as to be dim-sighted."

Elder Gangzang laughed: "Your name is Baimu, isn't it?"

"... Was it Mr. Mi Ke Li who told you?"

"Hahahaha! Just as clever as that boy said! Yes, yes, it was indeed Mi Ke Li who told me."

Elder Gangzang laughed heartily and admitted it, then said awkwardly: "Earlier I wasn't deliberately stringing you along — I just momentarily forgot your face, and only recognized you after taking a closer look. Please don't be angry, old man here apologizes."

"The fault was mine — I should have introduced myself first. Elder Gangzang."

Baimu shook his head, his attention fully focused on the deep pool before him.

The planet's great artery…

In the Pokémon world, every single thing has life. Even the World Tree where Mew dwells is a living thing — how could the planet itself not possess a will of its own?

It's simply that humans cannot communicate with it.

The source of ancient calamity — if certain villains learned of this place, they might well cause some serious trouble.

The ancients' seal is certainly sturdy.

But given the current black-tech level of the Pokémon world, and the necessity of the story progressing, if someone takes an interest in it, the seal absolutely won't hold.

For a moment.

Baimu felt a chill run down his spine.

He knew the People of Liuli probably wanted to handle this place quietly, but there was no guarantee that someday some random someone wouldn't stumble in and trigger some major incident…

"Don't worry — anyone who isn't of the People of Liuli or the People of the Meteor simply cannot enter here."

As if able to see through his thoughts, Elder Gangzang suddenly spoke up.

"I see."

Reassured, Baimu finally relaxed a little. Then he heard the elder say, "Why don't you go scoop a jug of water from that pool? Drinking it daily will keep you healthy, free from illness and pain. If someone or some Pokémon is injured, you can have them drink it too — it helps wounds heal."

Hmm.

Water with this kind of effect again?

Baimu thanked the elder, took out his water jug, and walked toward the deep pool.

In the anime world, water with similar effects is extremely common.

Places like the Crystal Pillar where Mewtwo once lived, the Okoya Forest where the Zarude tribe dwells — just off the top of his head he could name several, giving off a real "played-out" vibe.

Seeing that Baimu's expression was perfectly calm, Elder Gangzang mistook it for disbelief and said: "Baimu-kun, how old do you think I am?"

"Your age… seventy?"

All Baimu turned his head slightly. From the spirit aspect, it wasn't hard to tell the old man's body was quite sturdy—only his skin was dark and wizened, and combined with a slightly hunched back and waist, it gave off an aged impression.

"Seventy? Hahahahaha! This old man is one hundred and twenty-three this year!"

Old Man Gangzang burst out laughing, immensely pleased with himself.

"One hundred and twenty-three!?"

He stared at Old Man Gangzang in astonishment, the motion of pouring water having stopped—he truly couldn't tell this man was already a hundred-and-twenty-three-year-old elder.

He'd lived two whole centuries!

"So you see, Baimu-kun, never underestimate this water! It's precious beyond your imagination!" Old Man Gangzang said with deep earnestness.

"Yes."

Baimu replied respectfully.

Putting everything else aside, just based on that age, he had to weigh his words carefully when speaking.

He had just finished collecting the water.

The phone at his waist suddenly buzzed. He pulled it out and saw it was a reply from Balza—this person seemed to have seen his message when getting up in the night.

Business had arrived.

Baimu quickly set the canteen down, told Old Man Gangzang he had urgent matters to attend to, apologizing as he explained he had to leave as soon as possible.

Old Man Gangzang casually waved his hand and led him out of this cavern connected to the planet's great artery.

Only—

The instant before Baimu stepped out of the cave mouth, a starlight seemed to glimmer in the air, silently sinking into his body.

The deep pool suddenly dimmed for a moment.

Only heavy after seconds it returned to its original faint glow.

——

Once again outside.

But Baimu had no time to admire the blue sky and white clouds. After bidding farewell to Old Man Gangzang, he found an empty spot and waited for Balza to wake Hu Pa and have him sent to the Kalos region.

A moment later.

A round golden ring appeared out of thin air, and a yawning, bleary-eyed Hu Pa poked his head out from it.

"Ah~ good evening, Little White. Huh? Why is it daytime here?"

It gazed at the azure sky in bewilderment.

"Because there's something in this world called time difference… sorry about that, Hu Pa, waking you up in the middle of the night." Baimu pressed his palms together apologetically. "I'll buy you donuts to make up for it."

"Donuts!"

The sleepy Hu Pa's eyes instantly lit up, suddenly becoming full of energy, and he giggled: "Little White! I like you the most! Come here quick!"

It enlarged the ring.

Baimu lifted his leg and stepped through the golden ring, and abruptly appeared in a brightly lit living room.

Balza sat in a chair pinching the bridge of his nose and gently rubbing it. Seeing him, he smiled: "Long time no see, Baimu."

"It's been less than a month, really."

He smiled back in reply, and from the other side of his line of sight, a neatly dressed Mei Mei Yali walked out.

"Ah~ good evening, Baimu-san, but you always spoiling Hu Pa like that is going to be quite troublesome for me."

She yawned as well.

Baimu replied: "I'll be more careful next time, sorry for disturbing your sleep. This time, I…"

He gave them a rough rundown of the situation.

The Balza siblings were good people worthy of trust, and had recently been helping Lo-gia break free from the Dark改造's束缚—plus they were tight-lipped and wouldn't spread things around carelessly.

Added to that, he still needed to borrow Hu Pa's power, so he told the two of them.

After hearing it all, both were stunned by Ji Meiya's mad actions.

As natives of the Kalos region, they naturally both knew this towering figure of the era, and there were even people in the Valley of Creation who had spread word of his good deeds in aiding the poor and disaster-stricken.

If Baimu hadn't told them, how could they ever have dared believe Ji Meiya would do such a thing.