Chapter 352: Arrival at Wang Guan Snowfield: The Great Changes in Nemona and the Others

Those were two boys wearing hospital gowns; judging by their age, they were likely no older than ten, too young to even receive a starter Pokémon.

No.

Even if a sick person obtained a starter Pokémon, they would probably find it difficult to undertake journeys and adventures.

Merely the wild environment, which cannot compare to life in the cities, and the stamina required of a Trainer during Pokémon battles, are things a patient cannot endure.

Although both were natives of the Galar region, and despite factors stemming from different cities, the hair colors of the two boys were surprisingly distinct.

The boy who was clearly older and possessed a more mature expression had short brown hair, while the other child, who appeared even frailer and dared not run quickly even while playing, had a head of golden hair that readily drew the eye.

Luo Mu shifted his gaze away from the two boys in hospital gowns and directed it toward a higher place.

Behind a small courtyard built along the street stood a building with pristine white walls, bearing a plaque that read "Hulbury Medical Sanatorium."

Luo Mu wore an expression of sudden realization.

Come to think of it, judging by the scenery he had seen along the way.

The quiet and leisurely atmosphere of Hulbury Town, its environment and climate being very suitable for recuperation, plus the nearby Motostoke Town, which was enthusiastic about operating ranches and could supply nutritional supplements at any time.

It was quite reasonable for a sanatorium to be built here.

In the courtyard, under the supervision of a nurse, the brown-haired boy Tommy and his partner, the blonde boy John, had received a precious opportunity to go out for some fresh air.

The two children, confined to the ward for so long, cherished this time especially and began playing with the toys held in their respective hands.

The toy in John's hand was a Charizard figure only slightly larger than his small hand, while the toy in Tommy's hand was a Duraludon.

Tommy and John stayed in the same ward; Tommy came from Stow-on-Side, while John was a local of Hulbury Town.

Believing himself older than John, and although he liked the Charizard toy in John's hand just as much and revered Champion Dan Di just as John did, Tommy still yielded the Charizard to John, choosing to care for this "younger brother" who was weaker than himself.

However, after playing for a while, without even engaging in vigorous running, John's breathing began to become rapid.

John clutched his chest, gasping for air, yet his throat emitted broken tones resembling a damaged harmonica being played.

This instantly made Tommy and the nurse beside them tense up; amidst their anxiety, they took John back inside the sanatorium building.

Nearby, Luo Mu, who had stood on the street observing that scene for merely two short minutes, displayed an expression of contemplation.

Two sick children in the Galar region; he felt as though he had seen them somewhere before.

But this was ultimately just a momentary pause; as if feeling regret, Luo Mu let out a soft sigh.

Even in this world, illness was an unavoidable matter.

Although the tech tree was somewhat skewed, thanks to the existence of Pokémon, medical technology in the Pokémon world should be quite advanced.

But even so, basic illnesses and conditions like fevers and colds still existed; the symptoms of that blonde boy just now seemed like asthma, yet there should be some differences.

Merely by watching the two children play, filled with such passion for the Pokémon toys in their hands, Luo Mu could roughly discern their love for Pokémon.

This was also the reason for his sigh, just as mentioned earlier.

A Trainer in a weak and sickly state would almost never have the opportunity to travel outdoors, as that would be equivalent to suicide.

Even if parents did not stop them, the League would do its utmost to prevent it.

However, this was ultimately just a slice of life witnessed during his brief few-minute stop; Luo Mu could only sigh once more before walking along the street toward the inn.

He would just spend the night at the inn tonight.

"Phew~"

After checking into his room, Luo Mu, who had traveled tirelessly for half a day, inserted the room card into the slot on the wall by the door and sat on the soft bed, letting out a comfortable sigh of relief.

Immediately after, Luo Mu released the Pokémon from each of the Poké Balls on his person one by one.

Although the environment inside a Poké Ball was not bad, compared to resting within one, they preferred being outside.

A moment later, the figures of Luxray, Mimikyu, Cangyan Cangyan Rengui, Swampert, Dragonite, Feng Su Gou, Vulpix, Victini, and Comfey appeared in the room.

Basically, apart from Dragonite, who was always brought along for travel, Comfey, the mobile healer, and Victini, the super power bank, the Pokémon Luo Mu brought were either main forces or second-team mains like Feng Su Gou; even Vulpix was brought only because the environment of Wang Guan Snowfield was very suitable for it.

As for the Sandslash couple, they had recently built a nest deep within the ice cellar; only a single Pokémon appeared during meal times each day, taking an extra portion back for its spouse.

Luo Mu felt there was likely some situation developing, so he had not brought them along.

Luo Mu was carrying nine Pokémon with him.

Fortunately, the room Luo Mu had booked was the largest suite, allowing large figures like Dragonite and Feng Su Gou to move around inside.

Next, Luo Mu took out Luxray's new bed—a circular scratching post—from his spatial backpack one by one.

There was also the plushie Dragonite needed to hug while sleeping, and slippers specifically prepared for Feng Su Gou to bite, preventing it from ruining the ornaments and other items in the inn room.

In just a short while, various strange and quirky items from the farm filled the entire inn room; if someone unaware saw this, they might think Luo Mu lived here permanently.

Luxray lazily stretched on the scratching post; seeing its raised hips, for some reason, several words suddenly floated into Luo Mu's mind.

"My hips can lift a bottle of soda."

Swampert was in the corner of the room, controlling its strength as it punched the sandbag that Dragonite had flown to the ceiling to hang for it, while Victini, waiting in line nearby, was eager to try.

Feng Su Gou lay prostrate beside Luxray, wagging its thick, large tail as it gnawed on a brand-new pair of slippers on its paw.

Comfey floated in the center of the inn room and began to emit a floral scent, filling the room with a pleasant fragrance capable of relieving fatigue and healing the mind.

Dragonite was hugging the fluffy, cute little sister Vulpix, while Mimikyu beside them seemed somewhat regretful that Serperior could not participate in their journey this time.

That's right, Mimikyu defined this outing as a long-overdue travel trip.

But Mimikyu also understood that the extreme cold environment was not merely unfavorable for Serperior; just like ordinary snakes that choose hibernation to maintain body temperature and resist the harsh winter.

Although Serperior, as a Pokémon, could resist the desire to hibernate by consuming energy, in an environment like Wang Guan Snowfield, which was even colder than the simulated snow mountains of the Blueberry Snowfield, Serperior would surely be unable to muster any spirit.

Rather than that, having Serperior stay behind at the farm would not only put them more at ease but also spare Serperior from enduring the severe cold.

The several Pokémon were each busy with their own tasks, while Luo Mu first checked whether the equipment in his spatial backpack was complete and whether food and water sources were sufficient.

Although the snow covering Wang Guan Snowfield could technically be used to quench thirst, Luo Mu would not do so unless absolutely necessary.

At the very least, there was Swampert capable of creating water currents; it was just that drinking water sprayed from its mouth required a certain degree of psychological preparation, though fortunately, Luo Mu had already undergone such preparation.

It was no big problem.

If the equipment, food, or water sources were insufficient or incomplete, he would replenish them in Hulbury Town or the neighboring Motostoke Town before entering Wang Guan Snowfield.

Fortunately, Luo Mu's past travel experiences made him extremely cautious about preparing supplies, and with Cangyan Cangyan Rengui keeping watch, essentially everything was complete.

Before going to take a shower, after pondering for a while, Luo Mu still took out his phone and sent a message to "Hearing Hearing Nimo" in his contacts, informing her that he had arrived at Wooden Pole Town and would be taking a Corviknight flying taxi to the Crown Tundra first thing tomorrow morning.

This could be considered a meager comfort for the few people who had been worried sick.

Very quickly, before Luo Mu could even put down his phone with the screen off, the device emitted a series of ding-dong sounds and slight vibrations, enough to attract the attention of several Pokémon.

Hearing Hearing Nimo: Oh oh oh! I will work hard!

Arven: Help. Help!

Penny:. Actually, one can purchase train tickets to the Crown Tundra. I hacked into the Galar Weather Center and discovered that starting from tonight, snow will gradually fall over the Crown Tundra, with blizzards even occurring in some areas; due to the erratic weather, the Corviknight flying taxis might suspend operations.

Rika: Teacher Luo Mu, is there really no way for my fists to hit Ghost-type Pokémon?

Peony: Boo hoo hoo, you've finally arrived, my soul friend!

After Luo Mu finished browsing the messages: "."

Subconsciously ignoring the fifth message, Luo Mu replied one by one to the messages sent by his four students.

He praised Hearing Hearing Nimo, comforted Arven, and thanked Penny for the information provided.

As for Rika's question, after pondering for a while, Luo Mu tapped a few times on the phone keyboard with his slender fingers and sent back the edited message.

Luo Mu: Pokémon with the Move Foresight, the Move Odor Sleuth, or the Ability Scrappy can all use Normal or Fighting-type moves to hit Ghost-type Pokémon.

After finishing the reply, Luo Mu put down his phone again, and as if only just realizing something, his expression turned strange.

This child Rika... no, judging by age, she is only a few years younger than himself.

Is Rika planning to resolve Ghost-types using just her fists and feet?

That is far too brave.

Fortunately, the incident in Freezington Village was not a haunted event, so there was no need to worry about her unnecessarily throwing her life away.

Thinking of this, Luo Mu stood up and stretched, intending to walk to the bathroom for a soak to eliminate the fatigue of the journey, and meanwhile build up his energy for tomorrow's trip to the Crown Tundra.

Cang Yan Ren Gui happened to walk out of the bathroom at that moment, nodding slightly to Luo Mu.

It had already used its flames to adjust the water temperature to the most suitable degree.

When Luo Mu recalled Cang Yan Ren Gui's reasoning for wanting to use its Fire-type Pokémon talent for temperature sensing to adjust the water temperature, fearing the water was too scalding, a slight warmth stirred in his heart.

"I've been troubling you all this time."

Smiling at Cang Yan Ren Gui, Luo Mu then walked into the bathroom, removed his clothes, and intended to wash his body before entering the bathtub for a soak.

Just as the sound of trickling water rang out in the bathroom and the glass door became blurred by the mist brought by the hot water, several Pokémon did not notice that one of their companions had disappeared.

Mimikyu was utilizing its talent, sneakily attempting to slip into the bathroom to take a bath together.

However, before it could dive into the shadows, Luo Mu's faint voice suddenly rang out from inside the bathroom: "Don't think I can't detect you."

In an instant, Mimikyu's movements immediately stiffened, and the Pokémon's lines of sight also turned this way due to the amplified echo from within the bathroom.

"Meow~"

Luxray helplessly stood up, walking with an exceptionally imposing cat-like stride to the bathroom door, picked up Mimikyu by the scruff of its neck (?), and carried it away from the bathroom entrance.

After Luo Mu changed into a brand new set of pajamas and left the steam-filled bathroom, and then accepted the Hot Wind drying service from Technician No. 149 Dragonite, only then did he comfortably lie down on the bed and fall into a deep sleep surrounded by his Pokémon.

A night of good sleep.

Wooden Pole Town Station.

"It really is just as Penny said."

Carrying a bag of thick cold-weather clothes convenient for changing upon reaching the Crown Tundra, Luo Mu looked at that conspicuous red highlighted notice on the station platform and sighed slightly.

【Due to weather conditions, the Corviknight flying taxi service to the Crown Tundra is temporarily suspended; passengers with urgent needs may choose to take the train to the Crown Tundra】

With Victini, who was curiously staring at the architecture of Wooden Pole Station—a style different from both Unova and Paldea—perched on his head, and followed by Vulpix, whose cuteness garnered a nearly one-hundred-percent rate of heads turning, Luo Mu went straight to the ticket counter.

Perhaps because Wooden Pole Town was a town suitable for retirement, the ticket seller turned out to be a kind old grandmother.

Noticing someone standing before the ticket counter, the old grandmother slowly handed the scarf she was halfway through knitting to a Caterpie assisting nearby, then raised her head to look at the visitor.

Her gentle gaze fell sequentially upon Luo Mu, the Victini on Luo Mu's head, and the Vulpix that insisted on being held by Luo Mu.

The ticket seller grandmother first showed a look of surprise, followed immediately by a surge of smiles, praising without any pretense: "What two cute Pokémon; where are you planning to go?"

"Thank you for your compliment."

Towards friendly people, a smile could not help but appear on Luo Mu's face, while the Victini and Vulpix on his person were even more delighted at being praised.

"I plan to go to the Crown Tundra; are there still trains going there now?"

"Yes, yes."

Looking at the endearing Victini and Vulpix, the grandmother's smile became even more brilliant, though she accidentally failed to notice the jealous look in the eyes of the Caterpie beside her.

She put on her reading glasses and searched through today's thin train schedule, then raised her head to say: "There is a steam train to the Crown Tundra at 8:30, arriving around one or two in the afternoon; do you want to buy a ticket?"

"A steam train?"

Luo Mu blinked, suddenly recalling that the Galar region seemed to be famous for its steam technology, along with modern industrial cities filled with steam engines like Motostoke City.

"Then I'll take this ticket; please give me one."

"Alright, Pokémon with a body size not exceeding one meter do not need to purchase a ticket, so the total is 2500 League Coins."

After Luo Mu handed over the cash, the old grandmother quickly passed a ticket to Luo Mu and spoke a few words of exhortation.

"Young man, the authorities have notified that the weather in the Crown Tundra might be erratic these few days; once you get there, absolutely do not force yourself, and if you encounter danger, be sure to call for help."

Luo Mu's motion of leaving with the ticket paused; even though he already knew this intelligence through Penny, regarding the ticket seller grandmother's kind reminder, he still said gratefully: "I understand, thank you for your reminder."

After bidding farewell to the ticket seller grandmother, Luo Mu followed the directions of the signboards above the station and smoothly arrived before a steam train that looked quite retro, full of the aesthetic beauty of the steam era.

The train doors had already opened, although there were still ten minutes before departure.

But thinking that standing outside served no purpose, Luo Mu directly took Victini and Vulpix and walked into the train.

After entering the train carriage, the spaciousness of the carriage made Luo Mu show a surprised expression.

On the contrary, Victini and Vulpix felt excited about the spacious carriage, even chasing and playing around in the aisle.

Although there were currently no passengers on the train besides himself, they might still affect the train staff, so Luo Mu picked up the two Pokémon one by one, took out some snacks to let them sit quietly beside him, and only then began to ponder.

Come to think of it, it was just like the old lady's reminder earlier.

Because of the potentially capricious weather, combined with the originally frigid climate of the Crown Tundra.

All of this likely caused trainers who might have originally gone there to adventure, as well as explorers who wanted to climb the snow mountains, to cancel their travel plans or postpone their timing for this reason.

This resulted in the waiting platform having only a few passengers heading to other places, while inside the carriage, there wasn't a single person.

It did not make Luo Mu wait long, nor did any accidents occur that would have stopped the train service.

Under the curious yet delighted expressions of Victini and Vulpix, who were lying by the train window, a powerful and majestic steam whistle sounded with extreme penetration.

The steam train, beginning its operation, emitted a muffled yet powerful roar, while between the train's axles and the iron rails came a click-clack sound, full of rhythm.

Immediately after, patches of white steam sprayed from the steam release valves atop the steam train, emitting a crisp "hiss-hiss" sound.

A few seconds after this symphony of countless sounds, the steam train began to move amidst the excited cries of Victini and Vulpix, steering smoothly toward the distant Crown Tundra.

The train traveled for several hours in total; just as the old lady at the ticket station had said, at one-thirty in the afternoon, the steam train stopped at the Crown Tundra Station, located in a place called the Slippery Slope in the northwest corner of the Crown Tundra.

Luo Mu took Vulpix and Victini and naturally walked out of the station, at which moment a gust of cold wind swept over.

Vulpix let out cheerful cries as if it had returned home, hopping and jumping around in the snow.

Victini itself possessed such vigorous internal heat that this cold wind meant absolutely nothing to it.

As for Luo Mu, who was the least resistant to the cold, he had long since changed into thick cold-weather gear, wearing a scarf around his neck and a warm hat on his head.

Although this made him look slightly bulky, it was truly warm.

At the very least, the level of cold wind found here in the Slippery Slope could not even break through Luo Mu's defense.

"Hoo~"

Inhaling a mouthful of slightly cold air, Luo Mu then exhaled a cloud of white mist; watching the white mist gradually dissipate into the world between heaven and earth, Luo Mu's gaze slowly shifted to his surroundings and the distance.

As far as the eye could see, everything was snow-white; tall and verdant trees stood stubbornly all around, their leaves covered with thick accumulated snow, such that if one were to step forward and shake the trunks a few times, one would be buried by this snow.

The air was filled with a fresh scent, accompanied by a faint fragrance of snow and the clear aroma of pine wood.

In the distance stood towering snow mountains; the continuous, precipitous snow mountains formed the complex terrain of the Crown Tundra, where a slight carelessness could lead to getting lost, and if rescue did not arrive, one might even meet with misfortune.

Perhaps because the snow had stopped, one could see a deep blue and lofty sky, where occasionally a few drifting white clouds contrasted interestingly with the snow mountains, creating a beautiful scene far from the city that preserved its most primitive appearance.

"Clearly, I could still see heavy snow falling while on the train just now; just like Peony and the old lady said, the weather is so capricious."

After sighing with emotion, Luo Mu lowered his gaze, looking at Vulpix and Victini nearby who were playing in the snow with great delight, merely smiled, and directly began waiting on the plains of the Slippery Slope.

Just before getting off the train earlier, he had sent a message to Hearing Hearing Nimo and the others.

Calculating the time, they should be arriving soon.

After all, not far from the Slippery Slope was Freezington Village.

Just as Luo Mu expected, after waiting a few minutes after disembarking, a massive figure began moving with heavy steps at the other end of the Slippery Slope, walking toward Luo Mu's direction.

It was a Pokémon almost identical to the elephants in Luo Mu's memory, except its bronze body was covered in dark green rust, and its entire form bore irregular patterns of a bronze hue.

The most eye-catching feature ought to be the several huge pieces of bronze on its head.

That Pokémon was called Copperajah, a pure Steel-type, with the Ability "Sheer Force" or "Heavy Metal."

There seemed to be several people riding on Copperajah's back.

As it drew closer and closer, Luo Mu finally saw clearly the people on Copperajah's back.

It was precisely Hearing Hearing Nimo and the other three, whom he had not seen for a month, along with Copperajah's trainer, Peony.

It seemed Copperajah's heavy steps had attracted their attention; Victini and Vulpix, who were building a "Shuang Nai Xian" snowman, paused their actions, looking at that colossal creature with faces full of surprise.

When Copperajah stopped before Luo Mu, Luo Mu could observe even more clearly the powerful aura emanating from Copperajah.

It seemed this Copperajah was Peony's ace; indeed, it lived up to the title of the former Champion of the Galar region League.

After sighing with emotion in his heart, Luo Mu looked toward Hearing Hearing Nimo and the others, who displayed excited expressions and were waving at him.

At this glance, he was instantly stunned.

Dark circles under their eyes comparable to those of a Pancham, faces that seemed slightly pale due to many days of staying up late and living in fear, and even signs of peeling skin visible on their lips.

This appearance of the four students presented the starkest and most impactful contrast to their energetic selves from before the summer break in Luo Mu's memory.

Wait, with Hearing Hearing Nimo and the four looking like this, could it be that some Froslass or something really entered the village and sucked their essence dry?

(End of Chapter)