Chapter 508: The Great General Who Blocks the Road to Rob!

As for preparations, there wasn't much to prepare.

It was just a trip to the Rolling Falls, lasting at most one night, no different from going out on a spring outing.

Just pack the usual items into the space backpack and bring an overnight tent that might be needed.

Having finished handling the farm affairs, Luo Mu, who was packing his things, paused.

After a brief moment of thought, he resolutely walked toward the icehouse.

Better bring some extra meat; with Cangyan Cangyan Rengui around, we can even have a wild BBQ tonight—how delightful.

Once the main items were prepared, Luo Mu decisively began selecting which Pokémon to take with him.

Bring Dragonite, bring Cangyan Cangyan Rengui just in case, and Flabébé must come too.

Then there's Dudunsparce, Okidogi, and the two sisters Tinkatuff and Tinkaton, along with Volcarona, who has been promoted to the role of the barbecue fire source.

It exceeded the standard carrying limit by one, but that wasn't a big problem.

After all, Luo Mu wasn't a Trainer and wasn't under the jurisdiction of the Trainer system; as long as they could fit, he could carry as many Poké Balls as he wanted.

"Ho, are these goggles?"

With preparations complete, Luo Mu bent down and carefully examined the goggles worn on Tinkaton's head.

"Kanu~"

Tinkaton proudly snapped the goggles over its eyes to strike a cool pose.

It had already thought this through long ago!

Since flying to that place was necessary, the journey would inevitably involve exposure to wind and frost, making goggles an essential item.

Not only for itself, but it had also prepared a pair for both Luo Mu and Dragonite; as for its best friend Okidogi, since it possessed four masks and wouldn't be riding on Dragonite's back together with them, no pair was prepared for it.

"Then thank you."

Luo Mu took the goggles and handed the other pair to Dragonite, the two exchanging a smile.

Although, thanks to Dragonite's increasingly refined wind-control abilities, even during high-speed flight, no fierce winds could possibly affect Dragonite or the person on its back.

But this was ultimately Tinkaton's heartfelt gesture.

Luo Mu and Dragonite both straightforwardly put on the goggles; the size was surprisingly perfect, neither too tight nor too loose.

To be able to craft something like this out of metal showed that Tinkaton's craftsmanship was already quite excellent.

As for the lenses, they were probably obtained from Oranguru.

Shortly afterward.

As Dragonite let out a melodious dragon's roar, the three of them, wearing matching goggles, rapidly ascended into the sky and vanished beyond the horizon.

Northern Paldea region, "North Province (Area Two)."

Luo Mu had thought that even if this place wasn't crowded with people, it at least wouldn't be so deserted.

But reality contradicted his expectations; apart from quite a few backpackers, only some Trainers passing through in a hurry would traverse this area.

There were no scenes of families of three traveling together, nor tour guides holding flags leading sightseeing groups.

"How strange."

Luo Mu murmured softly.

Tinkaton and Okidogi, following beside him, were in high spirits, already discussing from which angle to strike those Bisharp.

Volcarona, counting this as its first long-distance trip, followed closely behind Luo Mu like a little lamb, curiously observing the surroundings that differed from the farm environment.

Although this place was already relatively close to Glaseado Mountain and the temperature approached that of winter.

The plants here had not been greatly affected; even though leaves inevitably turned yellow and fell, leaving branches bare, this area surrounded by mountains was still filled with vibrant green vegetation and vast, surging lakes.

Wild Honchkrow occasionally landed on trees to rest nearby, yet Swablu, which should have been numerous here, were nowhere to be seen.

Probably, due to the approaching winter, they had migrated to warmer places.

When passing a mountain with a rapid waterfall flowing down it, Luo Mu paused his steps; under the puzzled gazes of Tinkaton, Okidogi, and Volcarona, he took a deep look at the waterfall cascading down the mountainside.

This was not one of the Ten Great Views of Paldea, the "Rolling Falls."

If he remembered correctly, behind that waterfall should be the location of the Fire Shrine, which sealed one of the Treasures of Ruin, the legendary Pokémon Chien-Pao.

In fact, along the way, he had already witnessed several stakes used for sealing.

It was just that Luo Mu did not rashly go to pull out the stakes; instead, he recorded the corresponding coordinates, planning to deliberate further after returning from the Alola region.

He still remembered his promise with Lei He.

To purify the four legendary Pokémon symbolizing calamity and try to reverse them back into symbols of auspiciousness.

He would also do his best to try.

Without doing anything, Luo Mu acted as if he didn't know Chien-Pao was inside there, turned around, and continued advancing toward the bamboo grove.

He remembered that roughly near this mountain and waterfall, a high-level flying Dragonite would roam the skies in the game; back when playing the game, Luo Mu had tried every method but failed to initiate a battle with that Dragonite.

The reason was none other than this.

As a mount, Koraidon/Miraidon simply didn't have a flight mode; like a fool, he had followed that Dragonite around for half the day without successfully triggering a battle.

Now, even though he had abundant methods to reach the sky, that Dragonite had not spawned nearby, and there wasn't even a shadow of a Dratini or Dragonair.

With a heart full of disappointment, Luo Mu could only continue advancing toward the bamboo grove with his three Pokémon.

However, before even approaching the vicinity of the bamboo grove, they were called out by two people who looked like Trainers.

The two were about sixteen or seventeen years old, slightly younger than Luo Mu, carrying common-style backpacks, their eyes revealing a clarity of innocence unfamiliar with the ways of the world.

At a glance, they were Trainers traveling together.

One of them, a girl with braided hair wearing black-rimmed glasses, cautiously said, "I advise you not to proceed."

She also carefully glanced sideways at the Pokémon following behind Luo Mu.

Okidogi, completely unrecognized, but it didn't look very strong.

Volcarona, taught in school, wasn't very strong before evolution; even with type advantage, it would likely be difficult to break out of an encirclement by those guys. As for Tinkaton, that went without saying.

In the data, it was just a poor little thing bullied by the Bishops, having its hammer stolen and eaten.

Beside the girl, a boy with what appeared to be a tin-foil perm hairstyle could still be faintly seen, also advising: "We are graduates of Grandma Ju Zi/Grape Academy; nowadays, a 'General' exists within the bamboo forest. Even those Scyther, Lokix, and Kricketune can only choose to stay away under their oppression."

"If not absolutely necessary... no, even if you have a purpose, big brother, you should still avoid entering the bamboo forest for now."

"With the 'General' present, those Bishops are simply not opponents that ordinary trainers like us can resist. Quite a few people have already had their metal or ores, bought from the nearby Cortondo Town, snatched away. I'm afraid we can only wait for the League to send someone to handle this."

The two were genuinely kind-hearted.

With only this team composition, if this kind-faced big brother still wished to enter that bamboo forest, it would be far too dangerous.

They absolutely had to offer a warning.

After the two chattered away for a while, Luo Mu, having clarified the situation, also revealed an expression of thoughtful contemplation.

A 'General' who claimed the mountain as his own and robbed travelers, along with his gang of Bishops... coincidentally, to reach the Paldea Ten Views' "Cascading Falls," one must pass through that very bamboo forest.

According to what the two said, even flying over carried a probability of being knocked down. No wonder there were hardly any tourists along the way; both trainers and backpackers were pitifully scarce. So there was this additional factor involved? Thinking thus, Luo Mu friendly flashed a smile at the two and asked curiously, "You don't know who I am?"

This wasn't Luo Mu being narcissistic.

Even without any publicity, he was frequently recognized on the road, and many neighbors had learned of Luo Mu's identity through their own information channels.

Yet these two, clearly graduates of the Academy, were worrying about his safety; the feeling was truly somewhat strange.

"Know you?"

The two exchanged glances, both revealing expressions of bewilderment.

Had they not learned something called "politeness" at the Academy, they probably would have directly asked, "Who are you?"

"You don't know me? Well, not knowing is fine too."

Luo Mu didn't feel awkward at all; extending his hand, he introduced himself: "My name is Luo Mu. Currently, I am an ordinary farm owner, concurrently serving as the Head Instructor of Battle Studies at Grape Academy. In the past, I was also someone who obtained the 'Champion-level' title bestowed by the Paldea League, though I have since retired."

"I am very interested in the road-robbing 'General' and the Bishop population you mentioned. Could we discuss this in more detail?"

Upon hearing Luo Mu's initial self-introduction, the two felt relieved they had managed to stop him.

If this "incapable of tying up a chicken" Luo Mu had entered the bamboo forest, wouldn't those bullies have stripped him down to his underwear?

But the more they listened, the more something felt off.

First was the title of "Head Instructor," which made even graduates involuntarily shudder for a few seconds upon hearing it.

Finally, that "Champion-level" title completely left them dumbfounded.

Wait, are these three professions you mentioned really capable of coexisting in one person!?

The boy and girl exchanged glances, staring into each other's pupils which trembled as if struck by an earthquake, a shared thought arising from the depths of their hearts.

Could it be that they had truly stayed in the wilderness too long due to their travels, falling behind societal development? About two kilometers from the bamboo forest, Luo Mu learned the relevant details from the two graduates.

The boy's name was Rod, and the girl's name was Phil; both were proper graduates of Grape Academy.

However, their major coursework was not Battle Studies, but rather belonged to the lineage of Field Exploration.

Precisely because of this, they spent almost most of the year out in the wild, only entering towns to replenish supplies, yet due to their hurried movements, they were not so well-versed in various news reports.

Since the two were not trainers, their partner Pokémon were only the Falinks and Espathra issued by the Academy.

They were basically completely countered by the Dark and Steel-type Bishops and the "General," not to mention they were not particularly skilled at Pokémon battles either.

Professions in the Pokémon world are diverse; not everyone takes being a trainer as their main occupation. There are Rangers, Breeders, farm owners like Luo Mu, ordinary office workers, housewives, and field explorers like Rod and Phil.

Lacking the strength to resolve these road-robbing Pokémon, the two could do nothing but, on the basis of notifying the League, try their best to dissuade those coming to view the "Cascading Falls" or the "mass appearance of Applin."

"We pieced together information from various people and have roughly clarified the cause of this incident."

Phil pushed up her glasses frames and took out a notebook filled with writing.

"This Pokémon, the Bishop, will compete amongst themselves for the position of leader. The Bishop standing at the apex of the population, after satisfying a certain condition, has a probability of evolving into the 'General Pu Dao' bearing the name of 'General'."

Phil's voice paused, and Rod immediately picked up.

"Since you are an Academy teacher, your relevant knowledge must be superior to ours, so I won't embarrass myself by elaborating and will get straight to the key points."

"According to eyewitness testimonies, within these past few months, the Bishop population has been extremely chaotic, with frequent outbreaks of infighting. Everyone refused to yield, yet no one could dominate the rest, resulting in a meaningless stalemate."

"Precisely because of this, these Bishops, having consumed considerable energy through their struggles, hardly obstructed tourists heading to the 'Cascading Falls.' However, after a certain day, the situation took a turn."

"A Bishop emerged suddenly. It was also a Pokémon native to the population, yet for some unknown reason, its strength surpassed that of the other Bishops."

"What followed was continuous battle. Until recently, that Bishop successfully defeated all challengers, ascended to the apex of the population, satisfied a special condition, underwent 'evolution,' and became the General Pu Dao."

"After that Bishop evolved into General Pu Dao, the entire population was thoroughly integrated, developing into its current state within merely a few days."

Taking turns, the two finished recounting their investigation results in one breath, then looked at Luo Mu, awaiting his answer.

Since the other party claimed to be a former "Champion-level" trainer, the two would not doubt his capability to resolve the incident; after all, Chairwoman Geeta, that Top Champion, had left quite a profound impression on them.

What they cared about was how Luo Mu intended to handle this matter.

Under the gaze of the two, Luo Mu did not immediately express his own views but turned to look at the Tinkatink, asking, "Does this matter have any relation to the hammer that was stolen from you?"

Based on the intelligence he currently possessed, the only factor that could possibly cause the Bishops' strength to rise was that hammer stolen from the Tinkatink.

Even if there was no connection, it was merely a casual question from Luo Mu.

After all, the Tinkatink's origins had always been mysterious, and its hammer might very well be some rare item containing quite precious metal materials or the like.

Yet the Tinkatink's response made Luo Mu pause for a few seconds.

"Tinka!"

It nodded gently, its face full of unhappiness.

Its hammer was the most proud work of the elders within its population; it even had the broken blade of that so-called General Pu Dao melted into it as material!

Yet its hammer had been snatched away by those guys; truly, it made it furious!

(End of Chapter)