Who needs a girlfriend when you have Pokémon?

Nagi specially came here to welcome Rowe and Lillie. Preparations have been made at Mount Okami. According to the plan that Rowe and Daigo had discussed beforehand, preparations have been made in advance, and now it's time to close the net.

Luo Wei immediately perked up. This was a matter he had been dealing with ever since he left home, and it was finally about to come to a conclusion.

Since that's the case, there's no time to lose. Originally, Rowe had planned to go to the Lilycove City Gym first to pick up the badge, but since the other party came to him first, it's naturally easier to do it this way.

Regardless, the important matter was the priority. At that moment, Naqi blew a clear whistle, and immediately, a whooshing sound came from afar.

"Oh……"

Two figures flew towards Luo Wei and his companions from afar. The one on the left was a flying-type Pokémon with feathers shaped like clouds all over its body, and its entire body was blue. Its movements were incredibly agile and graceful, giving it an ethereal and otherworldly air.

Luo Wei naturally recognized it; its name was Tanabata Bluebird, and it was also quite popular among those who valued appearance.

This is naturally thanks to its fluffy cloud feathers that resemble cotton candy, and its supposedly heavenly singing voice, making it an extremely popular Flying-type Pokémon in the Hoenn region.

Also, Altaria's pre-evolution, Swablu, is Normal/Flying type, while Altaria is Dragon/Flying type, and finally, the Mega Evolution Altaria is Dragon/Fairy type...

It successfully achieved three stages of evolution, with each stage changing its attributes. The final form and the initial form have completely different attributes, which is quite unique.

The Pokémon on the right is a dragon-shaped Pokémon with a brown body, four green leaf-like wings on its back, and a string of yellow banana-like fruits on its lower jaw.

This is naturally the famous mode of transportation from Generation III, the Tropical Dragon...

Although it looks like a dragon and has the word "dragon" in its name, Tropical Dragon is a Flying/Grass-type Pokémon and does not actually have the Dragon type.

Of course, that's not a problem. There are plenty of Pokémon that look like dragons or have dragon in their names but aren't dragons at all. The problem is, the Altaria next to us looks completely unrelated to dragons, just a white bluebird... but she's a Dragon-type...

This is simply a characteristic of the Pokémon series; you have to try it. (Details omitted...) Exeggutor in its Alolan form...

In short, Naki flipped onto the Altaria and then gestured to the Tropius beside her...

"...Um, thanks~"

Lowe reached out and grabbed Lillie, then leaped gracefully into the air. Gardevoir, standing nearby, cooperated by raising its hand and releasing its psychic power, lifting Lowe's body and landing steadily on Tropius's back.

"..."

In fact, Lowe didn't need to make such a show of jumping; he could have just had Gardevoir deliver it to him. On the other hand, Lowe's jump was completely useless except for striking a pose.

Therefore, the only actual effect of his action was...

...Showing off!

Fortunately, Gardevoir cooperated by using her psychic powers to play along with his antics, while Masked Meowth clapped its hands with a look of "that's amazing!" which really left the usually serious Naki a bit bewildered.

Oh no, why do I see that man's shadow in this boy?

She couldn't help but think of her boyfriend. If we're talking about being unreliable... this silly little action of his was exactly the same. Could it be that this is why Michael has such a good impression of Rowe?

Okay, let's not think about this too much. As his girlfriend, Naqi knows very well that although her boyfriend is a very frivolous man with a lot of flirtatious talk and seemingly unreliable behavior, he is very reliable when it matters.

If you judge a man as unreliable based on his words and actions, you will surely be proven wrong.

In short, once Rowe and Lillie were seated, Nagi waved her hand, and the Altaria and Tropical Dragon carried the three of them... with a whoosh, heading towards their destination.

Their target this time is the most mysterious place in the Hoenn region, Mount Oogami... the land of the gods' slumber!

As the largest Pokémon cemetery in the Hoenn region, almost all Pokémon that die in the Hoenn region are buried here, and countless trainers come here every year to remember their Pokémon partners.

Of course, some Pokémon and their trainers are no longer alive, and only their descendants come to pay their respects...

For this reason, the rather mysterious "Ghost-type" Pokémon from the Pokémon series also roam this place...

That's right. In this worldview, ghosts and phantoms are real, tangible beings that can be seen and touched... and if properly nurtured, they can even roam around in broad daylight.

Generally speaking, most ghosts on set are terrifying, but since this is a Pokémon set, many Ghost-type Pokémon appear kind and gentle.

Especially Gengar, the famous Ghost-type Pokémon from the first generation, was a true star of popularity, chubby and always with a smile on his face.

In fact, in the first generation of the Pokédex, Gengar's smile was a standard sinister and terrifying smirk. However, as its popularity soared, Gengar's smile gradually became more and more "naive," leading to many fan-made works featuring the contrasting cuteness of young boys and girls with Gengar. Gengar gradually became known as a healer or caregiver...

...That's just how Pokémon are; even the ghosts look so kind and benevolent.

Ghost-type Pokémon are believed to be transformed from the souls of dead Pokémon. In addition, Xerneas, the "God of Life," does exist in this world, and death is considered not to be an eternal annihilation, but rather part of "reincarnation."

Therefore, Ghost-type Pokémon are not feared, and some people even feel that their dead partners have returned to their side.

The truth remains inconclusive. Even Pokémon professors have not provided a clear definition of the origins of Ghost-type Pokémon, only offering some ambiguous assessments.

Of course, this doesn't prevent the folklore from holding that view, thus making the horror of Ghost-type Pokémon even weaker.

This is Mount Okami, and today, just like today, a large number of trainers have come up to mourn their deceased relatives and friends. Although there are many of them, they are all very quiet and do not say much. They simply search for their friends' graves and reminisce about the past they have shared.

Besides these people, Mount Songshin also has a large number of "mediums" and "superpowered individuals." According to them, this place possesses a uniquely powerful spiritual energy field that can greatly enhance their abilities, making it the most suitable training ground...

As for this, as long as it doesn't disturb those who come to pay their respects, then let them be.

The clan that has ruled this magical land since ancient times is the faith leader of the Hoenn region, and the current successors are an elderly couple who have grown old.

Inside the shrine, a solemn-looking old man knelt before the shrine, quietly chanting something...

Chapter 229 It doesn't matter, it's part of the plan~

The main body of Mount Oogami is divided into two parts. The front part is the Spirit Tower, which is the area used to bury Pokémon. It is expanded every certain period of time.

The latter half is the main body of the "volcano" section of the Okami-san Mt., a dormant active volcano. Along the mountain path, there are torii gates and a path for worship. In other words, unlike the Spirit Tower in the first half where Pokémon are buried, this part is the area belonging to mythological beliefs.

That is, the largest religious group in the Hoenn region since ancient times... the Hoenn Twin Gods Shrine!

The shrine is located at the top of a volcano and has undergone many renovations, but it has well preserved its original appearance and still looks as ancient as it has been thousands of years ago.

However, in reality, the shrine has long been equipped with electrical wires and WiFi, and all kinds of modern facilities. The only thing that truly represents the ancient shrine from thousands of years ago is probably just an empty shell.

...Of course, that's not the main point, because no matter what the shrine looks like now, the key lies in the secret treasure preserved inside—the "divine body" that represents a portion of the deity's spirit.

In short, it is a special object that houses a portion of the divine power of a god. It could be an ancient tree, a mirror, or even just a stone. As long as it houses the will of a god, it can become a divine body.

Basically, these are statues of deities placed in shrines for people to worship. However, under normal circumstances, such treasures are not allowed to be moved around casually.

Even the head priest of a shrine is not authorized to move a divine body at will; a complex ritual must be performed to appease the will of the deity before the divine body can be moved.

Of course, this belongs to the realm of legend. After all, the two gods themselves have been sealed away, and it is unknown how much power can still be preserved in their so-called divine bodies.

But no matter what, this is what the shrine master makes a living from. Even if it's just a powerless broken stone, the cultural value it retains is still quite precious...

At this moment, a solemn old man knelt respectfully before the shrine. The old man was the shrine master of this shrine, who, along with his wife, inherited this shrine and the corresponding responsibilities from the previous shrine master.

The old man looked to be over seventy years old, and he performed the ceremony with ease, as if it were an instinct. He carried out the sacrificial worship according to the predetermined procedure.

Given the importance of the occasion, apart from the elderly man, only his wife and a few shrine staff members were present, quietly waiting.

Among this group of people, one figure stood out from the crowd.

She was a young girl who looked quite young, with healthy tanned skin, wearing exaggerated flower-shaped ornaments on her head, dressed like a Hawaiian dancer, wearing a long dress and a tube top that were separate from the rest of her outfit. She seemed completely out of place in this shrine, which was at least an ancient artifact on the surface.

Everyone around her was dressed as either a shrine maiden or a priest, but she was the only one wearing this outfit, making the whole scene stand out as odd.

However, in reality, the girl was not an "unrelated person." In fact, it could be said that, apart from the shrine master, she was the person with the highest status at this moment.

She is the "shrine maiden" of this generation, and theoretically her husband will be the next head priest of the shrine...

Although they had some reservations about the girl's attire, the two elderly people now seemed to have gotten used to it. The girl was their precious jewel, their most beloved granddaughter, and she also had another identity in the outside world...

...One of the Hoenn Elite Four...Ghost-type Elite Four member, Flandre~

Because of her duty as a priestess, she was born with powerful "inspiration". She trained at Mount Okami from a young age and grew up surrounded by various Ghost-type Pokémon and powerful spiritual fields. It can be said that she has unique geographical advantages and innate talent, so it is only natural that she has strong strength.

As a shrine maiden, she is in fact the person in charge of this ancient religious system. At the same time, she is one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Alliance, which means she is an important figure in the Alliance. This identity undoubtedly makes her an important glue that coordinates the relationship between local forces and the Alliance.

The alliance is certainly more powerful, but after all, it is a local, long-established, thousand-year-old religious force, the most powerful local force. No matter what, they give each other face, and both sides can appear respectable. This can be considered a very positive example of how the alliance operates.

As for shrine rituals, Fuyou, being a shrine maiden, was naturally very familiar with them. However, she herself showed little interest in them, since she had privately complained that after so many years of rituals and spirit communication ceremonies, she had never sensed the power of the two gods.

In the neighboring Alola region, the Island Tour at least offers a legitimate chance to receive the blessing of the island gods and obtain ultimate power. Next door, the Bell Tower enshrines Ho-Oh's feather, which was personally used to perform a miracle, reviving the three Pokémon that burned to death in the Bell Tower into the three legendary beasts. As long as you visit the Bell Tower to worship, minor illnesses and ailments can be cured without medicine.

This is naturally the effect of the powerful life force contained in the Phoenix King's feathers. After all, the Phoenix King can bring the dead back to life. Its feathers, as a divine body, have been worshipped for many years and have absorbed a portion of the body's power. Curing minor illnesses and disasters is a piece of cake for it.

So at least the people next door who worship their gods actually get results, but my own god has been worshipped for so many years and hasn't even given me a reply.

Given this context, and being a modern young woman living in an information-saturated society, she would have at least offered a few sarcastic remarks about this ancient ritual, if not for basic professional ethics.

Of course, considering that she is indeed a shrine maiden, these things can only be said in private...

I really wanted to complain, but I held back in the end and watched my grandfather complete the whole set of procedures and rituals.

The special ceremony held today is to bring out the divine body. Due to a series of events that have occurred, it has been decided to move the divine body to a safer place for the Alliance to protect.

Normally, a divine body should never be moved around at will, but this time the situation was special, and Furong had also tried her best to persuade her grandparents. In the end, they could not persuade their granddaughter and agreed to bring out this divine body that had probably not been moved for nearly a thousand years.

However, when the stone casket containing the deity was taken out of the shrine, the old man froze.

"This... why does the seal look like it's been tampered with?"

"what?"

Chapter 230 The Bait is Released

"?!"

Upon hearing that the seal had been tampered with, Furong, who had been standing to the side with little interest, immediately rushed forward.

As expected, the seal on the stone box containing the divine body showed obvious signs of having been broken, and the signs didn't seem to have been long ago, suggesting it had just been opened.

"...The seal was intact when we checked it yesterday!"

The old man was extremely confident in his memory, but Furong immediately thought of another problem: the seal itself didn't matter; the key was the divine body contained within it.

"...Where is the divine body? Is everything alright?"

Logically, we shouldn't be able to open it to check the condition of the divine body yet, but since it's already in this state, it would be absurd to insist on any rules and procedures.

So, without any hesitation, no one opened the box immediately. As expected, the box was empty; there was nothing inside at all.

"...So, is it possible that there was actually nothing in the box to begin with, and the divine body was the box itself?"

Furong asked this cautiously from the side, and naturally, it was impossible.

"how is this possible?"

After all, the seal on this was personally affixed by Furong's grandfather. When the shrine master of each generation changes the divine body, the previous shrine master will personally remove the seal, and then the next shrine master will affix a new seal.

The seal will contain detailed information about the deity's tablet; this is essentially a "disclaimer of liability"...

The proof indicates when, where, and from which generation of deities it was passed down to the current deity. Before the seal was affixed, the old man personally confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the divine body inside the box.