Chapter 246: The King's Promise
Chapter 246: The King's Promise
"No, that might be a bit too disrespectful to Reigwan..."
Naoki quickly shook his head, dismissing the audacious thought. Yet, his gaze drifted back to the enormous, ink-green bud atop Reigwan's head, resembling a majestic crown.
Beneath the massive crown was a delicate, rabbit-like figure, its body petite and slender. Reigwan's eyes exuded dignity, a deep blue, with a tiny blue nose and mouth below. A pair of wings, akin to a cape, extended from its back, and beneath them lay a grayish-white body and slender, pure-white legs.
Reigwan hovered quietly above the snowy ground, gazing at Naoki. From its mouth came a sound that humans couldn't comprehend:
"Reigwan... Moo-jiji..."
"?" Naoki questioned, intrigued.
At that moment, a middle-aged man with a fluffy hat, ready to tend to the fields, strolled over with a hoe in hand. Spotting Naoki and Golurk standing there, he was about to inquire about their origins when his attention was drawn to the mysterious, glowing Pokemon floating in the snow not far away.
The man's eyes widened in shock, and he exclaimed, "What a... huge head!"
Naoki: "..."
Indeed, someone had voiced the very thought that had crossed Naoki's mind! Reigwan, too, was drawn to the sudden appearance of the human.
Its eyes flashed with a blue light, and in an instant, its entire body shimmered, appearing before the middle-aged man.
Before the man could react, he felt his body lose control, his consciousness fading. He slowly lifted off the ground, enveloped in the same faint glow as Reigwan.
Reigwan hovered beside the human, then turned to look at its little believer, using its mental powers to control the man's body and speak through him:
"My believer, you have finally arrived. I have been waiting for you here for a long time."
Naoki looked at the unfortunate man being used as a mouthpiece by Reigwan and couldn't help but say, "Actually, we could have a better way of communicating."
"Oh?" A hint of confusion flashed in Reigwan's eyes.
Naoki reached into his backpack and pulled out a large bag of translated roasted watermelon seeds.
Reigwan's gaze was instantly drawn to the bag, and it asked, "What is that?"
Naoki explained, "It's a human dish with added magical effects. After eating it, you'll be able to communicate with humans."
Reigwan had never heard of such a thing.
With a mix of curiosity and dignity in its gaze, Naoki munched on several of the seeds before saying, "Alright, now I can understand your words."
Upon hearing this, Reigwan released its control over the middle-aged man.
Perhaps not wanting to be discovered by humans, Reigwan used its ability to instantly move away, leaving behind a final message for Naoki before disappearing:
"I will wait for you at the cliff over there."
With that, Reigwan vanished from its original spot.
The controlled man slowly lowered to the ground, looking around in a daze and scratching his head. "What happened? How did I get here? Ah... my body feels cold! Wait, who are you? How did you get to the village? Are you a tourist from out of town?"
Naoki casually played along, "Yes, I'm here to observe the Pokemon ecology on the Wangguan Snowfield."
The man nodded in realization, "I see!"
With that, the man hoisted his hoe and left.
Naoki then turned to the Pidgey on his shoulder and said, "You can head back now. We have something to take care of."
It was even colder after the snowfall, and the Pidgey huddled in its fluffy feathers, pitifully nodding its head.
"Chirp! (Take care, don't get lost again!)
"
Naoki smiled and nodded, "Don't worry!"
The Pidgey turned and flew back toward home.
After seeing it off, Naoki rode Golurk toward the cliff that Reigwan had indicated.
By the time they arrived, Reigwan was already waiting for them.
It hovered above the snow-covered cliff, overlooking the frozen village below, resembling a king standing atop his castle, watching over his subjects.
Hearing their approach, Reigwan turned around.
It looked at its devout little believer and solemnly expressed its gratitude:
"I have felt your sincerity, and I have seen all that you have done for me on that land."
Upon hearing this, Naoki felt a bit embarrassed, as if his initial intention had been merely for Reigwan's two horses.
However, this wasn't the time for such thoughts.
So, Naoki earnestly replied, "It's what I should do. The people of the Paldea region are very grateful for your power.
However, in contrast, its subjects presented an entirely different picture.
Although Reigwan didn't know what was happening in the outside world, it could sense that it was losing the faith of humans as its power waned.
This filled the former king of Galar with sadness.
Visions of the past flashed through its mind.
Back then, the Galar region it ruled was prosperous and thriving, with bountiful crops and lush flowers.
The humans and Pokemon living on this land regarded it as their king, and in turn, it treated them as its subjects.
The humans and Pokemon adored their king, building temples and offering sacrifices, and as their king, it would bring abundance to its subjects whenever possible.
Thinking of this, Reigwan felt a pang of sorrow and still refused to believe that its subjects had forgotten about it.
Reigwan turned to Naoki, "My believer, I have a request for you!"
Sensing the king's sadness, Naoki nodded, "Please tell me."
Reigwan turned its gaze towards the human village below, "I want to ask you to go there and find out if they still remember me."
"As expected, Reigwan still cares a lot about this..." Naoki thought.
He acknowledged and agreed to Reigwan's request.
"Thank you," Reigwan said, looking at him, "I will wait for you here."
Naoki silently nodded and then rode Golurk towards the village below, Freeze Village.
Along the way, Golurk furrowed its brow, confused, and asked, "Agasura...?" (It seems so sad...)
Naoki could roughly understand Reigwan's feelings, and he nodded,
"Reigwan is probably feeling sad. It's like how you and I have always lived together, and then we were separated for a while due to some circumstances. When we reunite, you realize I don't remember you..."
Before he could finish, Golurk interrupted, "Agasura!" (We won't be separated!)
Naoki paused briefly, then smiled as he patted its head, "I know we won't be separated. I'm just giving an example. Think about it, how would you feel if that happened?"
Golurk thought carefully, then hung its head, "Agasura..." (So sad...)
But immediately after, it said earnestly, "Agasura! I will never forget Naoki!"
"I will never forget you either," Naoki gently patted Golurk's head and continued, "If you compare Reigwan's subjects to me and Reigwan to you, does that make it easier to understand?"
Golurk's thoughts returned to the matter at hand, and it thought for a moment before nodding, "Agasura! (I understand! Reigwan will come home with us!)
"
Naoki assumed that Golurk wanted the forgotten Reigwan to live with them on the ranch, "That depends on what Reigwan wants."
At that moment, Golurk landed in Freeze Village.
Naoki focused his attention on the villagers wandering around, pretending to be a tourist from out of town, and started to inquire about Reigwan.
The first villager, an older man, looked confused, "Reigwan? What's that?"
Naoki: "..."
An elderly woman, the second person he asked, recalled after some thought, "I think I heard my grandmother tell this story when I was little. She said that if children don't eat properly, the king will take away their bodies and souls, and they will never return home."
Naoki: "That sounds like something a Ghost-type Pokemon would do."
The third person, an elderly man with white hair and glasses, said, "Reigwan? Of course, I know it! The village relies on it to attract tourists! That way, the village's inns and shops can make a fortune!"
"What? You're asking how I know? It's because I'm the village chief here! I've been listening to the legends of Reigwan since I was a few years old, and my family has storybooks that record these tales!"
Naoki: "..."
He returned to Reigwan with these responses.
After hearing Naoki's recount, a trace of sadness appeared on Reigwan's face.
It didn't speak immediately but stood there in the snow, overlooking its kingdom, and then closed its eyes, letting out a sigh.
After a long while, Reigwan opened its eyes again, regaining its previous dignified demeanor.
"It seems they no longer remember me, and humans have long forgotten the bond we established..."
Not knowing how to comfort it, Naoki said, like one would soothe their Pokemon, "The village chief still remembers you.
"I can no longer depend on the faith of humans to regain my strength. If only my beloved steeds were here; perhaps things would be better."
As Reigwan spoke, it turned to look at Naoki by its side.
Naoki's heart leaped as he anticipated what was coming next.
Reigwan continued, "My once obedient mounts, the Pokemon with four legs, are depicted in the village statue with me riding upon their backs. Long ago, they were my companions as we galloped through the wilderness together. But ever since my power waned and we parted ways, I have no idea where they might be."
"I wish to make another request of you. If you can help me find my two beloved steeds, I will grant you one wish, no matter what it may be. As long as it is within my power, I will make it happen." Reigwan made a solemn promise.
Naoki had anticipated that Reigwan would make such a request, just as it happened in the game's storyline.
In the game, once the player helped Reigwan find its beloved horses, the process of capturing Reigwan would begin.
If he helped Reigwan find its Spiritomb and Rapidash, would the king be willing to leave its kingdom and accompany him to the Paldea region with its horses?
Naoki lifted his head, his gaze meeting that of Reigwan.
"What a massive crown," the thought involuntarily popped into Naoki's mind again.
Then, his thoughts turned to the storyline involving Reigwan.
Finding the Spiritomb and Rapidash wouldn't be difficult. All he needed were some carrots, Reigwan's favorite food, and then use its power to accelerate their growth. That would surely attract the two horses.
Additionally, he would need to prepare the Bond Bridle, a special item used to tame Reigwan and its horses, allowing it to rein them in.
The Bond Bridle was no ordinary rope; it was intricately woven from layers of Radiant Flowers and the manes of horse Pokemon.
In ancient times, this bridle was offered to Reigwan by its subjects as a token of gratitude for the bountiful harvests it bestowed upon them.
After a moment's contemplation, Naoki spoke, "I accept your request."
Gratitude and emotion filled Reigwan's heart: "Then I shall wait here for you. Although my strength has not fully recovered, if you ever need my help, you can find me here."
Naoki smiled and nodded, "I understand."
Thinking of the village chief who mentioned having books about Reigwan, Naoki decided to pay him a visit first.
Thus, he bade farewell to Reigwan and rode Golurk away from the snowy field.
As snowflakes danced in the sky, Reigwan stood in the snow, watching them depart.
"My little believer is truly a kind person," Reigwan thought.
It silently watched the retreating figure of Naoki, a thought crossing its mind—perhaps it could forge a new bond with this human.
This time, it didn't want to be a king.
Freeze Village.
The elderly village chief, upon hearing Naoki's intention, led him to his home.
"The King of Bountiful Harvests? It's been so long since I last heard that name. It would be wonderful if it truly existed," the village chief said. "The land in Freeze Village is becoming increasingly barren, making it difficult for crops to grow."
Naoki was perplexed, "According to the legends, Reigwan ruled over the Galar region in ancient times. Why is it that we rarely hear tales of it nowadays?"
The village chief shook his head, "Perhaps it's because those are just fabricated stories?"
"Just like some legends claim that humans were created by the gods. If the King of Bountiful Harvests truly existed, why hasn't it shown itself for so long?"
Naoki: "......" Perhaps there was some truth to it, or perhaps not.
The village chief continued, "When I was young, my history teacher told me that the Galar region was always led by a royal family, who protected the region from the dangers of the night."
"It is said that long ago, a night of darkness befell the Galar region, but two heroes wielding legendary swords and shields drove away the night and saved the land."
"If the King of Bountiful Harvests truly existed, wouldn't it come to protect its subjects?"
The village chief pointed to a bookshelf in the living room as he finished speaking.
"Alright, the books about the King of Bountiful Harvests are on the bottom shelf. Go ahead and take a look."
(End of Chapter)
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