Chapter 477: Take Me Along
Chapter 477: Take Me Along
March 20th, Friday, the weather was clear.
Whoosh—
Gramps drew the curtains, allowing the sunlight to stream through the window and into the room, causing Jinghe to shiver and blink sleepily.
"Hngga!"
A wet tongue licked Jinghe's face, causing his body to stiffen suddenly.
A hand emerged from the covers, skillfully grabbing the cherry fruit placed on the bedside table as if it had done this hundreds or thousands of times before.
Crunch—
Jinghe chewed as he wobbled out of bed.
Last night, he had discussed the origin of the statue with Herona on the phone until past 1 a.m., so it was no wonder he hadn't slept well.
The two of them debated about who the "Sea God" really was.
If one were to mention the term "Sea God" now, more than ninety percent of people would assume it to be the legendary giant bird Pokemon, Latias!
Even Herona believed so.
But Jinghe disagreed, stating that if it's said to be a legendary giant bird Pokemon, how could it possibly be the Sea God?
Doesn't the Sea God have a Water attribute? Not all legendary Pokemon are like the Sun God Solgaleo or the Moon God Lunala. Solgaleo fears fire, and Lunala fears ghosts.
Latias can only be considered the guardian of the ocean, while the creator of the ocean is the great fish, Groudon.
So, if we're discussing who the Sea God truly is, it must be the Water-type Groudon, at least it's a fish, not a bird.
If we're talking about "authority," Latias can only be considered to control ocean currents and hurricanes, capable of manipulating underwater currents and the weather in coastal cities.
Groudon is the one who truly masters the ocean, aiming to expand the ocean and invade the land.
Of course.
Whether in the movies or the anime, Latias' appearance is far more imposing than Groudon's.
At least Groudon doesn't resemble a fish, being caught like one.
And Groudon only seems formidable when it's teasing its "brother."
There's even a very noticeable contrast between the two.
Latias single-handedly defeated the mighty Hoopa, while Groudon was controlled by Hoopa and beaten up.
The difference is clear.
But regardless...
Groudon is more deserving of the title of Sea God than Latias.
After several days of researching and searching, Herona finally confirmed that the statue might be related to the legendary Sea God.
However, she couldn't pinpoint the Sea God's identity, which led to their discussion.
"If it's Groudon... without the indigo-blue orb, a statue alone wouldn't be enough to awaken it."
Jinghe felt relieved about this.
Otherwise, the Lava Team would have awakened Groudon long ago and wouldn't have waited until now.
Moreover, with the Fuyuan Alliance's increased attention on the Lava Team and the Ocean Team, many of their secrets have been gradually uncovered, and they are likely busy dealing with the aftermath.
Swish, swish, swish—
In front of the mirror, Jinghe, wearing a bathrobe, was brushing his teeth while the little ones waited in line outside.
"I'll have to expand the bathroom," Jinghe thought to himself.
Then he gave instructions.
"Gramps, take Rapid Dragon and Martial Bear Master to the garden, it's more spacious there. After brushing, take Rapid Dragon for a couple of laps."
"Hngga!"
Gramps was gradually getting used to this routine.
The larger ones brushed their teeth in the garden, as the current sizes of Rapid Dragon and Martial Bear Master made it challenging for them to fit in the bathroom.
He waved, and the excited Rapid Dragon and Martial Bear Master, who had just rubbed their eyes awake, followed him from the second-floor balcony to the garden.
"Hngga~~"
Gramps greeted the salt statue, which had turned into a rock.
Recently, Patin seemed to be restless, wandering off on its own, and no one knew when it would return.
After brushing his teeth and changing clothes, Jinghe stepped into the courtyard holding a piece of ore.
The reason he held the ore was because...
A young Tyrogue with closed eyes and snot bubbles followed behind him.
Upon reaching the courtyard, Jinghe turned and hugged the young Tyrogue. Ice Nine-Tailed held the ore in front of the Tyrogue but didn't let it bite.
"Yoyo~ Yoyo~" The sleeping Tyrogue's mouth moved incessantly, but it couldn't bite.
Jinghe took the opportunity to grab a small stick and brush the little one's teeth.
This wasn't the first time, so they were quite adept at it.
"Aiguan!"
Attendant brought coffee, and Jinghe had just finished brushing the Tyrogue's teeth.
The little one yawned and stretched on the ground, its slowly opening eyes glinting with mischief as it rubbed them gently, feigning a casual awakening.
Jinghe smiled and shook his head at the little one trying to be lazy about brushing its teeth.
Could he not understand the little Tyrogue's thoughts? Back then, even the "cunning" Ghastly couldn't escape his grasp.
After breakfast, everyone gathered in the courtyard for a simple warm-up.
"Maracta."
Maracta, holding a wooden stick similar to the Tyrogue's, emerged from the shadows, waving it around.
Jinghe was taken aback.
Maracta said, "I found a new Rainbow Feather holder. I'll 'handle' it and be back."
Jinghe's expression turned peculiar.
"Is this 'handling' a proper 'handling'?"
But before Jinghe could finish speaking, Maracta waved the stick and slowly disappeared into the shadows.
Patin went out for a stroll, and Maracta, for once, took on the role of the "Shadow Guide."
Ding-ding—
Jinghe's phone rang.
Upon answering the call, Jinghe spoke, "Wusong?"
"Teacher Jinghe," Wusong replied, his tone grave. "I've detected traces of Hunter J."
"Hunter J?" Jinghe asked, taken aback.
Wusong's words reminded him of the Pokemon Hunter mission he had almost forgotten.
"Where?" Jinghe's expression turned serious.
The young ones nearby perked up their ears, curious about the mention of Pokemon Hunters, whom the Jing family despised and rejected.
"I can't provide an exact location, but it's suspected to be near Twinleaf Town."
"Twinleaf Town?" Jinghe was surprised. Wasn't that Dr. Yamanishi's place? The "Dream Starting Point" of the Sinnoh region.
Hunter J wouldn't dare cause trouble for Dr. Yamanishi in Twinleaf Town, would she? Although Dr. Yamanishi wasn't like Professor Oak or Professor Kukui, who were both top researchers and powerful Trainers, Dr. Yamanishi himself might not have much combat strength.
However, it was precisely because of this that the Sinnoh League valued Dr. Yamanishi highly. Jinghe couldn't believe there wouldn't be any security measures in place.
"She seems to have fled from Twinleaf Town to the sea. Our people are already tracking her."
The sea? For desperate Pokemon Hunters, changing to a larger region or the boundless ocean was indeed a good choice.
But if she escaped to the sea, unless she was very familiar with various maritime areas and could avoid dangerous places, even Hunter J would have a hard time.
If she managed to persist, it would be difficult to find her again in the future.
"Wusong, this matter..." Jinghe started, knowing that only Wusong could handle this. Ordinary International Police or League members might not be able to truly pinpoint Hunter J.
Before Jinghe could finish, Wusong's voice, tinged with fatigue, came through the phone.
"I know I've already arrived in Twinleaf Town."
Wusong was indeed very reliable, Jinghe thought to himself.
If I were the future Sinnoh Champion, Herona, I would definitely value Wusong as well. He's undoubtedly a talent.
"I trust you to handle it," Jinghe said with a smile.
Then, he added, "If necessary, call Da Ye and A Liu to assist you."
"Da Ye?" Wusong's spirits lifted at the mention of Da Ye, and he scoffed, "I'm afraid that idiot will drown."
"Who will drown?"
Surprisingly, Da Ye's voice came through the phone.
"Whoever says it will happen to them."
"Damn it, Wusong, let's duel!"
"I won't battle a fool; I don't want to be accused of bullying."
"I..." Jinghe's mouth twitched, and he hung up the phone.
These two were a handful.
"Teacher, will one car be enough?"
In the training room of the Kanazawa Pokemon Academy, after completing their training for the day, the young ones were eating to restore their energy. Jinghe, meanwhile, called Da Wu.
As he listened to Da Wu's question, Jinghe's gaze swept across Tyrogue, who was devouring minerals; the Great Forge Smith, tinkering with something unknown; and the Flame Blade Ghost, whose armor seemed to have new markings.
Jinghe could almost hear the sound of money flowing away.
"It'll be enough," Jinghe said, deflated.
One car? Was this a question of quantity or affordability? It was a matter of whether they could afford it or not.
"Okay," Da Wu thought.
The teacher probably didn't want to take advantage of his student, so if he said one car, it couldn't be more. But the quality of the minerals... that could be improved.
Recently, he had heard that the distant Kalos region produced a very rare and unique pink diamond, and it was the size of a fist.
As a stone enthusiast, diamonds were also part of his collection. He wanted to find an opportunity to visit.
Just after hanging up Da Wu's call, Herona's call came through.
"Today has been so busy," Herona said excitedly as soon as she answered.
"Jinghe, with a seventy percent certainty, it's related to the ancient 'Waterfolk' and may be a ruin left behind by ancient remnants."
Waterfolk? An ancient remnant's ruin?
Ocean, Sea God, Prince of the Sea, Manaphy?
Jinghe was startled and quickly retrieved the sculpture for a closer inspection, sighing in relief after a moment.
Fortunately, it wasn't Manaphy's egg; it was just a sculpture.
"It's just a coincidence," he muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing," Jinghe coughed lightly and asked cautiously, "Herona, might these antiques be valuable?"
After the Lilac Conference and the exhibition match in Bian City, he hadn't earned any extra income for almost two months.
"Hmm, museums would probably be interested in collecting them," Herona replied.
After all, the Waterfolk had long disappeared into the annals of history.
"I'll send you the possible locations."
The information was transmitted to the Pokedex, and the locations were marked.
Jinghe narrowed his eyes.
These places were on the northern continent of the Hoenn region, near the ocean.
"That's a bit of a coincidence."
If they couldn't find the Waterfolk's ruins, catching Hunter J and raiding her hideout was a good alternative.
"Are you going to investigate?" Jinghe asked, knowing Herona's passion for historical ruins. She had already almost pinpointed the location, and the probability was high.
"Yes, I am."
"Take me with you."
(End of Chapter)
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