Chapter 199
"So you’re saying one of the reasons Charon joined Team Galactic was because he wanted to capture Legendary Pokémon and use them to investigate what happened to the Deity of Spring?"
Cynthia’s voice came through Mike’s Rotom Phone.
"Yeah. At least, that’s what the diaries say." Mike leaned back slightly before asking, "You know about the Old Chateau deep in Eterna Forest, right?"
"I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never been there."
"I went there with Gardenia a few days ago, and from what I found, the Old Chateau seems to have started falling into ruin after Charon left. It looks like he used to live there, and I found both an old journal containing translations of ancient writing and another set of notes that appear to be his own. I’ll send them to you."
"All right."
Mike asked Rotom to scan the surviving pages and send everything to Cynthia.
"You caught a Rotom?"
Cynthia sounded mildly surprised.
"Yeah. There happened to be one living inside the Old Chateau, and I figured traveling would be a lot easier with a Rotom around."
Cynthia nodded on the other end of the call and lowered her gaze to read the material.
She remained quiet for a while before finally looking up again, her expression noticeably more serious.
"Based on everything we currently know, the disappearance of the Deity of Spring really does seem connected to the deities of time and space, and Giratina may have had the most direct connection of all."
"Maybe."
Mike nodded.
"If we keep following the clues, we might eventually figure out what happened."
Cynthia accepted that answer, then smoothly changed the subject.
"Did you finish your PowerPoint?"
"Yeah. How did you know?"
"Lucian told me. Want me to check it?"
"Absolutely. Thanks."
Mike didn’t hesitate for a moment before sending her the presentation.
Cynthia opened it, skimmed several slides, and nodded.
"I’ll contact you after I’ve finished reviewing it."
"Then I won’t bother you any longer."
Mike ended the call.
A moment later, Rotom’s voice came from the phone.
"I think she wanted your PowerPoint because she plans to borrow some ideas, Roto."
Mike pointed at himself.
"Who? Cynthia wants to copy my PowerPoint? She’s one of the leading authorities on Pokémon mythology and ancient history. Why would she need mine? Seriously?"
"I dunno, Roto."
Rotom sounded as though its processor had stalled slightly.
Mike looked at the floating phone for a moment before remembering something.
"Rotom, since you used to live in the Old Chateau, do you remember the person who lived there with you?"
"A little, Roto."
Rotom answered honestly.
"I remember he eventually left with a blue-haired man. After he left, I stayed behind."
Mike immediately thought of Cyrus.
"What was he like before that?"
Rotom remained quiet for several moments as it searched through old memories, then answered.
"He really liked legends, Roto. He was always searching for records about Legendary Pokémon, studying them and analyzing whatever he found. Then one day he learned about the Deity of Spring, and after that... he seemed like a completely different person."
Mike listened quietly and fell into thought.
So Charon had already been obsessed with researching Legendary Pokémon, but learning about the Deity of Spring had pushed that obsession much further.
"I understand."
Mike nodded.
Elsewhere, Cynthia was still going through Mike’s presentation.
After nodding several times at his structure and formatting, she quietly opened her own PowerPoint and began typing rapidly.
...
Once Mike finished speaking with Rotom, he told Gengar to start packing.
It was time to leave Eterna City.
The next full moon was only about a week away, and he needed to reach Celestic Town early enough to discuss the details of Ursaring’s evolution.
Mike took out his phone and messaged Gardenia to let her know that he would be leaving that day, and when she quickly replied that she would come see him off, he smiled and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
Rotom had already entered the hotel’s electrical wiring to recharge.
"Take it easy in there. This is a hotel, not our house."
"I know, Roto."
Rotom’s voice came faintly through the wiring.
Mike sighed.
"It’s a shame you can’t enter the camera. If you could, filming would be so much easier next time."
Before the conversation could continue, Lucian called.
After asking whether Mike was preparing to leave Eterna and continue toward Celestic Town, he received the answer he expected.
"Yeah. We’ve already stayed in Eterna for a while, and there’s only about a week left until this month’s full moon. I need to reach Celestic Town early so we can discuss Ursaring’s evolution."
"Oh, right. I almost forgot about that." Lucian paused before continuing, "Mike, Roark thinks he may have dug up the Black Augurite you described. He isn’t completely sure, though. He showed it to me and I couldn’t confirm it either. If you have time, could you come to Oreburgh?"
"Black Augurite?"
Mike immediately sat straighter.
"Yeah. It looks very similar to the drawings you made."
"Send me a picture. I’ll take the train to Oreburgh now."
"All right."
After hanging up, Mike looked toward his Pokémon.
"Change of plans. We’re going to Oreburgh first."
"Gar—"
Gengar and the others nodded.
Once everything was packed, Mike went downstairs and found Gardenia already sitting in the hotel reception area.
He greeted her, and the two walked outside together.
"Your next destination is Celestic Town?"
Gardenia asked.
"That was the original plan, but Lucian says they may have found Black Augurite, so I’m making a quick trip to Oreburgh first."
"Black Augurite?"
Mike glanced at her.
"Have you read those papers we published?"
Gardenia’s face immediately turned slightly red.
The answer was obvious.
Mike laughed and shook his head.
"It’s fine. Black Augurite is involved in another evolutionary path for Scyther."
"A branched evolution?"
"Basically. Something different from Scizor."
Gardenia’s eyes widened.
"Wait! So another Pokémon from the Hisui era might reappear?"
Mike scratched his cheek.
"Uh... if everything goes well, maybe two?"
Gardenia’s mouth fell open.
...
They reached the station, where Mike bought several tickets and said goodbye to Gardenia before heading inside.
The train traveled south and eventually stopped in Oreburgh City.
The moment Mike stepped onto the platform with Snivy and the others, Gengar burst out of his shadow and stretched dramatically, having nearly gone insane from boredom while hiding there for the entire journey.
Mike pulled gently at his cheeks.
"Thanks for putting up with it. There were kids on the train who were scared of you, so don’t hold it against them."
Gengar grinned.
"Gar—"
[I’m not going to get mad at little kids.]
"Of course not. Our mighty Gengar adventurer is far too cool for that. I’ll make you something good later."
"Gar~"
Mike had barely taken a few more steps when his body suddenly twitched, his hair standing almost completely on end.
"N-Numb..."
Lucian was waiting near the station entrance and stared at him in confusion.
"What happened to you?"
"Nothing. Just got paralyzed a little. Not important."
Mike waved dismissively.
"Where’s the Black Augurite?"
Lucian looked at Mike, then at Gengar, and silently marveled at just how durable this guy seemed to be.
Poison barely affected him, paralysis apparently didn’t matter either, and somehow he still behaved as though nothing unusual had happened.
"It’s at Oreburgh Tunnel. Want to go now?"
"Yeah, but I don’t have a Ride Pokémon with me."
Mike looked pointedly at Lucian.
"I arranged a car."
Lucian led them outside to a waiting vehicle, and Mike climbed in with Gengar and the others.
During the drive south, Lucian’s attention shifted toward the floating Rotom Phone.
"You caught that Rotom recently?"
"Yeah. I visited the Old Chateau a few days ago and happened to find it there."
"Having a Rotom while traveling should make things considerably easier."
Lucian paused.
"Although probably more expensive too."
Mike immediately fell silent.
Rotom ate food but Rotom also ate electricity.
When Mike checked out of his hotel, the electricity bill had been noticeably higher than expected because on Rotom’s very first night there, it had enthusiastically drained so much power from the building that the electrical system shorted out and the entire hotel lost power!
--------
Read 30 Chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator