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After dinner, while digesting, Li Xiang, being the idler he was, had nothing to do.
Ji Xiang encouraged him to take a stroll around the city, assuring him that the City of Wisdom was very safe.
To be honest, he was tempted. He still wanted to inquire about matters concerning Riolu.
There had been official business earlier, and he never got a chance to interject.
By the time he wanted to ask, Slowking had hurried off again, as if something urgent had come up.
Now, after all this time, it should be back.
But Li Xiang didn't forget to seek Mo Ye's consent. After all, in a sense, the Elite Four member was currently his "guardian."
"Go ahead, just don't wander too far."
Mo Ye agreed.
"Great!"
Li Xiang nodded and slipped out with Riolu.
It wasn't that he didn't want to bring Incineroar, but that bastard had eaten too much and claimed that taking one more step would make him throw up.
He insisted on resting inside his PokéBall.
Li Xiang had nothing to say to this guy. He was a cat of four, nearly five years old, and still acting like an idiot.
Once outside, he first used the Pokémon food Ji Xiang had given him to take advantage of the adorable little cubs gathered at the entrance.
In just two minutes of petting, he had them writhing and twitching on the ground. Then, through Riolu, Li Xiang asked how he could ride one of Linoone's wooden carts. He was genuinely extremely curious.
The answer came in the form of—
"Howl—"
The cubs' wailing cries.
Li Xiang thought he had done something wrong and scared them, and was about to reassure them when he saw, at the edge of his vision, a plume of dust rolling in.
At the center of the dust cloud was an incredibly excited-looking Linoone.
Tied to its body was a simple harness, and behind it was a wooden cart large enough for a Slaking to lie sideways in.
"Linoone!"
'Linoone Express, guaranteed delivery!'
The Linoone cart stopped right in front of Li Xiang, kicking up a cloud of choking dust.
"Impressive."
Li Xiang covered his nose, his voice muffled.
An ordinary Linoone was only about one point two to one point five meters long, and its height when crouched was only about fifty centimeters.
But this one in front of him was not only over two meters long but also over a meter tall when crouched.
It looked strong and powerful, more like a Hoenn Typhlosion of the Normal type than a Linoone.
Riolu stepped forward to communicate with the excited Linoone.
Riding the cart wasn't free, of course. The price had to be negotiated first.
For the Pokémon on Mist Island, the hard currency was the Pokéblocks brought by the rangers.
These things tasted good, were filling, could be stored for a long time, and were beneficial to their bodies after eating. Therefore, Linoone hoped Li Xiang could pay with Pokéblocks. Not too many; two of decent quality would suffice.
After all, it was manual labor; it was only fair to pay a little for the effort.
Li Xiang was very generous, casually taking out two Pokéblocks. These were all part of the "funds" Ji Xiang had given him anyway.
He had also brought some of his own.
In special situations like adventures, feeding Incineroar and the others Pokéblocks was the best choice.
Linoone sniffed the Pokéblocks lightly, its sapphire-like eyes gradually brightening.
The quality was pretty good!
"Linoone!"
Linoone grabbed its fare and motioned for Li Xiang to get on.
Li Xiang climbed aboard.
To be honest, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. The primitive wooden cart had no suspension whatsoever. Riding it was bumpier than a tractor.
Moreover, Linoone was a Pokémon that didn't know how to turn corners. It drove entirely by drifting, which could thoroughly jostle a person's brains.
It was hard to imagine how that Slaking had managed to fall asleep earlier.
Getting off in front of the Knowledge Museum, Li Xiang felt like he had been driving bumper cars all afternoon, dizzy and disoriented.
"I'm going to be sick."
Li Xiang covered his mouth, his face pale, nearly throwing up his lunch.
Riolu beside him wasn't feeling great either. It could handle the speed, but not the churning sensation in its stomach or the intense vibration beneath its rear.
"Linoone?"
Linoone scratched its head awkwardly, seemingly not expecting Li Xiang to be so unable to handle the ride.
"It's fine, it's fine. Go on."
Li Xiang waved his hand. He didn't want to see this drifting Linoone again.
"Linoone!"
'Buddy, remember to give me some publicity next time and leave a five-star review!'
The Linoone cart rumbled away.
Arriving at the Knowledge Museum again felt different from before.
Coming in the morning, with Zhong Hai and Mo Ye by his side, his focus had been more on their conversation, with sightseeing as a secondary thing.
Coming back now, the solemn and majestic feeling of the Knowledge Museum surged over him instantly, multiplied.
Even the mountain behind the museum, at first glance, seemed so towering and magnificent, stirring the soul.
The weather was fine, the sun shining brightly.
They were just ordinary steps, but under the afternoon sunlight, they shone with a brilliant gold.
It gave him an indescribable feeling of walking on a heavenly path, feeling immensely glorious.
Li Xiang knew he was probably being influenced by the environment again, seeing everything through dozens of filters.
His mind even automatically generated grand background music, something like the God of War series.
Just, he wasn't as handsome or imposing as Kratos.
"Halt."
A voice sounded from the depths of his mind. Immediately after, a massive shadow blotted out the sun above Li Xiang.
He unconsciously looked up, and his pupils sharply contracted.
In the sky was an enormous, brilliant silver Pokémon, shaped like a fish skeleton, with a head resembling a snake's, yet incorporating various earth and rock elements.
A Steel and Ground type Steelix... no, it was a Mega Steelix. (Mega as in big.. not Mega Evolution.)
Because ordinary Steelix were only nine to ten meters long. This one was at least fifteen meters, more like eighteen or nineteen meters.
It floated and spun in the air above his head like a Gyarados, surrounded by a golden glow, a sign of the Magnet Rise state.
Judging by its posture, it seemed ready to bring its massive body crashing down at any moment.
More telepathy. This proved that this enormous Steelix was likely also one of the Ten Sages.
That made sense. Pokémon like Steelix had incredibly long lifespans. Growing up in such an environment, becoming a sage was only natural, was not.
That said, Li Xiang still couldn't help but reach his hand toward the small of his back.
Riolu beside him showed an alert expression.
"Kid, put away your useless vigilance. No one in the City of Wisdom will hurt you."
The Steelix in the sky let out a disdainful chuckle, slowly descending, looking down at Li Xiang arrogantly. "Human child, when did you arrive?"
"This morning."
Li Xiang stepped back a few paces. Although Steelix had said no one would hurt him, he still was not willing to entrust his life to mere words.
"Roar? A new ranger? A student?"
Steelix seemed to have some understanding of the outside world, lowering its massive head. "What are you here at the Knowledge Museum for?"
"To gain knowledge, of course."
Li Xiang touched the hidden alarm on his body, his expression relaxing slightly. With this thing, he could summon help.
"Gain knowledge? Hahaha, are you telling me a joke?"
Steelix opened its huge mouth, revealing its strangely gapped teeth.
It laughed uncontrollably. "Don't you humans look down on our Knowledge Museum the most? Just because you have more books!"
"But what does that have to do with me?"
Li Xiang did not really understand what this guy was mocking. "Just because others have read a book does not mean I have read it. Besides, gaining knowledge does not necessarily rely on books."
This was the first time he had seen such an enormous Steelix. That in itself was a form of knowledge.
He had experienced the grandeur of the Knowledge Museum.
That, too, was knowledge.
'Do not underestimate knowledge, you idiot!'
Li Xiang stood behind Riolu, boldly confronting this obstructionist. The reason he had become a bit more emboldened was that he had spotted Mo Ye's Jellicent.
This pink, plump figure was hiding in the shadow of a pillar, winking at him.
'I actually have a bodyguard!'
Li Xiang instantly felt emboldened.
"Huh?"
Steelix's laughter abruptly stopped. It looked at Li Xiang with its reddish-brown eyes. "Oh ho! You are not big, but you are lecturing me? By age, I could be your great-grandfather!"
"So, is the Knowledge Museum's sage determined by who is oldest?"
Li Xiang retorted. He felt this Steelix did not seem very smart.
This guy could be called a sage?
Steelix was left speechless.
This question seemed to break through Steelix's defenses. The enormous metallic monster fell into a brief silence.
Seeing this, Li Xiang planned to sneak past and go up. He had not come here to have a verbal spar with a Steelix.
But just as he was trying to circle around and head up, a tail blocked his path.
Li Xiang was startled, grabbing his PokéBall as he turned his head, only to see a large face full of a strange grin.
If Steelix's expressions were not so vivid, Li Xiang might have had a heart attack from the scare.
It chuckled eerily, as if laughing maniacally for no reason, and shouted,
"Administrator, this little guy is as interesting as you said!"
"Indeed, everything is fated. What is meant to come will always come."
From behind Steelix, Slowking revealed its plump body, its face wearing the same smile as the former.
"Good afternoon, Li Xiang."
It spoke his name, even though Li Xiang had never introduced himself.
"Good afternoon..."
Li Xiang looked at these two mysterious figures, profoundly realizing that everyone had the potential to be a riddle-speaker.
"This is the Sage of Steel, the oldest among us. Even it does not know exactly how long it has lived."
Slowking introduced Steelix to Li Xiang.
"Haha, a long life holds too many memories. Age is no longer important."
Steelix laughed heartily, lowering its head to look at Li Xiang. Unlike its previous sharp gaze, its eyes now were full of kindness and benevolence.
"Child, what you said was excellent. Knowledge can indeed be gained not only from books. The embodiment of knowledge and wisdom will surely take a liking to you."
Li Xiang: "Uh... so, what was that just now?"
"My apologies, my apologies. That was my personal little eccentricity. If I offended you, I sincerely offer you my apologies."
Steelix lowered its head, speaking softly. "For that reason, if there is anything you need help with, please let me assist you."
This ironclad mass, possibly several thousand years old, was being very humble.
Li Xiang was quite surprised.
"You exaggerate, you exaggerate." Li Xiang bowed slightly in response.
As they say, courtesy costs nothing. Since he had not really lost anything, and it had apologized and offered help, what more could he ask for?
Without further ado, and since the person he needed to find was right there,
Li Xiang quickly inquired about the matter concerning himself and Riolu's lingering issue.