"Silas, what are you doing here?"
Nobuhiko asked instinctively.
Then he immediately realized something.
"Don't tell me another one of your Pokémon broke through to the Elite level?!"
His tone carried both shock and the faintest trace of jealousy.
Nobuhiko knew that in a place like this, Pidgeot couldn't fight properly. Even if it were forced into battle, being able to display thirty or forty percent of its Elite-level strength would already be impressive.
But the battle fluctuations he had sensed from this area definitely weren't merely at that level.
So there was only one possible explanation.
His gaze swept across the surrounding Pokémon before quickly locking onto Blaziken.
As early as last year, when they had trained in Saffron City, he had already noticed how extraordinary Blaziken's potential was.
But he had never imagined it would break through this quickly.
After all, Pidgeot had been raised by Silas for more than two years, so its rapid progress was understandable.
But Blaziken...
If Nobuhiko remembered correctly, the guy was only about a year old at most.
Comparing that to his own progress, he immediately felt depressed.
"Hello, Gym Leader Nobuhiko. I'm Brock from Pewter Gym."
Brock quickly snapped him out of his thoughts.
Nobuhiko greeted him absentmindedly.
"Hello, hello. I've heard so much about you."
Silas couldn't help but laugh.
It was perfectly normal for Nobuhiko to know Brock.
But saying he'd "heard so much" was a little strange.
After all, Nobuhiko belonged to the same generation as Flint, Brock's father. As fellow powerful trainers from Kanto, they naturally had some connections.
Even his greeting showed just how distracted he was.
"Machamp."
While Nobuhiko was lost in thought, the Machamp behind him raised all four arms and greeted Silas.
It had a very deep impression of this young trainer.
After all, it was the first time Machamp had struggled against a Pokémon that had only recently advanced to the Elite Four level.
"Good evening, Machamp."
Silas smiled and returned the greeting.
Despite looking like a muscle-bound powerhouse, most Machamp were actually quite gentle.
Only during battles or when moving heavy objects did people realize those muscles weren't just for show.
Silence filled the dark cavern.
Everyone, humans and Pokémon alike stared at Nobuhiko.
"Machamp."
Unable to bear it any longer, Machamp walked over and gave Nobuhiko a loving hug.
Its four arms wrapped tightly around his body.
For a moment, Silas genuinely thought Nobuhiko might be torn apart.
"AAAAAH—!"
A miserable scream echoed through the cave.
Although Machamp controlled its strength perfectly, Nobuhiko's wandering mind had left him completely unprepared for the sudden embrace.
Clutching his waist, Nobuhiko wore a pained expression.
It seemed every Fighting-type trainer's Pokémon had this habit.
They all called it "teamwork."
Silas respectfully declined such displays.
Fortunately, Blaziken didn't share that hobby.
The three chatted briefly.
Nobuhiko had rushed over after hearing the fierce battle earlier.
He had even hoped to find a worthy sparring partner for his own Pokémon.
Within the underground caverns of Mt. Mortar, only an Elite-level trainer like him could wander around so casually.
Silas guessed plenty of other trainers had also heard the battle between Blaziken and the mysterious bear Pokémon.
That kind of commotion couldn't possibly be hidden.
But aside from Nobuhiko, not a single one of them dared approach.
Curiosity was one thing.
Getting yourself killed because of curiosity was another.
Most trainers operating in the middle layers of Mt. Mortar shared one simple rule:
If you encounter a massive battle, run.
And the farther away you get, the better.
Just like that trainer they had met earlier had said.
Of course, once your strength reached a certain level, such rules became optional.
"A powerful Fighting-type Pokémon, huh? What a shame."
After hearing Silas's description of the mysterious Pokémon, Nobuhiko beat his chest in regret.
Brock widened his eyes.
"Senior Nobuhiko, you've never seen a Pokémon like that either?"
"Nope."
Nobuhiko shook his head.
"The only thing that sounds similar is Pangoro. But you two can't possibly fail to recognize a Pangoro, right?"
Although he had traveled through many regions, he didn't believe his Pokémon knowledge surpassed that of the two young men before him.
Nobuhiko had always considered himself a rough-and-ready type.
He preferred solving things with his fists rather than his brain.
The two in front of him were the exact opposite.
At the very least, Nobuhiko stayed far away from Breeder certification exams.
Unlike them, he had no interest in Pokémon research.
That stuff was way too difficult.
"That's strange."
Brock frowned deeply.
"Ah, don't worry about it."
Nobuhiko waved dismissively.
"When you get out of here, just ask Professor Oak. There's no Pokémon in the world that Professor Oak doesn't know."
His confidence was absolute.
Silas's expression became slightly strange.
Did Professor Oak even know Nobuhiko had that much faith in him?
Not necessarily.
After all, there was a ridiculously powerful Pokémon living near a city close to Pallet Town that Professor Oak definitely didn't know about.
Still, Brock agreed wholeheartedly.
As one of the greatest Pokémon researchers of the age, Professor Oak's vast knowledge was universally acknowledged.
It was difficult to imagine that the kindly old man carried such an enormous amount of Pokémon knowledge in his head.
Nobuhiko looked at Silas eagerly.
"When we meet again after getting out of here, don't forget to show me that Pokémon."
The mysterious Pokémon had suffered serious injuries, so Silas hadn't released it.
Instead, he left it inside its Poké Ball to recover slowly.
After healing Blaziken, Serperior and Togekiss didn't have much energy left.
The mysterious bear Pokémon wasn't any weaker than Blaziken.
To preserve some combat capability, Silas could only let it recover naturally for the time being.
Once they left Mt. Mortar, Nurse Joy at the Mahogany Town Pokémon Center could restore it completely.
Until then, it would have to rely on medicine and the Poké Ball's basic recovery functions.
At least its condition was gradually improving.
"How long are you planning to stay here?"
Understanding the implication behind Nobuhiko's earlier words, Silas asked curiously.
Nobuhiko scratched his head.
"I found a place that's perfect for training. I'll probably stay here for three or four years. Every now and then I'll visit Mahogany Town or Ecruteak City to restock supplies."
"That long?!"
Brock was stunned.
"It's not too bad."
Nobuhiko grinned sheepishly.
"I'll still go out occasionally to handle some business. Otherwise, two or three years would probably be enough."
Silas mentally translated that statement.
In simpler terms:
Go out and earn money, then come back and continue training.
After all, even heroes couldn't survive without money.
Fighting-type Pokémon weren't cheap to raise.
Among all Pokémon types, their upkeep costs ranked fairly high.
Whether it was training equipment or recovery materials, anything effective for Elite level Pokémon was extraordinarily expensive.
That was why every Elite-level trainer essentially had a mountain of money behind them.
Despite his carefree appearance, Nobuhiko was undoubtedly part of the "perpetually broke due to training expenses" club.
"Want to see the place where I train?"
Nobuhiko glanced at the time displayed on his watch and invited Silas and Brock.
"If I'm not mistaken, there'll be a pretty amazing sight tonight."
His eyebrows twitched mysteriously.
"Sure. That saves us the trouble of finding somewhere to rest."
Silas agreed immediately.
Brock nodded as well.
"Blaze."
Blaziken stood up, indicating that it had mostly recovered. The rest could wait until tomorrow.
"Good work. Come back and get some rest."
Silas took out a Luxury Ball and recalled Blaziken.
Not only Blazikenz since Nobuhiko's Machamp was providing protection, Silas simply left Piplup outside while recalling his other Pokémon.
"This is your newest capture? There are Piplup in a place like this?"
Only now did Nobuhiko notice the Water-type starter from the Sinnoh region beside Silas.
"Piplup!"
Piplup puffed out its cheeks in dissatisfaction.
Nobuhiko's words made it sound as though he had completely overlooked its existence.
"Ahahaha, sorry. You're just so short that I didn't see you."
Nobuhiko apologized slightly.
Unfortunately, that only made Piplup even more annoyed.
Pshht!
It immediately sprayed a mouthful of water onto him.
"Ah, refreshing! Give me more!"
Instead of getting angry, Nobuhiko actually enjoyed it and encouraged Piplup to continue.
"Piii-plup!"
Piplup clenched both flippers tightly.
Then it charged forward on its tiny legs and launched a flying kick straight at Nobuhiko.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!"
Nobuhiko hopped around on one foot while clutching his knee.
Silas turned toward Machamp.
"Has he always been this childish?"
Holding a giant portable flashlight, Machamp calmly nodded.
"Machamp."
It indicated there was no need to worry, it had everything under control.
Machamp held the flashlight with two arms while using its other two arms to scoop Nobuhiko up horizontally.
"Hey! What are you doing?! Put me down, Machamp!"
Nobuhiko's struggle was entirely futile.
With practiced efficiency, Machamp somehow produced a black cloth from nowhere and promptly tied it around Nobuhiko's mouth.
Gulp.
Brock swallowed nervously.
For some reason, watching Nobuhiko's treatment gave him a strange sense of déjà vu and a faint sadness.
"Must be my imagination."
He narrowed his eyes and dismissed the thought.
Roar—
The familiar sound echoed once again.
Silas's ears twitched.
"A waterfall?"
He glanced at Nobuhiko, who was leading the way.
More than an hour had passed since they met.
They had wound their way through countless tunnels and cave passages.
If not for his trust in Machamp, Silas might have assumed Nobuhiko had gotten lost.
"That's right."
Nobuhiko grinned.
"And it's a very unusual waterfall."
Along the way, he had also learned how Silas obtained Piplup.
All he could do was marvel at Silas's incredible luck.
At a normal waterfall, forget starter Pokémon, Goldeen and Magikarp were usually the most common inhabitants.
As they spoke, the sound of rushing water grew louder.
"Welcome to Sky Falls."
Standing at the tunnel exit, Nobuhiko spread his arms dramatically.
The next moment, moonlight poured into view.
Bathed in silver light, Silas and Brock finally saw the waterfall Nobuhiko had described.
Their mouths dropped open in disbelief.
The reason it was called Sky Falls was simple.
Standing beneath the waterfall, one could look directly upward and see the star-filled night sky.
Inside an underground cavern, such a sight was nothing short of miraculous.
No wonder Nobuhiko had been so confident.
Caverns with openings to the sky were not uncommon.
Underground waterfalls weren't rare either.
But a location possessing both was exceedingly uncommon.
"This..."
"I have no idea how it formed either."
Nobuhiko anticipated their question.
"My guess is that flowing water hollowed out the entire cavern over time."
He continued:
"I only discovered this place by accident. There used to be two Elite-level Golduck living here, but I drove them away."
One mountain could not accommodate two tigers.
Unless they were a pair.
Those two Golduck had been a rare mated pair, working together with flawless coordination.
Combined with the environmental advantage, even though Nobuhiko had superior numbers, capturing them had proven extremely difficult.
Although Golduck was not a Psychic-type Pokémon, it possessed formidable psychic abilities.
If they chose to flee, a Fighting-type specialist like Nobuhiko had little chance of stopping them.
"It's beautiful."
Looking up at the starry sky through the mist-filled cavern, Silas couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
Meanwhile, Piplup performed a penguin dive into the pool below.
This place was much larger than its previous home.
Though the water quality wasn't quite as good.
Floating on the surface, Piplup reached that conclusion.
"A waterfall like this is perfect for high-pressure Fighting-type training."
Nobuhiko pointed toward the crashing torrents.
"It's a shame Blaziken can't really train this way. Gallade, on the other hand, could benefit from it. It would help strengthen both its body and its psychic abilities."
Silas glanced at the several-hundred-meter waterfall and nodded.
He knew this type of training demanded extraordinary physical and mental endurance.
No wonder Nobuhiko had chosen this place for his secluded training.
Even in the Pokémon world, waterfalls of such ridiculous height were exceptionally rare.
"But I thought you said there would be a special sight tonight."
Silas looked at him.
"This scenery should appear every night."
Nobuhiko smiled mysteriously.
"Don't be so impatient. Look."
He pointed toward the upper reaches of the waterfall.
Silas and Brock, who had only just lowered their aching necks, were forced to look up once more.
A bright full moon hung high in the sky.
A pure beam of moonlight descended directly onto the waterfall.
The surrounding mist seemed draped in a veil of silver, giving everything an ethereal appearance.
Then they looked down.
At some point, the pool had become filled with countless flashes of red.
It was a massive school of Magikarp.
"Piplup! Piplup!"
Piplup scrambled frantically back onto land.
An individual Magikarp might be weak.
But when so many gathered together, even their collective body mass was intimidating.
If it had already evolved into Empoleon, it might have stood its ground.
As a Piplup, however, it wisely retreated.
The pale-blue waterfall gradually turned red.
Countless Magikarp surged upstream, charging toward the waterfall.
Every moment, some were swept back down by the raging current.
Yet new Magikarp immediately took their place.
They climbed relentlessly.
Tirelessly.
Endlessly.
"Magikarp... Leaping the Dragon Gate."
Brock unconsciously murmured the name of the scene before them.
Legend said that beyond the waterfall lay the Dragon Gate.
Only by swimming upstream and overcoming the waterfall could a carp become a dragon.
Weak Magikarp could not learn Waterfall.
But mighty Gyarados could.
The legendary "carp leaping over the Dragon Gate" represented both the effort of Magikarp striving to become stronger and their refusal to accept weakness.
The three stood silently, transfixed by the spectacle.
...
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