As Natsuhiko was still immersed in the sculptures, Hilona had already thrown out a Pokeball.
The red light flickered.
"Roar——"
Accompanied by a low roar, a sturdy and ferocious-looking Garchomp appeared within the ruins.
Seeing Hilona summon Garchomp, Natsuhiko finally snapped back to reality.
Why would she summon Garchomp?
The next second.
Natsuhiko understood why Hilona had summoned Garchomp.
Whoa!
Garchomp extended a claw, a bright white sharp claw, inserting it into a subtle hole in the wall.
Immediately after.
Rumble——
A faint rumbling sound accompanied the slow movement of the heavy stone wall, revealing a relatively smaller space in front of Natsuhiko.
"This is..."
In this narrow space, there was not much, just a deep brown stone about the height of a person.
Others might not think much of it, but Natsuhiko had seen such a stone before.
At Meteor Falls, on the way to "Meteor Village."
As he expected, Hilona nodded at Natsuhiko and walked inside.
Ripples spread across the stone.
Hilona and Garchomp disappeared from Natsuhiko's sight.
Natsuhiko pressed his lips together.
He vaguely understood why it seemed that the seemingly "unremarkable" Hilona, who appeared to have no resources, could live like Flint.
This is incredible!
A private alternate space?!
Or rather, an alternate space belonging to the residents of Shenhe Town?
Raising his foot to enter.
A familiar sensation of crossing through space.
However, upon entering, Natsuhiko could feel that there was a big difference between here and "Meteor Village" at Meteor Falls.
If "Meteor Village" felt like a "Peach Blossom Spring" of the Pokemon Realm to Natsuhiko, then this alternate space felt like a...
"Ancient Battlefield?"
"Yes."
Standing at the entrance of the alternate space, Hilona brushed some wind-swept strands of hair behind her ear.
With a complex expression, she looked into the distance at the faintly crimson sky and the seemingly desolate land.
"The legend." Hilona walked deeper into the alternate space, explaining the legends of this place to Natsuhiko as she went.
"The Creator God Arceus created the Pokemon Realm and then created Dialga, representing time, Palkia, representing space, and Giratina, representing antimatter..."
This is a widely circulated legend in the Sinnoh Region.
And the origin of this legend is Shenhe Town.
Hilona told legends that Natsuhiko had seen before.
In fact.
He had even witnessed the intense clash of those Three Dragons.
"Then suddenly, the 'God of Time,' Dialga, and the 'God of Space,' Palkia, originally harmonious and complementary divine beasts, erupted in a violent conflict, and then Giratina intervened."
Hilona continued, now touching on secrets that Natsuhiko wasn't aware of.
It's worth mentioning that Hilona was not only an outstanding Trainer but, influenced by her grandmother, Dr. Jiezilan, she was also a distinguished scholar in Ancient Studies, with an in-depth research into Sinnoh's legendary history.
"However, the appearance of the Creator God Arceus eventually calmed this battle that nearly destroyed the entire realm.
But the animosity between the two divine beasts did not subside, so they decided to let their loyal followers, their Pokémon, determine the victor.
And this is the origin of the Ancient Battlefield."
Hilona paused slightly before continuing: "But, this is only a part of the Ancient Battlefield; the true Ancient Battlefield was divided into countless pieces by Dialga and Palkia."
Natsuhiko was silent.
So, the reason the residents of Shenhe Town retained their ancient way of life is because they are originally the survivors of these Ancient Battlefields?
Of course.
This was Natsuhiko's guess; he didn't dare to ask.
"My Garchomp was something I encountered here when I accidentally stumbled upon it as a child. From then on, I fell in love with Pokémon and enjoyed being with them."
As she spoke, a serene smile appeared on Hilona's face.
"Roar——!!"
Garchomp also opened its arms and let out a loud roar.
Meeting Hilona was probably the luckiest thing that ever happened to it.
Hilona and Garchomp share a bond that was the strongest Natsuhiko had seen between a Trainer and their Pokémon.
Even compared to Lance's Charizard, Flint's Shiny Golem, Kona's Lapras, the emotional bond Hilona and Garchomp shared undoubtedly surpassed them.
It was precisely this deep connection that paved the way for Hilona's future Championship.
It would be no exaggeration to say that Hilona's Garchomp was unparalleled among her Pokémon.
Even Da Ye's Infernape, capable of defeating two of Hilona's Pokémon in a row, would meet its match against Garchomp.
Although at present this relationship might not provide a noticeable advantage, once Mega Evolution becomes widespread, a transformation dependent on Trainer-Pokémon affinity, Hilona's advantage would stand out considerably.
Truth be told, at their peak, the battle prowess of Lance, Flint, and Hilona isn't all that different, with each having both victories and defeats; the discrepancy lies perhaps only in win rates.
But Natsuhiko suddenly thought of a bug-level character.
The future Champion of the Galar Region, Dan Emperor!
Claimed to have "never been defeated," which is quite extraordinary.
It remains to be seen if Dan Emperor will also have a match with Hilona and Flint.
As Natsuhiko's thoughts began to wander, Hilona's continued explanations of this alternate space brought his mind back to focus.
"There are many Dragon-type Pokémon here. The Dragon-type Elite from Kalos, Drasna, was once a member of Shenhe Town. From a generational standpoint, I might even have to call her aunt, and one of her Pokémon also hails from here."
Just as Hilona finished speaking.
The previously desolate surroundings became vibrant with life.
Dense forests, shimmering lakes, and vast skies.
Whoosh——
A breeze blew by.
Shortly thereafter, Natsuhiko's eyes gradually widened.
In the sky, on the ground, and in the water, Dragon-type Pokémon appeared in his view one by one.
"Is this... the heritage of Shenhe Town?"
One of Hilona's sources of confidence?
A community with a history of thousands of years like the "Meteor People" possessing such a prominent "Meteor Village" and countless Dragon-type Pokémon Eggs, Shenhe Town's history is far older.
And with an alternate space of their own, it's impossible for them not to have some enviable heritage.
Hilona partially turned, smiling at Natsuhiko.
"The ancestors once called this place the 'Dragon's Tomb.' But I prefer to call it... the 'Land of Dragons.'"
——————
I'm currently preparing for the conclusion of this volume and the plot for the next, so updates might be slow~~
Also, the Dragon Egg that you're all interested in is coming soon~ Everyone can take a guess, of what it might be.