The departure from Fuchsia carried the satisfaction of accomplishment.
Route 12 stretched northward along Kanto's eastern coastline, a scenic alternative to their southern approach that promised ocean views and quieter travel. The Mobile Home navigated roads built to showcase natural beauty, every turn revealing vistas that cities couldn't replicate.
"Different than the underground route," Kasumi observed, watching waves crash against rocky shores below the highway. "Much better for recovery."
"That's why I chose it." Sasuke guided them along curves that seemed designed by artists rather than engineers. "After Kabuto's battle, we all need decompression."
The ocean stretched endlessly toward horizons that made their journey's scope feel manageable. Somewhere beyond those waters lay other regions, other challenges, other adventures that would eventually call to them.
Silence Bridge emerged from the landscape like a monument to human engineering.
The massive structure spanned an ocean channel several kilometers wide, its construction somehow managing to feel both impressive and unobtrusive. Traffic flowed steadily, but the bridge's fame came from different activity entirely.
"Fishermen," Kiyomi noted, observing the hundreds of figures lining the bridge's pedestrian sections. "Silence Bridge is one of Kanto's premier fishing locations."
"What do they catch?"
"Everything. The channel below draws Water-types from multiple oceanic currents. Magikarp, Goldeen, Krabby, Tentacool, sometimes rarer specimens depending on season and luck."
Sasuke found parking near the bridge's midpoint, his expression holding interest that had nothing to do with Pokémon training.
"Fresh seafood for cooking," he explained when his companions noticed. "The best ingredients come directly from source."
The fishing lesson came from an elderly local who appreciated students willing to learn properly.
"Technique matters more than equipment," the fisherman explained, demonstrating casting motions that decades of practice had perfected. "Any fool can throw line in water. Catching requires understanding what lives below."
Sasuke absorbed instruction with the same focus he brought to battle preparation. The rod felt natural in his hands, a tool that demanded skill rather than power.
First catch: Magikarp. The fish Pokémon emerged with the splash that made its species famous, its orange scales gleaming in afternoon light.
"Good eating if you know how to prepare it," the fisherman observed. "Most trainers dismiss Magikarp. They're wrong."
Second catch: Krabby. The River Crab Pokémon pinched ineffectively at air before being secured in a container.
"Sweet meat in those claws. Boiled or grilled, can't go wrong either way."
Third catch: Goldeen. The goldfish Pokémon's elegant form suggested beauty rather than sustenance, but the fisherman's expression said otherwise.
"Soup stock. Nothing better. That horn concentrates flavors you can't get anywhere else."
Sasuke thanked his instructor with genuine appreciation. The catches weren't Legendary partners, they were dinner. And dinner prepared properly was its own kind of excellence.
Kasumi's experiments continued during the fishing expedition.
Her Vitaberries had proven their healing properties during publication, but she suspected greater potential remained unexplored. The coastal environment provided opportunities that their journey's pace usually precluded.
"Mixing with specific herbs," she explained to Miyuki, who observed with professional interest. "The Vitaberry's regenerative compounds might synergize with certain plant chemicals."
The local vegetation offered specimens that Kasumi had identified through research but never worked with directly. She harvested samples, combined them with her cultivated berries, and documented reactions that chemistry produced.
"There." Kasumi's expression shifted to excitement. "The color change, that indicates enhanced bioavailability."
"In practical terms?"
"The healing compound is absorbed faster. Effects manifest more quickly and completely." Kasumi documented everything with methodical precision. "This could be significant. Medical applications that exceed anything I've published."
"Another breakthrough?"
"Maybe. At minimum, another line of investigation worth pursuing."
The Vitaberry Enhanced compound, her working name, joined her growing portfolio of innovations that the journey had enabled.
Shelgon's restlessness had become impossible to ignore.
The Dragon-type pressed against its shell with increasing frequency, energy building toward transformation that everyone could sense approaching. Miyuki monitored her partner constantly, watching for signs that the moment had arrived.
"Soon," she said, hand resting on Shelgon's armored surface. "The energy pattern is unmistakable. Days, maybe hours."
"What triggers evolution?"
"Significant emotional moment. Intense battle. Something that pushes past current limitations." Miyuki's golden eyes held patient certainty. "It will happen naturally. Forcing it risks complications that I won't accept."
Shelgon rumbled agreement, understanding passing between trainer and Pokémon without words.
"Ryu knows he's ready," Miyuki continued. "His body knows. We're just waiting for the moment that makes it real."
Kiyomi's discovery came through research that had become habitual.
"Ancient underwater ruins," she announced during their evening planning session. "Approximately two kilometers offshore. A submerged city from roughly one thousand years ago."
"Underwater?" Kasumi asked. "How would we explore that?"
"Low tide. Extreme low tide, specifically. Tomorrow morning, tidal patterns will expose portions that are normally inaccessible." Kiyomi displayed charts that showed the phenomenon. "Windows of opportunity that occur perhaps twice per year."
"And you want to investigate?"
"The city was supposedly a trading hub that connected multiple regions. If any documentation about ancient Pokémon practices exists, it might be preserved in structures that water has protected from surface-level degradation."
"Then we go," Sasuke decided. "Tomorrow morning, early enough to maximize the exposure window."
"Thank you." Kiyomi's expression held enthusiasm that academic discoveries reliably produced. "This could complement everything we've learned about pre-modern partnerships."
The evening camp transformed into culinary showcase.
Sasuke's catches provided ingredients that his skills transformed into cuisine. The beach setting added atmosphere that even professional restaurants couldn't replicate, salt air, sunset colors, waves providing constant soundtrack.
"Grilled Krabby," he announced, presenting the first course. "Shell contains natural oils that enhance the meat's sweetness."
The claws yielded tender flesh that exceeded commercial seafood by margins no one had expected.
"Magikarp sashimi." Thin slices arranged with artistic precision. "Dismissing this fish as worthless is ignorance. Proper preparation reveals why it's prized in certain culinary traditions."
The sashimi was subtle but remarkable, clean flavor that paired perfectly with the accompaniments Sasuke had prepared.
"Goldeen soup." The final course arrived in portions that seemed inadequate until the first taste proved concentration over quantity. "That horn provides essence that hours of conventional stock can't match."
"Restaurant quality," Miyuki observed between spoonfuls. "Actually, beyond restaurant quality."
"Fresh ingredients, proper technique, attention to detail." Sasuke accepted the compliment with characteristic understatement. "Anyone could learn."
"Anyone could learn the mechanics. Few could achieve this result."
Strategy discussion accompanied the meal's conclusion.
"Saffron next," Kiyomi said. "Hiashi Hyuga's gym. Psychic-type specialist."
"We've met him," Kasumi recalled. "Formal dinner at the estate. Intimidating presence."
"He's extremely powerful," Sasuke confirmed. "Gym Leader and clan head simultaneously. His Alakazam has been partnered with him for decades, their synchronization exceeds anything I've faced."
"Primal Mega Alakazam," Kiyomi added from her research. "Combined transformations that produce psychic force capable of affecting reality itself."
"My counter: Galarian Moltres."
The logic was immediate. Dark/Flying typing provided perfect advantages, Dark immunity to Psychic attacks, Flying mobility that grounded Pokémon couldn't match.
"Should be strong matchup," Miyuki observed.
"Should be. But Hiashi has competed at championship levels. He'll have counters prepared for type advantages." Sasuke's expression held respect rather than concern. "I must prepare thoroughly. No assumptions, no overconfidence."
"When do we arrive in Saffron?"
"Three days, at current pace. Then registration, preparation time, the challenge itself."
The sixth badge waited in a city they'd visited under different circumstances.
Now they would return as challengers to a Gym Leader who had already evaluated them once.