After flying past Route 121, below them lay the famous Safari Zone of the Hoenn region.
Lowering his head for a quick glance, Silas saw a group Pikachu scurrying wildly through the forest in numbers no fewer than stray dogs. Every now and then, a few Doduo and Girafarig could also be spotted.
Once they crossed Route 121, they entered Route 120.
A little further ahead was Fortree City, the place where people lived in houses built high in the trees. According to Chatot, the giant iron ball was located somewhere along Route 120.
Unlike other routes, the grass on Route 120 consisted entirely of tall grass, the kind that grew higher than a person.
With most of the view obstructed, the best option was to stay airborne.
After guiding Tropius in a circle, Silas patted its neck. "There's an open clearing below. Let's land and rest for a bit."
"Troop!"
Flapping its broad, leaf-shaped wings, Tropius slowly descended.
Silas took out some poffins and fed Tropius before continuing to prepare lunch.
It was already noon.
The Poké Balls at his waist were thrown out one by one, and the Noivern and Rowlet appeared by his side.
"Have some fruits first. Lunch will be ready soon."
Silas brought over a platter of assorted fruit.
The Noivern lay lazily on the ground, while Rowlet pecked at a few pieces before burrowing into the shade beneath one of the Noivern's body and falling fast asleep.
Cinccino and Cyclizar helped Silas with the preparations, while Tropius drifted off into thoughts of its mate and children.
No one noticed that the fruit on the platter was disappearing piece by piece.
It was only when Silas brought over the freshly made poffins and glanced at the empty platter that he froze.
"Huh? You all finished it already?"
Three large heads turned toward him in unison. Then they stared at each other wide-eyed.
"Noi?" (I didn't eat it. Was it you two?)
"Noi? Noi!" (How dare you slander my innocence out of nowhere? I think it was you!)
The Noivern were on the verge of coming to blows when Silas raised his hand and knocked each of them lightly on the head.
They immediately lowered their heads, looking as wronged as children.
"If it wasn't you, then a wild Pokémon must have stopped by."
Silas quickly scanned the surroundings before his gaze settled on a tree nearby. He signaled to Cyclizar with his eyes.
Cyclizar responded and quietly crept closer.
A moment later, it let out a puzzled cry. "Cyc?" (There's nothing here, Silas?)
Was there really nothing?
Not quite.
The food thief could turn invisible. Silas pointed toward a red pattern clinging to the tree trunk.
Cyclizar cautiously extended a claw and, sure enough, grabbed hold of a Pokémon. Its invisibility vanished instantly.
"Kec!"
The revealed Pokémon cried out in alarm. It resembled a chameleon, entirely green except for the markings on its belly, with a long, curled tail. It suddenly shot out its tongue to lick Cyclizar.
Cyclizar dodged to the side and stepped forward with a powerful Dragon Tail.
With a loud bang, the opponent was sent flying, landing precisely between the three Noivern.
Three ferocious heads and six intimidating eyes fixed on it simultaneously.
"Draa!"
Noivern released a surge of draconic pressure. The poor Pokémon's legs stiffened, and it fainted from fright on the spot.
Silas stepped forward and took a closer look.
"As expected, it's a Kecleon."
Route 120 was home to a large population of Kecleon.
They were not particularly strong, but they possessed the remarkable ability to change their body color to match their surroundings. They could blend seamlessly into the environment and approach prey without a sound.
Were they truly impossible to detect?
Not exactly. The pattern on their belly could not disappear. It was the sole weakness in their invisibility.
The little thief had only stolen some food out of greed. Silas was not so stingy. A lesson was enough.
"Alright, you three, come eat. You'll have plenty to do this afternoon."
They gathered together for lunch, leaving the unconscious Kecleon lying off to the side, ignored by everyone.
After a while, it groggily woke up and cautiously shuffled its small body.
Seeing that the three massive dragons paid it no attention, Kecleon bolted away as fast as it could.
Yet only a few minutes later, it hesitantly returned, clinging to a tree and staring longingly at them. Drool dripped steadily from its mouth.
"Huh? Is it raining?"
The sudden sound of droplets made Silas pause in confusion.
He looked up at the cloudless sky.
Soon, he located the source of the sound. Beneath the half-invisible Kecleon was a growing puddle of drool. It was practically crying from temptation.
At least it was clever enough to know its invisibility had been exposed and did not dare approach again.
Still, the constant dripping was annoying. Silas picked up a fragrant poffin and tossed it over.
"Wipe your drool. Don't disturb our meal."
Its long tongue shot out like an arrow and wrapped around the poffin with precision. Instantly, Kecleon's face showed pure bliss.
After lunch, Silas left Cyclizar and Cinccino to guard the campsite.
He stood atop Tropius's back and signaled the three Noivern to take off and resume their search.
The thick, towering grass obscured most of their view, forcing them to descend and fly at low altitude.
After passing over a small hill, Silas raised his hand, signaling the three to stop.
Not far ahead, a large number of Pokémon had gathered. At the forefront stood an Absol.
Absol appeared to say something, causing brief unrest among the gathered Pokémon, but the disturbance quickly subsided under its commanding roar.
"What are they doing?"
"Trop?"
Tropius suggested going to ask.
"Alright. Be careful."
With most Pokémon, Silas would not be so cautious, but Absol was an exception.
It was known as the Disaster Pokémon. Wherever Absol appeared, calamity was said to follow.
Of course, it was not Absol that brought disasters. They merely sensed them in advance.
Tropius approached and soon returned.
Under Absol's leadership, the Pokémon were migrating toward the distant deep mountains and forests. As it departed, Absol glanced back at Silas.
"Troop~"
(Silas, it's a storm. Absol says this place will soon be swallowed by a storm, so it's leading the others to relocate.)
"A storm?" Silas murmured, looking up at the clear sky. "It doesn't look like one is coming."
Yet considering Absol's presence, he could not ignore the warning.
"Do we know how many days until it happens?"
Tropius shook its head. Even Absol could not make such a precise prediction.
"You've all worked hard today. Let's head back."
Patting Tropius, Silas called the Noivern and flew back.
The moment they landed, Cinccino ran toward him.
He opened his arms to catch the little one, pressing his palm against its warm belly and rubbing cheeks with it in affectionate greeting.
"Cin~"
After enjoying the attention, Cinccino pulled out a golden feather from its fluffy tail.
"This is a feather from Zapdos. Cinccino, where did you get it?"
"Cin~ Cin~" (It wasn't me. Kecleon gave it to me as a meeting gift.)
Silas's gaze shifted toward the nearby Kecleon, and he walked over.
First, he handed it a berry as thanks, lowering its guard.
Only then did Silas ask, "Kecleon, do you know the owner of this feather?"
(End of Chapter)