"Ke… Kec!"
Kecleon hurriedly shook its head in denial, waving its arms and gesturing frantically.
Silas could not understand a single thing.
He turned to the Cinccino perched on his shoulder, leaving the task of translation to the little one.
"Cin~ Cin~"
(Kecleon says it found this feather by accident in the forest between the two lakes. Some time ago, there was a large flock of bird Pokémon living there.)
Silas handed Kecleon another berry as thanks, then unfolded his map.
The place where they had encountered Absol was near the lower lake. Above it was another lake, with a vast stretch of forest and grassland in between, terrain that suited bird Pokémon perfectly.
All he needed to do tomorrow was search that area. Silas circled the general region with a red pen.
Having narrowed down the search range so significantly, he decided that tonight Kecleon would be rewarded with a special fruit platter.
Out in the wilderness, there was little in the way of entertainment. After dinner, Silas and his Pokémon gathered around the campfire and played for a while.
When night fully fell, Silas yawned, hugged Cinccino close, and curled up inside his sleeping bag.
Cyclizar lay obediently at his side, and the three Noivern did their best to keep their movements quiet.
…
The next morning, after quickly filling their stomachs, Silas called Kecleon over to stand with him atop Tropius's back. They would need it to point out the exact location.
In exchange for a generous fruit platter, Kecleon had agreed to help with the search.
Circling high in the sky, Silas looked down from above. The two lakes were clearly visible.
"Kec!"
Kecleon pointed toward the left side. That was where the flock of birds had often been active.
"Tropius, lower the altitude."
Under Silas's direction, Tropius descended slowly.
The forest below was strangely silent. The usual sounds of insects and birds had vanished.
Because of Absol's appearance, the Pokémon that once lived here had already relocated.
The surroundings felt eerily quiet, broken only by the rushing airflow from Tropius's wings.
As they lowered further, the view became clearer without the obstruction of tall grass.
Before long, Silas spotted a deep pit filled with water, along with a marker beside it.
"This should be the place."
He signaled the Noivern to hover over the water. The giant iron ball Chatot had mentioned lay beneath the surface.
"Noivern, come out."
He released three Poké Balls at once. "Use your ultrasonic waves and see if you can locate the iron ball."
The Noivern's large ears trembled as they emitted invisible ultrasonic pulses.
Ripples spread across the water's surface. The situation beneath was soon thoroughly scanned, and they gave Silas a confirming response.
"Can you lift it out?"
"Noi~" (We'll try.)
The three Noivern moved into position, forming a triangle. They extended their claws deep into the water, hooking onto the iron ball below.
"NOOOI!" x3
The three roared in unison. A faint purple aura shimmered around their bodies as their muscles tensed and their wings beat powerfully to provide extra force.
The water churned violently, splashing high into the air. Silas and the others had to step back to avoid being drenched.
Ten full minutes passed in a tense stalemate. The three exerted every ounce of strength they possessed.
Yet the massive iron ball beneath the water did not budge in the slightest. It felt as though it were fused with the earth itself, as if moving it required the strength to tear apart the continent.
"Nooi…"
Having failed in their task, the Noivern lowered their heads and flew back to Silas.
"It's not your guys fault. This thing might be connected to the giants."
The strong wind stirred up by the Noivern gradually blew away the pooled water, allowing Silas to glimpse the iron ball's appearance.
Its body was silver gray metal, not matching any known material. In its center was a hexagram formed by seven red dots. Aside from the one in the middle, the other six were completely dim.
Just as Silas was pondering how to move it, Cyclizar at his feet suddenly shifted into its battle form.
"Cyc!"
It issued a warning and looked up toward the northwest with vigilance.
From that direction, a fluffy white cloud drifted toward them. On its back stood a human figure.
"Don't be too tense. They might just be passing by."
Silas pressed down on the raised heads of the Noivern, signaling them to relax. There was no need to become nervous every time they encountered a Dragon type.
That cloud was no ordinary cloud. It was a Dragon type Pokémon.
Altaria, the Dragon that gains fairy typing through Mega Evolution.
As it drew closer, its full form became clear.
It was an exceptionally beautiful Pokémon, its sky blue body wrapped in soft, cloudlike wings.
Altaria descended gently onto the open ground beside the water pit. With a flap of its wings, it stirred up a refreshing breeze. The figure on its back leapt down lightly.
"Hello, stranger. I am Winona, the Gym Leader of Fortree City. This is my partner, Altaria."
"Taar~!"
"Silas, from the Kalos region."
He took out his trainer ID to confirm his identity.
After verifying it, Winona visibly relaxed. With three Noivern on his side, if a fight had broken out, she might not have stood a chance.
"Mr. Silas, what are you doing here?"
"My Chatot told me there was a giant iron ball discovered here. It asked me to come take a look."
"Chatot?"
"Yes, this one." Silas pulled out a photograph from the inner layer of his clothes. It was the farewell photo taken before Chatot left.
As a specialist in Flying type Pokémon, Winona recognized that unique Chatot at a glance.
Though she had met it only once, its commanding presence while leading the bird flock had left a deep impression on her.
Most importantly, her Altaria seemed to have fallen in love with it.
Altaria squeezed its head closer. When it saw the image of its dream partner in the photograph, a rosy tint spread across its cloudlike wings.
Silas wanted to gather more information about Chatot, and Winona was equally eager to learn about the past of the so called Bird King.
With Chatot as their shared topic, the two quickly grew familiar.
"I never imagined Chatot had led the flock across so many places."
Winona sighed with emotion. She wondered if she would ever see that legendary Bird King again.
Out of the corner of his eye, Silas noticed Altaria asking Cinccino about Chatot's past, wearing an expression of pure infatuation.
"Well, perhaps it is time to give my grown daughter a chance to pursue her happiness."
Winona said, "Mr. Silas, if Chatot contacts you again, I hope you can tell it that Altaria wishes to see it."
"Alright… I will." Silas agreed helplessly.
He had already made bold estimates about Chatot's capabilities, yet he had not expected that after only one meeting it had captured the heart of another Pokémon.
If Altaria had not shared such a deep bond with Winona, it might very well have chosen to follow the bird flock away.
Was this what one could call a charming devil among birds? Truly astonishing.
From Winona, Silas also learned that many bird Pokémon enthusiasts had begun referring to Chatot as a Legendary Pokémon.
To command such a vast flock of birds, to make even rival species coexist harmoniously.
If it was not legendary, it surpassed legend.
Much like Arcanine, known as the Legendary Pokémon, yet even rarer.
After all, the Legendary Bird King Chatot was one of a kind in the entire world.
"By the way," Winona pointed at the water pit, "Mr. Silas, are you trying to bring up the object inside?"
"Yes. I had my three Noivern attempt it just now, but it would not move even a little. Miss Winona, do you have a method?"
Winona shook her head. She explained that after the bird flock had left, she had come here and tried herself, but it would not budge at all.
Was there truly no way?
Both of them frowned.
Cyclizar looked at Silas, and a bright idea seemed to spark beside its head like a glowing light bulb.
"Cyc!" (I have a way!)
(End of Chapter)