Who needs a girlfriend when you have Pokémon?

"Haha, is that so? No wonder I'm not popular with girls~"

Upon hearing this, Luo Wei was even more at a loss for words...

...This guy is a typical cheerful and athletic young man, who should theoretically be quite popular. Unfortunately, he's not just an "enthusiast," but a genuine "professional."

What's that saying again? Moderate exercise attracts the opposite sex... excessive exercise attracts the same sex...

...Given Fujiki's boxing champion level, he has naturally exceeded the norm. Coupled with his social terrorist personality, he will probably either turn girls he likes into good buddies or attract a bunch of same-sex friends.

Lowe glanced at his followers among the vines along the beach, and sure enough, the male-to-female ratio was a shocking seven to three...

In fact, Luo Wei himself is quite outgoing, but it depends on who he's compared to. Compared to an introverted person like Man Chong, he's a social terrorist, but compared to the gym leader in front of him, he's clearly not on the same level.

Normally, Kirlia and Rowe's compatibility is just average. It was only because of a "hero saves the damsel in distress" incident that Ralts fell in love with Rowe, and in their subsequent interactions, Kirlia realized that her initial choice was not wrong.

But this special treatment was clearly limited to Rowe; after that, no one else would ever have the chance to enjoy Kirlia's genuine affection again.

In short, the place Rowe needs to go to first is also the most attractive place in Dewford Town besides the gym, which is the so-called "Ruins Cave"...

Of course, this place is not called that by name. Its official name is "Wudou Town Stone Cave". It got its name because many ancient fossils were once unearthed deep in the cave.

As a result, this place has attracted many people interested in fossils to come and explore, but most of them leave empty-handed because over the years, the fossils here have been almost completely mined out.

but……

"...Just a week ago, a small earthquake occurred here."

"Really? I don't feel anything at all..."

Not only did Lowe not feel it, but it wasn't even reported in the news, which shows that the earthquake really did cause almost no ripples.

However, this small earthquake somehow managed to open a passage in the cave that had never been discovered before. Behind that passage, a large area of ​​murals, suspected to be from the ancient era, was found.

After that, the passage was temporarily blocked, and many people came to conduct related research. However, the specific content of the murals has not yet been made public.

Fujiki led Rowe to the location of the Ruins Cave. Although the Ruins Cave was still temporarily closed, Fujiki, as the Gym Leader, naturally had the right to ignore the ban and go in to see what was going on.

Under his guidance, Rowe naturally followed him into the ruins cave.

"We're here, this is it~"

Chapter Sixty-Two: I came in first place! Strong and amazing!

This is the ruins cave. Luo Wei scanned the area and saw that there was nothing special about it from the outside; it looked like a very ordinary cave.

The entrance to the cave has been cordoned off, temporarily prohibiting outsiders from entering, but this "outsider" obviously does not include Fujiki, the gym leader.

After greeting the guards outside, Tengshu led Luo Wei into the ruins cave.

The crack created by the earthquake was not far from the entrance, and Rowe immediately saw the exaggerated crack as he stepped into the cave of the ruins.

"Many Rock-type Pokémon usually inhabit this area, and the deeper parts are also a 'training ground' for many Fighting-type Pokémon. I used to come here often to train and spar with my Pokémon~"

Tengshu casually uttered some incredible words, leaving Luo Wei both amused and exasperated.

Is it a common hobby for Fighting-type trainers to compete with Pokémon? This is true for Vine Tree, and it's also true for Berber, the Fighting-type Elite Four member of the Indigo League.

Logically speaking, human physical abilities are definitely not comparable to those of Pokémon, but there are exceptions. Putting aside the "super rookies" that most people jokingly refer to, there are genuine supernatural forces in this world that humans can control.

Putting everything else aside, the "Z-Force" that Rowe has just begun to master can be considered a kind of supernatural power. However, so far, Rowe cannot use the Z-Force on his own; he can only act as a middleman to transfer the Z-Force to his Pokémon partners.

In short, disregarding the strength of Pokémon, in terms of human physical abilities alone, a Vine Tree that can hold its own against a Pokémon is indeed quite formidable.

However, in terms of Pokémon strength, Vinetree is slightly inferior to Dwyer.

Among the eight Gym Leaders in the Hoenn region, his strength is estimated to be second to last or third to last.

Even so, that's only in comparison to other gym leaders. After all, every group eventually has a last place, and even the Elite Four has "the weakest of the Elite Four," let alone a gym leader.

Of course, there might be some debate about who is the weakest, but there is definitely no debate about who is the strongest... After all, the title of "champion" truly exists.

At that moment, Luo Wei's gaze fell on the crevice. He and Teng Shu stepped into the crevice together. Behind them was a narrow passage, barely wide enough for two people to pass side by side.

The passageway wasn't very long; after walking for about ten minutes, we reached the end. The narrow passageway suddenly opened up, revealing a spacious area.

Teng Shu raised his flashlight, and a bright, concentrated beam of light swept across the surroundings. Luo Wei could see clearly that this was a spacious stone chamber, obviously man-made. The walls of the chamber were covered with murals and patterns, and a figure stood in front of a huge mural directly opposite the chamber.

He was a tall, silver-haired young man. Even just seeing his back, one could feel an indescribable, invisible pressure emanating from him.

"..."

As soon as Luo Wei and Teng Shu stepped into the stone chamber, the silver-haired youth turned around leisurely, revealing his face. The moment he did, the invisible pressure emanating from him vanished.

Upon seeing Luo Wei and Fujiki, the handsome silver-haired youth smiled calmly and nodded slightly. "...Good afternoon, Mr. Fujiki. And this must be Luo Wei, right?"

At this point, as if remembering something, he continued, "Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself... My name is Daigo..."

He walked up to Luo Wei, gracefully removed his gloves, and handed them to Luo Wei, saying, "Nice to meet you~"

"Oh, please guide me!"

As they shook hands, Daigo seemed to consciously look Luo Wei up and down, and naturally, Luo Wei also took a careful look at the young man in front of him.

The other person looked to be in his early twenties, with an impeccably handsome appearance. Even in the slightest gesture, his demeanor exuded a natural elegance.

This is by no means a pretentious affectation; it must be a natural reaction that has been ingrained in one's very being, like a conditioned reflex.

This is Steven Stone, the Hoenn Champion, and without a doubt the strongest man in the Hoenn region...

(Someone even more amazing than my dad, haha, seeing it with my own eyes makes me believe it...)

After all, before that, the strongest trainer that Rowe knew was his own father, who was indeed one of the top trainers.

Although Senri is only a Gym Leader, there are rumors that he simply hates trouble and is unwilling to take on more work, which is why he is "merely" a Gym Leader. In terms of raw strength, he is no less than the Elite Four of the Hoenn region.

As for this statement, Luo Wei, as the son, would definitely agree, which means that Qianli's strength... even the Four Heavenly Kings might not be stronger than him.

In the entire Hoenn region, only Steven, as the Champion, is definitely stronger than Senri, a fact that Senri himself has acknowledged in front of Rowe.

The fact that the father personally acknowledged his strength shows that the father was truly convinced of his abilities...

Even so, Luo Wei had never seen the person in person and could only guess what the person looked like based on his impression from the game. Now that he had finally seen the person in person, how should I put it, just like the sigh he had just made.

The moment I saw him in person, I genuinely felt that intangible aura; he truly seemed to be someone who could surpass my father.

"How's it going?" Teng Shu stepped forward, gesturing to the surrounding stone walls. "Have you come up with any results?"

Daigo is here specifically to study these murals. In addition to being a champion, he is also a scholar with considerable knowledge of archaeology, and he is not just an enthusiast; he is a genuine academic with relevant degrees.

"We're starting to get a clue. If nothing unexpected happens, this record is about the events of the ancient war..."

As he said this, Daigo raised his flashlight and pointed to the murals on both sides. On the murals on the left and right sides, a large number of small figures were drawn. These small figures, which should represent humans, were fighting against a rather abstract "concept".

It is described as abstract because these objects do not have a concrete image; they are depicted as various natural phenomena, such as droughts, torrential rains, and other forces that are quite challenging for humankind.

Pokémon also exist among humans. The latter half of the mural depicts humans and Pokémon resisting this "power" together. Strangely, it seems that even the power of Pokémon cannot interfere with this abstract power.

...Pokémon possess the power to control celestial phenomena. Logically, even droughts and torrential rains should be quelled by Pokémon. However, Rowe saw many Pokémon that had mastered "Sunny Day" and "Rain Prayer," but these Pokémon were still unable to quell these forces.

The mural on the left depicts drought as the primary disaster, while the mural on the right depicts torrential rain as the primary disaster...

Finally, the closer the murals on both sides moved towards the center, the more horrific the situation became. Eventually, the murals merged in the very center, forming the largest mural...

Chapter Sixty-Three: This time it's a new trick!

The murals painted in the stone chamber appear to depict a great war from an ancient era...

...However, one side of the war consists of humans and Pokémon with definite forms, while the other side is an abstract "image" or "concept".

Judging from the scene, this imagery represents a natural disaster. However, if it were just a natural disaster, Pokémon would be able to handle it. But in this mural, Pokémon seem powerless against this natural disaster.

Finally, the two murals merged in the middle and converged on the largest mural, and the two abstract concepts of disaster on the left and right were finally displayed on this largest mural.

The age of this mural is unknown, yet its colors remain vibrant and fresh, and it is unclear what techniques were used to create it.

Of course, compared to the content of the mural, its technique is a minor detail that is not worth paying attention to, because the mural uses extremely large brushstrokes to depict two figures.

Although in previous murals, the image of "human beings" was depicted as tiny figures resembling matchsticks, this was likely an exaggerated metaphor representing the insignificance of humanity before natural disasters.

But at this moment, on the largest mural, the human figures have been further shrunk to about the size of ants.

In contrast, nearly 80% of the space in the mural is filled with those two figures.

One of the figures resembled a dinosaur covered in deep red scales, and as it roared with its head raised, a huge golden sun was drawn above its head...

Ten thousand golden rays fell like sharp arrows, scorching the earth beneath its feet until not a blade of grass could grow, leaving only a desolate wasteland...

Opposite it, deep beneath the ocean, lies a blue figure that resembles a fat whale with enormous fins. Most of its streamlined body is hidden in the deep sea, with only a faint silhouette emerging through the waves.

Around that figure, a towering vortex gathered, with torrential rain pouring down... an aura that threatened to engulf the entire world...

...This is just a mural, and the painting technique is not very advanced; the brushstrokes and lines are quite stiff.

Even so, when facing this mural, one feels an oppressive force that makes it difficult to breathe. The two colossal beasts on the mural, which are manifestations of abstract natural disasters, perfectly embody the meaning of "powerful" through their very existence.

Groudon, the god of the earth; Kyogre, the god of the sea...

...This mural is a manifestation of the ancient legend of the "two gods" in the Hoenn region!

Even just looking at the murals, you can feel how desperate the humans, who could only huddle in a corner like ants, must have been. If you actually saw this scene, how shocking it would be.

Rowe sensed that Kirlia and Meowth beside him were also drawn to the patterns on the mural, and a strong sense of unease and fear emanated from Kirlia.

...Yes, even though it's just a mural, it's still so terrifying, because it's the image etched deep into the memory of every Hoenn person...no, etched into the memory of all creatures in the Hoenn region. Can you feel it?

...This immense power that spans the ages!

Lowe took Kirlia and Masked Meow's hands, indicating that they shouldn't be afraid, because despair was not the final end...

Lo Wei raised his chin, gesturing towards the very top of the mural...

Hope... is on its way!

At the very top of the mural, where the two gods of earth and sea are locked in battle, high above the heavens, a shooting star carrying "hope" has answered the call.

Responding to humanity's prayers, the Sky God descended like a shooting star!

"...Wait a minute, isn't there another part of the murals on here?"

Luo Wei continued to move his finger upwards, indicating the part covered by the stone wall. He could see some patterns showing up in a corner of the stone wall, but they seemed to be covered by thick moss.

"That's right. In fact, when we first found this place, most of the murals were in this state. This is the result after one round of clearing; there's still a last part of the murals that haven't been cleared out..."