[Space-time distortion will commence in one minute. Please prepare yourselves.]
Sighing in familiarity, Summer put down his tools and looked at his Rillaboom beside him.
"Rillaboom, get ready. The space-time distortion is about to start again."
Rillaboom nodded silently, just as accustomed to this routine.
They quickly returned to the house to grab their backpacks. Summer stood waiting for the distortion to begin, and as the forest ranger's assistant gave the signal, the scenery before them rapidly transformed.
The smell of earth, grass, and a serene tranquility filled the air. Summer opened his eyes and was stunned, muttering to himself:
"Is this...?"
What he saw was not some extraordinary sight, but rather an ordinary bus stop.
The rusty sign, the old-fashioned bus shelter, and the wooden bench gave it a nostalgic feel, hinting at a time when buses had already existed for quite some time.
"So, is this a modern era?" Summer mused, stepping back and feeling something hard underfoot. "Asphalt road," he noted, then glanced around. "Electric poles and houses... my guess was right."
This seemed to be a relatively remote area, suggesting they could trace back the time further.
The sound of a bus horn interrupted his thoughts, and he stepped back to the bus stop. It made sense; where there was a bus stop, there would be a bus.
The bus wobbled along the asphalt road and slowly came to a halt at the stop. Its side bore an old, faded advertisement, vaguely featuring a large Caterpie and the words "Welcome to Mossui Town."
"Mossui Town? So this is Mossui Town?" Summer whispered, surprised that the information he had previously gathered was now proving useful.
The bus door creaked open, and a girl in a deep blue outfit stepped out first. She had bright yellow eyes, with bangs casting a shadow over her eyes. She glanced at Summer with a cold expression, exuding a slight sense of hostility.
Following her was a boy in a white jacket and shorts, who kept his head down, giving off a quiet and shy vibe. His bright yellow eyes occasionally peeked at Rillaboom standing next to Summer.
Similar eyes and similar features—were they siblings?
"Hey, Kieran! What's so interesting about an outsider? We're finally back home. If you dawdle any longer, I'm not waiting for you!" the girl barked, her tone oppressive.
"Sis... alright," the boy named Kieran replied softly, hinting at some dissatisfaction.
"Don't you know Grandpa and Grandma have been waiting for us? Hmph, I'll eat all the candy apples and leave you with just sticky rice cakes!" the girl teased, running off quickly.
Kieran's face twisted in dislike at the mention of sticky rice cakes, and he stretched his hand out, chasing after her.
"Sis! No!"
Just then, a lighthearted voice came from behind Summer.
"Haha, isn't youth wonderful?"
"You are?" Summer turned to ask.
A blonde man had somehow appeared beside him, wearing a black jacket adorned with golden metal accessories that jingled as he moved.
In response to Summer's question, the man initially seemed surprised, then burst into laughter:
"The world is truly fascinating, isn't it? Haha—cough, cough. Sorry, you were asking my name. I'm Albert, a sort of traveler. And you?"
"Albert... Nice to meet you, I'm..." Summer began.
"Summer?!"
A familiar voice called out Summer's name. The woman holding a camera was Perrin, whom he had just met yesterday. Right, she had mentioned going to Mossui Town.
Summer's eyes widened in realization. This wasn't the past but the future!
"Hey, why are you here?"
Albert looked at Summer's thoughtful expression and Perrin's surprised face, sensing a brewing conflict. He waved his hand and said:
"Summer... Well, good luck. I won't disturb you. I'm off~"
He walked away quickly, muttering to himself, "Such ungrateful people~"
"Where does he think he's going...?" Summer sighed, watching Albert's retreating figure.
"Arriving early and then pretending to meet by chance—are you secretly in love with me, Summer? You're really not being straightforward~" Perrin suddenly teased.
Summer fell silent, then replied, "Perrin, you and that guy aren't much different."
"Haha, sorry, just kidding. So, what brings you to Mossui Town?" Perrin asked.
"Why am I here?" Summer recalled the information about Mossui Town. Right, the Masked Festival, and the timing was just right. "Actually, I'm here to attend the Festival of Mask."
"Hey, that makes sense. Mossui Town is famous for its Festival of Masks~ Taking a break from work for a trip is nice."
Taking a break? More like frequently, Summer thought silently.
But why didn't Perrin ask why I was here? She's usually not this absent-minded.
"Wait, where's your Growlithe? Ah!"
Seeing the bus about to leave, Perrin hurriedly chased after it, bringing her sleeping Growlithe down. Summer retracted his previous assessment—Perrin did seem a bit absent-minded.
"The long journey does make one sleepy. Even Pokémon aren't exempt," Summer commented.
Beside Perrin, the Hisuian Growlithe, breathing in the fresh air, quickly became energetic, running around Perrin happily.
"But you seem quite spirited."
"Me?" Perrin lifted her camera and waved it in front of Summer. "There were so many interesting sights along the way. How could I miss them... ha-choo."
She yawned, then patted her cheeks lightly, fighting fatigue. "But it does get a bit tiring after a while..."
"You can't take good photos if you're not in good shape," Summer said.
"You're right... But you seem pretty lively too." Perrin smiled suddenly and shoved her camera into Summer's hands.
"So, feel the charm of photography, Summer! No, Assistant!"
(End of chapter)