At dawn, Summer woke up on time, feeling completely refreshed thanks to Milotic's Life Dew. He moved carefully to avoid waking up Ogerpon, then quietly got out of bed.
Despite the fact that Rillaboom's bed was now vacant, Ogerpon had insisted on sleeping with Summer. Unable to refuse, Summer had reluctantly agreed.
On the table lay a glistening Never-Melt Ice, which kept the entire room pleasantly cool, even in the sweltering summer heat.
"Today, I should check out the Snowy Forest, but I also need to sort out my clothing situation," Summer murmured to himself as he prepared breakfast. He did have spare clothes, but wearing just a single ranger uniform wasn't going to cut it in the cold.
While he did have some spring and summer clothes, he doubted that layering would be enough to stave off the chill. Better to plan ahead and buy some winter clothes in Hammerlocke City. According to Grandpa Gideon, Spikemuth gets quite cold in the winter, often without much warning.
The bad news was that winter clothing might be out of season and scarce; the good news was that it might be cheaper.
"Boni?" Ogerpon awoke groggily, looking around.
"Oh, you're awake? Just in time for breakfast, Ogerpon."
"Boni!" Ogerpon jumped out of bed, instantly back to his lively self, eagerly waiting for Summer to bring over breakfast.
"Here you go, mixed fruit jam on toast."
"Boni~" Ogerpon happily munched on his toast, while Summer shared his plans for the day.
"You haven't been to a big city yet, have you, Ogerpon? I'm going shopping for clothes today, so come with me."
"Boni?" Ogerpon paused mid-bite, thought for a moment, then put on his mask. "Ogerpon!"
No problem! With my mask on, I won't mind the crowds!
In Hammerlocke City, Summer and Ogerpon strolled through the streets, occasionally overhearing people discussing the upcoming concert in Spikemuth. They were mostly trendy, with various accents, suggesting they were from different regions.
"Pierce made a good call with this decision," Summer muttered to himself.
"Boni~" Ogerpon was licking an ice cream cone, eyes shining. Who knew cold treats could be so delicious?
"Oh, it seems you like ice cream, Ogerpon," Summer remarked. "Well, while we can't make ice cream in Sunset Forest, we can make shaved ice. It's just the right season for it."
"Boni?" Ogerpon was curious. Shaved ice? Isn't ice tasteless?
"Simply put, it's crushed ice with syrup on top. It's cold, sweet, and delicious," Summer explained.
Catching the key words, Ogerpon let out a cheerful cry. I'll personally crush the ice blocks into perfect bits!
A woman in a khaki trench coat sitting at a nearby stall looked up from her notebook, noticing Ogerpon's unusual appearance. She removed her sunglasses, scrutinized Ogerpon closely, and finally concluded it was an unknown Pokémon.
Driven by her researcher's curiosity, she hurriedly left money on the table and rushed after Summer and Ogerpon, completely forgetting her usual decorum.
"Excuse me, could you tell me this little one's name?"
The woman had orange hair adorned with heart-shaped accessories, and her green eyes were filled with curiosity.
"Yamper!" A small dog with a lightning-bolt tail ran up to her, tongue lolling out. She gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Yamper, I got so excited I forgot about you. My bad~"
Summer recognized the woman as Sonia, the granddaughter of the renowned Galar Pokémon Professor, Magnolia. Judging by her attire, she was still a researcher.
Ogerpon quickly hid behind Summer, feeling a bit intimidated by the excited woman.
"Uh, may I ask who you are?" Summer inquired, feigning ignorance.
"Oh, right. I'm Sonia, a researcher. Nice to meet you!" She awkwardly introduced herself with a lively tone.
"A researcher?"
"Yes, I've never seen this Pokémon before, so I'm really curious!"
"Just curious about its name?" Summer asked.
"Honestly, I'm curious about everything, but if you could just tell me its name, that would be great!" Sonia pleaded.
"And your research topic is?"
"You must be from Galar, right? You've heard of the Hero of Legend who defeated the Darkest Day, but the records about him are quite vague..."
Sonia explained without holding back, her head tilted in thought, arms crossed. "My research is about uncovering the true identity of the Hero of Legend, but I've hit a dead end recently."
"Doesn't Hammerlocke City have a vault? I've heard it holds many ancient treasures. You might find some clues there."
"Oh, right! The vault! How could I forget!" Sonia smiled brightly. "You're right; just because the historical records are unclear doesn't mean all the artifacts have disappeared!"
"Well, I'm off then. Thanks a lot!" With a newfound sense of purpose, Sonia turned to leave, this time not forgetting Yamper. However, she forgot her original reason for approaching Summer.
Summer's push gave Sonia a new lead and also deflected her curiosity about Ogerpon. Plus, it might disrupt Rose's plans a bit.
As for the Hero of Legend, I wonder if they'd accept me if I entered the Slumbering Weald. Considering Zacian and Zamazenta have lived there for so long, they might.
Regardless, they are crucial in dealing with the future Eternatus crisis. I must meet them.
Summer's thoughts were interrupted by Ogerpon tugging at his sleeve, pointing at a nearby shop. Right, there's still the matter of buying winter clothes. Let's focus on that for now.
In a classical room, an unfamiliar figure joined the old man, while the cold young man did not attend.
"Ha-ha, Albert, I heard you got schooled by a backcountry trainer. How embarrassing!" A girl in formal attire teased gleefully.
"Tsk. But I've got some news you'll be interested in. Yes, it's about treasures." Albert smiled faintly.
"What, probably just some worthless old junk."
"Sorry, these treasures once wreaked havoc and their power will soon be mine!" Albert's words dripped with resentment.
"Once? That means they were defeated before, right? What's the big deal? Oh, do you think they're like you? Ha-ha!"
"Cut it out! Aren't you the one chasing the elusive Diamond Princess? Still dreaming of your gems, Missy?"
Neither would back down. Meanwhile, the old man conversed with a tall, fierce-looking man.
"So noisy."
"Young people are naturally energetic."
"..." The word "young" left the man silent for a moment before he spoke. "Time fluctuations have appeared in Johto. I'm heading there."
"Still chasing it?" the old man asked.
The man nodded, eyes filled with hope. "Yes, no matter what, I will change history. In the new world, I'll personally recruit you."
"It would be my honor." The old man's words were humble, though inwardly he cursed the man's loyalty. The man he pursued was already history, thanks to Team Rocket, which was long over.
(End of Chapter)