The ruins of Shinto lay a considerable distance from the village, deep within the mountains.
Along the way, the solitary Honedge continuously swung its blade through the air. Yesterday, it had acquired some peculiar swordsmanship knowledge. Out of curiosity and its self-proclaimed swordsmanship genius, it was diligently practicing.
Before departing, it made a point to visit the village's apothecary elder, greeting him. Upon hearing that Hikaru was heading to the ruins of Shinto, the old man, Juru, was momentarily stunned before he chuckled.
"There's no need to worry. Though the ruins are quite far from the village, we have a delivery Doduo. You can ride it there."
"So, since you're heading to the ruins, could you also deliver some goods along the way?"
Doduo? Oh, right. There was indeed a delivery Doduo in the village.
Doduo is a common riding Pokémon, resembling a two-headed kiwi bird. Due to its short feathers, it isn't adept at flying. Instead, it has highly developed legs, allowing it to run at speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour.
"Deliver goods?" Hikaru was puzzled. Juru nodded. "I should have mentioned this before—the ruins of Shinto have a small cabin up in the mountains, where an elderly man resides. Everyone calls him 'Mountain Grandpa.'"
"He lives with an Abra, and sometimes, outside researchers and explorers also stay in his cabin. The place is located in the Snow Valley, where snow never melts, forming thick snow walls. Only for two and a half months each year does it stop snowing, making it an extremely cold environment."
"He is the guardian of the ruins. Every summer, we send supplies to him. Now is the right time to deliver them before autumn and winter set in. Otherwise, we'd have to leave the supplies outside the valley, and Abra would teleport them in."
Hikaru understood. Juru's explanation aligned closely with what he had seen in the game.
The mountain cabin indeed housed an elderly man, an Abra capable of long-distance teleportation, and even an internet-connected computer. Surprisingly, despite the ruins being in such a remote location, they still had internet access—not just in the village but even in the mountain cabin. Yet, there were no visible signal towers nearby.
The power of science is truly incredible!
At the same time, Hikaru recalled that the mountain cabin should also house a rather eccentric guide who frequently said "Oya, oya." However, since his default character model was that of a Hiker, his true identity remained a mystery.
Juru had mentioned this guide before—describing him as a blond-haired merchant carrying a massive backpack. His appearance wasn't too different from the traditional Hiker archetype.
Blond hair… Could he be one of those Alolan Hikers who wears a green hat?
"This is great! With Doduo, the travel time will be significantly reduced!"
Hikaru accepted Juru's request to deliver the supplies. Together, they left the apothecary and called over a villager who was preparing to make a delivery.
This Doduo was noticeably large and slightly plumper than an average one.
"Haha, this one is quite sturdy, isn't it? It wandered into the village after struggling to find food. Since it has a big appetite and our village has ample food supplies, it decided to stay."
"Thanks to its strength, it can carry more goods than most Pokémon."
The elder patted Doduo's body, and the two heads let out cheerful cries.
"Dodo!"
Having free food and shelter, without needing to worry about wild predators—only needing to make deliveries in exchange for a stable life—what a great deal!
Honedge floated in front of Doduo to greet it.
"Yo!"
Although it wasn't as impressive as the king's mount it had seen before, its size was still acceptable. As a helper, it would definitely be reliable!
Honedge evaluated it on its own terms, while Doduo tilted both heads in confusion. Its round black eyes were filled with puzzlement.
Then, out of curiosity, it pecked at Honedge.
"Yo-yo-yo-yo~!!!"
Honedge shrieked in an ancient dialect, thoroughly startled and slightly furious!
How rude! Does it have to peck everything it sees? Has it never seen a flying sword before?
Doduo: "Dodo?"
How did those sounds even combine into words?
Hikaru sighed upon hearing Honedge's outburst. While the surrounding villagers couldn't understand what it was saying, Hikaru could.
"Alright, alright, let's go." He grabbed Honedge's hilt and mounted Doduo. The supplies were strapped onto the Pokémon's fluffy sides and back, secured with a specially designed "bird saddle," while reins were tied to both of its beaks by the villagers.
Hikaru found this setup strangely familiar. After a moment, he realized why.
Isn't this the same design as Yellow's Doduo?
In terms of individual size, Yellow's Doduo was also on the larger side. In contrast, in the anime, Gary's Doduo was quite small—almost stunted.
Hikaru mounted Doduo, while Honedge slid into his backpack. From a distance, he looked like a swordsman riding a two-headed, chubby bird—a rather peculiar sight.
Doduo's speed was astonishing. The scenery around Hikaru rapidly blurred as the Pokémon picked up pace. The wind pressure forced Hikaru to lean forward.
Soon, the village was far behind. The landscape transformed into vast stretches of brown and white, while the temperature steadily dropped.
As they entered the mountain region, the rocks and trees were blanketed in snow. The melting snow pooled into streams and puddles, but as they approached the ancient peaks, the snow cover only became denser.
Although the sun still hung high in the sky, the mountain snow remained untouched. The snow-covered regions were colder, but when the snow began to melt, it absorbed heat from the air, further lowering the temperature. This phenomenon explained why melting snow made it feel colder than fresh snowfall.
Oddly enough, despite Doduo being a Normal/Flying-type Pokémon—meaning it was weak to Ice moves—it didn't seem to mind the cold at all. Perhaps its fluffy feathers provided insulation, or maybe… it was just too fat to feel cold?
Around noon, a mountain path flanked by towering snow walls finally appeared in Hikaru's view.
The Ice Wall, the Great Snow Valley, and the Blizzard Zone.
Legends spoke of the ancient people of Sinnoh, who traveled across the sea, meeting the migrating people from Johto. They built a sacred temple to honor the "Great Deity of Sinnoh."
"That must be the ruins of Shinto."
Hikaru spotted a wooden cabin in the distance. Unlike the game, where there was only one, here, multiple cabins were scattered across the area. However, most seemed unoccupied. There were even some fields, devoid of snow, which appeared to have been recently tilled.
Hmm, even a blizzard-ridden area has farmland. This reminded Hikaru of another village—the Freezington settlement in the Crown Tundra of Galar. It, too, was located in a snowy region yet managed to cultivate crops, likely thanks to the blessings of the King of Bountiful Harvests.
However, after the King's disappearance, the land gradually lost its vitality.
Hikaru focused on the temple in the distance. Unlike in the game, the cabins weren't as close to the ruins. He would need to walk a bit further. From an elevated spot past the snow walls, he could see the flat-topped temple, which closely resembled the Ruins of Alph in Johto.
Four massive, broken pillars stood outside, resembling shattered spears.
A polished stone plaque marked the site, similar to those found at historical landmarks.
"Ah! Hello there! It's so cold—feels like I'm freezing to death!"
"Oya oya, are you here to explore the ruins? Summer is the best time to visit! You picked a good season!"
A lighthearted yet deep voice called from behind. A wooden door creaked open, revealing a figure that looked like a Hiker, yet more like a backpacker.
No—although he resembled a Hiker, his attire…
Hikaru's eyes widened before quickly masking his expression.
This man, resembling Sinnoh Champion Cynthia, was none other than Volo!
(End of Chapter)
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