Chapter Twenty-Nine: Lugia!

Heath looked at Lugia with pleasant surprise, though he quickly suppressed the emotion. He had always been fond of Lugia; after all, the first Pokémon game he ever played was Pokémon Silver, and the legendary mascot on the cover was Lugia—powerful and beautiful, a Pokémon he deeply admired.

So much so that in every generation he played afterward, if Lugia was available, Heath would always train one as a staple of his team. Yet, after transmigrating into the Pokémon world, that fervor had faded. Lugia was a legendary beast, a being of immense power in this reality, not nearly as easy to capture as in the games.

"I wasn't wrong, you know. You stay cooped up at home every single day—if I didn't come to drag you out, I doubt you'd have any intention of leaving for a long time," Ho-Oh said, eyeing Lugia with annoyance. Heath continued preparing the shredded pork with garlic sauce, listening to the exchange between Ho-Oh and Lugia.

As Heath cooked, the air filled with the signature fragrance of the dish. The aroma made Lugia lose her focus; it was the first time she had smelled something so enticing, and even Ho-Oh couldn't help but glance over.

"It's just that I cause trouble for others when I go out, so I prefer not to," Lugia replied, shaking her head with an indifferent smile.

Heath was curious. What kind of reason would lead Lugia to say something like that?

He poured the shredded meat into the wok and began stir-frying, while Farfetch'd watched and learned diligently. Clearly, the Pokémon had yet to realize how extraordinary the two young women standing before them were—though calling them "young women" might not be entirely accurate.

Unlike Ho-Oh’s youthful, girl-like appearance, Lugia’s human form felt more mature, reminiscent of a college student, and she was slightly taller than Ho-Oh. Heath wondered what considerations had led Lugia to choose this form.

"Hmph, that’s not your fault. Besides, the ocean naturally has... well, it has storms and heavy rain," Ho-Oh said, pausing mid-sentence to glance at Heath. Seeing that he was "focused" on his cooking, she lowered her voice.

Heath’s expression remained calm, but deep down, he recalled the legends surrounding Lugia. It was said that a single flap of her wings could trigger storms lasting forty days, making her the true Rain God of the Pokémon world. Perhaps that was why she chose to reside in the depths of the ocean. If true, Lugia was truly formidable—simply by flapping her wings in a dry region, she could summon rain. But forty days of storms was a bit excessive; rain wasn't always better in larger quantities, and too much could become a burden. After all, floods were no joke; an excess of water could pose a grave threat to human life.

What surprised Heath most was that Lugia had turned into such a homebody. It was truly unexpected. It seemed that a life of long-term isolation had turned her into a shut-in. He also remembered hearing rumors of a "Shadow Lugia" in the past, though he couldn't quite recall its origins. It seemed to have similar power, likely from a spin-off title.

"Here you go, the shredded pork with garlic sauce over rice for you both. Please enjoy it while it's hot," Heath said with a smile, placing the bowls before them and interrupting their conversation.

"Thank you," Lugia said, smiling as she took hers, followed by Ho-Oh.

Watching the two legendary beasts eat, Heath couldn't help but chuckle. He poured them both a cup of hot water; it was nice to have something warm in this cold weather.

"Not bad... your cooking is actually... *ahem*, it’s not that great." Ho-Oh took a bite and looked at Heath in pleasant surprise, but upon seeing the smile on his face, she swallowed the rest of her comment. Heath found it amusing; she was so reluctant to admit the food was good. But knowing Ho-Oh's personality, he didn't take her "criticism" to heart—she was just a bit of a *tsundere*.

"It tastes wonderful, I like it very much. I can really taste the fishy notes," Lugia said with grace and sincerity. Her gentle expression made Heath feel quite pleased.

The two finished their meals quickly. Lugia then pulled out one hundred League coins and handed them to Heath. Heath felt a bit strange—where did Lugia get League coins? Did she use her psychic powers to transform a leaf into currency? It was a mystery worth pondering. He considered checking later to see if the coins turned into leaves or seashells, though he doubted Lugia would do such a thing.

He wasn't foolish enough to ask, so he simply smiled, gave her the change, and saw them off.

Heath smiled. It was a decent reward, quite standard, but it would be useful for his Charmander. When he saw the specific reward for serving Lugia, however, he paused. "Psychic Essence"? And only one drop? Wasn't that a bit stingy?

He pulled a small vial from his pocket. Inside was a shimmering, silver liquid that looked quite beautiful, possessing a strange, exotic aesthetic. Heath curled his lip. What was the use of this? He wasn't a psychic, and he had no need for it. He was slightly disappointed; if it could have granted him psychic abilities, that would have been great, but as it stood, it was just mediocre.

"Another useless item. Whatever, I'll keep it. Who knows if it'll come in handy later," he sighed. It was only useful for psychics, specifically to suppress psychic outbursts. He wasn't even sure of its practical application.

After tidying up, Heath looked out from the food truck. There was no one around, only the quiet falling of snow. Occasionally, he could spot a wild Pokémon scurrying through the woods. The entire Victory Road felt like a deep, silent mountain in the middle of winter.

Heath rubbed his hands together. It was truly a magnificent view.