Chapter 243: Crown Snowfield
Under Naoki's puzzled gaze, Koraidon began thinking with its not-so-bright brain.
It looked at the vibrant Iono, dancing cheerfully in the sea of neon lights, then glanced back at Naoki, who stood calmly in front of it. Suddenly, Koraidon realized something—it was too early. Their child hadn't been born yet, and Naoki didn't seem to recognize Iono.
"Raao…" Koraidon's head drooped.
Naoki scratched his head. "Could it be… you didn't eat much at noon?"
It was getting late, and Naoki began to wonder if Koraidon was simply hungry and no longer interested in watching the crowd. "Are you hungry?"
Koraidon perked up slightly, focusing on its stomach. As expected, it heard a low grumble.
"Raao!" Koraidon nodded enthusiastically.
Naoki chuckled. "Alright, no need to stick around here. Let's get our tickets first, and once we're on board, we'll grab something to eat."
"Raao~!" Koraidon agreed cheerfully, tail swishing.
Without lingering any longer, Naoki turned away from the lively square, leading Koraidon through the crowd toward the port.
...
After crossing the square, Naoki spotted the towering lighthouse standing proudly on the coast. Near it, a brightly lit building stood by the water's edge, with several large ships docked nearby.
"That must be the boarding point," Naoki thought.
Even at night, the port bustled with life. Travelers carrying luggage prepared to depart, while others arrived in Paldea, eager to explore the region.
As Naoki approached the boarding area, he heard the soft, melodic sound of a ship's whistle from the sea—a passenger ship was about to dock. Staff members at the boarding point busily prepared for the incoming passengers.
Soon, the exit opened, and people and Pokémon of all kinds poured out, carrying large and small bags.
Naoki walked up to the ticket counter. "A ticket to the Galar region, please."
The ticket agent glanced at Naoki and the large Koraidon by his side, then smiled warmly. "Of course. The next passenger ship departs at 7:25 PM for Hulbury in the Galar region. The journey will take about three days. Will you be taking this ship?"
"Hulbury…" Naoki imagined a bustling port town with markets and seafood restaurants. He nodded. "Yes, that's perfect."
"That'll be 3,200 Poke Dollars," the agent said with a polite smile.
Naoki handed over the money, and the agent gave him a ticket. It was now 7:00 PM, leaving him with about half an hour to board.
Following the staff's instructions, Naoki and Koraidon made their way toward the docks and boarded the ship without any trouble.
...
The ship wasn't enormous, but its facilities were excellent. It had everything passengers could need: restaurants, a gym, a Pokémon battle arena, a barbershop, and even a trainer exchange center.
The deck buzzed with activity. Office workers in suits, well-dressed tourists, and young Pokémon trainers filled the ship, some admiring the view of the city's glowing neon skyline, while others dined with their Pokémon in the restaurants below deck.
Naoki found a cozy spot at a dining table with Koraidon by his side. A uniformed waiter handed them menus.
"Let's see… Grilled pork cutlet, soy sauce fried rice, omelet rice, sashimi, sushi, ham…" Naoki's eyes widened at the variety. "Not bad!"
He ordered a few dishes he liked and waited with Koraidon and Cyclizar.
Soon, the food arrived. Naoki took a bite and found it surprisingly good. As he ate, he glanced at Koraidon and Cyclizar and saw they were happily devouring their own food.
Seeing both of them eat with such joy made Naoki smile. "Enjoy it. We'll be on this ship for three days."
"Raao~!"
"Ga-ahoo"
They both responded between bites.
The two ate contentedly, their spirits lifted by the good food and the exciting journey ahead.
Just as Naoki lowered his head to focus on his meal, a conversation from the table behind him caught his ear.
"Man, what a bummer! I had to miss Iono's performance just to catch this ship!" one passenger grumbled.
His friend chuckled. "You're obsessed, huh? But seriously, how old is Iono, anyway? She looks like someone who just started her first Pokémon journey!"
"No way! I heard Iono became a Gym Leader just two years ago. She was only fifteen at the time! So now she must be about seventeen, almost eighteen, right? Who wouldn't like someone that young and full of energy? That's the charm of Iono!"
Naoki listened quietly, surprised by what he heard.
"Eighteen? That's two years younger than me..." he thought.
But something didn't add up.
"Wait… If Iono is that young now, wouldn't that mean she'd be around 27 or 28 by the time the events of the game take place? But she doesn't look that old at all!"
He scratched his head, puzzled.
"Do people just not age the same in the Pokémon world? Maybe they stay looking younger longer?"
Then another thought struck him: "Actually, streaming rules in real life require you to be at least eighteen to go live. And in the game, some NPCs mentioned that Iono has been streaming for many years."
He calculated the timeline in his head. "That means she was definitely over twenty during the game's events."
Naoki shook his head with a quiet chuckle. "Well, it doesn't really matter."
With that, Naoki finished his meal, brought Koraidon and Cyclizar to the deck, and ordered a couple of glasses of juice. They stretched out on beach chairs, gazing up at the starry night sky, their minds at ease.
...
Three days later, the ship reached the Galar region on schedule, docking at the port of Hulbury.
Naoki stepped off the boat with Koraidon, feeling a bit exhausted but excited to explore the new surroundings. The warm breeze was a pleasant change from the cooler climate of Paldea.
He wandered through the streets of the port town, taking in the mix of medieval and modern architecture. A tall, stone city wall surrounded the town's edge, giving it a charming, fantasy-like feel. The roads were clean, lined with guardrails to prevent anyone from falling into the sea.
Along the way, Naoki passed parks, bustling shops, street stalls, and flower markets. Pokémon unique to the Galar region roamed freely, adding to the town's lively atmosphere.
On a grassy lawn, Naoki noticed a Yamper playfully running around, its tail generating sparks of electricity.
In the park's trees, a Blipbug crawled along the branches, quietly observing everything happening below.
Near a small fountain, a Sobble splashed about, playing with the water while droplets ran down its face—though it wasn't clear if they were tears or just the fountain spray.
Naoki smiled. "That's Sobble, the Water-type starter Pokémon of Galar. It's pretty cute in person," he thought.
Without even realizing it, Naoki found himself and Koraidon standing right next to the little Sobble.
The playful Sobble, sensing a powerful presence nearby, stopped splashing and slowly looked up.
Its wide eyes locked onto Koraidon's intense gaze. For a moment, Sobble froze in place, overwhelmed by the sight of a large, unfamiliar Pokémon towering over it.
The little Sobble's body froze, and it began to wail in fear, tears streaming down its face in torrents.
Seeing this, Naoki quickly knelt and said gently, "Don't be afraid, it won't hurt you..."
But just as he spoke, Naoki felt something strange happening.
Suddenly, his own eyes became watery, and tears flowed uncontrollably down his cheeks. He blinked in confusion. "What the...?"
Behind him, Koraidon let out a distressed cry. Naoki turned to see his Pokémon's eyes brimming with tears as well, even though there was no reason to cry.
Naoki: "?"
Taking advantage of the confusion, the patterns on Sobble's body rapidly shifted, blending into the environment until it vanished completely from sight.
"Raao?!" Koraidon exclaimed, its tear-filled eyes wide with surprise.
Naoki looked down, realizing Sobble had disappeared entirely.
Just then, someone was drawn to the commotion.
A tall girl with sun-kissed skin, piercing blue eyes, and the graceful figure of a model approached. She wore a sleek swimsuit, her confident posture radiating calm.
Her gaze landed on Naoki and Koraidon, both of them still crying. With a knowing smile, she explained, "That's a Sobble. It's timid by nature. When frightened, its tears release a powerful tear-inducing substance that makes everything around it cry. It uses that moment to escape."
Naoki turned, his tear-streaked face lighting up with recognition. 'Wait... is that Nessa?'
It was indeed Nessa, the renowned Water-type Gym Leader of the Galar region—and a popular model known throughout the world.
Naoki blinked, startled to see her up close.
Nessa gave him a sympathetic smile, noticing the tears on his face. "The substance isn't harmful, but I suggest you get checked out at the Pokémon Center. Otherwise, you might stay like this for a while."
Naoki: "…"
...
Ten minutes later, Naoki and Koraidon arrived at the Pokémon Center, still teary-eyed.
The moment Nurse Joy saw their red, swollen eyes, she immediately understood what had happened. With a warm smile, she pulled out a bottle of eye drops.
"Here, let's get those eyes cleared up," she said kindly, tilting their heads back and carefully applying a few drops into Naoki's and Koraidon's eyes.
As the soothing drops worked their magic, Nurse Joy chuckled. "You're from another region, aren't you?" she asked, noticing Koraidon. "It's easy to tell—your Pokémon isn't native to Galar."
Naoki nodded, wiping the last of his tears away as the eye drops took effect.
Nurse Joy gave them a reassuring smile. "Sobble's tears are no joke. They're as tear-inducing as a hundred onions. If you get caught in it, you'll cry like there's no tomorrow!"
Naoki: "…"
Now, Naoki finally understood why Nessa had suggested going to the Pokémon Center.
Thanks to the eye drops from Nurse Joy, the discomfort in his eyes soon faded.
Naoki rubbed his eyes, gave a grateful smile, and thanked Nurse Joy before leaving the Pokémon Center.
When he returned to the park, Nessa was already gone.
"I wanted to thank her!" Naoki muttered with a sigh. He felt a little regret, but since he had other things to do, he decided to let it go. "I'll thank her next time I see her."
With a new destination in mind, Naoki checked the road signs around Hulbury. Before long, he spotted the directions to the Hulbury Train Station.
Ten minutes later, he arrived at the station.
The friendly ticket agent greeted him with a warm smile. "Where are you headed?"
Naoki replied confidently, "The Crown Tundra."
The ticket seller blinked for a moment, surprised. "Crown Tundra?" She smiled and said playfully, "Oh! You mean the Crown Snowfield?"
Naoki then realized that he was talking about the name of the Sword and Shield DLC. He nodded embarrassedly: "Yes, it's Crown Snowfield."
The ticket agent laughed along. "You must be from another region. You don't see Pokémon like that every day!" She gave Koraidon a curious glance.
"That's right," Naoki replied with a grin. "We're from the Paldea region, heading to visit a friend in the Crown Snowfield."
"I see! Well, welcome to Galar," the agent said cheerfully. "Here's your ticket. Please keep it safe. You'll need it to board the train at the platform."
"Thanks!"
Naoki nodded, took his ticket, and entered the station. Following the signs, he soon found the steam train bound for the Crown Tundra.
He boarded the train with Koraidon, and before long, the train rumbled to life, moving steadily along the tracks.
Outside, the scenery whisked by in a blur of snowy landscapes.
Koraidon and Cyclizar, who had never been on a train before, leaned eagerly against the window, their eyes wide with curiosity as they watched the view speed past.
Naoki glanced around the carriage and was surprised to find it completely empty—he was the only passenger.
"Goodness! Is the Crown Tundra really that unpopular?"
He sat back, thinking carefully about what he remembered from the Crown Tundra in the game.
It was a harsh, cold region filled with snow-capped mountains, rugged cliffs, and treacherous terrain. Because of its extreme weather, people lived in small villages and relied heavily on each other to survive.
"This place is no tourist paradise," Naoki thought with a shrug.
But something still felt odd. The Crown Tundra was known to be home to ancient ruins, temples, and mythical Pokémon—exactly the kind of destination explorers and relic enthusiasts would love.
"Could it be that the cold is just too unbearable?" Naoki wondered. "Come on, how bad can it be? It's just snow! A few extra layers should do the trick."
But as soon as the train reached its destination, Naoki learned just how bad it really was.
As Naoki and Koraidon stepped off the train, an icy wind howled through the station.
The moment the cold hit, Naoki's entire body stiffened, and he let out an involuntary shiver.
"F-F-Fuck, it's freezing!" he stammered, teeth chattering violently.
The winter clothes he'd brought along were nowhere near enough to withstand the brutal cold of the Crown Tundra.
He hugged himself, realizing with dread that he'd severely underestimated just how harsh this environment could be.
Even worse, there were no shops nearby to buy cold-weather gear—just the small station behind him, standing alone against the vast, snowy landscape.
Naoki exhaled, watching his breath form puffs of white mist in the air. He forced himself to stay calm, scanning his surroundings. As far as the eye could see, the world was blanketed in snow, with cold-resistant trees sagging under layers of frost.
In the distance, jagged cliffs stretched upward into the sky, their steep slopes hinting at the region's rugged terrain.
"The King of Bountiful Harvests should be somewhere around here," Naoki thought, trying to focus.
But that was the problem—where exactly would the Pokémon be? The Crown Shrine? Or perhaps hidden in some unmarked cave?
As Naoki stood pondering his next move, Koraidon nudged him gently, concern flickering in its eyes.
Naoki gave the Pokémon a reassuring smile. "I'm okay. How about you? Are you holding up alright?"
"Raao!" Koraidon nodded enthusiastically, seemingly unaffected by the cold.
Naoki gave it an affectionate pat. "Good to know. Looks like this weather doesn't bother you at all, huh?"
Koraidon's warm body radiated heat, providing a welcome bit of comfort to Naoki in the biting cold.
"This kind of weather is no big deal for you, huh?" Naoki grinned, thankful for his sturdy partner.
Turning his gaze forward, Naoki spotted a signpost by the roadside near the station. It pointed toward Freezington, a small village nestled in the Crown Tundra.
After a brief moment of thought, Naoki made his decision.
"Let's head to Freezington first. Maybe the locals can give us some useful information," he said.
With that, Naoki adjusted his scarf, tightened his grip on his bag, and started walking through the snow, Koraidon trotting cheerfully by his side.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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