Chapter 14: Eyes in the Dark
At a small lake, Liz was scrubbing herself in the water. The lake water was a bit cool, making the little girl shiver all over.
"Come up quickly after you're done washing."
Ryū lay on the shore, yawning out of boredom. Anyway, his baths these days were just a quick roll in the water; he wouldn't smell bad or feel uncomfortable if he didn't bathe. As for Pokémon like Kikō, Ryū had never seen them bathe at all.
"Kikō, don't rush me~"
Liz didn't know why she could understand Ryū. She remembered that at first, she clearly didn't understand Ryū's words at all. Although she still didn't understand perfectly now, she could vaguely sense a hint of 'urging' in Ryū's words. The experiences of these past few days had started to spark some ideas in Liz's mind. That is, could humans and Pokémon become friends, and then use the power of Pokémon to fight against enemies? At least judging by her relationship with Kikō, Liz thought it was possible.
A few more minutes passed, and Liz finally came out of the lake water. Ryū handed her a Lum Berry, and she immediately took a bite, her body quickly warming up.
"Thank you, Kikō~"
Liz looked at Ryū with a smile. The ideas in her mind were growing. Given her relationship with Kikō, could she ask Kikō to bring his Magical Beast tribe members to help the Royal Dragon Tribe fight against the Silph Tribe? She could have the Royal Dragon Tribe provide Kikō and his tribe with an endless supply of food and a safe, comfortable environment. This was a win-win situation.
However, Liz wasn't the only one thinking this way! At this moment, in the forest on the other side of the lake, a tall man with coffee-colored skin and a long spear in his hand was crawling in the bushes, secretly watching Liz and Ryū in the distance. Although he couldn't see clearly because of the distance, he could still recognize that the little girl was the princess of the enemy tribe, the Royal Dragon Tribe.
"The princess of the Royal Dragon Tribe is getting along so well with a Magical Beast?! Could it be that the Royal Dragon Tribe has already mastered the method of commanding Magical Beasts?"
The man muttered, cold sweat even dripping down his forehead. If his guess was true, then the Silph Tribe would undoubtedly face a disaster! That was a Magical Beast! An existence that three or five adult men in the tribe could only take down together! And that Magical Beast could fly! Its size also seemed quite large, clearly not a Magical Beast that was easy to deal with.
"I must immediately report this matter to the Elder, and let the Elder decide what to do!"
The man didn't look any further, turned around, and ran. He had to return to the tribe immediately to inform them and tell everyone in the tribe what he had seen.
After bathing, Liz looked much cleaner, somewhat resembling her initial appearance, though her hair was still messy. Moreover, because she had been continuously eating cold berries, the little girl's physical condition was clearly not good, and she already showed signs of catching a cold and having diarrhea.
"Where is your home?"
Ryū had already decided to send Liz out of the forest. Although it was nostalgic to see humans again, he was now a Pokémon after all. He was a 'Magical Beast' living in the Monster Era, and it was no longer suitable for him to live with humans.
"Kikō, what did you say? I don't understand what you're saying..."
Liz scratched her head. She could feel that Ryū was asking her something, but she didn't understand the specific meaning.
"..."
Ryū scratched his head, picked up Liz who had put on her clothes, and took her into the air. He circled around at a high altitude, then after determining a direction, he continuously moved forward. The geographical features of the Kanto and Johto regions were characterized by many plains. So, where the wind was stronger, it was more likely to be closer to the outside of the forest.
"Kikō~ Achoo! Where are you taking me?"
Liz, held in mid-air and blown by the cool wind, couldn't help but sneeze.
Ryū didn't speak and continued flying in the direction he had determined. After flying for a while, he found that the terrain ahead was still flat, with no intention of getting higher, so he knew that the direction he had chosen was probably correct. Because he was in Mt. Silver. If he had flown in the wrong direction, the terrain ahead should have gotten higher and higher.
After flying for about 5 more minutes, Ryū could already see the outside of the forest. Outside the forest was indeed a relatively flat grassland, which looked very suitable for farming and animal husbandry and was indeed much more suitable for human survival than the forest.
Similarly, Liz also saw it.
"Yay? We're out of the forest, Kikō, are you taking me home?"
Liz finally understood Ryū's idea now. Ryū's actions confirmed Liz's guess was correct. After flying out of the forest, he placed Liz on the grass, then waved his hand, signaling Liz to leave on her own.
"No! Kikō, don't leave me."
Seeing this, Liz quickly hugged him. She jumped up with all her strength, clinging to Ryū like an octopus.
"?"
Ryū showed a vivid expression of confusion. 'I've brought you all the way here, what else do you want?'
"I don't know the way either. I have no impression of this place at all. If you leave me here, I won't be able to go back."
"...You don't even know how to get home?"
Ryū was speechless. He hadn't expected that Liz, who looked like she was already 8 or 9 years old, still didn't know how to get home. He could only say that she was indeed a pampered princess who probably hadn't traveled far since she was little.
"Let's go back, Father said that when I get lost, I should stay put and wait for him to find me. As long as I stay with you, everyone in the tribe will definitely send someone to pick me up!"
Liz held onto Ryū and refused to let go. The grassland was indeed safer than the forest, but it wasn't completely without danger. A little girl like her could easily be carried away by some passing large Magical Beasts. For Liz, the safest situation right now was to stay by Ryū's side. Having some minor health problems was not a big deal; it was definitely better than dying. If she could become the link between Ryū and the Royal Dragon Tribe's alliance, then all these hardships now were just minor issues.
"..."
Ryū hadn't expected Liz to think so much. After all, in Ryū's opinion, Liz was just a mere ordinary little girl of 8 or 9, still at an age where she knew nothing. But he had forgotten. Children in the Pokémon world matured relatively early. Moreover, they were in a cruel era where if you didn't mature early, you would die early.
After a little thought, he realized that what Liz said made sense. If she didn't know the way, it would be better to go back and stay in their lair for now. And so, Ryū carried Liz and flew back.
"Kikō~ What are you going to do next? What do you usually do?"
Liz, carried on Ryū's back, asked curiously. It was her first time integrating into the life of Magical Beasts, and observing their living habits was quite interesting to her.
"Next?"
Ryū grinned, looking in a certain direction.
"This territory, it's time for a change of ownership."