The Mobile Home's engine hummed as Sasuke guided them out of Viridian City's northern gate, leaving behind the concentric circles of urban sprawl for Route 2's winding ascent. Morning sunlight slanted through the windshield, warm on his arms. Victini had claimed its usual spot on the dashboard, curled into a contented ball with its wings tucked close.
"Road's getting steeper already," Miyuki said from the passenger seat. She had the regional map spread across her lap, one finger tracing their route. "Elevation gain starts immediately. We'll climb about two thousand feet before reaching Pewter City."
Sasuke adjusted his grip on the wheel as the incline increased. The RV handled it smoothly, its engine designed for mountain travel. Through the windshield, the flat plains of central Kanto gave way to rocky foothills. Scattered trees became sparse scrub. The pavement itself changed color, darker stone aggregate mixed into the concrete.
"Look!" Kasumi pressed her face against the living room window. "The Pokemon are completely different!"
She was right. The Pidgey and Rattata common on Route 1 had vanished. A Geodude rolled across the roadside, its rocky body tumbling downhill. Two Sandshrew dug at the base of a boulder, their claws scraping stone. A Rhyhorn stood sentinel on a distant ridge, silhouetted against the brightening sky.
Kiyomi leaned forward between the front seats, her camera already in hand. "The geological transition is textbook perfect. Sedimentary layers from the ancient Kanto sea give way to volcanic rock from the mountain range's formation. You can see the strata lines in that cliff face."
Sasuke glanced where she pointed. The rock wall rising beside the road did show distinct layers, gray, red, brown, like pages in a stone book. He'd never paid much attention to such things before Crown Tundra, where his father had taught him to read landscapes for tactical advantage.
"Can we stop?" Kasumi had her phone out, camera app open. "The light's perfect right now."
Miyuki checked the map. "There's a scenic overlook half a kilometer ahead. Official rest area."
Sasuke nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. The curves had grown tighter, switchbacks cutting back and forth up the mountainside. To their right, a guardrail was the only thing between the pavement and a steep drop. To their left, raw cliff face showed tool marks where the road had been carved from living stone decades ago.
Victini stirred, yawning widely. It stretched, then hopped onto Sasuke's shoulder for a better view. Its body heat radiated against his neck, comfortable warmth, not the searing intensity of its flames.
"Vi-Victini?" It pointed at something ahead.
A wooden sign appeared: REST AREA 500M. Sasuke eased off the accelerator, letting the RV slow naturally on the grade. The overlook materialized, a wide semicircle of pavement bulldozed from the cliff side, bordered by sturdy railings. Empty except for a family in a sedan, parents helping children out for a stretch.
Sasuke pulled into a space, set the parking brake, and killed the engine. The sudden quiet felt profound after hours of road noise. Even the wind outside seemed muted, just a whisper across stone.
"Everyone out," Kasumi announced, already heading for the door. "Photo time!"
Miyuki folded the map carefully before following. Kiyomi grabbed her research bag, heavy with sample containers and measuring tools. Sasuke lingered in the driver's seat for a moment, rolling his shoulders to work out the stiffness, then stepped down onto the pavement.
The view stopped him.
Viridian City spread below them like a circuit board, green spaces and gray buildings arranged in those precise concentric rings around the Tower of Eternity. Beyond it, Route 1 cut a pale line through darker plains, all the way south to where Pallet Town sat invisible on the distant coast. The morning sun painted everything in shades of gold and amber.
"It's beautiful," Miyuki said quietly. She stood at the railing, silver hair stirring in the breeze. The wind had picked up here, cooler and drier than the humid air down in the city.
Kasumi had her phone extended, capturing everything. "The perspective is insane. We can see where we started!"
Kiyomi moved along the cliff face, examining the exposed rock. She ran her fingers over the stone, feeling texture Sasuke couldn't perceive. "Basalt composition, definitely volcanic origin. And these striations suggest glacial movement during the ice age." She pulled out a small rock hammer, chipped off a sample, and sealed it in a plastic bag with practiced efficiency.
The family at the other end of the overlook had released their Pokemon, two Pidgeotto and a Meowth. The children played with the Meowth while the Pidgeotto perched on the railing, preening their feathers. Simple domesticity. Sasuke wondered if his journey would end that way eventually, family trips, normal concerns, Pokemon as companions rather than partners in constant training.
"Sasuke!" Kasumi waved him over. "Group photo. Come on."
He walked to where she stood with Miyuki and Kiyomi. The three of them had arranged themselves at the railing, the vast landscape stretching behind them. Kasumi set up her phone on a nearby rock, activated the timer, then sprinted back to squeeze between Miyuki and Sasuke.
"Say 'badge'!" she commanded.
"Badge," they chorused. The phone clicked.
Kasumi checked the result, grinned, then turned the screen so they could see. Four figures at a mountain overlook, the whole of their journey visible behind them. Her crimson hair caught the light like fire. Miyuki's composed smile looked almost relaxed. Kiyomi had one hand on her hip, confident. Sasuke stood slightly apart, Victini perched on his shoulder, and he realized he was actually smiling.
"Sending to the group chat," Kasumi announced, already typing.
Sasuke's phone buzzed in his pocket. When he checked, he saw the photo, followed immediately by Kiyomi's message: Looking good, team.
Miyuki added: Frame-worthy.
Kasumi sent a string of celebration emojis.
Sasuke pocketed his phone without responding. The wind picked up again, carrying the scent of sun-warmed stone and distant pine. Victini chirped contentedly on his shoulder. Below, Viridian City continued its daily routine, unaware of four trainers pausing to appreciate the view.
"We should get moving," Miyuki said eventually. "If we want to reach Pewter City by evening, we need to average forty kilometers per hour. The route gets more challenging ahead."
Sasuke nodded. They returned to the Mobile Home, doors shutting one by one. He settled back into the driver's seat, adjusted the mirrors, and started the engine. The family waved as he pulled out, children pressing their faces against their car windows to watch the large RV navigate back onto Route 2.
The road continued climbing. Pine trees appeared, stubborn survivors clinging to rocky soil. The pavement narrowed, barely wide enough for two vehicles to pass. Sasuke focused on the lines, keeping them centered. Beside him, Miyuki had returned to navigation duty, though she seemed content to simply watch the landscape change.
In the living room behind them, Kasumi had spread her berry samples on the coffee table, sorting and cataloging. Her phone kept buzzing, probably Contest Hall messages or berry farmer contacts. Kiyomi had claimed the corner spot, laptop open, comparing her new geological samples against reference databases.
Victini dozed on the dashboard again, lulled by the engine's rhythm and the gentle swaying as Sasuke navigated curves.
An hour passed. Then another. The terrain grew more severe, true mountains now, not foothills. Snow-capped peaks appeared in the distance, the range that sheltered Pewter City. The pavement showed more wear here, cracked from freeze-thaw cycles. Occasional rockfall had been cleared to the shoulder, boulders the size of the RV pushed aside by League maintenance crews.
"Sasuke." Miyuki pointed ahead. "There's something on the road."
He saw it. A gray shape coiled across both lanes, massive and segmented. The Mobile Home crested a rise, and the shape resolved into details, stone scales, each the size of a dinner plate. A horn like a drill bit. Eyes closed in afternoon rest.
Onix.
Sasuke eased off the accelerator. The RV slowed to a crawl, then stopped about twenty meters from the sleeping Pokemon. Its body stretched the entire width of the road and then some, tail disappearing over the left edge, head resting on a boulder to the right. Easily forty feet long. Probably weighed several tons.
"That's a big one," Kiyomi said, appearing between the seats. "Old, too. See the moss growing in its scale grooves? That takes years."
"Can we wake it?" Kasumi asked. "Or should we wait?"
Sasuke studied the Onix. Its breathing was deep and slow, truly asleep, not just resting. Behind them, no other vehicles appeared. Ahead, the road curved around a bend. They could be here a while if they waited.
He killed the engine. "I'll handle it."
"Want help?" Miyuki asked.
"Just backup. Stay in the RV unless needed."
Sasuke stepped out into mountain air that tasted of stone dust and altitude. Victini rode his shoulder, flames banked low. The Onix didn't react to their approach, still deeply asleep. Up close, its sheer size became more impressive. Each scale was weathered and pitted, evidence of a long life in harsh terrain. This Pokemon had seen decades, maybe more.
"Landorus," Sasuke said quietly, reaching for the Pokeball at his belt.
The ball opened in his hand, light coalescing into the legendary Ground-type's muscular form. Landorus materialized with barely a sound, reading Sasuke's intention through their bond. It floated beside him, orange fur rippling in the breeze, and studied the sleeping Onix with patient eyes.
Sasuke stepped closer. Still five meters away, but close enough. "Hey there," he said, voice carrying but not shouting. "Sorry to disturb your rest."
The Onix's eyes opened, one, then the other. Massive orbs, dark as obsidian, focused on him with the slow awareness of something roused from deep sleep. Its head lifted off the boulder. Stone scales scraped against stone road.
"We need to pass," Sasuke continued. "Just traveling through. Would you mind moving to the shoulder?"
The Onix regarded him. Its head swayed slightly, bringing its horn closer, not threatening, just examining. Then its gaze shifted to Landorus, and something changed in its posture. Recognition, perhaps. One Pokemon to another, or simply the acknowledgment that this was not a fight it wanted.
Landorus floated forward. It made no aggressive moves, just hovered there beside Sasuke, calm and certain. The two Ground-types studied each other. Some silent communication passed between them, body language or aura or something else Sasuke couldn't perceive.
The Onix's head lowered slightly. It began to move, body uncoiling with surprising grace for something so massive. Stone scraped stone. Its tail swung up from the cliff edge, segments realigning as it gathered itself. Then it slithered right, toward the cliff face, moving with the patient deliberation of boulders rolling downhill.
Within moments, both lanes stood clear. The Onix coiled against the rock wall, head resting on its own body, settling back into rest. Its eyes tracked Sasuke and Landorus but held no hostility. Just tired acceptance, let them pass, then return to sleep.
"Thank you," Sasuke said. He meant it.
Landorus bowed, a formal gesture of respect from one Ground-type to another. Then it returned to its ball, light streaming back into the device.
Sasuke walked back to the Mobile Home. As he climbed into the driver's seat, he saw all three of them watching him.
"That was smooth," Kiyomi said. "Most trainers would've battled it."
Miyuki nodded. "Forced it to move through intimidation."
Sasuke started the engine. "Didn't need to fight. The Onix wasn't being aggressive, just sleeping. Landorus made it clear we were strong enough to be trouble, but we'd rather not be." He put the RV in gear, eased forward past the coiled Pokemon. "Strong trainers don't need to prove themselves on wild Pokemon that aren't looking for a fight."
Kasumi leaned against the back of his seat. "Your dad teach you that?"
"Yeah. Crown Tundra lesson." Sasuke checked the side mirror as they passed the Onix. It hadn't moved, just watched them with those dark eyes. "He said real strength is knowing when not to fight. Anyone can battle a weaker opponent. It takes discipline to walk away."
The road opened up ahead, curve straightening into a longer stretch. Sasuke accelerated carefully, bringing them back to cruising speed. In the mirror, the Onix grew smaller, then disappeared as they rounded the bend.
Victini chirped approvingly and returned to its nap.
"How far to Pewter City?" Sasuke asked.
Miyuki consulted the map. "About sixty kilometers. Three more hours at current pace, accounting for terrain. We'll arrive before sunset."
"Good." Sasuke settled into the drive, hands relaxed on the wheel. "Gives us tonight to settle in, tomorrow to scout the city. I'll register for the gym challenge the day after."
"And I'll hit the Contest Hall," Kasumi added. "Want to see the practice facilities."
"Museum tour for me," Kiyomi said. "Dr. Takeshi supposedly has the best fossil collection in Kanto."
Miyuki smiled. "Breeding center for me, then."
Sasuke listened to them plan, their voices a comfortable backdrop to the engine's hum. The road climbed higher. Rocky terrain gave way to alpine forest. The temperature dropped degree by degree. Snow appeared on distant peaks, permanent glaciers that never fully melted.
Route 2 continued its patient ascent toward Pewter City, carrying them forward.