"It should be right ahead." Aomori parted the dense foliage, and the view instantly opened up.
Before him lay a patch of lush, emerald-green grass, covered in vibrant flowers, releasing a soft, fragrant mist.
In the center of the grassy area was a pool of clear spring water, about three to five square meters in size.
Many of the Pokémon Aomori had defeated earlier were lowering their heads to drink from this spring. Their injuries vanished at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Aomori's arrival shattered the tranquil atmosphere. Many Pokémon bared their teeth and glared at him angrily.
He ignored them and approached the spring. Activating Mind's Eye, the antennae of his Spirit energy passed through the water and revealed what lay beneath.
"Life Stone? Healing Water?"
The treasure map self-destructed upon Aomori's arrival, indicating that the gem-like object at the bottom was the so-called treasure.
He wasn't sure what Legendary Pokémon had left it behind. Anything related to life suggested either Ho-Oh or Suicune. It was most likely Suicune, but Suicune was supposed to stay in the Johto region.
Aomori couldn't figure out the answer.
The gem was somewhat redundant for him; its recovery ability was inferior to his own Holy Light.
Under the shocked and indignant gazes of the surrounding Pokémon, Aomori reached his hand into the spring water and grasped the Life Stone. However, most of the Pokémon had been beaten by him and dared not protest further.
After a long while, Aomori released the stone and did not take it with him. He had tried to gain some insight from it, but after a long time with no success, he simply gave up.
Perhaps a closer encounter with a Legendary Pokémon would yield some understanding.
"Let's go." Calling Absol and Pidgeotto, Aomori turned and left without regret, leaving behind a group of Pokémon looking at each other in confusion.
Returning along the original path, Aomori decided that Viridian Forest held nothing more worth lingering over. He had no intention of returning to the Pikachu village, as Pikachu were as common as stray dogs, only truly sought after by the real protagonist trio, so they should be doing fine.
Riding his Motorcycle, Aomori sped along, crossing Viridian Forest and reaching the next city: Pewter City.
Pewter City was a city at the foot of a massive rock mountain and was home mainly to Rock-type Pokémon.
Aomori arrived at the base of the massive rock mountain. Pewter City, with its closely packed houses, lay in the distance. He gazed up at the rock mountain; its peak soared into the clouds, impossible to see the top of.
The treasure map indicated the treasure's location was on this massive rock mountain.
"If Pidgeotto had evolved into Pidgeot, this would be much easier." Pidgeotto was currently not large enough to carry Aomori for long distances.
He flicked Pidgeotto's small head. As the Pokémon looked confused, Aomori began to climb up step by step.
Halfway up, the pre-existing man-made path disappeared, forcing Aomori to climb the rest of the way with his bare hands. His hands were steady as rock, gripping protruding stones on the mountain face. With a slight effort, his body pulled upward.
Using Mind's Eye, he easily judged which protruding rocks were secure, allowing him to climb rapidly.
Suddenly, Aomori spotted another person climbing the mountain face not far from him, moving at a speed not much slower than his own.
That person seemed to notice Aomori moving past him and quickly increased his pace, catching up to Aomori.
The two then seemed to engage in a silent competition, constantly increasing their climbing speed. One moment one was ahead, the next the other, appearing perfectly matched.
Finally, upon reaching the summit, Aomori's palm was the first to touch the flat surface.
The mountaintop was a flat expanse the size of a football field. Both men stood on the plateau, their breathing even.
It was then that Aomori focused on the person's appearance and attire: he had a firm, rugged face, long hair tied back in a ponytail, was shirtless, and wore a black sash, white pants, and wrist and ankle bands.
Such skill and such a distinctive outfit immediately brought one person to mind.
"Elite Four Bruno?"
"Hmm? You know me. That's right, I'm the Elite Four member, Bruno." Bruno took two steps forward and extended his right hand to Aomori. "I've been training here recently. You're a new face, kid."
"My name is Aomori. This is my first time in this area." Aomori also extended his right hand for a light handshake.
"Your first time? I wasn't wrong then. You're a seriously skilled master, managing to beat me, and I've climbed this mountain 137 times!" Bruno's fighting spirit was ignited. He issued a challenge: "Let's have a match! The reason I became one of the Elite Four is to fight outstanding opponents like you!"
"I accept." Aomori was also curious to test the limits of the strongest human in this world.
"Genshin-ryu Karate, Bruno. I ask for your instruction."
"Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, Aomori. Please instruct me."
In the howling wind, Bruno shattered the mountain rock under his feet and launched a straight punch. His thick arm struck out with an irresistible will.
Aomori's hands moved like flowing water, bypassing the straight punch and heading straight for Bruno's face.
"Good!" Bruno roared. He neither dodged nor flinched, instead sticking out his robust chest to meet Aomori's fist, while his free left hand chopped down like a battle-axe!
A blow for a blow? Who's afraid of whom?!
With fearless eyes, Aomori merely tilted his head slightly and added a bit more force to his punch.
Thud!
Aomori's fist struck Bruno's chest, and Bruno's hand-chop landed on Aomori's shoulder.
In slow motion, Bruno's chest caved in slightly, and his body staggered back, his feet carving out pits in the rock with every retreating step. Aomori was knocked off balance, feeling as though his shoulder had cracked.
Bruno stopped at the edge of the cliff, swallowed the sweet taste of blood in his mouth, and bellowed, "I suffer in agony every day! What is this pain compared to that!"
"Come at me again!" Amidst his cries, Bruno, seemingly unfazed, strode forward, his fists hammering out like a machine gun.
Infected by Bruno's passion, Aomori also felt a surge of heat. He likewise shouted out, his movements lightning-fast, meeting Bruno's assault head-on.
"Bring it on!"
On the summit of this massive rock mountain, two superhuman humans engaged in a visceral, blood-pumping duel of bare fists.
Ultimately, the victor was Aomori, who couldn't resist using his Three-Stage Breathing Style.
Both men lay on the ground, bruised and swollen, panting heavily, yet both wore smiles.
"Awesome!" Bruno laughed heartily. "It's been a long time since I encountered such a challenging opponent."
"As for being challenging, I can't compare to you, Elite Four Bruno. You kept standing up, shouting, after every knockdown," Aomori said, covering his eyes with his arm, speaking with annoyance. "That's why I hate fighting unkillable opponents the most."
"Hahahaha! Of course! I train diligently every day; I can't easily admit defeat! Otherwise, my muscles would cry!"
Afterward, Bruno spoke about his training life, and Aomori shared some of his less important experiences. By the time they had the energy to stand up, darkness had fallen.
"I need to head down. What about you?"
"I'll stay here for a while," Aomori replied, not having forgotten his objective.
"Alright, but be careful. Tonight is a moonless night."
Aomori looked up. Sure enough, there was no sign of the moon.
"I'm off! Next time we meet, I'm going to beat you!" After declaring his ambition, Bruno released his Pokémon Hitmonlee, and together they leaped off the cliff.
Aomori was left alone on the mountaintop. He used Healing Spell to treat his injuries and looked around, but even with Mind's Eye, he couldn't locate the treasure.
"Is it hidden in a cave inside the rock mountain?"
Mentally exhausted and unwilling to dwell on it, Aomori released Absol and Pidgeotto. After they finished dinner, he entered Meditation.
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You can read the ahead chapter on Patr if you're interested: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]