Yuga handed the "Seed of the Unknown" to Absol, instructing it to try everything he had just tried.
Chatot, observing this, couldn't believe its eyes. Yuga seemed perfectly normal most of the time, but now he was acting rather foolishly. Why would he lick and bite it when testing it?
Even Absol felt bewildered by Yuga's actions. Was its trainer, Yuga, becoming eccentric? What was happening here?
After a while, Yuga didn't see any reaction from the "Seed of the Unknown."
Could it not be meant for Pokémon use? Or perhaps it didn't suit Absol?
With a puzzled expression, Yuga held the "Seed of the Unknown" up to Absol's face.
As the unknown seed approached Absol's forehead, it suddenly slipped from Yuga's hand and "whooshed" into Absol's head.
Staring at his empty palm, Yuga felt like he had made a complete fool of himself. It had entered so easily? He couldn't help but think how absurd it was to have bitten and licked it earlier.
At the same time, Absol, who had suddenly become the host for the "Seed of the Unknown," wore a confused expression. Who was he? Where was he? What was he doing?
Yuga asked, "Absol, are you okay? Do you feel anything unusual?"
There was a dark armored bone-like structure protruding from Absol's forehead, and that's where the "Seed of the Unknown" had entered.
Absol shook its head, indicating it didn't feel anything out of the ordinary.
Yuga was curious about the purpose of the "Seed of the Unknown." It couldn't just be for decoration, could it? Generally, rewards from the system were beneficial. Unable to figure it out, Yuga decided to set the matter aside for now.
After spending a restful night at the Pokémon Center, Yuga decided to continue his journey to Kanto early in the morning.
While having breakfast with his Pokémon, Yuga suddenly said to Absol, "Absol, have you noticed that you ate quite a bit today?"
Startled by Yuga's remark, Absol realized that it had indeed eaten more than usual. Normally, it would consume two or three Pokéblocks for breakfast, but this morning, it had consumed six or seven.
Yuga couldn't help but ask, "Although I can afford to feed you, are you sure eating this much is okay?"
Pokéblocks were highly concentrated Pokémon food, rich in energy. Overindulgence could lead to an energy surplus and burden the Pokémon's body.
Sitting down, Absol used one of its claws to rub its still-flat belly and shook its head, indicating that it felt fine.
Seeing that Absol was unaffected, Yuga was relieved.
Yuga immediately suspected that this sudden change might be related to the "Seed of the Unknown." However, since there was no conclusive evidence, he decided to observe the situation further.
After breakfast, Yuga recalled his Pokémon and, accompanied by Chatot, continued his journey. They set off on Route 27, which marked the beginning of the wild area.
Once on Route 27, it was officially the wild area. Yuga released Shroomish and Charmander, intending to train them along the way as they were both nearing their evolution stages.
In contrast to the wild Pokémon in the Hoenn region, like Wurmple, Zigzagoon, and Taillow, which were often encountered in the wild, the Johto region's wild Pokémon were quite different. It was common to find Pokémon like Sentret, Spinarak, and Hoothoot.
However, whenever Yuga tried to challenge Hoothoot with Shroomish and Charmander, Chatot would strongly object. It claimed that Hoothoot reminded it too much of its big baby Hoothoot and didn't want to see it get hurt. It was worried about Hoothoot's safety.
Yuga couldn't help but find it amusing. Chatot never seemed to care that much about Hoothoot before, even when they were together in the Day Care. Now, it was suddenly being sentimental.
Yuga didn't argue with Chatot and continued on their way. There were plenty of other wild Pokémon in the area.
Chatot was indeed feeling uneasy. It realized that if their quest to find Ho-oh didn't succeed this time, it might never see its beloved Noctowl or Hoothoot again, which left a heavy feeling in its heart. It was genuinely afraid of losing them.
As they journeyed, training their Pokémon and advancing along Route 27, they eventually arrived at Tohjo Falls. Tohjo Falls was positioned at the same level as Mt. Silver and served as the border between Johto and Kanto regions. Once they crossed Tohjo Falls, they would officially enter the Kanto region.
Watching the waterfall cascading down before them, Yuga and Chatot couldn't help but pause their steps and admire the breathtaking scenery.
Chatot sighed, "I wonder if we'll ever see such beautiful sights again."
Yuga responded by giving Chatot's head a light smack. "Why are you being so pessimistic? We already have a lead!"
Chatot, rubbing its head, complained, "But we haven't even seen a glimpse of this 'Chosen One.'"
Just as Yuga was about to respond, they heard the sound of an engine revving in the distance. It seemed intermittent, likely because it was coming from quite a distance away.
Yuga wondered, "Why would there be car sounds in the middle of nowhere ?"
"Dear, look! Your chest is glowing!" Chatot exclaimed.
Yuga glanced down and indeed saw a rainbow-colored glow emanating from his chest, precisely where he kept the Rainbow Feather.
As the Rainbow Feather was crucial in their quest to find the Chosen One, Yuga hadn't put it back in the system's backpack since leaving Ecruteak City. He feared losing this vital clue due to the system's isolation.
Taking the Rainbow Feather out from his clothes, Yuga's eyes filled with excitement. It was a case of a pleasant surprise when you least expect it.
"The Chosen One is nearby!" Yuga and Chatot exclaimed in unison.
Was this guidance from Ho-oh or the hand of fate? The fact that they were about to meet the Chosen One so quickly was incredible.
Yuga declared, "Let's go check it out!"
Chatot nodded in agreement.
Yuga recalled his Pokémon, Charmander and Shroomish, back into their Poké Balls. With Chatot by his side, he headed in the direction of the sound.
As they got closer to the source of the noise, the Rainbow Feather in their hands began to glow even brighter.
Finally, they spotted the source of the noise—a car parked in front of a cliff. The car had emerged from a cave below the cliff and was now parked at the entrance, its engine running but not moving.
Chatot questioned with a puzzled expression, "The people inside that car don't seem like good folks. Are we sure the Chosen One we're looking for is in there?"
Yuga remained hidden in the bushes, keeping an eye on the vehicle. He replied, "Regardless, let's investigate first."
"Look, the car is about to leave!" Chatot suddenly pointed out.
Yuga quickly ordered, "Let's follow them, Gengar!"
Following Yuga's command, Gengar emerged from Yuga's shadow, emitting a shroud of black mist that concealed Yuga, Chatot, and itself, making them nearly invisible.