Chapter 50: The Misty Island
The massive Dragonite set Natsume and Meowth down on the island before vanishing, showing no concern about them trying to escape.
Of course, Natsume hadn't planned on running away anyway.
From the time they had spent together on the way here, this massive Dragonite didn't seem hostile. If anything, it looked more like it was asking for help.
"The air here is so fresh, meow!"
Above, Meowth leapt down uncontrollably. Taking in the scenery, it felt completely refreshed.
*Wooo—*
Not far away, Dragonite's call echoed faintly.
"She's calling us over, meow," Meowth translated.
"Let's go." Natsume glanced at his phone. It was already the next day.
As they walked, Natsume observed the land around them, like a primeval forest.
The morning mist clung to his skin like liquid silk, his damp footsteps swallowed by moss.
Branches of towering trees pierced the shroud of fog, dew-laden spiderwebs trembling—while Lotad drifted silently in a puddle ten meters away.
The cross-sections of rotting wood bore strange totem-like markings, and the tinkling of Misdreavus bells resonated in quantum echoes between the shifting shadows.
His phone's signal bar was frozen forever on the second, empty mark.
"Let's run while we've got the chance, meow?" Meowth suddenly whispered.
"No. Her saliva carries pheromones. If you disobey her, she'll track you to the ends of the earth."
Meowth jumped in shock.
"Seriously, meow?!"
"You could try peeing on your own head. Maybe that would cover her scent." Natsume pointed at the gold coin on Meowth's forehead.
"You're tricking me, meow!" The further they walked, the colder and emptier the forest felt to Meowth.
It tugged on Natsume's sleeve, frightened.
"Hey, hey, hey! I'm serious! Now's the perfect time to run, meow!"
Natsume didn't respond. Instead, he released Rotom and Gengar, both fainted, from their Pokéballs.
He handed Meowth two Revives and two Max Potions.
"Treat them."
"What about you, meow?" Meowth asked curiously.
"This place feels ancient. There's a lot worth researching here." Natsume raised his phone, snapping photos of god-knows-what.
"Why should I do your dirty work? Only Boss Giovanni has the right to order me around, meow!" Meowth protested, throwing the medicine to the ground.
"We don't have any real battle strength right now. If danger comes, I'll be forced to send you out."
Meowth shrank his neck.
"And without Rotom, we can't Teleport. Even if we wanted to leave, we couldn't." Natsume's voice drifted from afar.
Meowth picked up the medicine and obediently treated the two Pokémon.
Before long, Rotom and Gengar regained consciousness.
"That scared me to death, meow!"
Meowth wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead. For the past few hours, Natsume had been gone.
It had only been him and the two unconscious Pokémon here.
The mountain forest's solitude, coupled with the strange cries echoing now and then, had kept him on edge.
"Didn't expect you to be so timid. Didn't I give you something for self-defense?"
The bushes rustled as Natsume emerged.
"A brick is useless, meow! What, am I supposed to knock myself out with it?"
Furious, Meowth hurled the brick Natsume had given him earlier.
Natsume caught it easily.
"Come to think of it, you're different from ordinary Meowth. You don't have much battle power."
"I'm a brains-type Meowth! Fighting is obviously left to those two underlings of mine!"
"Underlings?"
Natsume looked at him strangely.
"Of course! Jessie and James are my underlings, meow! I'm Boss Giovanni's most trusted, after all."
"I recorded that." Natsume pocketed his phone.
Meowth froze.
"You're awake?"
Natsume looked at the Gengar and Great Ball Rotom behind Meowth.
*Gengaa!*
*Roto!*
Both Pokémon nodded at him, though their voices still sounded weak.
"Rotom, Healing Ball." Natsume pointed at Gengar.
Not long after, Gengar was standing before them, nearly fully recovered.
*Gengaa!*
It struck a bodybuilder pose, brimming with energy.
"Rotom, get some rest." Natsume said as he recalled it.
"Gengar, use Psychic to take us to that ridge."
Natsume pointed toward the direction the massive Dragonite had shown earlier, handing Gengar a long, rolled strip made of shredded Tamato Berry mixed with dried black sludge.
*Gengaa?*
Gengar stared at the item in confusion.
After a couple of seconds, it decided to just toss it into its mouth, but Natsume stopped it.
*Snap—*
Natsume pulled out a lighter from nowhere and lit it.
Gengar, without needing to be taught, tried taking a puff.
*Whooo—* ITS round red eyes bulged wide, as if it had discovered a new world.
*Gengaa!*
Gengar gave a thumbs-up with its chubby hand, its eyes suddenly glowing blue.
"Hey, hey! Isn't the next step supposed to be using Teleport to escape?!" Meowth panicked.
But it had no room to resist—its body was already glowing blue.
The three soared into the sky, flying toward the ridge.
"I don't wanna go! Put me down, meow!" Meowth thrashed wildly.
"Gengar, drop Meowth between that Nidoqueen and Nidoking fighting over there."
"I'll go! I can be the interpreter, meow!" Meowth clung tightly to Natsume's head.
Soon, they had a full view of the massive mountain range.
It towered high, easily over a thousand meters.
The enormous Dragonite stood halfway up the slope. From a distance, it looked like a great temple had been built into the mountain.
Upon landing, Natsume surveyed the area.
The trees had long been uprooted by Dragonite, and the ground was strewn with rubble.
Of course, to Natsume and Meowth, each fragment was the size of a boulder.
"Gengar, I'll be counting on you again." Natsume handed it another roll.
This time, he didn't need to light it—Gengar used Will-O-Wisp skillfully, took a big puff—fwoosh!
After exhaling a thick cloud, Gengar was fired up with energy.
Before long, the three stood before the massive Dragonite, who sat calmly on the ground.
From the corner of his eye, Natsume noticed a colossal cave behind it—it looked like its dwelling.
*Rooaaar* The massive Dragonite nodded at Natsume.
"She's calling us inside, meow," Meowth translated.
*Groooaaar*
"She says there's something important she needs your help with, meow," Meowth added.
Natsume's eyes narrowed.
Just as he suspected.
But that was fine—an S-rank mission had just been gievn by the system, and this could be the breakthrough he needed. Perfect timing, since he'd wasted a Master Ball earlier.
Besides, he was very curious about how this massive Dragonite could sustain an Eternamax form—and even possess Divine Authority.
*Gengaa!* Suddenly, Gengar tugged on Natsume.
Turning around, he saw it raise two fingers to its lips, asking if he had any more.
"I've got the raw materials. Make it yourself."
With that, Natsume placed a pile of dried Tamato berries, black sludge, and some weighing paper he'd used for experiments onto the ground.
*Gengaa!* Gengar was ecstatic.
When dried Tamato berries were mixed with dried black sludge and burned, they released a very unique, pungent odor.
Natsume named this mixture Spicy Sludge.
Some Poison-type Pokémon were especially drawn to the scent—a discovery Natsume had made by accident.
With that, he turned and followed the massive Dragonite's heavy footsteps into the cave.
You can read more (around 70+ free chapters) of Natsume's adventure ad-free here[https://ravenarchives.com/book/pokemon-who-let-him-leave-pallet-town]. Bulk uploads is a mess here, so updates here might be irregular.