Chapter 147: The Harsh Life in Sunagakure

The next morning arrived quickly.

After finishing breakfast, Ryo, Cynthia, and the Pokémon stood at the entrance of the Pokémon Home. Even the four members of Akatsuki were present.

"Ryo, are you really leaving now?"

Cynthia looked at him with a hint of reluctance.

Ryo nodded firmly.

"Yeah, it's decided. I won't be gone long, at most ten days."

Cynthia ignored that part and asked again, "Are you sure you can't take me with you?"

She had been in Konoha for almost two months, yet she had never left the village. She was curious about the outside world.

Ryo's lips twitched.

"If you hadn't said that, I might have actually felt bad about leaving."

He thought she was reluctant to part with him, but it turned out she just wanted to get out of the village.

Cynthia rolled her eyes.

"Please, if there's one thing I'm not reluctant about, it's you."

Ryo shook his head with a chuckle, then waved his hand.

"Alright, I should get going."

"Really? You won't take me?"

Cynthia pressed once more.

Ryo was speechless.

"No, if you leave, who's going to run the shop?"

Cynthia's expression darkened.

"Oh, I see now—you just want to go out and have fun while dumping the shop on me!"

Ryo sighed.

"Why do you always assume the worst? It's not like that! I'm just checking out locations for a branch shop."

Ignoring Cynthia's dramatic response, Ryo turned to the Akatsuki members.

"I'm leaving. Don't cause any trouble while I'm gone. If you do, you'll regret it when I come back."

The four of them felt a shiver run down their spines and nodded silently.

Satisfied, Ryo turned to Dragonite and Gardevoir.

"You two are in charge of guarding this place."

"Rooar—"

Dragonite hesitated for a moment before nodding and letting out a deep growl.

Gardevoir, however, stepped forward.

"Ryo, take me with you. Dragonite can stay here. I want to look after you."

Ryo shook his head and patted her shoulder.

"No need. You know how strong I am. There's no danger for me. Besides, I have Hoopa with me—there's no one in the ninja world who can hurt me."

This time, Ryo wasn't taking Dragonite or Gardevoir. Instead, he had chosen Diancie, Espeon, and Hoopa.

Diancie and Espeon needed training, while Hoopa was purely for safety.

Although Gardevoir was reluctant, she eventually nodded, understanding she had no choice.

Ryo turned back to Cynthia.

"I stocked up on Poké Balls at the counter, so you'll have enough supplies while I'm gone. I'll leave the shop in your hands."

Cynthia nodded.

"Fine, but bring me back a gift."

Ryo laughed.

"Alright, alright. I'll bring you something."

With that, he turned and left with Diancie, Espeon, and Hoopa.

As Ryo disappeared from view, Cynthia and the others headed back inside.

Meanwhile – The Harsh Land of Sunagakure

Unlike Konoha's lush greenery, Sunagakure was nothing but barren sand.

Even the houses were built from sand-colored materials, blending into the endless golden desert.

The landscape was monotonous, devoid of color.

With a whoosh, Ryo teleported in, holding Diancie in one arm and grasping Hoopa's hand in the other.

The scorching air made him frown slightly.

"This place is brutal… How do people even survive here?"

Even after just a moment, Ryo felt uncomfortable in the dry heat. Yet the residents of Sunagakure lived in this harsh environment every day.

Shaking off the thought, he glanced around.

"This village is so far from Konoha. Even with my Kage-level sensory range, it still took me three teleportations to get here."

A Kage-level mind could scan an area vast enough to cover ten Konoha villages. Yet even with that range, he needed three separate jumps to arrive.

"The distance is insane."

"This is probably the biggest difference between Teleportation and the Flying Thunder God."

The Flying Thunder God could teleport anywhere, as long as there was a marker—distance didn't matter.

But Teleportation relied on mental range, meaning it had a hard limit.

Ryo shook his head, deciding to explore first.

Since he wasn't familiar with Sunagakure, he needed to learn the lay of the land.

As he walked through the village, people stole glances at him.

Or rather, they stared at Diancie and Hoopa in his arms.

They were fascinated by these never-before-seen creatures.

Ryo didn't mind.

If people weren't curious about Pokémon, then there would be no reason for him to open a shop here.

After wandering for a while, Ryo understood Sunagakure's situation.

He entered a small shop, sat down, and ordered some food.

As he waited, he mused to himself.

"If I want Sunagakure to accept Pokémon quickly, I should introduce Water-type Pokémon first."

From his observations, he could tell that water was worshipped here.

Given that Sunagakure was in a desert, water was the most valuable resource.

For shinobi, it was just another element—but for civilians, it was everything.

One clear sign was how water in shops was far more expensive than food.

At that moment, a server arrived.

"Sir, here's your water. Your food will be ready shortly."

Ryo nodded.

"Thanks, take your time."

Once the server left, he lifted the cup to take a sip.

But the moment he poured the water, his brow furrowed.

The liquid was yellowish, and tiny grains of sand swirled inside.

Glancing around, he noticed that every other customer's table had the same kind of water.

His heart sank slightly.

"Sunagakure really is desperate for water. Even this gritty, sand-filled water is treated like a precious resource."

He sighed, deep in thought.

>>>>><<<<<>>>>><<<<<

follow my patreon.com/Yueru1 for more advanced chapters