Chapter 109: Lake of Enlightenment

Chapter 109: Lake of Enlightenment

Zapdos watched as Zeraora comprehended its essence, nodded slightly, and then, in its weakened state, plunged into the lake, borrowing the power of the water to restore itself.

"Zeraora, help out Zapdos," Ron said. "After all, we owe it a favor. This is a good chance to test your newfound power—unleash Thunder at full strength!"

Zeraora nodded. Intense currents of electricity surged around its body, forcing Ron and the others to step back. They could feel the raw, primal, and ferocious power of lightning radiating from it.

A true thunderbolt crashed down from the sky, striking directly into the lake. The waters crackled with electricity, and the Electric-type Pokémon in the lake closed their eyes in comfort, basking in the sudden therapeutic charge.

Ruby stroked her chin and said, "It seems this lake has the ability to absorb electricity and convert it into a gentle electromagnetic force to heal Electric-type Pokémon."

"Yeah. Let's go. We should leave this place to the Pokémon," Ron said as he recalled Zeraora and prepared to leave.

"Huh? Ron, aren't you going to capture this Zapdos?" Rosa asked.

"I'm not confident enough to take on an experienced legendary Pokémon," Ron shook his head. "Besides, Zeraora still owes it a favor. There's no way we're taking advantage of a weakened Zapdos. Once we grow stronger and repay this debt, then I'll consider whether to capture it."

Rosa and Ruby nodded. After bidding farewell to Luka, the three of them continued their journey toward Smoke City.

Meanwhile, in the Hoenn region, Gold and Crystal had finally reached the top of Sky Pillar after a month of climbing. Gold took a deep breath and panted, "This was such a rip-off. We went through all this trouble just for a top-tier Pokémon. It was such a pain reaching Sky Pillar."

"Stop complaining. At least we made it here. Now we can give Ron an answer. We can't access the resting places of Groudon and Kyogre, so Rayquaza is our only chance," Crystal replied.

"But… will Rayquaza even show up?" Gold asked uncertainly as he took out a green Pokémon Egg from his backpack. Strange patterns covered its shell.

"No idea. Let's wait a couple of days," Crystal said. "If it doesn't appear, then we'll—"

Before she could finish speaking, a fierce dragon's head emerged from the sky.

"R-Rayquaza!" Gold stammered, tongue-tied.

Rayquaza glanced at Gold and Crystal but paid them no mind. It extended its massive claws and grasped the Pokémon Egg. Sensing the sealed aura within, its eyes reflected a hint of nostalgia. Then, with a mighty roar, Rayquaza took the Pokémon Egg and vanished before Gold's eyes.

"Uh… does this mean our mission is complete?" Gold asked hesitantly.

"I guess so. Let's hurry down Sky Pillar and report back to Ron," Crystal said.

The two exchanged glances before immediately heading down Sky Pillar, preparing to call Ron and update him on the situation.

As for Ron, after a few days of travel, he and his companions arrived at the Lake of Enlightenment and encountered Gary, who was training in a temple there.

At Gary's suggestion, Ron decided to train at the temple for a while.

The training here was similar to what Ron had experienced with Pryce. He had to sit cross-legged in the temple hall, empty his mind, and clear away all unnecessary thoughts.

The training was strict. Whenever they had stray thoughts, the monks would strike them on the shoulder with wooden boards, forcing them to refocus on their meditation. All three of them received quite a few strikes, but surprisingly, the first one to meditate without getting hit was Rosa.

This showed how straightforward and carefree the energetic girl was—she didn't have too many complicated thoughts. On the other hand, Ron and Ruby, being more analytical, had too many things on their minds, leading to more distractions and, consequently, the most hits.

Still, their meditation gradually improved, and Ron's intelligence and mental strength also began to increase.

Three days later, Ron finally achieved a state of complete tranquility in his meditation. As the meditation session ended, he did not open his eyes but instead entered an indescribable, profound state. The power of his bond energy sprouted like a budding tree, growing into a small sapling.

The bond energy wrapped around the Celebi beside him. Through this connection, Ron could feel Celebi's thoughts, and Celebi could clearly perceive Ron's inner emotions. This heart-to-heart exchange left both of them deeply immersed in the experience.

Ron even found himself borrowing Celebi's power over time, allowing him to glimpse into the future. However, the vision only lasted for a fleeting moment. In that brief instant, he saw an island made of white rock, where Groudon and Kyogre were locked in battle. Ruby and a girl who closely resembled May—Sapphire—each controlled an orb, standing atop the two titanic beasts. Meanwhile, Ron stood atop Rayquaza, descending between them.

Then the vision abruptly ended. Ron snapped out of the experience and turned to look at Celebi, which was now lying on the ground, gasping for breath. Just as he tried to stand up, he suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed as well.

"That was only a few seconds… and it drained all my energy," Ron said with a wry smile.

Ruby and Rosa quickly helped Ron up. Ruby asked curiously, "Ron, what happened to you?"

Ron took a moment to recover before replying, "Nothing. Just testing something out."

"So, when are we leaving?" Rosa asked. "Meditating here is so boring."

For someone as energetic as Rosa, this kind of dull meditation must have been a real challenge. Ron said, "Let's pack up and head out soon. I've made some progress—it's time to earn the Rising Badge."

Rosa nodded excitedly and went to pack her things, with Ruby helping her. Meanwhile, Ron pondered the vision he had seen. He hesitated but ultimately decided not to tell Ruby. After all, the future was always changing, as he had learned from Pryce. There was no point in dwelling on it.

Leaving the Lake of Enlightenment behind, Ron and his companions continued their journey.

However, a few days later, Ron received a call from Gold and Crystal. As soon as he answered, Gold's voice came through the line: "Ron, we have a bit of a problem. Your Pokémon Egg was taken."

"By Rayquaza, right?" Ron said calmly.

Gold asked in surprise, "Yeah… Ron, how did you know?"

"Because Rayquaza is here with us right now," Ron replied.

A green silhouette appeared in the sky, descending swiftly. A massive green dragon landed in front of Ron and his companions, clutching a Pokémon Egg in its claws—the very same Egg Ron had brought back from ancient times.

Ron looked at Rayquaza, grinned, and said, "Rayquaza, let's join forces!"