Chocovine Town
Located in the northwest of the Sinnoh region, Chocovine Town is one of the coastal settlements near Snowpoint City.
Every year, during a certain period, a large number of Phione migrate to the surrounding sea, giving the waters their name—The Sea of Phione.
During this time, the town's small shops sell various Phione-related merchandise.
However, Paul had little interest in Phione. Upon arriving, he went straight to the Pokémon Center.
After transferring his Gyarados to Reggie, he also retrieved the special Electric Amplifier that Reggie had mentioned from Nurse Joy.
Perhaps due to Paul's lack of expertise, or because the device was too intricately designed, or maybe it simply had too few noticeable distinguishing features—or perhaps it was just an overpriced gimmick riding on a fancy name.
Regardless, when Paul compared it to a standard Electric Amplifier, he couldn't detect any obvious differences.
But since Reggie claimed it was superior to regular models, he figured there was no harm in using it when the time came.
After stowing the item away, Paul walked over to the corner of the hall, where a projection of the local map was displayed. He began studying the geography, planning his next destination.
Though Chocovine Town was about to host a Pokémon Contest, Paul had never been particularly interested in them—neither in this life nor his previous one.
To him, the most valuable aspect of a Pokémon Contest was the battling round, where Coordinators were forced to adapt and counter their opponents' moves.
One couldn't deny that some of the techniques used in contests, if applied in real battles, could lead to surprising results.
As for his next stop, Paul had already set a goal.
That was the Metagross Mountain, where, in his memory, a Shiny Metagross was said to reside.
However, reality wasn't an anime—many things were different. At the very least, Paul couldn't find any mention of a "Metagross Mountain" in online searches.
Paul speculated several possibilities:
The Shiny Metagross hadn't gained notoriety yet.
Due to the butterfly effect, it had already disappeared.
Or perhaps... it never existed in the first place.
He understood one thing—if the "Metagross Mountain" had truly gained fame in this world, then trainers from all over would have already flocked there to claim it. Would he really still have a chance?
"I remember that episode... Team Rocket was blasted off, crashed into the sea... ended up in some city eating noodles... disbanded... James went to a nearby mountain and found Metagross... they reconciled... then got blasted off again..."
"In the episode right after Metagross appeared, Ash arrived in Squallville for the PokéRinger Tournament."
"So that city should be between Chocovine Town and Squallville, closer to Squallville, and not too far from the sea and mountains..."
Based on these conditions, Paul quickly pinpointed his target:
A city called Seamount City.
There was no time to waste. With his destination set, Paul prepared to leave immediately.
Exiting the Pokémon Center, Paul took out a Poké Ball and tossed it forward.
"It's your time to shine."
"Woo~"
A flash of light burst forth, and Ninetales elegantly landed on the ground. After briefly scanning its surroundings, it locked eyes with Paul.
At the same time, a thought crossed its mind—why had its trainer sent it out?
Could it be...
A special treat? Food?!
At that realization, Ninetales became visibly excited. But, for the sake of maintaining its grace, it held back its enthusiasm.
"Good. You're full of energy!"
Noticing Ninetales' eagerness, Paul gave it a nod of approval before pulling a custom-made harness from his backpack and equipping it onto Ninetales.
"Woo?"
Wait a minute... something isn't right...
Ninetales began feeling uneasy.
Why would I need a "training device" to eat?
And what even was this "training device"? I have never seen it before. A special one?
Just as Ninetales was growing suspicious, Paul patted its head.
"Stand on all fours."
Still confused, Ninetales obediently got up.
Then, in one swift motion, Paul leapt onto its back.
"Woo~"
At that moment, everything became clear to Ninetales.
So that's what this was about?!
All that praise... just so he could ride me?!
"Did I evolve just to be your mount?! I don't understand you at all, Trainer!"
"Full speed ahead in this direction."
Paul patted Ninetales on the head and pointed forward.
"Woo~"
Ninetales shot him a resentful glance but it knew there was no escape with this fate.
Resigned, it dashed forward at full speed, hoping to end this tragic "mount duty" as quickly as possible.
The scenery blurred past them as they sped through the land. Hours later, in the afternoon, Paul arrived at Seamount City.
The Search for Metagross
Upon reaching the Pokémon Center and handing over his Pokémon to Nurse Joy, Paul wasted no time getting to the point.
"Excuse me Nurse Joy, is there a place nearby called 'Metagross Mountain'?"
If he could get an exact location, he could head there straight away instead of wasting time searching aimlessly.
"Metagross Mountain? I've never heard of such a place. Are you referring to a mountain where Metagross live? I don't recall any reports of them appearing in this region."
Nurse Joy pondered for a moment before answering.
Paul pressed further.
"Then, have there been any reports of wild Pokémon engaging in violent battles in the area?"
If the name didn't exist here, then perhaps the Shiny Metagross simply hadn't made a name for itself yet.
But if a ruthless Metagross truly roamed the mountains, there should at least be rumors or reports about it, right?
"Now that you mention it… there have indeed been disturbances in the steep mountains northeast of here."
"Recently, several brutal Pokémon attacks have left many trainers and Pokémon severely injured. But no one knows what kind of Pokémon is responsible."
Nurse Joy recalled.
"Based on what you're saying, it does sound like the kind of damage a Metagross could cause... but why haven't there been detailed reports? Metagross isn't exactly a legendary Pokémon, after all."
That was true.
In Sinnoh, Metagross was rare, but not impossibly rare.
Take Iron Island, for example—it had plenty of Beldum and Metang, and trainers occasionally encountered Metagross.
If someone truly wanted to catch one, they could just head to Iron Island and hunt for a full evolutionary line.
So why was this different?
Unless...
The Metagross in question was a Shiny Pokémon.
Perhaps the injured trainers had kept the news to themselves, hoping to return and capture it later—thus preventing the information from spreading.
After all, this world wasn't like the anime. It was unrealistic to believe a Shiny Metagross would terrorize a mountain without trainers rushing in to catch it.
"Thank you very much."
However, Paul didn't say much. After offering a slight bow of gratitude, he turned and left.
It seemed likely that a Shiny Metagross—or some other rare Pokémon—could indeed be lurking nearby.
The next morning, Paul departed from the Pokémon Center and headed northeast into the mountains.
"Ninetales, Electabuzz, I need you two to take to the skies and search for a Metagross with an unusual coloration."
"During the search, unleash your full presence and use your psychic perception to scan the area."
Upon reaching the mountains, Paul released his two Pokémon.
"Wooo~"
"Buzzz~"
As soon as Ninetales and Electabuzz emerged, they soared into the sky, radiating an imposing aura while activating their psychic scanning abilities.
Their posture was as arrogant as could be.
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