Chapter Thirty-Six: The Quartz Alliance

Seeing Snorlax’s uneasy demeanor and those large hands awkwardly fidgeting with nowhere to rest, Heath wisely abandoned the idea of playing card games with it. After all, to Snorlax, a deck of cards was probably no bigger than a tiny leaf in those massive paws—much like how O’Neal treats a water bottle like a tiny blue vial.

“That big guy seems really down,” Zorua said, rubbing its swollen belly before sitting up to glance at Snorlax. The Pokémon kept its head bowed, clearly feeling guilty, as if it were remorseful for the loud noise it had just made.

Heath looked at Snorlax and gently patted its large belly. It was ice-cold to the touch, reminiscent of holding a block of ice, but not painfully cold—more like a delicate snowflake.

“Snorlax, do you want to learn that Lion’s Roar technique?” Heath recalled the long-term mission triggered when he first caught Snorlax, similar to how Farfetch’d’s long-term goal was to become a Pokémon chef. Snorlax’s mission was to master martial arts.

Snorlax paused, then immediately nodded enthusiastically. It had been intrigued by the powerful-sounding Lion’s Roar ever since Heath mentioned it and was thrilled to start learning now.

“If you want to learn martial arts, you’ve got to start with the basics. Come here, I’ll teach you,” Heath waved at Snorlax, beckoning it over, then began instructing it on the fundamental movements.

However, progress was slow. Snorlax’s short limbs made it difficult to grasp the techniques. Heath realized that teaching these skills to Snorlax would be a challenging task.

Fortunately, Heath had ample time. On the journey to the Quartz League Headquarters, he patiently guided Snorlax, continuing lessons until bedtime. During this period, Snorlax managed to grasp a move or two. Heath estimated that at this pace, Snorlax would master all the basics within a week.

That night, Heath crawled back into his sleeping bag, having set the camper van to autopilot. The dining car would stop not far from the League Headquarters, so Heath wouldn’t have to worry about anyone knocking on his door while he slept.

Perhaps due to exhaustion, Heath dreamt none that night. He woke up refreshed, stretching out of his sleeping bag. Zorua was still sound asleep, curled up on his chest, while Farfetch’d was groggily opening its eyes.

“Time to get up, Zorua,” Heath said, gently tapping the little fox’s head and coaxing it off him. He then took the yawning Farfetch’d to the living area.

Charmander was already up and training as usual; only Snorlax was still fast asleep. Heath woke Snorlax and took it to freshen up. Since they hadn’t bought a toothbrush for Snorlax yet, it ended up washing its face as a substitute.

“Your appetite is truly terrifying,” Heath remarked, staring blankly at Snorlax. Its hunger matched that of a full-grown Snorlax. Heath had prepared ten portions of breakfast—enough for Zorua, Farfetch’d, and Charmander combined—but Snorlax still seemed slightly unsatisfied.

To put it in perspective, that was a ten-day supply for three Pokémon—a considerable amount, so much so that even Heath himself couldn’t finish it. Yet Snorlax devoured it all, with a hint of wanting more.

Suddenly, Heath understood why Snorlax’s food was always placed prominently in the supermarket’s Pokémon food section. Snorlax’s appetite was enormous; without specially prepared meals, it was nearly impossible to satisfy it. No wonder Snorlax was banned from eating competitions.

Snorlax patted its own belly, feeling only half full. Heath shook his head. Looks like they’d need to make a trip to the department store at the League Headquarters soon; otherwise, Snorlax might just eat him out of house and home.

After settling Snorlax and Zorua in the lounge to rest, Heath headed to the camper van’s driving cabin. Before him unfolded the grand skyline of a magnificent city.

“This looks a lot bigger than Evergreen City,” Heath marveled at the sight.

Compared to the modest battle tower in the game, the real Quartz League Headquarters was far more expansive. It was the most prosperous and safest city in the Kanto region, though the League’s headquarters generally didn’t compete for city fame.

Otherwise, Heath thought, Evergreen City might lose its title as the safest city in Kanto, since even Team Rocket wouldn’t dare cause trouble near the League’s headquarters.

Driving the camper van toward the League Headquarters, Heath noted the city’s name: Quartz League. It was also known as the Johto League.

Indeed, both the Kanto and Johto League headquarters were located here, divided by a main thoroughfare. This made the city arguably the safest place in all the world’s League regions.

After all, it housed two League headquarters. The Elite Four and Champions all had homes here, a symbol of honor and responsibility. They were charged with protecting the city’s security.

Even now, no foolhardy person dared attack this grand metropolis, earning it the nickname “Innocent City.”

Heath followed the line of vehicles into the city, growing more amazed as he approached. The architecture was peculiar, with outer buildings styled after structures from frigid regions, dominated by icy blue tones.

“Sir, please present your identification,” a smiling Ms. Jasmine stood beside the camper van, blocking its path.

Heath quickly produced his identification, prepared by Jasmine Maple. After inspecting it, she allowed him to proceed.

At last, Heath had arrived at the very heart of the Kanto region—the League Headquarters.

“Now, let me see...” Heath pulled out his phone to check the city’s map. He needed to visit the market to restock some ingredients.

“Ahhh! Elite Four Karen!” came an excited shout.