----
The growing number of tourists on Sunburst Island ant that by nightfall, all the island's major hotels were fully booked.
After searching for quite so ti, Kai and Sabrina eventually found a modest but cosy guesthouse tucked away in a quiet corner of the town.
The owner was a kind, elderly woman with silver hair, clad in traditional island attire. When she first saw the duo, she mistook them for a couple and initially arranged for only one room.
It wasn't until Kai clarified that she chuckled warmly and assigned a separate room for Sabrina.
"Oh, forgive !" the old woman said with a laugh, her voice like a soothing lody. "My old eyes must have failed . But I must say, you two look so well-matched together. Over the years, I've seen countless couples, and you two are simply ant to be!"
Kai, caught off guard by the comnt, glanced over at Sabrina, expecting her to react with irritation or embarrassnt. To his surprise, her expression remained calm and composed, betraying no emotion.
For soone as stoic as Sabrina, that lack of reaction was perhaps the most peculiar thing of all. If this had been her old self before her change during Ash Ketchum's journey in Saffron City such remarks might have earned the elderly woman a stern reprimand or, worse, a display of her psychic powers to put her in her place.
Kai wasn't oblivious. Over their ti together, he had sensed that Sabrina harboured so level of fondness for him. Her icy deanour had softened, and she seed more open to casual conversation sothing unimaginable in the past.
But his own circumstances made him hesitate. As a reincarnated traveller with mories of a world entirely different from this one, he could never shake the fear of being suddenly whisked back to his original reality.
The uncertainty surrounding his existence made him wary of forming attachnts, especially romantic ones.
For now, he decided to focus on the adventures ahead. If fate had sothing planned for them, it would reveal itself in ti.
---
The Next Morning
After a restful night and a hearty breakfast prepared by the guesthouse's gracious owner, Kai and Sabrina set off once more, riding atop Charizard as it soared through the sky.
Below them, the lush forests of Sunburst Island sprawled out like an erald tapestry, with the island's sandy beaches glinting in the morning light.
Sabrina glanced downward and then turned to Kai. "So, how do you plan on finding this 'Crystal Onix'? We have no clues and no leads."
Kai grinned and patted Charizard's neck, signalling it to ascend higher. "I don't have a solid plan," he admitted. "But I have a hunch. We're heading to a specific spot where I think we might get lucky."
"A hunch?" Sabrina asked, raising an eyebrow. She shook her head slightly, her scepticism evident.
Unlike their search for Moltres on the Sevii Islands, where they had the guidance of Lorelei, this ti they were flying blind.
The prospect of finding a mythical Pokémon like the Crystal Onix seed as likely as finding a needle in a haystack.
Still, she decided to remain silent and observe. Despite her doubts, she couldn't deny her curiosity about whether such a Pokémon truly existed.
As Charizard ascended, Kai scanned the landscape below. From this vantage point, the entire island was laid out like a map, with its dense forests, small villages, and rocky outcrops.
His eyes eventually locked onto a small, uninhabited islet connected to Sunburst Island by a narrow sandbar, barely visible beneath the clear blue waters.
"There!" he exclaid, pointing. "That's the spot."
Charizard veered toward the islet, its powerful wings cutting through the air. As they approached, Sabrina noticed how the islet was dominated by a barren hill surrounded by dense foliage.
It looked no different from any other small island, but sothing about Kai's confidence intrigued her.
"Why are you so certain this is the place?" she asked. "You've been oddly specific about things like this before like with Moltres. How do you always know where to go?"
Kai chuckled. "Not gonna lie to you, Sabrina, I'm actually a reincarnated traveller. I know these things because I've seen them in a ga and an ani from my previous life."
Sabrina gave him a playful shove. "If you don't want to explain, just say so. No need to make up ridiculous stories."
Kai smirked, his grin widening as Charizard descended toward the islet. Sotis, the truth was stranger than fiction, and Sabrina's reaction only served to reinforce his belief in the unpredictable nature of this world.
---
Charizard landed near the mouth of a cave nestled at the base of the hill. Kai dismounted first and extended a hand to help Sabrina down. The gesture was becoming second nature to them, though neither acknowledged how natural it felt.
Summoning Alakazam and Haunter for extra protection, Kai led the way into the cave, his flashlight illuminating the darkened interior.
Water dripped rhythmically from the cave's ceiling, creating ripples in the shallow pools on the floor.
As the light bounced off the damp walls, it revealed clusters of natural crystal formations that glistened like stars in the darkness.
"This place is beautiful," Sabrina murmured, her voice tinged with wonder. The sight of the crystals so perfectly ford felt almost magical.
Kai nodded. "If the Crystal Onix exists, this would be the perfect habitat for it."
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