Chapter 67

Concerned about the troubles that had befallen Calyrex's steeds, Alice, Elena, and I decided to seek counsel from the village mayor. With a sense of urgency, we made our way to his residence, hoping to find answers. As we approached the mayor's house, we heard the same women who had been conversing outside now addressing us.

"The mayor's not home at the moment. He went to have a look at the fields in the Giant's Bed," one of the women informed us, her voice filled with empathy for our situation.

"Indeed, if you're in a hurry to find him, you can head over to the Giant's Bed," the other woman chimed in. "The fields in the Giant's Bed are located to the northwest of the village. Just make your way through Frostpoint Field and keep heading to the right."

Grateful for their assistance, Alice, Elena, and I exchanged nods of thanks with the two women before setting off in the direction of the Giant's Bed. As we continue our journey, we can't help but notice the intriguing sight of Regi Temples dotting the landscape. These ancient structures beckon with their enigmatic allure, promising secrets and adventures of their own. However, we understand that finding the mayor remains our top priority, so we resist the temptation to explore these mysterious temples for now.

Our determination leads us deeper into the Giant's Bed until, at last, we stumble upon the mayor himself. His dejected demeanor is evident as he gazes upon the desolate fields before him.

"Alas, this field is no good either," the mayor laments, his voice heavy with despair. "The soil is barren... No crop could possibly grow here now. Perhaps the lands of the Crown Tundra truly are beyond hope..."

Summoning our courage, I speak up, addressing the downtrodden mayor. "Um... Mr. Mayor?" I venture, and he turns around, surprised to see us. "What's this? Oh, our dear visitors! What brings you here?"

Alice steps forward to explain our purpose. "We've come to seek information about the loyal steeds of the King and the Queen of Bountiful Harvests," she says earnestly, her eyes filled with determination.

"Hmmm? Well, this is hardly the place for a story-telling. Come to my home in Freezington. It's better to have a nice chat in the warmth, after all!" the mayor suggests with a warm smile.

We gladly accept his invitation and follow the mayor back to his house. Inside, the cozy ambiance welcomes us, and the mayor kindly prepares some Tapu Cocoa for us to drink. As we sip the warm beverage, the mayor begins to speak.

"By the way, have you seen what's happened to the statue of the King of Bountiful Harvests? Its head has become massive!"

I nod in agreement. "Yes, that's how the king was supposed to look."

"Hmm? Now that you mention it, it does resemble the design on our town's souvenir shirts," the mayor muses. "But you speak as if you've seen the king with your own two eyes!"

"Well..." I begin, knowing that if we claim to have seen the King and the Queen, the mayor might not believe us. "That statue's been broken since I was a child," he continues, clearly recalling its state from his own past.

"Oh...so can we learn about the loyal steeds?" Elena asks, hoping for a lead.

The mayor ponders for a moment before responding, "I don't know why you'd be interested in such things, but... an old book I read long ago said that the king and the queen's loyal steeds were particularly fond of certain special vegetables. But my memory isn't what it used to be. I can't recall what exactly the steeds so desired! I think it's best that you search on the bookshelf over there if you want to find out any more."

Determined to uncover the secrets of the King and Queen's loyal steeds, Alice, Elena, and I meticulously search the bookshelf and manage to locate some relevant books. We decide to start with the first one and begin reading.

The king and the queen were great Pokémon that brought abundance to our cold land. With a sweep of its right hand, the land would be blanketed in verdant grasses and blooms. With a sweep of its left hand, the fruit of the fields would ripen and grow heavy. Its great crown of green gleaming, the king and the queen galloped across the land astride their proud steeds. And in their footsteps, buds would burst from the soil, and rich life was born across the region. And so we worshiped the Pokémon and paid them all due tribute as the King and the Queen.

Alice remarks, "So this one is basically telling about the story of Calyrex, not that we don't know anyways." We nod in agreement and turn our attention to the second book, eager to learn more about the elusive steeds.

"Good, let's read it," Elena says with enthusiasm as we delve into the contents of the second book.

The horse Pokémon gave over its power to serve the king and the queen and carry them hither and thither. The two even become one for a time, combining their strength to create a forest in a single night. These proud steeds had been wild creatures once, ravaging the village crops and causing much woe. But the king and queen, in all their greatness, brought these fierce creatures to heel and secured their loyalty. And for each among us who claims the steed's hide was black as the midnight gloom in which ghosts appear, there is another who claims it was white as a block of solid ice. Because of it, they decided that the king rides the black and the queen rides the white.

As we absorb this newfound information, I comment, "Okay, we have some basic information about the steeds. So the King was riding a Black horse, which may be a Ghost Type, and the Queen is riding a white horse, which may be an Ice Type."

Alice adds, "There are no Horse Pokémon that are Ghost and Ice types before, right? It may be cool to know more about it." We eagerly proceed to the third book, which enlightens us about the Reins of Unity.

Through these reins did the king and the queen send their power in order to tame and control their proud steeds. The reins, in fact, were made by the hands of the people, in thanks for the plenty brought by the king and the queen. These reins bound not only the horse and the king/queen to one another - they bound the people to the king and the queen as well. At the dawning of each new year, we must never forget to gift the king and the queen with this offering. Let the radiant flower and the mane of the steed be woven together to bind us all in faith. Let the secrets of this sacred art be passed from parent to child to grandchild and never forgotten.

As we absorb the wisdom of the book, I make a connection, saying, "So the reins are like the DNA Splicers... only to combine Calyrex and the steed together. When Calyrex rides their steeds, with the reins that bind the steeds with the rider, they become one Pokémon in the end."

Alice chimes in, "For some reason, it feels weird, but I would love to see an Ice-Type Calyrex."

Elena adds, "Though I wonder if it can happen since I know when Kyurem and Reshiram fused, it didn't change from Ice to Fire."

I pause, realizing we've gone off on a tangent. "So why are we having this conversation?" I chuckle. "I think we should read this book; it's about carrots..." We eagerly turn our attention to the fourth book, which provides insights into the unique carrots of the Crown Tundra.

While carrots can be grown in the Crown Tundra, they have rather unusual growth habits. When grown beneath the heaped snow, these hardy roots tend to develop into Iceroot Carrots. When grown in tracts close to where many souls are laid to rest, Shaderoot Carrots will be your crop. Shaderoot Carrots are a favorite treat for many Ghost-type Pokémon, while Ice-type Pokémon seem to delight in eating Iceroot Carrots. According to old fairy tales, the steed that the King and the Queen of Bountiful Harvests rode upon loved both of these varieties. Records seem to contradict one another, with some stories speaking of a white steed delighting in Iceroot Carrots and others mentioning a black steed devouring Shaderoot Carrots.

Alice ponders the information and remarks, "So it seems that the steeds like carrots."

Elena suggests exploring the remaining two books in search of answers, and we proceed to read the fifth book.

Isn't it tough dealing with the cold here on the tundra, with temperatures seeming to drop lower and lower with every passing year? While it is tempting to stay indoors where it's cozy, don't forget to move that body, too! Try the Freezington Snow Samba today, and get your body moving to stay warm all winter!

I sigh in disappointment. "I don't think this is useful..."

We quickly turn to the final book, which is about the Souvenir of Freezington, but realizing it won't provide the answers we seek, we decide to cease our reading and focus on our mission to locate the King and the Queen, hoping to unravel the mysteries of the Crown Tundra and aid its legendary Pokémon.

The King leans forward eagerly and asks, "Human children! Were you able to find something out about our loyal steeds?"

Excitement fills the air as we share what we've learned about the King and Queen's loyal steeds with Calyrexes. The Queen gasps in delight, her eyes sparkling with renewed hope. "You say you found out about something that my loyal steed could not resist?! It has been so long since we rode together that we had completely forgotten. With this information, we may be able to lure our loyal steeds to us yet! So tell us - what is it that our loyal steeds would find so irresistible?"

With enthusiasm, I reply, "Yes! We've discovered that your loyal steeds have a fondness for carrots."

"Oho! Carrots, you say!" The King and Queen exchange a knowing glance, and the King nods in agreement. "Yes, yes, I remember now... Even back when we were together, they would leap at any chance to eat some kind of crop. It took everything we had to restrain them. Looking back, the crop must have been carrots! We're in your debt, human children!"

"What we must do now is clear. If we are able to find carrots somewhere, it should be but a trifle to lure the loyal steeds back to us," the Queen says with determination. "I wonder... Do the humans of the village grow any carrots? If we could obtain even a single seed, I could grow a carrot from it myself..."

Elena takes a step forward, notebook in hand, and says, "In order to find the king's beloved steed, I'll need to first get my hands on its favorite food - carrots. Maybe the people of Freezington can help me out."

As we stroll through Freezington, our quest to find carrots leads us to a man standing by a carrot field. He approaches us and inquires, "Are you three perhaps looking for carrots?"

Eagerly, I respond, "Yes, do you know where we can find them?"

The man explains, "Well, you won't be finding any this time of year. We do have seeds right here... Do you want to trade 8 pieces of Dynite Ore for the Carrot Seeds?"

Without hesitation, Alice agrees, "Sure," and we hand over the Dynite Ore we've collected from our Max Raid Battles and Dynamax Adventures in the Crown Tundra.

"Oh, wonderful! This is plenty! Now we can bury the ore in our fields and make our crops huge! Here are the seeds, as promised."

We each receive a bag of seeds, and the man offers some advice, "Don't go planting those seeds I gave you willy-nilly in the village's fields, now! These fields are our own crops."

With the carrot seeds in our possession, we return to Calyrex, and the King eagerly asks, "Have you found the carrots, human children?"

"We have," we respond, presenting the two bags of carrot seeds. The Queen gasps in amazement, "By the stars! You say that you have Carrot Seeds? That strange bags contain the seeds of carrots? You humans never stop adapting and evolving. I am constantly amazed by your ingenuity."

The King, however, seems to have reservations. "And yet... Hmm. The fields of the village simply won't do. They're not suited for growing carrots as well."

Elena offers a suggestion, "If we can find rich soil, maybe you can use your powers to grow the crops that we need."

The King and Queen close their eyes in contemplation, and the Queen speaks, "Now... where might we find soil suited for growing these crops in this tundra of ours?"

The King adds, "Ah, I see a field covered in pristine snow..."

"And I see a field by gravestones, where those who moved on were laid to rest," the King continues. "So those locations should allow us to use our powers and grow the carrots that we need."

As we stand before the King and Queen Calyrex, Alice raises a practical question, "But what should we do? Should we split up?"

Considering our options, I suggest, "I think we should. I will go to the Old Cemetery with the King, while Elena and Alice will go to Snowpoint Field with the Queen."

Elena adds, "Be careful," emphasizing the importance of our task.

Before we depart on our respective missions, we overhear a heartwarming exchange between a little girl and her caregiver.

"Nan! Nanny! Sing that song about the king and the queen's steed Pokémon!"

The nanny responds with a smile, "Oh, of course, my dear. I'd love to. Iceroot Carrots, cold as ice. Munched all up by the bully in white. Shaderoot Carrots dark as doom. Crunched by the bully with a ghostly gloom. Now you make sure you eat your veggies too, just like the Pokémon in the song!"

The girl enthusiastically agrees, "Yes, nan!"

I remark to Alice, "So there is even a song as well."

Alice nods, and we separate, each group heading to their respective locations with a renewed sense of purpose and determination to bring the King and Queen's loyal steeds back to them and restore prosperity to the Crown Tundra.


Here is a new chapter, and we learn about the carrots and they are going to summon the steeds. I hope you like this chapter.

Ash and Alice's Pokemon:

Venusaur x2, Charizard x2, Blastoise x2, Butterfree x2 (One Pink), Pikachu, Meowth, Machamp, Rapidash (Galarian), Slowbro (Galarian), Gengar, Kingler, Weezing (Galarian), Lapras, Eevee, Snorlax, Meganium, Typhlosion (Hisuian), Espeon, Slowking (Galarian), Mantine, Sceptile, Gardevoir (Shiny), Milotic, Absol, Infernape, Lucario, Abomasnow, Gallade, Samurott, Audino, Darmanitan (Galarian), Garbodor, Zoroark, Stunfisk (Galarian), Greninja, Meowstic x2, Aegislash, Hawlucha, Decidueye, Lycanroc (Dusk), Mimikyu (Shiny), Melmetal, Rillaboom, Cinderace, Inteleon, Greedent, Corviknight, Orbeetle, Thievul, Eldegoss, Dubwool, Drednaw, Boltund, Coalossal (Shiny), Flapple, Appletun, Sandaconda, Cramorant, Barraskewda, Toxtricity x2 (Amped, Low-Key), Centiskorch, Grapploct, Polteageist (Antique), Hatterene, Grimmsnarl, Obstagoon, Perrserker, Cursola, Sirfetch'd, Mr. Rime, Runerigus, Alcremie x9 (Each Flavor), Falinks, Pincurchin, Frosmoth, Stonjourner, Eiscue, Indeedee x2, Morpeko, Copperajah, Dracozolt, Arctozolt, Dracovish, Arctovish, Duraludon, Dragapult, Zacian, Eternatus, Urshifu x2 (Single Strike, Rapid Strike), Zarude, Kleavor