ROUTE 113

A silent route frozen in ashes

If a traveler keeps hiking east of Fallarbor Town, to Route 113, they will soon see the landscape change. Everything in sight soon becomes… unnaturally muted. No sound but the crunch of their footsteps, no movement but the lazy snow falling over their lashes. But you would be mistaken thinking it is real snow! It is actually residual volcanic ash, carried by the wind blowing down Mt. Chimney. The route being a narrow flat passage between two reliefs, the wind remains trapped here, permeating the air with sulfur and creating a microclimate, with average temperatures higher than in the rest of Hoenn. This peculiar phenomenon forced both flora and fauna to adapt in ways that can not be seen anywhere else in the region. And while it is tempting to shake the thick layer of soot off the tall grass, it is not advised to run around without an umbrella, as ash can cause light skin burns.

Amidst the grass stands a single house. A man lives here with his only child. His handshake is firm, the skin rough like leather, the bald ageless face tanned red by the flames of the furnaces. And yet, he is nothing but welcoming, proud to show off his work; for Gurasuji is one of the last glaziers of Hoenn. He would explain how he learned the techniques to transform the ashes into glass sculptures from his father, who had learned it from his own father, who had inherited it from his wife’s brother; and he would huff and puff with every breath without any sign of tiring soon. And he would add how proud he is to teach his son to perpetuate this centuries-old tradition for at least one more generation.

To maintain a minimum of 2,500 degrees needed to make glass, the glazier needs the help of Slugma in the furnaces’ chambers, as Slugma is one of the only Pokémon capable of emitting such high temperatures. First, Gurasuji heats up a mixture of soot, limestone, and sand, all that can be collected on Route 113 and Mt. Chimney. Once hot, he uses a blowpipe to spool the mixture and form a malleable blob of molten glass. At that point, he adds color pigments and removes the pipe from the fire, blowing air into it to expand its size or using iron shears to give that blob its final shape. The glazier has to remain swift and precise, and make the sculpture before it cools down, but even as he huffs and as he puffs, Gurasuji does not have to think about it. Every one of his moves has been perfected by decades of repetition, a great source of pride for the glazier. While interest in glassblowing has dwindled in Hoenn over the years, it became surprisingly popular outside the Old Continent, especially in Unova. However, travelers who are interested in buying glass furniture should be patient: a single glass desk can take days of hard work!

Gurasuji makes glass sculptures, but his most famous items are his flutes, very popular among Trainers. Each flute has its own bell size and body length, and its unique tone that can affect Pokémon’s behavior in various ways, from repelling wild Pokémon to rejuvenating a Pokémon’s mind. It has been observed that the flutes also have the strange power of attracting Spinda. This small, bear-like Pokémon lives in sleuths in the mountain ranges surrounding Route 113, and goes down to dig up the Chesto Berries it is fond of. Its strange, stumbling way of moving on its hind legs, which it uses to confuse its only predator, Skarmory, has made people of Hoenn believe it is always dancing, making it a beloved Pokémon among children. Another curious thing is that each Spinda has its own spot pattern on its fur that distinguishes it from all others; if the traveler were to ask the glazier, he would answer that each only answers to the tune that has been made for it. Whether it is true, or just a tale to help sell the flutes, the traveler will be the judge!

SEAFLOOR CAVERN

In the depths of a time long past

Finding it in the middle of the sea would be nothing short of a miracle. It is an unsuspecting rock, the remains of what was once one of Hoenn’s tallest volcanoes, now reduced to just a spit of land, long claimed by washed-up Tentacool. The only ones who remember its existence are the older sailors, in the harbors of Slateport City or Lilycove City, the ones who spend their time drowning in the foams of a pint of beer. If asked, they would speak of the legend of the Seafloor Cavern to anyone curious enough to listen. Speak of the super-ancient Pokémon that dwells there, as old as Earth itself – or, at least, as old as they are, with ashen hair and faces prematurely wrinkled by the sun. Say how it was once imprisoned at the bottom of the sea, never to be awakened again; for it would bring a never-ending drought over Hoenn.

Is there any truth to the legend, or is it just the drunken whispers of an older generation afraid to let that knowledge disappear? Well, the Seafloor Cavern itself does exist, its entrance concealed a thousand feet under sea level. Not many Pokémon can withstand the pressure at these depths. As the traveler dives, they encounter fewer and fewer Pokémon, abandoning the brightness of the sun for the submarine’s headlight and the dim glow of the Chinchou’s antennae. A school of shy Luvdisc swims away. Seaweed starved for light tries to coil around the propeller. Reaching the mouth of the cavern, only a few Relicanth can be seen swimming in. Perhaps they too, as one of the oldest Pokémon still alive, remembers the super-ancient Pokémon slumbering inside.

Once inside, the traveler witnesses an amazing sight, if they were able to withstand the claustrophobia: the cavern houses a large maze of natural tunnels, which only a select number of humans have tread on in centuries. They have been shaped by Graveler. The ceiling in some parts is so high, it would make one forget they are inside the body of an undersea volcano. Yet the warmth of the volcano, the humidity of the seafloor, and the absence of wind, make the atmosphere suffocating. The throat itches with every step, swallowing in pumicite and thick saliva.

The old drunken sailors may be right, after all: the Seafloor Cavern is living, and does not welcome unwanted visitors…