Dawn of Pokémon

As the sun sets, the orange-red halo spreads over the earth, casting a layer of warm light on the scattered houses in the valley.

Visitors from other places pass through the entrance of the valley and step into another noisy world deep in the mountains.There were young children running towards the crowd, opening their arms and shouting cheerfully.

"Welcome to the Valley of Fire!"

Xiaoye followed the red-haired people and looked at the surrounding scenery.

The meandering river stretches along the valley floor and seems to be on fire under the richly colored sky.Two or three-story houses are arranged along the river. As the valley bottom rises, the layers of spiers are densely packed in the field of vision, like a bunch of small and exquisite toys.

The exteriors of brand new houses are painted with colorful high-saturation paints that have not become dull with the passage of time, adding countless bright colors to the monotonous mountains.

The buildings in the valley are not arranged as neatly as in the city, but are scattered all over the mountains in large and small sizes, making them look particularly pyrotechnic due to the disorder.People were coming and going on the gravel path, and there was a faint sound of drums coming from the end of the valley. The middle-aged man walking on the road couldn't help but spin in circles to the sound of the drums, and accidentally bumped into his duck's mouth. The fire beast was so hot that it screamed.A young man was carelessly directing Pokémon to battle with his friends on the roadside. The flames scorched the beautiful loft spire of the house next door, causing the victim, a middle-aged woman, to roar like an angry lion, and the troublemaker They had already run away laughing.

Both adults and children are keen to watch the excitement. The small village standing in the valley is full of vitality, and it does not look like it was forced to relocate due to the earthquake.

"We're back! Is the meal ready?" The members of the patrol team quickly blended in and happily greeted their friends of the same race on the roadside.The people of the Fire were all keen on visiting each other, especially in the evening after work. A group of people would gather while walking, and dinner at each house would become a collective banquet.

The residents of the Flame Valley didn't seem to think that the sudden appearance of a purple-haired outsider was surprising at all, and their attitude towards Xiao Ye was no different from that of children running and jumping in the mountains.Xiaoye knew nothing about the customs of the mountain people, and was almost dragged into the house by a family for dinner at the entrance. She quickly explained in a hurry, "You are wrong, I am not your son who just dyed his hair" - maybe It was the outsider's brain circuit that was so strange that it made everyone nearby laugh and burst into tears.

"Hey, sister, are you a tourist? You are a tourist! How did you find us? Mom said we just moved, so tourists may not come this year." He said "Welcome" to Xiao Ye The children pester the outsiders and chatter endlessly.

"Of course I brought it!" Yongzhen never mentioned the embarrassing incident that he sent out the invitation but forgot to leave his address, and turned around and said, "Xiaoye, I'm going to say hello to my parents first, and come to my house for dinner later! Hmm! …”

He thought for a moment and pushed his red-haired friend gently, causing the boy to almost collide with Xiaoye and squeeze Pichu flat, "Yang Yu, I'll ask you to be a tour guide for a while - bye. ,See you later!"

Before he finished speaking, Yongzhen had already run away with full force.

Yang Yu, who had been deducted from his position as a tour guide with just one sentence, shook his head helplessly and apologized to Piqiu who was still in shock.

"Qiu!" The electric mouse raised his chin with a stinky face.

Xiaoye blinked, picked up the ball of fluff and handed it to the red-haired boy, "It means 'touch it and I will forgive you'."

"Eh? Oh..."

Yang Yu took Piqiu in a daze and gently stroked the soft fur on its back.The mouse changed into a comfortable position in the boy's arms and yawned lazily.

"I'm sorry, Yongzhen is always so reckless." Yang Yu smiled at the newly acquainted peers, "Xiaoye, is this your first time here? Do you want to stroll around, or take a rest first? ?”

The boy's eyes glanced at Xiaoye's arm from time to time, as if he wanted her to receive the baptism from the medical kit first.Xiaoye herself didn't want to bother with the wound that was still 30 seconds away from healing, and said with great interest, "Then I'll ask the tour guide to lead the way."

The settlement of mountain people on the southern island is completely different from all the cities Xiaoye has visited before.Even if you include the memories of the other world, the scenery in front of you is still very fresh.

The two of them walked along the river that was reflected red.Many children were running around chasing and fighting around them, and behind them were a few adults who shouted, "Come back for dinner, you bastard!"

"Actually, there are usually not so many people in Lieyan Valley." Probably because he felt that the tribesmen were too noisy, Yang Yu smiled sheepishly, "Usually, most of the tribesmen work outside - for example, my parents are working together now. Many people go to work in various areas, and only a small number of people stay here. But now the Fire Worship Festival is coming, so everyone who can take time off will come back to celebrate the festival."

"I see." Xiao Ye nodded and pointed to the people dancing to the beat of drums not far away, "Are they also preparing for the Fire Worship Festival?"

"Well, it's the dance rehearsal for the festival." Yang Yu replied.

The boys and girls dancing are all young.Their clothes were embroidered with exquisite gold and red patterns, and bright feather ornaments hung around their necks - they seemed to be of the same style as Yang Yu's.The dancers' faces are also painted with complex patterns, which look like ancient totems or some mysterious writing.

Xiaoye glanced at the dancers curiously for a few more times - and then was stunned by the dancer who "teared" the patterns off her face with a "swipe".

"What's wrong?" Yang Yu asked doubtfully.

"The patterns on their faces..." Xiao Ye didn't know how to express her feelings vividly, "Aren't they painted on them?"

"That's a tattoo sticker." Yang Yu replied calmly, "It has been our tradition for many years for festival dancers to draw patterns on their faces - but it is too troublesome to actually draw them with a pen. It seems that decades ago What kind of dancers would still do that?”

"Oh……"

Xiaoye was a little confused by the "tattoos on the faces of isolated mountain people", so she had to respond randomly a few times.

"Speaking of which, I saw that everyone seems to be wearing similar-looking feather accessories?"

"Well, that's also our tradition." Yang Yu tugged on his scarf and showed Xiaoye the three swaying feathers on his neck ring more clearly, "This is made of the feathers of the flame chicken - it is said that in a long time In the past, the people of the flames used to use the feathers dropped by the flame birds to make ornaments."

Xiaoye nodded clearly.

At this time, the two of them happened to pass by the tall stone slab standing by the river.The painting on the slate seems to have been aged for some time, and the color has begun to fade, but the outline of the picture is still clear.The person in the painting is wearing the unique clothing of the Fire People, and wears a bright feather crown on his head - the feather crown is like a blooming flower, with feathers stretching out from the inside out, and the roots are woven together with fine silk threads. Majestic and full of mystery.

"This is a portrait of one of our clan leaders more than 200 years ago - the feather crown on his head can only be worn by the clan leader." The young temporary tour guide explained dutifully.Seeing Xiaoye carefully observing the paintings with a somewhat curious expression, Yang Yu added, "If you want it, you can go to the specialty store to buy it."

"Eh..." Xiao Ye was stunned, "Isn't it true that only the clan leader is qualified to wear the feather crown?"

"Hmm... should I say that only the clan leader is eligible to wear it for free?"

Night:"……"

"Don't worry, we will never use Bobo's feathers to be dyed as flame chicken feathers to deceive others." Yang Yu, a young man from the ethnic group in the mountains, seriously promoted his tribe's specialty shop without any hesitation. I don’t think I have ruined the mystery promoted in the poster, “It will feel warm when worn on your head in winter. Customers who are afraid of the cold must consider it.”

Night:"…………"

Yang Yu: "What's wrong?"

Xiaoye: "Nothing, I just felt the atmosphere of a holy knight holding a holy sword charging on a motorcycle."

Yang Yu: "...Eh?"

After walking through half of the village, Xiaoye also realized that the propaganda on the posters contained many false elements.Although the "isolated ethnic culture in the mountains" is a selling point that attracts tourists, in this era, most ethnic groups that have not been assimilated by modern technology in the alliance's territory do not exist.

"Ahead is the center of the Valley of Flames. Just in time, it's 'Dance for the Gods' time." The red-haired boy stood on tiptoes and pointed in the direction of the drum sound.

There is an open space by the river, and a wide, circular wooden altar stands there.There were many torches placed on the edge of the altar, which made the faces of the people on the stage blush.

In the center of the altar, a tall crystal column stood quietly.

The texture of the crystal column is almost transparent.Perhaps it is the influence of the dusk skylight, or perhaps it is the reflection of the torch, the orange flames are constantly beating inside the crystal pillar, as if it is a spiritual creature.The surface of the crystal pillar is engraved with densely packed words and symbols. It looks like it is a product of ancient times, but the writing has not become blurred at all.

Xiao Ye recognized that it was Ubai hieroglyphics - it is the oldest writing discovered by mankind, and it is also the most difficult to decipher the sacrificial language recognized in the world.

The transparent crystal pillars covered with writing seem to reflect the magnificent civilization of ancient times.Unfortunately, there is a crack that spreads from the top of the crystal column to the middle, destroying its seamless beauty.

"This pillar is called the "Pillar of the Covenant" and is said to be more than a thousand years old. "Yang Yu's voice sounded at the right time, "The characters carved on it are cypress hieroglyphs, which are said to be related to the ancient festivals of the Fire People - but this kind of characters is too old, and few people except the clan leader can decipher it now. It's up. "

On the altar surrounded by torches, a group of people were dancing.

Their costumes are gorgeous and mysterious, with two golden and red feathers attached to their cheeks, trembling in the wind like the pointed ears of fairies.The dancers sometimes high-five and sometimes beat the drum on their waists - it doesn't look gorgeous, but the sound it makes is very special.It was not like the sound of drums, but rather like humans chanting something religiously; the invisible melody vibrated in the air, shocking but gentle as water.

The dancers danced to the high and low chants, and their steps followed the rhythm of the drums.Their dance steps were very light, without any heaviness of sacrificial dance, and every movement was filled with pure joy.

The girl in the center of the queue was wearing a red dress with two white flowers on her temples.She spun lightly, like an elf born in the fire.

"That's the Wupei drum." Perhaps out of fear of disturbing the dancers, Yang Yu lowered his voice, "It sounds completely different from an ordinary drum, right?"

"Well, it's like a person singing." Xiao Ye replied softly.

"The Wupei drum is an important treasure of our family that has been passed down from thousands of years ago. It can emit different high and low tones to convey messages - for example, the start signal of the annual Wushan fire ceremony is sent by the Wupei drum. ." The red-haired boy slowly narrated, "It is said that in ancient times, people of our clan would use the sound of the Upe drum to communicate with the flame bird, and thus communicate with each other."

Xiaoye turned her head and looked at the person next to her.The young man's side face was covered with a layer of blurry light in the setting sun, and his flame-colored eyes seemed to be shining brightly as he stared at the dancers on the altar.

"Yang Yu, you seem to like these drums."

The young man was stunned for a moment, then smiled with crooked eyebrows.

"Of course - that's our treasure."

As soon as he finished speaking, the roar of rising flames sounded above the altar.

Xiao Ye saw that the flames of the torches around the altar surged simultaneously, spinning and converging toward the center of the altar.The figures of the dancers were instantly engulfed in the sea of ​​fire and disappeared into a sea of ​​orange-red.

But the dance still continues, and the unique rhythm of the Upe drum still sounds.The flame seemed to be endowed with spirituality, rising and falling with the drumbeats, becoming a new dancer on the stage.

When the gathered flames expanded to their limit, they exploded.

The girl in the rain of fire stepped on the shoulders of the tall man and ended the last dance gracefully.The flames spread out at the dancer's feet and turned into a huge fire lotus, lifting the people on the altar.

The girl opened her mouth, and ancient words with obscure pronunciation slowly flowed out.

[The god who has protected the people of fire for thousands of years]

[Here we dedicate our soulful dance to you]

====================

small theater:

The dancers beat the drums on their waists - it doesn't look gorgeous, but the sound it makes is very special.It was not like the sound of drums, but rather like humans chanting something devoutly; and the dancers danced in time with the high and low chants. The girl in the center of the queue was wearing a red dress and spinning nimbly. Like a spirit transformed into fire.

Xiaoye: Is it difficult to beat the Wupei drum to such a melody?

Yang Yu: Well, everyone who dances now has been practicing for at least three years.

Xiaoye: I wonder what kind of sound an unskilled person would make...

Yang Yu: If you are weak, it is the giant sting wasp flying.

Night:……

Yang Yu: If you are strong, it will be like roaring bombs singing.

Night:…………