SWNOVELXO Chapter 310: # Chapter 425-430
# Chapter 425: The Match
Professor Oak weaved back and forth among the four Pokémon, touching Ting-Lu here and poking Chien-Pao there.
"Can I pull a little fur from you?" Professor Oak asked Chien-Pao.
Chien-Pao hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded gently.
Professor Oak immediately grew excited, stroking Chien-Pao and saying, "Good kid, good kid!" However, after just two strokes, he found his hand was frozen.
"Ow ow ow~~"
Professor Oak comically kept blowing on his right hand, making Bai Feng and the others burst into laughter.
Finally, Professor Oak left, satisfied with the tissue samples from the four Disaster Pokémon.
After Professor Oak left, Bai Feng saw Jigglypuff, Gengar, and Alakazam secretly observing Chi-Yu and the other three. He waved to the three Pokémon and said, "Come over quickly, I'll introduce you."
Hearing this, Jigglypuff, Gengar, and Alakazam flew over shyly.
"Let me introduce you," Bai Feng first introduced them to Chi-Yu and the others. "These three are Jigglypuff, Gengar, and Alakazam." He pointed to the three one by one.
"Gurgle gurgle~~"
"Thump thump~~"
...
The four Disaster Pokémon immediately greeted Jigglypuff and the others in a friendly manner.
Next, Bai Feng introduced them to Jigglypuff and the others. "These are Chi-Yu, Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, and Ting-Lu." As he spoke, he pointed to the four Disaster Pokémon one by one.
"Gengar~~" Hello.
Gengar greeted them somewhat shyly and awkwardly.
However, as soon as it finished speaking, it was tackled by the enthusiastic Chien-Pao.
Although Chien-Pao is an Ice-type Pokémon, its enthusiasm is no less than any other Pokémon.
"Ow ow ow~~"
Chien-Pao happily rubbed its head against Gengar and kept licking Gengar's cheek with its tongue.
"Gengar~ Gengar~ Gengar~~"
Gengar laughed heartily as Chien-Pao licked it. Although it was shy, it actually really liked being treated so enthusiastically.
Jigglypuff and the other two were a bit introverted, but Chi-Yu and the others were very lively. The seven Pokémon quickly started playing together.
Seeing them having fun, Bai Feng said, "You play. We'll go back inside the house first."
"Gurgle gurgle~"
"Plink~~"
"Gengar~~"
...
The Pokémon responded one after another, and then Bai Feng and Red went back inside the house.
Bai Feng stayed at Red's Home until evening before taking the four Disaster Pokémon Home.
Throughout the afternoon, Jigglypuff and the others had become completely familiar with Chien-Pao and the others, so they were very reluctant to say goodbye.
Bai Feng comforted Jigglypuff and the others, saying, "You're welcome to visit my Home when you have time. You can have Red call me, and I'll come pick you up."
Jigglypuff and the others nodded, watching Bai Feng leave Pallet Town.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, several months had passed. During this time, the Internet was abuzz with reports about the Pokémon World Championships, and Ash Ketchum's matches had been going very smoothly.
Thanks to his diligence, he had already reached the Advanced Class.
As long as he could maintain his ranking within the top eight before the Master Class, he would ultimately be able to participate in the Master Class.
Not only was Ash Ketchum's ranking rising quickly, but the rankings of Sabrina, Caitlin, Siebold, and others were also soaring. These were Bai Feng's friends, so Bai Feng also paid close attention to their matches.
On this day, Bai Feng sat on the sofa at Home, with Slowpoke on his left and Zorua leaning against him on his right, watching the match live broadcast on television with great interest.
The television was currently broadcasting the match between Ash Ketchum and Sidney, one of the Hoenn region Elite Four.
Once the competition reached the Advanced Class, Pokémon Trainers could no longer choose their opponents arbitrarily. Instead, the system would arrange opponents for them based on each Pokémon Trainer's battle record.
At the same time, the Competition Venue was no longer just any random place; matches would be specifically arranged in formal Battle Venues.
When the system matched an opponent for a Pokémon Trainer, it would notify the Pokémon Trainer via their Rotom Phone, informing them of the opponent's identity and current ranking, as well as the location of the Venue where the match would take place.
Every match in the Advanced Class would be live-streamed to various Regions via television.
The Pokémon League has a dedicated Pokémon competition channel, and the live stream is broadcast on this channel.
Ash Ketchum and Sidney's battle was taking place in a Competition Venue in Verdanturf Town in the Hoenn region.
As the Commentator announced the match start, Ash Ketchum and Sidney walked onto the Field to the cheers of the Audience Members. Ash Ketchum was serious and solemn, while Sidney looked somewhat nonchalant, walking with a swaggering stance.
Sidney had previously been a hooligan, so some habits had stuck with him.
After the two stood ready on either side of the Field, the Rotom Referee announced, "Match start!"
The rule for Advanced Class matches is three-on-three. The match ends when all of one side's Pokémon have fainted.
Both simultaneously took out their Poké Balls and threw them towards the center of the Field. As radiance flashed, two Pokémon appeared in the center of the Field.
Sidney's Pokémon was Crawdaunt, which fit his identity as a Dark-type Elite Four.
Crawdaunt, the Rogue Pokémon, Water Type and Dark type, the Evolutionary Form of Corphish. It has a rough nature and likes to fight. It is known as a Pokémon that is relatively difficult to raise.
And Ash Ketchum's Pokémon... was... was actually Kingler!
Good grief, he was trying to go claw-to-claw with Elite Four Sidney! Even Bai Feng had to admit his nephew was stubborn.
Sidney certainly felt taunted.
As the two Pokémon Trainers issued their commands, the shrimp and the crab swung their Crab Claws, charging towards each other with unstoppable aura, despite their relatively slow speed. Both those watching on television and the Audience Members at the Venue could see the aura on them that wouldn't stop until the other was defeated.
Coincidentally, both Pokémon used the same move—Crabhammer.
Bang bang bang~~
A series of collision sounds rang out. The two Pokémon exchanged blows over a dozen times in the blink of an eye, their Crab Claws almost sparking.
The two Pokémon quickly separated after another clash. They seemed to have consumed a lot of HP, their bodies trembling slightly.
In a way, Sidney and Ash Ketchum's battle styles were somewhat similar: both were very "reckless"!
"Hahaha~~~" Sidney laughed heartily. "Refreshing! Let's decide it with one hit!"
Ash Ketchum nodded and agreed, "Okay!"
"Crawdaunt, Crabhammer!"
"Kingler, Guillotine!"
As their words fell, the shrimp and the crab charged towards each other simultaneously. But upon hearing Ash Ketchum's command, Sidney's face looked a little off.
What's going on? Weren't we both using Crabhammer? Why are you using Guillotine?
Boom!
Both Pokémon hit each other simultaneously. Crawdaunt's Crabhammer landed on Kingler's forehead, while Kingler's Guillotine clamped down on Crawdaunt's chin.
The two Pokémon stood there motionless. The Rotom Referee quickly went over to check the situation, but just as it flew there, Crawdaunt fell to the Ground with a thump.
"Cha cha~~~" Kingler celebrated its victory by spitting bubbles and waving its giant Crab Claw, even though it was also in pain right now.
"Crawdaunt has fainted. Kingler wins," the Rotom Pokédex announced.
"Good kid, you tricked me!" Sidney said, clicking his tongue as he took out his Poké Ball to recall Crawdaunt.
Guillotine is a One-hit KO move, but its drawback is an extremely low accuracy rate. However, Kingler seized the opportunity to clash with Crawdaunt and gave up its defense, allowing it to hit accurately.
The final result was that Kingler withstood Crawdaunt's attack, while Crawdaunt fell to Guillotine's One-hit KO.
"Hehe~~" Hearing Sidney's words, Ash Ketchum scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.
"Since that's the case, don't blame me for not holding back!" Sidney said with a smile, taking out his second Poké Ball.
As radiance flashed, a green humanoid Pokémon appeared on the Field.
Cacturne, the Scarecrow Pokémon, Grass Type and Dark type, a Pokémon that inhabits deserts. This Pokémon stands still during the daytime and only becomes active when the temperature drops at night.
Grass-type Pokémon counter Water-type Kingler.
"Cacturne, Energy Ball!"
As Sidney's words fell, Cacturne condensed a green Energy Ball and threw it towards Kingler.
Kingler's movement speed wasn't fast. Facing this attack, dodging was impossible, so it raised its Crab Claw to counter-attack, shattering the Energy Ball with a single claw strike.
Ash Ketchum's original plan was to cancel out Cacturne's ranged attack with his own attacks, then slowly approach the opponent, and finally engage in a satisfying close-quarters combat.
Kingler is not good at Special Attack.
However, the result was that Cacturne's ranged attacks were too dense. Energy Ball, Dark Pulse, Seed Bomb, etc., attacked one after another. The attacks were simply too dense, and Kingler had no opportunity to get close.
Ultimately, Kingler fell to Cacturne's Grass-type move.
Learning from Kingler's lesson, Ash Ketchum's second Pokémon was Grimer.
When he took out his second Poké Ball, Bai Feng was really worried he would take out Venusaur or Meganium and have a big showdown of Grass-type Pokémon with Sidney.
Fortunately, his worry was unnecessary.
Sidney continued to have Cacturne use its previous tactic, preventing Grimer from approaching with dense ranged attacks.
Grimer used the Toxic Spikes move the moment it entered the Field. Almost without needing Ash Ketchum's instruction, the Field was instantly covered in Toxic Spikes, which greatly restricted Cacturne's movement.
Then Grimer crawled towards Cacturne, enduring its attacks.
Ash Ketchum's Grimer had undergone specialized training in Defense and Special Defense. Whether it was an Energy Attack or a Physical Attack, when it landed on its body, most of the force would be absorbed by its soft body.
Grimer crawled towards Cacturne step by step. More importantly, it would leave behind a toxic trail everywhere it crawled. As long as Cacturne stepped on it, it would inevitably be poisoned.
Grimer chased Cacturne all over the Field. As time passed, the Field was already covered in purple venom.
Finally, Cacturne was forced directly into a corner, and Grimer completely surrounded it.
Although Grimer was also covered in injuries at this point, Cacturne had nowhere left to retreat.
"Grimer, Poison Jab!" Ash Ketchum shouted to Grimer.
"Oom~"
Grimer's soft body stood upright, turning into a large pancake, completely wrapping Cacturne. Poison Jab bombarded Cacturne's body one after another.
Just as Cacturne was about to fall, Sidney suddenly said, "Cacturne, Abyss Thrust!"
In an instant, countless sharp spikes emitting dark light emerged from Cacturne's body, piercing the Grimer that was wrapping it like a hedgehog.
Grimer couldn't bear the burden and fainted, slowly sliding off Cacturne.
However, the moment Grimer fell, Cacturne also lost its last bit of HP due to being poisoned.
Seeing this, the Rotom Referee flew over to inspect them and announced, "Cacturne and Grimer have fainted simultaneously."
Sidney praised Ash Ketchum as he recalled Cacturne, saying, "Kid, your strength truly exceeded my imagination."
Ash Ketchum replied, "It's not over yet! I will definitely win today!"
"Good spirit!" Saying this, Sidney sent out his last Pokémon.
"Ab~~"
The moment that Pokémon appeared, it let out a long howl towards the Sky, and an invisible aura spread out in all directions.
Absol, the Disaster Pokémon, Dark type. This Pokémon has a keen sense for changes in the Sky and The Earth, and thus can often predict disasters. At these times, they would often appear to warn Humans. Unfortunately, in ancient times, this ability was often misunderstood by people, which in turn caused people's fear.
The name Disaster came from this.
Of course, although Absol's appearance was handsome, it inevitably had to endure a wave of Toxic Spikes attack.
This was the gift Grimer left for the opponent.
His Pokémon was poisoned the moment it appeared. This made Sidney's face turn pale.
Seeing Absol, Ash Ketchum's face showed a serious expression. He could feel that this Pokémon was completely different from Sidney's previous Pokémon.
After thinking for a moment, he finally took out a Poké Ball.
As radiance flashed, Gallade appeared on the Field.
Seeing that Ash Ketchum's last Pokémon was Gallade, Sidney smiled and said, "Kid, couldn't be that you haven't even graduated from elementary education? Don't you know that Dark-type Pokémon are immune to Psychic-type moves?"
Ash Ketchum tilted his head and said, "Immune to Psychic doesn't mean they're also immune to other moves! My Gallade doesn't just know Psychic-type moves."
"Very good," Sidney said. "Then let's see who's stronger in battle!
Absol, Double Team!"
Absol ran towards Gallade, and at the same time, its figure flickered. One after another Absol appeared on the Field, making it hard to distinguish which one was the true form.
Ash Ketchum's Gallade stood still in its Original spot, closing its eyes tightly, seeming to be sensing something.
"Absol, Night Slash!"
Just as all the Absol simultaneously pounced forward, Ash Ketchum commanded, "Aqua Cutter."
Following Ash Ketchum's words, Gallade suddenly swung its arm, and a huge and sharp water blade swept out horizontally.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 426: The Unfinished Match
Under the blue Aqua Cutters, the Double Team copies shattered one by one. But just as one was about to be hit by Aqua Cutter, the true form of Absol suddenly raised its claws and used Sucker Punch to swat away the Aqua Cutter.
This one was clearly the true form.
Gallade didn't hesitate, using Teleport to appear beside Absol. It raised an arm high, and a giant light sword appeared out of thin air, controlled by it to slash fiercely at Absol.
It was Sacred Sword!
Sacred Sword is a Fighting-type move, which counters Dark-type Absol.
Although Sidney had previously mocked Ash Ketchum for not understanding type advantage, saying Gallade's Psychic was ineffective against Absol, that was actually just his way of deliberately messing with Ash Ketchum's mental state.
How could Fighting-type Gallade not also counter Dark-type Absol!
Gallade controlled the Sacred Sword, slashing towards Absol with a whistle. At this moment, Absol's crescent-shaped horn on its right side suddenly elongated and clashed with the Sacred Sword, causing sparks to fly everywhere.
Absol was using the Bug-type move, Megahorn.
However, Absol's move was rushed. Although it blocked the Sacred Sword with its attack, it was still sent flying.
After rolling a few times on the Ground, Absol got up cleanly. Although its pure white fur was slightly messy, it still couldn't hide its graceful figure.
The next second, it leaped forward, using Shadow Claw to pounce towards Gallade.
Gallade naturally didn't want to be outdone. It immediately disappeared from its Original spot, using Brick Break to rush towards Absol.
Boom!!!
Absol's claws and Gallade's fist collided.
The two separated upon contact and quickly retreated. Absol didn't retreat far before its horn on its head whipped out a transparent light blade.
It was the Psychic type Psychic Blade.
Gallade's movements weren't slow either. At the same time Absol whipped out the Psychic Blade, it also swung its blade and unleashed an Aqua Cutter.
The transparent light blade and the blue water blade collided, generating large waves of air that spread outwards. Neither could overcome the other, and they ultimately dissipated simultaneously.
The two Pokémon landed steadily. Absol lowered its front body slightly, taking a defense stance, while Gallade also held its blade horizontally in front of itself, similarly guarding against its opponent.
Seeing this situation, Sidney said, "It seems we can't end today's competition without showing some real strength!"
He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a wristband on his wrist. Embedded in the wristband was clearly a Key Stone.
Absol's thick fur on its chest swayed gently in the gust, revealing a pendant hidden inside.
Absol Mega Stone.
"You should have one too, right? Show it," Sidney continued speaking to Ash Ketchum.
It wasn't strange that Sidney knew Ash Ketchum's Gallade could Mega Evolve. After all, Gallade's Mega Stone was clearly worn on his wrist.
Ash Ketchum nodded, gently rolled up his sleeve, and also revealed the wristband on his wrist.
"Absol, Mega Evolve!"
"Gallade, Mega Evolve!"
The two said in unison.
As their words fell, the Key Stones on their wrists and the Mega Stones on Absol (Gallade) simultaneously erupted with intense light. Four streams of light intertwined in pairs.
Absol and Gallade were enveloped in white light. Their size gradually changed, and when the light dissipated, the two Pokémon's Mega Evolution was complete.
Mega Absol's appearance became even more ruthless. Its face was half-covered by drooping fur, giving it a touch of mystery and gloom. At the same time, the pair of wing-like fur that grew on its back made it look more imposing, more awe-inspiring and inviolable.
Mega Gallade, on the other hand, looked more like a knight than before. Its head and back became like a helmet and cloak. More importantly, its trusted twin blades gained greater power, making it more convenient for it to attack.
"Absol, Play Rough!"
"Gallade, Sacred Sword!"
As the two Pokémon Trainers spoke simultaneously, Absol leaped forward, transforming into a streaking light of pink and rushing towards Gallade. At the same time, Gallade, holding a slender light blade, flickered and disappeared from its Original spot.
Boom!!!
Absol's and Gallade's light blades collided. The intense Shock Wave stirred up waves of air, causing dust and smoke to scatter across the Field. Ash Ketchum and Sidney couldn't help but cover their eyes simultaneously.
Before the dust and smoke could fully dissipate, Absol rolled out from within, while Gallade immediately leaped to face it.
Clearly, Absol had been at a disadvantage in the recent clash.
Absol shook its head, getting up from the Ground in a disheveled state. The gaze it directed at Gallade was now filled with complete apprehension.
"Indeed, I underestimated you," Sidney said, seemingly realizing he had little hope of winning anymore. He then added, "Since that's the case, let's see who goes down first."
"Absol, Perish Song!"
Hearing this, Ash Ketchum inwardly thought, 'Not good,' then said to Gallade, "Gallade, stop it."
"Gallade~~"
Gallade used Teleport, appearing beside Absol in the blink of an eye, and quickly used Leaf Blade to slash at Absol.
But clearly, Sidney and Absol had already anticipated that Ash Ketchum would stop them. Therefore, when Gallade's Leaf Blade struck it, it suddenly dissipated like an illusion.
Meanwhile, on the other side, a spine-chilling singing suddenly rang out.
Perish Song successfully activated!
To confuse Gallade, Absol used Substitute. This move requires HP to activate, and can even fail if the remaining HP is too low.
Absol successfully activated Substitute. Consequently, its already injured HP was now critically low.
As expected, Absol then began to change tactics. When Gallade rushed to attack it, it started avoiding battle, instead using Double Team to constantly engage Gallade in guerrilla tactics.
Absol's shadows were spread everywhere on the Field. Even though Gallade was panting from chasing, it couldn't clear all the shadows at once.
In fact, Absol's HP was now so low that even a light touch from Gallade would make it Faint immediately. As long as it could stall until Perish Song took effect, the match would end in a draw.
After thinking for a long time, Ash Ketchum suddenly said to Gallade, "Gallade, use Disarming Voice."
In fact, the move Disarming Voice hadn't been used since Gallade evolved. It was a move it used during its Ralts and Kirlia stages, when it hadn't decided whether to evolve into Gallade or Gardevoir.
The difference between Gallade and Gardevoir isn't just in appearance, but also in capabilities. Gallade is better at Physical Attack, while Gardevoir is better at Special Attack.
Disarming Voice is a Special Attack move.
The power of this move is indeed somewhat lacking for the current Gallade, but it is very suitable for dealing with the current situation.
Because it's an area attack move.
As Disarming Voice activated, waves of sound spread outwards with the vibration of the air, encompassing the entire Battlefield. All of Absol's shadows dissipated in an instant.
"Absol~~"
When only Absol's true form remained on the Field, it let out a cry of pain and fell to the Ground, unable to get up, and reverted from its Mega Evolution Form.
With Absol's HP, it couldn't withstand a single Disarming Voice, even if Disarming Voice's damage wasn't high.
Seeing this scene, Sidney let out a deep sigh. "It seems wishful thinking won't do!" He then looked at Ash Ketchum and said, "Congratulations. I have high hopes for you. I hope you can keep winning." After speaking, he joked, "That way, even if I don't win in the end, it won't be too embarrassing to say I lost to you."
Ash Ketchum nodded and said solemnly, "I will definitely win in the end."
Then the Rotom Referee began to announce the match results. "Absol is Fainted! Gallade wins! Therefore, the winner of this match is Competitor Ash Ketchum! The match rankings will be announced later, please check for yourselves."
Seeing Ash Ketchum win the match, Bai Feng smiled. He wasn't surprised that Ash Ketchum would win, but he still felt a bit nervous, after all, his opponent was an Elite Four.
This was the first Elite Four level opponent Ash Ketchum had encountered since the Tournament began.
Checking the time, Bai Feng planned to watch the second match live stream. This match was Sabrina's.
Sabrina's opponent was a Competitor named Tobias. Bai Feng had a very deep impression of this person, so he was very worried about Sabrina's match.
In the Original Work, Tobias reached the Finals of the League conference with just one Darkrai, and finally won the Champion title using a Darkrai and a Latios.
At that time, this character was heavily criticized and mockingly called the "Legendary Pokémon Guy" by the Audience Members. Therefore, even though Bai Feng couldn't remember many of the Original Work's plot details now, he still remembered this person.
Just like in the Original Work, since participating in the Tournament, this Tobias had only ever used one Pokémon, Darkrai.
Moreover, this person seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. No one had ever heard of such a figure before. He also didn't know if the Pokémon League had investigated him, as a Pokémon Trainer who owns a Legendary Pokémon is a very rare talent. If there were no problems, he could be fully absorbed into the Pokémon League.
Because he was invincible and always performed strongly in matches, Tobias quickly gathered many fans in a short time. Every time he appeared, many fans would show up to support him, creating a grand spectacle that looked very high-profile.
This match was also the same. A large number of fans specifically traveled all the way to the Sinnoh Region, just to see his match with their own eyes and witness the demeanor of the Legendary Pokémon Darkrai.
After the time arrived, the television screen indeed showed the Arena in Lily of the Valley Town, Sinnoh Region.
After the match start time arrived, the Commentator announced, "I believe everyone has been looking forward to this match for a long time! On one side is the famous Gym Leader Sabrina from Saffron City, Kanto Region, and on the other is Competitor Tobias, who has been gaining popularity recently! Both of these Competitors have not suffered a single defeat since participating in the World Championships and are very likely to advance to the Master Class!
As a side note, our Gym Leader Sabrina is also a key figure in eliminating Team Rocket, a hero of the Pokémon League, and the pride of the Pokémon League!"
"Now, please welcome Competitor Sabrina and Competitor Tobias to the Field."
Following the cheers of the Audience Members, Sabrina walked out of the Passage step by step. But strangely, there was no commotion from Tobias's side.
"Competitor Tobias? Competitor Tobias?" The Commentator called Tobias's name repeatedly, but no one came out of the Passage.
As time passed little by little, the Audience Members in the Stands became furious, especially Tobias's fans. They had specifically traveled all the way to the Sinnoh Region, spent money, and wasted time, only to be stood up in the end. Who could tolerate this?
Finally, the final time limit arrived, and Tobias still hadn't appeared. So, the Rotom Referee appeared in the center of the Field and announced:
"Due to Competitor Tobias failing to enter within the specified time, Competitor Sabrina wins this match! Rankings will change later, please check for yourselves!"
As soon as the Rotom Referee's words were spoken, it was like lighting a powder keg. The Audience Members erupted.
"Give us our money back!"
In the Stands, one Audience Member directly held up a loudspeaker and shouted loudly towards the Field.
Following this Audience Member's reaction, the situation on the Field became increasingly difficult to control. The Arena quickly sent people to maintain order.
Bai Feng could see the chaos on the Field and the excited emotions of the Audience Members even from the television.
In such a highly anticipated and important match for the fans, Tobias actually didn't show up. This was completely unreasonable, and he hadn't given any prior notification either.
So, in the following days, the Internet was filled with condemnations of Tobias, from the media and from his fans.
Of course, there were also some die-hard fans of Tobias. No matter what, they didn't believe Tobias would stand them up for no reason. Tobias must have had unavoidable difficulties for not coming.
Several more days passed in a flash. On this day, Tobias suddenly appeared in Jubilife City, Sinnoh Region, and gave the reason for not being able to participate in the match that day on an Online Platform.
He said he had suffered a slight injury and couldn't participate.
As soon as this reply was posted, the comments below were immediately flooded by countless netizens.
"You can't participate because of a slight injury?"
"In this kind of match, only the Pokémon need to be on the Field. Do you need to personally participate in the battle?"
This comment had the most likes. Clearly, everyone shared this doubt, because according to eyewitnesses, when Tobias appeared in Jubilife City, he didn't look like he was injured.
As soon as this rumor came out, Tobias's reputation immediately worsened.
Originally, Bai Feng didn't take this online farce seriously, just watching it for entertainment. But one day, he suddenly received contact from the Pokémon League, saying that Tobias might appear in Veilstone City, and the Pokémon League hoped he could assist the Police in apprehending Tobias.
Tobias was suspected of possessing several Legendary Pokémon. Ordinary people simply couldn't apprehend him.
Bai Feng was very confused about why the Pokémon League wanted to apprehend Tobias and what secret Tobias held, but the Pokémon League didn't want to say, only telling him that Officer Jenny would inform him of the details when the time came.
Several more days passed in a flash. On this day, Bai Feng received a telephone call from Officer Jenny and quietly left Mt. Coronet, heading to the Urban Area of Veilstone City.
(End of this chapter)
**Chapter 427: Something's Not Right**
In Bi Yi City West District, Bai Feng, slightly disguised, slowly walked into a dessert shop with Slowpoke, then pretended to choose desserts in the shop.
Not far away, a long-haired man in a cloak was staring blankly at a matcha cake.
Bai Feng was originally just pretending to choose desserts, when suddenly Slowpoke looked up in one direction and stopped moving. He walked over to see that Slowpoke was looking at an Egg Tart.
Bai Feng asked with a smile, "What? Want to eat it?"
"Ya~~ Dong~~~"
Slowpoke just made a sound, but its saliva flowed out uncontrollably.
So Bai Feng said helplessly to the shop assistant, "Excuse me, I'll take one of these."
"Okay," the shop assistant replied with a smile.
Soon, the shop assistant packed the Egg Tart and handed it to Bai Feng. Just as Bai Feng took the Egg Tart, he saw the target person already starting to walk outside.
Seeing this, Bai Feng quickly followed with Slowpoke. To avoid suspicion, Bai Feng pretended to be a passerby, walking and feeding Egg Tart to Slowpoke at the same time.
"Ya~~ Dong~~"
Slowpoke didn't care about Bai Feng's task at all and ate happily, one after another. Soon, only the last Egg Tart was left.
"Here, it'll be gone after you eat this."
Bai Feng said softly to Slowpoke.
"Ya~~ Dong~~"
Slowpoke took the Egg Tart and nodded.
At this moment, Bai Feng and Slowpoke had arrived at a small alley entrance. Bai Feng saw that Tobias was about to leave and was about to follow, but Tobias suddenly stopped.
He turned around and said, "Mister, you've been following me for so long, do you need something from me?"
Hearing this, Slowpoke was so startled that it even dropped the last Egg Tart in its hand onto the Ground, staring foolishly at Tobias opposite.
It waggled its tail, wanting to pick up the Egg Tart and continue eating, but Bai Feng had already taken out a Poké Ball and recalled it.
"It seems I'm really not suited for tracking," Bai Feng said openly and frankly, seeing that the other party had discovered him and no longer needed to disguise himself. "Mister Tobias, the Pokémon League has some things they'd like to ask you about. I wonder if you could come with me?"
Tobias stared at Bai Feng for a while, then suddenly laughed, "So it's Mister Bai Feng. So many people want to encounter Mister Bai Feng by chance in Biyi City but can't, yet you've taken the initiative to find me today. It's truly my honor."
Bai Feng said, "Then let's go."
However, Tobias shook his head, "Unfortunately, I cannot go with Mister Bai Feng."
"That's not up to you," Bai Feng narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, and a slight light flickered in his eyes.
A red light suddenly flashed on Tobias's body, and a Latios suddenly appeared. He quickly flipped onto Latios's back, and Latios turned into a streak of light, disappearing from the Original spot in the blink of an eye.
Bai Feng didn't stop him from running away. After all, this was the Urban Area. If a battle occurred, it would definitely affect the city and pedestrians, so it was better to act in a different place.
Bai Feng sent out Deoxys without hesitation, having Deoxys take him to chase after Tobias.
Actually, Deoxys's speed was much faster than Latios's, but Bai Feng wasn't in a hurry to catch up. Instead, he called Officer Jenny while leisurely trailing behind Tobias.
Tobias clearly knew why the Pokémon League was looking for him, so he ran very hard.
Unconsciously, the two gradually moved away from Biyi City and arrived at the sea closest to Biyi City.
Latios skimmed the Water surface, galloping above the Ocean. Tobias looked back at Bai Feng and saw that Bai Feng was always following not too far, not too close behind him. He knew that Bai Feng could easily catch up.
After thinking for a while, he suddenly stopped.
Seeing this, Bai Feng and Deoxys came directly before him, "Not running anymore?"
Tobias said, "Today I want to test just how strong Mister Bai Feng, this Pokémon Trainer of the Pokémon League, is!" With a casual wave, another Pokémon appeared beside him. It was none other than Latias.
"Latios and Latias..." Bai Feng said, narrowing his eyes.
Latios, Latias - Legendary Pokémon, Dragon Type and Psychic Type, are Legendary Pokémon capable of high-speed flight.
"As expected of Mister Bai Feng, you even know about Pokémon like Latias and Latios, which are rarely known," Tobias said.
"To be able to battle with Latias and Latios, I can consider myself lucky," Bai Feng said jokingly.
As soon as Bai Feng finished speaking, he heard Tobias say, "Latios, Latias, Psychic!"
Purple light simultaneously flashed in the eyes of Latios and Latias. Bai Feng and Deoxys immediately felt two streams of psychic power merging together and attacking them.
At this time, Bai Feng and Deoxys's psychic power was already linked together, so they quickly simultaneously used psychic power to counterattack.
But what surprised Bai Feng was that the combined power of the two Legendary Pokémon, Latios and Latias, could only barely manage a tie with Deoxys.
Although Deoxys had Bai Feng assisting, Bai Feng admitted that there was still some gap between himself and the strength of Legendary Pokémon.
Moreover, Latios and Latias were originally a pair of Pokémon with very good cooperation. Their combined psychic power was definitely more than the sum of its parts.
Something was a bit off with this Latias and Latios.
Without waiting for Bai Feng to think further, Tobias once again commanded the two Pokémon to attack.
"Latias, Tailwind! Latios, Helping Hand! Latias, Mist Ball!"
The cooperation between the two Pokémon was indeed very good. As soon as Tobias finished speaking, they had completed a series of coordinated actions.
Latias used Tailwind to accelerate, thereby making up for the speed difference between them and Deoxys. Latios used the Helping Hand move to assist Latias, allowing Latias to use a more powerful attack. Finally, Latias launched the attack.
Latias was surrounded by a circle of feathers formed by mist. The next second, the feathers turned into an arrow rain like arrows and shot towards Deoxys.
This was Latias's signature move - Mist Ball.
"Deoxys~"
Bai Feng called out a reminder. The next second, Deoxys's appearance changed, its body became more slender, and then it disappeared from the Original spot.
Deoxys possesses four forms: Normal Forme, Attack Forme, Defense Forme, and Speed Forme. Each change can be used to handle different situations.
The one Deoxys just changed into was the Speed Forme, which can maximize its speed advantage.
Almost instantly, Bai Feng and Deoxys arrived behind Tobias, Latias, and Latios. Its form changed again, having already transformed from Speed Forme to Attack Forme.
Attack Forme Deoxys can maximize its Special Attack advantage.
"Deoxys, Dark Pulse!"
A black energy ring swept out in an instant, hitting Latios and Latias one after another.
Plop~ Plop~
Following two cries of pain, Latios and Latias, along with Tobias on Latios's back, fell into the water.
Bai Feng didn't hesitate and continued to command Deoxys, "Deoxys, Ice Beam!"
A blue-white beam swept out. Crackling~~~ Thick ice began to form on the Sea Surface. Latios and Latias, along with Tobias, were frozen beneath the Sea Surface.
Bai Feng and Deoxys floated in mid-air, quietly watching below.
After a while, Bai Feng and Deoxys seemed to sense something simultaneously. They exchanged a glance, then quickly flew towards one direction.
They flew and flew along the thick ice layer, all the way to the Sea Area where the ice layer had disappeared. The person and the Pokémon continued to fly forward. Looking down from above, they could faintly see two shadows moving quickly In the water.
After some time, suddenly two figures broke out of the water. Who else could it be but Latios and Latias? Tobias was soaked all over at this time, trembling and lying on Latios's back.
Because of Deoxys's Ice Beam, Tobias was frozen quite badly.
"We haven't decided the winner yet, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Bai Feng said, looking at Tobias's lips which were already frozen purple.
Originally, Tobias planned to have Latios and Latias take him to run away underwater, but he didn't expect that Bai Feng, as a Psychic, and Deoxys, this Psychic-type Pokémon, had too sharp sensing, and actually discovered their intention.
"Mister Bai Feng, we surrender," Tobias said.
"Since you surrender, then come with me," Bai Feng said with a half-smile.
At this point, Bai Feng was almost certain that there was a problem with Tobias's Latios and Latias. The strength of Legendary Pokémon couldn't be that weak, being so pathetic even two against one.
"Sorry," Tobias shook his head, "I have a reason why I must leave."
"In that case, then let's continue!" Bai Feng waved his hand, and saw Deoxys once again swept out a Dark Pulse.
"Latias, Latios, quickly dodge," Tobias said weakly.
Seeing this, Latios and Latias quickly flew to the sides, narrowly dodging the Dark Pulse. The moment they dodged, the two Pokémon, one left and one right, launched a Dragon Pulse towards Bai Feng and Deoxys.
A blue-purple dragon-shaped energy wave roared and pounced towards Bai Feng and Deoxys. Bai Feng and Deoxys's eyes simultaneously flashed with light. The next second, a transparent energy barrier was erected, blocking the two Dragon Pulses outside.
Boom!!!
The Dragon Pulses collided with the energy barrier, causing a violent explosion. Ripples spread across the transparent energy barrier. At the same time, the seawater was churned up everywhere by the explosion.
Immediately after, light burst forth from the energy barrier. Countless blue-white beams surged out.
It was Ice Beam.
Seeing this, Latios and Latias quickly dodged around in a panic.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh~~~
Beams of dense Ice Beam attacked like a hail of bullets, making both Pokémon and Tobias flustered.
"Ooh~~"
Finally, Latias was carelessly hit by an Ice Beam, instantly turning into a block of ice and falling into the seawater.
"Latias~~~" Tobias cried out in alarm, immediately trying to command Latios to rescue Latias, but Bai Feng and Deoxys had already flashed and appeared in front of them, blocking their path.
Whoosh~~
A black energy wave was launched by Deoxys. Latios, carrying Tobias, had to quickly retreat.
Bai Feng waved his hand, and Latias In the water quickly flew to his side. At this time, Latias, frozen in ice, had already lost consciousness.
Being hit consecutively by the Dark Pulse and Ice Beam, which counter Psychic Type and Dark Type Pokémon, even a Legendary Pokémon couldn't withstand it.
Splash!
Under the effect of Bai Feng's psychic, the ice block shattered, revealing Latias inside. With a casual toss, Latias fell into a Spatial Portal that suddenly appeared.
That Spatial Portal was naturally the gateway leading to the Distortion Space.
Seeing Latias suddenly disappear, Tobias asked anxiously, "Where's Latias? Where did you take my Latias?"
Bai Feng said, "If you obediently come with me, I will naturally let you see Latias."
"Impossible!" Tobias sternly refused.
"Then we'll have to do this the hard way!"
Bai Feng and Deoxys's figures flashed and disappeared from the Original spot. When they reappeared, they were already behind Tobias and Latios.
"Dark Pulse!" Bai Feng said.
As a black energy ring was launched by Deoxys, Latios hurriedly erected a psychic barrier.
However, Latios's psychic barrier could not defend against Deoxys's Attack Forme's full power attack.
Crack~~
As a crisp sound rang out, the barrier shattered like glass.
"Ooh~~"
After being hit by Dark Pulse, Latios let out a cry of pain and fell from the air.
Plop~ Plop~~
The person and the Pokémon fell into the water.
After fishing up the unconscious Latios, Bai Feng found that Tobias had also fallen unconscious.
After thinking for a moment, he also put Latios into the Distortion Space, then planned to take Tobias to see Officer Jenny.
However, just as he was about to fish up Tobias floating on the Water surface, his shadow suddenly moved. Immediately after, a black shadow stretched and took form.
It was Darkrai!
Darkrai, Shadow Pokémon, Dark Type, has the ability to induce deep sleep and cause nightmare. It is often active on nights of the new moon, and like Deoxys, it is a Mythical Pokémon.
Moreover, unlike Latias and Latios, Darkrai gave Bai Feng a chilling feeling. This was the true might that a Legendary Pokémon should possess.
Darkrai's white hair and shadow-like body fluttered in the sea breeze. A pair of deep blue eyes flashed with cold light.
What's important is that this Darkrai's attitude towards the Pokémon Trainer Tobias was also strange. It didn't care about the unconscious Tobias; instead, it placed all its attention on Bai Feng and Deoxys.
"Deoxys~~" Bai Feng called out to Deoxys, asking it to temporarily hold off Darkrai. He had to fish Tobias up, otherwise he would drown.
Just as he was about to act, Darkrai raised its hand and launched a Dark Pulse towards him. Deoxys quickly used a teleport, using a Psychic to knock the Dark Pulse away.
Bai Feng seized the opportunity and quickly fished Tobias up.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 428: Experience
Seeing that Tobias had fallen into Bai Feng's hands, Darkrai's expression changed, and it immediately flew forward to stop Bai Feng.
Deoxys's figure flickered, appearing in front of it again, blocking its path. Darkrai was finally enraged. Its figure flickered rapidly, and suddenly many identical Darkrai appeared around it. They surrounded Bai Feng together, attempting to snatch Tobias back from Bai Feng's grasp.
Seeing this, Deoxys gathered its hands, and a silver orb of light condensed within them. The next second, a silver beam shot out abruptly.
This was the Steel-type move, Flash Cannon.
Deoxys controlled the Flash Cannon, sweeping it horizontally. Instantly, the Darkrai formed by Double Team shattered and disappeared one by one.
However, Darkrai's true body still managed to seize the opportunity to get close to Bai Feng. As it threw a Shadow Ball at Bai Feng, Bai Feng controlled the Summoning Circle to block in front of him, causing the Shadow Ball to suddenly appear behind Darkrai and hit Darkrai's own back.
Caught off guard, Darkrai staggered in the air. Just as it did, Deoxys's Flash Cannon also struck.
Boom!!!
Darkrai was blasted into the sea, stirring up waves.
But immediately after, the water surface exploded, and seawater splashed everywhere. A Dark Pulse shot out of the water, sweeping towards Deoxys.
Deoxys transformed into its Defense Forme, shielding its chest with its arms, but it still lost an arm from Darkrai's attack.
"Deoxys, Recover!"
As Bai Feng's words fell, a radiance flashed over Deoxys's body. Its arm quickly regrew, and at the same time, it fired another Flash Cannon at Darkrai, which was just floating out of the seawater.
Darkrai was about to dodge, but a Summoning Circle suddenly appeared on its evasion path. It fell into the Summoning Circle unexpectedly, and when it came out, it was right back on Deoxys's attack path.
Boom!
Darkrai was hit squarely in the face by the Flash Cannon, letting out a wail before falling back into the water.
By now, it was completely soaked. When it emerged from the water again, it was met by a Thunderbolt from Deoxys.
The golden electric current turned into a column of lightning descending from the sky, pouring into Darkrai's body. The lightning flowed everywhere along the water covering its body, spreading throughout its entire form.
When the lightning stopped, Darkrai was covered in injuries. It swept a sharp gaze over Deoxys and Bai Feng, then suddenly flew towards the sky.
Bai Feng was initially confused about what it was doing, only to see the sky suddenly darken. Before long, the surroundings had become completely dark, the kind where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
Hmm?
Bai Feng suddenly felt his eyelids heavy, and sleepiness grew stronger.
Is this Darkrai's Dark Void?
The effect of Dark Void is to forcibly drag the enemy into a dark world, causing them to fall into a sleep state.
So, the sky didn't turn black; rather, Bai Feng and the others were forcibly dragged into the dark space created by Darkrai.
Seeing that Deoxys was also about to fall asleep, Bai Feng quickly controlled the Summoning Circle, taking both himself and Deoxys to disappear from the dark world.
In the dark world, Bai Feng couldn't see Deoxys because it was pitch black. Fortunately, he was a Psychic and could sense Deoxys's presence using his Psychic ability. Otherwise, he might have been in trouble now.
The dark space couldn't block the Summoning Circle. Bai Feng and Deoxys successfully left it.
Darkrai, who was waiting for Bai Feng and Deoxys to fall asleep, was stunned when it saw them suddenly disappear from the dark space.
What was happening? It had never encountered such a situation before.
As soon as Bai Feng and Deoxys came out, Darkrai's Dark Void automatically dispelled. It reappeared in front of Bai Feng and Deoxys. Deoxys didn't hesitate and immediately fired a Flash Cannon.
Boom!
Darkrai had no time to dodge and was hit, its waist bending into an arch.
Finally, Darkrai fainted.
Bai Feng likewise picked up Darkrai, then flew towards the shore with it, Latios, Latias, and Tobias.
When Bai Feng arrived at the shore, Officer Jenny was already waiting on the beach with a team of police officers.
Seeing Bai Feng and Deoxys land, Officer Jenny quickly saluted Bai Feng. "Mister Bai Feng." When she saw Tobias and Darkrai in Bai Feng's hands, she added, "You've worked hard."
Bai Feng shook his head, throwing Tobias and Darkrai onto the beach. He then took out Latias and Latios and said to Officer Jenny:
"I'll leave them to you."
"Mister Bai Feng, please rest assured."
Officer Jenny quickly directed the police officers beside her to receive Tobias and his three Pokémon.
Through the subsequent conversation, Bai Feng quickly learned the reason the Pokémon League was arresting Tobias.
Tobias's identity itself wasn't problematic; he was a child from an Orphanage. However, he suddenly acquired three Legendary Pokémon and gained significant fame in the Pokémon World Championships. The Pokémon League naturally had to investigate him thoroughly, and this investigation revealed a problem.
After turning sixteen, Tobias went out to work and then disappeared for a period of time. During this time, he still frequently contacted the Orphanage he came from, claiming he was working for a large company. However, the Pokémon League's investigation report showed that the company he mentioned had no record of his employment.
Tobias's return to the Orphanage was only in the past year. By then, he had become a wealthy person. Not only did he donate a large sum of money to the Orphanage and renovate it, but he also arranged better work and study opportunities for other children from the Orphanage.
By tracing Tobias's source of funds, the Pokémon League discovered that Tobias was likely connected to the former Team Rocket.
After handing Tobias over to Officer Jenny, Bai Feng did not interfere further with his investigation and returned to Fangxing Mountain.
Several days later, Bai Feng received an investigation report from Officer Jenny. Since he was the one who captured Tobias, he was entitled to know the investigation results.
After reading the investigation results, Bai Feng also learned where Tobias had gone during his disappearance.
It turned out that shortly after Tobias left the Orphanage to find work, he was captured by Iron-Masked Marauder, a Team Rocket Executive passing through the Sinnoh Region.
Iron-Masked Marauder took him to a Team Rocket secret training base, and Tobias was thus forced to become a reserve member of Team Rocket.
At the secret training base, Tobias lived an isolated life. Every day, under the monitoring of Team Rocket members, he had to train, train, and train again. He was also frequently thrown into wilds full of violent wild Pokémon for wilderness training, where a slight mistake could lead to death.
Because the training process was too cruel, people died almost every day at the training base. Those brought there were young children, ranging from just ten years old to fifteen or sixteen, so the death rate was particularly high, especially for children aged ten to thirteen.
Tobias survived because he was considered older among them.
According to Tobias's confession, their secret training base trained elite members who would be dispatched to carry out secret missions in the future.
Tobias stayed at that training base for several years. Even the person who kept in contact with the Orphanage was not him, but someone from Team Rocket.
Team Rocket had specialized personnel responsible for managing the backgrounds of those children. When necessary, they would impersonate the children to contact people they knew, preventing unnecessary trouble.
When Tobias was first brought to the training base, because he didn't understand anything, all information about his background had already been extracted by Team Rocket personnel.
However, unexpectedly, before these reserve members could be put to use, Team Rocket suddenly collapsed.
After this news spread, an internal conflict broke out at that Team Rocket secret training base. The kidnapped children were the planners, and Tobias was one of them.
They annihilated the Team Rocket guards at the training base and escaped from the secret base. Because of this incident, the Pokémon that had accompanied Tobias for several years died in battle.
While escaping the secret training base, Tobias quietly snuck into Team Rocket's Laboratory and took two Poké Balls, which contained Latias and Latios.
As for Darkrai, it voluntarily followed Tobias.
However, Darkrai followed Tobias not because it valued him.
Darkrai was Team Rocket's trump card placed at the secret training base. However, after Team Rocket was annihilated and Sakaki was captured, it was forgotten. The Team Rocket members at the secret training base didn't know of its existence. Therefore, it followed Tobias, wanting to use him to rescue Sakaki.
One of the reasons Tobias participated in the Pokémon World Championships was because Darkrai forced him. It wanted to push Tobias into the Eight Masters position so that its rescue of Sakaki would be much easier.
It could be said that Tobias was monitored by Darkrai every day, with almost no freedom, yet he couldn't defeat Darkrai.
Of course, Tobias also had his own plan for participating in the Pokémon World Championships.
His own Pokémon had died in battle, so he cherished Latias and Latios, which he had secretly taken from Team Rocket's Laboratory.
These two Pokémon were indeed not normal Pokémon, just as Bai Feng had theorized. They were clones created by Team Rocket using the body tissue of the real Latias and Latios.
Since Mewtwo's escape, Team Rocket had been planning to restart the Mewtwo Project. However, without Mew's body tissue, restarting the Mewtwo Project would be useless. Therefore, they decided to use other Legendary Pokémon for experiments.
However, Mewtwo's success was accidental. No matter how hard Team Rocket tried, they couldn't create a second Pokémon similar to Mewtwo. Instead, they produced a batch of defective Pokémon.
Tobias's Latias and Latios were among them. Their defect was that they couldn't fully unleash the power of Legendary Pokémon and had extremely short lifespans.
Besides being forced by Darkrai, Tobias also had a selfish desire to see if there was a method within the Pokémon League to fix the defects of Latias and Latios after becoming one of the Eight Masters.
Darkrai wanted to use him, and he was also using Darkrai.
As a Legendary Pokémon, Darkrai was powerful and could help him clear most obstacles on his path to becoming one of the Eight Masters.
If he became one of the Eight Masters, Latias and Latios might be saved.
Tobias didn't care much that the two Pokémon couldn't unleash the power of Legendary Pokémon; what he cared about was their short lifespans.
Through their daily interactions, Tobias had long developed deep feelings for the two Pokémon, and they felt the same.
Upon realizing that the Pokémon League was investigating him, Tobias knew that his connection with Team Rocket might have been exposed, so he decisively gave up on continuing to participate in the Pokémon World Championships.
Having lost that path, the problem with Latias and Latios still needed to be solved. After some investigation, he learned about the Legendary Pokémon Xerneas, who existed in the Kalos Region and was called the "God of Life" in ancient times.
He hoped to find a method to heal Latias and Latios from Xerneas, so he quietly came to the Kalos Region. Unfortunately, his whereabouts had already been tracked by the Pokémon League.
In reality, although Tobias was associated with Team Rocket, because he had always stayed in Team Rocket's secret training base and hadn't had time to participate in any tasks, the Pokémon League wouldn't do anything to him. They would only keep him under monitoring temporarily and release him after confirming he was harmless.
At the same time, the Pokémon League also needed his help to find other children who had escaped from Team Rocket's secret training base. These children were potential danger.
Under Team Rocket's cruel training, it was impossible for all the children to remain innocent, so the Pokémon League had to find them as soon as possible.
According to Officer Jenny's report, Tobias was very cooperative with the Pokémon League's work and was willing to help the Pokémon League contact the other children, but he hoped the Pokémon League could help heal Latias and Latios.
As for Darkrai, it was too severely brainwashed by Team Rocket and remained loyal to them, refusing to comply at all. It is now under the Pokémon League's supervision, and Tobias doesn't seem to care about it.
After reading the investigation report, Bai Feng put the matter aside. Not long after, he received a telephone call from Professor Oak.
"Professor, is something wrong?" Bai Feng asked after answering the phone.
"Bai Feng, come here quickly," Professor Oak said anxiously.
"What is it? Is it urgent?" Bai Feng asked, confused.
"Yes, it's urgent. You'll know when you get here," Professor Oak said.
"Alright, I'll be right there."
Saying this, Bai Feng hung up the phone and opened the Summoning Circle and stepped into it. When he reappeared, he was outside Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Professor Oak was already waiting for Bai Feng. Seeing him arrive, he hurriedly pulled Bai Feng into his laboratory.
The first thing Bai Feng saw upon entering the laboratory were the Pokémon lying on two Operating Consoles. Who else could they be but Latias and Latios?
"Professor, this is..."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 429: Traveling Together
Seeing Bai Feng ask, Professor Oak said with a headache, "The Pokémon League really knows how to give me problems. Asking me to heal these two Pokémon... with their condition, how could it be so easy to heal?"
Although the Pokémon League sent him two materials for research, which made him very happy, the healing problem was a tricky matter. After all, the problem with Latias and Latios was at the gene level.
"Quick, use your Ability to stabilize them! I need to inject them with the potion. Their vital signs suddenly became unstable, and continuing like this will be very dangerous," Professor Oak urged Bai Feng.
"Okay!" Bai Feng nodded and quickly walked to the two Pokémon. Golden Finger Energy poured out from his body, quickly enveloping the two Pokémon.
With the soothing effect of the Golden Finger Energy, the two Pokémon, who were originally in pain, quickly calmed down.
Seeing this, Professor Oak quickly took out the potion, then took out a syringe, and quickly injected each of the two Pokémon with one dose.
As the potion took effect, the vital signs of the two Pokémon gradually stabilized, and before long, they quietly fell asleep.
Looking at the motionless Latias and Latios, Professor Oak sighed deeply and said, "These two Pokémon have also suffered."
Although they were clones, since they were created, they were complete Pokémon and had the right to live well in this world. However, the side effect brought by cloning always affected them, making them struggle in pain.
Team Rocket... they really caused trouble...
"Look!" Professor Oak said to Bai Feng, pointing at the display screen of a detection equipment. "The cells of Latias and Latios are rapidly aging. This is the reason for their short lifespan."
Bai Feng looked at the screen the Professor was pointing at and indeed saw many dots on it. Some of the dots were visibly shrinking and withering at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"The Professor doesn't have a healing method either?" Bai Feng asked, frowning.
"There is one method," Professor Oak said, "but you first help me check their condition, and then I'll determine if this method can be used."
As for Bai Feng's Special Ability, Professor Oak had already started research on it long ago. Therefore, he was very clear about Bai Feng's Ability and knew that Bai Feng's Ability was sometimes more effective than a machine for performing an inspection on a Pokémon's body condition.
"Okay." Bai Feng nodded.
Immediately, following Professor Oak's instructions, he controlled the Golden Finger Energy to enter the bodies of the two Pokémon, and then told Professor Oak the results of the inspection one by one, which Professor Oak recorded in detail.
Through the inspection, Bai Feng finally understood why Latias and Latios couldn't display the strength of Legendary Pokémon. Their energy circuits weren't even fully developed. How could they truly possess the strength of Legendary Pokémon?
After the inspection was finished, Professor Oak stared at the records in his hand, his brows tightly furrowed, and said, "Trouble, ah, trouble..."
"What's wrong?" Bai Feng asked, puzzled. "Didn't you say there was a healing method?"
"There is a method," Professor Oak said, "but the material needed for the healing is a headache!"
"What material?" Bai Feng asked, confused.
"The body tissue of the real Latios and Latias!" Professor Oak replied.
The problem with the clone Latias and Latios was a gene defect. Professor Oak needed to obtain the body tissue of the real Latias and Latios, analyze their genes, and thus help the two Pokémon acquire complete Latias and Latios genes, eradicating their gene defect.
Although this sounded easy, it was very difficult to actually implement. Obtaining the body tissue of the real Latios and Latias was just the first step.
But the problem was, where could they find Latias and Latios?
"There is indeed a place that has them, but it might be difficult to obtain," Professor Oak added.
"The Alto Mare the Professor mentioned?" Bai Feng suddenly thought of something and asked.
Ash Ketchum had visited Alto Mare during his travels. There, he met the guardian deity of Alto Mare, Latias and Latios. However, for some reason, the Latios of Alto Mare had already passed away. Bai Feng and Professor Oak both knew about this matter.
"That's right, it's there," Professor Oak nodded. "Ash Ketchum has a good bond with the Latias there. Asking him to get a feather from Latias shouldn't be a big problem. It's just that he's currently busy participating in the Pokémon World Championships, so he probably doesn't have time to go there!"
"Indeed." Bai Feng nodded.
Suddenly, Professor Oak had a flash of inspiration. He looked at Bai Feng and said, "Bai Feng, why don't you make the trip? Then you can use the Summoning Circle to teleport Ash Ketchum there, which won't delay Ash Ketchum too much time."
Bai Feng: ...
So I'm just a vehicle, huh?
"Bai Feng, please, you can't possibly make this old man go, can you?" Professor Oak pleaded pitifully. "Alto Mare is very beautiful, how about you treat it as traveling? I'll apply to the Pokémon League for reimbursement of all the fees incurred during your trip!"
Bai Feng: Do I lack that money?
"Alright then, I'll make this trip!" Bai Feng finally agreed to Professor Oak's request. He also couldn't bear to see Latias and Latios just die like this.
Pokémon are all very cute creatures.
After chatting with Professor Oak for a while and discussing the matter of going to Alto Mare, Bai Feng left Oak's Laboratory. Originally, he planned to return directly to Fangxing Mountain, but thinking that he was already in Pallet Town, he might as well go see his Brother and Sister-in-law. So, he turned around and went to Red's Home.
Just as he reached the vicinity of Red's Home, Bai Feng heard a burst of cheerful laughter. Immediately after, a Gengar levitated into the sky.
Gengar saw Bai Feng at a glance. Its eyes lit up, and it happily flew to Bai Feng's side.
"Gengar~ Gengar~"
Bai Feng smiled and greeted Gengar. "Gengar, you're here to play again!"
This Gengar was one of the three Ancient Pokémon. Since becoming friends with Bai Feng and the others, they would visit Red's Home whenever they had time.
"Gengar~ Gengar~~" Gengar nodded repeatedly.
Bai Feng and Gengar walked together to Red's Home Courtyard and saw Delia playing games with Jigglypuff, Alakazam, Blissey, and Mr. Mime. The cheerful laughter just now came from them.
"Sister-in-law!"
Because she was having too much fun playing, Delia didn't notice Bai Feng's arrival at all. Bai Feng had to call out to her.
Hearing Bai Feng's sound, Delia finally reacted. "Bai Feng? Why are you here?" She quickly ran to Bai Feng's side with a string of Pokémon.
The four Pokémon, Jigglypuff, Alakazam, Blissey, and Mr. Mime, also greeted Bai Feng one after another.
"Professor Oak asked me to help with something, so I came to see you guys while I was at it," Bai Feng replied.
"No wonder," Delia said, suddenly understanding. "Usually, we don't call you, and you don't remember to come see us often either," she said with a tone of blame.
"Hahaha~~" Bai Feng laughed awkwardly.
"Where's Big Brother?" To change the subject, he quickly asked, glancing into the house twice, but he didn't see Red's figure.
"Oh, him! We're planning to go traveling, and he's upstairs making plans," Delia replied with a smile. Of course, she wasn't really blaming Bai Feng; she just wanted Bai Feng to visit Home more often. Bai Feng had the Summoning Circle, making travel between Fangxing Mountain and Pallet Town very convenient.
"You guys are going traveling again?" Bai Feng said helplessly.
"Yeah, otherwise what would we do staying Home with nothing to do?" Delia said as if it were obvious.
That's true!
Just then, Red suddenly poked his head out from the second-floor window. "Bai Feng, are you going to Alto Mare?"
Bai Feng was startled. "Professor Oak told you already?"
Red nodded and said, "We were just talking on the telephone."
Bai Feng: ...
You two contact each other way too often.
After speaking, Red looked at Delia and asked, "Delia, why don't we go to Alto Mare too? Alto Mare is so famous, and we haven't been there yet!"
"Okay, okay!" Delia nodded repeatedly. "I've wanted to go to Alto Mare for a long time. This time we can go with Bai Feng."
"You guys decided just like that?" Bai Feng was amazed at how quickly they made decisions.
"What's so hard to decide about that? It's rare to go out with you," Red said.
"Alright then," Bai Feng said. Having company wasn't bad either.
Bai Feng played with Gengar and the others for a while, then sat at Red's Home for half an hour before returning Home.
The next day, Bai Feng set off for Alto Mare with Red and Delia.
Alto Mare is located in the Johto Region and is known as the most beautiful city in the world. Therefore, it has always been one of the most popular tourist cities in the Pokémon World.
Bai Feng first used the Summoning Circle to bring Red and Delia to Azalea Town.
Alto Mare is located on the outer sea of the peninsula where Azalea Town is situated. It is a city built on an island, so departing from Azalea Town is the closest way to get to Alto Mare.
Stepping onto the land of Azalea Town, Delia exclaimed, "Bai Feng, your Summoning Circle is really too convenient! Let's travel together again in the future!"
Hearing this, Bai Feng quickly waved his hand. "No, I can't handle running around everywhere as frequently as you two."
Hearing this, Delia and Red both burst into laughter.
Arriving in Azalea Town, Bai Feng first paid a visit to Mister Steel. Since he was already there, it wouldn't feel right not to see the old man.
Seeing Bai Feng arrive, Mister Steel and Qianhui were both very happy.
Mister Steel had already recovered and been discharged from the hospital. What surprised Bai Feng was that he saw Kurt's son, who was Qianhui's Father, at Mr. Steel's Home.
Mister Steel's attitude towards his son could be described as completely displeased, practically ordering him around in circles. But his son didn't seem very angry, likely accustomed to Mister Steel's attitude, and instead took comprehensive care of Mister Steel.
Mister Steel wasn't a harsh person either, and his son also seemed gentle and polite. Bai Feng really didn't understand why the bond between this father and son was poor.
Of course, this had nothing to do with him, so he didn't ask further.
Knowing that Bai Feng had saved his father, Kurt's son was very grateful and gave Bai Feng a business card, telling Bai Feng that he could contact him anytime if he needed his help.
Kurt's son could also be considered a master in Poké Ball technology.
Bai Feng didn't stay long at Mr. Steel's Home. After saying goodbye to Mister Steel, he boarded the ship heading to Alto Mare with Red and Delia.
As a popular tourist city, Alto Mare had regular ships departing from Azalea Town every day.
Delia stood by the ship with Blissey and Mr. Mime, feeling the sea breeze and saying, "The taste of the sea... It's been a long time since I came to the seaside. It feels so comfortable."
"Happy~"
"Mime~ Mime~"
Blissey and Mr. Mime nodded repeatedly.
Bai Feng and Red sat on chairs, drinking tea and chatting. Just then, Slowpoke reached out and tugged at Bai Feng's pants leg.
"What's wrong?" Bai Feng looked down at Slowpoke and asked.
"Yaa~~ dong~~" Slowpoke pointed towards Delia and the others.
"You want to see the sea too?" Bai Feng asked.
"Yaa~~ dong~~~" Slowpoke nodded gently.
"There's really nothing I can do with you." Bai Feng shook his head lightly and then got up and walked towards the side of the ship.
Slowpoke took the opportunity to pull on Bai Feng's pants leg and climbed into his arms.
"Zorua~~"
Seeing this, Zorua, who was sleeping by Bai Feng's feet, quickly climbed onto Bai Feng's shoulder.
"Zorua~ Zorua~" I'm going too.
Bai Feng brought the two Pokémon to the side of the ship. Slowpoke pointed at the receding sea surface. "Yaa~~ dong~~~"
Bai Feng was startled. "You want to swim too?"
"Yaa~~ dong~~" Slowpoke nodded.
"This... isn't okay, is it?" Bai Feng said awkwardly. The ship might not look fast, but that was only because of its large size. The actual sailing speed of the ship was quite fast. If a little guy like Slowpoke went into the sea, it would probably be left far behind in an instant.
"Yaa~~ dong~~ Yaa~~ dong~~"
Slowpoke waved its fingers and gestured for a while.
After hearing what it said, Bai Feng poked its forehead with his finger. "You really know how to think." As he spoke, he extended a finger, and a rope formed from Golden Finger Energy suddenly appeared, wrapping around Slowpoke's waist.
"Are you ready? I'm going to throw you?" Bai Feng said to Slowpoke.
"Yaa~~ dong~~" Slowpoke patted its belly and nodded gently.
Seeing this, Bai Feng directly threw Slowpoke into the sea.
However, despite saying that, Bai Feng actually used his Psychic Power to wrap around Slowpoke to prevent any accident.
After falling into the water, Slowpoke used its Psychic Power to wrap its body, levitate on the sea surface, and was pulled by the ship and the rope, speeding through the water, somewhat like surfing.
Its Psychic Power formed a small boat. It lay on the boat, sticking out its belly and crossing its legs, looking incredibly leisurely and comfortable. Delia was amused by its funny appearance and burst into laughter.
"This little guy sure knows how to have fun," Delia said.
Riding the wave, three to five Goldeen occasionally jumped out of the water surface and looked at Slowpoke with curiosity in their gaze, but Slowpoke didn't even give them a proper look.
Some Goldeen even tried to poke Slowpoke with their horns, but they were all bounced away by Slowpoke using Confusion. Don't let Slowpoke's silly appearance fool you, seeming slow by one or two beats in everything it does; its reaction speed is actually very fast.
"That's pretty good, it can even train its Move," Bai Feng said with a smile.
(End of this chapter)