“S-Stop right there!” The moment his gaze swept over the “R” emblem on the man’s chest, he understood his identity instantly, yet he still spread his arms wide, shielding the painfully numb Cyndaquil behind him.
“Tch, where did this brat come from?
Go home to your mommy.” The Team Rocket member was utterly speechless at this kid who had suddenly popped out to play the hero.
Sean ignored him entirely, immediately turning his head to shout at the Cyndaquil behind him: “Run!” Run…
The word struck Cyndaquil like a bolt of lightning!
It snapped its head up, looking at Sean through blurred, tearful eyes.
This back was so thin and frail, yet it looked so much like…
This all-too-familiar scene of fierce protection made the veins on the Team Rocket member’s forehead pop: “Brat, if you dare get in my way again, I’ll kill you!” Sean’s expression turned grim.
He knew the man was entirely capable of it, especially out here in the middle of nowhere.
He was terrified, his body trembling uncontrollably, yet he didn’t take a single step back.
Cyndaquil stared blankly at Sean, an indescribable bitterness welling up in its chest.
“Run!” Sean urged once more.
“Golem, paint the ground with his brains!” Gnashing his teeth in pure rage, the Team Rocket member roared at the top of his lungs.
Golem tucked its limbs inward once more, curling into a massive stone ball before launching forward like a rocket!
The sheer force of its rolling made the ground tremble slightly, and the howling wind rushed at Sean’s face, instantly enveloping him in a crushing sense of dread.
He instinctively raised his hands to shield his head.
Just as he thought he couldn’t escape the impact and was about to meet his end…
The temperature behind him skyrocketed!!
The tears on Cyndaquil’s face had not yet dried, but the world in its eyes was suddenly flooded with color once more.
It thought back to the past two weeks…
The stubborn boy who had disregarded his own wounds, bringing food day after day, speaking those clumsy yet earnest words…
That gentle warmth it had constantly rejected but could never truly ignore…
A towering inferno suddenly erupted from Cyndaquil’s body, sending a scorching tidal wave of heat roaring outward!!
“What?!” The Team Rocket member’s face paled with shock.
This level of power far exceeded the limits of a normal Cyndaquil.
Staring at the terrifying, rapidly expanding flames, he instantly flashed back to the Typhlosion that had unleashed its Blaze ability two weeks ago!
Before he could even react, Cyndaquil bolted forward, enveloped in a colossal blaze!
Trailing a wake of fire behind it like a vengeful dragon, it collided head-on with the rolling Golem!
*BOOM—!!* A violent explosion erupted as a blinding crimson sphere of light burst open!
The brilliant flash forced everyone to shut their eyes as the earth shook violently, sending clouds of dust, debris, and shattered rocks flying in every direction!
The surrounding charred trees swayed precariously under the force of the shockwave, while the air filled with a dense haze of swirling dust and crackling sparks, blankets of smoke obscuring the entire clearing.
A moment later, the dust began to settle.
Cyndaquil stood proudly atop the unconscious Golem.
It panted softly, the towering inferno on its back still blazing, while its sorrowful eyes were now filled with absolute killing intent!
Looking down from its high vantage point, it glared coldly at the Team Rocket member who sat paralyzed on the ground.
“Aaaahhhh!
Monster, stay back!” Consumed by sheer terror, the Team Rocket member scrambled backward using both his hands and feet.
However, in the next fraction of a second.
An incredibly massive, extraordinary Flamethrower suddenly tore through the air!
It felt as though it wanted to burn away all the sorrow and hatred in existence!!
The Team Rocket member was instantly swallowed by the pillar of fire.
Together with the forest behind him, a scorched trench several hundred meters long was violently plowed into the earth!
The ground was left cracked and blackened from the heat, the vegetation instantly reduced to ash, leaving the entire area heavy with the acrid scent of burning.
As the energy finally dissipated, the flames on Cyndaquil’s back slowly died down like a king’s cloak.
Without letting its guard down for a second, it immediately turned around and ran toward Sean as fast as its small legs could carry it.
Sean had been blown several meters away by the violent wind generated by the explosion.
He was currently lying flat on his back, covered in dust, his ears ringing loudly.
Cyndaquil’s large black eyes were filled with an unprecedented level of worry and anxiety.
It sniffled gently, letting out a tearful whimper as if desperately making sure he was alright.
“I’m fine.” Sean propped himself up and managed a smile.
He instinctively reached out to pat Cyndaquil, but paused halfway.
He remembered the previous incidents of being bitten.
Seeing Sean’s hesitating hand, Cyndaquil looked a bit displeased and proactively nudged forward, gently pressing its warm, dust-covered cheek into Sean’s rough palm, which was covered in scratches…
A first touch filled with remorse and gratitude.
Sean’s heart trembled slightly, and a massive surge of joy instantly washed over him.
He scooped Cyndaquil up into a tight embrace.
Feeling his warmth, the emotions Cyndaquil had been desperately holding back collapsed in an instant, and tears rolled uncontrollably from its eyes.
This time, it wasn’t out of pain, but a complex wave of emotion from finding someone to rely on and a place of warmth.
Weeping silently, it pressed itself even closer and harder against Sean, as if soaking in this hard-won heat.
Right then.
“Sean—” A shout echoed from the distance.
Realizing he hadn’t returned for a long time, and spotting the towering fire reflecting off the sky in the direction of the dense forest, Professor Elm had hurried to the scene following the trail and the light, accompanied by Officer Jenny and several police officers.
“Sean!” Professor Elm spotted the boy sitting on the ground immediately.
He rushed forward, carefully inspecting him.
Seeing that he was only a bit disheveled but otherwise completely unharmed, Elm finally let out a sigh of relief.
Officer Jenny immediately shifted into professional mode, questioning him about what had occurred while commanding several officers to investigate the area.
A short while later.
They discovered the six Team Rocket members buried under the snow along with the Typhlosion, and the atmosphere instantly grew heavy.
With a massive question weighing on his mind, Sean couldn’t help but walk over to Officer Jenny, who was busy writing in a notebook.
Frowning deeply, he asked: “Officer Jenny, I remember seeing on the news before that the leader of the evil Team Rocket, Giovanni, was defeated by the former Kanto Champion, Red, and subsequently ordered the group to disband.
So why…
why are they still showing up?
And why are they so obsessed with capturing Cyndaquil?” Officer Jenny closed her notebook, her face turning solemn as she explained: “You’re right.
Team Rocket’s leader, Giovanni, was indeed defeated by Red, and he mysteriously vanished after ordering Team Rocket to disband.
However…” Officer Jenny paused, her tone growing even graver: “According to intelligence from the International Police, former Team Rocket Executive Archer quickly took over the leadership position and stopped the disbandment.
Team Rocket’s activities are much more covert than in the past, but they’ve also become far more rampant.
You must be extremely careful!
As for why they wanted to capture Cyndaquil, it’s precisely because it’s a shiny.
Shiny Pokémon are exceptionally rare and hold incredibly high value through certain underground channels…” “I understand…
Officer Jenny.” —————————— Inside Professor Elm’s Laboratory.
In the quiet room, Sean held Cyndaquil close, staring at the lifeless Typhlosion resting inside the glass chamber.
Both the human and the Pokémon looked incredibly somber, a faint sorrow hanging thick in the air.
Standing beside them, Professor Elm offered words of comfort in a gentle yet reassuring voice: “You must cast aside the past to embrace the future, and live for the days ahead!” Professor Elm’s words sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet room.
But while everyone understood the logic, saying they weren’t heartbroken would be nothing but a lie.
Sean and Cyndaquil remained silent.
Professor Elm let out a soft sigh.
Then, his gaze drifted as if looking far into the distance, recalling an ancient legend…
“Sean, have you ever heard the legend of Ho-Oh?” he suddenly spoke up.
Sean shook his head blankly.
“Thousands of years ago in Ecruteak City, there stood the Brass Tower, a structure that symbolized the friendship between humans and Pokémon.
However, one day, a sudden fire engulfed the tower.
Inside, three nameless Pokémon couldn’t escape in time and were burned alive by the flames.” ?!
Sean and Cyndaquil’s eyes widened in unison, their faces filled with utter shock.
An indescribable emotion welled up in their hearts as they stared intently at Professor Elm, waiting for him to continue.
Professor Elm continued in a tone of deep reverence: “Just as the tower turned to ash and their lives slipped away, the clouds in the sky parted, and a radiant rainbow light shot downward.
The legendary Pokémon, Ho-Oh, descended from the heavens!
Ho-Oh took pity on those three innocent lives that had perished.
Using its incredible, sacred power, it showered them with rainbow light, granting them new lives and forms.” “You’re saying they were resurrected?!” Sean exclaimed in amazement.
“Indeed!
And those three Pokémon that were granted a new birth, carrying Ho-Oh’s power and will, are the very ones humans revere and praise today as the three legendary beasts—Raikou, Entei, and Suicune!” The moment the professor’s voice fell, a spark of hope instantly erupted in Sean’s eyes.
He spoke excitedly: “Professor, do you mean there’s actually a chance Typhlosion can be resurrected?!” “Though the chances are slim, the possibility of resurrection does exist,” Professor Elm replied with a smile.
“Alright!
Then it’s settled!” Sean gently rubbed Cyndaquil’s head, an incredibly resolute look in his eyes as he gazed out toward the distant horizon beyond the window: “We’ll find Ho-Oh together!” —