There seems to be something wrong with these Pokémon

When Kitazawa Reisuke walked up to Sakutani Ye with the medical examination report in his hand, he saw the young man with a cautious look on his face, tapping the screen carefully with his fingers.

"how?"

Kitazawa Reiyuu sat down next to Sakutani Ye and held out his right hand with a paper cup filled with warm water. "Drink some water."

"Um..."

Shuoya Ye put his phone on the stool, took the paper cup and took a sip, then tilted his head back and sighed.

He had just politely replied to all text messages and indirectly mentioned the identities of several people he was not sure about.

The names that the two people who responded first mentioned made him ponder for a while.

"Aju and Alicja..."

Shuoya wrinkled his nose and said in distress, "I must have heard of it somewhere... Who was it?"

Kitazawa Reiyuu picked up the phone next to Sakutani Ye and shook it in front of her.

"Can I see it?"

"Of course." Shuo Gu Ye nodded and raised his hand to drink half a glass of water.

"Aju and Ariga are the gym leaders of the Crimson and Rainbow gyms respectively."

Kitazawa Reiyuu turned on his phone and a chat box came into view.

He casually glanced at the information and continued, "The various museum owners and the kings...?"

"Have you thought of anything?"

Kitazawa Lingyou turned off his phone and turned to look at the boy who was still confused and shaking his head.

"I'm not sure."

Sakuya Ye squeezed the empty paper cup and stuffed it into his pocket, scratched his cheek and said truthfully, "I think it may be related to Professor Oak, but I can't contact him now."

"Maybe he's right." Kitazawa Lingyou raised his eyes and looked at the two figures flashing on the frosted glass beside him, "You can ask him in person."

After saying that, he stood up, walked to the door and opened it, and met an old man and a man with red hair.

Kitazawa Lingyou nodded politely, then stepped aside from the two of them, leaving them some space.

Wataru stared at Kitazawa Reisuke's back, with a hint of scrutiny hidden in his gray pupils.

"What do you think, Professor Oak?"

Professor Oak withdrew his gaze from the boy's tall back and laughed.

"You think too much, Adu." Professor Oak patted Du's shoulder, "They are just a little bit similar."

As he said that, he walked into the observation room and looked sternly at Shuoya Ye, who suddenly shivered all over.

However, Du's gaze remained on Kitazawa Lingyou for a long time.

Watari frowned slightly and murmured.

"Just... a little?"

----

"Dr. Oak! Why are you here?"

Professor Oak put his hands behind his back and almost couldn't hold back his expression as he listened to the boy's efforts to raise his voice.

He lowered his voice and said, "If I don't come over soon, some kid is going to make a scene and break into Team Rocket's lair."

Shuo Gu Ye's expression froze, and any glimmer of hope in his heart instantly disappeared.

He secretly looked up at the old man's expression, lowered his head and whispered, "I'm sorry, Professor Oak..."

"But you won't change, will you?"

Professor Oak sighed helplessly, raised his hand and rubbed the boy's head a few times.

"I understand the importance of Pokémon and partners to trainers, but adventures must be based on assurance, otherwise it will only burden those who care about you."

"Yes..."

Shuo Gu Ye lowered his eyes and listened to the advice without making any rebuttal.

He had thought about the consequences long before he decided to take the risk.

But as Professor Oak said, even if he could go back in time, he would still make the same choice.

It's not that he doesn't believe in the power of the alliance, nor does it mean that he doesn't care about his own safety.

But he couldn't accept staying in a safe place waiting for rescue when Pokémon and companions were in danger.

He would rather do something than do nothing.

Professor Oak stared at the boy's light whorls of hair and recalled scenes from the past.

As the nominal professor of the Pokémon League, he appreciates and encourages this heroic spirit of bravely fighting against evil.

But as an elder, he could not accept that the younger generation completely disregarded his own safety and sneaked into the terrorist organization's lair alone without knowing the extent of the danger.

Professor Oak had a complicated expression and was silent for a long time.

Finally, he just raised his hand and patted the boy's head a few times, "Next time before you act impulsively, think about the people you care about. Me, Xiaomao, Xiaozhi, or the companions you made during your journey."

"Nothing is more important to us than your safety."

Shuo Gu Ye's hands, which were rubbing the corner of his clothes, suddenly stopped, and he slowly raised his hands with helplessness in his eyes.

The old man's face was full of traces of time, but his eyes were still clear and warm, staring at the young man quietly.

No blame, no anger.

There is only deep tolerance and understanding.

The rough big hands took the boy's arm covered with bandages and medicine, and spoke softly, not knowing whether it was out of heartache or guilt.

"I got stitches... it hurts, right?"

Sakuya Ye's gaze stayed on Professor Oak's gray hair and he shook his head slowly.

Professor Oak raised his arms and hugged the boy.

"Be safe, I'll wait for you to go home."

----

Professor Oak did not stay here for too long, as the Alliance still needed his help in judging the dangerousness of that group of Pokémon.

He rushed down from the helicopter and rushed to the hospital as soon as possible.

If for no other reason, it was to see the boy's condition with my own eyes.

Only then did Professor Oak's heart settle back down and he left with peace of mind.

"Professor Oak is busy with other matters. I will answer the following questions."

Watari took over Professor Oak's position and looked at the boy who sat back in his chair and avoided his gaze.

"Don't worry, I didn't hear your conversation."

Du continued speaking without paying attention to the boy's complicated feelings at the moment.

"There should be a lot of strange messages contacting you."

Shuoya Ye nodded and placed the phone in front of Watari.

"It seems to be the various gym leaders... and Master Kona."

"Yes." Du did not take Shuoya Ye's phone and waved his hand.

"Consider the complexity of your current situation. Not only did you come into direct contact with Team Rocket multiple times, disrupting their terrorist attacks, but you also intercepted the core Pokémon of Cole's [BM Project], Fossil Wyvern."

"Professor Oak was worried that Team Rocket might hold a grudge against you, so he applied to the league for the [Seedling Program] specifically for you."

"Seedling breeding plan...?"

Although Sakuya Ye had never heard of this term, he clearly heard the Professor Oak mentioned by Watari.

His Adam's apple rolled a few times, his nose felt sore, and his eyes felt inexplicably hot.

How much had Professor Oak done for him when no one was paying attention?

Obviously...there is no blood relationship between them.

Sometimes Sakuya Ye feels that Professor Oak's attention to him is too much, even better than that of his grandson, Shigeki.

Shuoya bit her lower lip tightly.

He... is too willful.

It was not until this moment that Shuoya Ye truly began to reflect on his own behavior.

He really deserved a good scolding.

----

"But Professor Oak's guarantee alone is invalid. The most important thing is that four first-level gym leaders submit an application to the alliance together, and the approval of one of the Four Heavenly Kings is required for it to be successfully approved."

Du looked down at the time and thought he would explain in more detail when he had time.

"Buneng, Mashishi, Xia Bo, Banmu, Kona, and Ooki Yukinari. With the help of these six, your personal information has been sent to the gym leaders in major cities, including the Four Heavenly Kings and Pokémon Investigators. From now on, without affecting the alliance, the alliance will do its best to protect your safety and provide all the help it can."

Du raised his wrist and swiped his finger across the surface of the watch, and a holographic projection appeared in front of Shuo Gu Ye.

Not only does it contain Shuoya Ye's past information, but also his location information transmitted in real time by the Pokémon Center based on the positioning of the Poké Ball.

"The Seedling Program is an action file specially set up by the League to protect trainers with great potential. So far, less than 20 trainers have been able to successfully apply."

Du's eyes were deep, and a sharp light flashed across them.

"Both the coalition and the terrorist organizations know that no matter how sweet the fruits of occasional victory are, they are nothing but illusions."

"Only by completely destroying the other side's promising next generation can we achieve true victory."

"You are important, Shuoya Ye. From now on, if you are faced with any situation where you cannot ensure your own safety, you can send a text message for help to the alliance."

"As long as someone from the alliance receives this, they will help you without reservation and act in the highest interest of your safety."

At this point, Du raised his hand and waved away the holographic projection, and the black and red cloak swung in an arc in front of the boy's eyes.

"The Alliance is currently conducting DNA testing on the specimens obtained to contact the relatives of the deceased, and the Pokémon are also looking for trainers based on the Alliance registration information."

"If nothing goes wrong, a ceremony will be held at the Daling Shrine in a week to guide these innocent souls to find their way home and let them rest in peace."

Du stopped at the door, his fingers hanging at his sides tightly grasping the number of victims counted by the police.

"It's a full moon night. If you have nothing else to do, try to see them off."

----

A week later

The elegant moonlight shines through the vermilion gate of the shrine and shines onto the stone road, creating mottled light and shadows.

Pairs of wooden clogs walked up the stairs, and people passing by looked sad, numb, or solemn, walking on the ground covered with cherry blossoms, holding flowers and prayer notes in their hands.

Shuo Gu Ye stood with the people of the alliance, comforting the relatives of the deceased who learned the sad news.

Among these people, there was a gray-haired couple that made Shuo Gu Ye’s pupils shrink and his throat feel dry and itchy.

Mr. Kato supported Mrs. Kato and walked among the crowd with numb expressions.

The warm light that was always in Mrs. Kato's eyes disappeared without a trace, leaving only despair.

Her face was covered with tears, and she had to put all her strength on Mr. Kato to barely walk.

Even when Shuoya Ye walked through the crowd and stopped in front of them, they did not react at all. They moved along with the flow of people like two zombies, with no souls left.

Shuoya Ye watched the two of them walk past him and walk backwards.

When I looked back suddenly, I only saw the hunched backs of the two people.

"Xiaoye..." Fujino Sakura walked over to the stunned boy and whispered in his ear, "The ceremony is about to begin. Professor Oak asked us to go over."

"Hmm..." Sakutani Ye turned around with mixed feelings and followed Fujino Sakura.

No one noticed that a golden shadow flashed quickly among the branches of the cherry trees above their heads, chasing the backs of the Kato couple, holding a bunch of hydrangeas in its mouth.

----

Inside the shrine, the cherry trees swayed in the wind and petals fell like rain.

The priests wore white hunting robes, black standing hats, and held Kagura bells in their hands, ready to pray and bless.

With the priest's order, the ceremony officially began.

All the priestesses stepped forward and stood in front of everyone, forming a circle around the priests and chanting the ancient prayer together.

The deep voice echoed in every corner of the shrine. The people participating in the ceremony stood quietly, following the chanting of the priests and silently reciting blessings for the deceased.

The shrine maidens danced under a huge cherry tree, holding bundles of coins, kagura bells and cypress fans.

The chanting gradually died down, and the priestesses also stopped dancing, bowed their bodies and stepped aside.

In the crowd, a couple struggled to squeeze out, walking unsteadily on a path that was only a few meters long.

They looked painful, their hands trembled uncontrollably, and tears fell like pearls from a broken string.

Mrs. Kato walked to the stone platform with difficulty, knelt on the ground as if she had exhausted all her strength, and held a bouquet of flowers in her trembling arms and gently placed it on the stone platform.

Mr. Kato seemed to have aged dozens of years in just a few days.

He placed the wooden sculpture he was holding tightly in his hand on the table.

His hands trembled uncontrollably, so much so that the delicate and small wood sculpture fell on the stage many times.

Every time before falling, he would use both hands to steady himself, and only after he was completely and steadily on the stage would he withdraw his hands, staring with empty eyes at the Meow Meow wood sculpture that he had carved with his own hands a few months ago.

His apology gift...was finally delivered.

Mr. Kato was so heartbroken that he could hardly breathe. He would rather believe that the reason why the Meow Meow wood sculpture fell to the ground repeatedly was that Xiao Lan still hated him and refused to forgive him so easily.

At least it will make him feel better.

Without the companionship of pain, the overwhelming guilt would completely crush the man.

The shrine maidens and priests stood at the side, chanting in low voices.

"God, please calm my soul..."

"Allow me to bless, and cleanse the Holy Spirit..."

"I am flattered and humbled..."

"Follow God's will and lead you back home..."

Wait until the ceremony is over and the crowd disperses.

Next to the lifelike wooden sculpture of Meow Meow on the stone platform, a bunch of hydrangeas appeared and swayed gently in the moonlight.

----

Sakuya Ye stopped the Kato couple at the door.

The two of them briefly focused their eyes, and Mrs. Kato forced a smile, "Ah... It's Xiaoye..."

"I'm sorry to have you see us like this, it's just..."

Mrs. Kato was choked with sobs and couldn't speak. She patted her chest for a long time before she recovered a little. She raised her tearful eyes and apologized.

"Sorry... I feel a little unwell today... I'll invite you to our house another day, and we'll be fine then..."

Shuo Gu Ye did not say anything, but just spread out his clenched left hand and placed it in front of the two of them.

"This, this is——" Mr. Kato stretched out his index finger tremblingly and pointed it at the bell in the boy's hand, "Meow..."

"Ah."

Shuoya Ye lowered his eyes slightly and nodded, telling the two people in front of him everything he had seen.

He felt that as Kato Arashi's elders, they had the right to know the truth.

"Really... Meowth evolved into the cat boss?"

Mr. Kato swallowed his bitter tears and said in a trembling voice, "Since it...why doesn't it come back to see us?"

"That's all." Mrs. Kato patted her husband's tense arm gently, her eyes sad, "It must have its own difficulties."

Mrs. Kato looked at the boy who was pursing his lips and said softly, "Xiaoye, I want to ask you a favor."

"No problem at all."

Mrs. Kato smiled and raised her hand to touch the boy's face - just like she often did to Xiao Lan in the past.

The warmth of his palm made her feel dazed for a moment. As time passed, the smiling boy seemed to be right in front of her and had never left.

"If you run into Meow Meow... no, Boss Cat, please tell us something."

"Just say... Grandma and Grandpa are waiting for you, go home and see them."

Shuoya Ye nodded solemnly and kept these words in mind.

Mr. Kato nodded and pushed Sakutani Ye's left hand back.

"Next time you see it, help me... help Xiao Lan put it on."

"Tell it that Grandpa loves it. He loves it just like he loves Xiaolan."

"So...be sure to come back, okay?"

The man who had been stubborn all his life finally lowered his head, and his almost pleading voice was heard by the Pokémon lying on the branch through the pink crown.

Its whiskers trembled, and it opened one eye and looked up at the night sky where the stars were fading.

The other eye had a scar running through it, and the empty eye socket was staring into the sky.

After four years, it finally received a birthday present from the boy again.

It was sadly unpacked, and filled with countless precious memories.

With unforgettable pain and loneliness.