Chapter 122: Flame Emperor: Enough, bro—I can’t memorize any more!

During the period when Zhu Suihan was busy stirring up trouble everywhere, the three brothers of the Legendary Beasts—the guardians of Ho-Oh—were by no means idle. They traveled to Mount Tensei to seek an audience with their master, Ho-Oh; or more accurately, they sent a telepathic request for communication from the mountain, and Ho-Oh would manifest accordingly. It was somewhat similar to how Team Rocket would contact Giovanni in the original timeline.

With a flash of light, clad in a mantle of rainbow, Ho-Oh descended upon the peak of Mount Tensei, watching its guardians in silence.

"My Lord, the truth behind Ecruteak City has been uncovered, but the one who solved the mystery was not the hero you chose. This matter requires your judgment."

Upon hearing this, Ho-Oh turned its gaze toward the world. With just a single glance, it took in everything that was happening.

Ah, that audacious emperor had been released.

Wait—the person who released the emperor, was there something strange about his appearance? It felt familiar, yet hauntingly distant. After a moment of contemplation, Ho-Oh spread its wings, scattering iridescent flames that coalesced into the image of a smiling, white-haired man.

"Is the one who unveiled the mystery of Ecruteak City shaped like this?"

Entei was somewhat surprised. "That is him, my Lord. Even his attire is identical."

Then, Ho-Oh uttered a single sentence that left the three brothers stunned.

"Oh, that wretched fellow is actually still alive. That is good news indeed. You have done well."

Ho-Oh’s tone was light and cheerful, like one finding a long-forgotten toy in the clutter of an old attic, or rediscovering a comic book one loved to read over and over again in childhood. It was the tone of an old friend reunited.

Raikou asked, puzzled, "My Lord, was he a hero of the Rainbow from a past generation?"

"Him? A hero of the Rainbow?" Ho-Oh shook its head. "He hasn't a chance in this life, and even less in the next. You are young, so it is natural that you do not recognize him."

The three Legendary Beasts were left speechless. Marshadow, who was hiding in the shadows listening to the story, thought: *We are young?*

"Very well, I know you have many questions, but he is, in himself, a strange existence. Perhaps, in the parlance of this era, one might call him a god-defier." Ho-Oh’s tone was amused. "He is the one who once asked me to use my flames to heat his bathwater, and he even demanded my feathers to craft shuttlecocks for his own amusement. Quite interesting, is it not?"

Interesting? The three Legendary Beasts fell silent. They were more curious as to how a man who had carried their obsession and rampaged through the turbulent currents of time had managed to survive. King Poklanti had perished because he coveted Ho-Oh’s power; that was history. But the true reason for Ho-Oh’s wrath was the mountain of sins the king had accrued in his pursuit of that goal. Countless humans and Pokémon had perished under his tyranny—so many that even resurrection could not perfectly restore their lives.

Yet, hearing the Master speak of it, in a sense, the severity of the man’s past actions was comparable to the incident with King Poklanti. To have survived without being struck down was a testament to his unfathomable capabilities.

"Tsk, that wretched fellow, to have left such a glaring oversight in Ecruteak City." Ho-Oh looked at the three beasts. "Buried beneath the Bell Tower is one of his little toys he used to beat people with. Go return it to its rightful owner. If it is dug up, those two fools in Sinnoh will start fighting again. It is dreadfully noisy."

"As you command, my Lord."

Suicune raised its head. "My Lord, at least in our memories, he did not display any demeanor of having known you. I do not mean to question your majesty, but does the appearance of such an unstable factor imply that some unfavorable changes will occur in this era?"

"He has no such intentions, for he is a wretched fellow." Ho-Oh flew into the sky and vanished. "Do not concern yourselves with him; let him do as he pleases. If one day he wishes to use my feathers to make a shuttlecock again, I shall simply discipline him then."

The three Legendary Beasts looked at one another, feeling somewhat perplexed by the final remark. How to put it—it sounded as if their Master was actually looking forward to that white-haired human appearing before him to demand feathers once more, just as he had done in the past.

Suicune frowned. "What shall we do now?"

Entei was silent for a moment. "I shall retrieve the object from beneath the Bell Tower and deliver it to him. As for his past, given the Master's attitude, it is clear that he does not want anyone to disturb the man's life."

A low rumbling sound emanated from within Raikou, though the typically impulsive beast was the first to achieve clarity. "The Master's attitude has given me a different perspective, as has his treatment of us. To be angry for the sake of the poor souls who had died, to cast the murderer into a sea of fire for his cruelty—it was love and affection, and perhaps, empathy as well."

The three legendary Pokémon exchanged looks; Entei and Suicune understood what Raikou meant.

"Carry out the Master's command." Entei’s expression was subtle. "A frying pan made with modern technology really shouldn't be dug up from underground as an ancient artifact."

After a brief discussion, the three Legendary Beasts arrived at Ecruteak City. They decided that Entei would perform the task of returning the item, while Suicune and Raikou waited outside the academy.

When Zhu Suihan opened the door, he found Entei waiting for him.

"My item? That frying pan?" Zhu Suihan picked it up, took a look, and subconsciously gave it a swing.

Hmm, a familiar feel. It was indeed the frying pan he had discarded in the illusion.

"What is this flame pattern on the bottom?"

"I am not sure, but due to the chaos in time and space, it seems to possess a trace of Sacred Fire."

Zhu Suihan raised an eyebrow. "Legendary cookware, is it? Collect them all and I can become a Little Master Chef of China. I get it."

Entei: ?

Standing directly before Zhu Suihan, Entei felt that the Master’s words were indeed very reasonable. If a person like this were to set his sights on destabilizing the world, the three of them would be exhausted to death and still fail to keep up.

"In that case, I—"

"Wait!" Zhu Suihan reached out and grabbed Entei’s thick mane. After giving it a couple of rubs, he found the texture was top-tier, and it felt warm and soothing. "I know you are busy, so I won't keep you for a full meal, but take some to go."

Zhu Suihan smiled. "It just so happens that the fruit wine I brewed is ready to be opened; it would be nice to have you as a witness."

Lapras and Alcremie immediately perked up. They had been eyeing the fruit wine their trainer had buried for a long time, but since they knew nothing about such things, they had obediently followed his arrangements. Today, they would get to eat something delicious!

"I am sorry to trouble you."

"No trouble, no trouble at all. I also want to see how much a legendary Pokémon can eat."

It seemed this last remark was the real point. Entei lay down on the spot, looking at Lapras and Alcremie, who had gathered around, with a hint of confusion. Because of his experience in the illusion, his attitude was exceptionally good. "Do you have any questions?"

"Woo-woo!" (The trainer says you are a legendary Pokémon and possess the same power as the legendary Ho-Oh. Is that true?)

"It is merely a resemblance in appearance. My power cannot compare to the Master's."

"Milu!" (That means you can really use the Sacred Fire, right!)

"Yes. Do you have any acquaintances with wounds that are difficult to heal? I can help you."

The two little ones shook their heads in unison, then spoke at the same time.

"Woo-woo!"

"Milu!"

(Oh legendary Pokémon Entei, please use the Sacred Fire on our trainer!)

Entei: ???

"You want me to use the Sacred Fire on your trainer?"

The two little ones nodded vigorously. Although roughhousing with their trainer was fun, they understood one truth: their own attacks couldn't really hurt him. Therefore, they had to leave such things to a legendary Pokémon!

"Allow me to consider this." For many years, Entei felt he had never had to rack his brains this much, even when facing famous arch-villains. It was hard to imagine what these two children were thinking.

"What are you chatting about?" Zhu Suihan walked out holding two large jars. "Oh, by the way, Entei, if these two little ones urge you to attack me, just ignore them. They’re just bored."

"Woo-woo!"

"Milu!"

(Slander! He is slandering me!)

"I know you two all too well. Go pick out the fillings you want."

Lapras and Alcremie cheered and began ordering their food. Entei remained lying on the ground, moved by such rapport while simultaneously feeling a sense of relaxation. The Master was right; this person did not seem like someone who would be harmful to the world. Furthermore, being around him was exceptionally easy, as if a sense of tranquility emanated from him, both inside and out.

With the experience from his cooking class, Zhu Suihan worked even faster. Soon, two large basins of Malasadas with various flavors were placed before Lapras and Alcremie.

"Entei, this is yours."

Zhu Suihan placed a large wooden crate in front of Entei and filled it to the brim with Malasadas. The crate was about the size of a basketball cart used in stadiums. Entei stared at the giant box, stunned. He wasn't even as tall as the crate when lying down. Was Zhu Suihan trying to burst him?

"My Lapras and Alcremie have such big appetites, so I figured you legendary Pokémon must be even hungrier." Zhu Suihan patted the crate. "I lined it with bug-silk fabric. You can throw the trash anywhere after you're done; it's completely eco-friendly." These were excellent materials for Flying-type Pokémon to use for nesting, and some were even part of certain Pokémon's diets. "Oh, that crate is yours. The other two are for Suicune and Raikou."

Zhu Suihan placed two more large crates down without blinking. "Take them along with you."

"I... I cannot carry so much." Entei had wanted to say that the three of them couldn't possibly eat that much, but upon second thought, he felt it would be shameful, so he decided to use a different excuse.

"Can't your smoke clouds carry it?"

"One crate would be fine, but the Master did not grant me the ability to manipulate space."

"That's not much. I'm not done yet." Zhu Suihan took out three more large crates filled with Pokéblocks. "Here, these are made from decade-old berries—good stuff. Don't worry about me having nothing to eat; I have a wealthy benefactor sending money every day now."

"Eat the Malasadas today. Decide for yourselves when you want to eat the Pokéblocks. Just come find me when you run out."

"Hmm, the fruit wine might be a bit scarce, so I'll just give you three jars to take."

Zhu Suihan opened the jar, and the rich fragrance immediately drew Lapras and Alcremie. Before they could even beg this time, Zhu Suihan poured them each a small cup. The white-furred monkey took a sip. The flavor was indeed different from ordinary cooking, but what remained constant was the "deliciousness" and "craving" transmitted by his body's senses.

"Although the alcohol content doesn't even compare to a hair of wheat beer, it is very nutritious. Drink too much and you'll end up with 'nutritional drunkenness' like before, you understand?"

*When I go to Sinnoh, I'll see if I can find those two who give Arceus such headaches. I'll have Palkia make me a liquor gourd with infinite space, and have Dialga use the power of time to store some hundred- or thousand-year-old vintage for me. It'll be perfect!*

"Nutritional drunkenness"—was that what happened when they ate the high-vintage berries and fell asleep after a single bite? That meant if they fell asleep, they wouldn't be able to finish tonight's delicious midnight snack!

Lapras and Alcremie nodded vigorously. *Understood!*

Entei was struggling to maintain his composure. *It's too much, it's really too much, I can't carry it all! Brother, stop! This is enough, we really can't eat that much! We are legendary Pokémon, yes, but we aren't creatures that consume massive amounts of energy just by moving around! We are normal living beings!*

He finally understood where the life force that far exceeded their age in Lapras and Alcremie came from. Being around a person like this, it would be difficult *not* to become like that!

"You have the Sacred Fire, so I won't give you anything for healing. Or rather, there shouldn't be much that can hurt you anyway." Zhu Suihan thought for a moment. "Communication tools don't seem necessary, so let's leave it at that."

The white-furred monkey looked at Entei’s majestic face and remembered the three little balls of light trembling behind him. "Although there are some strange issues regarding time, there is always a feeling that you have grown up."

Zhu Suihan placed—or rather, tied—all the items onto Entei’s back. Entei moved his body slightly, feeling a secret sense of relief. It was manageable; at least the weight hadn't reached a point that would affect his movement, or that would have been too embarrassing.

"See you next time. Remember not to eat anything strange while you're out. Some people have very underhanded methods."

Taking one last look at Lapras and Alcremie, who were busy stuffing their faces, Entei let out a low roar. Clouds of smoke and flames enveloped his body, and he stepped onto the fire, soaring into the sky.

"Goodbye."

Entei had already reaped a small harvest of "white-furred shock." When the three Legendary Beasts gathered together again, it was Raikou and Suicune’s turn to be shocked.

Raikou’s tone was complex. "Does he think we look like bottomless pits?"

Suicune chose to sniff the scent wafting from the crates. "But it is delicious, is it not?"

Raikou was on the verge of breaking down. "But we definitely can't eat all of this!"

"Look around." Entei tapped the ground. "The Pokémon are already here."

Raikou and Suicune looked around and saw pairs of wide, watering eyes and drool dripping from mouths.

Suicune’s tone was gentle. "Come, everyone. We cannot eat all of this."

Raikou let out a roar. Bolts of lightning fused with the flames Entei exhaled. The fire and lightning burning in mid-air illuminated a vast stretch of the forest.

"Come, let us feast and rest!"

"Together with everyone!"

The Pokémon cheered. With the fire and lightning as the center, they surrounded the three Legendary Beasts, singing and dancing. A family of Kricketot played beautiful music, and under the light, Volbeat and Illumise used the light from their tails to assist, guiding everyone into a relaxed and joyful rhythm.

Under the cheers of Scyther and Farfetch'd, they raised their blades and leeks to engage in a duel between warriors. The exquisite clash of techniques drew cheers from the surrounding Pokémon.

Raikou chewed on a Malasada. "Mine is tail-meat filling. What about you?"

Suicune’s expression was soft. "Berry filling—sweet and sour."

Entei swallowed a Malasada and took a hearty gulp of fruit wine. "Berry filling, a type with a stronger sour taste. It's very appetizing; I feel I can eat even more."

The three Legendary Beasts silently bit into their second Malasadas, and then their expressions stiffened.

"How can there be bread filled with Pokéblocks!" x3

The three big guys looked at the Malasadas they had bitten into and couldn't help but laugh. Their hearty laughter made the crowd even happier; the band, the dancers, and the lighting crew all worked even harder.

"It tastes really good."

"Yeah, really good."