chsdbacks Chapter 136 Strange Movements in Hot Springs and Volcanoes
Chapter 136 Strange Movements in Hot Springs and Volcanoes
Chapter 136 Strange Movements in Hot Springs and Volcanoes
"Seven Islands...?"
Upon hearing the location, Ze Shu paused for a moment, then asked, "In that case, Professor Oak, could you please have Blue's parents stay away from there?"
After all, he knew that Team Rocket would be launching a major operation on the Seven Islands soon.
It's unsafe.
Professor Oak laughed:
"good!"
"But Little Blue... don't keep them waiting."
Xiao Lan gave a muffled "hmm".
Having learned about Xiaolan's parents, just as Professor Oak said, "Don't keep them waiting"—their daughter had been abducted for seven or eight years, and they had been searching tirelessly for her. Zeki understood their feelings, so not long after, he suggested taking Xiaolan to find them.
However, just before setting off...
Outside the lawn of Ooki's lab, Cynthia found Sawaki.
"What's wrong?"
'
Zeshu was putting the "catch" he had caught—a glittering Magikarp—into a ball in the fish tank. Seeing that Zhulan beside him didn't say anything but just slowly looked at him, he was puzzled.
Zhu Lan looked deeply at Ze Shu, hesitated for a moment, and then voiced her guess:
"Xiao Lan, didn't you say she was your sister? But I don't think you two are related. And Xiao Lan was abducted, so you..."
She had just heard what Professor Oak said to Blue.
But she wasn't paying much attention to Xiao Lan at the time; instead, she was looking at Ze Shu.
She had previously "investigated" Ze Shu:
Their sudden appearance in Sinnoh, and even the "identity card" they registered with, are full of suspicious points.
These "doubts" combined in this way.
Cynthia could certainly make connections to things that Professor Oak hadn't considered at the time.
Ze Shu shrugged, nonchalantly admitting with a laugh:
"Yes. You're probably right."
Zhu Lan paused, then looked at Ze Shu with a slightly complicated expression, and pressed, "What kind of organization is this? This kind of 'human trafficking' behavior..."
With your abilities, why don't you...?
Ze Shu interrupted with a smile:
"I'm still a long way off."
Liu Bo, or "Masked Man," is far too powerful. Judging from the moment he left the Masked Man's base, he couldn't even last a minute under the Masked Man's onslaught when he was heavily injured.
Now, he estimates he can only last ten minutes at most...
As for seeking help from the alliance, Ze Shu will certainly do so. However, he is more afraid of alerting the enemy or the masked man "taking desperate measures," because if the masked man escapes, the resulting harm will be even more terrifying and unpredictable.
"If I need anything, I certainly won't hesitate to ask you for help."
"But perhaps it's not the right time yet..."
Zhu Lan nodded; she knew Ze Shu's opinion. She simply said:
"If you need anything, please call me."
"After all, you've helped me and Sinnoh a lot. When you need help, the Sinnoh League and I certainly won't hesitate to lend a hand!"
Ze Shu smiled and simply said, "Thank you. I'm leaving now. What about you?"
Zhu Lan smiled and said, "I need to stay in Zhenxin Town for a while longer. Remember, the promises I made are all true."
"Sawaki, Sawaki, I heard there are many hot springs here!"
"Look, there are so many snacks! No wonder it's a tourist area. Let's go soak in the hot springs first, and then come back here to eat, okay?"
Xiao Lan held the tourist guidebook for Honglian Town and spoke with great interest.
Ze Shu nodded helplessly.
After leaving Pallet Town, his original intention was to take Xiao Lan directly to her parents.
However, when the spaceship passed by Crimson Town, which is adjacent to Pallet Town, Blue suddenly "suggested" but was actually "forceful" to decide on a "tourism plan" for Crimson Town!
What kind of nonsense is this...?
Xiao Lan, your parents are anxiously waiting for you!
Is it really okay for you to come here for a "vacation" halfway through?
"Come on! According to the map, this is the hot spring inn!" Xiao Lan said with a grin, pulling Ze Shu's hand. "It's said that this is a hot spring paradise comparable to the one in Hoenn's Kamamoto Town!"
They are in Red Lotus Town, or you could say Red Lotus Island.
This is a large island with almost no land connection, and there is a volcano on the island. It is said that most of the houses in Red Lotus Town were destroyed by a volcanic eruption a long time ago.
But it is precisely because of this volcano, or because of the hot springs built around it...
Honglian Township has developed again, and its tourism industry is even doing quite well. It's like a resort destination in the Kanto region, and people from Kanto who want to relax often choose to come here.
Xiao Lan opened a private hot spring room at the "Duckbill Fire Dragon Hot Spring Hostel" in Honglian Town.
Water vapor rises and intertwines with the mist.
Splash...
The sound of flowing water "splashing" rang out.
"Hmm."
Xiao Lan's cheeks were flushed, her fair ankles were taut, and her beautifully curved toes were about to lightly touch the hot spring water. But the moment she touched the surface, she instantly recoiled as if a coward had triggered its "wanting to escape" instinct, and exclaimed in surprise:
"It's so hot!"
"This is my first time soaking in a hot spring...!"
"But it's so hot!"
She murmured, clutching the white towel tightly wrapped around her body, just as she was about to look at Ze Shu.
Suddenly, a "thump" was heard!
That was the sound of Sawaki throwing a shiny Magikarp into the hot spring to test the temperature. Sawaki watched the golden Magikarp swimming in the water.
He nodded and said:
"I heard you can use a Magikarp to test the water temperature. The Magikarp is still lively and not cooked yet, so it shouldn't be too hot to kill anyone."
Xiao Lan: "..—·"
She paused for a moment, then suddenly covered her mouth and laughed.
"That's right. Since it's a hot spring, it shouldn't be just us soaking in it."
"Everyone, come out!"
Despite being the largest private hot spring room, it felt incredibly crowded, enveloped in rising steam.
"Ouming..."
Six tails, curled like white dumplings, floated on the water, their faces displaying a blushing, ethereal expression.
It could be described as feeling like you were floating on air...
But it's probably more because Ice-type Pokémon are intolerant of continuously scalding hot spring water;
The Ice Eevee was even more flushed, its face completely red. It nestled in Ze Shu's arms, its dazed body letting him do as he pleased. Only occasionally did it rub against Ze Shu in a dependent manner, indicating that it was still conscious.
"Bonnie..."
Egui was very curious about hot springs.
But it only dared to sit on the edge of the hot spring paved with bluestone, stretching out its two little feet to paddle in the water. Now, seeing the "miserable state" of Glaceon, it dared not go into the hot spring at all.
The shiny Magikarp swam back and forth in the pond:
The little cat on the water swam happily, paddling along.
The Poodle sat in the corner of the private room, clearly not wanting to touch a drop of water.
Blastoise also huddled in a corner of the hot spring. Its body was too big, and if it swam around freely, it would take up a lot of the Pokémon's space to enjoy themselves, so the kind-hearted creature chose to huddle in a corner to enjoy itself.
But soon, Blastoise, which was hiding in the corner, was pulled out by Vulpix.
It was placed with its shell facing upwards above the hot spring, where it was stepped on by tiny Pokémon like Vulpix, Bubble Squirrel, and Farfetch'd, becoming a "moving island on the hot spring."
Six-tailed Fox stood on its smooth cannon barrel, its two feet apart, its cute face tilted up and then raised, accompanied by a firm "Ooh!", just like a captain commanding a ship to brave the wind and waves!
But soon, it lost its footing and crashed into the water with a "plop".
The six tails became "wet and red".
This is the case.
It must be much more uncomfortable for Blastoise than to be huddled in a corner!
But Blastoise seems quite happy about it?
"I feel so dizzy..."
Xiao Lan's face also showed a confused yet blissful expression, her cheeks were flushed, her wet hair was draped over her fair shoulders, and she unconsciously leaned closer to Ze Shu.
But there are many Pokémon surrounding the Zephyr.
She couldn't squeeze in.
Her confused face could only show a resentful expression.
Ze Shu suddenly spoke up: "Little Blue..."
Xiao Lan responded with a puzzled "hmm".
Ze Shu asked, "Don't you want to see your parents?"
Xiao Lan quickly made another "uh" sound.
However, this "um" seemed quite unexpected.
After a long silence, she finally spoke:
"...Of course I want to see it!"
Ze Shu said, "But you..."
Xiao Lan paused for a moment, then submerged the lower half of her face in the pool water, exhaling a few bubbles in distress before hesitatingly asking, "But Ze Shu, what about your parents? We're together, but right now only I have parents, so what about you...?"
She wanted to say, "Then you'll seem lonely."
But he paused, and didn't say it.
Ze Shu said, "I have no parents."
Xiao Lan said, "How could that be? Ze Shu, don't lie to comfort me!"
Ze Shu smiled and said, "I'm not lying."
He knew very well that he had come to the Pokémon world in disguise, only now he was younger. In any case, Uncle Liu had shown him a debt of gratitude for raising him...
Little Blue said, "But, but..."
Ze Shu smiled and said, "So, Xiao Lan didn't want to make me sad, so you slowed down the process of finding your parents? That's alright, because I have Pokémon with me; they're like my family. But compared to them, your parents are more worried about you, Xiao Lan."
At that moment, he tightened his grip on the Ice Eevee nestled in his arms.
Glaceon also made a coquettish "bueee" sound and rubbed its soft, cool face against Zeki's chest.
Xiao Lan made another "hmm" sound, her eyes filled with complex emotions, and she muttered softly:
"Really..."
Why is Ze Shu in such a hurry to "push" her away?
She knew her parents were very worried about her.
But when she sees her parents, shouldn't she stay by their side for at least a while? Ze Shu can't possibly accompany her to be filial to their parents right now!
After thinking it over, Xiao Lan submerged her head in the water again, blowing bubbles in frustration, pretending to be dizzy and remaining silent.
After soaking in the hot spring.
We returned to the wooden townhouse provided by the hostel.
Ze Shu carefully polished the body of the Koma Swordsman until it gleamed. Although he finished polishing, the rag he used was also completely cut into pieces.
He chuckled, flicked the smooth surface of its steel armor, and sighed again:
"The blades on your body have been sharpened to such a point that this rag was easily cut with just a light touch."
It's important to know that such soft objects are very difficult to cut without applying force.
"But when will I regain consciousness...?"
At this moment, on his panel, the "purification value" of the Koma Blade Soldier has changed from "-100%" when they first met to "19%" now, but the Koma Blade Soldier still does not act on its own as before.
Only occasionally can one notice the glint in the depths of its eyes.
Ze Shu was slightly relieved.
Perhaps these so-called "dark Pokémon" need their purification level to reach a positive "100%" before they can regain consciousness.
"and..."
"It'll probably evolve soon too."
Ze Shu glanced at its level.
The level required for Pawn's evolution is quite high, comparable to those "pseudo-legendary" Pokémon, which is the level required for the final stage of a so-called late-blooming Pokémon.
"I'm really looking forward to your evolution."
Ze Shu whispered to Komato Kobei, then shook his head and looked into the room.
"Buyi..."
It seems that the scalding heat of the hot spring caused some aftereffects.
Ice Eevee lay on the soft carpet in the room, its face slightly flushed and covered in a little sweat, fiddling with the remote control as if trying to turn on the cool air conditioner.
But after the "beep" sound.
The air conditioner was turned on, and scalding hot air blew onto Eevee's body.
Ice Eevee: 0v0?!
"Bu-i?!"
"You're reluctant to leave the hot springs to rest, and now you're still clumsily trying to press the remote control."
"Buyi..."
Ice Eevee gave a sweet, coquettish sound.
Ze Shu chuckled and turned on the air conditioner for Ibu.
Facing the gentle, cool breeze, Glaceon comfortably squinted its eyes and made a happy "coo" sound. Especially with Sawaki gently stroking its head, Glaceon felt extremely comfortable at this moment!
"Buyi!"
But Glaceon hadn't enjoyed the cold wind for long.
With a "knock knock knock" sound, the Japanese-style wooden sliding door was knocked on. Ze Shu slid the door open and found that it was Xiao Lan.
She was wearing a loose black T-shirt, her hands behind her back, her hair still damp at the ends, and she said with a grin:
"Ze Shu, wanna go shopping? I heard the food street in Honglian Town is really good!"
Ze Shu hasn't answered yet.
Hearing this, Vulpix, who was enjoying the cool air conditioning alongside Glaceon, immediately looked up, its eyes sparkling, and its tail wagging eagerly, like a puppy looking forward to running around. It barked impatiently:
"Ooh, oh my!"
Ze Shu smiled.
"I won't agree to that. Six-Tails will be heartbroken for a long time."
The snack street in Honglian Town is not actually very prosperous.
Most of the people walking on the road were couples who had also been to the hot springs, dressed in loose clothing, with one or two adorable Pokémon by their side.
"The travel guide says this takoyaki shop is the best in Crimson Town. Even the Crimson Gym Leader, Blaine, often comes here to beat up GGs."
"Ooooh! Ooooh!!"
Little Blue, grinning, hugged Ze Shu's white dumpling six-tailed fox and went up to the boss, saying:
"Five servings, please! Boss, my six-tailed fox might eat them all!"
"Okay!"
The burly boss happily agreed, and his "assistant," a duckbill baby, spewed flames, demonstrating his superb flame-spraying skills.
Soon, about five servings of takoyaki were sprinkled with bonito flakes, freshly cooked, and carried by Eevee, released by Xiaolan, to the spot that Zeju had already reserved.
"whee...""
"It looks delicious!"
A happy smile spread across Xiao Lan's face.
Ze Shu inserted a toothpick.
The crispy outer shell, the soft filling, and the chewy octopus pieces create a unique flavor that is truly excellent and lives up to its "Chairman Xia Bo's Recommendation" label.
While Zeshu, Xiaolan, and Liuwei were enjoying takoyaki.
An old man wearing small black sunglasses and looking nonchalant entered the shop. He sat down familiarly and, without even looking around, raised his hand and called out to the owner:
"The usual, one serving, please."
"Alright! Pour on more sauce, and more bonito flakes!"
Clearly, the vendor knew this customer well.
She even chatted with him and complained, or rather, skillfully blamed him.
"Sigh, Gym Leader, how long has your Crimson Lotus Gym been closed? With the news getting out, not many challengers are coming to Crimson Lotus Town anymore."
Business has been much slower lately!
"I'm back now, aren't I? And didn't I call GG for you?"
The customer wasn't annoyed, replying with a grin, then pointed to Ze Shu and Xiao Lan's group and said, "I just heard that these two young couples became your customers because of my boyfriend!"
Upon hearing this...
Xiao Lan's pretty face flushed red, and she secretly glanced to the side.
Ze Shu narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at the two arms exposed under Xia Bohua's shirt, and seeing that they were intact, he thought for a moment and then didn't care, and lowered his head to eat the takoyaki.
The stall owner laughed heartily twice before saying:
"Master Xia, your takoyaki is ready."
He personally placed it on Blaine's table, then lowered his voice and asked, "The volcanic activity on Crimson Lotus Island has been quite noticeable lately."
"Master Xia, could the volcano be erupting? Every time it rumbles, it makes a sound like birdsong. We're terrified..."
"I don't want Crimson Lotus Town to be destroyed by another volcanic eruption!"
Blair laughed and said, "Don't worry!"
"I came back this time specifically for this matter..."
"After all, a volcanic eruption is really dangerous, I'll drive 'it' away!"
He smiled confidently, his words carrying a hidden meaning.
Ze Shu paused for a moment, then turned to look at Xia Bo, but Xia Bo, carrying the plate of takoyaki, said something like, "If you remember something urgent, you can pay for the takoyaki on credit," before walking out with a nonchalant gait.
The stall owner was left shaking his head helplessly.
"How many times have I owed this money, and I've never paid it back..."
However, he glanced at the duckling in front of the vendor, who was diligently spitting flames and earnestly helping him.
He sighed helplessly and decided not to pursue the matter further.
Ze Shu and Xiao Lan continued eating takoyaki.
After finishing her meal, Liuwei set her sights on a fish cake shop across the street, her eyes lighting up again.
Since it was a "trip", Zeki didn't restrict the food that Rokuo ate. Rokuo ate and drank as it pleased, and Rokuo ate until it had a happy smile on its face.
"Ooh, oh my!"
Today is a happy day for Liuwei!
As dusk approached, Ze Shu finally carried the six-tailed fox, whose belly was swollen from eating in Xiao Lan's arms, and slowly returned to the inn to rest alongside Xiao Lan.
"Zeju, Zeju, what do you think about me catching a fire-breathing Pokémon? Like that duckling, it can help me with cooking!"
"this..."
"But the duck-billed baby is a bit ugly. Hmm, it would be nice if there was a six-tailed one..."
"Ou Ming?"
"I don't want your ice-type Six-Tails! I want a Six-Tails that can breathe fire!"
"Ooh, oh my!"
Sawaki's six tails defiantly declared that they could also breathe fire.
But it opened its little mouth, and after a long time, it could only sneeze out a wisp of icy mist.
Night had fallen, but the night was far from peaceful.
Zeki was being cradled by Glaceon, and he was still kneading a Vulpix that was rolled into a ball in his hand, but he could still feel the vibrations of the distant volcano, accompanied by the occasional loud bird calls, and he could also hear the noisy voices of worried travelers.
"Is that called Crimson Lotus Volcano?"
"And that bird call, oh, how terrifying..."
"Ibu, wake up."
At this moment, the interior of the Crimson Lotus Volcano was completely red.
The rock surface is covered with many cracks, some large and some small.
Much of the lava flowed out through the cracks, and from the outside, the pointed, red lotus volcano looked as if it were flowing with bright red "blood".
"Mirai-ichi-ichi!!"
A piercing bird cry suddenly rang out!
It is like a wounded flame, struggling angrily here, with flames repeatedly bursting out and causing serious turmoil inside the volcano, with rocks rolling down, but it seems to be a futile struggle.
"Hmph..."
"Stop struggling. If you can still understand human speech in this state, hurry up and escape to the Seven Islands to reunite with your 'brothers and sisters.' That way, I can have an easier time. After all, I can't let you erupt this volcano, or I'll be in deep trouble."
"Fire-breathing camel, coal turtle, smoke!"
"Mammoth, Thunderbolt!"
Accompanied by the heavy roars of several Pokémon, during the Fog Time, the interior of the volcano was filled with dusty smoke, and within the smoke, faintly flickering electricity caused the most intense flame to suddenly "scream" in pain!
But this pain also brought this raging flame to a somewhat sober state.
It only recognized one word: "to escape!"
The flames suddenly intensified and moved towards the crater of the fire!
But at this time...
"The dense fog has cleared!"
Suddenly a hurricane struck, the smoke in the crater cleared abruptly, and the momentum of the flame that was about to burst out of the volcano suddenly stopped!
Top of the crater.
Ze Shu rubbed the little Lugia beside him, his eyebrows looking down.
And inside the volcano.
Surrounded by numerous Pokémon, Blaine looked around with surprise at the strange phenomenon that had suddenly appeared.
Finally, when the gaze settled on the top of the crater...
He suddenly adjusted his sunglasses and said in a strange tone:
"Is it you?"