Chapter 257: I'm Still Standing
Noon arrived.
After eating lunch, Will and the others finally understood why the old man had said it wasn't "mealtime" yet.
The Pokémon living nearby, having finished their own lunches, ran out of the forest. They played or sunbathed in the soft, fragrant flowerbeds. Some, clearly familiar with the old man, jumped straight from the terrace into the cabin, curling up in comfortable spots.
The quiet cabin instantly became lively.
"Wow! So many Pokémon! Why are there so many?"
Lorelei looked at the little ones running around. She scooped up a Buizel, stretched out her neck, and kissed it twice.
Buizel: Excuse me?
"Hehe, I haven't lived in this forest for fifty or sixty years for nothing. Many of these children were born right here in my cabin. They trust me completely."
The old man lifted his chin proudly.
Suddenly... Crack.
"Ouch..." He quickly grabbed his back and sat down on the sofa. Lifted his chin too high and threw his back out.
Nearby.
"Shoo, shoo!" Will waved his tail. He was trying to watch TV, but a Shinx kept rubbing against him.
Shinx generate electricity whenever they move their muscles. So they are almost always carrying a charge. Usually, it doesn't hurt, but Will still felt a tingle wherever the Shinx touched him. As a Water-type in this life, he hated that feeling.
Lucario, sitting nearby, felt similar. Several clingy baby Pokémon were hanging off him. These were probably newborns who couldn't even "speak" clearly yet.
Suddenly...
"Lord Will!"
Lucario snapped his head toward a direction outside the cabin.
"Mm. I sensed it."
Will frowned and nodded slightly. After hesitating for a few seconds, he sent a thought: "Lucario, I need you to go check it out."
"Understood."
Lucario nodded and silently slipped out of the cabin.
The cabin was full of Pokémon. Lorelei and the old man were immersed in playing with them, so they didn't notice Lucario leave.
Just now, Will and Lucario had sensed a large group of human and Pokémon Auras suddenly appear in the nearby forest.
The key was... the feeling those Auras conveyed was not friendly. Comparing them to the Auras Will had sensed in the Spirit World... these people's Auras were even more "evil" than Gengar's.
And right now, this group was clearly in a state of "tension," as if they were doing something major.
Will guessed they might be criminals on the run from the League police.
Normally, Will would have gone with Lucario. But not today. Lorelei and the old man were here. The cabin and the surrounding garden were full of weak baby Pokémon. Their safety had to come first.
Five minutes passed.
Lucario hadn't returned, and his Aura, along with the group's, had moved out of Will's sensory range. This made Will anxious.
Sniff sniff~
Suddenly, the old man beside Will twitched his nose and stood up abruptly.
"Fire! Ludicolo!"
"Lumba!"
Ludicolo grabbed a walking stick and handed it to the old man. Then, the two of them rushed out.
Will stared, dumbfounded.
Wait. That old man runs faster than Lorelei. What does he need the cane for? And his nose is way too sensitive.
"Piplup! Grandpa said the forest is on fire! Let's go help!" Lorelei grabbed Will, intending to run out.
"No! You stay here!"
Will kicked Lorelei away and walked toward the door himself.
"I'm going too!"
"Stay here! This isn't just a fire! In short, stay here, protect them, and stop the fire from reaching the cabin!" Will pointed to the room full of baby Pokémon. "Lorelei, if you leave, do you think they can escape the fire?"
"...Ugh. Okay, I'll stay!"
Lorelei turned back. Looking at the innocent eyes of the Pokémon, she understood what she had to do. She was a Water-type trainer. With Lapras and the others, she could hold back the fire and keep these little ones safe for a while.
"I'm counting on you." Will nodded and turned to leave.
That group had moved far away, and their direction was... Lake Valor.
Will guessed their target was Azelf.
What the hell? Team Galactic shouldn't make their move for another twenty years, right? Is this a predecessor organization?!
Will looked troubled. Lake Valor was a few kilometers away. The only threat to Lorelei was the fire, but Lapras and the others should be able to handle it. Six months later, Lapras was Lv. 58 and Cloyster was Lv. 51; they were powerful Water Pokémon. They'd probably both reach Gym Leader level next year. Plus, she had Slowpoke, Dewgong, and Froslass. A small fire wasn't a threat. Worst case, Froslass could fly Lorelei away.
Right now, he wanted to see what was happening with Lucario.
Using Extreme Speed, a few kilometers only took Will two or three minutes.
Three minutes later, Will arrived at Lake Valor.
In the anime—about twenty years from now—a small resort would be built around Lake Valor, featuring the famous Hotel Grand Lake and the Seven Stars Restaurant. The Wallace Cup and the Sinnoh Grand Festival would be held here.
But right now, it was just a dense forest.
And the scene before him made Will's expression change drastically.
The old man and Ludicolo stood by the lake, covered in soot. Lucario was kneeling on one knee nearby, panting heavily, seemingly suffering from a burn.
"Hey, hey, what the hell?! Even Lucario couldn't win?"
Will gulped and looked at their opponents.
There were only five people wearing gray cloaks, their faces hidden. Beside each of them was a Pokémon...
From left to right: Honchkrow, Skuntank, Magmortar, Drapion, Weavile.
All villains, huh...
Will gritted his beak, staring at the Magmortar in the center. Clearly, this guy was the one who had beaten Lucario into that state. Even if Lucario had a type disadvantage, he shouldn't have been beaten to his knees so easily. This Magmortar was definitely solidly in the Elite Four tier, and higher level than Lucario.
The other four didn't look like pushovers either. Probably four Gym Leader-level Pokémon.
Will realized he could, at best, take out one—and only the weakest one.
He was currently Lv. 59, not quite Gym Leader level. With Aura Power, he could punch above his weight class a bit. But that wouldn't help. There were five of them!
They only had three on their side. And Ludicolo's level wasn't high, probably lower than Will's.
How were they supposed to fight?
They couldn't.
Will was frantic. He immediately sent a telepathic message to Lucario: 'Take the old man and run! Their goal is impossible to achieve anyway. Survival first!'
'Rargh... I can't move...' Lucario looked pained.
Will looked closer. He saw two bite marks on Lucario's left calf and two slash marks on his right ankle. A quick glance confirmed they were from Drapion and Weavile.
"Old man, get lost. We just want to catch Azelf. We don't want to kill anyone," the gray-cloaked man in the center said, rubbing his fingers together as he looked at the old man.
"Pui! Laughable! The fire you started will take the lives of who knows how many Pokémon in this forest, and you tell me you don't want to kill?"
The old man spat phlegm at the gray-cloaked man, mocking him viciously.
"Lumba lumba~" Ludicolo made a mocking face and danced at the group.
"Old fool. Don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. Kneel quietly to the side, and we'll pretend you don't exist."
The gray-cloaked man on the far right stepped forward, pulling out a handgun and pointing it at the old man.
"My back and legs aren't great, true. But kneel to you bastards? Hehe. Eat shit!"
The old man grinned, his mouth full of blood, but showing no fear.
"Stubborn old thing." The man pursed his lips and raised the gun, preparing to pull the trigger.
Almost simultaneously...
Will used Extreme Speed and slammed into the man's back. The powerful impact sent him flying into Lake Valor. The intense pain made him forget how to swim, and he struggled in the water.
"Weavile?!" The man's Weavile immediately jumped into the lake to save its trainer.
!
However, what Will hadn't anticipated was that this wasn't the only gunman. The man on the far left had also raised his gun and fired two shots.
Will couldn't worry about the old man or Lucario. He spun his body and kicked toward the other gunman.
"Fire Punch."
A voice commanded. A flaming fist slammed into Will instantly, sending him flying back until he crashed into a tree trunk.
"Lord Will..." Lucario's anxious voice called out.
"I'm fine."
Will was heavily injured, but not taken out in one hit. The Magmortar's punch was fast, its stats crushing Will even with Extreme Speed. From that one hit, Will judged the Magmortar to be around Lv. 76. His body hadn't been able to react in time.
Luckily, Fire-type moves did half damage to him, or he might have been one-shot.
Will stood up and quickly looked toward the old man.
Blood flowed down the old man's arm and leg, pooling on the lakeshore behind him. There was a bullet hole in his shoulder and another in his thigh.
But he still stood there, leaning on his cane with both hands, his body trembling. He looked at the gray-cloaked men with a contemptuous smile.
"See? I'm still standing."
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