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The system's emergency mission arrived right on time, easing Liam's mind a little—after all, he'd grown familiar with the system's twisted sense of timing. But the nagging doubts already forming in his heart only deepened.
"Roar!!"
A majestic, furious roar echoed from deep within the ruins. Until now, the passageways had only emitted a faint, flickering glow—but with that roar, the entire tunnel burst into raging flames.
Amid the pounding of heavy footsteps, a powerful figure wreathed in fire surged forward from the corridor, leaping into the open like a god of flame descending to earth, and landed heavily in front of Liam.
"Roar!!"
Another earthshaking roar followed.
Standing before him was a massive, blazing creature glaring up at the sky with visible fury in its eyes. It clearly despised the torrential downpour still drenching the area. And yet, not a single drop managed to touch its body—every raindrop evaporated into steam before getting close.
Even so, the fire-cloaked beast was still dissatisfied with the stormy weather. It raised its head and let out another enraged bellow. A fierce red light flared over its body before shooting upward as a glowing orb that pierced through the clouds.
Boom!
A muffled explosion thundered from the sky as the orb struck the clouds. Blinding rays of sunlight instantly tore through the overcast sky, scattering the thunderclouds completely.
The violent storm cleared in an instant, revealing a brilliant blue sky. The blazing sunlight began drying the soggy grassland at astonishing speed, clouds of steam rising into the air from the ground.
"Ggrrrr!"
Arcanine—true to its instincts—let out a low, cautious growl at the sudden appearance of this mysterious figure.
"So it's Entei this time? Suicune, Raikou… now Entei? There's no way this is all a coincidence," Liam muttered, narrowing his eyes. He tossed aside the raincloak he'd been wearing, held Delia in his arms, and leapt down from Arcanine's back, staring straight at the fire-type Legendary in front of him.
"Rrgh…"
Having cleared the skies, Entei looked around at the now-drying plains, visibly calmer. It shook off the remaining moisture, then turned its gaze toward Liam and Delia.
"Rrgh…"
After a glance at them, Entei's expression shifted to one of clear curiosity, and it began approaching.
"Ggrrrr!"
But before it could take more than a few steps, Arcanine moved to block its path, growling protectively.
"Roar!"
Entei, seeing its advance halted, growled in frustration. But then it suddenly paused, as if realizing something. Lifting its head, it sniffed at the air, then closed its eyes and took in a few deep breaths.
And in the next instant… it found it.
Two familiar scents.
"Rrgh…"
Entei's expression turned grim. It growled lowly in disappointment, then regretfully turned around. Without another word, it bolted into the distance, its regal aura lingering in the air long after it vanished from sight.
. . .
"Liam, was that really Entei?" Delia asked once the creature had disappeared. "You told me about Suicune and Raikou before, and now we've seen Entei too. What's going on? How have we come across three Legendary Pokémon in just a few days—ones most people never see in their lifetime? This… this can't just be chance, right?"
She spoke with unease, and Liam sighed. If even Delia was starting to sense something was wrong, then it had to be something big.
The Three Beast Guardians of Johto—Entei, Suicune, and Raikou—had been part of the region's history for over 150 years. Each one was unique; there were no duplicates anywhere in Johto or the world.
The lore said that the three were originally ordinary Pokémon that died in a fire, only to be resurrected and blessed by Ho-Oh. As such, they were considered its loyal followers, forever watching over the Legendary bird.
If anything could cause such powerful beings to stir, it must be something related to Ho-Oh. That had to be the key… but Liam still had no idea what exactly had happened to it.
"That really was Entei," Liam said, still holding Delia close. He looked off in the direction Entei had run and added, "And you're right. There has to be a reason for everything that's happened. I don't know what it is yet—but I have a feeling… we'll find out very soon."
Though doubt still lingered in his heart, Liam's gaze was calm. There was no fear—only a quiet anticipation. Whatever mystery lay ahead, he welcomed it. The unknown was what made the journey worth it, after all.
"…So cryptic. I have no idea what you're talking about," Delia huffed, rolling her eyes. "Forget it. You won't tell me anyway. Since the weather's cleared up, I'm not staying in this grassland a second longer. Let's go!"
With that, she wriggled out of Liam's embrace, climbed onto Arcanine's back, and shouted urgently, "Come on, let's get moving already!"
"Hehe, alright then. Let's go, Arcanine!"
Chuckling, Liam mounted up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist as he gave the order.
"Awooo~!"
. . .
Now that the plains had dried out, Arcanine could finally run at full speed. Carrying both Liam and Delia, it sprinted across the grasslands even faster than before.
Soon after leaving the plains, they entered a dense forest. Since the forest bordered the grassland directly, it felt like stepping out of the frying pan and into the fire. The sudden shift in scenery nearly made Liam want to scream.
But to their great relief, they discovered a wilderness Pokémon Center situated right at the edge where the forest met the plains. Though small and slightly worn down, it was a legitimate League-certified facility.
Overjoyed, the rain-soaked and sun-baked pair rushed inside, startling the on-duty Nurse Joy.
From her, they learned that the forest wasn't very large. On foot, they should be able to cross it in a morning. And if their destination was Azalea Town, then all they had to do was go through a mountain tunnel called Union Cave to reach it.
After a full night's rest, Liam and Delia said goodbye to Nurse Joy and followed her directions into the forest, heading toward Union Cave and the next chapter of their journey—Azalea Town.