"Haha, I must really be getting old. I'm already exhausted after just a short battle."
After Nat left, Blaine slumped onto Charizard's back.
Among the Gym Leaders of Kanto, Blaine was the oldest—though "old" might be an overstatement. He had just passed his prime. Before Ryuuske arrived, Blaine had been fighting Nat for quite some time. But compared to Nat, who wasn't even twenty yet, Blaine's physical stamina simply couldn't keep up.
Stretching his limbs while lying on Charizard's back, Blaine sighed, "…Thank goodness you showed up, Ryuuske. If I'd kept fighting Nat like that, things would've gotten ugly."
The emotion Blaine felt most strongly toward Ryuuske was guilt. His research had nearly cost Ryuuske his life, and that realization had spurred Blaine to abandon his dark past and turn over a new leaf. Now, once again, Ryuuske had saved him, leaving Blaine deeply embarrassed. Yet, seeing how the once frail boy had grown into such an outstanding Trainer in just ten months also filled Blaine with the pride of an elder watching a younger generation flourish.
"Even if I hadn't shown up, someone of your skill wouldn't have been in any real danger."
After all, Blaine was a seasoned Gym Leader. Even if he'd spent most of his recent years focused on genetic research, causing his combat abilities to decline, he wasn't someone who could be easily defeated—let alone killed.
"I could've run, sure, but my research institute and the Cinnabar Gym would've been destroyed. All the research data and other things inside would've ended up as Team Rocket's spoils. I've already made one huge mistake—I can't afford another."
Blaine's tone was resolute. It was precisely because he feared his research falling into Team Rocket's hands that he had fought Nat so stubbornly. Otherwise, if he had fled from the start, even with Moltres, Nat wouldn't have been able to do much to stop him.
"And who is this girl?"
Noticing the unconscious girl in Ryuuske's arms, Blaine adjusted his sunglasses and stroked his beard. His tone carried a hint of teasing—the unconscious girl, Green, had an alluring, fox-like beauty, and Ryuuske was a teenager in the throes of puberty. Blaine couldn't help but assume she was his girlfriend or something similar.
"Her name's Green. Not sure if Professor Oak ever mentioned her to you—the one who stole his Squirtle."
Ryuuske showed none of the flustered embarrassment typical of a teenager in such a situation. Instead, he calmly explained.
This was one of the things Professor Oak and Blaine admired most about him—a maturity far beyond his years.
"Oh? So this is the girl Professor Oak mentioned—the one who was kidnapped from Pallet Town as a child. She's certainly grown into a beauty. Surviving on her own in this world and becoming so capable… it's truly remarkable."
Blaine's tone was solemn.
"Let's save the chatter for later. This isn't exactly the best environment—where's your research institute?"
Ryuuske glanced at the rivers of magma erupting beneath them. Moltres's earlier attacks seemed to have altered the underground magma flow. While the volcanoes weren't on the verge of full-blown eruptions, their activity had undeniably intensified.
"Follow me. My institute is hidden in a very secluded location!"
Clutching Charizard's neck, Blaine took off toward a specific direction. Ryuuske recalled Dragonoir and ordered Garchomp to follow.
Though Garchomp could fly—and was among the fastest Pokémon in straight-line flight—it wasn't adept at quick, agile maneuvers in tight spaces. Compared to true Flying-types, its aerial combat prowess wasn't particularly strong. But as people often called it the "Land Dragon," Garchomp's speed on the ground was unmatched—it could easily be called the strongest dragon on the surface.
Blaine's research institute was hidden within a thirty-meter-wide, bottomless fissure in the earth. As Ryuuske rode Garchomp into the chasm, the temperature abruptly dropped, and a cool underground breeze brushed against his skin. Compared to the magma rivers above, this place was far more suitable for human habitation. The fact that Blaine had managed to find such a perfect spot to build his institute in the midst of such harsh conditions spoke volumes about the effort he'd put into it.
The institute was nestled against a sheer cliff face. Without a guide, finding it would be nearly impossible—no wonder Team Rocket had failed to locate Blaine despite searching for so long.
"Here we are!"
Landing on a platform before the cliff, they were met with a massive metal door. Blaine entered a code beside it, and the door spiraled open in a circular motion.
Returning Garchomp to its Poké Ball, Ryuuske carried Green in his arms, with Eevee perched on his shoulder, and walked inside alongside Blaine.
"This Eevee…"
Blaine studied the ever-cheerful Eevee, which was curiously looking around, and hesitantly asked.
"It's the one from Team Rocket," Ryuuske replied.
"I never thought Team Rocket would actually succeed. When I was working for them, I wasn't privy to their full plans—I only knew this Eevee's research was part of a larger project. At the time, I provided some theoretical groundwork for it."
Blaine's expression was complicated as he sighed, silently berating himself for the things he'd done in the past.
Eevee's evolutions relied primarily on the instability of its genetic structure—and Blaine was an expert in genetics. In a way, both of Ryuuske's Pokémon, Mewtwo and Eevee, were connected to Blaine. One could even say they were created based on his theories.
Regardless of his past misdeeds, Blaine's status in the scientific community was indisputable.
The interior of the institute was brightly lit, with a modern atmosphere. Though far smaller than the Team Rocket research facility on the isolated island, it was more than enough for Blaine to live and work alone. Every piece of high-tech equipment one could need was present, fully accommodating his research demands.
"The reason I asked you to come to Cinnabar Island was to give you something."
"Hold on a second, Blaine. Is there somewhere here where someone can rest? A bedroom, maybe?"
Ryuuske gestured to the unconscious girl in his arms.
Blaine smiled and led him to a simply yet warmly furnished bedroom.
Carefully laying Green down on the bed and covering her with a thin blanket, Ryuuske gently brushed aside the sweat-dampened strands of hair clinging to her forehead before finally leaving the room and returning to the main research hall.
The space was filled with computers, and through a glass panel, various high-tech instruments could be seen.
"This is for you."
Blaine stood holding a small box. Without ceremony, Ryuuske took it and opened it, revealing a red crystal the size of a thumbnail, marked with a flame symbol.
"The Eternal Fire Stone!"
Having already obtained the Eternal Water Stone and Eternal Moon Stone, Ryuuske recognized it immediately.
"When Erika mentioned you'd caught this Eevee, I knew you'd need this stone. As a Fire-type Gym Leader, I happened to have one in my collection, so I asked you to come retrieve it in person."
"Thank you, Blaine. I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to track down all three Eternal Stones for Eevee."
Expressing his gratitude, Ryuuske called Eevee over and fastened the Eternal Fire Stone around its neck, alongside the Eternal Water Stone.
Now, only the Thunder Stone remained.
"Don't thank me yet. That's only part of the reason. If it were just the Eternal Fire Stone, I could've mailed it to you. The real reason I asked you here is for something far more important!"
Blaine smiled mysteriously, leading Ryuuske to another, smaller research room after verifying his fingerprint and iris.
At the center of the room stood a containment vessel identical to the one that had once held Mewtwo—except this one didn't contain Mewtwo. Instead, it was filled with bubbling fluid.
"This is…" Ryuuske's eyes narrowed.
"Genetically restructured cultivation fluid!"
Blaine declared.
To be continued…
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