Chapter 225: The Volcano God? The Shitty Volcano God!
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
A blue light suddenly shot out from the Master Ball. Before Blaine could react, he was completely enveloped by the light's psychic power, his eyes immediately glazing over.
In the next moment, an image had been implanted in his mind. His body felt as if it were floating high in the sky, and below him was a volcanic island in the middle of the ocean.
It was Cinnabar Island.
"This is...?"
Before Blaine could understand what was happening, the entire Cinnabar Island below began to shake violently. With a deafening "BOOM," the seemingly dormant volcano at its center suddenly erupted. Countless molten meteors shot out from the crater, blanketing the entire island. In an instant, the whole sky turned a fiery red.
The might of heaven and earth, the wrath of nature!
What followed was a sky full of smoke and volcanic ash. Countless streams of magma flowed slowly from the crater, painting the entirety of Cinnabar Island in a terrifying, apocalyptic scene.
"This is..."
Just then, a massive magma meteorite shot toward Blaine, causing beads of sweat to form on his forehead. His body trembled, and the shock was enough to jolt him back to his senses.
He had exited the vision of the volcanic eruption.
Unconsciously, Blaine's back was already soaked with sweat.
But before he pulled out, he thought he saw that giant fiery meteorite being crushed by a pale blue, giant hand that had appeared out of thin air, as easily as if it were a chick.
"It wasn't fake!"
In just an instant, Blaine realized this was no fabricated vision, but something that would actually happen.
Was this the future of Cinnabar Island?
He had not yet made the leap to imagine this was something that occurred in a parallel world.
Blaine's breathing grew rapid. Cinnabar Island turning into an apocalyptic ruin under a volcanic eruption... Fortunately, he hadn't seen any people on the island in his vision.
"It seems it's real..."
He took a deep breath, seeming to age ten years in an instant as he finally accepted this reality.
His hometown would be reduced to ruins by the volcano's eruption. The thought sent a chill through his heart, and he collapsed to the ground, lost and dejected.
"It's alright."
"If it gets blown up, just rebuild it."
"The next eruption should be in fifty years."
Although they didn't understand what had happened to Blaine or why he had suddenly accepted this fact, three arms patted his shoulder at the same time in what was likely an attempt to comfort him.
The three of them could actually understand this feeling. If Pallet Town, Pewter City, or Cerulean City were to be destroyed one day, their expressions wouldn't be any better than Blaine's.
"What you need to do now is pull yourself together and get the people of Cinnabar Town to pack up and run!"
"You're a Gym Leader, you can do this!"
"Respect!"
Hearing this, Blaine's eyes gradually regained their resolve.
That's right. Cinnabar Town would be gone, but the people of Cinnabar would still be here. At worst, they could just find a new place.
Besides, he hated the current atmosphere on this island anyway.
There were plenty of uninhabited islands in this sea area. They could find a new one, and without the hot springs, everyone could live a self-sufficient, simple agricultural life...
Blaine's spirit instantly returned. He shot to his feet and asked:
"How much time did you say we have?"
"Five weeks."
"Five weeks is enough. This town has no real industry to speak of, it's basically all tourism and service jobs. They can be abandoned at any time."
Blaine pushed up his sunglasses. Five weeks wasn't a long time, but it was more than enough.
But how to handle the next steps would require some careful thought...
Ash, Brock, Misty, and Blaine stood on the volcanic path at the edge of the crater. This might be the last time they ever saw this magma.
Thankfully, this final battle had been a satisfying one.
Gazing at the churning sea of magma below, they couldn't help but fall into deep thought, finding it impossible to imagine how this expanse of molten rock would bring about world-ending destruction in five weeks.
For a perfectly fine volcano to suddenly erupt was simply too bizarre.
The last time Cinnabar Island had erupted was said to have been seventy years ago.
"You think it's possible... that our arrival is what's causing the volcano to erupt in five weeks?"
Brock's eyes widened as he suddenly proposed a bold idea.
His mind didn't operate on different levels of thought; he was more like a staircase administrator, always able to come up with ideas a normal person wouldn't.
The volcano was about to erupt, and their group had arrived on this island at this exact critical moment. No matter how you looked at it, it was a massive coincidence.
"What do you mean, are you saying we're jinxes? I won't accept that! Our luck as people from Pallet Town has always been great."
Ash immediately retorted.
"There is indeed that possibility. The future cannot be changed..." Blaine's sunglasses glinted slightly.
"If the future is that it erupts in five weeks, then if we blow up this volcano right now, wouldn't that count as changing history?"
Ash, Brock, and Misty: "?"
They hadn't expected Blaine to say that.
"Or if we postpone it, that would also count as changing history..." Misty tried to steer Blaine's thoughts away from the idea of detonating the volcano on the spot.
But speaking of what could trigger a volcanic eruption, aside from man-made actions like using bombs, there was only one other possibility...
The four of them suddenly looked at each other, their eyes bright, as if they had found the answer.
"It's the Volcano God!"
"That's right! As long as the Volcano God is unwilling, the volcano won't erupt!"
"Does that mean something is going to happen here in these five weeks that affects the Volcano God's mood?!"
In that moment, metaphysics was more convincing than science.
The four of them simultaneously recalled those taboo words, and one taboo, in particular, stood out.
"Shout 'Torkoal' ten times at the volcano crater, and the volcano will erupt?"
The other three: "?"
The three of them looked at Ash, completely bewildered.
It's called a taboo for a reason. Everyone could just think about it, why did you have to be so conspicuous and say it out loud?
Are there nails on your chair? You just can't sit still?
"Idiot Ash, you said Torkoal!" Misty pointed at Ash.
"You said Torkoal too, young lady!" Blaine pointed at Misty.
Seeing that the situation was taking a wrong turn, Brock knew that if he didn't intervene, their lives might be forfeit today. He quickly took a large step to stand in front of the three.
"All three of you, shut up! You've already said Torkoal three times! We absolutely cannot say Torkoal one more time! From now on, when you say Torkoal, please use 'T******' instead!"
"Gurgle gurgle..."
Instantly, the magma beneath the four of them seemed to churn even more violently...
Blaine quickly motioned for everyone to cover their own mouths, while also giving Brock a stern look.
You used up three lives in one sentence. You're the most ridiculous one here.
After a moment, seeing everyone's grim expressions, Ash couldn't help but want to speak up to lighten the mood. Seeing the threatening looks from the others, as if they would punch him in the head if he opened his mouth, he just waved his hand confidently, indicating that he remembered to use the censored word.
"Ahem, it's actually not a big deal. We've only said T****** six times. We still have four more chances to say Torkoal—damn it, I was only thinking about the first part and forgot the Torkoal at the end! Shit, I forgot the Torkoal again—mmph mmmph..."
Before he could finish, the other three simultaneously stuffed three rocks into Ash's mouth, sealing it completely.
Stop showing off, you're scaring us...
Blaine was now completely drenched in sweat. He felt that by following these three, his own steady mind was being led astray.
"Is it eight times already..."
They had to save the last two lives. He quickly motioned for the three of them not to say another word before leaving and to get away from the volcano crater as fast as possible.
Once outside, Blaine would give each of them a megaphone, have them sit facing south toward the ocean, and let them vent by shouting the word "Torkoal" to their hearts' content.
Reaching the exit of the volcanic path, one more step would mean they were away from the crater. Ash, Brock, and Misty quickly crossed over, their mouths covered.
Blaine was half a step behind. Just as he was about to cross, a thought suddenly struck him, and his face darkened.
After a moment of internal conflict visible on his face, he suddenly spun around, looked at the volcanic magma behind him, took a deep breath, and without any more hesitation, started to bellow at the top of his lungs.
"TOR!! KOAL!!"
The words were enunciated perfectly, full of vigor, and the single word "Torkoal" echoed throughout the entire crater!
Ash, Brock, and Misty: "?"
Did he snap?
The moment Blaine finished shouting, he pushed the three of them away from the area as if he were a thief making a getaway.
Out of ten lives, eight had already been used. Not using the ninth one would have been unsettling. It might have become an inner demon in his future training, preventing him from advancing further.
He might as well just use it.
There was still one last life, anyway!
By directly challenging the god's authority, his path was now complete!
Hmph, Volcano God?
Shitty Volcano God!
You're going to blow up our Cinnabar Island and you expect me to put up with you?
Blaine let out a cold laugh, then quickly led the three of them completely away from the volcano.
Once they were out, he would completely seal every entrance to this volcano, ensuring that no one would have the chance to use the final life.
"Beep beep, congratulations on triggering the taboo. The Volcano God is now enraged."
(end of chapter)