Chapter 528: I Already Have No Pokémon
Mt. Coronet Foothills.
Located in the center of the Sinnoh region, it includes Mt. Coronet and is encompassed within the Mt. Coronet mountain range.
In the Hisui era.
This entire area around Mt. Coronet belonged to the Mt. Coronet Foothills. Even the current Celestic Town is an area located on the outskirts of the Mt. Coronet Foothills.
But now.
The area of the Mt. Coronet Foothills has shrunk a lot.
There is a place within it filled with tombstones accumulated from thousands of years ago to the present, a hotbed for Ghost-type Pokémon when night falls.
This place will surge with a large number of Misdreavus and Gastly, and you might even encounter Mismagius and Gengar.
But whether that is considered good luck or bad luck is hard to say.
At this moment, it was already approaching dusk.
When the sky gets a bit darker, many Ghost-type Pokémon will pop out here. At that time, this place can literally scare people to death.
"I can't take it anymore, huff... huff... I'm exhausted."
Barlow slumped next to a tombstone. He raised his hand and looked at the watch on his wrist.
No messages had come through.
This meant the companion monitoring everything halfway up the mountain didn't see anyone pursuing him.
"Soo, soo." (Moth!)
The Mothim beside him flew to his side, tugging his arm and flapping its wings vigorously.
"Let me rest for a bit, it should be fine. No one will come to this ghostly place."
Barlow weakly reached out and pushed Mothim away.
Today's operation had a major screw-up.
Mainly because they didn't expect a League Professor with half-white hair to be so strong.
Originally, according to their plan, they should have been able to successfully snatch the Lustrous Orb and scatter into Mt. Coronet to escape when the sky turned completely dark.
At that time, the escape rate would be greatly increased; at most, only a few unlucky ones would be caught.
But look at it now.
The plan was broken prematurely.
Their dozens of people didn't even last half an hour, all beaten to the point of scrambling like rats and fleeing like embarrassed wolves.
Right now the sky is still bright.
Who knows how many people have been caught.
If they want to take action after today, I'm afraid they'll have to be sneaky.
"Soo." (Moth.)
"You rest for a bit too. Just experienced a battle and flew for so long, aren't you tired?"
Barlow smiled, reaching out to pull Mothim close, looking at the sky with emotion,
"Speaking of which, you saw it earlier too, right? That person in the sky, the Sinnoh Champion Cynthia..."
"Soo?" (Moth?)
"Sigh, clearly we're about the same age. How come she's so powerful and can even become the Chief of the Sinnoh League, truly..."
Barlow shook his head helplessly, his eyes full of envy,
"Her life must be very exciting and happy, right."
Thinking about the things he had seen about Cynthia in the past, Barlow couldn't help showing bitterness on his face.
Outstanding talent.
Extraordinary background.
Even her Pokémon are different from others'.
For a mediocre person like Barlow, who doesn't even have a family, he probably wouldn't be able to comprehend Cynthia's feelings in his entire life. He and Mothim just have to go all out just to survive.
Beep beep beep...
A message suddenly came through the watch.
"Hm?"
Barlow frowned, a bad feeling welling up in his heart.
He raised his hand to look.
His expression changed drastically, but then gradually calmed down again.
The setting sun was like blood, stretching the silhouettes of the cold tombstones long and slanted, as if the souls sleeping here were reminding that misfortune was about to arrive.
"Soo?" (Moth?)
Mothim tilted its head in confusion and looked at Barlow.
"Do you still remember our first meeting?"
Barlow stood up, looking at Mothim and showing a silly smile.
"Soo~" (Moth~)
Mothim narrowed its eyes, covering its mouth and snickering.
That was a matter from fourteen years ago.
At that time, he was still an ordinary Burmy.
One day while sleeping, he suddenly fell from a branch, and ended up hitting Barlow, who had just set out on a journey at the time, squarely on the head.
Head colliding with head, making the two of them pass out together.
When they woke up.
Barlow found an extra little green guy inside the Poké Ball he had just saved up money to buy.
At that time, Barlow thought Burmy was a Grass-type Pokémon.
Who would have thought.
It was actually the Bug-type he looked down upon the most.
But...
That's all in the past now.
After having Burmy, the type Barlow favors the most is the Bug-type.
"They all say your talent is mediocre, suggesting I exchange for a different Pokémon within the organization."
"Soo..." (Moth...)
Mothim lowered its head in disappointment.
He felt the same way.
He seemed to be very stupid.
"Hehe, only I know how hard you work. You are not ordinary at all, it's just... I'm too mediocre."
Barlow reached out and gently stroked Mothim's head, sighing.
"Soo." (Moth.)
Mothim shook its head, thinking Barlow was wrong.
"You should go."
"Soo?" (Moth?)
"That guy chased after me, I can't escape. You can fly, you might still be able to leave."
Barlow grinned.
"Soo!" (Moth!)
Mothim shook its head vigorously, clenched its hands, and struck a fighting pose.
"Hahaha, how could we possibly be a match for a Champion. Alright, don't waste time, go."
"Soo!" (Moth!)
Barlow clenched his teeth tightly, taking out the only Poké Ball at his waist.
Mothim looked at his actions in confusion.
Didn't know what Barlow was going to do.
Was he going to put him into the Poké Ball?
But he could still run out by himself.
Snap.
Mothim watched his Poké Ball fall to the ground.
His heart shook.
His eyelids drooped.
Only to see Barlow raise one foot and stomp viciously onto the Poké Ball on the ground.
Crack!
The Poké Ball appeared incomparably fragile before Barlow's will, easily crushed into countless fragments.
"Soo?" (Moth?)
Mothim stared blankly at Barlow, its eyes full of sorrow and sadness.
Having lost its Poké Ball.
It was already a wild Pokémon now...
Did Barlow not want him anymore?
"I no longer have a Poké Ball here to let you come back. If you understand, leave right now."
Barlow shoved Mothim, pointing towards the dim yellow sky in the distance.
"Soo..." (Moth...)
Mothim covered its eyes with its two small hands, tears continuously falling from within.
"...You must let them know, you are different from me, you are not mediocre at all."
Barlow raised his hand, taking off the cheap necklace hanging around his neck, and hung it on Mothim's body.
This thing.
Was bought when they were young, after he and Burmy worked odd jobs together for several days.
He couldn't bring himself to say overly cruel words.
And didn't want to say them either.
He believed Mothim could definitely understand his feelings, and also definitely knew how firm his attitude was.
"Soo." (Moth.)
Mothim held the necklace on its body with both hands, raising its head to make eye contact with Barlow.
"Go, you must live freer than any Pokémon."
"Soo." (Moth.)
Mothim wiped its tears dry and nodded vigorously.
Its eyes were incomparably firm at this moment, no longer hesitating as it turned and flew towards the sky.
Barlow stood in place.
He watched that small figure gradually blend into the dazzling afterglow of the setting sun.
A gratified smile finally appeared on his face, but the depths of this smile seemed to be filled with loneliness again.
Barlow took a deep breath and sat back down on the ground.
More than a dozen seconds later.
Thump!
A heavy landing sound kicked up dust.
A tall, straight, and extremely oppressive figure landed precisely in front of him, the shadow completely enveloping Barlow within it.
"Heh, to think the famous 'Blood-Handed Butcher' personally came to chase me? It's truly flattering."
Barlow looked up.
Having received the message in advance, he wasn't surprised at all by the newcomer.
Will , upon hearing this person's words, let his crossed arms drop weakly, his imposing aura seemingly instantly deflated by this title.
As if.
Losing all strength and means.
"I say you guys, can you not randomly give others nicknames?"
Will frowned, his expression hard to maintain. Then he saw the Poké Ball fragments scattered by Barlow's feet, and couldn't help raising his eyebrows,
Where's your Pokémon?
Barlow didn't speak, taking a few more looks at Will.
After all, a Pokémon that can speak human language is truly rare.
He silently bent down, picking up the fragments on the ground one by one, gathering them in his palm.
After a long time, he finally murmured quietly:
I already have no Pokémon.
The words carried an empty desolation.
"Is that so?"
Will gave him a deep look, didn't say much, just asked one question,
"Why did you join Team Galactic in the first place? For that perfect world Cyrus spoke of?"
Cyrus.
He doesn't know much about this character.
Unlike Giovanni , who has an extremely high appearance rate and a relatively complete characterization.
Cyrus's related storylines aren't that many.
But...
It seems Cyrus's personal charisma isn't much lower than Giovanni's. At least the people of Team Galactic have always followed behind him.
Even after Cyrus disappeared later, Team Galactic still inherited his will, continuing to act for the sake of creating a perfect world.
"Although I don't know why you know about that world the boss speaks of, but unfortunately, I don't understand him, and I have no thoughts about creating that kind of world."
Barlow shook his head.
"Then?"
"Just for a bite to eat."
Barlow grinned, not saying much more.
For a person like him, making money is truly so hard.
A can of food bought for Burmy had to be divided and fed over several days.
That kind of life, he never wants to go back to again.
And Boss Cyrus gave him an opportunity to change.
Saying it changed his life might be somewhat exaggerated.
But at least it could improve Mothim's meals.
So.
He joined Team Galactic.
Barlow gave up resisting, letting Will tie him up, dragging him towards the outside of the graveyard.
However, just as they walked out of the graveyard.
Will's footsteps suddenly stopped.
Barlow turned his head in confusion, his eyes widening, his eye sockets instantly brimming with hot tears.
Under the darkening sky of dusk.
Only to see a Mothim wearing a necklace stubbornly blocking Will's path.
The last gleam of the setting sun.
Inlaid dazzling golden edges on his gorgeous wings.
Will felt it was a bit dazzling.
What was dazzling was not the setting sun.
It was the determination to face death unflinchingly.
"..."
Will took a look at this Pokémon in front of him, then looked down and glanced at the Poké Ball fragments in Barlow's hand.
Understanding instantly dawned in his heart.
He didn't say much.
Threw Barlow to the side, raised his hand to condense an Aura Sphere , and charged forward.
And the Mothim on the other side was also fearless, launching a final charge towards Will with a Struggle Bug move.
Cyan-green and deep blue lights violently collided at the edge of the sea of tombstones as dusk thickened!
They both had no way to retreat.
This is the freedom Mothim chose.
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