Alakazam used Teleport, instantly appearing before Moltres with Gu Yuan. Alakazam had no intention of fighting back; instead, it immediately used Teleport to take Moltres away.
The pillar of lightning descended but struck empty ground, leaving a large crater. Upon realizing Moltres had vanished, Electabuzz searched frantically but found nothing.
***
"Alright, let's rest here for a while."
Gu Yuan finally stopped once they reached the outskirts of the forest. At this point, Moltres had fallen into a coma.
Undeniably, this was a perfect opportunity to capture it, yet Gu Yuan made no move. With my current strength, even if I caught Moltres, I wouldn't be able to control it.
Although he could hand this Moltres over to Team Rocket in exchange for a massive amount of resources, Gu Yuan wanted to try and establish a friendship with it instead. While Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno seemed numerous, perhaps less rare than other Legendaries, they were still Legendary Pokémon. Consequently, within the same rank, their power was ultimately much greater than that of ordinary Pokémon.
Though he currently lacked the strength to capture it, Gu Yuan knew that he would grow stronger eventually. Regardless of whether he reached Champion Rank, even at Elite Rank, Gu Yuan had hope of defeating a weaker Moltres in a head-on battle.
If he established a friendship with this Moltres now, and later, after gaining power, utilized the League and Team Rocket's intelligence networks to find other Moltres, it would undoubtedly increase his chances of capturing this type of Pokémon.
Having made up his mind, Gu Yuan considered how he should treat this Moltres.
"Everyone, come out. This is Moltres. It's injured now, and I need to treat it. I need you to set up a perimeter and stand guard."
Opening the Poké Balls, Gu Yuan explained the situation to Charizard and the others. Then, he took out the medicine and began treating Moltres. Although Charizard and the others were shocked by the Aura Moltres emitted, they still followed Gu Yuan's instructions, dispersing to guard the area.
Gu Yuan was already proficient in treating injuries; within a short time, he had Moltres bandaged. He then fed some Medicine to the unconscious Moltres to help relieve its pain and rapidly restore its stamina.
Afterward, Gu Yuan had Alakazam use Teleport again, making their group vanish from the spot. They didn't stop until they found a secluded place.
By now, a faint red light was radiating from Moltres, causing its Aura to gradually stabilize. After observing it for a while and ensuring Moltres was no longer in danger, Gu Yuan began preparing a meal. Various pre-made ingredients were heated, and soon, a variety of dishes were ready.
The aroma permeated the air, causing Moltres to gradually open its eyes.
"Cree!"
A clear cry rang out, attracting Gu Yuan's attention. However, Gu Yuan could detect the weakness in Moltres's call.
"Hello. Please rest assured, I mean no harm. My Pokémon and I rescued you earlier."
Gu Yuan turned and, seeing the hostility in Moltres's eyes, immediately used Telepathy to explain, simultaneously alerting Charizard and the others to be ready. If a battle were truly necessary, given Moltres's current state, it would be no match for Charizard's group.
Upon hearing Gu Yuan's voice, Moltres was momentarily stunned. It then recalled the scene just before it lost consciousness. A human and an Alakazam had indeed shielded it. Comparing that image with Gu Yuan, the hostility in Moltres's eyes began to fade.
"Hello, Human. Thank you for saving me." Moltres slightly bowed its head and spoke in a somewhat gentle tone.
"It's no problem. It was just a small effort." Gu Yuan replied. "I just finished making lunch, so why don't you join us?"
With that, Gu Yuan began serving the food without waiting for Moltres's agreement. Assailed by hunger, Moltres said nothing more, letting Gu Yuan proceed and silently withdrawing its powerful Aura. Seeing this, Charizard and the others gradually lowered their guard, preparing to enjoy the hearty lunch.
To ensure Moltres would be full, Gu Yuan also prepared some Pokémon food and Pokéblocks that Charizard typically enjoyed. Since both were dual Fire/Flying-type Pokémon, he figured they would share some common tastes.
Despite Moltres's long life, every human it had encountered was either in awe of it or intent on capturing it. No one had ever invited it to eat alongside them like Gu Yuan. Similarly, this was Moltres's first time tasting human food.
In an instant, Moltres, used to eating wild berries and unseasoned roasted meat, was utterly conquered. Little stars even seemed to appear in its eyes. Had it not been for the pride associated with being a Legendary Pokémon, Moltres would have likely shown even greater weakness.
Carefully glancing around to confirm Gu Yuan and the others hadn't noticed its reaction, Moltres finally sighed in relief. It then began to eat in a dignified manner, though its eating speed silently accelerated considerably. Moltres failed to notice that when it averted its gaze, Gu Yuan, Alakazam, Sylveon, and Ditto all had slight smiles on their lips.
Pokémon like Charizard and Annihilape, whose minds were primarily focused on fighting, naturally didn't notice this subtle detail. The three youngsters were even more oblivious, completely focused on their meal.
"Your body is still very weak. Traveling now would likely be dangerous. I think you should rest here with me for a while." Gu Yuan took the opportunity to speak once lunch was over. "You can leave once you've fully recovered. I'll resume my journey then. What do you think?"
Moltres listened, first sensing the recovery of its strength, and then recalling the delicious meal it had just enjoyed. Before Moltres could formulate a thoughtful choice, its body responded first, nodding silently.
"That's great. You should rest up now and recover as quickly as possible." Gu Yuan was also excited that Moltres had agreed. After all, the longer they spent together, the more solid their friendship would become.
Over the next few days, Moltres gradually became more active. Initially, Moltres felt awkward interacting with so many Pokémon. However, with Sylveon's presence, Moltres's pretense was quickly melted away.
Notably, when Moltres watched Charizard and the others training, it started offering its own advice. Whether because it was a Legendary Pokémon or because of its immense power, Moltres was certainly qualified to guide the Fire-type Pokémon—Charizard, Charcadet, and Crocalor—on their techniques. Seeing Charizard and the others execute their Fire-type Moves with increasing brilliance, Gu Yuan felt more certain that his earlier decision had been entirely correct.
Alas, no gathering lasts forever. Moltres's injuries would eventually heal, and the day of departure was drawing closer. As if sensing this, Moltres spent an increasing amount of time guiding Charizard and the others.