Pokémon: Who let him leave Pallet Town?

Chapter 451 Doubts Resolved, Everything Ready

"boom!"

Another line of fire descends!
Only this time.

A golden ring that unfolded instantly narrowly blocked Natsume's path.

It offset most of the impact.

Hupa turned around, her little face filled with helplessness and unbearable to look at.

Natsume touched his chin, which was blackened by the smoke, still deep in thought.

He raised his head slightly.

His gaze pierced through the flickering flames.

Look at Ho-Oh, perched high atop the sacred fire nest, gently cradled by the holy flames.

A strange phenomenon came to mind.

Ho-Oh seems unusually patient?

No matter how absurd or even offensive his ideas may be.

The other party would respond with a precise line of fire.

even
Natsume's gaze lingered in the depths of those half-closed, molten gold phoenix eyes.

Did you catch a glimpse of an extremely subtle and ineffable expectation?

It was as if they were waiting for him to produce something specific.

Could it be that I am hiding something special that is closely related to Ho-Oh and can attract it?
Suddenly!

A sudden inspiration struck Natsume!

He remembered the shop owner in the small town at the foot of Silver Mountain, and that unassuming flower petal cake.

If the shop owner wasn't exaggerating, the flower petals used in this cake were all taken from special flowers that grew on land blessed by the sacred fire of the Phoenix King.

Legend has it that these flowers carry a touch of the sacred!

Natsume suddenly reached into his robes.

He fumbled around and pulled out a slightly shriveled flower petal cake wrapped in oil paper.

The scorching heat slammed against the rough oil paper.

A faint, sweet floral fragrance seemed to permeate the air.

as predicted!

The moment Natsume took out that ordinary-looking flower petal cake!
The phoenix king, perched high on its nest.

Those lazy, half-closed, molten gold phoenix eyes.

He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze as sharp as a searchlight.

It stuck firmly and tightly to that little piece of cake!
In her golden pupils.

An extremely complex mix of emotions welled up within me.

Surprise? Nostalgia? A subtle, almost imperceptible tenderness?

Those lines of punitive fire that were originally ready to be unleashed at any moment.

The first time, it was completely over!
A flicker of surprise and ecstasy flashed in Natsume's eyes.

Peacedog likes it, and Ho-Oh likes it too?
Could it be that these Silver Mountain petal cakes are actually a common food for some kind of fire-type divine beast?

"you"

Phoenix King's languid female voice rang out again.

However, his tone underwent a subtle change.

It has lost some of its sharpness and gained more of a sense of nostalgia?

"Have you been to Baiyin Mountain?"

"Yes!"

Natsume nodded without hesitation.

He astutely seized this opportunity and immediately raised the banner of "peace dogs":
There is a highly respected elder there.

"It also really likes this."

He shook the flower petal cake in his hand.

"it?!"

Ho-Oh's voice suddenly rose in pitch!
With a hint of unbelievable urgency.

"It really likes to eat this?!"

boom!
It was as if I was completely ignited by those words.

The golden divine flames that had been lazily flowing around Phoenix King suddenly surged, like an erupting volcano.

A heat wave, ten times more violent than before, suddenly crashed towards us!

Caught off guard, Natsume was forced to stagger back several steps by the impact.

I almost lost my balance.

however.

Just as he stepped back...

The terrifying, oppressive feeling around him was almost scorching him.

It vanished like a sudden tide!
The flames raging and dancing within the space.

It calmed down instantly, becoming docile and gentle.

Like the warm spring sun, it is pleasantly warm and without any burning pain.

Natsume looked up, still shaken.

That's right.

It was Phoenix King's enormous eyes—unprecedented, piercing, and seemingly burning with two small suns!

It actually leaped lightly down from the high nest that was being held aloft by the sacred flame!

Its enormous, magnificent body, radiating rainbow light, came straight to Natsume.

The golden head bowed slightly.

With a hint of urgency in his inquiry.

"you"

How did you come to see it?

In the sound.

The noble languor and imposing majesty that belonged to the gods were now replaced by an undisguised, cautious concern and curiosity.

Natsume was slightly taken aback.

Then, she exchanged a glance with Hoopa, who was also staring in disbelief.

There is a play!

"I attended the Silver Conference."

Natsume steadied himself and answered clearly.

"And we were fortunate enough to win the championship."

"According to tradition, I ascended the divine staircase."

"I had a brief encounter with that being there."

“We talked about some things.”

Natsume paused as he spoke:

"It gave me this before it left."

He was cautious and extremely solemn.

He pulled out the oddly shaped gold seal with a dog's head from his pocket.

Although it's unclear how much weight the League's "imperial sword" carries in front of Ho-Oh.

But at this moment, this seems to be the only token that can prove he had contact with the "Peace Dog".

A must try!
Phoenix King's gaze casually drifted to the ancient dog-head seal in Natsume's hand.

Deep within her gilded phoenix eyes.

Those complex emotions that had just been forcibly suppressed.

Like a lake surface tossed with pebbles.

It surged up uncontrollably again!

"Then it."

Phoenix King's voice lowered slightly.

With a hint of hesitation that was hard to express.

"it"

Did they mention me?

Those enormous eyes, burning with the fire of the sun.

She stared intently at Natsume, her gaze filled with a barely perceptible tension and anticipation.

"Um"

Natsume touched his bald, slightly stinging brow and fell into a brief silence.

"Of course not," Natsume pondered, trying to find the right words.

however.

He fell silent.

The surrounding air temperature soared again at an alarming rate!

The flames that had just calmed down instantly became more violent than ever before!
Like countless enraged lava dragons, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws!
Natsume felt a sudden chill run down his spine.

hiss--

This reaction... it seems he's discovered something extraordinary?
"It was mentioned! Of course it was mentioned!"

Natsume immediately spoke with unwavering certainty.

His tone was absolutely certain.

"That senior, thank you for the immense power you displayed at Silver Mountain, and for your benevolence in healing the earth's wounds!"

"to date."

Everyone raved about it!

"Your contributions back then were indispensable to making Baiyin Mountain so vibrant today!"

Based on hearsay about the legend, Natsume quickly wove a well-intentioned and logical lie.

"is it?"

The Phoenix King was surrounded by raging, burning flames.

It was as if the pause button had been pressed.

They froze for a moment.

Then, at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It calmed down slowly and gently.

That tense expression, filled with scrutiny and a sense of oppression.

They also quietly relaxed their efforts.

A subtle, indescribable feeling, as if a sigh of relief had been released.

It flashed briefly in those molten gold eyes.

There was a flash of light and shadow.

The enormous, magnificent figure of Ho-Oh.

They have returned to the sacred flame nest.

She regained that noble and languid demeanor.

But there seemed to be a hint of gentleness in those half-closed phoenix eyes?

"now that."

"You are someone it approves of."

A languid female voice rang out again.

It carried a subtle sense of relief and closeness.

"That's definitely not a problem!"

"Say it!"

"What do you want from me, after all this trouble?"

The tone was relaxed and casual.

It was as if the tense, life-threatening crisis had never happened.

You agreed so easily?

Natsume was amazed.

Peacedog's face is really useful!

(End of this chapter)