Pokémon: Did you play Pokémon today?

Chapter 352 "Ah-Xiang Obtained the Rainbow Feather from the Handsome Researcher!"

"Okay, I understand."

Dan Di immediately manipulated Ah Xiang to crouch down, reach out, and probe the edge of the strange mask on the masked man's face.

Masked Man: Stop it—I—!

The masked man seemed to be making a final struggle, his voice muffled from beneath the mask, but the Flame Emperor's claws exerted a slight force, rendering all his resistance futile.

The mask was gently lifted.

The countless viewers watching the live stream held their breath, their eyes wide open, afraid of missing any detail.

The reason is simple: this "masked man" is too mysterious!

Each appearance is accompanied by extremely high prestige and terrifying combat power, and its performance is even comparable to that of a champion.

Yet this very person is always shrouded in a black robe and mask, how can this not make people curious and eager to know more?

This sense of mystery has already piqued everyone's curiosity to its peak.

Beneath the mask —

It was not any of the expected faces, whether ferocious, familiar, or weathered.

What comes into view is a crystal-clear human-shaped ice sculpture!

The ice sculpture has a rough human outline, but no facial features or details, resembling a poorly made life-size ice mannequin.

It's as if the craftsman only carved a crude and flawed piece!

At the very moment the mask was removed, the surface of this originally hard ice sculpture was instantly covered with dense, spiderweb-like cracks!

Immediately, it could no longer withstand the pressure of Emperor Yan's claws, and with a "crash," it completely shattered into irregular small ice blocks and ice shards on the ground.

Wherever he stood, only an empty mask and the black cloak he had used to cover himself remained.

"An ice sculpture?! How could it be an ice sculpture?! He was just moving! He was just talking! He was just directing the battle?!"

"What the hell?!"

"You dare to play me again?! I've been tricked by this game again?!"

"About how I defeated a stand-in ice sculpture with all my might"

So what exactly was that thing that fought against our Pill Emperor for so long? A remotely controlled ice sculpture? Its prestige has actually increased instead of decreased!

"You old scoundrel, come out here! I promise I won't kill you! Is this some kind of plot even humanly possible?! You deserve to die!"

"Masked Man: You didn't expect that, did you? I've pulled off a clever escape! Surprised? Unexpected?"

This unexpected turn of events gave the viewers in the live stream a rollercoaster-like thrill.

"Impossible! It absolutely cannot be an ice sculpture!"

Cibana was the first to jump up, his tone resolute.

"It must have been during the battle, in that split second when the flames or snow obscured their vision, that their true form escaped!"

The more he thought about it, the more he realized it made sense, and then he suddenly remembered the messenger bird that had escaped.

"That's it! Delibird! I knew that bird ran away so decisively! It didn't abandon its trainer at all; it completed its mission and retreated with its true form! That's it, that must be it!"

His analysis sounded reasonable and immediately received a lot of agreement and praise from the viewers in the live broadcast room.

However, Dan Di remained silent, his brows furrowed, staring at the ice shards scattered on the screen and the empty cloak.

As the champion of the Galar region, his control over the rhythm, timing, and details of battle is ingrained in his very being.

He let the messenger bird escape not out of carelessness, but because of that split second of confrontation.

The masked man had no chance or time to use any Stand, exchange, or teleportation abilities.

But now—

This sudden turn of events caused even the "strongest champion," who was known for his calmness and confidence, to feel a slight sense of insecurity.

What kind of supernatural power does this masked man possess?

What is his real purpose?

Dan Di controlled A Xiang and turned his gaze to the Shi Qi researcher beside him, his tone filled with inquiry and confusion.

"What do you think? What exactly is going on?"

The handsome researcher stroked his chin, seemingly deep in thought.

A moment later, he squatted down, picked up a small pinch of ice shards with his fingers, and carefully felt the residual energy fluctuations within them.

"Handsome Researcher: If I'm not mistaken—this guy probably never appeared before us in his real form from beginning to end."

"The handsome researcher: The reason he's an ice sculpture is because he was already an ice sculpture from the moment he appeared."

"It was an ice sculpture from the moment it appeared?!"

Dan Di frowned even more deeply; this explanation was even more bizarre than he had imagined.

"You mean, the one I was just directing in battle—was this lifeless ice sculpture?"

"How is this possible? What kind of person could remotely control an ice sculpture from an unknown distance to engage in such a complex real-time battle?!"

This is simply against common sense!

Even the most powerful superhumans rarely achieve such precise and nuanced remote control!

What's more, they also have to simultaneously command high-intensity Pokémon battles!

The handsome researcher shook his head, not directly answering Dan Di's question.

"Handsome Researcher: Well, so be it. At least we've achieved our main objective."

"Handsome Researcher: The gold and silver balls have returned to our hands, and this mission can be considered a complete success."

His tone became relaxed again, and he stopped petting the dream. He solemnly took out a feather from the pocket of his white coat.

A magical feather that flows with a dreamlike seven-colored rainbow light.

He solemnly handed the feather to Ah Xiang.

"Ah-Xiang got the Rainbow Feather from the handsome researcher!"

"Rainbow Feather: A legendary feather imbued with sacred life force, radiating an everlasting, dreamlike rainbow light. According to ancient legends, only those with truly pure hearts are worthy of possessing it; it is a legendary artifact!"

"Ah-Xiang put the Rainbow Feather into his important item pocket!"

The continuous stream of game notifications instantly sparked another frenzy in the live stream chat!

"Rainbow Feather! It's a real rainbow feather! Didn't the researcher just say his was fake?! How come he pulled out a real one?!"

"So that's how it is! This is the correct way to obtain the Rainbow Feather! Complete the Burnt Tower event, defeat the Masked Man! And with the Silver Feather from before, you can then knock down the Gold and Silver Orbs!"

"This quest chain—linked together, including a top-tier boss battle—is this really something a human could accomplish alone? Salty Fish Teacher, you've done all sorts of terrible things!"

"I get it! The masked man is very likely connected to Ho-Oh/Lugia!"

"So who exactly is this handsome researcher? How does he know everything, even these legendary items? Could he be the real mastermind behind it all?!"

After confirming that Ah Xiang had carefully put away the Rainbow Feather, the handsome researcher nodded in satisfaction.

Then, holding Meng Huan, she nimbly flipped over and straddled the broad back of Yan Di beside her.

He even casually stroked the warm, thick fur on Emperor Yan's neck.

Emperor Yan: ————

Its dignified expression held a hint of helplessness, but it did not resist.

"Handsome Researcher: Oh, right, about that hidden version of the legend from the Johto region" —

"Handsome Researcher: Do you know why Ho-Oh and Lugia left the Bell Tower and Bell Tower where they used to live?"

"Handsome Researcher: It's not just because of the fire, the deeper reason is————"

"Handsome Researcher: After Ho-Oh revived the three legendary beasts—Entei, Raikou, and Suicune—with its life-giving flame, some locals developed an uncontrollable fear and greed towards the divine power of creation and destruction."

"Handsome Researcher: So, they joined forces and, instead of passively watching the gods leave, actively and in various ways, drove away Ho-Oh and Lugia, who had once been regarded as guardian deities."

"Handsome Researcher: So this story tells us—cough cough, we've gone off-topic."

The handsome researcher smiled, a smile that, illuminated by the rainbow light and flames, seemed both meaningful and carried a hint of detached acceptance of history.

He gently patted the neck of the Yan Emperor beneath him.

"Handsome Researcher: Well then, farewell, young trainer."

"Handsome Researcher: The Sacred Fire of Emperor Yan!"

"roar!!!"

Emperor Yan looked up to the sky and let out a long roar!

The next moment, brilliant and warm seven-colored flames surged out from Emperor Yan's body!

This flame was not destructive, but rather carried a powerful life force and purifying power, like a warm tide, completely enveloping the entire dilapidated, charred tower!

Wherever the flames passed, the cold ice crystals scattered everywhere by the masked man and the messenger bird instantly melted and evaporated, leaving no trace.

The haze and dust that had accumulated inside the tower were also swept away.

Even the charred beams and pillars, weathered by time, regained a long-lost luster under the licking of the seven-colored flames.

The sacred fire burned, yet it did not scorch any physical entity; instead, it seemed to be performing a solemn purification and revival ritual.

As the flames in the game screen gradually subsided, the handsome researcher and his Flame Emperor vanished without a trace, as if they had merged into the light.

Inside the charred tower, the initial tranquility and ruin have returned, but something seems to have changed.

A trace of warmth and a faint sense of holiness lingered in the air.

Emperor Dan gazed at the empty space ahead and murmured softly.

"Is this... the true flame of life?"

"It burns fiercely, yet it perfectly controls its power, dispelling only the filth and cold without harming the tower itself in the slightest —"

"Incredible—is this the power of creation and purification held by the gods?"

Ciban patted his somewhat dejected cheek, his tone complicated.

"Ho-Oh and Lugia left for such a ridiculous reason? Tsk tsk tsk————"

He wanted to say something, but didn't know where to begin. He opened his mouth, then finally sighed.

The comments section was much less restrained; each commenter was bolder than the last, pointing out increasingly sharp issues, and they were utterly unrestrained.

"I'm afraid of ghosts, but they haven't hurt me at all. I'm not afraid of people, but they've hurt me badly—sorry, wrong channel."

"So, the hardest thing to understand isn't Pokémon, it's the human heart —"

"The line between reverence and greed is often very thin. When people begin to covet the authority of the gods, tragedy is inevitable."

"So now the people of Enju City are desperately trying to find Ho-Oh and Lugia, is it because they regret it? Or—something else?"

"Am I the only one who noticed that the handsome researcher rode Entei at the end? That was so cool! I want to ride a legendary Pokémon too!"

"By the way—does anyone remember that Cibana's original goal for starting his livestream was, I think, to speedrun through the arena and become the champion?"

After the last comment appeared, the entire live stream suddenly fell silent for a moment.

Cibaner:

Dan Emperor:

The two stared at each other at the screen, both with an awkward expression on their faces.

It seems like—there was such a thing?

It has been a full ten days since the official release of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.

With the combined support of The Pokémon Company's overwhelming promotional campaign and the amazing reputation built up by the previous Pokémon games, the series has been a great success.

The influence of this sequel has permeated every aspect of the lives of players and even the general public.

The live stream recordings and clips of streamers like Qishu and Qibana exploring hidden storylines have gone viral, breaking into new circles.

It went viral on major social media platforms, adding a massive boost to the game's popularity.

"Masked Man", "Gold and Silver Balls", "Mysterious Little Silver", "Terrifying Cow Demon Akane" ———

Various keywords and trending phrases, like a virus, quickly swept across the internet and became symbols of the new generation of popular culture.

As the game gained wider popularity, it featured legendary Pokémon such as Celebi, Lugia, Ho-Oh, and the three legendary beasts: Entei, Raikou, and Suicune.

It has transformed from a vague local legend into a well-known "star" with a concrete image and story!

In particular, the three Holy Beasts, who can fight alongside players and fight enemies together, have seen their popularity soar thanks to their interactive storylines!

It even briefly surpassed Ho-Oh and Lugia, becoming the "white moonlight" in the hearts of many players.

The City of Wind in the Jodo region.

With the annual Wind Festival in Wind City just a few days away, people and Pokémon on the streets are preparing for the upcoming celebration.

Colorful ribbons and windmills are everywhere, and laughter fills the air, all of which together create a vibrant scene.

"Why can Ash and the others relax in the villa, but I have to come out and do all the hard work?!"

Inside the largest shopping mall in Fenglai City, Bai Zhou looked at the graceful figures of Zhu Lan and Bi Lan walking ahead and muttered indignantly.

At this moment, his appearance was quite "spectacular", with almost no part of his body free.

Shopping bags, large and small, were laden with various holiday gifts, local snacks, handicrafts, and —

The clothing and accessories are clearly designed for women.

She looked like a giant hanging bag.

"This is unfair! I'm so angry and cold! We must resist oppression! We must resist exploitation!"

Bai Zhou longed to wave his hand and raise the banner of revolution high.

But just as he raised his hand halfway, the shopping bag hanging on his arm almost fell to the ground, startling him so much that he quickly put his hand down.

"Genga~"

Gengar was also forced to emerge from the shadows, its two short arms holding a packaging box that was almost taller than itself, floating beside it with a gloomy expression.

Perhaps the one who suffered the most from this "oppression" was Young Kira, who was at the very back of the line, panting and dragging a huge shopping cart.

The cart was piled with even more things, and the ground creaked with every step Youngkiras took.

If we were to ask who in Shiraishu's "family" is currently the most relaxed and carefree, then...

That's probably Gardevoir, which floats around Cynthia and Azure, occasionally using its psychic powers to pick up items for them to examine carefully.

As for the ugly fish...

Due to his limited mobility, he was left in Daigo's incredibly spacious seaside villa to "look after the house" and never came out.

Perhaps this is the only silver lining in misfortune.