Pokémon: I have no choice but to do this old thing?

Night slowly enveloped the Sinnoh region, and the Pokémon Center gradually quieted down.

In the midst of the utter silence, Zhang Jianying's eyelashes trembled slightly, and finally, amidst excruciating pain as if her entire body were being pricked by needles, she struggled to regain consciousness.

The blurry vision slowly became clear.

The first thing he saw was Kirullian's pale face, which was filled with worry and concern.

Then, the huge head of the forest tortoise came into view, and it let out a deep, relieved roar.

Gastly spun excitedly in the air, its body flickering with excitement.

Zhang Jianying tried to move his fingers, but found that even such a simple movement consumed all his strength and aroused an omnipresent stinging pain.

"Please don't move."

Miss Joey, who had been standing by his side, immediately pressed her hand gently on his shoulder. "Your life energy has been greatly drained, and your source has been damaged. What you need most now is to rest."

Zhang Jianying turned his neck with difficulty, looking around the unfamiliar room. Suddenly, he felt a very slight tug on the blanket at the foot of the hospital bed.

He followed his instincts and looked up, meeting a pair of eyes that were peeking at him from the shadows under the bed. When he looked over, the eyes immediately recoiled into the darkness as if startled.

"My baby dragon will always be watching over you."

Kirlia's telepathic message echoed in his mind, filled with deep weariness and relief: "From the moment you fell into a coma until now, I have stayed by your side without leaving for a moment and have not allowed anyone to easily approach you."

A surge of warmth welled up in Zhang Jianying's heart. He forced a weak smile and, with all his might, slowly reached one hand into the shadows under the bed.

"It's okay...don't worry."

His voice was so hoarse that it was almost unrecognizable.

Time passed second by second, and just as Zhang Jianying's arm was about to fall due to weakness, Baby Dragon slowly, little by little, peeked out half of its head from the shadows.

It looked around warily, especially at Miss Joey beside it, before carefully and quickly touching Zhang Jianying's fingertip with its cool, wet nose.

The sensation is fleeting.

Then, as if they had accomplished something earth-shattering, they quickly hid themselves back under the safe fortress.

But Zhang Jianying clearly saw that in that instant, what flickered in its eyes was not only vigilance, but also a faint light of relief.

"Thank you... for choosing to protect me."

He tried his best to speak, each word tinged with pain in his chest.

In the shadows, the baby dragon's short tail, hidden behind it, swayed almost imperceptibly from side to side.

In the days that followed, this special care ward at the Elf Center became their temporary home.

Under Cynthia's special care, Zhang Jianying and his Pokémon gained access to the top-tier medical resources in the Sinnoh region.

Various medical instruments operate stably for more than twelve hours a day, emitting a vibrant green light. Combined with special medicines made from vitality blocks urgently allocated by the alliance, these medicines are injected into his body drop by drop through intravenous drips, slowly repairing his depleted life force.

After Zhang Jianying woke up, the three little ones finally agreed to continue receiving treatment after confirming that their trainer was truly out of danger.

Kirullian was placed on a special nursing bed next to Zhang Jianying's hospital bed, where she slowly recovered her overdrawn mental energy in a carefully constructed, gentle superpower field.

The forest turtle's shell was carefully filled and repaired by a professional Pokémon doctor using a special resin, gradually restoring its former luster.

Gastly was placed in a healing chamber made of Dark Stone, where the energy that had been dissipating from its body was gathered back together, and its gaseous body gradually returned to its former solidity.

Only Baby Dragon stubbornly refused any form of intensive treatment that would require it to leave the ward.

It only allowed the Lucky Egg to treat her most obvious external injuries and replenish her with necessary nutrients under Zhang Jianying's watchful eye.

But whenever medical staff try to take it for a more detailed energy scan, it immediately growls threateningly and nimbly burrows back under Zhang Jianying's bed, which is the only safe corner it recognizes.

"Please give it a little more time."

Zhang Jianying often had to cast apologetic glances at Miss Joey and the other medical staff, "It has experienced too much trauma, and it takes patience to build trust."

One sunny afternoon, Cynthia came to visit again, carrying a basket of carefully selected tree fruits that were very beneficial for restoring vitality.

"There has been some new progress in the investigation into the Dark Star organization."

She sat down on the chair beside the hospital bed, elegantly crossing her legs, but her expression was more serious than usual. "They seem to be colluding with Team Galactic in search of some kind of... key."

Leaning against the reclining headboard, Zhang Jianying's face remained pale. He asked softly, "Is it related to Mewtwo?"

Cynthia leaned forward slightly and continued speaking.

"I'm afraid it's more than that. They firmly believe that the energy within legendary Pokémon is the key to unlocking a certain unknown location. Mewtwo may be part of their puzzle, but not the only one."

"Interpol has also officially intervened, and they have sent a senior instructor to assist us."

Just then, the ward door was gently pushed open.

An extremely burly figure almost blocked the entire doorway and blocked most of the corridor lights.

The visitor was an elderly man with silver hair, which he combed meticulously. His face was weathered and covered with deep and shallow wrinkles, as if etched by the years.

It was clear that the old man was advanced in years, with a lingering weariness between his brows, but his body was still like an iron tower that had withstood the erosion of wind and rain without collapsing, with broad shoulders and a wide back, and the outline of his muscles was still clearly visible under his simple training clothes.

Even more striking was the Lucario quietly following beside him.

This Lucario is no longer young either; its blue fur is not as bright as it was in its prime, with some gray and white marks. Its eyes are calm and reserved, containing the wisdom and experience accumulated over the years.

It stood there calmly, yet the wave-guiding power emanating from it was like a deep pool, impossible to ignore.

The elderly man who arrived abruptly did not deliberately display his power; he simply stood at the door of the ward and calmly surveyed the room.

The old man's gaze was not sharp, but it carried a heavy pressure.

That was the wisdom and insight forged through countless years and dangers. The faint ticking of the medical instruments in the ward seemed to fade into the background under this silent pressure.

"Cynthia Champion"

The old man's voice was deep and hoarse, typical of the elderly, but every word was pronounced clearly and forcefully.

Cynthia immediately stood up, her usual composure and elegance revealing a hint of respect from a junior to a senior: "Senior Gustav, what brings you here in person?"

An elderly man named Gustav slowly walked into the ward, and the elderly Lucario beside him moved in sync, his steps silent, maintaining perfect harmony with the trainer.

Gustav did not respond to Cynthia's question; his gaze first fell on Zhang Jianying on the hospital bed.

Then, Gustav's gaze swept over the Baby Dragon at the foot of the bed, whose body tensed instantly at his arrival and emitted a threatening growl from its throat, as well as the three Pokémon outside the window who were also looking at him warily, sensing the pressure.

The old Lucario's gaze swept over the area as well, pausing briefly on the unusual crimson markings on the baby dragon's body. A hint of understanding flickered in its expression before it returned to its usual calm and collected state.

"Yeah, it's on the way."

Gustav uttered a short syllable from his throat, as if to greet Cynthia.

He walked to the foot of the bed, his massive figure casting a shadow that enveloped Zhang Jianying. "He's badly injured."

He stated, his gaze falling on Zhang Jianying's bandaged body, "I watched the base's surveillance footage. To be able to survive in that desperate situation with a few untrained little guys, relying on instinct and a ruthless fighting spirit, and even protect them... kid, you're not bad."

His assessment remained understated, yet he accurately pointed out that Zhang Jianying relied on the survival instinct and resilience honed during his anti-poaching career, rather than the conventional tactical skills of a trainer.

Gustav took a small, flat metal flask from his waist and placed it on the bedside table with a muffled "thud".

"I made my own medicinal wine, which can be applied externally and will save you half a month of bed rest."

He paused, his worldly-wise eyes locking onto Zhang Jianying once more. "Once you've recovered, if you're still interested in cleaning up the mess in the darkness, have Cynthia let me know."

Gustav didn't exchange many pleasantries. After speaking, he turned around decisively and his burly figure steadily left. The elderly Lucario followed closely behind. Before leaving, it turned back to look at Zhang Jianying one last time and nodded slightly, as if in silent approval, before catching up with the trainer.

Only after his footsteps disappeared at the end of the corridor did Cynthia let out a soft breath, look at the serious-looking Zhang Jianying, and explain in a low voice, "This is Master Gustav, a legendary figure in Interpol. He is semi-retired and rarely shows his face. I didn't expect him to come personally for you and Dark Star's matter."

She said with emotion, "He is not only a top master of fighting and tracking, but his training and understanding of Pokémon has also reached a level that is difficult for ordinary people to reach."

"See that Lucario next to him? That's his first partner, who has been with him for over forty years, through countless fierce battles, and whose strength is unfathomable."

"A few years ago, Mr. Alder, the champion of the Unova region, had a disagreement with Master Gustav over a major poaching case involving regional jurisdiction, and they even had a heated exchange at a meeting."

"It is said that the two later had a 'friendly exchange,' and Mr. Adek was convinced and publicly acknowledged that the master's plan was more comprehensive and effective."

Cynthia's expression turned to one of reminiscence. "For him to come all the way to see you, it seems your potential might be even greater than I imagined."

Zhang Jianying sighed inwardly.

The power contained within Gustav's imposing physique, Lucario's calm and composed demeanor, and the information revealed in Cynthia's words all made him deeply understand just how powerful this old man was.

Cynthia took a document marked "Top Secret" from her briefcase and handed it to Zhang Jianying.

The document clearly records the Dark Star Organization's secret activities around the world in recent years, as well as the coordinates of several secret bases that the Alliance highly suspects are conducting dangerous experiments.

"The clues you provided, especially the images recorded in the atlas, are of immeasurable value."

Cynthia's voice was soft, yet carried an iron will.

"But that's why I want you to understand that you can rest assured that the work ahead will be handled by the Alliance and Interpol. Your most important task right now is to fully recover your health."

Zhang Jianying silently flipped through the documents, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the edges of the papers.

But involuntarily, Gustav's blunt and rough words came back to mind.

Gustav's words were more powerful than any grand principle, quietly awakening a long-dormant feeling.

The ward returned to silence, with only the rhythmic ticking of the medical equipment remaining.

Zhang Jianying turned her head and looked out at the clear blue sky.

Outside the window, the forest tortoise was lying on the lawn, quietly enjoying photosynthesis. Kirlia was beside it, using her restored Nen to clean the dust from the crevices of its shell.

Gastly, as always, lurked in the nearby shadows, protecting the little family.

Meanwhile, Baby Dragon was curled up at the foot of Zhang Jianying's hospital bed, and for the first time during the day, he fell into a relatively peaceful sleep in an environment filled with the smell of medicine and Zhang Jianying's presence.

Its little paw unconsciously gripped the hem of Zhang Jianying's drooping clothes tightly.

"I see."

After a long silence, Zhang Jianying murmured to himself, his gaze unusually clear, "But, Miss Cynthia, some things, once you get involved, are destined to be irreversible. My Pokémon and I are probably already caught in the middle."

Cynthia gazed at him, her expression complex in her insightful grey eyes.

There was admiration, there was worry, and perhaps even a slight flutter of excitement that she herself was unaware of.

For a fleeting moment, her red lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to offer some further advice. But in the end, all her words turned into a silent sigh.

Cynthia stood up and gently placed a card made of a special material, bearing only her name and a line of private contact information, on the bedside table.

"If, and I mean if, you encounter any emergency, or simply need help, you can contact me at any time using this number."

She walked towards the door, the hem of her black trench coat drawing an arc in the air.

Take care. I look forward to seeing you fully recovered and radiant at the League Conference.

In the midst of this tranquility, in the corner of the hospital bed unnoticed by anyone, the seemingly sleeping baby dragon quietly opened one eye.

Baby Dragon's eyes held no trace of sleepiness, only a cold scrutiny and assessment. Its gaze was fixed on the direction Cynthia had just left in, until the sound of her footsteps completely disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Its irregular, cursed, blood-red patterns gleamed with an eerie luster under the afternoon sun.

Mewtwo's words as he departed echoed once more in the depths of my mind.

Baby Dragon withdrew its gaze, turned its head, and gently rubbed its cool cheek against the trainer's warm wrist, the action carrying the dependence of an injured little animal.

However, from an angle unseen by anyone, under that warm shadow, Baby Dragon's lips slowly curled into a twisted smile, a mixture of satisfaction and possessiveness.

The path Mewtwo described was filled with thorns and darkness, but finally a ray of light called "Homecoming" shone through.

This time, it is no longer alone.

No matter what lies ahead, it will use its sharp teeth and madness to defend this hard-won warmth to the death.