Chapter 114: The Flame Emperor

It was unclear which unfortunate fool, out of sheer boredom, uttered such a sentence.

“A trainer’s emotions should only be expressed after a battle!”

That statement was utterly absurd. Damn it all, you’ve just been fighting someone—during a no-rules battle, no less—barely stopping short of drawing knives! And you claim this is a passionate exchange of feelings?

Love or not, this sounds like domestic abuse anxiety...

Battles are important, sure, but to endlessly elevate and mythologize their significance? That’s just meaningless.

Chen Ou watched Naji, brimming with intensity, and deep within, he heard her words. He believed Naji’s approach was misguided. Yet he also knew that mere arguments wouldn’t make her words sound resolute; at worst, they would make her seem stubborn, slowly realizing her mistakes.

“Then let’s begin.”

Chen Ou shook his head, and instantly, flames erupted from his body. Simultaneously, the flames around Entei flowed like a river, engulfing the entire creature. The fire surged and solidified, forming armor resembling steel claws over Entei’s legs and forepaws, while the hind legs were enveloped in lightweight fiery armor.

Then, flames burst around Entei’s head, forming a sleek, angular helmet adorned with a pair of long horns. From the protrusions on its back, which once resembled iron wings, fiery crimson wings spread out. Its white, cloud-like mane transformed into roaring flames.

At the same time, Entei’s energy level and tier surged dramatically. Naji and the Mega Alakazam stared in shock at what appeared to be an evolved Entei.

When Chen Ou unleashed his full power, it rivaled even a Mega Evolution.

Now, Entei was no longer weaker than the Mega Alakazam that Naji had enhanced—it was even slightly stronger.

Entei took a light step forward, and a fierce blaze surged from its paws, instantly covering the entire battlefield. Feeling the abundant energy within, without the slightest resistance, Entei couldn’t help but lift its head and roar loudly.

“Roar!!!”

The deep, impassioned roar echoed throughout the Golden Gym, penetrating the walls and reaching the outside world almost unimpeded.

Chen Ou showed no reaction, but the referees and Bai Ci at the sidelines felt their legs weaken, nearly wanting to kneel.

The little Chimchar and Poochyena gazed at the imposing Entei on the field, its expression full of longing and defiance. They, too, harbored thoughts of submitting to Entei, yet their fighting spirit wouldn’t dissipate so easily.

Opposite them, Alakazam and Naji took a deep breath, eyes fixed warily on this Entei that no longer seemed like the Entei they knew.

Within the gym, only a handful of apprentices remained standing; most had collapsed onto the ground or knelt in submission.

But the matter didn’t end there. Entei’s roar was more than just a battle cry; it was infused with its own energy and aura.

That roar spread almost undiminished across half of Golden City and into the surrounding forests.

Passersby, new visitors, children at play, and elders with silver hair—all felt an overwhelming shock, a reverence, and a compelling desire to submit upon hearing it.

The effect was even more pronounced in the outskirts’ forests.

There, a trainer preparing to catch a Pokémon carefully watched his target—a Kadabra. He had been observing it for some time, hoping to enter the Golden Gym for training. Psychic-type Pokémon were rare, and wild Kadarbas even more so. Worse yet, whenever anyone approached, the sleeping Kadabra would teleport away instantly, making capture exceptionally difficult.

At last, the trainer waited for the moment Kadabra ate, the perfect chance to throw a Poké Ball.

Just as he prepared to throw it and initiate the battle, a deep, stirring roar echoed out.

A shiver ran down his spine. His hand trembled, and the ball slipped from his grasp, falling to the ground. He stumbled, losing his balance.

“Damn it!” he snapped, pounding the earth, “I’m going to fail again! Whose Pokémon is roaring like that? Can’t they have any consideration? Believe it or not, I’m going to catch Pokémon somewhere else!”

As for going to beat up that roaring Pokémon and its trainer—he didn’t even dare imagine it. A Pokémon whose roar filled him with fear had to be incredibly powerful; he didn’t want to think about it.

Brushing off grass, leaves, twigs, and dust, he muttered his misfortune, picked up the fallen Poké Ball, wiped it clean, and prepared to put it away.

Poké Balls weren’t cheap; anything related to trainers came at a price. This ball was quite valuable to an ordinary person.

But just as he was about to leave, his peripheral vision caught a sight that filled him with joy.

The Kadabra had not fled!

He turned around excitedly, clutching the ball tightly.

At that moment, Kadabra lay prostrate on the ground, kneeling as if in worship toward the distance. Though puzzled by this behavior, the trainer made a swift decision and threw the ball at Kadabra. It transformed into a red light and was swallowed by the ball with almost no resistance. Kadabra was captured.

The trainer leapt up in excitement, silently thanking the Pokémon he had cursed moments before.

Meanwhile, all the Pokémon in the forest knelt in submission, as if witnessing the birth of an emperor.

Far away, a large brown bird opened its eyes, gazing toward Golden City with a look of satisfaction.

Chen Ou finally understood why the Legendary Beasts—Entei, Suicune, and Raikou—unlike the trio of Legendary Birds under Lugia or the three Legendary Mushrooms of Sinnoh, were not burdened with any special mission.

It was as if their resurrection by Ho-Oh had reduced them to mere followers.

Had Chen Ou not seen Arceus himself, he might have believed otherwise. But now, since Arceus had split itself into eighteen parts for various purposes, do you think it would have spared the Legendary Beasts, leaving such a ready workforce idle?

In truth, the names of the Legendary Beasts implied much...

Emperor, monarch, duke...

They symbolized royal authority in ancient times! Yet the current league system left no place for these earthly symbols of power to exert influence. Thus, their roles gradually faded into obscurity. The Legendary Beasts seemed to be nothing more than legendary beasts.

With this thought, Chen Ou nodded in satisfaction.

“I can write essays about this again... Wait,” he suddenly remembered something, a twitch at the corner of his mouth. “I have no intention of claiming kingship or emperorship—why would my duties be revived?”

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