Chapter Twenty-Two: The Shadow of the Demon God

Chen Ou felt beads of cold sweat trickling down his temples.

There was nothing odd about the Flame Emperor appearing in this cave; nothing odd about the Flame Emperor itself. But the Flame Emperor standing before Chen Ou? That was a problem.

Chen Ou was no Ash Ketchum, the Chosen One who could stumble across anything—so many legendary Pokémon had left Ash's circle, never seen by him. Chen Ou had met Mew and the three Legendary Titans by waiting at the World Tree, encountered Darkrai through the energy of Shinko’s dreams, and later saw Dialga and Palkia because he happened to be swept up in the plot of Poplar Town.

He could swear he’d never glimpsed Ho-Oh, nor carried anything related to it. Thus, the Flame Emperor, a guardian of Ho-Oh, appearing before him of its own accord made no sense.

Chen Ou was no rainbow-hearted hero. He thought it best not to possess the innocence of Ash Ketchum. He had no desire for his mind to be filled with nothing but Pokémon; he still wanted to lure Cynthia back, after all…

But the situation at hand left no room for such musings. After brawling with Darkrai and the temporal duo, Chen Ou no longer believed these divine beasts were friendly. They had no true allegiance; to them, humans were insects. Never assume that meeting a legendary Pokémon meant good fortune. Surviving the encounter—that was true luck.

Still, Chen Ou wasn’t overly anxious. If he’d run into Yveltal, he’d have turned tail and fled immediately. The reputation of Ho-Oh’s guardians was decent enough.

He stared at the Flame Emperor, who watched him intently. Gathering himself, Chen Ou cleared his throat and asked calmly, “Flame Emperor, may I ask why you are here?”

The Flame Emperor lowered its head to look at him, silent for a long while, then let out a low growl.

Rotom Dex at Chen Ou’s shoulder helpfully translated: “The Flame Emperor says it senses the aura of Dialga, Palkia, Darkrai, and Mew upon you. Rotom.”

“I have met them, yes, but I don’t recall any entanglement with Ho-Oh,” Chen Ou replied, his composure settling further.

If the conversation was open, then there was no legendary Pokémon Chen Ou couldn’t persuade.

The Flame Emperor regarded him deeply, then growled again.

Rotom Dex continued, “It says since you survived encounters with those others and earned their trust, you are someone worthy of its trust. It needs your help, human. Wait—Rotom! You need our help?!”

Rotom stared, shocked, at the serious Flame Emperor.

Chen Ou could tell—this was absolutely one of the strongest Flame Emperors of its kind, its energy waves rivaling those of the Darkrai he’d met in Poplar Town. The searing heat emanating from it was unlike anything he’d encountered before.

Chen Ou shook his head. “I don’t know what I could possibly do to help. Your power is rare even among humans and legendary Pokémon. I’m just a rookie trainer; these three beside me are the only companions I have.”

He gestured sincerely to Charmander, Growlithe, and Rotom.

The Flame Emperor shook its head and growled again.

Rotom Dex translated, “We have sensed a powerful presence entering the Kanto region. This being is likely to cause us tremendous trouble. We need human assistance. You—I hope you can contact the strongest humans, gather as many as possible to help. Rotom.”

Chen Ou’s brow furrowed immediately.

Such a request could not be lightly granted. With his current connections, Chen Ou could indeed rally the strongest humans, but that wasn’t the point. Why would the regional Champions and Elite Four convene? Such a move was fraught with messy political implications.

Yet, for the Flame Emperor to make such a request meant the situation was likely far more dire than he’d imagined.

Countless thoughts flashed through Chen Ou’s mind. He rubbed his brow with a finger, thinking deeply. Then he looked up and said gravely, “Flame Emperor, I don’t wish to wade into this mess, but since you’ve come this far, I ask that you provide a reason that would convince both me and the League. I am a Pokémon Professor for the League—I have the ability to fulfill your request, but I need a reason.”

The Flame Emperor nodded.

“This matter should indeed be made known to you. Rotom.”

The Flame Emperor took a moment to organize its words.

“Ho-Oh awakened a few days ago. She sensed the presence of that being, along with overwhelming resentment—a problem she cannot solve alone. Inviting other deities to help is unreliable, so she only asked the Sea God Lugia, who possesses strong mental resistance, and tasked us with seeking assistance, preferably from humans. Rotom.”

Chen Ou pulled at the corner of his mouth helplessly. “Get to the point—I know the situation is grave. What I need is a reason to convince the others.”

A flicker of embarrassment crossed the Flame Emperor’s eyes, quickly suppressed. It spoke solemnly: “I’ve only heard the name of that being, never seen it myself…”

Chen Ou was dumbfounded.

No one had told him that the famed Flame Emperor from anime, manga, and games—so popular and renowned—was such a chatterbox…

“He is the demon god Hoopa. It is said—”

“Wait!” Chen Ou shouted, interrupting Rotom’s translation and the Flame Emperor’s explanation.

Everyone looked at Chen Ou. His face was full of shock. He took a stride over to the stunned hunter, grabbed him by the collar, and hauled him upright to meet his gaze.

The burly man was bewildered, with a trace of timidity.

He couldn’t help but shiver—Chen Ou’s gaze was terrifying.

“What exactly did you steal?” Chen Ou demanded.

“I—I think it was a jug.”

“Did you rob the Valley of Creation?”

“I—I’m not sure, but maybe.”

The questioning finished, Chen Ou felt the threads in his mind tie all the scattered details together.

The hunter had stolen the Punishment Jug from the Valley of Creation. The leader in Kalos had sent Lei to deliver the jug to Kanto, intending to use Hoopa—specifically its malevolent side—to seize a breeding facility.

What a sick joke! Unless the Kanto region’s hunter leader was unaware of Hoopa’s power, he would never use it for such a trivial matter. But if he didn’t know Hoopa, why specifically request the Punishment Jug?

Damn it—if the fools in Kalos knew, fine. If not, then the Kanto leader’s intentions must be guessed in the worst possible light.

Chen Ou hurled the hunter to the ground.

“Damn!”

After everything he’d been through, Chen Ou no longer believed that if Hoopa summoned those legendary Pokémon, it would be as easily resolved as in the films.

Remember—the movies never offered a simple solution like the Poplar Town incident did.

If the Punishment Jug released Hoopa’s evil and then broke apart, it would even have to be taken back to Kalos for repairs!

Moreover, the destructive power of those divine beasts was nowhere near as gentle as in the films. Under the sway of malevolence, a full-blast assault from the legends would be nothing like the restrained battle in Poplar Town.

And that was just two of them—it could be far more this time…

“Rotom! Contact Professor Oak immediately!…”

Chen Ou took a deep breath to steady himself.

“Kanto is about to face a catastrophe.”