Chapter Twenty-Three: Gathering Friends

“Professor.” Chen Ou’s expression was grave and heavy.

The moment Professor Oak saw his face, he realized something serious was afoot. He straightened up and asked, “What’s happened?”

“Professor, are you familiar with Hoopa?” Chen Ou had managed to regain his composure after his earlier shock and worry, his demeanor now serious but steady.

Professor Oak frowned, thinking for a long moment before replying, “I recall Professor Brattano mentioning it once. He said it was a mythical Pokémon with remarkable spatial manipulation abilities, not particularly powerful, though. He encountered one in a place called the Valley of Legacy, where followers of Arceus reside. A rather mischievous creature, as I remember.”

Indeed, this was an old memory that Professor Oak dredged up from the recesses of his mind. At that time, Brattano had still been a fledgling researcher, without a clear direction for his work. Oak recalled Brattano mentioning the encounter as an amusing story during a conference, nothing more than a travel anecdote.

Chen Ou shook his head.

“According to my research, Hoopa is not weak at all—quite the opposite. Ordinary legendary Pokémon would stand little chance against it. It’s known as the Super Djinn. And it can summon other legendary Pokémon and transport them elsewhere. What Brattano saw was probably Hoopa after it was sealed by Arceus.”

Professor Oak nodded in understanding, not doubting the information Chen Ou provided. First, Brattano was not a researcher of legendary Pokémon; his expertise lay with Xerneas and Yveltal from the Kalos region, given that his work on Mega Evolution was tightly linked to those two. Second, Chen Ou was, without question, the leading authority in the field of legendary Pokémon. In this domain, his word carried weight.

“But what about Hoopa? Isn’t it in the Kalos region?” Professor Oak asked in some confusion, thrown off by Chen Ou’s words.

Chen Ou answered solemnly, “Professor, a few hunters have brought the Punishment Jar containing Hoopa’s evil spirit to Kanto. They might be planning to unleash chaos here.”

Professor Oak’s expression darkened at this. After hearing Chen Ou’s account of Hoopa, he could already imagine the possible consequences.

“You’re saying they might use Hoopa’s evil spirit to summon other legendary Pokémon and attack Kanto?”

Professor Oak’s face turned grim. He didn’t know much about legendary Pokémon, but he never dared to underestimate them. In Hoenn, the greatest threat had never truly been Team Aqua or Team Magma. Even without those villainous groups, Groudon and Kyogre could still awaken and clash. Every time that happened, the entire Hoenn League was thrown into turmoil.

One wrong move could mean the destruction of one or even several major cities—an irreparable blow for any regional league. If legendary Pokémon were allowed to rampage unchecked, the fall of the entire league was a real possibility.

In Chen Ou’s research, legendary Pokémon were the guardians of natural order. But to most, their overwhelming, catastrophic power made them ticking time bombs—latent threats to order.

Professor Oak struggled to imagine the havoc three or more legendary Pokémon could wreak in Kanto.

But Chen Ou shook his head. Seeing Oak’s puzzled gaze, he replied with a hint of helplessness, “If they really can control Hoopa’s evil spirit, that would actually be a good thing. We could resolve the issue with minimal sacrifice—at worst, we’d just have to deal with the troublemakers themselves.”

“What truly worries me is the possibility of them being controlled by Hoopa in turn. An unrestrained Hoopa is far more difficult to handle.”

Professor Oak let out a sigh, equally helpless. Chen Ou was right—things under control aren’t frightening; it’s the things that spiral out of control that truly terrify.

“Is your information reliable?” Professor Oak couldn’t help rubbing his temples; faced with such matters, anyone would feel overwhelmed.

Chen Ou paused, then sheepishly lowered his head and scratched his hair. “I don’t have solid proof. These are reasonable inferences.”

Professor Oak shook his head with a wry smile. “That won’t do. The League may not believe you. I can guess you want to gather as many powerful allies as possible, but a mere hunch won’t sway the League.”

Chen Ou nodded seriously. “I’ll continue investigating and gathering evidence. But before I have proof, Professor, I need you to help lay the groundwork as much as possible.”

“No problem. I’ll get to it right away. Ah, you little rascal, you never let me rest easy. First it was Charmander, and now, before long, you’ve brought me trouble with Hoopa.”

Professor Oak pressed his hand to his forehead, feeling utterly helpless.

Back in the day, he’d thought Red and Green, with their battles of wits and courage against Team Rocket, were trouble enough. But with Chen Ou, he found there was always someone more daring. The old saying truly rang true.

Chen Ou could only offer a helpless smile. It wasn’t as if he wanted this. He just wanted to train diligently, compete in the Indigo League, win a championship, and then travel the world, seeking new bonds and goals along the way.

But who could have guessed that trouble, like the wind, would always follow him?

He was just a rookie trainer! His abilities were limited, yet the problems he faced were always monumental!

Professor Oak waved helplessly, then hung up the phone.

Chen Ou took a deep breath, stood up, and recalled Charmander and Growlithe into their Poké Balls. He looked at Entei and said, “Next, you’ll need to help me win the trust of certain people and obtain evidence that will convince others.”

Entei furrowed its brow, then after a long pause, nodded in agreement with a deep roar.

Rotom translated promptly, “We’ve already contacted some of your people. Blaine of Cinnabar Island…”

Chen Ou nodded. “But we still need evidence to convince others and get them to evacuate. Defeating the hunters and Hoopa is our job—there’s no need for civilian casualties.”

“But time is running short, Rotom!”

“If you’re unwilling, find someone else. I will not give up on seeking evidence, and I won’t allow unnecessary sacrifice in this affair.”

Chen Ou looked directly into Entei’s eyes, unwilling to yield in the slightest.

He had agreed to participate only to prevent Hoopa’s rampage, not to become an obstacle himself. His true goal was to minimize loss.

Entei gazed into this human’s eyes.

There, it saw unwavering resolve and the readiness to part ways if necessary.

Slowly, Entei nodded.

This was a mark of divine recognition, a legendary Pokémon’s acknowledgment of a human.

Chen Ou drew a deep breath, looking out at the rain beyond the cave, his expression solemn, lost in thought.

ps: Off to visit my ancestors’ graves—no time to write today.