Chapter 144: The Great Sun Patrols the Heavens, Protecting the Realm and Pacifying the People

Though the hour was still early, everyone was ordered to rest immediately after finishing the communal meal.
The Bug-type Pokémon were scheduled to arrive at the Silver Plains at night, meaning the freshmen were about to experience their very first night shift.
And in all likelihood, it would last the entire night.
One could only say that this was also providing valuable experience for their future careers at Pokémon Centers.
No matter the hour, whenever Trainers needed assistance, Officers Jenny and Nurses Joy had to keep their spirits high.
"Good thing I'm a night owl."
After soothing Lapras and Milcery to sleep, Zhu Suihan stood outside the tent and gazed out at the plains, a curious Pokémon pausing right by his feet.
"What are you doing here? Hungry?"
Picking up the Nidoran from beside his feet, Zhu Suihan scratched the little fellow under its chin. The creature narrowed its eyes in bliss, its hind legs twitching involuntarily as its large ears fluttered softly like leaves in the breeze.
Even a relatively vigilant Pokémon like Nidoran showed no fear of humans, which went to show how frequently the rotation staff stationed here must have been petting and pampering the local Pokémon while on the clock.
Let alone this Nidoran, chances were its parents had been thoroughly petted the exact same way.
[Waiting until nighttime—it's easy to imagine how much more grueling the work for Joys and Jennys will be in the future,] Mewtwo's voice echoed directly in Zhu Suihan's mind.
[Is the fact that you feel it's too troublesome part of the reason why you have no intention of ever working at a Pokémon Center?]
"I just feel that staying in one place all the time gets a bit stifling, like an urge to move after too much stillness. I certainly don't want to work at the same desk until retirement."
[Then why are you willing to stay at the Academy? Don't you find it stifling, or do the daily lessons somehow prevent you from feeling bored?]
Zhu Suihan sat down cross-legged, placing Nidoran between his legs, and used a soft brush to gently sweep away the dust and debris lodged in the gaps of the creature's venomous barbs.
The spines on the little fellow's back and head dimmed accordingly, a clear sign that the Nidoran was consciously manipulating the elemental energy within its body to prevent its venom from harming Zhu Suihan.
"There will always be a few places where you can stay in peace and quiet; that is the true meaning of home."
Zhu Suihan said, "A home isn't a prison. I can leave whenever I want, just like the Dragon Festival Lance told me about last time."
"If nothing unexpected happens, Lance is probably agonizing over whether to call me right now. After all, if anything goes wrong, his mental fortitude will shatter, and his hometown might end up in the headlines."
Don't assume that just because they belong to the Dragon-master clan of Blackthorn City, they automatically possess ironclad composure and hearts as still as stagnant water.
When matters directly concerning them go wrong, their defenses will break down just like anyone else's—that is completely unavoidable.
"If I ever buy a piece of land in the future, or just rent out an entire island, I'll probably live a completely secluded life there and only come out when something interesting happens."
[Ah, that explains it.]
Zhu Suihan set the Nidoran down and patted its little rear, signaling that the cleanup was finished.
"What is?"
[I heard it while meditating at the Academy. A teacher mentioned that the outside world considers Joy Academy to have boundless virtue for sealing away a ticking time bomb like you, and the teachers were even standing up for you when discussing it.]
[You are a genuine 'cute on the outside, dark on the inside' hypocrite. The teachers have no idea what you're actually like once you step outside the Academy gates.]
Guided by the enthusiastic explanations of "Big Sis and Second Sis," Mewtwo had naturally discovered Scrooge's disguise, and remained somewhat silent regarding the teachers' glowing evaluations.
Well, at least their impression of Trainers was remarkably favorable, which was a good thing.
The Nidoran nudged Zhu Suihan's arm, looking back three times before finally wandering away from the camp area.
"Boundless virtue, huh? It almost feels like I'd be doing this reputation a disservice if I don't become someone like King Poklark."
[It's hardly necessary to go that far. Other people's opinions are just things to listen to, let alone remarks made in jest.]
"Just joking around."
Zhu Suihan rubbed his chin. "Still, I can understand. Regardless of how the causes and results are explained, I'm the primary culprit forcing them into massive overtime."
One can only hope the League steps up and that the various regions don't leave any ticking disasters lying around waiting for him to trigger.
If something does get triggered, Zhu Suihan can only say that brothers and sisters will have plenty of opportunities for overtime in the future—that is simply beyond his control.
As the night grew deeper, everyone woke up at the sound of the bell to eat a meal that was hard to classify as either breakfast or dinner.
"Judging by the sky, it should be dinner, but right after eating we have to go work hard for an entire day and then sleep, which makes it feel like breakfast."
Sprout sat next to Zhu Suihan with his plate, silently worrying about the camp's food reserves.
[Suihan, they're coming.]
Zhu Suihan finished the food on his plate at lightning speed, then looked toward the two bright-eyed little ones.
"It's time for us to punch in. Get ready."
"Pika— ah, no, Lapras!"
"Milu!"
Seeing Milcery aggressively summon a baseball bat, Zhu Suihan slapped a hand to his forehead and shot a meaningful look at Lapras.
Lapras gently bumped Milcery with its head to remind her that they were currently a medical unit and no enemies had appeared yet.
Sprout was stunned. "How do you know?"
"My third partner."
Zhu Suihan looked off toward the distant horizon. "It's just that he's a bit shy and probably doesn't want to see you right now."
A fiery glow lit up the distance—not from something burning, but in a hue resembling a sunset sky.
As the creatures beneath that patch of sky gradually drew closer, the area of the glowing sky expanded progressively, as if someone had installed a massive lighting rig across the plains.
Zhu Suihan raised his binoculars, while his other hand helped Lapras use another pair, and Milcery perched on top of her Trainer's head with a miniature pair tailored to her size.
That wasn't a sunset glow; it was a crimson light emanating from a single Pokémon.
Trailing behind it was an endless aerial procession. Countless Bug-type Pokémon followed its trajectory, scattering glittering scales across the air like a river of stardust beneath a crimson night sky.
In ancient times, it was regarded as the incarnation of the sun.
In the League era, its kindred remained an indelible sorrow for Champion Alder in the original timeline.
Volcarona.
"Time to go to work, everyone."
Zhu Suihan grinned. "That's quite a grand formation."
[Suihan, there are some drones trailing far behind the procession.]
"Sprout, did the League dispatch drones to observe Pokémon migrations?"
Sprout blinked in surprise. "No. Wait, your partner saw them?"
Zhu Suihan narrowed his eyes. "Mewtwo, take care of those annoying little toys."
[Easily done.]
Mewtwo materialized, pointing its right hand forward as tiny psychic energy spheres condensed around it.
Whoosh!
The very instant the sound echoed, the array of drones in the rear shattered in unison, leaving certain people hiding behind the scenes utterly dumbfounded.
What on earth? Did the Quartz League send reinforcements this time?
They hadn't received any intelligence about the Champion or the Elite Four mobilizing.
Sprout waved friendly at Mewtwo. "I'm heading out first, Suihan. I have to manage logistics across various sectors. I'll leave the rest to you guys."
Zhu Suihan picked up his portable medical kit, hesitated for a moment, then set the case back down and transferred the medical supplies inside directly into his censer.
"Let's move."
The lineup following Volcarona matched Zhu Suihan's expectations, consisting mostly of Pokémon like Butterfree and Dustox.
He just wasn't sure whether this migration was for the sake of propagating their species or simply to find a warmer place to spend the winter.
Zhu Suihan glanced up at the sky, mentally estimating the spot where Volcarona would land.
First things first: he was extremely curious about this Volcarona's composition.
He'd use treating its injuries as an excuse to see if he could sneak a pet or two in and experience what touching the sun felt like.
"Awoo!"
Lapras displayed a rare competitive streak, wanting to test whether it could extinguish the sun.
"We'll find some opponents strong enough for that later. This particular Volcarona probably won't cut it."
Milcery was currently pestering the third sister, demanding that she teach her the technique for creating those psychic energy spheres.
Her cream blasts would look so cool if she could do that too!
"Volcarona?"
"Moth."
Arriving at the center of the plains, Zhu Suihan looked up and noticed that this Volcarona had not landed to rest, but remained suspended high in the air, providing a light source for its descending subjects.
Zhu Suihan observed the creature's body and spotted several wounds of varying sizes, proving that the journey hadn't been entirely smooth sailing.
"You're injured. Come down and let me treat you."
"Moth."
They need the light.
Zhu Suihan turned to Mewtwo. "Can your psychic powers cast some light?"
Mewtwo looked at the white-haired youth with a helpless expression: [Psychic power isn't used like that. Besides, the Pokémon don't just want light; they want Volcarona's aura.]
Light, warmth, and the indomitable victorious presence exuded by Volcarona.
These were the things the Pokémon that had traveled thousands of miles needed most.
"Fair enough, I suppose I lack experience in this area."
A Butterfree wobbled down toward them, prompting Milcery to let out a soft cry as she manifested a large cream arm to act as a soft cushion, safely landing the Butterfree onto the ground.
Lapras began to sing, and Life Dew accompanied the melody, lulling the Butterfree into a peaceful sleep.
Zhu Suihan tossed the large light-lamp to Mewtwo, who caught it with practiced coordination and aimed the beam at the Butterfree.
"The glow on its body is a bit dim, and there's a continuous laceration across its wing and torso—probably inflicted by a Flying-type move, or perhaps a direct physical contact attack."
Like Quick Attack or Aerial Ace, for instance.
Zhu Suihan surveyed his surroundings. If Volcarona was an "emperor" on a personal campaign, then the ones flying nearby must be something akin to an imperial guard.
Which meant that even though many people considered Butterfree weak and insignificant, along this entire journey, it had faced danger without a moment's hesitation, fighting valiantly to protect its companions.
"Good work, little one. Leave the rest to us."
Zhu Suihan patted the Butterfree's head. After cleaning and disinfecting the area, he expertly mixed a batch of medicine paste to the ideal consistency and applied it over the wounds on the Butterfree's body.
As for the tear on its wing, he combined bug-silk thread and a needle to suture it much like a chrysalis repairing itself, finishing off with a spritz of medical spray.
"External injuries are easy to handle. Nutritional supplements can wait."
Confirming that this Butterfree was in stable condition, Zhu Suihan looked at Mewtwo.
"Has everyone landed?"
[Mhm, they've all landed. Your classmates are already treating the wounded.]
Zhu Suihan looked up. "Come on down, Volcarona. Your shift is over."
"Moth."
I'm in great shape.
No sooner had it spoken than Volcarona shuddered in the air, opening up yet another small wound on its body, clearly suffering from internal injuries.
Well, for its clan, it was a deeply responsible monarch.
But to Zhu Suihan, it was simply a stubborn mule—and at the moment, it didn't even look like it was just playing hard to get.
Zhu Suihan pulled out his frying pan: "I'll give you two choices. Option one: I beat you down out of the sky. Option two: you fly down voluntarily and behave."
Volcarona lowered its head, about to retort, when its gaze uncontrollably locked onto the flame patterns engraved on the underside of the frying pan.
Sacred Fire?!!
Volcarona fell silent for a brief moment, subdued its radiance, and obediently descended right in front of Zhu Suihan.
"Moth."
I'll be good.
(End of chapter)