Chapter 242: Those Eyes Gazing from the High Mountain

Kimura had once poured his entire heart and soul into Charcadet, expecting it to cut through thorns and break through the seventh gym for him.

Therefore, he absolutely could not be mistaken; this Armarouge was none other than the Charcadet he had once released back into the wild!

Kimura's gaze, filled with shock amidst his surprise, darted back and forth between the Armarouge standing quietly behind Luo Mu and the Tyranitar lying on the ground.

To them, the Tyranitar was like an insurmountable high wall, yet before the Armarouge, it was like a lamb awaiting slaughter; the gap in combat power simply did not exist in the same dimension.

Kimura recalled the experience from a few months ago when he had traveled to Cortondo Town once again to challenge the gym, only to suffer a crushing defeat.

In his view, compared to the Armarouge, the Pokémon Gym Leader Rika sent out specifically to test challengers still offered a glimmer of hope for victory, whereas the Armarouge's powerful form made him unable to even muster the thought of challenging it.

Such a powerful Armarouge was one he had personally let go and released into the wild.

A trace of regret surged into Kimura's heart.

On the other side, the few people who had been saved surrounded Luo Mu, their faces brimming with gratitude and nostalgia.

"Luo Mu, it's been a long time, and thank you for saving us!"

"What a powerful Armarouge! Is this a Pokémon you caught during your subsequent travels?"

"That Tyranitar, against which we were completely helpless, didn't even have the power to fight back!"

Somewhat unable to withstand their enthusiasm, Luo Mu smiled and replied a few words, clarifying that he had seen Su En and the others sending out a distress signal at the Pokémon Center, which was why he had come to assist.

Suddenly, someone said, "Speaking of which, you have a very good relationship with Mr. Kimura, right? Why aren't you two talking?"

"Come to think of it, he also raised a Charcadet back then, nurturing it like a treasure; unfortunately, he entrusted it to a relative with potential, otherwise that Charcadet would have become a powerful Armarouge, wouldn't it?"

Kimura's body stiffened, while Luo Mu and the Armarouge's eyes flickered for an instant.

Luo Mu had found it strange; everyone knew Kimura had raised Charcadet as his sole hope, yet when Charcadet suddenly disappeared, no one had ever raised any questions.

So this was how he had explained it to the people around him.

Without even looking, Luo Mu knew that at this moment, Kimura behind him must be looking at him with a pleading gaze, begging him not to reveal the truth.

To state his actions outright would merely be to tear open the Armarouge's old wounds; after sneering inwardly, Luo Mu spoke aloud: "Both you and your Pokémon are injured; you should return to the Pokémon Center for treatment first. I will handle this Tyranitar."

Only then did the group feel the pain spreading through their bodies; after thanking Luo Mu once more, they left without noticing that he had shifted the topic.

Leading the Armarouge past Kimura, Luo Mu approached the fallen Tyranitar; with his family's Feng Su Gou around, he had gradually adapted to large-sized Pokémon, so the sense of impact brought by the Tyranitar was extremely faint.

Taking out a Poké Ball, he recalled the Tyranitar into it; generally, there were two ways to handle a Tyranitar: either release it back into the deep mountains and wilds, or have it caught by some trainer.

Since the few people just now had chosen to leave directly, it indicated they did not intend to get involved in this matter; Luo Mu also had no interest in raising a Tyranitar, so he would have his Dragonite take him to a nearby rocky mountain area to release it shortly.

Holding the Tyranitar's Poké Ball, Luo Mu didn't even glance at Kimura; instead, he turned around with the Armarouge and walked directly toward the exit.

At this moment, Kimura's hoarse voice rang out: "Thank you, and thank the Armarouge, for saving me; if possible, could you tell me how many gyms you have cleared by now?"

Luo Mu paused his steps, did not turn his head, and said indifferently: "Champion level."

As soon as the words fell, without waiting for any reaction or answer from Kimura, the sound of Luo Mu and the Armarouge's footsteps gradually faded into the distance until they had completely left the mine.

Kimura struggled to his feet in a wretched state; his expression held regret, complexity, but mostly an unprecedented clarity.

Wiping his forehead, he smeared a hand full of ash; Kimura curled the corners of his mouth into a bitter smile and said in a hoarse voice: "So it was a matter of capability difference as a trainer after all? It was never that Charcadet failed to respond to my expectations, but rather that I, as a trainer, was simply not qualified."

"What have I done?"

Tears filled with regret streamed down Kimura's no-longer-youthful face; crystal-clear teardrops mixed with dust, becoming exceedingly turbid.

On the other side, after leaving the cave, Luo Mu recalled the Armarouge into its Poké Ball and summoned his Dragonite once again.

The Armarouge's emotions had remained calm from start to finish, showing not the slightest violent fluctuation due to Kimura's appearance; this was precisely why Luo Mu had felt safe letting it out to deal with the Tyranitar.

"Fly to the wilds a bit further away; let's find a rocky mountain area to release this Tyranitar, so it doesn't run into the mine and cause trouble," Luo Mu said softly after mounting Dragonite's back.

In the blink of an eye, Dragonite mastered the flowing wind and soared upward, departing from this region.

In the distant forest, a Pokémon that had come upon sensing the Tyranitar's movements—a creature whose appearance resembled a fusion of Gardevoir and Gallade—lifted its head to gaze at the sky; its red eyes watched the retreating figures of Dragonite and Luo Mu, and recalling the sharp, edge-filled silhouette of the Armarouge from earlier, a stream of data flowed within them.

This is, a strong one—

The release of the Tyranitar went smoothly; Luo Mu left it a few berries produced by the farm that could restore lost stamina.

Watching the Tyranitar wake up in confusion, eat the berries in confusion, and then walk into the deep mountains in confusion, Luo Mu suddenly recalled the experience Hanze had mentioned in the morning.

Could this Tyranitar be the same one Hanze had encountered during his travels?

After all, Tyranitar were inherently rare, so there was indeed a significant probability that it was the same Pokémon.

But all of this was merely his speculation; after pondering without result, Luo Mu rode Dragonite back to the Anchar Town Pokémon Center and handed the video evidence of the Tyranitar's release to Joy Joy Yumi.

Although he had not accepted the mission, the necessary procedures and formalities still had to be completed; this would avoid many troublesome matters.

Having heard from Joy Joy Yumi that the few people who participated in the mission had received proper medical treatment at the hospital and their Pokémon had been appropriately admitted to the Pokémon Center, Luo Mu skipped over the topic without comment and bid farewell.

Due to the unexpected incident delaying him considerably, by the time Luo Mu rode Dragonite back to the farm, night had already fallen deep; without disturbing the Pokémon within the farm, he washed up and then lay directly on the bed to prepare for rest.

Tonight, the Armarouge was unusually clingy, insisting on sleeping in the same room as Luo Mu, even if it just stood guard through the night.

Helplessly, Luo Mu could only allow the Armarouge to rest leaning against the side of his bed.

(End of Chapter)