Chapter 308: The Water King Who Can

Seeing Water King's conflicted expression, Luo Mu glanced at the silver feather hanging from his necklace, companion to the Evolution Key Stone.

He confirmed his suspicion.

It seemed Water King had sensed the silver feather's aura and come here because of it.

"Ooo~~~"

Water King broke the silence first, letting out a haunting low hum, its eyes signaling Luo Mu to follow.

Forget whether this human was chosen by Lugia, equal to the Phoenix King himself—he'd chosen Luo Mu simply because his character seemed decent. Right now, taking Luo Mu to treat that little one was the priority.

Luo Mu froze for a moment at Water King's gesture, yet somehow understood its meaning—he was to follow.

That surprised him. Was Water King here for more than just observing him, the holder of the silver feather? Did it need his help with something else?

Or was it taking him to Tianqing Mountain, the highest peak in Yunying Range, to meet the Phoenix King?

But upon reflection, Zhanlan City was one of the farthest from Guandong in the Johto region—Water King must have another purpose.

With that Dragonite present, Water King had no worry about Luo Mu keeping up with its speed.

Sure enough, on the other side of this peak, a small forest had suffered a human-caused wildfire.

"The forest fire from a day ago."

At that moment, Water King let out a drawn-out, mournful hum, as if calling out to something.

The cave was small—its height matched Luo Mu's, but its width was too narrow. He could squeeze in, but Dragonite, with his bulky frame, couldn't fit at all and was now sulking outside.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Vulpix flew forward. Just as it leaned in to peek inside, a smooth, yellow, turtle-like head timidly poked out from the entrance.

But after waiting a full minute, neither Luo Mu nor Vulpix nor Ninetales saw anything else emerge.

Luo Mu, accustomed to Legendary Pokémon communicating telepathically, nodded slightly and quickly pulled out his phone to search.

There was a cave there, seemingly some Pokémon's nest.

In the end, Water King must have chosen him because of the Lugia feather.

Just as Luo Mu was about to have Vulpix ignite a flame, Water King halted. Water energy surged around it, condensing into dewdrop-like beads.

Regretting missing these cool, powerful Pokémon, Luo Mu merely looked a bit downcast—he was already unusually resilient emotionally.

Yet the surprise wasn't over: from another entrance, another identical yellow, smooth head emerged.

Stepping down from Dragonite's back, Luo Mu felt an inexplicable sadness, causing Water King to glance at him several times.

That face—nearly haunting in its beauty—made his pupils shrink, as if struck dumb by a sudden, heavenly stroke of luck.

Water King finally stopped at the cliffside of the highest peak in this mountain range.

Luo Mu said gravely: "The embodiment of the north wind—is this why you brought me here?"

"Ooo~~~" (They're the Pokémon I rescued from yesterday's forest fire. I'm not skilled in healing—I can't cure their severe burns.)

Water King's pure, elegant voice echoed in Luo Mu's mind.

For now, he could only resolve Water King's matter, then return to see if he'd even have a chance to meet them again.

In that instant, Luo Mu's excitement cooled as if doused with ice water.

Under Water King's control, the beads spread throughout the cave's interior, glowing faintly with a pale blue aura, illuminating the darkness and revealing the scene within.

Water King nodded gently.

Are humans' emotions changing so fast now?

One moment here, the next gone.

Seeing Water King leap away, nearly vanishing from sight, Dragonite didn't overestimate itself—it wrapped itself in a gentle tailwind, following Water King's and the north wind's aura, flapping its wings to catch up.

What Water King didn't know was that during the journey, Luo Mu's luck seemed to explode—all at once: he saw a Leafeon practicing fighting moves on a large boulder, a Dratini playing carefree, and a Magnemite with a silver body blending into a group of small Magnemite—

The full picture was clear now. Luo Mu didn't ask why Water King, a noble Legendary Pokémon, didn't heal the Hoothoots himself—

But as Water King's water beads entered the hollows of the rock, the two Hoothoots' unnatural expressions of pain and their scorched bodies were laid bare before Luo Mu.

In the center of the cave lay a massive irregular rock, riddled with holes about sixty centimeters in diameter, as if dug out by some creature.

Water King glanced at Dragonite, radiating immense power and an aura identical to the silver feather Luo Mu had just shown, a flicker of surprise in its eyes, then turned, summoned the north wind, and lightly bounded toward a spot in the mountain range.

Surely it wasn't Water King's egg?

Ironically, though Water King was a Water-type Pokémon and skilled in psychic abilities, it could not learn any moves to heal other Pokémon's injuries or status conditions.

Sensing the heavy silence, Vulpix's smile faded, and Ninetales' gaze toward the Hoothoots softened with pity.

"Ooo~~~"

The fire was extinguished by a sudden downpour—clearly, Water King had summoned that miraculous rain.

It seemed Water King had put out the fire, then discovered the two Hoothoots, severely burned and barely alive. Distrusting humans, it brought them here and went out searching for someone trustworthy—human or Pokémon—who could heal them.

Under Water King's lead, Luo Mu, lost in thought, followed it into the pitch-black cave.

After walking about twenty to thirty steps, darkness swallowed everything; all he could make out was Water King's silhouette ahead. The silent cave, even in summer, felt cool and damp.

Thinking of this, Luo Mu summoned Dragonite, leapt onto its back, and in an instant rose to hover before Water King.

Replacing it was a heavy, dawning understanding.

Double Egg!

That was precisely the head of Hoothoot—the main reason Luo Mu had come to Zhanlan City.

Inside was pitch-black; he couldn't see what lay within.

Like Lugia, who couldn't learn Teleport, or Sharpedo, who couldn't learn Dragon Dance.

Water King could purify water and cleanse filth, but it could not heal pure injuries or abnormal conditions—only use its purification power to slightly prevent the Hoothoots' wounds from worsening.

This forced Water King, who had long since severed ties with humans and vanished from their sight after parting with the Phoenix King, to appear and seek Luo Mu's help.

Without hesitation, Luo Mu pulled out a Poké Ball and whispered: "Florges, I'm counting on you."

"Flor~"

As the sweet scent of flowers filled the cave, Florges' small form appeared inside.

Instinct and professional duty told Florges instantly that two critically injured patients needed care. Its cute face turned solemn as it flew above the two Hoothoots, their bodies charred, their shells blackened by fire.

Sweet fragrance and pink energy blended together. Under Florges' "Flower Heal" and "Aromatherapy," the Hoothoots, who had endured burning pain for so long, finally relaxed.

Seeing their expression, Water King's wolf-like, leopard-like, qilin-like face showed clear relief. When it saw Luo Mu ask Florges to heal the wounded wild Pokémon, it had already decided on him.

Indeed, Florges' healing power was as effective as Water King had hoped.

As the Pokédex described, Water King was a Pokémon brimming with the gentleness of spring water—though its appearance was ethereal and coldly noble, it treated all things with tenderness.

After nearly twenty minutes of continuous healing, the Hoothoots' injuries finally stabilized and showed signs of improvement.

But Florges was already growing weary.

Healing two critically injured patients at once was too taxing on its energy and stamina.

At that moment, a small hand rested upon Florges' flower crown.

Florges turned in surprise to see Vulpix smiling with the expression: "Leave it all to V."

As Vulpix's golden aura, radiant and unrestrained, surged forth, not only were its depleted energy and stamina restored, but its healing efficiency soared dramatically.

Florges looked astonished, then quickly refocused, returning to healing the two Hoothoots.

Water King stared deeply at Vulpix's tiny body—surely, the strange energy carried in the frostwind that swept the entire forest was closely tied to Vulpix.

Possessing an energy reserve vast enough, perhaps, to rival the Phoenix King's, and possessing unimaginable versatility—capable of both enhancement and replenishment—Water King saw Vulpix as nothing less than a miracle incarnate.

Perhaps even the natural energy needed by the two ancient Pokémon on the distant continent across the sea and deep beneath the ocean could be replenished by this tiny Pokémon.

Watching Florges' healing power surge like a drug-fueled explosion under Vulpix's aid, nearing completion of treating the two severely burned, near-death Hoothoots, Water King couldn't help but sincerely marvel.

It seemed my luck has been good lately—I found the right person at once.

"Flor~"

Florges' voice was weak. Even with Vulpix's aid, it had just healed two patients whose survival depended entirely on Pokémon-level vitality—they'd have collapsed long ago otherwise.

"You've done well. Rest in your Poké Ball now."

Luo Mu spoke gently, already thinking about tonight's meal—what dish could satisfy Ninetales' cravings while also nourishing tired Florges and Vulpix.

A red flash—Luo Mu recalled Florges, then shrank the Poké Ball and fastened it solemnly to his belt. He turned to see the two Hoothoots, still timid but now full of energy, playing hide-and-seek inside the massive hollow rock with Vulpix and Ninetales, and a faint smile touched his lips.

Water King stepped lightly to Luo Mu's side, its eyes hiding a barely perceptible softness.

Unlike complicated humans, it always admired Pokémon with pure hearts, wandering the world to purify water and provide habitats for Pokémon living in harmony with nature.

"Ooo~~" (Among all humans I've met, you're one of the best. Thank you for saving those two children.)

Water King hummed softly, transmitting its thoughts to Luo Mu via telepathy.

Water King thought that if Luo Mu hadn't already formed a bond with Lugia, it might have observed him longer after this matter ended—and truly reported his existence to the Phoenix King, requesting the Rainbow Feather to initiate the Rainbow Hero trial.

Thinking of this, Water King felt a pang of regret—and, on behalf of its superior, secretly envied Lugia, the one who rarely intervened, who had vanished since splitting the Whirl Islands and severing ties with humans.

Surprised to be praised by Water King, Luo Mu smiled: "It's nothing. Since I have the ability and you came to me, it's just a small favor."

"By the way, should I return the Hoothoots to the forest? I can have Dragonite fly them there directly."

Water King studied Luo Mu deeply. When he first saw the two Hoothoots, it had sensed emotional shifts in him—enough to judge that he was deeply interested in them.

Even his entry into this human-protected Pokémon zone was specifically to find Hoothoots.

Yet despite this, he had restrained his desire—and Water King admired this human even more.

"Ooo~~" (I regret to say that when I sensed abnormal concentrations of fire energy and reached the forest, my slow movement meant most of their kin were already dead. I could save only these two.)

Water King shook its head gently, its telepathic message carrying a hint of guilt—these Hoothoots now had no home, no clan.

"Ooo~~" (So… would you mind taking care of them? Will you adopt them?)

Water King looked at Luo Mu, presenting a proposal he could not refuse.

After a moment of silence, Luo Mu didn't hesitate—he accepted Water King's offer.

Indeed, he had wanted Hoothoots. Before a Pokémon as pure as Water King, honesty was best.

Though still timid, the two Hoothoots felt gratitude and trust toward Luo Mu—the human who had released Pokémon to save them.

Under the witness of Suicune, Luo Mu pulled out a Hunting Ball and temporarily captured Huhu.

Because entering the Hunting Zone requires surrendering all empty Poké Balls to prevent Trainers or disguised criminal organizations from engaging in poaching, Luo Mu currently had no normal Poké Balls to capture Huhu or its kind.

He could swap the Hunting Ball for a normal one after leaving the Hunting Zone.

Leaving the cave, Dragonite, who had been waiting for a long time, looked at Luo Mu's emergence with a forlorn expression, as if reproaching him for taking so long inside.

Helplessly soothing Dragonite's little mood, Luo Mu then felt a gentle breeze blow from the north, carrying a soft, fresh scent.

As if struck by sudden intuition, Luo Mu asked, "Are you leaving?"

This time, Suicune did not communicate with Luo Mu through telepathy; it simply nodded, leapt lightly off the cliff, and vanished in a few bounds.

Looking at the cliff shrouded in mist, its height impossible to judge, Luo Mu sighed, "Suicune is like a legendary hero—appearing without warning, disappearing without trace, purifying polluted water sources across the world and saving countless Pokémon in distress."

Dragonite, Victini, and Ninetales all nodded in agreement.

Perhaps this is why Legendary Pokémon are surrounded by legends: some are disasters incarnate, while others infuse the world with new vitality and guide it along the right path.

At this moment, Suicune's image in Luo Mu's mind—once tarnished by the tale of being caught in a Pokémon Hunter's net—returned to the awe he first felt upon seeing its illustration, deeds, and legend.

As for that man's Suicune, it was probably just a disgraceful relative of Suicune's.

Thinking of this, Luo Mu, though he had done nothing major today, already felt tired. He stretched lazily and muttered to himself, "I should probably head back now."

Before riding Dragonite away from the cliff, Luo Mu cast one last glance downward at the mist, a faint smile touching his lips. Though weary in body and mind, his spirits were high.

After all, partings in this world are always for the sake of better reunions.

In the end, Luo Mu could not resist and chose to have Dragonite retrace its path.

But perhaps he had used up all his luck—having finally captured two Huhu and encountered Suicune, a Pokémon someone had sought for years without success.

No sign remained of Litleo, Dratini, or shiny Iron Thorns.

After surrendering the Hunting Balls and exiting the Hunting Zone, Luo Mu rushed straight back to the hotel.

He took from his Spatial Backpack some sand he had specially bought for Rapidash, meant for sand baths, intending to clean the soot-blackened stains off the two Huhu.

But after his diligent efforts, when he saw the two Huhu, their expressions relaxed and enjoying the sand bath, their original forms revealed themselves—Luo Mu froze in shock.

"Huh."

One of the two Huhu had the normal red shell, its soft limbs and head poking out, adorable as ever.

The other's shell was blue!

That meant this Huhu was a shiny Pokémon!

A tremendous surprise struck Luo Mu.

(End of Chapter)