Chapter 440: She Was My Creation, Yet Now She Is No Longer Mine

"Closer, even closer…" Gilbert stood at the edge of the roof, his body leaning slightly forward, his eyes fixed on the whirlpool on the sea, his face full of almost obsessive zeal, and a greedy smile even tugged at the corners of his mouth.

The roaring of the Three Legendary Birds battling overhead and the island's tremors fell on deaf ears; his mind and eyes were fixed only on the Lugia about to emerge from the whirlpool.

Within the whirlpool, Lugia's figure grew clearer, its pure white wings trembling slightly under the raging forces of heaven and earth, its body soaring slowly with the whirlpool's spin, surrounded by a faint water-element energy, yet unable to hide its weary agitation.

At that moment, a violet silhouette suddenly shot upward from the research base beneath his feet, bearing a sharp shadow aura, streaking straight across his sight— it was Kyurem!

Gilbert froze, then a fiercer zeal erupted in his eyes as he shouted hoarsely, "Kyurem! It's the legendary Kyurem!"

He recognized the Divine Beast at a glance, greed nearly spilling from his eyes, but within an instant he Sheer Force suppressed the agitation.

His gaze swiftly shifted to Kyurem's back, spotting the figure wearing a Mask: "Oh? It's the one who's always been by Liu Bo's side…"

Gilbert let out a snort, rubbed the Master Ball in his hand, and said with a teasing tone, "Heh, Liu Bo hides well. No matter, once I catch Lugia, I'll go find you and settle the score."

Meanwhile, the perpetually shut door in the distance finally creaked open inward, and an aged figure slowly stepped out.

It was an elderly white‑haired man seated in a wheelchair, his aged face sharp‑eyed, exuding a calm yet intimidating aura— Liu Bo.

Fu Lindo, who had been guarding the doorway, saw Liu Bo emerge and his complexion instantly changed, his heart tightened, his expression grew tense, and his right hand unconsciously slipped behind him, quietly gripping the Pokeball at his waist, ready for any sudden situation.

Liu Bo slowly turned his wheelchair, his gaze lightly sweeping past Fu Lindo without lingering, as if he were merely air, then he fixed his eyes on the soaring Kyurem in the sky and the Bilan on its back, his stare deep and unreadable.

Fu Lindo moved behind Liu Bo, his eyes equally fixed on the Kyurem and Bilan above, his tone full of probing caution, he asked in a deep voice, "Liu Bo, what are you trying to do? Could it be that you truly intend to tear up the agreement with the Rocket Team!"

Liu Bo slowly turned his wheelchair, withdrew his gaze from the Kyurem and Bilan in the sky, gave a brief glance toward Gilbert on the roof, and said calmly, "Agreement? It was already torn apart when you unilaterally launched the Lugia capture plan and seized the Three Legendary Birds."

As the words fell, Fu Lindo's complexion shifted sharply, an alarm rang in his mind, and he instinctively leapt backward, trying to put distance between them.

But it was too late— a fierce, scorching Flamethrower suddenly erupted from the door behind him where Liu Bo had emerged, blasting toward his back with overwhelming force.

Fu Lindo scrambled, rolling on the spot, barely evading the attack, his right hand instantly clenched the Pokeball and threw it, commanding in a deep voice, "Rock Palace Resident Crab, appear! Block!"

A flash of light, and the Rock Palace Resident Crab materialized, raising its hard shell to shield Fu Lindo, vigilantly staring at the doorway.

Immediately after, a Dai Rubi emerged slowly from behind the door, surrounded by a faint flame aura, its eyes fixed on the Rock Palace Resident Crab and Fu Lindo, its expression highly guarded.

Fu Lindo rose from the ground, brushed dust off himself, his tone turned completely cold, with a hint of anger he asked, "Liu Bo! The deal with the Rocket Team— after they facilitated Gilbert's capture of Lugia and lent it to you— didn't you want to achieve your own goal?"

Liu Bo turned his wheelchair, his voice unruffled, and said calmly, "From the start, my only goal was Lugia; cooperating with you was a reluctant choice to avoid conflict, but now that things have turned this way, I can only activate the backup plan."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Gilbert on the roof, and continued, "Since my purpose is merely to use Lugia, whether I cooperate with your Rocket Team or directly with Gilbert makes no difference. As for Gilbert's partnership with you, that's between you and has nothing to do with me."

Before his words finished, Liu Bo deepened his command, "Dai Rubi, Great Character Flame Burst!"

The scorching flames instantly coalesced into a massive "Great" character, enveloped by a fierce gust, charging at Fu Lindo and the Rock Palace Resident Crab, the air itself warping from the heat.

Simultaneously, an icy‑blue figure spread its wings, firmly supporting Liu Bo's wheelchair and soaring skyward— it was Liu Bo's Articuno, its body surrounded by bone‑chilling cold.

Articuno flapped its wings high, deftly weaving between the lightning, flames and ice snow woven by the Three Legendary Birds, dodging the rain of energy blasts, and in an instant landed beside Gilbert on the roof, settling steadily.

Gilbert looked down at Liu Bo, who had suddenly appeared beside him, a flash of understanding in his eyes, the fervor on his face slightly fading, and he said with a teasing tone, "So this was your plan all along— openly offending the Rocket Team, aren't you afraid they'll cause you trouble?"

Liu Bo sat in his wheelchair, his tone still as calm as an ancient well, without any ripple: "Hehe, there's no such thing as an unforgivable offense. As long as my goal is achieved, it doesn't matter who I offend."

Gilbert raised an eyebrow, glanced at the Kyurem in the sky, then at Liu Bo, and said with a smile, "If you'd told us you had a Pokémon of Kyurem's caliber, we wouldn't have had to cooperate with the Rocket Team for so long, wasting effort in vain."

Liu Bo gently shook his head, his gaze turning to Bilan on Kyurem's back, and his tone carried a barely perceptible complexity: "Kyurem is not my Pokémon."

Gilbert's smile froze, he stared blankly for a moment, then asked in confusion, "Not yours? Then the person on Kyurem's back— aren't they your subordinate?"

"She can be said to be one I raised," Liu Bo paused, his eyes growing deeper, "but now... she is no longer my person."