NOVEL NEXT Chapter 302: Old Flame
After hearing the call in their mental link, Arthur and Greninja, to save time, climbed hand over hand up the thirty-meter cliff face from the valley floor, reaching a cave midway up the rock wall.
Not far from the cave entrance, the young female Charizard they had just seen lose her challenge was in a tense standoff with Specter and Mismagius.
"What's going on?"
Arthur asked as soon as he arrived.
Specter looked at the scarred Charizard, momentarily at a loss for words.
After a few moments of hesitation, he finally spoke, explaining to Arthur, "She might be Old Flame's daughter."
"Old Flame" was the nickname the other members of Arthur's team had given his Charizard back in the day.
Arthur froze, then asked, "Then where is Old Flame? Is he here?"
Specter relayed the question to the young Charizard, but was met only with a disdainful roar.
This time, even Specter grew angry. He materialized fully, his body swelling in size as one of his short arms rapidly expanded, transforming into a giant, ghostly claw wreathed in purple smoke!
He was clearly about to use Shadow Claw.
Arthur quickly stopped him.
"Specter, calm down! What is going on?!"
Specter was deeply sentimental. He even took great care of Little Eevee, a distant descendant of their old Leafeon. Arthur couldn't understand why Specter would suddenly want to attack Old Flame's daughter.
It wasn't until Specter sent an angry thought.
"This brat keeps calling her father useless! Damn it, I want to smack her!"
Only then did Arthur understand Specter's outburst.
He quickly put a hand out to block Specter and had the calmer Greninja go forward to communicate.
"Greninja, go ask her if her father is here. Can he come out and see us?"
Just then, a sound came from within the cave. An exceptionally old Charizard, its body covered in scars, walked out.
Arthur recognized him in an instant. It was his Old Flame!
Those crimson eyes, and the unique streak of cerulean blue on the horns atop its head—they were Old Flame's signature features!
It really was Old Flame!
The first emotion that washed over Arthur was an overwhelming sense of relief and emotion at finally seeing an old friend again. The turbulent joy nearly brought tears to his eyes.
But after the excitement, more questions followed—
Old Flame, how did you end up like this?
At this moment, because Arthur was busy holding back the furious Specter with Mismagius, he was obscured behind them. Old Flame, having just emerged from the cave, didn't notice him at first.
The first thing Old Flame saw was, naturally, the giant Gengar, which had swelled to twice its normal size in its rage.
"Roar?"
Through Mismagius and Greninja's real-time translation, Arthur understood what Old Flame was saying.
He recognized Specter, and he was worried about him.
"You're—Specter? What are you doing here? My heavens! How dare you come to the Kubfu Alliance?! I thought you started some kind of terrorist organization? I heard you're wanted by all the leagues! You have to leave! It's very dangerous for you here! If the league finds you, you'll be in deep trouble!"
Specter looked at Old Flame with a complicated expression and said quietly, "You don't have to worry about me. I'm out of that business now."
Specter didn't have the heart to say that his organization had been taken over in a coup by his own subordinates…
But even so, Old Flame was still worried.
"Even if you're out of it, the league's wanted posters won't be taken down right away, will they? You didn't have to take this risk just to see me! It's too dangerous! You should leave, quickly!"
Beside them, Old Flame's daughter, still proud despite her injuries, let out a disdainful puff of smoke.
She couldn't stand her father's cowardly nature, afraid of everything, second-guessing every move. He was like a useless old fool!
Her rebellious attitude was making Specter's blood pressure rise again—if ghosts even had blood pressure.
But for now, Specter had no feelings for this rebellious niece he had just met. His concern was for Old Flame.
"I said, don't worry about me. I'm not wanted anymore, relax. But you! Old Flame! How did you let yourself get into this state?!" Specter demanded, his voice a mixture of resentment and anger.
But Old Flame just let his wings droop, feigning nonchalance.
"Me? I'm fine. I'm just… old. After all, I don't have a long lifespan like you…"
Specter pressed on, agitated. "Old Flame, what happened to you?! You were never like this before! If you're in trouble, you can tell me! We can help you!"
"We…"
Old Flame then noticed the group of Pokémon around Specter.
"It seems you've found new companions. That's good… But don't worry about me. I'm fine. I'm doing great."
Specter stared at him fixedly.
After a moment, Specter let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Fine. If you don't want to tell me, then so be it."
Old Flame thought Specter had given up and nodded slightly, about to turn his attention to his rebellious daughter.
But he never expected Specter's next words.
"If I can't make you talk, what about the Master? If the Master asks you, will you tell him?"
Old Flame subconsciously shook his head. "I won't accept a new master. Your new master has no authority over me. I—"
His words caught in his throat.
Because a person had just walked out from behind Greninja and Mismagius.
This figure was exceptionally familiar!
So familiar that he had never forgotten it, even after two hundred years!
Even without the mental link granted by a Poké Ball, the feeling of a fated connection instantly bound the man and the dragon the moment they saw each other.
"Roar?!!"
For a moment, Old Flame's roar changed its pitch entirely.
Even without understanding Charizard's cries, Arthur knew what was in his old friend's heart.
He smiled and held out his hand. "It's me, Old Flame. I didn't die. I've come back for you."
His words were relayed to Old Flame through Specter's simultaneous translation. In that moment, Specter felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
It was probably the feeling of: So, you're going to keep being cryptic? Let's see if you can keep your mouth shut now.
Old Flame was completely stunned, his mouth hanging open, unable to make a sound for a long time.
Beside him, Old Flame's daughter let out another disdainful snort, as if mocking her useless father for losing his senses at the sight of a human.
But this time, to her surprise, the father who had always been so timid and weak in her eyes reacted in a way he never had before. He suddenly turned and let out an incredibly ferocious roar at her.
"ROAR!!"
In that instant, Old Flame's daughter was completely terrified.
For a fleeting moment, she felt that the presence she had just witnessed was far more terrifying than that of the clan leader she had challenged earlier!
This…
How was this possible?!
Was her useless old father really this powerful?
And why did he suddenly roar at her?
Old Flame's daughter was completely bewildered.
She couldn't understand what was happening, just as she had never understood what this seemingly young human meant to her father.
It was a past that he had never forgotten!
It was a bond that his heart could never let go of!
It was the first half of Old Flame's life, filled with glory and passion!
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