Arceus had already sensed it when Lance used the Origin Ball.
So when the Elder saw the Origin Ball being picked up, he was not as worried, only a little surprised by Lance's plan.
If it weren't for his insufficient understanding of the Origin Ball, a Poké Ball that had never been revealed to the world, this matter would have truly been accomplished by him.
At that time, a trainer who controlled Giratina, the Renegade Pokémon, and also controlled Giratina's Distortion World, would, by his own ability alone, throw the entire Pokémon world into chaos.
This was something the Alliance did not want to see.
However, Lance had calculated everything, almost every single detail, but he didn't expect the problem to arise at the most fundamental level.
The Elder had said that the Origin Ball could indeed capture Legendary Pokémon of the Level 1 God Beast tier, but it was only a suggestion.
Because the true purpose of the Origin Ball concerned the Pokémon Alliance's greatest secret, a secret held by every successive Alliance President, the Elder had not told Lance the true secret of the Origin Ball.
After all, even he at the time couldn't have imagined that Lance had been coveting Giratina, that legendary Pokémon, since then, nor did he expect that the person who was to be the next leader of the Dragon Clan would betray the Alliance and his own family, all for the pursuit of ultimate power.
Now, both Lance and Giratina itself were influencing each other, their minds a bit unclear at this moment, but Giratina was, after all, much stronger than Lance, and it was gradually gaining the upper hand in terms of will.
However, none of this mattered anymore, because Arceus had appeared!
Watching that ray of sunlight shoot down from the sky was like a ray of hope appearing in a dark world.
In fact, Arceus was indeed injured, and this injury was almost impossible to recover from.
One of the reasons Arceus was truly powerful was the Plates it possessed, representing various types, which could be said to be the greatest treasures in the Pokémon world.
However, over the years, its Plates had been lost one after another due to various reasons, and although it still retained a portion on its body, there was still a considerable gap compared to its peak condition.
So, it wasn't wrong to say that Arceus was in an injured state at this time.
After all, it had been in a long period of slumber, only wanting to restore its strength after losing the Plates, which was also the reason Arceus hadn't appeared in decades.
With just one glance, it understood the current state of Lance and Giratina.
The Elder and Taishan almost simultaneously placed their right hands over their left chests and bowed deeply to Arceus. Aoki, a little slower, also mimicked their actions.
This was the true boss of the Pokémon world!
Arceus paid no attention to Aoki and the others, only staring at Giratina and the Origin Ball for a long time.
It clearly made no movement, yet a long sigh appeared in Aoki's mind.
"Alas—"
There was a distinct feeling of disappointment.
A white ray shot out from Arceus's body, illuminating the Origin Ball tightly clutched in Lance's hand. The black and gold threads that had rendered half of the Origin Ball seemed to turn into smoke, dissipating from it.
As this energy was dispelled, Lance's grip on the Origin Ball slowly loosened. The Origin Ball fell from the air, like a feather, slowly drifting to the Elder's front.
After landing on the ground, the Origin Ball flashed with white light and reverted to its original accessory appearance.
Only then did Lance and Giratina fully recover.
The recovered Giratina was just about to cause trouble for Lance when it sensed that aura, which it found extremely repulsive, even suffocating just to perceive. Looking upwards, it saw Arceus's disappointed gaze, and both its body and mind trembled instinctively.
For some reason, seeing Arceus's expression made Giratina feel as if it had made a grave mistake.
Not only Giratina, but Lance at this moment was staring blankly at his hands, a feeling of regret inexplicably rising in his heart.
What he didn't see was that as Arceus dispelled Giratina's energy from the Origin Ball, some black mist also seeped out from his body.
It was only now that Lance finally remembered his original, purest desire to pursue Giratina: he merely wanted to capture Giratina, then make the Dragon Clan stronger, make his own power stronger, so that the entire Pokémon Alliance could become stronger.
It was just that he didn't know when, after spending some time with Giratina, he had forgotten this initial intention, only remembering the obsession to capture Giratina, but forgetting his series of plans after capturing it.
This was also due to the contingency Giratina had left on Lance. After a long period of interaction, it naturally wouldn't do nothing. Stirring up the deepest darkness in Lance's heart was what it had been doing subtly during this time.
In fact, one could tell a thing or two from Lance's Pokémon. Both Latias and Latios were very gentle Pokémon. Generally, trainers with malicious intentions could at most defeat them, but not capture them. Before Lance went to find Giratina, these two Pokémon had already been captured by him.
A long time ago, Lance was also a very gentle person, much like Steven Stone.
Otherwise, if the Elder could sense a hint of darkness in Giovanni and be wary of him, why didn't he guard against Lance, even telling him about the existence of the Origin Ball?
Today, with Arceus's help, Lance recalled what he had done over the years, and his hands trembled uncontrollably.
These hands, now stained with blood, whether it was from members of the Alliance or from utterly heinous individuals.
Arceus glanced at Lance, sensing his current state of mind, but said nothing, only sighing deeply again.
With its insight, how could it not see that Lance was actually influenced by Giratina? It was just that Giratina had been messing around by the river for too long and finally got its shoes wet.
One who walks by the river often cannot avoid getting their shoes wet. Smart people are sometimes delayed by their own cleverness because they trust their own abilities too much and underestimate others.
Giratina had underestimated Lance. No matter how strong it was, he was still just a human, and how could a human pose a threat to it?
Giratina, originally eager to cause trouble for Arceus, lost the courage to resist, and the power to do so, when it actually saw Arceus appear.
Especially upon seeing Arceus's slightly reproving gaze, Giratina felt an inexplicable panic in its heart.
In Arceus's eyes, having personally witnessed the birth of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, it, to a certain extent, regarded them as its children.
That's why it asked the already hostile Dialga and Palkia to get along well, hoping that Giratina, who had always been hostile to it, could divert its attention elsewhere.
However, Giratina repeatedly tried to cause trouble for it and for the Pokémon world.
Last time, Giratina had already been punished by being sealed in the Distortion World for a long time, yet it still showed no remorse, which made Arceus feel very disappointed.
Actually, Giratina also had a bit of a childish temper. The more Arceus felt that its current strength was insufficient to accomplish anything, the more it wanted to do something to show Arceus.
Arceus opened its mouth, seemingly letting out a long roar to the sky, but Aoki and the others present heard no sound. Giratina's body trembled slightly, and a spatial rift opened behind it, leading directly to the Distortion World, whereupon it scurried inside.
It had been injured in the previous battle with the Elder, its strength severely diminished by the Aether Foundation's blockade of its connection to the Distortion World, and then forcibly captured by the Origin Ball, leading to damage to its very essence to some extent.
The loss from forcibly pulling out its Dragon Scale had not fully recovered, and now it was injured even more deeply. It would likely take a very long time to fully recover.
Moreover, Arceus would probably keep a close eye on it for a long time, making it not so simple to return to the Pokémon world.
Third time's the charm, Giratina felt that if it came again, Arceus wouldn't let it off so easily. Perhaps next time, it would be a fierce attack, so Giratina was very disheartened at the moment.
However, it didn't notice that as it returned to the Distortion World, a pair of eyes were fixed on it, suppressing intense hatred.
It was Darkrai, hovering beside Aoki.
Aoki once again comforted Darkrai. Giratina was severely injured this time and likely wouldn't recover easily. If his own strength increased fast enough, he might even be able to cause trouble for it before it fully recovered.
Arceus watched Giratina return to the Distortion World, then looked at the few people standing below. It saw the corpses of Alliance trainers and cult members scattered all over Mount Silver, as well as a large number of Pokémon remains. This made the kind-hearted Arceus feel very pained.
However, the dead cannot be brought back to life, and the same applies to Pokémon, even for Arceus.
But even if they couldn't be revived, it could still heal the injured Pokémon.
With a slight tremor of its body, tiny white specks of light scattered from Arceus, falling onto the injured Pokémon. Their wounds quickly healed at a visible rate.
However, those who recovered, whether human or Pokémon, were not particularly happy, because this day felt like the end of the world to them.
Arceus watched this scene, sighing again in its heart, but made no further indication.
Although it was a Legendary Pokémon, it could not control life and death, unless these people, like the Elder, had a close connection with it.
Aoki's Pokémon, Taishan's Pokémon, and even Lance's Pokémon, all recovered their battle capabilities.
Finally, Arceus looked at the Elder.
The Elder's eyes turned completely white, presumably communicating with Arceus.
The time was very short, but after the Elder's eyes returned to normal, he bowed slightly to Arceus, "Yes."
As soon as he finished speaking, Arceus vanished into the clouds. Aoki stared intently at the direction Arceus disappeared, his eyes narrowed as he lost himself in thought.
"It seems Arceus also expended a lot of energy this time. It's not in its peak condition to begin with. Sometimes, such selfless dedication isn't necessarily a good thing…"
The Elder bent down and slowly placed the accessory from the ground into his embrace. He looked at Lance, who was still hovering in mid-air, staring at his hands with a bewildered expression, unsure of where to go from here.
Lance clearly understood what he had done during this period. Even the details of every single action could now be vividly replayed in his mind. The bloodstains left on his hands from every person he killed could not be washed away with water, and his hands at this moment could be said to be completely steeped in blood!
This was a very strange phenomenon, like having a dual personality. Previously, the personality influenced by Giratina had been controlling this body. With Arceus's help, that personality disappeared, but all its memories were inherited by the original personality that now existed.
It could be seen as such a mode. In any case, Lance was now lost, his heart filled with fear and a touch of despair over his own actions.
"Brother Aomori, please take me to Lance," Elder Ge said to Aomori, his gaze towards Lance filled with complicated emotions.
However, it wasn't just Elder Ge; almost everyone present had more or less discerned Lance's current state, realizing that he wasn't entirely normal.
Nodding, Aomori enveloped Elder Ge with his psychic power, then, with a flash, instantly teleported him in front of Lance.
Seeing Elder Ge suddenly appear before him, Lance's eyes trembled, his pupils contracting sharply. "Elder… Elder Ge…"
Immediately after, Lance's expression turned extremely pained, and he clutched his head with both hands.
"Ah!!!! Ah!!!!" It wasn't a cry of pain, but a deep, hysterical scream from the depths of his soul!
From that scream, almost every emotion was present, making him look like a complete madman.
"What have I done? What have I done all these years?!!!" Lance looked at his hands again, feeling as if they had turned a vivid crimson.
"Lance…" Elder Ge's lips trembled slightly as he spoke softly, but he didn't know what to say.
No matter what, the evil deeds Lance had committed over the years were witnessed by everyone, and the most tragic was the battle at Silver Mountain. He couldn't completely absolve himself by simply blaming Giratina for all the crimes.
The fear and hatred in people's eyes when they looked at him were real.
Who knew how many families of the fallen Alliance trainers were heartbroken because of this.
Although the Alliance would take care of the families of these fallen individuals for life and allow their children to become direct members of the Alliance, it was, after all, the sacrifice of others' parents, or even others' children. This was Lance's sin, one that could not be covered up or washed away.
The tormented Lance was now in tears, and even Aomori could clearly feel the remorse and pain in his heart.
When Lance first learned of Giratina's existence, he sought it out himself, purely out of curiosity for an unknown Dragon-type Pokémon as the eldest son of the Lance family. He never expected to be influenced by Giratina as soon as he got close to it, which infinitely amplified his desires.
What was originally just a slight dissatisfaction with the Alliance, under Giratina's influence, turned into complete hostility towards the Alliance!
Aomori watched silently from the side, observing how Elder Ge intended to deal with this former leader of the Divine Cult, the former eldest son of the Lance family, and the person he had once held in the highest regard.
However, Elder Ge was also encountering such a situation for the first time and was momentarily at a loss for how to react, pondering how to handle the matter.
But before he could make a decision, Lance erupted. He stared at his hands, feeling as if others' blood was silently flowing from them.
Gritting his teeth and hardening his resolve, a spatial rift appeared before him.
Feeling the spatial fluctuation, Aomori was startled. He grabbed Elder Ge's arm and pulled him back quickly!
Elder Ge, who was deep in thought, was also startled by Aomori, thinking something had happened.
He saw a spatial rift appear in front of Lance, who then, with an expression of extreme disgust, plunged his hands into the spatial rift without using his psychic power to protect them.
After inserting his hands, Lance's face instantly turned pale, and a large amount of fine sweat beads emerged on his forehead. These sweat beads then visibly grew larger, and pea-sized drops of sweat rolled down his forehead.
Aomori's heart tightened as he watched this scene. No one knew better than him what it was like to put unprotected hands into a spatial rift.
"Ah!!!" Lance's lips turned completely white, and with a roar, he used his psychic power to close the spatial rift!
His hands! They were severed from his body!
Although Aomori was slightly shocked by this scene, he reacted immediately.
From an angle no one could see, a psychic power drilled into the chaotic space. Afterwards, he brought Elder Ge in front of Lance. Looking at Lance, whose arms were bleeding, a hint of admiration rose on Aomori's face.
Anyone who could be so ruthless to themselves was not a simple character, even if he had now broken free from Giratina's influence, his essence remained the same.
Aomori took out the tools for treating Pokémon injuries from his pocket, and without a second thought, applied them directly to Lance's body, while also using his psychic power to stop the bleeding.
Lance allowed Aomori to do as he pleased, no longer seeing the blood on his hands, which made him feel a little relieved at that moment.
With a pale face, a head full of cold sweat, and pallid lips, Lance's Pokémon also came to his side, whimpering softly, unable to bear seeing their trainer so injured.
"Elder Ge… I was wrong!" Lance said softly.
Upon hearing this, Elder Ge's heart trembled. After all, this was the trainer he had once placed high hopes on, who had made a single wrong step and been exploited by others.
However, thinking of the Alliance trainers lying below, and then recalling Arceus's previous instructions, he slowly nodded, "It's good that you know your mistake. I will imprison you forever in the deepest part of the Alliance prison, completely sealing your psychic abilities. Can you accept this?!"
This had to be done. The death penalty could be avoided, but the living punishment was inescapable; otherwise, it would be impossible to silence public opinion.
Allowing Lance to lose his hands instead of his life was already the greatest mercy. Rather than letting him die directly, it was better to keep him, and his Pokémon, who might still bring some contributions to the Alliance.
After all, several of his Pokémon had reached the second stage of the Champion level, and after mega evolving, Mega Latias and Mega Latios had even reached the Grandmaster level.
Let him become a hidden trump card for the Alliance!
The Alliance would not be peaceful in the future. Giovanni's appearance this time indicated too many problems. After the fall of the Divine Cult, the next challenge might be Team Rocket!
Hearing Elder Ge's words, Lance's body trembled, but he still nodded and said, "I am willing to accept all punishment!"
At this, a smile finally appeared on Elder Ge's face, and he nodded with satisfaction.
However, Lance then looked at Aomori, who was still tending to his arms, appearing as if he wanted to speak but hesitated.
Aomori's movements paused slightly. He felt Lance's gaze and knew what he wanted to say, but he just hadn't said it directly in front of him.
The Divine Cult had long known his identity through various means. If Lance were to tell Elder Ge now, Elder Ge would likely take it seriously.
But Lance had seen Aomori's actions today, so he was now somewhat unsure.
Elder Ge patted Lance's shoulder, signaling him to remain silent for now, then shouted down to Taishan, "Taishan, come up!"
Upon hearing this, Charizard, who had mostly recovered with Arceus's help, carried Taishan flying into the air.
Looking at Lance's arms, which were wrapped in white bandages, Taishan had witnessed that scene as well.
To be honest, at first, he truly wished to kill Lance, but now seeing him, he felt that Lance was also a victim, and although it was his own fault, he still felt somewhat sorry for him.
"Taishan, imprison Lance! In the deepest part of Silver Mountain!" Elder Ge said to Taishan.
"...Yes!" Taishan replied, stepping forward to grab Lance. He then, in front of Lance, recalled his Pokémon one by one into their Poké Balls and immediately locked them, implying that these Pokémon would likely not be able to appear for a long time.
As he passed Aomori, he patted his shoulder with satisfaction and said, "When this is all over, I'll buy you a drink to show my gratitude!"
Aomori smiled and nodded. He was already over eighteen and could drink.
Watching Lance meekly being escorted by Taishan towards the Alliance Headquarters Prison on Silver Mountain, Aomori knew that the Alliance had ways to control psychics once they were captured.
In Aomori's view, Lance still had some tricks up his sleeve. While it seemed like he had removed his blood-stained hands to atone for his sins, for a psychic, hands were no longer that important.
Finally, only two people remained in the air: Aomori and Elder Ge.
Neither of them suggested descending, nor did either speak first, and they fell into silence.
"This time… it was thanks to you," Elder Ge said after a long pause.
Aomori was startled, then a smile curved his lips. He said, "Actually, I didn't do much; I just stalled for a little while."
Elder Ge nodded, "To you, what is the Alliance? Or to put it another way, in your eyes, what kind of organization is the Alliance?"
Hearing Elder Ge's question, Aomori fell silent again. He knew that Elder Ge must have seen through his identity, but he didn't know how he had figured it out.
"The residents of the entire Pokémon world are water, and the Alliance is the big ship sailing on the water, the biggest one.
No matter how big this ship is, if there is no water, even if it's the biggest ship, it cannot sail...
And now, this ship has become somewhat old and dilapidated, but its attention is not on the water; it is still focused on those small boats. If this continues, with just one big wave, this ship will capsize.
And, that big wave is probably coming soon!" Aomori slowly recounted his truest feelings.
Why was Team Rocket able to develop?
While there were indeed many people corrupted by greed who abused Team Rocket's identity, more often, it was desperate commoners who were forced to join Team Rocket because, if they didn't, becoming strong was out of the question, and even simply surviving was extremely difficult!
It's like something someone once said that is very similar to the current situation: "If you were truly wise and mighty, and allowed the people to live in peace and contentment, who would want to be a beggar?!"
Therefore, what determines the resistance capacity of the grassroots people is not themselves, but the rulers themselves!
If the rulers truly paid attention to the thoughts of the grassroots residents, why would they allow underground organizations like Team Rocket to grow so large?
"If the Alliance could truly pay attention to every person, allowing every resident to live in peace and contentment, and every person to see hope in life, instead of just focusing on a small number of special individuals, how many people would be willing to join organizations like Team Rocket? Living a precarious existence?
Most people who join Team Rocket now are simply because they see no hope in life, no direction forward, so they would rather risk their lives for a splendid future!
Even if the hope is slim, it's better than having no hope at all!" Aomori continued.
Listening to Aomori's words, Elder Ge's heart was shaken. Anyone could speak reason, but not everyone could genuinely feel it as Aomori did.
From the Alliance's inception until now, almost every Alliance leader has come from families of varying sizes, and most of the influential figures within the Alliance are also members of these families.
These individuals control the Alliance, and in their eyes, family always comes first, then the Alliance.
To this end, they would not hesitate to block the paths of most people, just to make their own family's path easier.
To say that the current Alliance is corrupt is not without reason; in fact, most people see it, but those who can truly act to change it are few and far between!
Or rather, some people see it but don't know how to rectify it, like Elder Ge now.
Both of them tacitly avoided revealing Aomori's identity, which allowed for a good buffer between them, preventing them from being at odds.
However, it was the first time Elder Ge had heard such a perspective, and upon careful thought, he found it to be very reasonable.
Because Aomori could be said to be the first, and perhaps the only, person from a common background, who climbed up from the very bottom of society step by step, until he appeared before the true power-holders of the Alliance!
If the Alliance were truly wise and mighty, how many people would be willing to risk their lives to join Team Rocket?
But it's easy to say, yet incredibly difficult to achieve!
"Then tell me, given the Alliance's current situation, what should be done? Should it be a drastic measure, like cutting off a limb? I'm afraid it would bleed out before the limb is even severed!
Besides, the Alliance now isn't even a strong man; it's more like an old man in his twilight years." Elder Ge once again posed his question.
Given the Alliance's current state, let alone achieving what Aoki suggested, it would probably be completely annihilated by Team Rocket and other underground organizations halfway through.
At that point, the entire Pokémon world would once again descend into chaos.
With Giovanni's return this time, Elder Ge had a premonition that a truly world-encompassing war was about to begin.
Listening to Elder Ge's renewed question, Aoki knew this was the most crucial point, but he only answered with four words.
"Break before you build!"
"Break... before you build... huh?" Elder Ge murmured, repeating these four words, suddenly sensing their profound meaning.
The way he looked at Aoki was no longer as indifferent as before; there was a feeling of wanting to get to know Aoki anew.
The two continued to converse on this topic.
From Aoki's words, Elder Ge heard many methods he had never encountered before, and many of them left him in awe.
There was no other way; Aoki wasn't from the Pokémon world, and simply applying some management techniques from Earth gave Elder Ge a refreshing feeling.
Even if you haven't eaten pork, surely you've seen a pig run. These things were explained so logically that Elder Ge was utterly bewildered.
Besides these topics, the two continued to discuss other things.
After they had talked for a long time, the reinforcements finally arrived, and Aoki and Elder Ge's conversation came to an end.
However, this conversation allowed Elder Ge to see Aoki in a new light.
Upon seeing the reinforcements arrive, Elder Ge suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to tell them the crisis here had been resolved and there was no need to rush over anymore.
But it was good that they came anyway; they could have a good discussion about the Alliance's next steps, how to deal with the Divine Cult and Ryū-sen, and how to prepare for the potential attack from Team Rocket in the near future.
Aoki, accompanied by Elder Ge, met with the Alliance bigwigs who had rushed over from various regions, including many regional presidents and champions.
"By the way, it's best if you return that Moltres to the interior of Mt. Silver. After all, its existence... is quite special. Without it, the interior of Mt. Silver wouldn't be very safe.
Moreover, capturing it isn't a good thing for either it or you. Its divine office will gradually dissipate, and you should have noticed that it actually isn't qualified to be a true Moltres..." Elder Ge didn't forget to tell Aoki this at the end.
"This Moltres's divine office was... helped by the Alliance to obtain, right?" Aoki hesitated before asking.
He indeed had no intention of keeping this Moltres as a battle Pokémon. He originally planned to put it on his breeding island as a guardian deity, but since Elder Ge said there was a hidden story behind this Moltres, returning it to the interior of Mt. Silver was not impossible.
Upon hearing this, Elder Ge gave a wry smile, "That's right, it can't even be said that we helped it obtain it; it can only be said that it was given to it. The original Moltres was mine!"
Actually, for Aoki, a Moltres without a divine office held little value. Since Elder Ge said capturing it would cause its divine office to dissipate, it would just be raising a useless Pokémon. He might as well use those resources to train his other Pokémon instead.
Pokémon like Darkrai, Diancie, and Magearna all have the potential to become Legendary Pokémon.
Moreover, this Moltres clearly didn't get along with him. It would take an unknown amount of time to cultivate a good rapport with it.
Aoki would rather use that time to train his own Pokémon, which clearly had more potential.
Besides, if he were to give up such a Pokémon, he couldn't let himself suffer a loss, could he?
Watching Elder Ge lead the group of bigwigs into the conference room of the Alliance Headquarters building, Aoki went to the interior of Mt. Silver, preparing to release Moltres.
But, while he was releasing it, Moltres's body was a treasure trove. It wasn't the first time Aoki had benefited from such a Pokémon.
"Screech—"
Summoned by Aoki, Moltres seemed to be in good spirits upon finding itself inside Mt. Silver.
Arceus had helped it recover its strength, and now it looked as majestic as it once did.
Aoki smiled and waved at Moltres. Seeing Aoki's smile, Moltres's little heart suddenly skipped a beat, feeling a very bad premonition.
Stroking Moltres's warm feathers, Aoki said, "Moltres, I know you don't really want to be a trainer's Pokémon, so I plan to release you back into the wild."
Upon hearing this, Moltres's eyes lit up, then its neck recoiled, and its two eyes rolled as if to say, "Really?"
Aoki grabbed its neck impatiently and then said fiercely, "Of course, if you don't want to, I can also choose not to release you!"
Shaking its head frantically, Moltres showed a fawning expression. From being captured by Aoki to being forced into battle, and now having its fate in his grasp, Moltres already knew Aoki's temperament. If Aoki wished, it would never be able to escape his clutches.
"It seems you're still very eager to leave me..." Aoki tightened his grip on Moltres's neck.
Moltres's expression stiffened, and it shook its head, crying, reluctantly indicating that it was very willing to follow Aoki.
"Oh? It seems you're still willing to be my Pokémon, huh? Then why don't we get along well from now on?" Aoki said with a half-smile.
Moltres really wanted to cry. It didn't know what Aoki wanted. Did he really want to release it, or was he just playing with it?
No matter what, it was a legendary Pokémon! It shouldn't be humiliated like this!
Just as Moltres's gaze gradually turned fierce and the temperature of its body began to rise...
Bang!!!
Tyranitar's tail slammed hard on the ground, making a loud noise.
Moltres then remembered that it was facing a master it couldn't possibly contend with. If he wanted to, he could even pin it to the ground and beat it, and no matter how much it resisted, it would be useless.
It softened again, looking at Aoki with a pitiful expression, just waiting for him to show mercy.
Aoki's smile widened. "Alright, I'm done teasing you. I really am going to release you. If you really don't believe me, there's nothing I can do!"
"Don't!" Moltres screamed inwardly, but on the surface, it obediently nodded, displaying an expression that said, "You're the boss, whatever you say goes."
"Since I'm letting you go, you should show some appreciation, after all, you yourself think you're so valuable, don't you?"
Aoki continued, "Don't worry, I won't ask for too much. Given your size, I only need to draw one syringe full of blood, and once it's done, I'll release you immediately!"
As he spoke, Aoki even gestured with his hand, using his index finger and thumb to simulate the size of a syringe.
Looking at the size Aoki indicated, Moltres let out a long sigh of relief, and its eyes once again showed a proud expression, "Isn't it just one syringe? Even ten syringes would be a piece of cake!"
Then it lifted its neck, signaling Aoki to proceed; it was completely fine.
Aoki was very satisfied with Moltres's reaction and nodded with a smile.
Whoosh—
Moltres instinctively flapped its wings, intending to fly. It was only because Aoki's hand was still gripping its neck; otherwise, it would have flown high already.
It stared blankly at the enormous syringe, thicker than its own thigh, that Aoki pulled out of his storage space, unable to react for a moment.
"This is what you call one syringe?" Moltres looked at Aoki with an incredulous expression; its current expression probably conveyed that exact meaning.
"Hehe, don't worry, as soon as this syringe is full, you can leave. And you don't have to worry about an overdose, because I've already tried it once. This amount will definitely not cost you your life, it won't even make you faint. Tyranitar!" Aoki whispered, assuring Moltres that this would absolutely not kill it.
After all, the last Moltres he did this to was still alive and well.
Tyranitar, hearing Aoki's words, was already prepared. It took a step forward, grabbing Moltres's wings with both hands to prevent it from moving.
It was then that Moltres reacted, struggling frantically, but strong as it was, its strength was still no match for Tyranitar's.
"If you move around any more, I won't just be drawing your blood, believe me, I'll roast you right now!" Aoki yelled at Moltres. If it moved, he couldn't draw blood, couldn't find the veins.
"Gulp—" Hearing Aoki threaten to roast it, Moltres's struggling body instantly stopped.
Compared to being roasted, being bled was clearly better.
Watching Aoki approach with that huge syringe, Moltres swallowed frantically, its little heart thumping.
Witnessing its own blood draining and the power within its body gradually dissipating, the feeling was indescribable, like its body was being emptied.
However, just as Aoki had said, once the syringe was filled with blood, Moltres truly did not completely lose its ability to move. It only felt dizzy, somewhat exhausted, and unsteady on its feet.
Aoki looked at the syringe in his hand with satisfaction, still feeling its warmth. The energy in this Moltres's blood was even more abundant than in the blood of the previous Moltres.
"Tsk tsk, as expected of a true legendary Pokémon. The value of this blood is no less than that of those precious materials, and the energy cubes made from it are more easily absorbed by Pokémon." Aoki praised, marveling at its unique properties.
It seemed these legendary Pokémon weren't entirely useless after all. They were legendary Pokémon, so they were bound to have some treasures.
"Alright, you can go now." Aoki waved his hand, not breaking the Poké Ball connection, but merely releasing it in name.
Because Aoki suddenly felt that keeping a blood bank like this, even at risk to his life, wasn't bad. The next time he ran out, he could just take more, an inexhaustible supply, using the resources within Mt. Silver to cultivate these precious legendary Pokémon's blood for himself.
Moltres felt Aoki's gaze was terrifying at that moment, and disregarding its body's weakness, it immediately flapped its wings and flew towards the depths of Mt. Silver.
It had a feeling that if it didn't run now, something bad would happen.
Moreover, this was its first time being captured, and it didn't know that true release actually involved breaking the Poké Ball bond.
Watching the stumbling Moltres flee, Aoki showed a strange smile.
Creepy...