Chapter 347: Don’t Ask. Asher Did It

The video continued playing.

The viewpoint shifted to the northern side of Cinnabar Island.

The crater of an active volcano.

Scalding white steam poured from the entire mountainside.

The air reeked of sulfur, and geothermal heat baked the rocks beneath their feet until even the soles of their shoes felt like they were about to melt.

Aurelia wrapped her entire body in a psychic barrier and walked step by step toward the edge of the crater.

Selene followed behind with a livestream drone.

"Big Sis, Grandpa Blaine is already over seventy years old."

"He climbs an active volcano every day. Are his knees seriously okay?"

"Dad said Grandpa Blaine has Moltres."

"Moltres can’t cure arthritis!"

As the sisters spoke a powerful roar suddenly erupted from inside the crater.

"WHO SAYS I HAVE ARTHRITIS?!"

"I, BLAINE, AM STILL IN MY PRIME!"

"I CAN CLIMB A VOLCANO IN ONE GO WITHOUT BREAKING A SWEAT!"

A column of blazing magma suddenly erupted into the sky.

It spiraled overhead once then transformed into an enormous bird wreathed in orange-red flames.

Moltres.

It spread its wings wide enough to nearly cover half the sky.

The flames surrounding its body dyed even the nearby clouds orange-red.

"Ohhh! It’s Moltres!"

Selene immediately raised the livestream drone.

"Everyone, look!"

"Presented to you with love by the official Sun-Moon Group livestream!"

Moltres circled overhead once before slowly descending toward the edge of the crater.

Blaine jumped down from its back.

He dusted volcanic ash from his hands, looked up, and immediately brightened when he saw Aurelia and Selene.

"Oh?"

"Aren’t you Asher’s little girls?"

"What brings you onto my turf?"

Aurelia nodded politely.

"Hello, Grandpa Blaine."

"I’m here to earn the Volcano Badge."

Blaine didn’t hesitate for even a second.

He immediately pulled the Badge from his pocket and held it out.

"Here."

"Volcano Badge."

"Take it."

"No need to battle."

"???"

Selene’s livestream drone nearly fell straight into the crater.

"Grandpa Blaine, aren’t you being a little too casual about this?!"

Blaine waved a hand.

"Ah, your dad helped me find Moltres back then."

"I still haven’t repaid that favor."

"What’s one little Badge compared to that?"

Aurelia didn’t accept it.

"Grandpa Blaine, I want to earn the Badge through an official battle."

Blaine looked her up and down.

"Why are you taking this so seriously?"

"I’m giving you the Badge."

"You take it and leave."

"We both save ourselves some trouble."

"Isn’t that better?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I’m a challenger of the Kanto League."

"I need to prove my strength through an official battle."

Blaine fell silent for three seconds.

Then—

"Hahahahaha!"

He burst out laughing.

"Good!"

"You’ve got backbone. I like it!"

"How about this?"

"I’ve been looking for a Vulpix recently."

"Help me find it, and I’ll battle you."

"Is there something unusual about this Vulpix?"

"Of course."

"This Vulpix is a mutation."

"Its flames burn at a much higher temperature than those of an ordinary Vulpix."

Blaine handed Aurelia a photograph.

"I’ve been chasing the little thing for three months."

"It gets away every single time."

"It’s clever too."

"The moment it smells me coming, it’s gone."

Aurelia studied the photograph.

Then she nodded.

"All right."

"I’ll find it."

Blaine grinned.

"Then I’ll leave it to you."

"I’m going to soak in a hot spring."

"When you find it, come see me at Cinnabar Gym."

Selene rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"I never realized Cinnabar Island’s hot springs were this popular."

"Big Sis!"

"Do you think I should develop something similar?"

"Like..."

"A hot spring made from volcanic magma?"

"That’s called cremation."

Aurelia knocked Selene lightly on the head.

"Where do you even get all these bizarre ideas?"

"What’s bizarre about it?!"

Selene rubbed her head indignantly, then pointed toward the pool of magma.

"Big Sis, look over there!"

"There’s already a Pokémon soaking in it!"

Aurelia followed the direction of Selene’s finger.

On the inner slope of the crater a Vulpix was sprawled comfortably in the magma.

Every so often, it even scooped up some molten rock with one paw and poured it over its body.

Aurelia looked at it.

Then at the photograph in her hand.

"Um..."

"I think that’s the Vulpix Grandpa Blaine asked us to find."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Selene gave Latias a meaningful look.

"Latias."

"Turn into a Vulpix and go make friends with it."

Latias tilted her head.

"What’s a Vulpix?"

"The Pokémon soaking in the magma!"

"Ohhh."

Pink light flashed around Latias.

She transformed into a red-and-white Vulpix—except she had one extra tail.

Seven in total.

Aurelia: "..."

Selene: "..."

Latias happily bounced toward the real Vulpix.

"Hello!"

"I’m a Vulpix too!"

"Look, I even have one more tail than you!"

The real Vulpix stared at her with an expression that practically screamed: Do you think I’m stupid?

Then it got up and ran.

"Big Sis."

Selene gave a serious assessment.

"I don’t think Latias is very suited to being a spy."

"I don’t think you’re very suited to being a commander either."

Aurelia sighed.

Then she closed her eyes.

Her psychic power instantly spread outward.

A psychic net enveloped the entire crater area.

No matter where Vulpix ran—Aurelia could sense it.

She followed at an unhurried pace.

She didn’t chase.

She didn’t try to block its path.

She simply kept walking after it.

After running for a while, Vulpix realized it couldn’t shake her.

It finally stopped and turned around to glare at Aurelia.

Aurelia stopped as well.

Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out Ho-Oh’s Rainbow Feather.

Vulpix’s eyes instantly went wide.

It stared fixedly at the golden feather.

Its tails began wagging uncontrollably—all six spinning behind it like a peacock spreading its feathers at high speed.

"Want it?"

Aurelia held the feather forward.

Vulpix took another two steps closer.

Then—

It opened its mouth.

Chomp.

Bit down.

Tilted its head back.

And swallowed.

Gulp.

Aurelia froze.

"...I wasn’t telling you to eat it."

The instant Vulpix swallowed the Rainbow Feather—a golden aura erupted across its entire body from head to tail.

Its six tails began spinning like an electric fan.

"BIG SIS!"

Selene backed away three steps while holding up the drone.

"ITS TAILS ARE SPINNING!"

"IS IT ABOUT TO TAKE OFF?!"

Vulpix’s body began to grow.

Within the golden light, its six tails split apart and lengthened until they became nine long, fluffy tails intertwined with gold and crimson.

Ninetales slowly opened its eyes.

Rainbow-colored flames reflected within its heterochromatic pupils.

[VIP Chat Group]

[Morty]: Wait. It just ate the Rainbow Feather?! Doesn’t that count as disrespecting a Legendary Pokémon?!

[Raihan]: Ho-Oh is obviously already listening to Asher. And you’re still worried about one feather?

[Professor Juniper]: Still, isn’t this a little too absurd? A Vulpix can actually evolve using something other than a Fire Stone... That’s something I’d never even considered.

[Professor Rowan]: Ho-Oh’s feathers are said to contain life energy. If consuming one stimulated the energy within the Pokémon’s body and triggered evolution, then theoretically speaking, it isn’t entirely impossible.

[Professor Sycamore]: So this Vulpix now has Ho-Oh’s power inside it? Wouldn’t that make it an entirely new kind of Pokémon? Should we call it... "Ho-Oh Ninetales"?

[Professor Oak]: ... I’m going to have to rewrite the next edition of the Pokédex again.

[Gary]:@Professor Oak, Grandpa, why don’t you just create a separate category called the "Asher Ecosystem"? Then you won’t have to keep rewriting everything every time something happens.

[Bill]: That’s too academic. Not direct enough.

[Gary]: Then what would you call it?

[Bill]:Don’t Ask. Asher Did It.

[Professor Sycamore]: ...Dr. Bill, have you been drinking today?

[Professor Elm]: Dr. Bill, are you currently sober?

[Professor Birch]: Sigh... Dr. Bill used to be such a rigorous researcher. How did he end up like this?

[Bill]: Don’t ask. Asher did it.

[Asher]: ???