Rebirth (Seeking Flowers, Seeking Collections, Seeking Evaluation Tickets)

Hoenn Region, Mt. Pyre.

Mt. Pyre is shrouded in mist year-round, a manifestation of the Spirit World's aura. Legend has it that any living soul who wanders into Mt. Pyre will be lured by this spectral presence, losing their life in a state of bewilderment.

Suddenly, the sounds of a fierce battle erupted from the summit of Mt. Pyre.

Rain poured down in torrents, accompanied by thunder and lightning. At the peak, countless bolts of lightning descended from the heavens like sharp, flashing blades.

A handsome young man with black hair was currently riding a Pelipper in a sorry state, desperately dodging the attacks of an Electivire with black and yellow fur.

The Electivire lashed out with its electric whip, causing the ground to sizzle and sparks to fly in every direction as thunder echoed through the surroundings.

Countless arcs of electricity swirled around its body, unleashing a barrage of Electric-type moves: Thunder Shock, Thunderbolt, and Thunder.

However, every one of these attacks was dodged by the Pelipper, which possessed the Swift Swim ability.

On the field, a two-meter-tall Aggron was being besieged by a flaming Volcarona and two red-and-black Arcanine.

"I didn't expect to be so careless; the League actually set an ambush with three Elite Four members here." Qing Wu felt a pang of regret for taking on the mission to seize the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

Qing Wu had arrived at Mt. Pyre and, relying on his strength as a high-level Elite Four trainer, had easily secured the two gems, only for these three Elite Four members to suddenly launch their assault.

Qing Wu's Swampert had reacted the fastest, and although it managed to defeat the Elite Four-level Sceptile and Meganium, it was ultimately overwhelmed by numbers and struck down by a Leaf Storm from the Grass-type Elite Four's Serperior.

Following that, Qing Wu's Charizard, Whimsicott, and Alakazam were all surrounded and defeated after taking down one or two of the enemy's Pokémon each.

Now, only the Aggron and Pelipper had any stamina left.

"How did those League dogs know my Pokémon lineup? They specifically deployed Fire-type, Grass-type, and Dark-type Elite Four members. I've never seen these three in the League before—are they the League's hidden Elite Four?"

Qing Wu admitted he had been careless.

In his hand, Qing Wu clutched the two gems: one a fiery, vibrant red with a faint halo and a "w"-shaped marking engraved on its surface.

The other was a sapphire, crystal clear like starlight reflecting off the ocean, exuding a cold, sharp edge with an "a"-shaped marking engraved upon it.

The Aggron's silver metal armor was scorched red-hot. It was panting heavily, relying on its sheer willpower to hold on, its sky-blue eyes filled with intense pain.

Yet, the Aggron kept its gaze fixed on the Volcarona, enduring the searing heat solely to carve out a path of escape for its trainer.

Exerting every ounce of its strength, the Aggron unleashed a Flash Cannon. Catching the Volcarona off guard, the beam tore through its wings. The Volcarona plummeted to the ground like a burning fireball.

The Aggron cast one last look at its trainer before collapsing with a thunderous crash, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Seizing the opportunity, Qing Wu recalled the Aggron into its Poké Ball and fled frantically toward the location of Team Aqua.

"Almost there... the Team Aqua submarine is right there. Once I reach it, I'll be safe." Qing Wu's brows were tightly knit as he muttered through the intense pain, beads of sweat dripping from his smooth, high forehead.

Qing Wu's body was covered in wounds, soaked in his own crimson blood. As the blood flowed, it inadvertently dripped onto the two gems, making the Omega and Alpha markings glow with increasing intensity.

Just then, Qing Wu saw a massive wave rising; the young man had no time to dodge and was swept into the surge along with his Pelipper.

At that moment, the two gems erupted with a scorching light, melting into Qing Wu's body like liquid.

When the wave subsided, Qing Wu realized that the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire had vanished from his hands.

Qing Wu's strength instantly drained away; he had been so close to the submarine and completing his mission, only for this to happen.

The black-haired youth no longer had the energy to dive into the sea to search for the missing gems.

Suddenly, countless massive, flaming meteors began to fall from the sky.

It was a scene of apocalyptic proportions.

Qing Wu saw that the three Elite Four members were still relentless, sending out a Dragonite to unleash the devastating Draco Meteor.

The Pelipper nimbly dodged the flaming meteors, though its wings were partially scorched by the heat.

"Pelipper, can you still hold on?" the black-haired youth asked.

The Pelipper nodded, though its wings were sore and swollen from prolonged flight; it no longer had the strength to make a sound.

Seeing this, Qing Wu laboriously retrieved a handful of yellow, jelly-like items from his Storage Bracelet and fed them to the Pelipper.

"Pelipper, hold on, we're almost there," the black-haired youth comforted it.

"Once I reach the submarine, I'll be safe under their protection," Qing Wu told himself.

Dodging the Dragonite's attacks, Qing Wu finally landed on the submarine that had surfaced.

Seeing Qing Wu land on the vessel, the Dragonite let out a roar of frustration before flapping its wings and flying back toward Mt. Pyre.

"I'm saved." Qing Wu let out a sigh of relief, only to see Izumi's anxious gaze and the cold, detached stares of the surrounding Team Aqua members, who looked at him as if he were a stranger. Their Mightyena growled low in their throats, their eyes savage and bloodthirsty.

Qing Wu took a step back, but the Pelipper shielded him, sensing the extreme malice radiating from them.

"Qing Wu—no, should I say, the Team Rocket mole? You didn't expect this, did you? We've joined forces with the League. It was us who leaked your whereabouts to them. Mightyena, kill him!" Archie snarled viciously at Qing Wu.

"How did these Team Aqua people find out?" Qing Wu's heart skipped a beat; he had believed his disguise was flawless, leaving no room for suspicion.

"Pelipper!" Just as Qing Wu attempted to flee, the Pelipper was struck by an Ice Beam from Archie's Seaking and knocked into the sea.

The Pelipper struggled as it was swept away by a wave.

Qing Wu watched as a Hyper Beam surged toward him, his eyes wide with disbelief and lingering resentment.

Suddenly, Qing Wu felt a tearing pain in his chest and collapsed heavily onto the submarine.

In an instant, his blood mingled with the rain, spreading rapidly across the deck.

"Qing Wu, Qing Wu!" Izumi could no longer hold back; she ran over and pulled Qing Wu into her arms.

"Qing Wu, stay with me, stay with me!" Watching Qing Wu covered in blood and hovering on the brink of death, crystalline tears spilled from Izumi's eyes, mixing with the rain as they fell into his mouth—salty.

Qing Wu had countless things he wanted to say to Izumi, but in his dying moments, he no longer had the strength.

As soon as Qing Wu opened his mouth, a large mouthful of blood gushed out, and his breathing grew faint.

Qing Wu felt so much unwillingness in his heart; after enduring so many hardships and pouring out his life's blood, only to... he was not willing to fail and fall here.

However, at this moment, he felt as if he were falling into an endless Dark Void, his consciousness blurring as everything before his eyes gradually darkened.

Qing Wu watched helplessly as the clear, bright eyes of Izumi dimmed, and he plunged completely into darkness.

In a valley surrounded by mountains.

A handsome youth lay atop a rock. Sunlight shone upon his fair face, making his well-defined features appear even more three-dimensional.

Qing Wu, who had been unconscious for who knows how long, slowly opened his eyes and found his entire body aching.

"Could it be that Izumi saved me?" Qing Wu scratched his hair, suddenly feeling that something was very wrong; he was actually surrounded by rocks, and the sounds of battle were coming from outside.

"Hmph, just give up. You still want to protect your Trial Participant? Don't overestimate your abilities," someone shouted arrogantly.

"Aron, Aron!" A familiar sound came from outside the rocks. Qing Wu struggled to stand up, but suddenly realized something was wrong—why were his hands so small?

Qing Wu looked at his tattered clothes; these were definitely not the clothes he had been wearing before he fell into the darkness.

Without overthinking it for the moment, Qing Wu climbed over the rocks and saw a silver-bright creature battling a jellyfish-like organism.

This silver-bright creature had four short, thick legs and a large, round head. A pair of large, light-blue eyes looked like two sapphires embedded in its head, and its head, feet, and back were covered in partial steel armor, with a horn on its back.

"This is an Aron. Why does this scene feel so familiar?" Qing Wu said, looking puzzled.

Upon hearing Qing Wu's voice, the Aron became exceptionally excited, and in its distraction, it barely dodged a Water Gun sprayed by the jellyfish Pokémon.

"I didn't expect you to survive after being hit by the Tentacruel's Poison Sting," the Tentacruel's trainer said, looking furious as he saw Qing Wu wake up.

The Tentacruel's trainer was a freckled, blonde kid.

"Tentacruel, don't hold back! Use Water Gun and defeat that Pokémon completely! As long as it loses the ability to battle, I can kill the Trial Participant, and this Pokémon will naturally submit to me," the freckled boy shouted.

"Aron, use Rock Tomb on the Tentacruel!" Qing Wu commanded loudly.

Sure enough, under the boy's command, the Aron successfully unleashed Rock Tomb beneath the Tentacruel. The rocks bursting from the ground slammed heavily into the Tentacruel, knocking it unconscious instantly.

"Damn it, you just wait!" The freckled boy recalled his Tentacruel and ran off in a hurry.

"Aron, don't chase it." Qing Wu knew the principle of not chasing a desperate foe, especially since the Aron was already injured from protecting him.

Now, Qing Wu had a more important matter to attend to.

Qing Wu looked at his surroundings; he was in a small valley where the trees were lush and a small stream flowed, making a gurgling sound.

Qing Wu ran to the stream and looked at the youthful face reflected in the water, clad in tattered clothes, appearing to be about fourteen or fifteen years old.

"So, I've been reborn," Qing Wu muttered, his expression one of disbelief.

Just then, Qing Wu heard a thud and saw the Aron collapse to the ground, unconscious.

Seeing the Aron fainted, Qing Wu rushed over to check its condition, discovering that it had been hit by the Tentacruel's Water Gun and was severely injured.

"Rumble, rumble." Suddenly, the sky grew thick with dark clouds that collided with one another, lightning brewing within. A dazzling white light streaked across the sky, and a jagged bolt of lightning struck a towering tree near Qing Wu.

The towering tree was instantly reduced to charcoal, erupting into raging flames.

"This won't do; I need to find shelter from the rain immediately. If the Aron gets soaked in its current state, its foundation could be severely damaged." Qing Wu looked around and spotted a small cave on the valley wall.

Qing Wu hurriedly gathered some branches and bark, then carried the Aron, stumbling toward the cave.