A Slap in the Face, Refusing to Admit It

As the boisterous playfulness gradually subsided, the atmosphere in the misty heat of the hot spring grew slightly more serious.

Yan Yang leaned against the edge of the pool, warm water covering his shoulders as he turned to look at the massive "steam fortress" half-submerged beside him.

"You... know about Master Hu, don't you?" Yan Yang's voice was low, carrying a trace of barely noticeable heaviness.

A deep rumble came from Volcanion's chest, like steam echoing through pipes.

"I suppose I do..." Its voice was somewhat lower than usual. "That old fox... after struggling for so long, it looks like he finally freed himself from that pain he couldn't control."

It did not know all of Master Hu's secrets and plans, but it could sense that the old friend it had known for countless years had completely departed in a way it could vaguely understand.

In its view, perhaps this counted as dying with no regrets. At the very least, the ending had been chosen by Master Hu himself, and it was what he had wanted most.

The Ultimate Weapon was gone, and that old fellow had fulfilled his wish. I've done everything I needed to do too, so I don't owe you anything anymore.

He wasn't like a born Legendary Pokémon or Mythical Pokémon. No matter how long he lived, he was still mortal by nature. He probably... couldn't endure that endless torment any longer.

Volcanion pondered silently.

And us... we were born alongside the laws of the world. The passage of endless time was itself a part of our existence, so naturally, we could better endure its loneliness and weight.

Perhaps this was the insurmountable gulf between ordinary beings and the extraordinary.

To gain an existence beyond common sense, one had to be prepared to bear the corresponding