At night, Victor was on a video call with Shana, listening to her chatter endlessly.
Finally, at Mrs. Fujino's urging, she reluctantly said her goodbyes.
"Uncle, I'm going to bed now. You should sleep early, too."
"Okay, Shana. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, uncle."
After Shana left, Mrs. Fujino looked at Victor through the screen with an apologetic expression.
She began to explain Shana's situation over the past few days.
She and Mr. Fujino could both tell that Shana was not happy there.
Because they didn't return often, and due to some past family issues, they themselves didn't like coming back, let alone young Shana.
Plus, this place had so many restrictive rules.
She had wanted to leave with Shana a long time ago, but she couldn't get away, and she didn't feel comfortable letting Shana leave on her own.
Mrs. Fujino's face was etched with worry.
Victor thought for a moment, then spoke.
"Ma'am, is your place far from here?"
Mrs. Fujino was taken aback. "Not too far," she replied.
Victor nodded. "Then why don't you send me your location, and I'll come pick Shana up?"
"Is that... is that really okay?" Mrs. Fujino asked in surprise.
Victor nodded.
After all, adult problems should be solved by adults.
There was no need to drag a child into it.
"I'd be troubling you so much, Owner," Mrs. Fujino continued.
"To be honest, we didn't want to bring Shana back here in the first place. These are our problems to solve. But..." She sighed.
"It's no trouble, ma'am. It's not far. I'll head over tomorrow morning."
Victor glanced at the location she had sent him. "Don't tell Shana just yet. I want to give her a surprise."
Mrs. Fujino nodded.
After hanging up, Victor told Gengar and the others the plan: he was going to pick Shana up tomorrow.
They all agreed. They missed Shana a lot, too.
The night passed peacefully.
Early the next morning, Victor woke up, got ready, went downstairs, and ate breakfast.
He then prepared to leave with Gengar.
This time, he only planned to take Gengar. The Breeding House couldn't keep closing.
He left Lilligant and Roselia in charge of the front.
Gothita and Mime Jr. also stayed behind. The four of them were now very skilled at handling customers. If they ran into anything they didn't understand, they could just call him.
Dali and the others, as usual, stayed to protect the Breeding House, with the Vespiquen assisting them.
Marill was training with the Quagsire.
As for Vulpix...
Victor looked at the Vulpix that had just jumped directly into his arms.
He stroked its small head.
Might as well bring you along.
Just then, the Luxio emerged from the kitchen. It signaled that it also wanted to go.
Victor sensed that the Luxio wanted to protect him.
He smiled and agreed.
"Alright everyone, I'm leaving the Breeding House in your care."
"I'll bring Shana back."
"Lili~"
"Mime~"
"Goth~"
"Machoke!" x3
...
Shana's side.
As soon as she finished lunch, Shana ran to the plains and sat on the grass, surrounded by Pokémon, her eyes fixed on the Ponyta.
Just then, a few Rapidash appeared, leading several Ponyta.
They spotted the blue-flamed Ponyta.
One of the Rapidash led the group over.
The blue Ponyta, seeing them, began to tremble.
The lead Rapidash stood over the blue Ponyta, looking down on it, as if asking why it hadn't left the plains yet.
The blue Ponyta was trembling too hard to speak.
A few of the other Ponyta behind the Rapidash charged forward and slammed into the blue one.
It was knocked to the ground. It cried out in pain and struggled to its feet, only to be knocked down again.
The lead Rapidash just watched from the side.
The surrounding wild Pokémon also gathered, watching quietly.
Seeing this, Shana ran over.
"What are you doing?!" she cried, her young voice trembling.
She spread her arms and shielded the blue Ponyta behind her.
The Rapidash walked up to Shana and looked down at her, silently demanding she move.
Shana shook her head. "Aren't you all the same? You're all Ponyta! Why are you treating it like this?" she demanded, tears welling in her eyes.
The Rapidash just snorted and turned to leave.
"Ponyta, don't be scared. I'll protect you," Shana said, turning to hug the small Pokémon.
Just then, one of the other Ponyta, its body wreathed in flames, charged at them.
Her Tinkerbell, seeing the danger, ran in front of Shana.
"Ching~"
Just as the hot flames were about to hit Tinkerbell and Shana, a ball of electricity shot out from the side and sent the attacking Ponyta flying.
The Luxio appeared from its Wild Charge.
It ignored the Ponyta it had just sent flying and stood in front of Shana, silently staring at the lead Rapidash.
Picking on the weak?
The Luxio's piercing eyes stared down the Rapidash, and then it gave a disdainful snort. Yellow electricity crackled around its body.
I'll take you on.
The Rapidash, seeing the Luxio, began to paw at the ground, its hooves striking faster and faster.
Just as a battle was about to break out...
"Gengar."
A voice called out.
Gengar appeared between them.
With a press of its hands, the Rapidash and its group suddenly felt an immense weight.
Some of the Ponyta had already collapsed to their knees.
Shana looked at the Luxio and Gengar. The familiar purple, chubby figure...
She turned her head.
"Uncle!"
She ran to Victor and threw herself into his arms.
Her tears instantly soaked his shirt.
Victor's eyes turned cold.
He stared at the group of Rapidash and Ponyta.
He picked Shana up, gently patting her back.
"It's okay. Uncle's here now."
Then his voice changed.
"Gengar. Luxio."
He only needed to say their names.
Gengar formed a Shadow Ball in its hand.
Luxio's entire body was enveloped in yellow electricity.
The lead Rapidash looked at Victor, then felt the oppressive aura coming from Gengar. It barely dodged a Shadow Ball, only to be hit by Luxio's Wild Charge.
It cried out in pain.
It stood up and neighed at Victor, as if to say that Shana had interfered in their business first.
Victor ignored it and looked at the small, scarred Ponyta.
Blue flames.
A shiny Ponyta.
I've heard that shiny Pokémon are often unwelcome in their own groups, that they're bullied.
Seeing this today, it seems to be true.
Victor understood what was happening, but he didn't answer the Rapidash.
He just said, "If you don't accept it, you can just drive it away. Why did you have to resort to violence?"
The lead Rapidash, under Gengar's pressure, was silent.
"You can't even tolerate one of your own kind... tsk."
The lead Rapidash heard the disdain in Victor's voice. It wanted to rear up in anger, but it was powerless.
Gengar and Luxio were staring it down.
But to ask it to submit...
That was also impossible.
"It's fine. We'll just have to beat you into submission!"
Hearing Victor's words, Gengar and Luxio got ready to move again.
Clip-clop.
A sound interrupted the tense atmosphere.
Victor turned.
The shiny Ponyta had walked up to his side.
It looked at the Shana in his arms.
Shana climbed down from Victor's arms and hugged the Ponyta.
"It's okay, Ponyta. Uncle and Gengar are here. They'll protect us."
The Ponyta nodded, then looked at Victor for a long moment.
It then turned to face the Rapidash and the others.
It slowly walked forward and stood before the lead Rapidash.
The Rapidash looked down at it, its eyes full of hostility.
The blue Ponyta suddenly felt that it didn't care anymore.
It stomped its hooves on the ground.
I... challenge you.
A race. To decide the winner.
The Rapidash was stunned for a moment, then it snorted, as if in disbelief.
But under the pressure from Gengar and Luxio, it also stomped its hooves.
I accept.
After they mapped out a route, the shiny Ponyta and the lead Rapidash stood at the starting line.
One of the other Rapidash reared up, then brought its front hooves crashing down.
The two runners shot off.
The lead Rapidash was incredibly fast.
The blue Ponyta was quickly left behind.
The other Ponyta and Rapidash seemed to be mocking it.
"Uncle, will Ponyta win?"
Victor looked at the lead Rapidash, which had already completed a lap, while the blue Ponyta had only just finished half.
He nodded.
"It will. We have to believe in it."
Shana stood beside Victor and nodded firmly.
"Go, Ponyta, go!" she shouted, cupping her small hands around her mouth.
Her young voice, carried by the wind, reached the ears of the struggling Ponyta.
It was suddenly reminded of Shana's companionship over the past few days.
The first time we met, she was also wearing this dress.
That day, there was a wind... it was so gentle.
It gently blew her skirt.
That was why I let her touch me on the very first day.
She wasn't disgusted by me.
That's right... that wind... it was so gentle.
The Ponyta's legs began to move faster.
At that moment, a gust of wind blew past, making Shana's skirt flutter.
The sight filled the Ponyta's eyes.
Her cheers echoed in its ears.
It said silently in its heart, Mom... I... I found that wind.
Then, before Victor's and Shana's eyes, its body was enveloped in light.
Its four legs grew stronger and longer, its body more robust.
Flames erupted from its hooves, and a long horn grew from its head.
The light faded.
The Ponyta had evolved into a Rapidash.
The flames on its body burned even hotter.
Facing the wind.
Greyish-purple flames.
Burning fiercely.
In the sight of everyone...
The champion of the plains will gallop again!
The shiny Rapidash was the first to cross the finish line.
...
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