While stroking Moltres' warm feathers, Cain said, "Moltres, I also know that you don't actually wish to truly become a trainer's Pokémon, so I've decided to return you to nature."
Upon hearing this, Moltres' eyes lit up. Then it slightly shrank its neck, and its two eyes began moving from side to side, as if saying: "Really?"
Cain, without the slightest courtesy, directly grabbed it by the neck and said in a fierce tone, "Of course. Although if you don't want that, I can also choose not to release you."
Moltres frantically shook its head and put on a submissive expression. Ever since Cain captured it, forced it to battle, and now held it by the very neck of its life, Moltres had already come to understand his character quite well. If Cain wanted to, it would never be able to escape from his hands.
"It seems you really want to be rid of me..."
Cain's hand, gripping Moltres' neck, tightened slightly.
Moltres' expression froze. Almost crying, it shook its head again, unwillingly pretending that it was delighted to continue following Cain.
"Oh? So you do want to become my Pokémon... Then why don't we try to get along from now on?" Cain said with a smile that was not truly a smile.
Moltres was truly on the verge of tears. It did not know what Cain intended: whether he was really going to release it or simply amusing himself at its expense.
Whatever the case, it was still a true Legendary Pokémon! It should not be humiliated like this!
Just as Moltres' eyes began to grow fiercer and the temperature of its body gradually increased...
Boom!!!
To the side, Tyranitar's tail slammed heavily against the ground, producing an explosive sound.
Only then did Moltres remember that before it stood someone against whom it could do absolutely nothing. If Tyranitar wished, it could crush it into the ground at any moment; rebelling would be useless.
Moltres immediately softened again, adopting a pitiful expression as it looked at Cain, hoping he would show mercy and raise his hand.
The smile on Cain's face deepened.
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. I really am going to release you. If you still don't believe me, there's nothing I can do."
"Don't even think about it!"
That was what Moltres screamed internally, though outwardly it merely nodded obediently, with an expression that said: "You're the boss, whatever you say."
"Since I'm going to let you go, you should at least show something in return. After all, you yourself believe your own value is quite high, right?"
Cain continued: "Relax, I'm not asking for much. With your size, I only want to draw one syringe of blood. As soon as I fill it, I'll release you immediately."
While speaking, Cain raised his hand and made a gesture with his index finger and thumb, indicating the size of a syringe.
Seeing the size Cain indicated with his hand, Moltres let out a long sigh of relief, and that proud expression once again appeared in its eyes.
"Just one syringe? Even ten would be nothing!"
Then it proudly lifted its neck, signaling Cain to do as he pleased, that it had no problem at all.
Cain was very satisfied with Moltres' reaction and nodded with a smile.
Whoosh!
Moltres' wings instinctively flapped, wanting to take flight. If Cain had not still been gripping it by the neck, it would have already flown into the sky.
It froze in shock when it saw Cain take out from storage an enormous syringe, thicker than its own thigh.
"Is this what you call a syringe?" Moltres' expression seemed to say as it looked at Cain in utter disbelief.
"Hehe, relax. As long as I fill this syringe, you'll be free to go. And you don't need to worry about it being too much, because I've already done a test once before. This amount won't kill you, nor will it even make you faint. Tyranitar!"
Cain spoke softly, reassuring Moltres that this would not cost it its life.
After all, the previous Moltres he had done something similar to was still alive and kicking.
Tyranitar, who had already been prepared, stepped forward and grabbed Moltres' wings with both hands to prevent it from moving.
Only then did Moltres truly react and begin struggling frantically, but although its strength was considerable, before Tyranitar's physical power it was still nothing.
"If you keep moving, I won't draw blood anymore — I'll roast you right here! Do you believe me or not?" Cain shouted at Moltres, because with all that movement he could not properly find the vein.
Gulp—
As soon as it heard that Cain intended to roast it, the frantically struggling body froze instantly.
Compared to being roasted, it was obvious that letting its blood be drawn was the better option.
Moltres swallowed nervously as it watched Cain approach with that enormous syringe. Its little heart pounded wildly.
Watching with its own eyes as its blood flowed outward, feeling the strength within its body slowly being drained away... was an extremely difficult sensation to describe. As if everything inside it were being emptied.
But just as Cain had said, once the syringe was completely full, Moltres did not entirely lose the ability to move. It only felt its head heavy, vision blurred, and extreme exhaustion, to the point that it could barely remain standing.
Cain looked with enormous satisfaction at the full syringe in his hand, from which a residual warmth could still be felt. The energy contained in the blood of this Moltres was even more abundant than that of the previous Moltres he had used before.
"Well, well. No wonder it's a true Legendary Pokémon. The blood of this kind is worth exactly the same as many precious materials, and the Pokéblocks made from it are much easier for Pokémon to absorb," Cain commented in admiration as he appreciated its special properties.
It seemed that these Legendary Pokémon were not, after all, completely useless. After all, they were still Legendary Pokémon; one way or another, they had to offer something valuable.
"Alright, you can go now."
Cain waved a hand. He did not break the Poké Ball bond, he merely "released" it verbally.
Because he suddenly felt that maintaining such a living reserve of blood was not a bad idea. When he used it all, he could simply come again to draw more. An inexhaustible supply, cultivated with the resources of Mt. Silver to produce valuable divine blood.
To Moltres, however, Cain's gaze at that moment seemed extremely sinister. Ignoring the exhaustion of its body, it flapped its wings and flew unsteadily toward the depths of Mt. Silver.
Instinctively, it felt that if it did not flee immediately, something very bad would happen.
Moreover, since this was the first time it had ever been captured, it did not know that a true release also required breaking the Poké Ball bond.
Cain watched as Moltres fled unsteadily, and a rather strange smile appeared on his face.
An unsettling smile...
(End of chapter)