Chapter 169: Devon Corporation
Deep down, Articuno began to believe. Rio seized the moment: "Oh, I forgot to mention—besides you, Raikou, one of the three legendary beasts, is also under my command."
"Raikou? Lord Ho-Oh’s guardian, Raikou?" Articuno was astonished. "Where is it? Bring it out to see me!"
"It’s not with me right now. Stay in your Poké Ball, and you’ll meet it in the future," Rio said. During the battle at Mt. Ember, Raikou had followed his orders and fled in another direction. Though he didn’t know where it was now, he figured Raikou would eventually head to Lavender Town to wait for him.
"Fine—I believe you," Articuno said after a long pause. "But if I find out you’ve lied to me, I’ll leave immediately."
"Of course," Rio said with a shrug.
He tossed two Revival Herbs into Articuno’s and Charizard’s mouths, healing their battle wounds. Once they were fully recovered, Rio recalled Articuno and the Red Gyarados.
"Charizard—back to Lavender Town."
Rio grinned as he climbed onto Charizard’s back. He was in high spirits. And after the battle with Articuno, he felt Greninja would soon be able to withstand Raikou’s full-powered attack. But he thought bigger—maybe he could surprise Raikou by turning the bet’s condition from "withstand one blow" to "withstand seven or eight blows," or even fight it to a standstill. He believed Raikou would be pleasantly surprised. There were still over two months before the bet’s deadline—with a little more effort, Greninja just might pull it off. In any case, pushing forward was the only way.
Over ten hours later, after a full day of flying from dawn to dusk, Charizard returned to Lavender Town. The town was as peaceful as ever. Seeing Rio back, the Lavender Gym trainees—who had been waiting for over a week—swarmed him, lining up to ask for guidance on their Pokémon training.
"Life is always busy," Rio sighed. He was used to it—and mentally prepared. Making money meant putting in the work.
While he was away, Blue had taken over Gym management. The kid was so impressed by Rio’s training skills that he’d decided to stay for a year, openly saying he wanted to learn Rio’s secret—how he could tell at a glance exactly how many practice attempts a Pokémon needed. Rio didn’t mind and let him observe as much as he wanted—if Blue could figure it out, good for him.
After nearly two hours of guidance, Rio finally got some free time. He crossed the street from the Lavender Gym to the Pokémon House. Mr. Fuji had told him that no matter when he returned, if he was hungry, the Pokémon House would have a meal waiting for him.
"The news reported a few days ago that Team Rocket’s Celadon base was destroyed—did you have a hand in that?" Mr. Fuji asked, sitting down with a teapot while Rio ate.
"You could tell, Grandpa Fuji?" Rio looked up in surprise.
"You left Lavender Town, and the next day Celadon’s Rocket base was taken down by a group of trainers. It couldn’t have been coincidence. And the report showed a photo of a Greninja—identical to yours." Mr. Fuji smiled warmly.
"The only thing I didn’t expect was how fast you’ve grown. In just a year, you’re already taking part in operations against Team Rocket bases."
Rio chuckled. Then he remembered something and reached for his bag. "Grandpa Fuji—besides the Celadon operation, I also went to Cinnabar Island."
At the mention of Cinnabar Island, Mr. Fuji’s warm expression flickered.
"I found these there." Rio pulled out the amber fossil and the diary pages.
Mr. Fuji’s expression shifted from slight unease to clear concern. "You went to the Cinnabar Mansion?" he asked seriously.
"Yes," Rio nodded. "The handwriting matches yours, so I figured it was something you’d researched."
"What condition is it in now?" Mr. Fuji didn’t ask how Rio had gotten in.
"It’s in ruins, but someone’s guarding the entrance—no entry allowed. I snuck in and accidentally found the basement," Rio said.
Mr. Fuji seemed lost in thought for a moment, then nodded. "You’re right—those diary pages document my research. It’s also the Pokémon that Giovanni has been desperately trying to get his hands on. Mewtwo."
"After reading those pages, you’ve probably guessed what I gave you, haven’t you?"
Rio nodded. "Yes—it’s something related to Mewtwo. The contents of that box can help us find it."
Mr. Fuji paused, looking seriously at Rio. "Still—I want to say this. Whether or not you have any intentions regarding Mewtwo, I urge you to be extremely careful. That Pokémon’s power is far beyond what you can imagine. It’s not something you can handle right now—even if you’ve become an elite trainer. Until you’re among the very best in the world, Mewtwo is beyond your reach. Even Giovanni and his ace Beedrill would lose without a doubt."
"Grandpa Fuji, I know—I only brought these out to return them to you. I don’t have any plans to challenge Mewtwo anytime soon." Rio scratched his head and pushed the items toward Mr. Fuji.
Relieved, Mr. Fuji took the diary pages but handed the fossil back. "I’ll keep the diary. You keep the fossil and the items."
"That fossil can be revived into a Pokémon using a fossil revival machine. As far as I know, there are only two places with that capability—the Cinnabar Research Lab on Cinnabar Island, and the Devon Corporation in Hoenn. The lab has been compromised by Team Rocket for a long time—I wouldn’t recommend it. If you’d like, I can contact Devon Corporation for you and have them revive the fossil."
Rio’s eyebrows lifted at the mention of Devon Corporation—wasn’t that the company belonging to that rock-collecting champion, Steven? He smiled and said: "That would be wonderful—thank you, Grandpa Fuji."
Rio didn’t bother with false modesty—they were close enough by now. Besides, visiting another region didn’t sound bad at all. Who knows—maybe his protagonist luck would strike again and lead him to another legendary Pokémon trail.
"It’s my pleasure. You’re Lavender Town’s strongest trainer, and you’ve helped us through tough times. Your strength only benefits all of us." Mr. Fuji returned to his usual warm demeanor. They chatted a few more minutes before he left, saying he’d contact the Devon Corporation on Rio’s behalf.
Rio continued eating.
"Kid—why did it take you so long to get back?" Raikou’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Rio looked around and spotted Raikou’s large face through the window on his right. It glanced at him, then turned and walked away. Rio finished his meal in a few bites, washed his dishes, and left the dining area. He released Charizard, and a few minutes later, he met Raikou outside Lavender Town.