My Pokémon Story of Seasons

Chapter 257 The Priceless Lava

Lucario quickly examined the boy's injuries and found that he had a clear fracture in his left arm and multiple abrasions on his body.

The long-haired dog was in worse condition, its hind legs twisted at an unnatural angle and its breathing weak.

"Ooh!"

Lucario immediately signaled to Nightshade for help. Nightshade floated over and gently lifted the boy and the long-haired dog with its shadow energy to prevent further injury during movement.

Just as they were about to return, Lucario's waveguide suddenly detected an unusual vibration coming from deep within the rock crevice.

She cautiously turned towards the source of the sound and discovered an inconspicuous crack in the rock wall from which gusts of hot air were gushing out.

"There's something else inside." Lucario looked at Night Demon, while simultaneously using his Aura to probe into the crack—

After searching for half a minute, Lucario did not find any other injured people inside.

"Strange, am I overthinking it?"

Just as Lucario wanted to investigate further, the Night Demon beside him urged him on.

"Lord Lucario, the wounded should be treated first here!"

Lucario nodded, temporarily suppressing her doubts. Together with the Night Demon, she carefully transported Sunrise and the long-haired dog to the safe area above.

Not long after, Sableye and his team arrived with Kiawe, the trial captain of Volcano Park Vera, as well as the medical staff and doctor Pokémon stationed in the park.

Unlike other regions with well-established league systems, the Alola region, which only recently began planning to establish a Pokémon League, lacks foundations such as Gym Battles and the Champion League.

Children in the Alola region who are 11 years of age or older must participate in the Island Tour ceremony.

Only by traversing the Alola region, overcoming the individual trials of the four islands, and finally facing the ultimate test against the four island kings and queens at Mount Lanakira, can one be considered to have passed the trial.

"Rising Sun!"

Kachi immediately recognized the seriously injured boy; the two were close friends who often worked together at the discount supermarket. This morning, Shengyang had also been asked by Kachi's sister to deliver a letter to him.

Seeing his friend, who had long since left, in danger in the volcano park he managed, Kachi was filled with self-blame and worry.

"Quick! Put them on stretchers! They must be taken to the big hospital in Kangdai City immediately!"

Under the guidance of the medical staff, Kachi helped as much as he could, while summoning his fire-breathing dragon. "Let us deliver it!"

Until the medical staff lifted Shengyang onto the stretcher, no one noticed that Shengyang's tightly clenched right fist seemed to be holding something—

Shortly after Kachi and Charizard left, Tong Hua and Manyue arrived late.

"We—it seems we're too late!" Tong Hua ran to the scene, panting, just in time to see the fire-breathing dragon carrying the stretcher disappearing into the distance.

Full Moon anxiously looked up and, upon closer inspection, realized that the wounded person being taken away was indeed Sheng Yang. Her face immediately turned pale.

"Whoa!" Lucario, who was standing nearby, immediately came to Tong Hua's side when he saw him.

After a brief exchange, Tong Hua roughly understood what had happened.

"He tried to save a mountaineer who almost fell off a cliff, but ended up falling himself?"

Upon hearing Tong Hua's retelling, Manyue unconsciously clenched her hands: "That idiot—he's usually so lazy and carefree, but he never considers the consequences when faced with an emergency—"

Tong Hua noticed the worry in Manyue's eyes and gently comforted her, "Don't worry, Kachi has already taken him to Kangdai City Hospital. With the Charizard there, they'll arrive soon."

Why don't we follow them and take a look?

"Waaaaah————"

A long-haired dog—ah!

Sheng Yang, lying on the hospital bed, suddenly opened his eyes. The last memory in his mind was of himself accidentally falling off a cliff.

Looking at the unfamiliar ceiling above him, he quickly realized that he had been taken to the hospital.

"Moving house! You're awake?" Full Moon's voice came from beside the bed, carrying a rare gentleness.

Shengyang turned his head and saw Manyue sitting by the bed, holding a medical record in her hand. She had faint dark circles under her eyes, clearly having been waiting for some time.

"Full moon—" Sheng Yang said weakly, "Long-haired dog—"

"He's fine," Manyue said softly. "Although he needs to rest for a while due to a broken hind leg, the doctor said the recovery is going very well."

"But you've been sleeping for most of the day."

Man Yue drew back the curtains and pointed to the full moon outside the window.

"The moon is beautiful tonight."

Hearing that the long-haired dog was alright, Sheng Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief, completely ignoring what Manyue was saying.

"Um?"

Suddenly, Sheng Yang noticed that he was clenching something tightly in his right fist.

He slowly opened his hand, revealing a fragment of volcanic lava in his palm, its surface a dark black with a hint of red.

"What is this?"

Shengyang carefully examined the lava fragment. It looked like an ordinary rock, but he didn't know why he had held it so tightly in his hand, even while unconscious.

"hiss----"

Sheng Yang frowned, trying hard to recall what it was, and it seemed to be something he had grabbed haphazardly after falling off the cliff.

But my memory is too hazy, and I can't recall the specifics at all.

Just as Shengyang was trying to recall, the door to the ward was suddenly pushed open gently, and the attending physician and nurses came to visit him.

"How are you feeling?" the attending physician asked as he examined Sheng Yang's injuries.

Sheng Yang subconsciously stuffed the lava fragment back into his palm: "It's alright—I'm just still a little dizzy."

Full Moon keenly noticed Sheng Yang's subtle movements, but did not point them out on the spot.

"Your recovery is going very well; the fracture has already begun to heal."

I estimate I can be discharged tomorrow. Get some rest tonight.

After the doctor finished giving his instructions and left, Manyue asked softly, "What are you holding in your hand?"

Sheng Yang hesitated for a moment, then opened his palm: "I don't know, it was in my hand when I woke up."

I have a feeling this thing is really important —

Full Moon took the fragment and examined it carefully, her brows furrowing slightly: "Isn't it just an ordinary piece of volcanic lava?"

Let's not talk about that now, Shengyang, I—"

Just then, the ward door was pushed open again, and Tong Hua walked in alone, carrying a fruit basket.

"Miss Man-wol, I've brought some fruit to visit you. Oh, are you awake already?"

Did I disturb you?

Tong Hua looked at Sheng Yang on the hospital bed, then at Manyue sitting by the bedside with affection in her eyes, and scratched her head awkwardly.

"Ah, let me introduce myself!"

Manyue stood up, her gaze towards Tong Hua filled with complex emotions.

"This is Mr. Tong Hua, whom I just met today."

"Thanks to Mr. Tong Hua's Lucario and Night Demon for their rescue, you and the long-haired dog were pulled back from the brink of death."

Although Manyue was very grateful to Tonghua for saving Shengyang, she begged her not to open the door when the atmosphere was just right next time!

"Mr. Tong Hua?"

Sheng Yang frowned in confusion, his gaze lingering on Tong Hua's face for a moment. "Strange, haven't we met somewhere before—"

Tong Hua was slightly taken aback and carefully examined the boy on the hospital bed.

Although she knew him very well, this should be the first time the two of them had met in real life.

"This should be our first time meeting."

Shengyang rubbed his temples, trying hard to recall, but his mind was still a bit muddled from just waking up.

"Maybe it's just my imagination—but thank you so much, and your Pokémon saved me."

"You're welcome, I'm so glad you're alright!" Tong Hua's smile was as warm as the sun, making Sheng Yang's lips unconsciously curl up as well.

"Speaking of which," Tong Hua placed the fruit basket on the bedside table, her gaze falling on the lava fragment in Manyue's hand, "what's this?"

Full Moon handed the fragment to Tong Hua: "Sheng Yang was holding it in his hand when he woke up. It looks like ordinary volcanic rock."

"Lava?"

Tong Hua looked at the rock in his hand and suddenly remembered that Akromma had commissioned Lucario and the others to collect rock samples from the volcano park.

Since it wasn't collected by himself, the information panel for the cheat code didn't appear. However, Tong Hua lightly weighed it and felt that it was just a brittle piece of lava rock.

"Seems like nothing special—huh?"

Tong Hua subconsciously tried to use a waveguide to probe the lava in his hand, but for some reason, the waveguide he emitted disappeared as if it had sunk into the sea after it came into contact with the lava.

Just as this lava itself has no waveguides, this is clearly illogical in a world where everything has waveguides.

It's worth noting that the last time this happened, Tong Hua was holding an S-rank material, namely the Gear of Time!

Tong Hua's pupils contracted slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.

He calmly handed the lava fragment back to Shengyang, and casually asked, "This stone seems quite special; it feels priceless."

Could you tell me where you found this piece of lava?