svetikya Chapter 430 Crimson Sun - Rising Sun
Chapter 430 Crimson Sun - Rising Sun
That's how it happened.
Xiao Zhi spoke slowly, each word seeming to be squeezed out from the depths of his chest, carrying a trace of indescribable weariness.
His voice was very soft, as soft as a snowflake, falling silently into the hall of the Pokémon Center, as if it could be blown away by a breath at any moment.
On the other end of the phone was Cynthia.
Her brows were furrowed, and her eyes were filled with worry and solemnity.
Ash recounted his experiences at the Spear Pillar in great detail from beginning to end.
This includes the Galaxy Team's schemes and ambushes, as well as the final fate of the Crimson Sun.
He did not conceal any details, nor did he add any subjective assumptions; he simply stated the facts objectively.
On the other end of the phone, Cynthia also fell silent.
She didn't respond immediately, but listened quietly, with only the soft sound of their breathing conveying their emotions silently.
The sound of their breathing was very light and slow, yet heavy, like a boulder pressing on their hearts, so heavy it made it hard to breathe.
Ash knew that Cynthia needed time to process the news and to think about how to deal with the situation ahead.
He didn't urge him, but waited quietly.
They awaited Cynthia's response and her instructions.
"Ah."
After a long while, Cynthia finally responded.
Her voice was soft, low, brief, and heavy, as if it came from a distant place, carrying a hint of indescribable weariness.
"..."
There was another suffocating silence.
"..."
"Although it might sound strange for me to say this, the Red Sun I remember is not like this at all. So when you reminded me that the mastermind behind Team Galactic might be the Red Sun, I couldn't believe it for a moment."
Cynthia on the other end of the phone seemed quite melancholy.
"In my memory, he was a very friendly person towards Pokémon and liked to help others. With his achievements, there was actually no need for him to do so much charity work, but he still did it. Perhaps one of the reasons was to cover up his identity, but... perhaps... he just wanted to walk on that original path."
After saying these words, Cynthia hung up the phone.
Only the busy beeping sound echoed in the empty Pokémon Center.
Empty and desolate, like a silent mourning for this tragedy.
......
"Xiao Zhi..."
Xiao Guang cautiously stepped forward and gently tugged at Xiao Zhi's sleeve. His voice was low, filled with worry and heartache, as if he was afraid of disturbing something.
"Are you... alright?"
She wanted to comfort Xiaozhi, but she didn't know what to say. The words stuck in her throat, and she couldn't bring herself to speak.
Chi Ri was a sinner, and his death was deserved and was his own fault.
At first, everyone thought so.
But looking at Ash's conflicted expression, it seems there are indeed some hidden reasons that they don't know about.
"I am fine."
Xiao Zhi shook his head slightly, trying to make his voice sound more relaxed, but he failed.
He managed a weak smile, trying to appear nonchalant, but found the smile more painful than a grimace. Bitterness and helplessness surged into his heart like a tidal wave, overwhelming him.
"I just……"
He paused for a moment, his gaze becoming somewhat unfocused, as if piercing through the scene before him to see a more distant place, a deeper memory.
He was lost in memories, the scene before the sun fell replaying in his mind, every detail, every expression, was crystal clear, as if branded deep in his memory.
"I was just thinking about the last time Akari looked at me..."
His voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself, or as if he were explaining to Xiaoguang, with a hint of confusion and bewilderment, as if he wanted to grasp something but was powerless to do so.
I still remember that moment. Chi Ri's eyes were full of complex emotions: despair, resentment, relief, and a hint of... indescribable expectation and entrustment.
That expectation, like a faint flame, flickered in the darkness. Though weak, it burned tenaciously, refusing to be extinguished.
"He seemed to... have something to say to me, or rather... have something he wanted to entrust to me..."
He didn't know what it was, but he could sense that it must be very important, very important.
That gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, transcend life and death, silently pressing a heavy responsibility onto his shoulders.
Hikari was stunned. She stared at Satoshi with wide eyes, her gaze filled with disbelief and confusion.
"The world has not only two sides, black and white, but also a gray side," Ash explained to Dawn.
"People are the same way."
He turned around and looked at Xiao Guang.
"At least, based on the materials Miss Cynthia gave us, and from my last eye contact with him, I feel... that Akari wasn't like that at the beginning."
Ash recalled the information about Sun that Cynthia had provided; those cold words seemed unable to fully depict Sun's life.
"When he was about our age, he was an excellent student, a bright and ambitious young man. He was very smart and talented, otherwise he would not have become one of the few entrepreneurs and philanthropists in the Sinnoh region."
As he spoke, Xiaozhi recalled the image of Akari before his death, an image that lingered in his mind.
"His ending was inevitable, but I still want to try my best to fulfill his expectations of me, or more accurately, his past self, just like me."
His voice was firm, as if he were making a promise to himself, or to the person who had already left, carrying an unquestionable determination.
"I have already asked the handsome gentleman to gather more detailed information about the Crimson Sun."
"No wonder the handsome gentleman looked so complicated just now."
Xiao Gang walked over at some point and echoed.
"After all, Interpol owes us a favor, and I suppose you want to take this opportunity to repay it."
Xiao Gang added, trying to ease the heavy atmosphere.
The next moment, as if remembering something, Brock turned his head, looked at Ash, and asked with concern, "By the way, Ash, what happened to the Crobat that stayed with Red Sun at the end?"
Ash didn't turn around, but simply said, "It's always been there."
His gaze was fixed on the distance, where the scorching sun set, where life ended, and where everything came to a close.
There lies the soul of a sinner, and perhaps also a hidden past, a past filled with sorrow and helplessness.
Perhaps buried there is Chi Ri's last wish, a wish that even he himself could not fulfill, a wish buried deep in his heart.
Ash didn't know what it was, but he knew he would find the answer and solve the mystery.
Because that was the blazing sun—
At the same time, it was a tragic wish entrusted to him by the world, and a mission he had to fulfill.
Red sun.
He pondered it.
Perhaps it also means the rising sun.
It just lacks the youthful vigor of the rising sun.
It has gained a profound weight from the passage of time.
That pure and innocent heart, named Crimson Sun.
He has received the message that his goal is to become a Pokémon Master again.
This burning emotion.
This is a heavy mission.
He will surely embark on this long journey with the same sincere heart that Chi Ri possessed in his youth.
......
P.S.: The Galactic Team arc has come to an end. Speaking of which, the main storylines of all three of my books revolve around the character of Red Sun. I've already written about both the purely good and purely evil Red Sun, so after much hesitation, I chose this ending for this book, which can be seen as a response to Red Sun's past.
After a few more chapters of slice-of-life scenes to transition, we can prepare for the final Gym Battles, Grand Festivals, and League Tournament storylines. The Sinnoh arc, which has dragged on for so long, finally looks like it's coming to an end!