Using jumping off a building to attract attention—most of the time, people like that didn't actually want to die. They just wanted to use the act of jumping to achieve some goal in their hearts.
The most typical case was because of relationships.
Every year, there were countless people who chose to jump because of emotional issues, only to end up needing rescue by firefighters.
When a relationship went wrong, some might threaten to jump to try and save it, using the act to show how much they valued the relationship. Such incidents were all too common—not just for firefighters, but even ordinary people had seen it happen time and again.
Julian looked at the person and thought, 'If you're going to jump, could you at least not choose my building?'
"Vice-captain, please stay calm! We've already applied for Heavy Water for you. Once it arrives, your limb can regenerate!"
Down below, a firefighter was holding a walkie-talkie, his words somewhat jumbled due to agitation.
'Hmm—it's one of their own.'
Julian was a bit surprised.
It seemed this wasn't what he had initially thought.
So he activated the power of the Seven-Aperture Stone, using it to glimpse the source of the other person's emotions and intentions.
This ability was something Julian rarely used. After all, eavesdropping on other people's true inner thoughts for no reason was really a bit unethical.
Fortunately, the firefighter genuinely cared about the person above and had no other thoughts in mind.
Through this, Julian understood the gist of the situation.
It turned out the person on the roof was a vice-captain of the fire department. He had been injured while rescuing someone, resulting in an amputation—his left leg had been removed below the knee.
Unable to accept reality, this vice-captain had chosen to end it all.
"Metagross."
Julian called softly.
The next moment, Metagross teleported Julian to the roof of the building, where several firefighters were gathered.
At the edge of the roof sat a man with a weathered face, clutching a liquor bottle, his left calf missing. Beside him stood a Blastoise.
Because of its presence, the rescue Pokémon didn't dare approach.
"Blastoise, are you out of your mind? The vice-captain is about to jump, and not only are you not stopping him—you're preventing us from saving him! Have you gone mad?"
A firefighter was shouting angrily at the Blastoise.
"Don't blame Blastoise. This is my choice—it's only following my orders," the vice-captain said.
Pokémon that were blindly loyal to their trainers did exist, but they weren't common. Today, Julian had encountered one.
The trainer wanted to die, and the Pokémon obeyed the trainer's command, blocking anyone who tried to save him.
"Vice-captain, if you die, Blastoise will follow right after you! Can you really bear that?!" the firefighter roared.
The vice-captain hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "It won't. I've already told Blastoise—if I die, it should follow you. You'll take good care of it."
"Go to hell! If you want to take care of it, do it yourself!"
The firefighter shouted angrily. If the situation hadn't been so critical, he might have wanted to punch the man.
Julian looked at Blastoise and once again activated the power of the Seven Aperture Stone. Just as he suspected—if the vice-captain really died, Blastoise would soon follow. It simply couldn't live on alone.
"I'm a cripple now. I should have died back then—died at that most worthwhile moment—not like this, unable to even walk to the toilet."
The vice-captain's emotions were just as agitated. He slapped his missing leg in frustration.
The surrounding firefighters all fell silent. In their line of work, death and disability were common occurrences. The danger level might not be as high as that of Pokémon Trainers, but it was far from low.
"Don't worry, vice-captain. We've already applied for Heavy Water. Once you use it, your leg will heal," the firefighter kept trying to reassure him.
"Even if that treasure eventually reaches me, it'll take over a decade. Even you don't believe what you're saying, do you?"
Heavy Water could regenerate severed limbs for both humans and Pokémon—its effects were extraordinary.
But such a treasure was naturally scarce in quantity.
Moreover, current human technology couldn't produce it at all. Heavy Water could only be found in Secret Realms, and a single gram of it cost over a million.
For the vice-captain's left calf to regenerate, at least ten grams would be needed.
Even though he had made significant contributions to the firefighting cause, there were many others with even greater contributions who were also disabled and waiting.
If he really had to wait his turn, it would indeed take over a decade before he could receive it.
Julian glanced at the hundreds of kilograms of Heavy Water stored in his system space—he couldn't even remember where he'd found it.
To him, this thing was completely useless.
The vice-captain truly had death in his heart. He didn't intend to use this method to obtain Heavy Water—he was simply tormented, using this act to vent his anguish and see his comrades one last time. Once that was done, he would jump.
Julian stepped forward.
At first, the firefighters hadn't noticed the extra person behind them, their attention fully focused on the vice-captain.
But as Julian walked forward, the firefighters finally spotted him.
Julian had already removed his mask, and with the silver Metagross by his side, anyone with eyes would know who he was.
"Champion Walker!!"
A firefighter cried out in shock.
His voice instantly drew everyone's gaze—even the vice-captain, who was on the verge of jumping, looked over. Everyone, that is, except for the first firefighter.
He secretly gave the guy a thumbs-up. That really was a brilliant move—why hadn't he thought of using Champion Walker to draw the vice-captain's attention from the start?
Unfortunately, just as he was about to act, Blastoise's eyes locked onto him.
He wasn't distracted by the words "Champion Walker," and neither was Blastoise.
"Ch…Champion Walker, it's really you?"
The vice-captain, hazy from alcohol, widened his bleary eyes a bit.
Hearing even the vice-captain speak like that, and seeing the changed expressions on the faces of the surrounding firefighters, the firefighter wondered:
'Was that earlier statement not just a trick to fool the vice-captain?'
Just as he was about to turn and look, a figure slowly walked past him, brushing by his shoulder.
The pace wasn't fast, so he clearly saw the person's face—though it was only a profile, but the silver Metagross beside him was an unmistakable sign.
"It really is Champion Walker! Damn, it's the real deal!"
He couldn't help but swear under his breath.
"Hey, do you know the building you're jumping from belongs to me?" Julian said to the vice-captain.
The vice-captain froze, then suddenly remembered—Metagross Mall was indeed part of the Walker Group.
Faced with Julian's questioning, the vice-captain actually wore an awkward, sheepish expression.
"Then… I'll find another place?"
He said in a tentative tone.
Julian took a deep breath and turned to the firefighter. "Is this guy's brain always like this?"
The firefighter's face flushed red. His comrade was embarrassing himself in front of Champion Walker. At this point, he might as well just jump.
"Champion Walker, please forgive him. His mind is usually sharp—he's just had a bit too much to drink today."
Julian couldn't be bothered with more nonsense. He pulled a small bottle from his pocket and tossed it toward the vice-captain.
Curious, the vice-captain picked up the bottle, but the weight in his hand made his expression shift slightly. This palm-sized bottle felt like it weighed over ten pounds.
"Heavy Water. Keep the extra for yourselves, or give it to someone you think needs it."
"Alright, I'm leaving now. If you want to die, go ahead."
With that, Julian turned to leave.
The next second, the sound of his daily mission completion echoed in his mind.
'An unexpected bonus…'
*****
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