Chapter 11 : The Extinguished Flame and the Invisible Trail
After dealing with Team Rocket, I headed back toward the Pokémon Center. The sun had already set, casting long shadows across the city.
In the original timeline, this was the moment when Eevee injured its leg, and Kellie—Callahan's niece—was admitted to the center due to her chronic low energy and exhaustion.
'Ding-Dong!'
The automatic doors slid open, and Pikachu and I walked into the lobby. The atmosphere was somber. Professor Toren, Risa, the old lady Harriet, and Callahan were all gathered there.
"Did... did the thieves get caught?" Professor Toren asked nervously as he saw me.
I nodded. "I caught all three of them. But there's a problem. They didn't have the chemical you made. They must have lost it somewhere during the chase."
"They lost it? That is... very bad," Toren stammered, looking anxious. "I-I must go tell Officer Jenny. We need to stop looking for the thieves and start searching for the 'Effect Spore' solution immediately!"
Without wasting another second, the timid scientist rushed out to file a report.
I turned my attention to Risa. She was sitting on a bench, holding Eevee in her lap. The little Pokémon's leg was wrapped in a white bandage.
"Risa, is Eevee okay?" I asked gently.
Risa nodded, stroking Eevee's fur. "Nurse Joy did a check-up. She says Eevee is fine, but she won't be able to walk properly for a few days."
"That's a relief," I said. I didn't think too much more about it. Whatever was going to happen would happen.
Exhausted from the long day, I went to my assigned room. Pikachu curled up at the foot of the bed, and we both drifted into a deep sleep.
The Day the Wind Died
'Knock! Knock! Knock!'
The next morning, urgent banging on my door woke me up. I groggily opened it to find Risa standing there, looking panicked.
"Ash! We have a huge problem outside!" she cried.
I quickly got dressed and ran outside with Pikachu. The scene that greeted us was unsettling. The massive windmills that powered the entire city—usually spinning gracefully—were completely still. The gentle hum of the wind was gone. The city was silent.
I looked up toward the central tower. The Eternal Flame, which burned brightly at the summit, had gone out.
"This is happening because the Eternal Flame has been extinguished," I muttered.
"We need to know why this matters," I said to Risa, deciding to explain the history. "We need to look into the past."
"The past?" Risa asked.
"Long ago, Fula City was a barren wasteland," I began, reciting the lore I knew. "But the people here didn't give up. They worked alongside their Pokémon to make this land habitable. Lugia, the Legendary Pokémon, saw their hard work and was pleased. It blessed the town with the power of the wind."
I pointed at the stationary blades of the windmills. "The people developed different methods to harness that wind, creating the Fula City we see today. But the wind power isn't infinite. Once a year, Lugia returns to replenish the wind."
"So, where does the Flame fit in?" Risa asked.
"The ancestors of Fula City had a fear," I explained. "They worried that one day, Lugia might not be able to find the city again. Without the wind, the city would die. So, they created—or found—the Eternal Flame. It acts as a beacon. As long as it burns, Lugia can find its way here."
I looked at the tower. "Over time, the wind and the Flame became linked. If the Flame goes out, Lugia won't know where to send the wind."
"So... you think the Flame went out?" Risa asked, wide-eyed.
"Exactly."
"But wait, Ash... how do you know all this?" Risa looked at me suspiciously.
I smirked. "I did my research on Fula City before I came here."
The Investigation
We rushed to the tower that housed the Eternal Flame. Mayor Oliver and old Harriet were already there, looking distressed. They were discussing exactly what I had feared—without the Flame, the city would lose its power source.
"Mayor Oliver," I stepped forward. "Can we go up there? I want to see the altar up close."
The Mayor looked at me, then nodded gravely. "Very well."
We entered a small service elevator.
'Whirrrr... Clank.'
As the lift ascended, Risa clung to the railing, her face pale. She was clearly terrified of heights.
When we reached the top, the pedestal where the fire usually burned was empty.
"Pikachu," I said, looking at my partner. "Go find a clue. Sniff out the culprit."
"Pika!"
Pikachu jumped off my shoulder and began sniffing the ground around the pedestal.
'Sniff... Sniff...'
Suddenly, Pikachu's ears perked up. "Pika!"
"You found something?" My eyes lit up. "Lead the way, Pikachu! Follow that scent!"
We rushed back down and followed Pikachu as he sprinted through the city streets. Eventually, he led us to the garden outside Professor Toren's lab.
Toren was there with his Pokémon: Chansey, a Vileplume, and a Smeargle.
Pikachu ran straight up to the Smeargle and sniffed it intensely.
"Oh, it's Pikachu," Toren said, surprised.
"Is that the culprit?" Risa asked, pointing an accusing finger at the painter Pokémon. "Did Smeargle steal the Eternal Flame?"
Smeargle shook its head frantically.
"No, that can't be right," Toren interjected. "Smeargle wouldn't do that. Wait... if you're tracking a scent... are you smelling Smeargle's ink?"
"Pika Pika!" (That's correct!) Pikachu nodded.
A realization hit Professor Toren. "Oh no! Someone must have stolen the formula I made from Smeargle's ink!"
"What do you mean?" Risa asked.
"I was researching a way to make Smeargle's ink vanish from surfaces," Toren explained, wringing his hands. "I tried to create a formula to keep the ink permanent, but I failed. Instead, I accidentally created a potion that makes anything it touches invisible for a short time. It hides your visual presence and even masks your scent to an extent. I thought I misplaced it, but someone must have taken it!"
The Invisible Footprints
"We can still track them," Toren said.
Back at the tower, Toren pulled a high-tech flashlight from his pocket.
'Click.'
A purple UV beam shot out of the device.
"With this light, we can see the residue of the ink," Toren explained.
Mayor Oliver, Risa, and I watched as footprints suddenly glowed on the ground, previously invisible to the naked eye.
"Excellent work, Professor. Now we can catch the thief," Mayor Oliver praised.
We followed the glowing trail. It led us out of the city and deep into the forest. After hiking for a while, the trees opened up into a small, grassy clearing.
In the center of the clearing stood the ruins of an old, abandoned stone house. The footprints led straight inside.
In the original timeline, this was the place where Margo secretly visited Zeraora every day. But today, the peace of the forest ruins was shattered.
Two rough-looking men stood in the clearing. They were Pokémon Hunters who had come to the forest following the rumors of a "Rare Pokémon." By sheer luck (or misfortune), they had stumbled upon the Mythical Pokémon itself.
"Get back!" one hunter shouted, raising a net launcher.
Margo stood defiantly in front of the injured Pokémon, spreading her arms wide. "No! I won't let you take him!"
"Move, kid! Or you'll get hurt too!"
The hunter pulled the trigger.
'BANG!'
A weighted capture net shot out, aimed directly at Margo.
'ROAARRRR!'
Suddenly, a blur of yellow lightning leaped from the shadows. Zeraora moved in front of Margo, shielding her. He raised a claw to slash the net, but the sudden movement tore at his old wounds. He flinched in pain, his speed dropping.
"Now's our chance!" the second hunter yelled, aiming a second weapon.
"Pikachu, go! Use Iron Tail to cut that net!" I shouted, sprinting into the clearing.
"Pika-CHUUU!"
'Whoosh!'
Pikachu leaped into the air, his tail glowing with metallic energy. He spun like a buzzsaw and sliced right through the thick ropes of the net before it could touch Zeraora.
'Slash! Snap!'
The net fell to the ground in useless pieces.
Mayor Oliver stepped forward from the treeline, his voice booming with authority. "Stop right there!"
The hunters looked at the well-dressed man. "Who are you?"
"I am the Mayor of Fula City, Oliver," he declared sternly. "You are trespassing and attacking a child. I suggest you think very carefully about your next move. Leave now, or face the full force of the law."
The hunters looked at each other. They saw the Mayor, the angry Pikachu, and the growling Zeraora. Realizing this wasn't worth the risk, they scoffed.
"Fine. Whatever. Let's go," one muttered. They recalled their Pokémon and retreated into the forest.
The Truth Revealed
With the danger gone, the atmosphere turned heavy. Professor Toren shone his UV flashlight on the ground. The glowing footprints led directly to Margo.
"It was you," Mayor Oliver said softly, looking at his daughter. "Margo... you're the one who took the Eternal Flame?"
Margo couldn't hide it anymore. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Papa," she sobbed. "I had to do it!"
"Why, Margo?" Oliver asked, kneeling down. "Do you know how much trouble the city is in?"
"I just wanted to protect him!" Margo cried, pointing at the weakened Zeraora behind her.
She began to explain everything. "A few days ago, I was playing near the waterfall up on the cliffs. Suddenly, a huge boulder came loose."
'Rumble... Crash!'
"It was going to crush me," Margo wept. "But Zeraora saved me. He jumped in the way and took the hit. Because of that, his old injuries opened up again. He's been in pain ever since."
She wiped her eyes. "Then, I heard people saying there was a rare Pokémon here. Everyone started coming to the forest to hunt. I knew if they found him like this, they would hurt him. So... I stole the Eternal Flame to stop the festival. I thought if the festival stopped, the people would leave, and Zeraora would be safe."
Risa, who had been listening intently, spoke up. "But... isn't Zeraora supposed to be a myth? Didn't he vanish 50 years ago?"
Mayor Oliver sighed deeply. He looked at the injured Electric-type Pokémon.
"That is a story passed down among the Mayors," Oliver admitted. "Fifty years ago, humans came to this mountain to exploit its resources. Their carelessness caused a massive forest fire."
'Crackle... Hiss...'
"The humans fled, leaving the wild Pokémon behind to burn," Oliver continued, his voice full of regret. "But Zeraora didn't run. He stayed to save the Pokémon. He saved them all, but he was severely burned and injured in the process. He lost his trust in humans that day."
Old Lady Harriet stepped forward, leaning on her cane. "To protect him from being hunted further, the Mayor at the time lied. He announced that Zeraora had vanished in the fire. Then, to keep people away from the mountain, he fabricated the story of the 'Curse of Zeraora.'"
"So the curse... was just a lie to protect him?" Risa asked, stunned.
"Yes," Harriet nodded. "Very few people know the truth. The children of this city certainly don't."
The Spore and the Cure
While we were uncovering the truth at the ruins, a disaster was brewing deep in another part of the forest.
'Crack!'
A loose rock fell from a cliffside, landing directly on a discarded glass capsule lying in the grass. It was the missing solution Toren had made—the Effect Spore concentrate.
'Shatter!'
The glass broke. Immediately, a thick, ominous purple smoke began to hiss out of the shards, spreading rapidly into the air.
'Hiss...'
Back at the ruins, I looked at Zeraora. He was panting heavily, clutching his arm. Normal medicine wouldn't be enough for damage this old and severe.
'System,' I thought urgently. 'Is there a potion that can fully heal a Legendary Pokémon?'
[ Ding! Yes, Host. ]
[ Item: Legendary Full Restore Potion. ]
[ Description: Capable of healing any injury, ancient or new, on a Legendary or Mythical Pokémon instantly. ]
[ Price: 1,000 Purchase Points. Would you like to buy it? ]
'Yes. Buy it now.'
[ Ding! 1,000 Purchase Points deducted. Item added to inventory. ]
A sleek, golden vial materialized in my hand. I walked over to Margo and handed it to her.
"Here," I said gently. "Give this to Zeraora."
Margo looked at the golden liquid. "Will this... will this really help him?"
"Yes," I smiled confidently. "It will heal him completely."
Margo nodded. She trusted me. She walked slowly toward the growling Pokémon.
"Zeraora... please," she whispered, holding out the vial. "Drink this. It will make the pain go away."
Zeraora looked at me with sharp, distrustful eyes. He saw me give the item to Margo. He didn't trust me—but he trusted Margo implicitly.
He leaned forward and lapped up the liquid.
'Gulp... Gulp...'
'Fwoosh!'
Suddenly, a brilliant green aura surrounded Zeraora's body.
'Shimmer...'
The magic of the potion took effect instantly. The scars on his arms faded, his breathing steadied, and the pained expression vanished from his face. His muscles swelled with renewed energy.
Zeraora clenched his fist, feeling his power return. He looked at himself in disbelief, then turned his gaze to me. The hostility in his eyes softened. He gave a small nod—a silent gesture of thanks.
To be continued...