While Elesa took them to see Ho-Oh, Ash and the doctors finalized the surgical plan: they would all operate simultaneously!
There was no other choice. Ho-Oh's healing factor was too strong. If they dragged the surgery out, neither Ho-Oh nor the doctors would be able to handle it. Therefore, it was better for everyone to go in at once. Except for a few specific, tricky locations, it was best to get the rest done as quickly as possible.
With the strategy set, the doctors sprang into action. Given the extreme difficulty of this surgery, the older doctors couldn't be the primary surgeons; if their hands were too slow, Ho-Oh's wounds would heal over the tools.
Therefore, the main surgeons would be Dr. Proctor, Ash, and a few other middle-aged, peak-condition doctors.
"From this point on, unauthorized personnel are strictly prohibited from entering! Yes, that means you three! I don't care what kind of pokémon you are. This is surgery time. If you three dare to come in, we'll have the Chanseys throw you out! SLAM!"
As the heavy doors to the operating room were slammed shut, Suicune, Entei, and Raikou exchanged awkward glances. These doctors really didn't hold back.
Outside the operating room, a group of Chanseys, Blisseys, Arcanines, and Growlithes stood guard, keeping a close eye on the three beasts.
Seeing the deadly serious expressions on these Pokémon's faces, Suicune felt the need to explain.
"Awoo!" (We aren't going to interrupt!)
"Lucky!" (We don't trust guys with a criminal record!)
Hearing Chansey's retort, the three felt incredibly stifled, but they couldn't argue back. These Pokémon were doctors who saved lives. Entities like them deserved respect, even from them. After all, their boss, Ho-Oh, was the Emissary of Life.
Seeing the three pokémon looking so awkward, Ash's Meowth walked over with a smile. "Alright, you three. Waiting out here aimlessly won't help anything. Why don't you come inside to rest and get something to eat?"
"Roar!" (But Lord Ho-Oh...)
"You're just in the way standing here."
"Roar..." (Fine. Sorry...)
Hearing Meowth say this, even the hot-tempered Raikou had to admit he was right.
"Awoo!" (By the way... where is that girl from earlier? We want to thank her for speaking up for us.)
While leaving with Meowth, Suicune remembered Elesa, who had helped defuse the situation earlier, and wanted to express gratitude.
Meowth smiled and explained, "Oh, her? She's actually one of our Boss's wives. If you want to see her, I might as well introduce you to the rest of our Boss's wives too. Also, if a bunch of Professors stare at you, please don't overreact..."
"Roar." (Don't worry. We would never overreact towards the family of the person saving Lord Ho-Oh.)
And then, Entei ended up paying the price for that very statement.
"Wow! The legendary Pokémon... it's absolutely amazing to actually see them! Let me see, let me see!"
"This must be really tough on Meowth and the others..."
Professor Juniper looked at Professor Oak, who was holding a magnifying glass and constantly observing Entei. She was left a bit speechless, a sentiment shared by the other professors present.
After these professors had arrived, they immediately saw that old geezer Oak harassing the Legendary pokémon. Meanwhile, Ash's family members were chatting with Suicune and Raikou with Meowth's help. The most pitiful of them all was Entei, who was being endlessly pestered by Professor Oak.
Of course, there were also people like Professor Rowan, who had straight-up fainted the moment he laid eyes on Arceus. Fortunately, the Nurse Joys were quick on their feet; they grabbed him and were currently carrying him away for emergency resuscitation. Suicune, on the other hand, felt a bit embarrassed—she really wasn't used to the intense gazes Misty and Lorelei were giving her.
Raikou was in a similar boat. Being stared at relentlessly by Elesa, he didn't dare say a word. After all... the Big Boss was right there!
It was only when Suicune and the others approached Ash's family that they realized: Holy shit! Arceus! Damn! Why is a big shot even more terrifying than Lord Ho-Oh here?! And it looks like he's on really good terms with the family of that kid who keeps poking me?!
With that thought in mind, the three Legendary pokémon were so terrified they didn't even dare to fart. Damn it... just what kind of background does this Ash kid have?!
Honestly, Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy completely understood what the three pokémon were going through. You have to understand, they had nearly fainted out of sheer terror when they saw Arceus too. However, bound by their sense of duty, they only gave a curious glance before rushing off to help. Of course, they also gave their blessings to Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy, who were set to marry into Ash's family.
Meanwhile, inside the operating room, Ash and his team had run into a massive problem. The surgery had been going smoothly, but when they began operating on the next area, Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire suddenly flared up. That was Ho-Oh's fire—one wrong move, and every doctor in the room could be wiped out.
Yet, neither the doctors nor their assistants, Chansey and Blissey, backed down. They endured the searing heat and continued their work.
"The crystal has been located. My hands are too badly burned to continue the surgery. Ash, take over."
These were words that should have been utterly devastating for a surgeon to say. Yet, they came out of Dr. Proctor's mouth with absolute calmness.
Ash silently took over Dr. Proctor's work and began operating on Ho-Oh. The sensation of being scorched by the Sacred Fire returned, but Ash just kept sweating cold drops and continued the procedure.
"Wipe my sweat."
Hearing Ash's command, Nurse Joy, who was assisting, silently wiped the sweat from his brow without looking down at his hands. She knew all too well that Ash's hands were probably just like the other doctors'—suffering from severe, horrific burns.
"Crystal extracted. Next..."
He had wanted to call the next person over to help. However, because of Ho-Oh's flames, by the time the second-to-last ice crystal was extracted, the hands of every single doctor—including Ash and the senior surgeons—were burned beyond recognition.
"Alright... honestly, it looks like I'll just have to push through to the end."
Just as Ash was about to continue, Nurse Joy took the scalpel from his hand and said, "Let me do it."
"Stop messing around. You haven't performed surgery before. But since you're here... grab my arms."
Hearing Ash say this, Joy nodded, gripped Ash's arms, and began to control them according to his instructions to help finish the job.
Watching the surgery in silence, Ho-Oh slowly closed its eyes after seeing a whole team of doctors sacrifice their own hands to operate on its alternate-world counterpart.
So... there is still hope for humanity...
Thinking this, Ho-Oh revealed its true form and showered its power over Ash and the others. Under Ho-Oh's power, their hands began to heal. But right at that moment, a furious roar echoed from Ash inside the operating room:
"We're in the middle of treating it! Are you trying to increase the difficulty for me by healing its wounds now?!"
Hearing Ash's furious yell, Ho-Oh—who had been on the verge of shedding a tear—froze in awkward silence.
It seems I really did heal the other Ho-Oh's wounds... and they haven't even taken the crystal out yet!
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You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
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