The operating room lights went out, and Ash and the others, who had been waiting for a long time at the door, looked at Joy with hopeful eyes.
Joy, who had just come out, had a very solemn expression. Seeing Ash and the others waiting there, still awake, she gave a 'V' sign, indicating that Charmander was fine.
This finally allowed Ash and the others, who had been waiting for several hours, to let go of their worried expressions.
"Luckily, you brought him in time, and he wasn't soaked by too much rain. By tomorrow morning, he should be fully recovered."
Saying this, Joy moved aside, opening the path to the operating room so Ash and the others could see the now safe Charmander.
Ash, Xiao Xia, Brock, and Yu Teng Sheng Dai, one after another, poked their heads into the operating room to observe.
Charmander was placed in a treatment device, receiving treatment. Seeing Charmander's tail flame burning steadily, Ash and the others could finally put their anxious hearts at ease... The morning sun shone on everyone sleeping in the hall. Xiao Xia and Yu Teng Sheng Dai lay in the tent Yu Feng had specially set up.
Yu Feng sat on a chair nearby, elegantly eating the breakfast Indeedee had prepared.
"Thump, thump, thump."
"Hurry, everyone wake up!"
Brock's hurried footsteps woke Ash from his sleep. Ash, still groggy, looked at Brock with some confusion.
Seeing everyone look at him confusedly, Brock panted and anxiously said, "Charmander... that guy, Charmander, he's missing."
This immediately jolted the still groggy Ash wide awake. He quickly put on his shoes and headed towards the treatment room.
Yu Feng looked up at them, wanting to say something, but then looked at the breakfast on his table and thought it wouldn't be too late to go after he finished eating.
So he sped up his eating, though even with increased speed, he remained very elegant.
When he finished eating and arrived at the ward where Charmander had stayed yesterday, he only heard Joy say, "Until Charmander realizes he was deceived, no one can change his mind."
"You're still thinking with conventional wisdom."
Yu Feng heard the conversation inside and interrupted them without thinking.
"We have a recording of Da You's conversation with us. We just need to play it for him at the right moment."
Yu Feng tossed the recorder up and down. This thing was a secret weapon. When the time was right, playing the conversation inside for Charmander would render Da You's attempts to turn black into white useless.
"That's right!"
Hearing Yu Feng's words, Ash also got excited. They still had this recording! As long as they played it for Charmander... Ash quickly realized a problem. This thing was indeed a trump card, but only if Charmander could hear it.
"But how can we play it for Charmander? We're about to leave, aren't we?"
Yu Teng Sheng Dai also arrived unhurriedly, asking the question that even Ash had noticed.
"So you've forgotten everything I said how long ago?"
Seeing them act as if they had forgotten all his words, Yu Feng helplessly massaged his forehead. They forgot in just one day. However, he still repeated what he had said that day: "I said an old friend would help us. How can you think there's no turning point when the old friend hasn't even appeared yet?"
"But we're about to leave, and the old friend you mentioned hasn't..."
Ash grew anxious hearing Yu Feng's words. They weren't going to stay here forever. They were about to depart, and the old friend Yu Feng mentioned hadn't shown up.
"Just do what you need to do. I don't want to say much; you'll know when the time comes."
Yu Feng didn't want to say more. Could they truly understand his feelings about Pokémon repaying kindness? Did they really think Charmander could leave with such a clear conscience?
At the very least, he would protect Ash and the others as they left the vicinity. Then it would be their old friend's turn to assist.
Yu Feng turned and disappeared from the room. He didn't want to waste any more words with them now.
"Yu Feng..."
Ash stared blankly at the spot where Yu Feng had disappeared, his hands involuntarily clenching into fists.
"It's alright, Ash. Yu Feng is just like that. He's also worried about Charmander, otherwise he wouldn't have sent Indeedee to help. You don't need to be angry with him."
Brock walked over and patted Ash's shoulder. As companions who had traveled together for so long, wasn't Yu Feng's personality clear? Although he appeared sunny, cheerful, and positive, he actually had his own principles. And since he had Psychic abilities, he must have seen that the problem would be resolved, which is why he acted this way.
"I know, I just can't stand it."
Ash, of course, knew that Yu Feng shared his concerns. What he couldn't stand was Yu Feng always acting as if everything was under control.
Sooner or later, he would suffer a great loss because of that attitude, even if he had Psychic-type Pokémon, they could still be captured... Jessie, James, and Meowth were admiring the machine in front of them.
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
..."I am Jessie!"
"I am James!"
For some reason, the two of them started reciting their old opening line again.
"Meow! There's no time for dancing now! And those guys haven't arrived yet, so what opening line are you reciting?"
Meowth looked speechlessly at Jessie and James, who had suddenly started introducing themselves.
"We must catch that Pikachu today!"
"That's right, that's right! For this special day, we've specially prepared the world's strongest super machine!"
Speaking of Ash and the others, James and Jessie immediately perked up. Since they hadn't seen that troublesome Da Guitou last time, maybe they had gone their separate ways. Now that only Xiao Guitou was left, they definitely had to catch Pikachu.
Thinking this, James pulled out a remote control, and he and Jessie simultaneously pressed the activation button.
"What kind of machine is that?!"
Meowth looked in horror at the machine Jessie and the others had activated. The machine gradually transformed with a roar, then revealed a giant drill that began digging into the ground.
"Meow, what? Another trap? Is that all you've got?!"
Meowth, who had been horrified moments before, instantly had a bunch of '#' symbols appear above his head. He had been so excited, wondering what kind of super powerful machine it was, only to find out it was just a trap-digging machine.
Are they out of ideas? If they're out of ideas, they can bite a lighter! How many times have their traps actually caught Xiao Guitou and the others? In the end, they're always the ones who fall into them, aren't they? They made such a big fuss and spent so much money just to build this thing?
Suddenly, Meowth felt his fists clench.
