Floyd's Outbreak

Floyd, with a determined expression, slowly stood up. His Pokémon looked at him with concern, but he gestured for them to remain quiet. He moved cautiously, minimizing the sound of his footsteps as he surveyed the area, wary of encountering Chansey. He knew that if she spotted him, she would undoubtedly insist he return to rest.

Peering around, he didn't see Chansey, and a wave of relief washed over him. Seizing the opportunity, Floyd quickly made his exit, only to abruptly encounter Happiny just outside. He froze, stepping back in surprise.

"Happi-ny?" Happiny, taken aback upon seeing Floyd, immediately looked concerned about his condition. Before she could vocalize her worry, Floyd quickly covered her mouth and whispered, "Shhhh."

Muffled, "Happii4i44yr84," escaped from Happiny, who was unable to speak clearly due to Floyd's interruption. Seizing the moment, Floyd dashed away from the clinic.

"Happiny!" Happiny called out, but Floyd was already too far away. She stamped her small feet in frustration, imitating Chansey's angry demeanor, and then hurried off to report Chansey about Floyd's escape.

…

"We're going to cancel the exploration on Monday. Currently, it's too dangerous," Kanraku announced at the meeting.

The room fell silent; no one objected. While they had not witnessed the events firsthand, the sight of Floyd and the others returning unconscious to the base spoke volumes.

"Professor, was that beast really that terrifying?" Chen Yu asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

"It was a bear-type beast, similar to Ursaring. Floyd-san mentioned it might be a third evolution of Ursaring," Kanraku responded, recalling Floyd's earlier words.

A collective gasp filled the room as the attendees processed Kanraku's statement.

"The Ursaring? Like the Wild Beast Bear we caught in the Safe Zone?" Kang Jihoon mused, tapping his finger on the table, his mind recalling the image of Ursaluna.

"Ursaring is only the second evolution? It's already quite formidable. Imagine the strength of a third evolution," Jonathan pondered aloud, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of capturing such a creature for his team.

He then considered the lineage, remembering the Ursaring's descendant, Teddiursa. The prospect of starting with a smaller Pokémon appealed to him, but he knew Ursaring was fiercely protective of its young, making any attempt to capture one a significant challenge.

This thought wasn't unique to Jonathan; others in the room were also contemplating the same strategy.

The discussion was interrupted as Kanraku called out, "Hu Tianyi."

"Yes," Hu Tianyi responded, his voice tinged with resignation. He acknowledged his role in the recent events, regretting his greed and failure to heed Floyd's warnings.

Regret gnawed at Hu Tianyi, not for the chaos he had caused, but for the fact that Floyd had survived. In his mind, he replayed the scenario, thinking if only he had delayed calling Kanraku for help, Floyd might not have survived the Ursaluna attack.

Now, his greatest fear was facing Floyd's reaction upon his awakening.

"I don't know what to do with you," Kanraku expressed, his tone reflecting his anger and uncertainty.

"I'm still piecing together everything that happened. Let's wait for Floyd to awaken. This time, your actions have brought us dangerously close to disaster. Had it not been for that unforeseen beast's intervention, we would all be dead," he added. Kanraku's frustration was palpable; under different circumstances, he might have already reprimanded Hu Tianyi severely.

However, considering Hu Tianyi's foreign status and past mistakes that had cost them dearly, he trod carefully to avoid inciting further issues.

(AN: Gaijin Pass?)

"I understand, and I'll accept whatever comes," Hu Tianyi responded, biting his lip in a mix of regret and resignation.

"Just cut his leg as a punishment so he couldn't run next time," Jonathan, unable to hide his contempt, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Hu Tianyi defended himself, "I know it was a cowardly act, but it was the only option I had. Or did you expect me to fight against that overwhelming number of Mankey? I'm not foolish enough for that."

"So, you consider me a fool then?" a new voice interjected. Everyone turned to see Floyd, his right arm and chest bandaged, standing at the entrance.

"Youngest?" The group exclaimed in unison, surprised at his sudden appearance.

Hu Tianyi's heart pounded with fear as Floyd approached, the tension in the air thickening.

"I warned you against engaging with that beast, but you ignored me," Floyd said, his voice calm as he walked towards him, yet carrying an undercurrent of anger.

"I didn't flee because doing so would have endangered you and your beasts, not me." He stopped behind Hu Tianyi's chair, his calm demeanor suddenly shifting to one of intense fury.

"I had hoped you would stand with me to face the threat," Floyd continued, his voice rising. Suddenly, his left hand shot out, gripping Hu Tianyi's neck and hurling him against the wall with a forceful "But you chose to run, you SON OF A BITCH!"

Bang!

The sound echoed through the room as Hu Tianyi collided with the wall.

"Cough! I…" Hu Tianyi gasped, caught completely off guard by the suddenness of the attack. The room erupted in shock, with several people jumping to their feet. "Floyd?" they exclaimed in unison, stunned by his unexpected and aggressive appearance.

Floyd, his face contorted with anger, had Hu Tianyi pinned against the wall, his hand firmly around his throat. "AND NOW YOU'RE CALLING ME A FOOL FOR NOT RUNNING AWAY!" he yelled, his voice filled with a mixture of rage and betrayal.

"I, I'm so…so… sorry," Hu Tianyi managed to stammer out, struggling for air under Floyd's iron grip.

"Youngest, stop it!" Chen Yu shouted, alarm clear in his voice as he witnessed Floyd's uncharacteristic outburst.

"Yes, yes, Floyd, please, calm down for a moment," Jonathan urged, despite his general disdain for Hu Tianyi. The intensity of Floyd's reaction had taken everyone by surprise.

"Deserved. He absolutely deserves it!" Kang Jihoon remarked nonchalantly, remaining seated and crossing his arms, his gaze fixed on the unfolding drama.

"If I had known this would be the outcome, I would have just left you to die out there, you worthless piece of shit!" Floyd continued, his emotions pouring out unchecked.

"But I didn't, because I knew that abandoning you would mean death for you and your exhausted beasts. I pity them for having such an incompetent trainer as you!" Floyd's words were a raw expression of his pent-up frustration and disappointment.

"Youngest, please, take a moment to calm down," Linh said soothingly, gently patting Floyd's shoulder in an attempt to diffuse the tension.

"Yes, Floyd-san, you need to calm down. Despite his actions, he did call us for rescue. Without that call, we might not have known about the danger you were in," Kanraku added, trying to bring some perspective to the heated situation.

Gradually, Floyd's grip loosened, and he slowly released Hu Tianyi. Hu Tianyi collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, the tension in the room still palpable.