Reunion

The next day, as soon as dawn broke, Yuga noticed that Shadowsong had awakened. However, Shadowsong lay on the ground, staring blankly at the cave's ceiling, not saying a word.

"Do you want to eat something?" Yuga asked Shadowsong.

Shadowsong remained unresponsive, still lost in thought.

With a sigh, Yuga helped him up and handed him a piece of bread and a bottle of milk. Shadowsong's body was weakened, and he hadn't eaten anything the previous day, so he needed nourishment.

Although Shadowsong seemed absent-minded, he quietly began to eat the food Yuga had given him.

"Finish your meal, and then I'll take you to see Hubert. We need to leave this place; it's not safe," Yuga said.

Upon hearing the name "Hubert," Shadowsong's eyes finally showed some signs of life, and he hastened his eating.

After finishing their meal, Yuga took him to see Hubert. Hubert's body had been placed in the deepest part of the cave. Yuga had dug a hole and laid Hubert's body to rest inside.

The moment Shadowsong saw Hubert's lifeless body, all the emotions he had been holding back burst forth. He jumped into the grave, embraced Hubert's body, and crying bitterly.

No matter how he called out, Hubert remained unresponsive.

Hubert had been sent to be Shadowsong's playmate since Shadowsong was a child.

He was a few years older and had later become Shadowsong's protector.

They had practically grown up together, and even blood brothers couldn't have shared as much time together.

With his mother's death and now Hubert's passing, Shadowsong's closest companions were gone.

Seeing Shadowsong's sorrow, Yuga didn't know how to comfort him. At this moment, any words felt utterly powerless.

After Hubert's burial, Yuga asked Shadowsong with red-rimmed eyes, "What do you plan to do next?"

"Of course, I'll seek revenge for Hubert!" Shadowsong's eyes were filled with anger and hatred.

Yuga replied, "I don't oppose seeking revenge, but what's your specific plan? You can't just rely on hot-blooded determination alone, right?"

"I want to go to the border and find my father, the king," Shadowsong said after a moment of silence.

Hearing this, Yuga couldn't help but roll his eyes mentally. Going to find the king wouldn't likely yield any positive results.

"Don't you realize that your king has a problem? Leon and Nolans have been running rampant in the palace, even able to control the guards and army at will. If you think your king isn't involved in this, I won't believe it even if you beat me to death," Yuga said, hoping to make Shadowsong more aware of the situation.

"I know," Shadowsong replied softly, a bitter expression on his face.

At this point, if he couldn't see the problems with his own father, he would truly be blind.

"You know, yet..." Yuga was taken aback when he heard Shadowsong say those three words.

"I just want to find answers. I want to know what happened to my father," Shadowsong told Yuga.

Yuga sighed and said, "All right, if that's what you want, I'll accompany you."

In fact he also want to meet Emperor Rode, the mastermind responsible for the downfall of the Arus Empire due to his personal desires.

He alsonwant to understand Celebi's intentions and why he was brought here.

All the clues might lead us to Emperor Rode.

Upon hearing Yuga's words, Shadowsong expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Yuga. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what to do. I'm also sorry; it's because of me that you've encountered so much trouble."

Yuga shook his head and replied, "It's not your fault. You didn't ask for any of this."

Yuga and Shadowsong rested for half a day before embarking on their journey to the border in search of Emperor Rode.

The ancient continent of Hoenn was quite different from what Yuga remembered, so he was unfamiliar with the terrain.

Fortunately, as a prince, Shadowsong had a clear understanding of his kingdom's geography, making it easier to locate Emperor Rode.

Riding on Dragonite and Charizard, they traveled for approximately half a month until they finally found the location of Emperor Rode's army.

During this half-month journey, they had taken many detours due to their unfamiliarity with the land, but they also witnessed the harsh reality of life for the people of the Arus Empire.

Poverty and death loomed over every common citizen of Arus, yet Emperor Rode continued to levy heavy taxes while waging wars across the land.

Seeing the emaciated faces of the people, Shadowsong felt a deep sorrow.

As a prince living in comfort, he had never realized that his subjects were enduring such hardships.

Compared to the common people they had encountered, the citizens near the capital were already living in a kind of paradise.

While Arus encouraged its people to develop agriculture, the harvests were never sufficient to cover the taxes. No matter how much they produced, it never reached their own granaries.

Upon arriving at the main camp of the Arus Empire's army, Shadowsong requested an audience with his father.

Many of the generals in the army knew Shadowsong, so news of his arrival quickly reached Emperor Rode. Apparently, the events in the capital had not yet reached the border.

Soon, Shadowsong and Yuga were granted an audience with Emperor Rode. In the main tent, Emperor Rode sat high above, accompanied by a man in his thirties to forties.

"Why have you come?" Emperor Rode asked, his tone cold and distant, far from the voice of a father addressing his only son.

"Father, I was poisoned by Leon and Nolans in the capital," Shadowsong replied, lifting his head to look at Emperor Rode. He seemed to be searching for something in his father's expression.

However, Emperor Rode's face remained unchanged.

At no moment did Shadowsong feel so distant and estranged from his own father.

They were like strangers who knew nothing about each other.

"That's impossible! Leon and Nolans couldn't have done such a thing!" A man named Craig, standing next to Emperor Rode, interjected coldly.

Craig was Leon and Nolans' older brother, and he was also the eldest son of the deceased minister Ralf. After Ralf's death, Craig had become the most trusted person by Emperor Rode, acting as his advisor and overseeing Emperor Rode's army.

"You all can leave; no one else should approach here without being summoned," Emperor Rode ordered the soldiers in the tent when they were alone.

The soldiers saluted and left the tent, leaving only Emperor Rode, Craig, Yuga, and Shadowsong.

"I've said it before, this little guy can't stay here," Emperor Rode said casually to Craig, as if referring to a casual matter.

Craig, now that they were alone, shifted his gaze to Yuga. "You're the mysterious Monster Trainer who injured Leon, right? I heard you have a small ball that can contain Monsters. I'm quite interested in that."

In fact, Craig and Emperor Rode had known about the events in the capital long before Yuga and Shadowsong reached the border. Nolans had sent word through flying Pokémon.