Pokémon: The Reemployment of the Retired Champion of Paldea Chapter 282 281: Catching Victini—Beyond the Sea Lies Freedo

Victini wanted to follow its heart and trust Lucas.

How strange—after knowing him for just a single day, this man and his Pokémon made Victini feel a deep, instinctive closeness.

So Victini chose to believe in Lucas—to believe he could help it escape the prison that had bound it for a thousand years.

Victini turned into a streak of red light and entered the red-and-white Poké Ball. The ball didn't even wobble—its capture light flared at once.

In the next instant, Dragonite skimd past the hovering guardian pillar. The purple-lined barrier from the movie—the one that stopped Victini from leaving—never appeared from start to finish. Fireworks blossod overhead as Dragonite flew straight out of Eindoak.

The night breeze ruffled his hair. Lucas turned back to the shrinking silhouette of Eindoak, surprise on his face, and murmured, "It actually worked…"

Earlier, when he'd been thinking of ways to break Victini out, Lucas had wondered if a Poké Ball jailbreak was possible—but he was inclined to think it wouldn't work.

After all, that guardian-pillar barrier in the movie was unbreakable even for Reshiram and Zekrom together; in the end, it was Victini's own power spike that burst it from within.

He had been leaning toward other thods to try breaching the barrier—until the system popped up and told him to try capturing Victini to take it out with a Poké Ball.

Looks like Victini's special ability is a huge help to —that's why the system jumped in to offer a plan.

As the sea drew nearer, Lucas's expression turned odd. It seed the most cutting-edge modern tech had triumphed over ancient chanisms. The Poké Ball really is a great invention!

In the rush, he'd used a standard red-and-white ball at hand. Later, he should let Victini choose a ball it likes.

But first…the sea was right ahead!

On a naless beach, Lucas released all his Pokémon, including Victini.

The mont it left the ball, Victini looked around nervously—until it saw the sea before it, rising and falling under the moonlight. Its eyes grew misty.

Only now did it really feel it: it had finally escaped the cage that held it.

Waves lapped the shore, washing away the footprints of the playing Pokémon and leaving white foam. Victini gazed in silence for a long ti.

At that mont, Lucas contacted Eindoak to tell Nemona and the others to watch the fireworks, then head back to the Sword of the Vale to rest. He'd camp on the beach tonight and wouldn't return.

Coming to Victini's side as it stared blankly at the sea, Lucas chuckled, "This still isn't when it's most beautiful."

Victini forgot even to flap its wings, staring at Lucas in shock. This sea wasn't the most beautiful yet!?

Lucas smiled. "The sea at sunrise—its beauty can take your breath away. As for the rest, use your imagination."

Victini's eyes filled with longing—but it also pouted at Lucas's teasing. It puffed its cheeks, plopped onto his head, and tugged his hair.

Victini knew its strength, so it didn't hurt—just tickled a bit.

No matter how much Victini fussed, Lucas refused to spoil the sunrise. For a first that deserved to be rembered, he wanted Victini to witness it with its own eyes. Until then, let it imagine.

Lucas set up camp and the tent. Dragonite and Swampert leapt into the sea to catch fish for a barbecue.

Serperior, Ceruledge, and Mimikyu ran into the nearby woods to gather firewood. Under Lucas's supervision, the pair of Sandslash dug a small pit for the fire.

Alcremie, Comfey, Vulpix, and Victini chased one another across the sand. Their laughter, borne on the sea breeze, lifted the corners of Lucas's mouth.

That night, Victini tasted Ceruledge's special grilled fish, even tried the heretical combo of Alcremie's cream drizzled on top. It sat by the beach bonfire and listened to stories from Luxray, Serperior, and the others about their adventures with Lucas.

And about that distant farm in Paldea—their ho.

Hearing so much, Victini began to ponder its future.

Stay in Eindoak? Or follow Lucas back to that farm on the far side of the world?

Neither Lucas nor the Pokémon asked for its decision. This was sothing only it could choose.

Ti passed. Dawn ca, and sunrise—right on cue.

A pale gold crept into the sky. The sea was gilded by the first ray of sun, waves glittering like the water had been scattered with diamonds.

The salty sea breeze brushed Victini's cheeks with a hint of morning cool, washing its body and soul in that mont.

Sunlight fell across the beach—each grain of sand turned golden.

Victini stared at the rising sun, heart filled with awe. Just like Lucas said—the sea at sunrise was breathtakingly beautiful.

Right then, after a night of thinking—and shaken by the beauty before it—Victini made up its mind. It would go with Lucas!

Unlike freeloading at the king's table of the People of the Vale, this ti it would leave as Lucas's Pokémon—live with good friends like Vulpix, and eat the most delicious food together!

Beyond the sea lies freedom!

After quietly taking in the sunrise, and with the other Pokémon secretly watching anxiously from their hiding spots, Victini floated before Lucas.

It grinned, flashed a V-sign, and asked brightly, "Vii~tini?" (At the farm, is there anything tasty?)

Sohow Lucas understood it. He smiled. "Plenty—too much to list now. But you'll have all the ti in the world to try them one by one."

In that instant, even the sea breeze felt gentler.

Lucas and Victini slapped a tiny high-five—and he found himself vexed again.

He'd captured Victini with a standard ball just to break the barrier. Now he had to fret over what ball to switch it into.

What kind suits Victini? Or should he let it choose?

…

They brought Victini back to Eindoak. This ti, it lay openly on Lucas's shoulder, drawing countless stares along the way.

Even knowing the barrier lay ahead, Victini felt no fear. Calmly, it watched itself pass into what had once been its prison.

Its heart had changed—its old nightmare was gone.

Lucas first took Victini to the orchard. Victini occasionally popped out to play with the wild Pokémon there. It needed to say its goodbyes.

Afterward, Lucas walked the path back to the Sword of the Vale.

Nemona and the others were eating a delicious breakfast made by Juanita.

"Vii-ni~"

Victini cheered, zipped to the table, and grabbed a piece of buttered bread. Lucas, anwhile, found several pairs of hot, questioning eyes on him.

He didn't plan to hide it. He nodded slightly. "I've captured Victini."

Everyone's thoughts exploded at once!

Nemona sprang up, thrilled. "Teacher Lucas actually captured Victini? That's amazing!"

Penny pushed up her glasses, pondering for a mont.

Legend says Victini has infinite energy. If Uncle Rose were to find out…

Arven and Eri burst into applause.

Mannes's eyes went wide. What could he even say?

Though the native mythical Pokémon of Eindoak had been lured away, what right did he have to oppose it?

Leaving aside that he leaked Victini's location to save his own skin—a reason enough for Victini to resent him—if you traced history back a thousand years, Victini wasn't the king's Pokémon.

It was like the wild Pokémon in the orchard—just happened to live in the castle.

What right did he have to ask Victini to stay?

Carlita's eyes were round as coins. She knew Victini's power best.

That Vulpix who would've been one-shot by Hydreigon—under Victini's aid—turned around and one-shot the terrifying Shadow Triad and their three Pokémon!

Lucas had already been strong. With Victini's help now… Carlita didn't dare imagine how powerful he'd beco, or how long it would take her to catch up.

Juanita smiled gently and handed Victini a steaming cup of milk, her voice soft. "That's wonderful… truly wonderful."

As one of the People of the Vale, and knowing their history, Juanita felt a asure of guilt toward Victini.

Their ancestors' sins ended up being borne by an innocent Pokémon. It was too cruel.

Victini was incredibly kind. Otherwise, it wouldn't have rushed to help the king just from his plea, saving so many of the People of the Vale.

Unfortunately, the king died of exhaustion before he could lower the guardian pillars, leaving Victini trapped in Eindoak for a thousand years. The thought pained Juanita.

Now Victini had found a trainer powerful enough to protect it—soone who put it first and whose kindness to Pokémon even she felt ashad to compare with. Juanita couldn't imagine a better outco.

She was happy for Victini from the bottom of her heart.

At the sa ti, a shared question arose in everyone's mind:

How had Lucas and Victini bypassed the barrier ford by the guardian pillars, left Eindoak, and even watched the sea and sunrise?

Lucas smiled, took out a Poké Ball—and left them all stunned.

You can do that!?

…

After breakfast, Lucas led Arven, Nemona, Penny, and Eri to say goodbye to Juanita, Carlita, and Mannes, thanking them for two days of free lodging at the Sword of the Vale and the delicious als.

Seeing them off, the group approached the barrier's edge. Lucas recalled Victini and, under their astonished gazes, simply walked through.

Along the mountain road away from Eindoak, Victini found everything novel—never settling down. It tugged leaves from trees, sniffed flowers in the grass, played with passing Watchog, and joined the four students in their gas.

Arven suddenly asked, curious, "Brother Lucas, are we heading straight back to Paldea now?"

Nemona and the others turned inquisitive looks his way—they wanted to know the plan.

Lucas smiled and shook the phone that had just pinged back a reply. "We'll still fly out of Nimbasa City—but before that we're making a stop in Castelia."

Penny frowned slightly. "Why Castelia?"

"Because Alder's ace, Volcarona, is currently undergoing treatnt at Unova's most advanced Pokémon dical facility in Castelia. We're going to help."

"You must have sensed it—Champion Alder's strength didn't et your expectations. That's because his ace Volcarona was gravely injured and is on the brink of death."

The group blinked. So that was the hidden truth…

Penny, who already knew, wasn't surprised. Instead, she asked, "So how can we help Volcarona if even the most advanced dical techniques in Unova are helpless?"

Lucas gave Penny a strange look. Had she hacked the Unova League's systems…?

He cleared his throat. "I have a plan. We're not going to cure Volcarona this ti."

He beckoned, and when Victini flew back, he held it up for them to see. "We're going to et Volcarona, then have Victini use its power to replenish so of the lost origin energy—so it can hold on longer while we pursue further treatnt."

The others understood at once and turned to Victini with newfound awe. This little one's power was incredible.

…

Elsewhere, in Castelia City's cutting-edge dical institute, Alder put down his phone, joy on his face. He stood and looked toward the dical pod.

Beyond the reinforced glass, Volcarona floated quietly in life solution, visibly frail—as if it could dissipate at any mont.

Alder's stern, upright features softened as his gaze fell upon it. He whispered, "Old partner, you must hold on. Hope is on the way…"

"I long to breathe the sa air with you again, to run across the green fields together."