When Barry reached Noctowl, it was already breathing faintly, more out than in. The Ursaring’s Ssh followed by a stomp had shattered most of its bones.

  Frantically, Barry took out some medie, only to realize in frustration that Noctowl couldn’t eves beak.

  “Brother-in-w…”

  Sam’s face was filled with guilt a. If he hadn’t insisted on stealing the Teddiursa, none of this would have happened.

  “It’s going to be okay. I’ll save you. Don’t be afraid.”

  Barry said gently as he carefully picked up Noctowl and ran toward the tent as fast as he could.

  Ihe tent, Julian was still asleep.

  He hadn’t heard the sounds of the earlier battle—not because he was a heavy sleeper, but because the Slowking had used its psychic powers to block out all noise, leaving Julian pletely unaware of what had been happening.

  Lucario had only stepped in because it sehat the battle between the Ursaring pair and Barry’s group might spill over and affect the tent. Otherwise, it might not have interfered.

  This wasn’t because Lucario was cold-hearted, but because the moment Barry had stoleeddiursa, it had set them at odds with the Ursaring.

  From a moral standpoint, Barry didly have the high ground here.

  “Luca!~”

  Seeing Barry stumbling over, Lucario stepped in and blocked his path.

  Barry didn’t dare to push past. Instead, he said anxiously, “Luy Noctowl is dying! Please, let me see Young Master Julian!”

  Lucario g the faint aura ing from Noctowl, its dition was indeed dire. Barry’s worry and urgency were genuine.

  At that moment, Julian emerged from the tent.

  Slowking, ed about the life of a Pokémon, had woken him up.

  “Here”

  Julian said without wasting words, handing over a recovery potion. It wasn’t a Max Revive—those were too extraordinary to use.

  Barry hesitated for a moment as he looked at the potion in his hand, troubled by the fact that Noctowl couldn’t swallow anything.

  “It be applied externally,” Julian said.

  Recovery medies worked just as well when applied to wounds as when taken orally.

  Upon hearing this, Barry immediately applied the medie to Noctowl’s injuries.

  “Slowking"

  Uanding its role, Slowkied a gentle wave of Heal Pulse, speeding up the recovery of Noctowl’s injuries.

  After this series of as, Noctowl’s dition stabilized. All it needed now was rest and time to fully recover.

  Barry returned Noctowl to its Pokéball and turo Julian with a face full of gratitude.

  “Young Master Julian, thank you. Truly, thank you! If not for you—my... my...”

  Overe with emotion, Barry stumbled over his words, speaking ily in his excitement.

  If not for Julian, the three of them and their Pokémon would have perished at the hands of the Ursaring pair, meeting the same fate as tless other trainers who ventured unprepared into the wild.

  Sam, supp the unscious Phil, had just walked over when he saw his brother-in-w gazing at Julian with heartfelt gratitude.

  The man’s face struck a chord of familiarity in Sam’s mind. Suddenly, a name fshed through his thoughts like lightning.

  “King Julian!”

  The words slipped from Sam’s mouth.

  Lucario, Slowking, and the unmistakable silver Metagross—there was no doubt about it. This was Julian, widely regarded as the best trainer of his geion in Drakoria.

  He was an idol for most young trainers in Drakoria, including Sam himself.

  Never had he expected to enter his hero in the wild.

  No wohe man had such rare medies and the fideo light a fire to cook beef in the wilderness.

  Sam had previously mocked him internally for his boldness, thinking he was reckless just because of his strength. Now, realizing this was his idol:

  'No wonder he’s my idol—he’s so carefree ihing he does'

  “Roar!”

  At this moment, the female Ursaring and the retly awakened male appeared within a hundred meters of them.

  “They’re ing back?”

  Sam was astonished. Even after beied by Lucario, they had the o return?

  The Ursaring pair stared at Lucario with deep wariness and fear. Yet, driven by their love for their child, they had no choice but to e back.

  “What did you take from them?” Julian asked.

  For the two Ursaring to reture knowing the daheir bravery in the face of death made Julian curious about what the group had stolen from them.

  Barry was about to speak, but Sam blurted out first:

  “We stole their child.”

  Julian: 'No wohey’re willing to risk everything for this'

  “King Julian, you kill them?” Sam asked.

  These two Ursaring had nearly killed his panion and almost ended his and his brother-in-w’s lives as well.

  Given their obsession with their cub, Sam was certain they’d chase them down again ohey parted ways with Juliaime, their luck might not hold.

  “Return their cub to them.”

  Julian said, casting a sidelong g Sam, his tone carrying a hint of disapproval.

  Stealing their child and then asking Julian to kill them for it? That was asking him to py the vilin in this sario.

  If not for Julian’s intervention, they’d already have paid the price for their as. Yet Sam seemed oblivious to this fact.

  “No way! I risked my life to catch it!” Sam shook his head frantically.

  Judging by the strength of the Ursaring pair, it was easy to see the cub’s potential. Whether he trai himself or sold it, it could fetch millions.

  Teddiursa was already a rare sight on the market, making its value even higher.

  Blinded by greed, Sam failed to grasp the gravity of the situation. Instead, Barry smacked him on the head.

  “Young Master Julian, please don’t take offense. Sam is too young and thoughtless.”

  After apologizing, he turo Sam with a furious gre and scolded, “Hurry up and release the Teddiursa!”

  As he spoke, he kept signaling to Sam with his eyes, internally panig. If this reckless kid kept pushing his luck, things could go very wrong.

  Sam felt a wave of rese. After all the effort they had gohrough, they were walking away empty-handed.

  Relutly, he took out the Poké Ball and tossed it forward. A dazed Teddiursa appeared on the ground.

  Though he was frustrated with Julian’s decision, Sam uood the situation. If Julian didn’t deal with the Ursaring pair, they’d e after them the moment he left.

  Keeping Teddiursa would only guarahey’d lose not just the Pokémon, but their lives as well.

  “Roar!”

  The Ursaring pair called out urgently upon seeing their child.

  Teddiursa finally noticed its parents and waddled over to them iement.

  The female Ursaring scooped Teddiursa into her arms, her face radiating the joy of reunion.

  Pokémon shared emotions akin to humans, and in some cases, their feelings were even purer.

  The male Ursaring cast a final gre at Barry’s group before shifting its gaze to Julian. Its eyes were filled with both gratitude and wariness. Without lingering further, it turo lead its mate and Teddiursa away into the forest.

  “All right, you rest here for tonight. I’ll have some questions for you tomorrow.”

  Julian said before turning and heading bato his tent to resume sleeping.

  *****

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