When the priest of Slowpoke Temple saw this situation, he immediately knew that something was terribly wrong. He could only force himself to remain calm, because the flood of accusations was already enough to drown him, let alone the arrival of such a formidable enemy.
The people who had come were none other than the head priest of Ho-Oh Shrine, the largest temple in the Johto region, along with the priests of temples both large and small that were affiliated with Ho-Oh Shrine.
This entire scheme had undoubtedly been orchestrated by the of Ho-Oh Shrine!
Long ago, the head priest of Ho-Oh Shrine had established an "association" for the discussion of "teachings". To put it bluntly, it existed to suppress temples that were not affiliated with him.
Over the years, he had already ruined many temples. What the head priest of Slowpoke Temple could not understand was that he had always acted with extreme caution, so how had any clues been discovered?
To put it plainly, the universally recognized Legendary Pokémon of the Johto region was Ho-Oh. Even the Sacred Flame used in the Johto League Conference came from the Flame of Ho-Oh at Ho-Oh Shrine.
Whether in terms of history or heritage, Ho-Oh Shrine stood at the very top of the Johto region. Although Slowpoke Temple had developed its own distinctive style, it ultimately relied on unorthodox methods and could not be compared with Ho-Oh Shrine at all.
At this moment, the priest of Slowpoke Temple had already reached the point of no return. His thoughts were in turmoil. Since the Ho-Oh Shrine had already obtained all of this evidence, then Will and his mother had also been exposed. The fact that neither of them had appeared was, in itself, a silent warning to him. If he resisted, his wife and child would be in grave danger.
The priest of Slowpoke Temple slowly removed his kasaya…
At this moment, the three elders of the temple stepped forward. In order to preserve the reputation of Slowpoke Temple, they had no choice but to intervene. Over the years, they had focused solely on meditation and had long ceased involving themselves in the affairs of the head priest.
They had never expected such a major scandal to emerge today. If they remained silent any longer, Slowpoke Temple would face utter ruin.
Before the three elders, the head priest of Slowpoke Temple knelt and confessed his violations of the rules.
Afterward, the priest of Slowpoke Temple stood up, filled with the determination to die!
His reputation was already destroyed. He had failed both the temple above and his wife and child below.
What meaning was there in continuing to live on in disgrace!?
The only thing he could still do was restore the reputation of Slowpoke Temple. Perhaps the three elders would even rescue his wife and child, allowing them to continue living their lives.
Facing the gathered worshippers, he said, "Dear worshippers… my mistakes and violations are mine alone and have absolutely nothing to do with the temple! Slowpoke Temple has never deceived a single worshipper…
If someone is deliberately targeting the temple… then their intentions are truly malicious! I have failed the temple's teachings and betrayed the trust of the sages. Slowpoke Temple has always been responsible toward every worshipper.
I am willing to prove my conviction… through death!"
After speaking, the priest of Slowpoke Temple rushed forward and slammed headfirst into the statue of the Golden Slowpoke.
Blood immediately stained the ground red!
No one had expected events to develop to this point. Now it was the people of Ho-Oh Shrine who was facing widespread condemnation…
◓---
Out of "respect for the dead", more people "sympathized" with the "plight" of the priest of Slowpoke Temple. The media had struck gold with this story!
Such a dramatic series of twists and turns was more entertaining than a television drama, and the ratings were all but guaranteed.
When reporters later tried to interview the head priest of Ho-Oh Shrine, he refused. He returned home in disappointment. A carefully planned "show" had ended in disaster, and he himself had earned the reputation of a sinister villain.
---◓
The nun, who had originally intended to resign, could only return to her residence with Tetsuya.
"Now that the head priest is gone… I don't even know who I should resign to anymore," The nun sighed.
Thinking back on her many years at Slowpoke Temple, although life had been modest, everyone had treated her with great respect. But now… sigh.
"You still need to leave. The temple is in turmoil right now, and a new priest won't be chosen anytime soon. Besides, nobody knows what kind of person the new one will be. The Slowpoke raised by the temple are all intended for sale. There's no guarantee that the new person in charge won't sell the Slowpoke in your care."
Tetsuya's words immediately awakened the nun. This Slowpoke had originally been entrusted to her care by the former priest. If a new person took over, it was very possible that it would be sold. Therefore, she needed to make preparations as soon as possible!
"You're right! How about this, I'll give Slowpoke to you… sigh, after the priest's funeral is over, I'll leave. Within a month, I'll definitely come to Ecruteak City to find you."
The nun said this because she truly could not bring herself to leave without saying goodbye. However, taking Slowpoke with her would be inconvenient. The "only option" was to have Tetsuya take it away amidst the current chaos. Once the temple's security measures were restored tomorrow, it would be impossible to take it out.
'Kyaaa~'
Tetsuya was overjoyed to hear this. He had never regarded the temple's security as a concern. In fact, if he wanted to take Slowpoke by force, it would be effortless. What concerned him was that even if he took Slowpoke away, it would not listen to him. What he needed was a word from the nun so that Slowpoke would obey him.
"Mm, that works too."
After saying that, Tetsuya took 10k Pokédollars in cash from his backpack and offered it to the nun as travel expenses, but she refused. Having spent so many years at Slowpoke Temple, she never had to worry about food or daily necessities and rarely needed to spend money. She had also been receiving a salary and had accumulated substantial savings. Tetsuya's money was not something she cared about.
"Slowpoke~ Follow Tetsuya for now. I'll come see you after some time. You must listen to Tetsuya, alright!?"
The nun gently stroked Slowpoke's head as she spoke kindly. By now, Slowpoke was like her own child.
"… … … …"
After a while, Slowpoke finally nodded.
The nun then recalled it into its Poké Ball and handed it to Tetsuya.
"Then I'll wait for you in Ecruteak City. When the time comes, come find me at Ecruteak Gym!" Tetsuya said.
"Alright, alright. Go now! While the temple staff are busy, you can mingle with the worshippers and leave."
The nun urged him on. Tetsuya was eager to leave as soon as possible as well. He waved his hand and rushed out of the backyard of Slowpoke Temple.
He had finally succeeded!
---◓---
Tetsuya followed the flow of people and successfully left Slowpoke Temple. It had taken him four years and more than 200k Pokédollars to obtain this Slowpoke. Now it was finally his… along with the Shellder from Lake Slowpoke!
As he prepared to meet up with Catherine, he happened to encounter the courier delivering the letter. Unfortunately, the recipient was already dead. However, with this letter, the elders would be able to find Will and his mother.
Given that the old man had sacrificed his life to defend the reputation of Slowpoke Temple, the three elders would not ignore Will and his mother. At the very least, they would not have to worry about food or basic necessities.
It was just that… without the Slowbro that had once dominated an era in his previous life, how much Will would achieve in this life would depend entirely on his own fate!
Unfortunately, Will had never even laid eyes on his biological father.
After successfully meeting up with Catherine, the two of them continued their journey toward Ecruteak City.