High above Ice Island.
Within a massive flying airship hidden amongst the clouds.
In a cage that resembled a bird's nest, a Pokémon with beautiful blue feathers was struggling fiercely.
During the struggle, its long ribbon-like tail flapped in the stimulated electric field, making its entire body seem weak and powerless.
"Give it up," Fang Yuan said.
Gil Ruth watched the struggling Articuno in the spherical cage, a hint of a smile crossing his lips.
"Articuno, no amount of struggling will help you."
"But don't worry, soon someone will join you."
Gil Ruth looked at his collection, his heart brimming with pleasure.
So what if it was the Ice God? Before the technological weapons he had spent a fortune on, wasn't it still destined to become a mere collectible?
Gil Ruth could hardly wait to invite the social elites to admire his new collectible.
Wasn't this more interesting than watching those performance-like King Cup matches or Champion title defenses?
"However, it's not enough. The ultimate target is Lugia!"
Gil Ruth opened his arms unconsciously, squinting as he indulged in his fantasy.
Just then, a feminine artificial intelligence voice came from the airship's control panel.
"Mr. Gil Ruth, there's been an energy fluctuation detected on Fire Island and Thunder Island, likely the appearance of Moltres and Zapdos."
"Good, let's go welcome the next piece of my collection. Next up, let's have Flame Bird keep Articuno company," Gil Ruth said as he opened his eyes and returned to his seat.
But no sooner had the words left his mouth, the artificial intelligence detection system of the airship sounded again: "Mr. Gil Ruth, someone is approaching the airship. Should we expel them?"
"Locked on, coordinates 361, 571, updating coordinates... Target is approaching..."
"Thump... thump... thump!"
Before the artificial intelligence could react, Gil Ruth heard a series of knocking sounds.
He turned around abruptly, only to see a goofy Dragonite flying outside the transparent explosion-proof glass of the airship's lobby.
And it was tapping on the glass with its fleshy palm.
Riding on the Dragonite was a human Trainer, and on the Trainer's shoulder was an Eevee.
At this moment, the faces of the Dragonite, human, and Eevee were all pressed against the glass, peering inside, their nostrils puffing out steam, showing just how cold it was outside.
"What the hell," Gil Ruth frowned.
The next second.
Bang!!
The explosion-proof glass that was as strong as the arena of the King Cup was smashed open by Dragonite's punch, and a "whoosh whoosh whoosh" of cold wind howled incessantly, sucking the items inside the airship out.
This group was naturally Fang Yuan, who boldly attacked and let Dragonite carry him striding in.
"Damage to the airship detected, automatic repair facilities activated..."
Simultaneously, the voice of the airship's artificial intelligence system sounded, and the glass that had just been shattered by Dragonite's punch was quickly restored to its original state by a flash of light.
"This is high-end..."
"This Sky Fortress, if sold, might be worth as much as the three Divine Bird hatchlings."
Having flown all the way here and entered the airship, Fang Yuan could not stop feeling astonished.
Goodness, a Sky Fortress capable of capturing Legendary combat power, complete with automatic repair functionality and artificial intelligence... it was simply luxurious.
It was worth considering integrating this technology into his own Cosmic Magneton Battleship.
"Who are you?"
After Fang Yuan broke in, Gil Ruth looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze but still calmly sat back down, looking straight at Fang Yuan.
"Edogawa Conan, a detective," Fang Yuan said as he dismounted from Dragonite, addressing the collector Gil Ruth.
"I've noticed abnormal weather outside and traced it back here."
"So you're saying, the reason for the weather changes is because you captured Articuno from Ice Island, right?"
Fang Yuan looked towards the struggling Articuno and then at Gil Ruth. Faced with Fang Yuan's questioning, Gil Ruth smiled faintly and said:
"Edogawa Conan? You're not just an ordinary Trainer, but no matter, you're the first uninvited guest to come here. What do you think of my first collection, the Ice God Articuno?"
"Not bad," Fang Yuan nodded.
"You can understand, too." Gil Ruth's smile grew even richer. "Haha, then feel free to admire it here to your heart's content. Of course, you can't touch it with your hands. That's the most basic etiquette."
"Of course I understand," Fang Yuan said. "But it's just not bad, far inferior to my collection. I remember in my warehouse, I have everything like 'Creator of the Earth Groudon,' 'Ocean Creator Kyogre,' 'Giratina, the Preserver of Order,' 'Brilliant God Necrozma,' and they're all shiny..."
"You're full of crap," Gil Ruth glared.
Dragonite and Eevee also looked at Fang Yuan, thinking to themselves, this guy really dares to say anything.
"I'm not lying to you. I'm serious," Fang Yuan insisted, referring to the games, of course.
"Just a brat who talks big..." Gil Ruth felt his good mood ruined by Fang Yuan.
Then, Fang Yuan continued, "Uncle, don't you know the legend of Asia Island? If you like the Three Divine Birds so much, go capture them from other places. Capturing the ones here will cause a climate imbalance."
Gil Ruth laughed, "The Divine Birds from other places don't have the title of God, and besides, they're not even my targets."
"As for climate imbalance, so what? Do you really think a small Orange Archipelago can affect the whole world?"
Legend has it that angering the Three Divine Birds could lead to the destruction of the world. Gil Ruth sneered at this taboo legend, thinking it's probably just a story concocted by the Three Divine Birds to protect themselves.
There are many legendary creatures on this planet. Even the epic battle between Groudon and Kyogre in the Area of Fragrant Fate didn't destroy the world, and Rayquaza quelled natural disasters. Gil Ruth believed the impact of the Three Divine Birds would at most affect the Orange Archipelago.
And the Orange Archipelago is insignificant within the scope of the Quartz Alliance's management. Even if something happened, the consequences would be bearable for him.
"That does make sense..."
Fang Yuan also suspected that the world-destroying legend was fabricated by the Three Divine Birds themselves, purely to avoid being disturbed and to lazily slack off.
Areas outside the Orange Archipelago might indeed be affected, but it shouldn't be that serious. Besides, if Lugia couldn't handle it, and if the situation escalated, other Legendary Pokémon around the world certainly wouldn't stand by and do nothing.
"But still,"
Fang Yuan looked up at Gil Ruth again and said, "even so, this disaster could still affect the ecology in many places. Uncle, I don't think your actions are commendable. So, I plan to call the cops, plus rescue Articuno."
Fang Yuan's statement made Gil Ruth laugh out loud, "You think the police will deal with my affairs?"
As one of the wealthiest tycoons in the Kanto region, Gil Ruth was influential in both legal and illegal circles. He had carefully calculated the risks before taking action.
"How will you know if you don't try?" Fang Yuan picked up his phone, which already had a message drafted.
[The anomaly on the Orange Archipelago was caused by a collector named Gil Ruth attempting to capture the Three Divine Birds around Asia Island. More evidence will be provided later.]
The recipient: the investigating officer and regional Champion, a virtuous man known as Doduo.
Gil Ruth's background might be substantial, but the Dragon Trainer family is not weak either. It's better to leave the investigation to Doduo.
Moreover, the Orange Archipelago is the hometown of Heavenly King Ke Na. Even if Gil Ruth is no ordinary figure, the pursuit by a Champion and a King will be more than he can bear.
"Alright, now it's time to release Articuno."
Fang Yuan looked up at Gil Ruth, who was not pleased.
At that moment, Gil Ruth looked at Fang Yuan, disappointed, and shook his head, "I thought you were a great audience member who would witness me capturing new items for my collection. Seems you're a bit stubborn."
"You really think you can do whatever you want in this airship," Gil Ruth said calmly as he looked at Fang Yuan. "This airship is equipped with fully automated weapons. The moment you entered, you were already fully locked on. Even the floor under your feet could become a weapon to take you down. With the power of your Pokémon, you can't compete with this top-tier technology—"
"Bwoo!!"
"Bwoo!!"
Dragonite and Eevee looked at Gil Ruth as if he were an idiot.
Fang Yuan also nodded in agreement, admitting, "Indeed, I know nothing about this airship, and rash actions would indeed be disadvantageous for us. But uncle, what do you think I was bantering with you all this time for?"
"Sorry, I've caught you now," Fang Yuan chuckled.
While he was bantering with Gil Ruth, Mewtwo, Dragonite, and Rotom had already swiftly infiltrated and interfered with the airship's control system.
With the tech genius Mewtwo involved, this Sky Fortress might be formidable, but the next second, it belonged to Fang Yuan.
An airship that took Mewtwo so long to take control of made Fang Yuan excited just thinking about it.
"What do you mean..." Gil Ruth's eyes narrowed.
Next second.
With a screech, Articuno broke free from its cage!
Gil Ruth: Σ(°△°|||)︴Eh??