Chapter 325: Live Broadcasting the Volcano God's Journey Home
May 15, 2024 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
"Whoa, is that the Volcano God?"
"What a domineering aura."
"But why do I get the feeling it looks a little silly?"
Ash and his companions watched the TV screen, where the Lava Beast was walking slowly across the sea, and broke into a heated discussion.
They never expected the volcanic eruption to actually spit out the Volcano God. In that case, wasn't being the Volcano God a bit too miserable?
Even Red, within his soul, curiously popped out. A Volcano God would be an incredibly rare existence even in his world. This was a deity. When had one ever appeared so openly in the public eye?
And it was being broadcast live to the whole world?
"But what is the Volcano God doing?" Ash wondered aloud.
The Lava Beast moved very slowly across the sea. Perhaps because it was a land-based deity, its movements had become sluggish and clumsy after entering the water, giving off a bleak and uncomfortable feeling.
Judging by its proportions, its thighs probably couldn't reach the seabed. Below the sea's surface, out of the camera's view, its two short legs must be flailing about, paddling through the water.
The authorities seemed to know that no one, not even themselves, was familiar with this Volcano God. After all, it was not a deity of the Kanto Region.
*Beep.*
At that moment, a small window appeared on the screen again, settling in the upper right corner of the live broadcast like some kind of commentary box.
The window showed a place resembling a live stream studio, where two figures were seated. On the left was a beautiful female host with nice legs.
On the right was a middle-aged man in a white lab coat. He had a square, upright face, brown curly hair, and a beard lining his jaw, giving him a very prim and serious appearance.
The female host began with a greeting.
"Hello, viewers! This is the Vermilion News live stream studio, broadcasting from Vermilion City in the Kanto Region! Due to the special circumstances, we have temporarily opened this live studio. In the coming days, we will be broadcasting the Volcano God's movements around the clock! Don't forget to click the follow button in the upper right corner so you don't miss out!"
Today, Vermilion News wasn't bothering with the usual sensationalist tactics. After all, the story itself was as outrageous as any clickbait headline.
The Volcano God was flushed out by a volcano?!
And the crucial part was, it was real?!
"Perhaps everyone is as confused as I am. What is the Volcano God? And what is the meaning behind its current puzzling behavior? To be honest, I'm also very confused, but the facts are... ahem. For now, we'll let the Volcano God continue on its way. Please welcome the expert we've specially invited from the Hoenn Region, Professor Birch, to explain things to us."
Professor Birch, sitting beside her, took the microphone. It seemed he could also see the live broadcast of the Volcano God from the studio. Looking at the Lava Beast, the shock in his eyes was just as profound, and he had only just composed himself.
He had lived in the Hoenn Region his entire life and had never once seen the true form of the Volcano God.
Then, this morning, he suddenly received news that in the Kanto Region, the Volcano God had been flushed out of a volcano by magma.
Professor Birch: "?"
The news left him stunned. He hurriedly pulled on his pants and rushed to catch a plane to the Kanto Region without even telling his wife or son.
"Hello, everyone. I am Professor Birch, here to introduce you to this legendary Volcano God."
Professor Birch's tone grew solemn. He took a deep breath and slowly began his explanation for the camera.
"The 'Volcano God' is actually just a folk name used by some. This beast has a formal name. In the myths of our Hoenn Region, it is the great deity born from the planet's molten core who created the land. Its name is..."
"Groudon!"
As he finished speaking, Ash and the others all jolted, stunned by Groudon's powerful name.
"Groudon slumbers within the planet's molten core, so being accidentally flushed out by magma from a large and powerful volcanic eruption... is technically a possibility..."
As he said this, even Professor Birch's brow twitched. No matter how he thought about it, it was completely absurd!
This was a live broadcast to the entire world. Some people spend their whole lives without ever seeing a single Suicune, yet now, the supreme Groudon had suddenly appeared. The number of viewers was naturally growing exponentially.
At this moment, the entire world was watching the Groudon on the screen.
Countless staff members behind the scenes were working at incredible speeds, constantly diverting the live stream's traffic to prevent the servers from crashing, their hair falling out strand by strand.
Naturally, the screen was also crawling with a scalp-numbing number of comments.
"So this is Groudon? It's so cool!!"
"Volcano God! The eternal god!!"
"Why does it walk like a dumbass? Haha!!"
The director had no choice but to quickly disable the deluge of public comments, and the screen instantly cleared up. He then picked out a few VIP comments and passed them to the two in the studio.
"Oh, Professor Birch, a viewer is asking, what exactly is Groudon doing right now?"
Ever since it appeared on screen, it had just been walking slowly on the sea. Its behavior was very confusing.
"Hmm... judging by its movement trajectory on the map, and based on information from historical records... Groudon should now be..." Professor Birch paused, his brows furrowed tightly, before continuing.
"It should be walking back to the Hoenn Region?"
To put it simply, it had been sleeping when it was inexplicably flushed out to a strange place, and was now on its way home.
The moment he said it, the deity's prestige instantly plummeted to rock bottom.
"That made me laugh. To think a god has to walk home."
"How lame. My Pidgey can fly."
"A god's body with the mind of an idiot?"
"Stop hating. Our precious Groudon is swimming, not walking. Its legs can't reach the seabed."
"That sounds so pitiful! My poor baby Groudon! Mama's heart aches for you, QAQ."
This time, even the VIP comments exploded across the screen, nearly scaring the director into fainting.
The female host had clearly seen her share of major events. She forced herself to calm down and stopped looking at the dense stream of comments, instead asking the question she really wanted to ask.
"Professor Birch, speaking of which, by broadcasting like this... we won't be attacked, will we?"
Deities possessed high intelligence, and many did not particularly like humans. Was it really okay for them to be broadcasting like this?
"Hmm... it shouldn't be a big problem. As long as Kyogre isn't nearby, Groudon is actually a very gentle deity. It won't attack without provocation. But we can't get too close. One thousand meters is already the absolute limit of our filming distance."
Even as he said this, Professor Birch wasn't entirely certain. He even suspected Groudon had no idea it was currently on television, being watched by countless pairs of eyes.
He glanced at the dense comments and couldn't help but shiver. If Groudon could see these comments right now, it would probably lose its composure instantly and erupt in a furious flamethrower.
"This is the most asked question from our audience. How long will it take for Groudon to return to the Hoenn Region?"
Professor Birch frowned, stroking his beard in thought before giving his conclusion.
"A vast ocean separates the Hoenn Region and the Kanto Region. Calculating based on Groudon's current pace... hmm, if it's fast, it will only take three months to reach the Hoenn Region. If it's slow..."
Professor Birch stopped talking.
If it was slow, there was no upper limit.
But he couldn't say that. It was, after all, his hometown's deity. Saying it out loud would be just too lame!
Hearing this, however, the female host's eyes lit up. This meant they could broadcast for at least three months straight?
Good grief.
After this, their Vermilion News would surely become the most powerful news outlet in the entire world! No, she had to quickly apply to the Pokémon League for exclusive broadcasting rights for this event!
"Volcano God, please walk a little slower... a little slower... it would be best if you never made it back..."
This wasn't just the female host's thought; it was the thought of every media professional in Vermilion City.
Next, Ash and his friends saw a line of text appear on the screen.
"Vermilion News will now begin a 24-hour live broadcast. Please join us as we follow the Volcano God's journey home."
(end of chapter)