20demayo Chapter 448 The old man's grandson?
Chapter 448 The old man's grandson?
"Mmm~ This is so much fun!"
After sliding down the slide into the pool below, Xiaoguang stood up from the pool and excitedly wiped the water droplets off his face.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu popped its head out of the water, calling out happily, clearly having a lot of fun too.
"Ash, what should we do next? Or should we play again?" She turned to Ash.
Xiao Zhi looked around, his gaze sweeping over the various water facilities.
A giant water castle, rafting, beach volleyball, and more...
Every project is incredibly tempting.
Just as Xiao Zhi's eyes were searching the amusement area for which ride to play next.
"Um?"
Suddenly his gaze fell on a corner of the rest area.
There, an old man sat alone on a bench, holding a newspaper in his hand, looking extremely sad.
He lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.
Xiao Zhi frowned slightly, a nameless worry rising in his heart.
He turned to Xiaoguang and said, "Xiaoguang, why don't you go play some other games with Xiaogang first? I have something on my mind, I'll come find you in a bit."
"Eh?"
Hikari looked at Satoshi with some surprise, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.
She had originally planned to experience various two-person activities with Xiaozhi today and enjoy this rare time together.
However, based on past experience, Xiao Guang knew that once Xiao Zhi showed such an expression, it meant that he had something urgent to deal with and would probably be unable to return for a while.
"All right……"
Although Xiao Guang was somewhat reluctant, he still obediently nodded.
"Then come back soon!"
"It'll be quick." Ash smiled, let Pikachu jump onto his shoulder, and then turned and walked towards the old man's location.
Hikari watched Ash's retreating figure and sighed softly.
By now, Hikari already knows what Ash is going to do. Is Ash being a little too concerned about others?
That's why Xiaoguang likes him.
If Ash hadn't had this personality back in Twinleaf Town, he probably wouldn't have given her the sticker he won in the lottery, wouldn't have taken the opportunity to invite Ash to his house, and the two of them probably wouldn't have gone on their journey together later.
......
Right now, in the rest area of the marine park.
On a seat in a small corner.
The old man gripped the newspaper tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force. His eyes were fixed on the news articles, as if he wanted to devour the words.
"...The Galactic Team's operation failed, all members were captured, and their leader, Akari, committed suicide at Mount Tianguan..."
Every word was like a sharp knife, piercing the old man's heart.
Tears could no longer be held back, sliding down his wrinkled cheeks and dripping onto the newspaper, spreading out a wet patch.
“My child…it’s all my fault…it’s all my fault…”
The old man muttered to himself, his voice hoarse and trembling, filled with endless regret and self-blame.
His body was trembling violently, as if he were about to collapse at any moment.
The noise and laughter around him seemed irrelevant; he was immersed in his own world of sorrow, unable to extricate himself.
Tears streamed down his face like broken beads, falling onto the newspaper and blurring his vision.
"If... if I had spent more time with you and cared more about you, would this tragedy have been avoided?"
The old man covered his face with trembling hands and sobbed in pain.
He hated himself, hated his indifference and negligence, hated himself for pushing his grandson into the abyss.
Just then, a cheerful voice pulled him back to reality.
"What's wrong? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Xiao Zhi walked to the old man's side, gently squatted down, and asked with concern.
"Pikachu~"
Pikachu looked at the old man and spoke with the same concern.
The old man's body trembled slightly. He slowly raised his head and looked at Xiaozhi with teary eyes.
He then realized that he seemed to have lost his composure, and quickly wiped the tears from his face with the back of his hand, forced a smile, waved his hand and said, "No, it's nothing, thank you, young man, I'm just a little tired and need to rest by myself for a while."
The old man tried to stand up, wanting to leave this place and find a quieter place more suitable for his memories.
However, just as he put down the newspaper, walked to Ash's side, and their eyes met again, he suddenly froze.
This young man in front of me... looks so familiar...
He carefully examined Xiao Zhi, countless images flashing through his mind.
Suddenly, he remembered!
"You...you are...Ash?!" The old man suddenly grabbed Ash's shoulder with astonishing strength, as if his fingers were about to dig into Ash's shoulder.
"It's me... Is there something you need?"
The pain in his shoulder jolted Xiao Zhi awake, but he didn't know what was wrong with the old man in front of him. He simply thought that the old man was just too emotional and had lost control of his strength.
But to everyone's surprise, after receiving Xiaozhi's reply, the old man's eyes suddenly became terrifying, filled with anger, hatred, and despair.
"Was it you...was it you who fought against Chi Ri at Tianguan Mountain?!"
Xiao Zhi sensed the intense hatred emanating from the old man and felt a tremor in his heart. He realized that things were not as simple as they seemed.
So Xiaozhi frowned, put a little distance between them, and asked warily, "Who are you? Do you know Red Sun?"
The old man did not answer Xiao Zhi's question. Instead, he trembled as he picked up the newspaper he had crumpled up from the ground and slowly unfolded it.
Ash's gaze fell on the newspaper, where the headline on the front page boldly proclaimed:
"The Galaxy Team's operation failed, all members were arrested, and their leader, Akari, committed suicide at Tianguan Mountain."
Clearly, the old man's actions had already told Ash that he was inextricably linked to Team Galactic, or rather, to Sun.
“I… am Chi Ri’s grandfather…”
The next second, the old man answered Xiaozhi's question in a hoarse voice.
Xiao Zhi's heart sank.
He had considered many possibilities, but this was the only one he hadn't thought of.
But upon closer reflection, it seems quite normal.
Everyone has family.
The same goes for the blazing sun.
It's just that his actions made everyone subconsciously overlook this point.
After learning the old man's identity, Xiao Zhi fell silent for a moment. Even though his countless travels had allowed him to meet all sorts of people, he had never met anyone with this kind of identity.
Even Ash felt a sense of powerlessness at this moment.
He didn't know how to respond or how to comfort the heartbroken old man.
In a sense, he was indeed the one who directly caused Chi Ri's suicide.
The old man's grandson was the one who met his end in a fight with him.
......
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