The heavens have fallen, and the Yellow Heaven shall rise.
The year is Jiazi, and peace shall reign under heaven.
The human world is full of deception.
And so it was for Da Wu and his companions.
Ten days had now passed.
Ye Feng and his companions had arrived by ship at the port of Cinnabar City.
As there was no ship to the Kanto region until the next day,
Ash and the others decided to stay at May's house for the night,
And depart tomorrow.
May's home was the Cinnabar Gym.
It was, naturally, incredibly luxurious.
But when Ye Feng and his group arrived,
They saw only white funeral adornments hanging outside the Cinnabar Gym.
Along with rows of wreaths and the like.
Many people were coming and going, but all wore somber expressions.
Upon seeing this scene,
May and Max were stunned into silence.
They immediately realized something had happened.
Someone was in trouble?
Who could it be?
In the Cinnabar Gym, there were only her father, Norman, and her mother, Caroline.
Who could it be?
May and Max, as if driven mad, rushed into the gym building.
Inside the main hall, a large black coffin was displayed.
And a photograph of their father, Norman, was placed on a high platform in the center.
In the black and white photo, Norman's smile was so bright, but it was a smile they would never see again.
"Dad!!!"
May and Max immediately threw themselves forward, wailing uncontrollably.
The guests who had come to pay their respects in the hall also saw this.
Among them were May and Max's relatives.
They said, "May, Max, please accept our condolences!"
"Don't be too sad! Stay strong! Work hard! Your father wouldn't want to see you like this!!!"
May and Max were already weeping like fountains.
Then, they saw their mother, Caroline.
Dressed in a solemn, all-black kimono,
Her hair neatly tied up,
She was beautiful and dignified,
Her face etched with grief.
"Mom! How did my dad die?!"
Indeed, at such a young age, it couldn't have been illness.
Then it must have been...
Caroline: "It was in the wilds of Lilycove City. Although the culprit was not caught, it is certain that the Ten-Year Syndicate was responsible!"
"The Ten-Year Syndicate?!"
Upon hearing this, May and Max cried even harder.
Caroline continued, "Furthermore, the estimated time of death was the same night Ye Feng was attacked. I suspect those two members of the Ten-Year Syndicate killed your father!!!"
"Dad!"
May collapsed onto the coffin, "I want to avenge you!!"
"Me too! I will definitely kill all of the Ten-Year Syndicate in the future!!!"
Max gritted his teeth.
Ash and Brock were at a loss for words.
They had never expected Norman to be in trouble.
At this moment, they saw Ye Feng solemnly approach Norman's coffin and pay his respects several times.
He even said, "Gym Leader Norman, please rest in peace. Don't worry, the murderers who killed you, those two from the Ten-Year Syndicate, I will personally kill them and avenge you!"
After his words, Ash and Brock also quickly paid their respects.
Ye Feng looked up again at Norman's black coffin.
He thought to himself, "I didn't expect that after I disguised myself and reported to Officer Jenny, the matter would be dealt with so quickly."
The funeral continued.
A few monks arrived from outside and performed a brief ceremony for Norman.
Following that was a wake.
After Ye Feng and his companions, along with the funeral guests, had partaken in a meal,
Those who needed to leave departed.
In the evening, only Norman's immediate family remained to keep vigil.
As Ash and Brock were guests, they were arranged to have rooms early on.
May and Max, being too young, were told by Caroline to go to bed.
She alone would undertake the night watch.
In the main hall, under the dim, yellowish light,
Caroline, dressed in her solemn black kimono, leaned on the coffin.
Ye Feng was behind her, helping her to exercise.
Perhaps this could help alleviate Caroline's grief over her lost husband.
The lamplight cast the silhouettes of Ye Feng and Caroline.
And also illuminated the black and white photograph surrounded by lotus lamps, flower baskets, and fresh fruit.
At this moment, the Norman in the photograph,
Just as in the daytime, his smile was so bright.
The next morning.
Today was the day of cremation.
Norman's body was escorted by Ye Feng, Caroline, May, and the others to the crematorium.
May and Max watched as their father was sent into the raging flames of the crematorium. Tears began to fall.
Caroline also felt immense sorrow.
Even though she had a certain relationship with Ye Feng,
She still held marital affection for Norman.
Half an hour later.
The cremation concluded.
A black urn was carried out by the staff.
Caroline received the urn.
She then drove with Ye Feng and the others to the cemetery.
This was a burial plot purchased a few days prior.
To ensure Norman could be laid to rest as soon as possible.
In the car,
Max was completely dazed.
He looked out at the beautiful scenery outside the window,
And felt as if everything before him had lost its color.
"Sister, do you think people have souls?"
"Souls? I suppose so. I've always believed that."
May replied.
"Then, Dad's soul must be watching us right now!"
Tears welled up in Max's eyes.
May also began to cry.
Caroline nodded, "He certainly is. Your father loved you both so much."
Ye Feng listened to their words and sighed.
People do indeed have souls.
Unfortunately, your father Norman's soul had long since been devoured by a Shiny Gengar.
At this moment, it had already finished digesting...
The cemetery arrived.
Under the arrangement of the staff, Norman's ashes would now reside here permanently.
At the gravesite, May and Max wept for a long time.
Finally, they returned to the Cinnabar Gym.
Looking at the empty Cinnabar Gym,
May and Max felt a sense of daze.
At this point, Ash said, "Aunt Caroline, today is the day Brock and I are supposed to leave. We've already bought our tickets for today, so..."
"Yes, you should go ahead then."
Ash nodded.
He then asked Ye Feng if he was returning.
Ye Feng thought, "Ash, you really lack situational awareness."
"Now that Norman is gone, and Caroline is a woman alone, and May and Max are still young, I'll help them settle things here first before I go back."
Hearing this, Ash and Brock nodded and then left.
Ye Feng remained, looking at the three of them at the table.
He said, "Now that your father is dead, the gym needs an inheritor. May, Max."
Max wiped his tears, "I'll be the Gym Leader!"
Ye Feng: "But you don't even have a single Pokémon, nor do you have the strength. If the Pokémon Inspection Bureau were to come one day and find that you lack the strength of a Gym Leader, your Cinnabar Gym would face closure. Therefore, I suggest that the gym be temporarily closed."
Although Max was unwilling, he knew Ye Feng was telling the truth.
Then he turned to Caroline, "Caroline, now that Norman is gone, what are your future plans?"
Caroline: "I just want to watch May and Max grow up."
Ye Feng nodded, "Do you have enough money?"
Caroline: "Yes, Norman earned quite a bit before, enough for us to live on for the rest of our lives."