Chapter 647: "Killing Frenzy"

Chapter 647: "Killing Frenzy" (Combined, Requesting Monthly Votes!)

In the ruined world.

On a relatively larger inverted island.

Rustle—

Diamonds of various sizes cascaded down like a waterfall, scattering all over the ground.

"Roar!!!"

Giratina's rage echoed wildly through the ruined world, sending ripples of invisible energy.

How could this happen!

Giratina looked up to the sky.

Was it easy for it?

It had spent so much time and energy to finally piece together this "Diamond screen", and now it had fallen apart!

Damn it, almost every single one of these diamonds was a different size. To create a seamless, complete "Diamond screen", it had been incredibly difficult.

And then, just when it was almost done, it fell apart!

After its fit of rage, Giratina rubbed its chin.

Clearly, saliva wasn't enough.

It couldn't hold them together.

As the possessor of "antimatter energy", destroying things was a breeze for it. A single burst of antimatter would leave nothing but dust.

But sticking things together was a different story.

It needed something with strong adhesive properties that wouldn't affect the diamonds' essence. Otherwise, when Jinghe and Male asked for the diamonds, they'd be covered in glue, which wouldn't do.

Giratina looked around.

Well, it had to admit that in the ruined world, there was no such thing.

After a moment of thought, Giratina opened a rift in the space before it, revealing a glimpse of the Pokémon world.

It would go to the Pokémon world to find what it needed.

With a flick of its tail, Giratina vanished from the ruined world.

In the Pokémon world, Castelia Region, Perfume City.

"A fashion design contest?"

Jinghe and Male, who were about to bid farewell to Mayu, saw her packing her luggage in the clothing store.

Come to think of it, Mayu, as a Gym Leader, spent more time in the clothing store than in the Gym.

Oh, this is Kalos, so it's fine.

"That's right", Mayu said, carefully packing her meticulously designed outfits into professional bags.

"By the way, it just so happens to be a special holiday. I heard there will be a fireworks show in the evening", Mayu added.

A holiday?

A fireworks show?

Jinghe and Male's eyes lit up.

The Summer Fireworks Festival!

"Are you interested, Teacher Jinghe and Male? There's also another competition, the Pokémon Capture Contest!"

As a fashion designer, Mayu was most interested in the fashion design competition. She had little interest in the Pokémon Capture Contest, as she was quite selective about the Pokémon she captured.

"Genka?!"

Gengue, Male, with one hand on Jinghe and Male's shoulder, poked his head out from behind them.

A competition?

A Pokémon Capture Contest!

When they came to the Castelia Region before, they had intended to participate in the "Pokémon Triathlon" but couldn't due to a conflict with Tianxi's matters. Hearing about another competition, Gengue, Male immediately became enthusiastic.

If it's a competition, there must be some good prizes, right?

Jinghe and Male, however, were more interested in the "Fireworks Festival" Mayu mentioned.

A summer fireworks festival, a clear night sky dotted with stars, a warm evening, refreshing ice cream, a lively atmosphere, and the blooming fireworks—

Dream must love it, right?

They had promised to take Dream to the Kanaz Pokémon Academy's Spring Festival, but they missed it due to the "Young Master World Championship." This summer fireworks festival could be a way to make it up to her.

"If you're interested, Teacher Jinghe and Male, you can come along", Mayu smiled.

"Genka! Genka!"

Before Jinghe and Male could respond, Gengue, Male nodded vigorously, as if accepting on their behalf.

"I'll make a call", Jinghe and Male said to Mayu.

"Of course."

Walking to the store entrance, Jinghe and Male took out their phone and dialed a number.

"What's up?" The voice on the other end was slightly lazy but warm and magnetic.

"Are you still in bed?" Jinghe and Male couldn't help but laugh, teasingly.

"Um—"

There was a rustling sound and the sound of stretching.

"I felt particularly inspired during training last night, so it went a bit late", Cynthia curled up in her blankets.

After a moment of amusement, Jinghe and Male asked, "Interested in the Fireworks Festival?"

"Fireworks Festival?"

Cynthia sat up abruptly, her Jigglypuff pajamas slipping off her shoulders.

"Lucario?"

In the room.

The Gyarados, who had been resting after training late into the night again, lifted its head, squinting its eyes and showing a hint of hostility. It had heard a familiar voice.

Lucario, who was tidying up the haphazardly scattered books, also turned to look.

Fireworks festival?

We haven’t participated in one this year, it seemed.

Today has been quite busy.

Since the "Young Master World Championship" ended, Cynthia and most of their time has been spent training. They only left for a brief period during the Arceus incident at the temple and Sky Crown Mountain.

Apart from training with Big Leaf, there hasn’t been much in the way of entertainment.

"Where is it?" Cynthia couldn’t help but ask.

It was clear that she was quite interested in the fireworks festival.

Jinghe, Male, lightly tapped his forehead, covered the phone’s microphone with his hand, and turned to ask Mayu, who was almost done packing her clothes, "Miss Mayu, where is the place you mentioned?"

"Oh, Windy City", Mayu replied.

Jinghe, Male nodded and told Cynthia on the other end of the phone, "Windy City."

Huh?

Windy City?!

"Um..."

Cynthia held the phone between her shoulder and ear, took the laptop Lucario handed her, and after a quick search, said, "Indeed, the Wind Festival in Windy City is coming up soon. It includes a fireworks festival, a fashion design contest, and a Pokémon capture contest."

Windy City.

Jinghe, Male didn’t know that this city, the main setting of the movie "Our Story", was located in the Castelia region. After all, the "protagonist" Zeraora is a seventh-generation Pokémon, while the origin of Windy City is tied to the second-generation Mythical Beasts, Lugia.

But

it doesn’t really matter.

Jinghe, Male didn’t have much "resistance" towards Windy City, as there were no catastrophic Mythical Beasts to worry about.

At most, it would be Lugia and Zeraora.

Lugia and Jinghe, Male had a very "close" relationship. During the Arceus incident, he called Lugia to help him.

As for Zeraora,

it was one of Jinghe, Male’s favorite Electric-type Pokémon.

In terms of strength, it wouldn’t be a problem to handle.

"Do you have time? We can go to Windy City and relax a bit", Jinghe, Male invited.

He knew Cynthia had been busy training and improving her skills lately.

He wondered how far she had progressed.

"Things have been quite busy lately", Cynthia stretched, her words carrying a deeper meaning.

Jinghe, Male clearly understood and said, "I sincerely invite Her Majesty to join us."

"Since you’re inviting me so sincerely, I’ll ‘reluctantly’ make the trip", Cynthia laughed.

"I’ll check the flight for you."

"No need, I’ll ride on Gyarados. I should arrive by dinner."

Gyarados: “?”

What happened to your dignity?

"Alright, be careful on the way."

Though with Cynthia’s strength, if anything happened, the cautious one would be the other party, Jinghe, Male still gave the reminder.

"Okay."

Windy City.

A city by the sea, separated by a vast forest.

Of course, that separation was in the past. With the advanced technology of the Pokémon world, there are many ways to connect with Windy City.

For example, the train tracks through the forest, airplanes in the sky, and ships at sea.

Perfume City, though not a coastal city, has a nearby port. Jinghe, Male, Mayu, and Mayu’s geishas chose to take a boat to Windy City.

The sun was warm, the clouds were drifting, and a gentle sea breeze blew. Jinghe, Male took off the custom clothing Mayu had made for him, changed into an Alolan floral shirt, and sat on the deck of the cruise ship fishing.

"Gengar, Male, Crimson Blade Phantom, Male, set up the barbecue grill. We’ll be having grilled fish later", Jinghe, Male said without turning his head from under the sun umbrella.

"Gengar!"

Gengar, Male nodded, responded, but remained seated, still holding the Pokémon cards in his hand, unmoving.

Crimson Blade Phantom, Male did the same, responding but not moving.

Grilled fish?

By the time the ship docked at Windy City’s port, Jinghe, Male might not even have caught a fish worth eating.

So, setting up the grill was probably unnecessary.

"Gengar~"

Gengar, Male wrapped himself in the cloth of the spirit world and gently patted Regieleki’s shoulder.

Hey, what are you daydreaming about? It’s your turn to play.

"Regieleki."

Is Regieleki spacing out?

It's just not sure what to play.

Scratching its head, it looked at the pair of "Bastiodon" in front of it, then glanced at its hand.

A pair of "Caterpie", a "Pidgey", two "Flareon", an "Eevee", a "Zubat", and one more.

"Chaa~"

Forger, sitting on the hammer, couldn't help but remind it.

If you can't play, you can pass.

"Elieki"

Relieved, Regieleki nodded.

Pass!

"Gengar~" Gengar, Male chuckled, about to continue playing.

"Nimii!"

Beartic suddenly interrupted, signaling Gengar, Male to wait.

"Gengar~"

Gengar, Male, holding its last two cards, looked at Beartic's seventeen cards, not at all bothered, and waved its hand.

Fine, you play. I don't believe you can beat me with seventeen cards.

Then Beartic's performance began.

Two "Rayquaza", one green and one black, were laid down!

A straight flush with "Nidoqueen", "Nidoking", and "Nidorino", a total of six cards.

Another straight flush with "Eevee", "Vaporeon", and "Flareon", a total of eight cards!

Beartic, holding the last "Caterpie", looked around at Gengar, Male, Forger, and Regieleki, and asked with a smile:

"Nimii?"

Do you want it?

"Gengar?"

Gengar, Male rubbed its eyes, squishing and stretching its head as if it couldn't believe what it was seeing.

No way.

Seventeen cards, and you really can beat me?

"Nimii!"

Seeing no response from the three little ones, Beartic decisively played the last "Caterpie."

Victory!

It bared its fangs and made a "Yay" gesture.

Then it took the corresponding number of energy cubes from the stacks in front of Gengar, Male, Forger, and Regieleki.

The victorious Beartic, at this moment, dominated the game!

Gengar, Male was actually okay; it only had two cards left, so it lost two cubes. Forger was also fine, with seven cards, but Regieleki...

"Regi."

Looking at the small pile of energy cubes that had just shrunk by several dozen, Regieleki scratched its head.

No, this is too itchy, I feel like my brain is growing.

Meanwhile.

"Here it comes, here it comes!"

Feeling the force on the fishing rod, Jinghe, Male immediately stood up, using his full strength. The Nine-Tails' tails, which had been covering him, fell to the ground.

"Aoow?"

Nine-Tails, lying beside him, opened its eyes slightly and saw the familiar orange and yellow figure bouncing around.

Plop plop plop—

An orange and yellow Magikarp was hopping around the deck, its blank eyes silently accusing Jinghe, Male for catching it.

Jinghe, Male: "..."

How many is that now?

"Seven, Lotad!"

Rotom, who had just finished taking photos, immediately told him the result.

Seven...

In just two short hours, catching seven fish wasn't a bad "record", but they were all Magikarp!

"Thanks a lot, Rotom", Jinghe, Male said with a dark tone.

Rotom's body shuddered, trying to make amends, and hurriedly said:

"B-b-but! This Magikarp is probably the highest level one. I-I estimate it's already at level 40, Lotad!"

Plop plop plop—

The Magikarp continued its "nothing happens" water splash.

"Level 40 and still not evolved..." Jinghe, Male gritted his teeth, his voice strained.

He angrily threw the "old fish", which could only be used for fish head soup, back into the sea.

If others don't want it, neither do I!

Level 40?

If you can grow to level 100 as a Magikarp, then you're impressive.

"The seas of the Castelia region are also dominated by Magikarp", Jinghe, Male said dejectedly.

Plop plop plop—

The Magikarp, back in the sea, poked its head out of the water, looked at Jinghe, Male, flicked its tail, and splashed water.

Then, without looking back, it swam away.

That was...

"Is it taunting me? Is it taunting me?" Jinghe, Male asked Nine-Tails.

"Aoow."

Nine-Tails gently exhaled a puff of white breath.

Calm down.

Crackle crackle crackle—

Frost appeared on Jinghe, Male's clothes, temples, and glasses.

Hiss—

Calm now.

Jinghe, Male sat back in his chair and picked up the fishing rod again.

Just now, he almost had Regieleki and Rotom electrify the entire sea, but he managed to hold back.

So, a man who fishes must be calm and composed in the face of adversity.

"I don't believe it. Can I really go home empty-handed?"

Rolling up his sleeves, he skillfully baited the hook and cast the line, all in one fluid motion.

Actually, his fishing skills weren't bad.

Unfortunately, Magikarp were just too abundant.

"If Groudon can be fished up, it’s not too much to ask for me to catch something other than a Magikarp, right?"

One hand held a fishing rod, while the other fished out a phone.

The screen displayed the progress of the "Pokémon Hunter Base Raid Operation" jointly conducted by the Castelia Region International Police and the League Police.

Thanks to Jinghe Male’s “cheat-like” intelligence gathering, many active Pokémon Hunters in the Castelia Region were quickly apprehended.

The speed and scale of these arrests were unprecedented in the Castelia Region.

In Jinghe Male’s words,

"They’re being completely obliterated."

Thoroughly obliterated.

Now, in the eyes of the International Police and the League Police, Pokémon Hunters were no longer just Pokémon Hunters; they were living, breathing achievements waiting to be claimed.

Capturing Pokémon Hunters usually wasn’t this easy.

The reason Pokémon Hunters were so rampant was two-fold:

First, some Pokémon Hunters did have considerable strength or influence.

But more importantly, these hunters would burrow into the forests, making them nearly impossible to track.

Given the lush and vast natural environment of the Pokémon world, finding a Pokémon Hunter in the expansive forests was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

However, with the intelligence provided by Jinghe Male, the most challenging part of capturing Pokémon Hunters was effectively eliminated. Wasn’t it equivalent to picking up achievements?

Moreover, the commotion caused by this raid even drew the attention of the Grand Alliance.

Jinghe Male’s actions and the success of this operation were highly praised.

As the initiator and task issuer of this operation, Jinghe Male calmly typed a few words into the group chat with one hand—

"Everyone, well done. Once the task is completed, I’ll give you all a raise!"

This statement was met with cheers in the group.

"Long live Teacher Jinghe Male!"

"Teacher Jinghe Male, we’ll follow you through fire and water!"

"Teacher Jinghe Male, forever the god!"

"..."

Jinghe Male smiled in satisfaction.

No matter how much he talked or how grand the promises, nothing was as concrete as a raise.

Besides, the raise wouldn’t come out of his pocket.

After the Grand Alliance took notice of the situation, Jinghe Male “spoke up for the people” and requested a raise for everyone.

Given the significant achievements of this operation, a raise was only fair, so the Grand Alliance naturally didn’t refuse.

Though Jinghe Male took half the credit,

the Alliance also gained a more stable wild environment in the Castelia Region.

"Got one!" Jinghe Male felt the fishing rod shake again.

"Number eight, Rotom."

Before the fish was even reeled in, Rotom had already updated the count.

"Regi..."

Regieleki’s head hung low, looking utterly dejected. The energy cubes in front of it were completely depleted.

Gengue Male and Forger also “lost” quite a few energy cubes, but not as many as Regieleki.

The one with the most, of course, was Beartic. As the victorious Pokémon, it had also performed exceptionally well in today’s “battle.”

"Neem~"

Beartic smiled happily and then shared half of its energy cubes with Regieleki.

"Regi?"

Seeing even more energy cubes than it had initially, Regieleki stood there, stunned.

It scratched its head, a bit confused.

How did it end up with more?

Beartic casually picked up one of the cubes and popped it into its mouth.

Though not as good as Marcarong, the energy cubes were still delicious.

"Neem~~"

The important thing is that everyone is having fun; winning or losing isn’t everything.

Beartic’s message was clear.

"Regi?"

Regieleki then looked at Gengue Male and Forger.

What about them?

"Geng~"

Gengue Male waved his hand generously, acting as if it was nothing.

A few energy cubes are nothing to me.

"Chaa~"

Forger was equally generous.

As an “old-timer” in the “Old Jing Family,” who didn’t have a few hundred or even a thousand energy cubes stashed away?

Besides,

if they ran out, they could just ask Jinghe Male for more.

The “Old Jing Family” never ran out of energy cubes.

"Regi!"

A light bulb appeared above Regieleki’s head, and it looked enlightened.

Right,

if they ran out, they could just ask Jinghe Male for more.

"Crunch, crunch—"

Yuki, who had been watching the entire process while munching on something, sighed, stood up, and gently patted Regieleki’s shoulder.

“Yooj!”

Bro, you still have a lot to learn.

“Regieleki!”

Regieleki nodded solemnly.

In the Castelia region, in the forest behind Windy City.

Several figures were moving through the forest with some difficulty.

"Damn it, have the League gone crazy? We didn't hear a single rumor, and they suddenly launched a massive crackdown."

"Not hearing any rumors is one thing. The real issue is that the League's people found our hideout as if they had radar. We'd be in trouble if we hadn't been outside."

"I've heard that it's not just us; many other groups' hideouts have been raided!"

"I seriously suspect that there's a traitor among us, maybe even more than one!"

Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain how our hideouts were directly targeted.

But the problem is, even a "traitor" couldn't possibly know the locations of so many Pokémon hunter groups.

"By the way, where are we now?"

"Windy City."

"Windy City? Isn't that where the Wind Festival is happening?"

"More people means better, right?"

"True."

"Besides, I heard from a few active hunters near Windy City that they haven't been hit. It seems to be a relatively safe area."

"I remember there's a powerful guy in the forest outside Windy City? Humans get attacked as soon as they enter, so many hunters avoid it."

"Hmph! We have no choice now. Even if it's dangerous, can it be any worse than the League's crackdown?"

"Good point."

"Plus, if we can capture that guy, we'll make up for all our losses. Hehe."

"Hehe." × N

At the seaside port of Windy City.

The gentle sea breeze began as soon as they approached Windy City, consistently blowing in from the sea, carrying a faint scent of saltwater and cooling the summer heat.

The wind is a defining feature of Windy City and the foundation of its development.

Exiting the port and looking around, windmills—power-generating windmills—were visible everywhere.

Many nearby towns get their electricity from Windy City.

But what stands out most upon first arriving in Windy City is the amusement park-like area on the sea just outside the city.

It has everything from Ferris wheels, roller coasters, and carousels, to various balloons shaped like Pikachu, Eevee, Poké Balls, and Lugia, creating a festive atmosphere.

This seaborne amusement park is where Windy City hosts the Wind Festival and the summer fireworks.

A winding road connects it to the mainland and the entire city of Windy City.

"Apparently, Windy City's Wind Festival started with a promise from Lugia."

Mayu smiled as she spoke, her high wooden clogs clacking and her lace-fringed black stockings fluttering in the breeze along with her wide, wing-like sleeves.

Assuming Jinghe and Male didn't know about Windy City and the Wind Festival, she continued:

"Back then, Windy City was a desolate place. But the people and Pokémon supported each other and worked hard to live. This bond moved Lugia, who promised to bring wind to the land forever."

Windy City developed thanks to this promise and the continuous wind from Lugia.

"That's the Sacred Flame."

Mayu pointed to a tall tower in the city center, which shimmered with a crystalline light, glowing like a star even in the daylight.

It's more like a "star" than a "flame."

"Legend has it that Lugia uses the 'Sacred Flame' as a marker, sending wind to this place every year."

Jinghe and Male nodded.

He knew this story, but he didn't interrupt Mayu. Instead, he thought:

Does Lugia really know about this "promise"?

Or did the Lugia of the past keep this promise, but after the forest fire fifty years ago, does Lugia still "keep" it?

After the Burning Tower incident in the Johto region, both Ho-Oh and Lugia chose to leave.

And the forest fire in Windy City fifty years ago was even more severe than the Burning Tower incident.

During the Burning Tower incident, humans failed to save the three Pokémon trapped inside, angering Ho-Oh and Lugia.

In the forest of Windy City, hundreds, if not thousands, of Pokémon were affected by the fire.

"I should ask when I get the chance."

"What?" Mayu didn't hear him clearly.

Jinghe and Male smiled and shook his head, "Nothing."

Mayu didn't press further, only saying, "Jinghe, Male, I'm about to head to the venue for the fashion design competition. You—"

"It's fine, go ahead. Don't worry about me, I'll just wander around a bit", Jinghe, Male replied.

"Alright." Mayu and the geishas behind her bowed slightly to him. "Then we'll take our leave."

They boarded the official vehicle for the competition and left.

Jinghe, Male stood by the sea, gazing at the vast expanse of water. The sunlight shone down, and the sea breeze created ripples that fragmented the light into shimmering gold.

"Where should I go first?"

"Gengue! Gengue!"

Gengue, Male pointed excitedly at the Wind Festival venue on the sea.

"To the Pokémon Capture Competition!"

Jinghe, Male remembered that in the movie "Our Story", Ash participated in a Pokémon Capture Competition, which featured several memorable scenes.

One was riding a rampaging Beldum barehanded, and the other was casually helping a fallen Beldum back up.

That was the Desert Tyrant, Beldum, not the young Beldum, Yuki.

The Super New Body's capabilities were displayed to the fullest.

However—

"The Wind Festival hasn't started yet, and neither has the Pokémon Capture Competition", Jinghe, Male said.

Come to think of it, he was genuinely curious about what kind of Pokémon the city of Windy would provide for trainers to capture in this "Pokémon Capture Competition."

Would there be any near-legendary Pokémon?

If there were, would it be a Beldum?

If Yuki saw a Beldum, it would certainly be amusing.

Imagining the scene, Jinghe, Male's lips curled into a smile.

"Gengue."

Hearing that the Pokémon competition hadn't started yet, Gengue, Male's ears drooped.

"Alright." Jinghe, Male patted the little fatty's back. "I heard that Windy City's ice cream is quite famous. How about—"

"Gengue!"

Gengue, Male suddenly lifted his head, raised one hand, and held up three fingers. Then, apparently feeling it wasn't enough, he raised his other hand as well.

I want three! No! Six!

Jinghe, Male couldn't help but chuckle.

"Fine, fine, just don't get diarrhea."

Gengue, Male placed his hands on his hips and raised his head.

Me get diarrhea?

What a joke!

The Giratina Core on Jinghe, Male's shoulder lifted its head.

【What is ice cream?】

Jinghe, Male smiled mysteriously. "You'll find out soon."

In the Forest.

"There it is!"

A golden figure, accompanied by blue lightning, darted through the forest at incredible speed.

Behind it, several Pokémon Hunters in mountain gear pursued closely.

"Mamoswine, Ice Beam!"

Bang!!

An ice flower bloomed on a tree.

"Damn!"

"Let's see how long you can run! Houndoom, track its scent, don't let it escape! This is a rare Pokémon we've never seen before, and it's practically walking into our hands!"

They had been resting when they were suddenly attacked by this mysterious Pokémon.

But they were skilled enough to survive.

After all, they managed to escape the League's pursuit, which wasn't an easy feat.

While the mysterious Pokémon had injured many of their Pokémon, they had also injured it.

Mysterious, rare, and powerful—these factors meant it would fetch a high price.

Their base had been raided, and they had suffered significant losses. This Pokémon would help them recover.

"This thing is really fast!"

"Hmph! As long as it's on land, it can't escape!"

Houndoom's keen sense of smell gave him confidence.

But that confidence didn't last long.

They reached a cliff about three to four meters high, with a fast-flowing stream below. Houndoom stopped at the edge of the cliff.

"Did it jump into the river?"

"Follow it downstream, it won't get far!"

They followed the stream downstream.

But upstream, a girl with pink hair was playing with a Teddiursa and a Ditto by the stream.

"Hey, Teddiursa, it's okay, just take a bath, don't move around so much."

"Imei!"

Teddiursa struggled but didn't dare use too much force, afraid of hurting the girl.

Suddenly, it pointed at the water.

"Imei!"

"What's wrong?" the girl, Ragoku, asked, puzzled.

Splash—

Suddenly, the water parted, and a golden, disheveled figure leaped out, landing on a rock not far from Ragoku.

"This is... injured?" Ragoku was startled and quickly got up.

"Teddiursa, Ditto, come help!"

Bang!!

But before they could get close, a blue lightning bolt exploded in front of Ragoku.

The yellow figure struggled to open its eyes, filled with a menacing glare.

"Zekrom!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end