Chapter 661: A Lowly Wurmple

Chapter 661: A Lowly Wurmple (Please Vote!)

In Canalave City, at the temporary command center of the Hoenn League, a department was established to handle the aftermath of the battle between Groudon and Kyogre. This department was also set up to prepare for the even greater disasters that lay ahead.

In a nearly airtight room, Jinghe leaned back in his chair and nodded, looking into the eyes of the tall, well-endowed woman before him.

"I don't think that was the right decision, but I made what I believed to be the right choice at the last moment. It's that simple."

The woman across from him was Aqua, one of the three top officers of Team Aqua and a professor of marine currents at the Kanaz Pokémon Academy. She had accompanied Jinghe on a school trip with the students in the past. Although their interactions were limited, Jinghe had deliberately avoided her before.

After all, she was one of the top officers of Team Aqua, and at the time, he lacked the ability to deal with someone of her caliber.

Aqua was here because of the anonymous letter she had sent to Da Wu and Professor Sycamore, informing them of Groudon's impending awakening. This gave the Hoenn League enough time to prepare, minimizing the disaster caused by the clash of the two ancient Mythical Beasts.

Jinghe chose to trust Aqua's explanation. In the original story, when Team Aqua's leader, Maxie, went mad and tried to awaken Groudon, Aqua and the others attempted to stop him, but ultimately failed.

"I just want to know what motivated you to make such a change", Jinghe said, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hands.

Aqua gently brushed her black hair, revealing a delicate face with a smile. Her eyes, filled with a hint of amusement, settled on Jinghe as she said, "It was because of you, Jinghe."

"Me?" Jinghe was taken aback.

"Team Aqua spends most of their time at sea, focused on two things: finding Groudon and making money. They never noticed your rapid rise to power", Aqua explained calmly.

Rapid rise to power?

Aqua continued, "Defeating Dialga, defeating Palkia, taming the black and white dragons, and subduing Kyurem. I don't know how Team Aqua could possibly win against that."

"Uh", Jinghe rubbed his chin.

Is that me?

Well, it is.

Aqua spread her hands, "And the facts have proven that, haven't they?"

Moreover, Aqua's loyalty to Team Aqua was far less than what was depicted in the original story, given her long tenure at the Kanaz Pokémon Academy.

"So, what do you plan to do next, Professor Aqua?" Jinghe changed the subject.

Although Aqua had made a significant contribution this time, her history as a top officer of Team Aqua would make it difficult for her to continue teaching at the Kanaz Pokémon Academy.

"Maybe I'll go out and see the world", Aqua said, lowering her eyes.

"Good idea", Jinghe agreed.

Traveling and meeting various people and Pokémon could certainly lift one's spirits.

He stood up, pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, and placed it in front of Aqua. Seeing her puzzled expression, he said, "If you finish traveling and find yourself with nothing to do, you might consider this."

The paper had Jinghe's phone number on it.

"I happen to be in need of an assistant or secretary. Something along those lines."

With that, he left the room.

Aqua stared at the number on the paper for a while, then suddenly chuckled, carefully tucking it away.

In the resting room of the temporary command center, Da Wu and Wally were sprawled out on the sofas, looking utterly exhausted.

It was undeniable that the success of the operation was largely due to Da Wu and Wally's intense battle with Groudon, which forced the Pokémon to change its course.

When Jinghe entered, they both tried to muster some energy.

"Teacher."

"Teacher Jinghe."

Jinghe waved a hand and slumped into the sofa, looking just as drained.

He was truly exhausted. It had only been one day, and he couldn't imagine how Da Wu and Wally managed to fight for 22 days without collapsing halfway through.

Super Hoennians, indeed.

However, Jinghe's condition was slightly better than theirs, not because he had exerted less effort or was less tired, but because he had Beartic, a living "power bank", to support him.

"Teacher Jinghe, your coffee", a staff member brought in the coffee for the first time.

"Thank you."

After taking a sip, Jinghe felt a bit more energetic and said, "Why are you still hanging around? Go get some sleep."

Da Wu leaned against the back of the sofa and smiled wryly, "Teacher, the trouble isn't over yet."

He was referring to the meteorite problem.

Jinghe also found it strange that Rayquaza hadn't appeared this time. Logically, with Groudon and Kyogre causing chaos, Rayquaza should have shown up to mediate.

Even if we take a step back, Rayquaza should have appeared when the Meteorite showed up, regardless of Groudon and Kyogre not fighting.

This time, Jinghe had hoped to call Rayquaza for help, but there was no response.

Is it sleeping somewhere?

Or perhaps it didn't appear because Groudon and Kyogre didn't actually engage in battle?

Or has it already obtained the power of the Meteorite, so it no longer cares as much?

"Da Wu, Wally, tell me again what happened when you encountered Rayquaza", Jinghe said.

Da Wu and Wally exchanged glances, then recounted every detail of their encounter, including what Rayquaza had said.

"Sky Pillar?"

After hearing their story, Jinghe felt he had grasped the key point.

Does it need to be like in Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, where the Chosen One must go to Sky Pillar to gain Rayquaza's approval before it will help?

"Tomorrow, we'll go to Sky Pillar."

Jinghe felt it was necessary to investigate.

If that doesn't work, they could ask other Pokémon to help with the Meteorite, like Deoxys. It might not be as easy as with Rayquaza, but it's an option.

"Alright."

Da Wu and Wally, of course, had no objections.

If they could get Rayquaza's help to solve the Meteorite problem, they wouldn't need to resort to the "Dimensional Teleportation Device" plan, which would require a lot of Life Force.

However, the League would still have a backup plan, and the "Dimensional Teleportation Device" plan was still in preparation. Devon was still trying to collect Life Force through conventional means, and would only resort to forcefully taking it from Pokémon or humans as a last resort.

"I'm tired too, Bony."

Jinghe, who was about to rest, was intercepted by Bony at the temporary command center. Bony also looked exhausted.

Although she hadn't been on the front lines fighting Groudon or Kyogre, as the overall commander of the operation, she was under no less pressure than Da Wu and the others. She had to oversee many more things, such as post-disaster reconstruction, evacuation and support arrangements, and the impending Meteorite crisis, all of which had left her mentally and physically drained.

In Bony's view, a fierce battle would have been easier than this.

But there was no choice.

The Hoenn League needed her.

However, Bony had made a decision.

After this matter was over, she would definitely promote someone, like Jinghe or Da Wu, to the position of Champion and share the burden. Otherwise, she would resign.

"Hangetsu and Fuyou have returned with their teams", Bony said, removing her white gloves and untying her hair with a sigh.

"Oh?"

Jinghe's interest piqued, and he sat down across from Bony, asking, "What happened?"

Bony's expression was grim as she nodded.

"They did indeed find traces of the Magma and Aqua Teams and successfully captured some important members, including high-ranking officials. It was a significant victory."

But Jinghe could sense the unspoken implication in her words.

"So, Archie and Maxie escaped?"

"Yes."

They sure can run.

In the special episode, these two managed to escape as well. However, in the end, Maxie defeated Archie and survived, becoming the "Armored Man."

"They also found this."

Bony carefully placed two palm-sized fragments on the table.

"These are...?"

Jinghe's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the red and blue fragments.

"The Scarlet Orb and Azure Orb?"

"More accurately, fragments of them."

These precious orbs, which contained the power of Groudon and Kyogre and could control the two Mythical Beasts to some extent, had actually broken?

But then he remembered.

Rayquaza's green orb had already broken, and he had obtained a fragment of it, which he gave to Dratini. That was why Dratini could touch a bit of Rayquaza's "speed."

"Our people have determined that Groudon and Kyogre's Primal Reversion is likely related to the breaking of these orbs", Bony added.

That makes sense.

Jinghe wasn't entirely sure, but it seemed plausible.

Bony looked at him deeply, then pushed the fragments toward him.

"Hmm?"

"Keep them."

"Is that wise?"

These fragments were extremely valuable. Although they were broken, they might still allow some connection to the corresponding Mythical Beasts, just like the fragment of Rayquaza's broken green orb.

Moreover, Dratini can gain some of Rayquaza’s power from the green gem fragment. So, these fragments from the Scarlet Orb and Azure Orb might as well be equivalent to the Sword of the Cliff and the Origin Waveguide!

Furthermore, these two fragments are much larger than the green gem fragment Jinghe received.

Bony seemed a bit tired and waved her hand. "There’s probably no safer place in the entire Hoenn than with you."

"If I take them..." Jinghe’s gaze fell on the two fragments. "Well, they might just disappear completely after a while."

Indeed.

He was just worrying about how Yuki, after evolving into Blastoise, would end up swallowing the Earth Plate fragment, leaving him with nothing to use as a substitute. The Scarlet Orb fragment from Groudon would be perfect.

"You handle it."

Bony added, "Anyway, if anything happens, you’ll be the one to clean up the mess."

Jinghe: "."

He suddenly felt the two gem fragments in his hands were a bit too hot to handle.

But upon further thought...

It seemed like she was implying that if he didn’t take the fragments, he wouldn’t be the one to help out if something went wrong.

"Alright."

Jinghe reluctantly accepted the two gem fragments.

He could try the Scarlet Orb fragment with Blastoise.

As for the Azure Orb fragment, it wouldn’t be suitable for Gengue.

But what if he captured a good Water-type Pokémon in the future?

"By the way, there’s one more thing."

Bony covered her mouth and yawned lightly. "I looked into it for you."

She pulled out a file.

It contained information about Aqua from the Aqua Team.

"Probably because she’s an undercover agent, this person hasn’t done anything too out of line. At most, she’s just... fooled around with some innocent young boys."

As she spoke, Bony’s gaze towards Jinghe became a bit peculiar.

"That’s fine."

If he wanted to keep Aqua around to help him, it would be best if she didn’t have a lot of unsavory records. Even if she had done something commendable this time, it would still be a mental hurdle for Jinghe.

Of course, how Aqua chooses to proceed is ultimately her decision.

"Finally back home."

As soon as he got home, Jinghe flopped onto the sofa, not wanting to move a muscle.

He was utterly exhausted.

Not only from directing battles, but also from performing two Mega Evolutions in a day, combining Mega Evolution with Terastallization, and Mega Evolution with Z-Moves. All of that was draining.

He had also channeled a lot of Waveguide energy into Gengue and Crimson Blade Phantom.

"Ne mi?"

Beartic appeared, twirling its small hands, indicating to Jinghe.

Want another one?

"No, no, that’s enough."

Jinghe quickly stopped the little guy.

He wasn’t physically tired, but mentally drained. Beartic’s Infinity energy, though powerful, couldn’t help with mental fatigue.

"Ahem."

He sat up, took out a Poké Ball, and released all his Pokémon.

"Bark?"

Blastoise stood in the room, yawned, rubbed its eyes, and looked at Jinghe, puzzled.

Huh? Why are you so small?

Jinghe’s mouth twitched.

"I didn’t get smaller; you evolved into Blastoise, Old Bark."

Evolvd?

Blastoise was taken aback, then suddenly realized.

Right! I evolved!

"Bark!!"

As Blastoise recalled this, it clenched its fists and roared, raising its head.

Crack!

In its excitement, Blastoise’s head hit the ceiling, shattering the chandelier and scattering fragments everywhere, plunging the room into darkness.

Jinghe: "."

Clang!

Crimson Blade Phantom drew its sword, and a ghostly blue flame illuminated the living room and the surrounding Pokémon.

Especially Blastoise’s menacing appearance and fierce face.

"Rotom, turn on the backup lights!" Jinghe called out.

"Got it, Rotom!"

The living room was illuminated again, and Jinghe breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around to see Gengue had quietly approached him, eyes wide and tongue out, ready to scare him.

If Rotom had taken a bit longer to turn on the lights, Gengue might have given him a tongue lashing.

"Gengue~"

Gengue chuckled, turned his head, and whistled nonchalantly.

"Bark."

Blastoise realized its mistake, scratched its head, and looked embarrassed.

Jinghe sighed but didn’t blame it.

It was normal for a newly evolved Pokémon to be a bit unaccustomed, especially since Blastoise had evolved directly into its final form, which was quite rare.

However, Jinghe already had a plan to help Blastoise adapt to its new powers. He had a place and a “job” in mind for it.

It was the small island left behind after Groudon’s departure, where the lava had cooled.

Groudon, being so large, could only roughly clean up the island. The subsequent renovations, repairs, and planting would all need to be handled by Jinghe himself.

The entire island's soil transformation would be left to Blastoise.

"Right." Jinghe reached into his pocket and took out the fragments of the Scarlet Orb and the Azure Orb.

"Bark?"

"Gengue?"

"Awooo?"

The little ones seemed to sense the power of Groudon and Kyogre from the fragments and immediately gathered around.

Especially Blastoise, who fixated on the scarlet fragment.

"You—"

Jinghe's original intention was to give the Scarlet Orb fragment to Blastoise, but thinking back to how it had shattered the chandelier, he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

After much consideration, he warned, "Without my permission, no practicing or performing moves at home, okay?"

"Bark!"

Blastoise thumped its chest, as if to say, "Can't you trust me?"

Jinghe didn't have to worry too much about Yuki. If Blastoise could adapt to its current body over a month or two, he might not be so concerned.

But now—

He was worried that Blastoise might roll over in its sleep and cause the second floor to collapse.

Actually, a collapse would be the least of his worries. He was more afraid of being suddenly catapulted into the sky by a sudden eruption from the ground in the middle of the night.

Despite his fears, he still had to give it to Blastoise.

Jinghe solemnly handed the Scarlet Orb fragment to Blastoise.

Then—

"Bark!"

Blastoise took the fragment with joy and placed it near its mouth.

Crunch—

The incredibly hard Scarlet Orb fragment seemed to be as easy to bite as a red apple, and Blastoise took a big chunk out of it!

Jinghe's heart raced.

"Bark~"

Wow, it's so hard, but it tastes good~

Fortunately, Blastoise didn't swallow the fragment whole like it did with the Earth Plate fragment.

Blastoise's teeth weren't as exaggerated as he had feared.

It must have been the power of evolution that allowed it to swallow the Earth Plate fragment whole when it first evolved.

The vast energy of the Earth Plate fragment also meant that Blastoise couldn't digest it all at once.

It would take some time to fully absorb and convert the plate's power into its own.

However—

When Yuki evolved into Blastoise, its type changed from Ground and Rock to Rock and Dark.

But during the battle with Groudon, Jinghe noticed—

It seemed that his Blastoise still retained the type advantage when using Ground-type moves.

Was it because of the residual energy from the Earth Plate fragment?

Or—

Was Blastoise hiding its Ground type?

A three-type Pokémon?

"Hiss?"

Snivy had appeared on Blastoise's shoulder and was staring at the Azure Orb fragment in Jinghe's hand, lost in thought.

Huh?

Noticing Snivy's gaze, Jinghe was taken aback.

"Are you interested?"

I'm just a little curious, you won't give it to me anyway!

I'm just a little curious! You won't give it to me anyway!

Jinghe couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, here you go."

He handed the Azure Orb fragment to Snivy.

He had already asked Gengue, who wasn't very interested in it.

And no other Pokémon could really make use of it.

Until he caught a new Water-type Pokémon, he might as well let Snivy play with it.

The Water energy shouldn't cause any harm to the Grass-type Snivy.

"Hiss!"

You're giving it to me voluntarily!

Snivy happily stored the Azure Orb fragment.

While Snivy didn't have the chance or ability to get involved in the incident, it had been closely following the events.

The power of Groudon was clear to see.

However, a Water-type Groudon wouldn't provide the same kind of help to a Grass-type Snivy as it did to Blastoise.

What Snivy was interested in was Groudon's energy manipulation.

Why could Groudon launch multiple light beams with a single move, while Snivy couldn't?

Waveguide?

Well, I'll just have to learn it!

Snivy's knowledge library +1

Jinghe patted the little one's head.

With Yuki evolving into Blastoise and even competing with Groudon for the weather, it was clear that it wouldn't be able to participate in the "Junior Cup" anymore.

Jinghe placed his hopes on Snivy.

He just couldn't understand why Snivy hadn't evolved yet.

Once this Hoenn incident was over, he would delve deeper into it.

"Alright."

Jinghe stretched.

"Get some rest. If nothing goes wrong, we'll head to the Sky Pillar tomorrow. We might even see the largest Wurmple in the Pokémon world."

Wurmple?

Snivy clenched its fist, eager to prove itself, and seemed to say, "Just you wait, I'll show you my strength tomorrow!"

Snivy clenched its fist, indicating that a mere Wurmple wasn't worth the fuss.

I'll show you tomorrow!

---

PS: Today is Women's Day, and I helped with some activities at home, so the update was a bit delayed. Happy holiday to everyone!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end