Chapter 665: A Cosmic Commission

Chapter 665: A Cosmic Commission (Two-in-One, Vote for the Monthly Ticket!)

The vast universe is bound to have its peculiarities.

Sure enough, nearby, there were numerous small meteorites floating around. A slight touch or approach would cause them to explode like dandelions, leaving behind a scattering of hard meteorite shells while their colorful cores would take the opportunity to flee.

What Rayquaza was interested in were those meteorite shells left behind by the small meteorites. To Rayquaza, they were like candy beans.

Just like Blastoise used to eat Diamond.

Gengar also collected a good number of these meteorite shells.

However, in the vast universe, there were few things that could make Rayquaza wary.

"Is it Deoxys? Or—"

[No.]

Rayquaza shook its head. It certainly wouldn't mistake Deoxys.

Moreover,

Rayquaza glanced at the distance, where a purple and a green Deoxys were watching from afar. They were the helpers Jing He had called.

"It can't be Pikachu, right?" Jing He's expression was peculiar.

Rayquaza turned to look at Jing He, its expression clearly exasperated.

"Just a joke."

Jing He patted Rayquaza's scales and began to think.

In the Pokémon world, Pokémon in the universe are not uncommon. Ignoring those never seen or registered and excluding the likes of Pikachu, which are more of a joke, there were still:

Deoxys, small meteorites, Cosmog, Sun Rock, Moon Stone...

And more.

If you really counted,

The Three Dragons of Unity from the Alola region also came from the universe, as did Dialga from the Galar region, and—

Suddenly,

Jing He paused, seemingly remembering something. "A legendary Pokémon from the cosmos?"

[?]

"Necrozma?"

It was just a random guess, but when Jing He mentioned the name, Rayquaza became unusually serious.

Seeing its demeanor, Jing He's heart skipped a beat.

"It can't be... really Necrozma?"

But that didn't make sense.

The Light God Necrozma should still be sleeping underground somewhere in Alola, right?

Could it be another one?

The Pokémon world is vast, and there might even be multiple universes, so the existence of the same legendary Mythical Beasts is not impossible.

Rayquaza has its black and green forms, after all.

If it really was Necrozma, that would be a big problem.

Among the Mythical Beasts in the Pokémon world, Rayquaza is one of the most powerful, especially with its Mega Evolution. There are few who can face it head-on.

Even Reshiram and Zekrom can't.

Perhaps, if Kyurem fused with Reshiram or Zekrom, it could, but that would be a two-on-one situation.

The legendary "Light God", Ultimate Necrozma, is one of the few beings capable of standing up to Mega Rayquaza in a direct confrontation.

Jing He's thoughts raced as he patted Rayquaza, trying to reassure it.

"Don't worry, you're not alone."

He had also called in two Deoxys and Darkrai to accompany them.

Four against one, the advantage is on our side.

[It's similar, but I... am not sure.]

Rayquaza suddenly said.

Jing He stumbled at the words.

Similar?

Not sure?

Then why so serious?

Rayquaza steadied itself, looking back at Jing He with an expression that held a hint of something indescribable.

From the moment Rayquaza gained consciousness until now, it seemed this was the first time someone had told it, "You're not alone."

This feeling was strange.

Even for a proud being like Rayquaza, after such an incredibly long time of solitude, the greatest pleasure might have been beating up Groudon and Kyogre, but now there was a sense of... friendship?

A subtle, indescribable feeling.

"Never mind." Jing He shook his head, his tone becoming more resolute. "No matter what, we need to destroy this massive meteorite. As for what's on it... we'll deal with it after we destroy the meteorite!"

[Alright!]

Rayquaza agreed.

Worst case scenario, we'll just have a showdown!

Hum—

With Gengar and Darkrai's support, Jing He flew off Rayquaza's back, and the two Deoxys nearby also approached.

Riding Rayquaza to tackle the meteorite?

Jing He wasn't suicidal.

"Long time no see."

Seeing the two Deoxys, Jing He smiled and greeted them.

Hum hum hum—

The signal lights on the faces of the green and purple Deoxys flashed, a way of greeting Jing He.

"Here are some gifts for you."

Jinghe opened the small portable bag that Devon had specially installed on his spacesuit and took out two crystal sculptures of Deoxys. Apart from the different poses, the two sculptures also had green and purple Diamonds embedded in their chests, respectively.

Gifts?

The two Deoxys seemed quite surprised, glancing at each other before looking at the crystals. The sharp edges of their bodies seemed to soften a bit.

Gifts?

Can we have gifts too?

And it was clear that these gifts corresponded to each of them.

Jinghe handed the crystal Deoxys with the green Diamond to the one with the purple core, and the other way around.

It would be nice to have something to remember if a companion ever went missing again.

"These aren't very valuable, but I hope you like them", Jinghe said.

Zzzt—zzzt—

[Thank you.]

Deoxys' voice echoed in his mind.

"Alright, Rayquaza!"

Jinghe turned to Rayquaza, signaling that it could begin.

"Roar—!!"

Rayquaza roared, a scorching and brilliant light enveloping its body.

Johto, Greenfield Space Center.

Da Wu, Wally, Bony, Genji, and other high-ranking officials of the Hoenn League were all gathered in the command center of the Greenfield Space Center. Everyone was closely monitoring Jinghe and Rayquaza's every move.

If the mission encountered any uncontrollable factors and failed, Devon's "Dimensional Transport Device" could be activated as a backup plan.

"The meteorite is locked on!"

A researcher at the Greenfield Space Center reported the situation.

"Why did it stop?" Genji asked, looking at Rayquaza hovering in space, his curiosity piqued.

"It is a massive meteorite, after all", the elder Zufuji remarked.

Honestly, when they first learned that the meteorite was heading toward Hoenn, they hadn't had a clear idea of just how large it was. But seeing this scene, with the enormous Rayquaza in comparison to the meteorite, they finally understood that such a large meteorite, if it struck, would cause catastrophic destruction, not just in Hoenn but in other regions as well.

"Will they be able to destroy it?" Hangetsu wondered aloud, her concern evident.

"It's coming!" Da Wu said gravely, his eyes fixed on the screen.

Despite the distance and the unstable signal, the image was still somewhat blurry, but they could clearly see the brilliant Mega Evolution light enveloping Rayquaza.

"Mega Rayquaza."

The faces of everyone in the control center were tense.

"Hmm?"

Wally suddenly noticed something.

"Teacher Jinghe..."

Why was there a Mega Evolution energy fluctuation around Teacher Jinghe?

"Key Stone?" Da Wu also noticed this.

They exchanged glances.

Wait.

Could Teacher Jinghe help Rayquaza with its Mega Evolution?

Rayquaza can Mega Evolve on its own, right?

"Of course", Zikana's eyes gleamed.

Even if the teacher wasn't a "Successor", he could still do what a "Successor" could do, and perhaps even more easily!

"That's our teacher..."

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Mega Rayquaza transformed into a sharp arrow, hurtling straight toward the massive meteorite.

In space.

Hmm?

Jinghe, who was about to Mega Evolve, paused, feeling the unusual energy from his Key Stone.

Rayquaza?

Rayquaza also seemed surprised. In the past, only the "Successors" of the "Meteor People" could assist it in its Mega Evolution, granting it greater power, but now...

Gengar, standing nearby, seemed to have an epiphany. He remembered the Iridescent Megalith he had "taken."

With all the recent events, he hadn't had the chance to study it with Jinghe.

Jinghe took a deep breath.

It's not the first time for a Mythical Pokémon to Mega Evolve; there's nothing to worry about.

He immediately used his Aura and called out in a deep voice:

"Rayquaza—"

"Mega Evolution!"

"Roar—!!"

A rainbow of light blossomed, and the "Delta Organ" or "Emperor Organ" within Rayquaza's body released countless golden particles, forming colorful ribbons that extended from its cheeks.

The patterns on Rayquaza's body burst into a dazzling golden light, his skin gleaming like a precious green gem. Instead of the Mega Evolution symbol, a unique "Delta Δ" emblem appeared before him!

Boom!!

Despite the vacuum of space, as Rayquaza transformed, the Delta Stream radiated outward from him, spreading fiercely in all directions.

Jinghe watched Rayquaza's transformation, no, now it should be called—Mega Rayquaza!

Sometimes, being cool is a lifelong pursuit.

"Rayquaza!"

Jinghe called out again, "Dragon Ascent!"

"Roar—!!"

Mega Rayquaza transformed into a golden arrow, bathed in radiant light, focusing all his power into a single point. He shot straight toward the massive meteorite.

The golden light sliced through the dark void of space.

Boom—

In an instant.

The world seemed to narrow down to a thin, bright line, and the brief silence stretched like an eternity.

The next second.

Boom!!

Mega Rayquaza burst out from the other side of the meteorite!

The immense meteorite exploded at that moment!

A powerful shockwave radiated from the point of explosion, forming an invisible force wave.

Two Deoxys and Gengar formed a barrier in front of Jinghe, shielding him from the shockwave.

Numerous meteorites of various sizes collided with the barrier, eventually turning to dust and scattering.

Back at the Greenfield Space Center, the people there only saw the massive meteorite as if it had been cut in half, followed by the camera signal being lost.

When the signal finally recovered, all that remained were floating chunks of meteorites.

"Unbelievable."

After a long pause, Wally finally voiced what everyone was thinking.

Indeed, it was unbelievable.

Such a massive meteorite, and it was pierced and destroyed by Mega Rayquaza.

Was this the true power of Rayquaza?

In the face of such power, both humans and ordinary Pokémon seemed incredibly insignificant.

But the next second, everyone in the control room instinctively closed their eyes.

It was an involuntary reaction.

The blurry screen flashed with an extremely bright light.

Fortunately, the intense light was so strong that the specially designed camera malfunctioned!

"What's happening?!"

Everyone, finally recovering, looked at the screen, now without a signal, with a mix of confusion and surprise.

The explosion of the massive meteorite hadn't destroyed the camera, but the sudden, blinding light had?

Everyone's hearts tightened again.

Not good!

Could Professor Jinghe be in danger?

In space.

Jinghe, being the closest witness, naturally saw what the control room was seeing.

However, he was a bit more prepared than the others.

Rayquaza had given him a warning at the start, and Deoxys and Gengar had reacted quickly.

Deoxys' Psychic barrier, combined with Gengar's black hole, protected Jinghe from the intense light.

But still—

"Could it really be the 'Light God' Necrozma?" Jinghe thought.

Such intense light could only come from Necrozma or—

"Roar!!"

The commotion came from the shattered meteorite fragments.

A being, radiating a light as brilliant as the sun, resembling a golden lion, appeared on one of the larger meteorite fragments, its fierce eyes locked onto Mega Rayquaza!

"Solgaleo?"

Even with his suspicions, Jinghe was momentarily stunned.

The Sun God!

Or the "Messenger of the Sun", the "Sun Devourer", the Sunne Pokémon, Solgaleo!

One of Alola's legendary Mythical Beasts, also known as a "legendary cosmic Pokémon."

Though it has "cosmic" in its name, does that mean it comes from another universe?

It really appeared in space?

However, this also explained why Rayquaza had sensed Necrozma's presence from the massive meteorite earlier.

Others might not know, but Jinghe was well aware that the legendary cosmic Pokémon, Solgaleo and Lunala, had a deep connection with the "Light God" Necrozma.

But—

Why here?

Buzz—

The brilliant light surrounding Solgaleo gradually faded, and it transformed back to its original form from the “Sunne” state.

Resembling a giant lion, its body was entirely white, and its deep blue eyes seemed to hold a hidden radiance. The blue region on its forehead appeared to contain a starry sky, with constellations constantly shifting.

"Solgaleo!"

Solgaleo roared, and once again, a radiant light enveloped its body. It shot forward like a meteor or a comet, charging at Mega Rayquaza!

Meteor Mash!

"Roar—!!"

Faced with Solgaleo’s sudden attack, Mega Rayquaza didn’t bother with words and immediately transformed into a dart, rushing straight ahead.

Dragon Ascent!

Meteor Mash vs. Dragon Ascent!

A collision Jing He had never imagined.

It was like the clash of a meteor and a comet.

Boom!!

The terrifying shockwave swept through once more.

"What is that?"

Darkrai, blocking the shockwave, couldn’t help but glare at Jing He.

"Don’t look at me. I didn’t summon it."

Jing He was also at a loss.

He couldn’t be blamed this time, right?

Who would have known that a massive meteorite could contain a sleeping Solgaleo?

Bang—

The two Mythical Beasts, after their clash, separated again.

The Mega Evolution energy around Mega Rayquaza dissipated, and its chest heaved.

After all, it had shattered such a large meteorite; even Rayquaza couldn’t avoid feeling exhausted.

But even so, Solgaleo hadn’t gained any advantage over Rayquaza.

This guy isn’t weak.

Rayquaza’s voice echoed in Jing He’s mind.

But that’s all!

"Solgaleo!"

In the vast universe, a mysterious force gradually gathered around Solgaleo, granting it even greater power.

Cosmic Power!

Solgaleo glanced deeply at Rayquaza, but Jing He suddenly felt its gaze seemed to be on him.

But given the current situation—

"Rayquaza, don’t use Dragon Ascent. Use Giga Impact! This guy is weak to fire!"

The legendary “Sun God” fears fire, and the legendary “Moon God” fears ghosts. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true.

Rayquaza didn’t believe it.

This guy was like a sun; how could he fear fire?

But out of trust for Jing He, despite his doubts, Rayquaza unleashed a terrifying flame!

Even though Rayquaza isn’t a Fire-type Pokémon, the power of its flames was still extremely formidable.

Meanwhile—

Jing He gave another command, "Gengar, use Shadow Sneak!"

Gengar, busy collecting meteorite fragments, immediately stopped what he was doing, put on his sunglasses to block the intense light, and gave Solgaleo a mischievous grin.

"Gen—ga~! ┏(‘_’)ノ"

Take this!

Solgaleo: ?

It felt the power it had accumulated draining away at an alarming rate.

Not just that—

How could an ordinary Pokémon steal power from it?

But sorry, our Gengar is just that unreasonable.

Moreover, Solgaleo, the Sun God, fears ghosts.

As everyone knows, the tougher the guy, the more he fears ghosts. It’s logical.

The sudden loss of power made Solgaleo momentarily lose focus, and Rayquaza didn’t waste this opportunity. A massive flame engulfed Solgaleo in an instant.

Boom!!

But soon—

Emerging from the blazing flames, Solgaleo walked out with a majestic glow.

Rayquaza looked at Jing He with a hint of annoyance.

This is the one who fears fire?

However, before Rayquaza could speak, Solgaleo’s glow dimmed again, and it stumbled, almost falling onto the meteorite fragments.

Rayquaza: ?

You really do fear fire?

Solgaleo ignored Rayquaza, tilting its head to look at Jing He. Its deep blue eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment.

It couldn’t understand why this human seemed to know so much about it?

But its time was running out.

"Roar—!!"

Finding Solgaleo’s weakness, Rayquaza roared excitedly.

"Wait, Rayquaza!" Jing He quickly called out to stop its pursuit. Using Aura, he spoke to Solgaleo:

"Solgaleo, what do you want?"

To crash a meteorite into a planet?

Or was it just an unintentional act?

Or—

I have been asleep for a long time. I was hiding. I want to ask you a favor.

In broken sentences, Solgaleo’s thoughts were conveyed through Aura.

Asleep?

So the meteorite crash wasn’t caused by Solgaleo?

If it was hiding, Jing He had a pretty good idea of who it was hiding from.

As for the matter at hand.

Please, target the Sunne Altar.

Buzz—

With a speed that surprised everyone and every Pokémon, Solgaleo appeared before Jing He.

“Gengar!”

Gengar, Darkrai, and the two Deoxys were taken aback and almost simultaneously prepared to launch a fierce attack on Solgaleo, but Jing He raised a hand to stop them.

His Aura detected no malice from Solgaleo.

Solgaleo slowly lowered its head, its forehead, shimmering with starlight, gradually approaching Jing He.

As Jing He gazed, it seemed as if he was looking at a starry sky, a vast nebula filled with twinkling stars.

Please.

Buzz—

Solgaleo’s body suddenly dissipated like a bubble or a sand sculpture, leaving no trace behind.

“Gengar?”

Gengar rubbed his eyes and gaped in astonishment.

That move was so cool. Can I learn it?

Jing He opened his eyes.

“Strange, when did I close my eyes?”

He looked down at his hands, still wearing the thick, dark red spacesuit.

“Just now... was it a dream, or was it real?”

He turned to look at Rayquaza, Deoxys, and Darkrai.

But neither Rayquaza, the Psychic-type Deoxys, nor the nightmare deity Darkrai could give a definitive answer.

That massive golden lion just vanished without a trace.

And Jing He, who was quite familiar with dreams, couldn’t provide a clear answer either.

Dream? Reality?

Regardless.

Everything seemed to have gone smoothly, apart from a minor setback.

The meteorite was successfully destroyed!

“Teacher? Teacher! Can you hear me, teacher? This is Da Wu!”

At that moment.

Da Wu’s voice resonated inside the spacesuit.

“I hear you,” Jing He said, momentarily stunned.

“Phew—”

Da Wu clearly let out a sigh of relief. “Teacher, you—”

“I’m fine,” Jing He slowly floated toward Rayquaza and stood on its head. “The meteorite crisis is over!”

After a brief silence.

The communicator erupted with enthusiastic cheers.

This was the release of tension after facing successive disasters and immense pressure. Everyone in the control room, including Genji, genuinely smiled.

Listening to the laughter in the communicator, He looked out at the distant planet, lost in thought.

What is it?

Rayquaza asked.

“Suddenly got an idea.”

What idea?

Rayquaza’s curiosity was piqued.

Darkrai, on the other hand, immediately became wary.

Oh no.

You encounter trouble without even trying, and now you want to stir things up? Are you planning to take advantage of your current "power" and beat up Arceus again?

“Rayquaza, Deoxys, do me a favor,” Jing He’s lips curved upward involuntarily.

Since Giratina “ran away” on its own, it can’t blame me.

Besides.

The ruined world is vast enough; a few more meteorites shouldn’t bother it too much, right?

Its lack of opposition was a sign of agreement.

The disaster caused by Groudon is over!

The meteorite disaster is over!

The two great burdens on Johto were finally lifted by Jing He.

When he returned to the Greenfield Space Center on Rayquaza, a large crowd had gathered to welcome him.

This time.

The Hoenn League did not suppress the news.

In fact.

The Hoenn League broadcast some footage from the Greenfield Space Center to the internet and live streams.

Jing He wanted to stay low-key?

Not allowed!

We, the people of Hoenn, will not allow anyone to be unaware of the contributions Jing He has made to the entire Hoenn region.

At the same time, this was a message to other regions with “ill intentions”: Jing He is a Hoenn native!

However, the high-ranking officials of other leagues who understood the Hoenn League’s intentions sneered at this.

As if Jing He hadn’t helped other regions before.

As long as he hasn’t become one of the Hoenn Elite Four or the Hoenn Champion, we still have a chance!

Moreover, even if he does—

Who says a Trainer can only serve in one region?

Jing He belongs to everyone!

Jing He, of course, didn’t care and had little interest in the “intricate” power struggles among the high-ranking officials. After bidding farewell to Rayquaza and Deoxys, he first called Hiruna to report his safety.

Then—

Then he went home to sleep.

He was exhausted.

Riding on Rayquaza, the speed was no joke; a regular person’s physical condition couldn’t withstand it.

Especially since he had somehow helped Rayquaza achieve Mega Evolution.

But Jing He wanted to sleep, and someone wouldn’t let him.

"For example",

"Genji, Bony, are you two planning to stay at my place tonight?" Jing He yawned widely, looking at the two influential figures of the Hoenn League standing before him.

"Jing He."

Genji, known for his fiery temper, got straight to the point.

"When are you planning to challenge the Champion’s Path?"

Jing He: "!!"

"When did I say I wanted to challenge the Champion’s Path?"

Bony said, "Jing He, you should know that the Hoenn Champion’s position has been vacant for three years."

"But why not find Da Wu? Da Wu’s strength and abilities are more than enough."

While Da Wu might have the potential, the current Champion’s Path was no easy feat. Who in their right mind would take it on now?

Just look at Koharu.

She had Koharu under her thumb.

"But you are Da Wu’s teacher", Bony added.

"So what if I’m his teacher? The capable should lead, haven’t you heard that before, Bony?"

How could he claim expenses as a Champion?

Claiming expenses from himself?

People would think Jing He was lining his own pockets.

And Jing He wasn’t blind.

After the disasters caused by Groudon and Kyogre, Hoenn was in dire need of help in many areas. It was a busy time, and they were even drafting people into service.

If he had to do it, it would have to be after this period!

"Hmm!"

Bony and Genji exchanged a glance.

Finally, Bony sighed.

"We have a mission."

Jing He immediately grew wary.

Looking at the two Elite Four members, he asked, "Why do I feel like you’re setting me up?"

First, they propose something difficult to refuse, then they reveal their true intentions to achieve their goals smoothly.

"You brat."

Genji laughed, exasperated.

Weren’t you tired just a moment ago?

How can you react so quickly?

Is this what you learn in psychology?

"Don’t worry, it’s not a difficult mission. You, Da Wu, Wally, even Chikara, are all involved", Genji said.

So many people?

Jing He relaxed a bit.

Thinking it over, Johto didn’t seem to have any major troubles at the moment.

Not to mention Rayquaza and Giratina, even Groudon was on good terms with them now. Team Magma and Team Aqua were no longer a threat, at most just another Groudon.

"Really not difficult?"

"Of course", Genji said, nodding seriously.

"Alright, I—"

Jing He sat up straight, ready to negotiate, but Genji and Bony stood up simultaneously.

"It’s settled then", Genji said.

Jing He: "???"

Wait.

We haven’t even finished talking.

"This is part of the reward the League has secured for you."

Bony tossed a box and turned to leave.

As for Genji, he was already at the door, ready to mount his Flygon.

"Wait, what’s the mission? You two, tell me!"

"You’ll find out in a bit."

Bony’s voice echoed from a distance.

How did they leave so quickly?

"Why do I feel like I’ve been set up?" Jing He rubbed his chin.

"Gengar~"

Gengar nodded in agreement.

"So, did I agree just now?" Jing He looked at Gengar.

Gengar hesitated, then quickly shook his head.

"Right. I didn’t agree."

"Gengar~" Gengar crossed his chest and raised his hand in a pledge.

I didn’t see those two today.

"Exactly."

Opening the box Bony left, Jing He found an Ice-type Z-Crystal, a Flying-type Z-Crystal, and a Rock-type Z-Crystal.

Jing He’s lips twitched.

"I’m almost collecting a full set."

In addition to the three Z-Crystals, there were four Rare Candies!

Wow!

Had the Hoenn League’s inventory been depleted?

"But this is good stuff."

Jing He happily put away the Rare Candies.

"I’ll make you some caramelized fruit in a few days, it’s perfect."

Four Rare Candies weren’t enough for everyone, but as a treat, it was perfect.

"Gengar."

Gengar immediately smacked his lips.

That night.

Jing He slept deeply and had a long dream.

In the dream, Necrozma battled a host of deities, causing the sky to darken and the sun and moon to lose their light.

In his sleep, Jing He mumbled.

"It seems I’ve planted a flag without realizing it."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end