Chapter 674: VS the Unbound Hoopa! Speak to Me Again in 22 Days

Chapter 674: VS the Unbound Hoopa! Speak to Me Again in 22 Days (Combined, Requesting Votes!)

Desert City was in utter chaos. Under the unrestrained actions of the Unbound Hoopa, legendary Mythical Beasts frequently appeared, bringing a terrifying "feast" to those in the city.

The Unbound Hoopa had already summoned six powerful Mythical Beasts, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, their appearance did not meet its ideal goals. So...

It released five more massive golden rings, attempting to continue the summoning!

"This is the real ‘Big Butthead Mage’", Jing He grumbled internally.

However, he couldn’t let the Unbound Hoopa continue summoning like this, or else...

"Hoopa!" Jing He called out.

"Coming!" Little Hoopa flew out from behind him, rotating its arms, and three golden rings similar to those of the Unbound Hoopa flew out from its body.

Perhaps influenced by Jing He and Gengar’s earlier confrontation with the Unbound Hoopa, or perhaps it had realized something on its own, Little Hoopa was not as afraid as before.

"Lalao! Hoopa is very strong! Watch Hoopa go—"

The Unbound Hoopa clearly sensed Little Hoopa’s power and immediately found Jing He and the others based on the energy fluctuations.

"This is Hoopa’s power, you can’t use it!"

A massive fist came crashing down from above.

Little Hoopa’s face was tense, but it didn’t stop moving.

Jing He, Gengar, and that handsome but somewhat off-putting uncle, the red-haired man, and Balzar, Mealey, so many people and so many Pokémon, were all fighting for it.

Hoopa could not back down at this moment, and it would not back down!

"Hoopa isn’t afraid! Lalao!"

Little Hoopa shouted at the Unbound Hoopa, and a stronger energy than before surged from its body.

"Guu!"

Facing the Unbound Hoopa’s descending fist, Gengar flew out without hesitation, shouting loudly.

"Quick, look, a flying saucer!"

A flying saucer?

The Unbound Hoopa paused subconsciously, wondering how there could be a flying saucer. Did it summon a flying saucer?

But it quickly realized Gengar was bluffing!

"Lalao!"

The Unbound Hoopa, furious, brought its fist down again.

But then, Little Hoopa shouted, "Lalao! Watch how strong Hoopa is! Lalao!"

Buzz—

From Little Hoopa’s golden rings, a massive dragon-like Pokémon with a black and gold pattern, resembling a snake or a dragon, flew out.

Its mouth gathered terrifying golden particles, and a scorching dragon breath erupted, blasting the Unbound Hoopa away.

"Roar—!!"

With a long howl, the massive dragon fully emerged from the golden rings!

"Rayquaza?" Daiya’s eyes widened. "Black... black?"

"Hmm?"

Groudon couldn’t help but look over.

Rayquaza?

No, this wasn’t the Rayquaza it knew. It wasn’t just the black appearance; it was...

So powerful! The overwhelming aura made Groudon subconsciously feel weak.

The same went for the Groudon battling Giovanni.

"Roar?"

Groudon’s expression faltered, and the appearance of the Black Rayquaza made it subconsciously shrink back, with some unpleasant memories surfacing in its mind.

"Hmph!" Giovanni’s gaze was cold. "Do you think you’re fighting just anyone?"

As he spoke, a bright white arc of light shot from his raised hand, and a sharp needle pierced Groudon’s chest.

Despite its massive and intimidating size, and the thick armor that granted it strong defenses, Groudon found itself struggling against the incredibly fast and piercing Beedrill.

Bang!!

Its massive form staggered back a few steps.

A sandstorm suddenly arose.

In the rolling yellow sand, several Pokémon’s silhouettes appeared behind Giovanni, exuding a threatening presence.

A sandstorm?

Seeing this sandstorm, Groudon’s expression briefly faltered, and the anger driven by "desire" that had been influenced by the Unbound Hoopa momentarily paused.

It seemed like there was a similar sandstorm a while ago...

Sensing Groudon’s hesitation, Giovanni’s eyes narrowed, and a surging "Evergreen Power" erupted from his body.

"Groudon, the ancient deity of the earth..."

On the other side.

"Hoopa! Rayquaza!" The Unbound Hoopa rose from the ruins, looking at the Black Rayquaza with a hint of wariness in its eyes.

This guy... is very strong!

Jing He also looked at the massive black dragon hovering in the air, with the smell of ozone and a misty white fog rising around it.

It really summoned it...

However, this was clearly not the Rayquaza he knew.

While the Unbound Hoopa, Jing He, Little Hoopa, and Daiya were all watching the Black Rayquaza, it cast a cold glance at the fierce Unbound Hoopa and then looked at Little Hoopa and Jing He.

[Did you summon me?]

After saying this, it scanned the area and spoke calmly.

[It seems to be from another world...]

This was the difference between the current Little Hoopa and the Unbound Hoopa.

The Unbound Hoopa could influence or even control the summoned Mythical Beasts with its powerful negative "desire", but Little Hoopa...

Just because it summoned something, it didn’t mean that the summoned Pokémon would be friendly or would help.

At this moment, Jing He stepped forward, pointing at the Ultra Hoopa who had just risen, and said bluntly:

"Rayquaza, that guy says it's the strongest."

Oh?

The previously lazy Black Rayquaza perked up a bit, showing some interest as it looked at Ultra Hoopa.

Feeling Black Rayquaza's gaze, Ultra Hoopa involuntarily wore a confused expression, similar to a Bidoof's question mark. Then, anger took over its reason, remembering the pain from Black Rayquaza's Dragon Breath earlier. It immediately shouted:

"Hoopa is the strongest! The mightiest!"

Interesting.

Black Rayquaza's eyes half-closed, and its body trembled slightly. The surrounding clouds and ozone dispersed, and it rose slightly, looking down at Ultra Hoopa with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Lo!"

Ultra Hoopa, sensing the threat, immediately summoned its power.

"Roar—!!"

A deep blue beam, infused with the power of Time, shot toward Black Rayquaza. With a quick sidestep, Black Rayquaza dodged it, and the building behind it crumbled into dust, hanging in mid-air.

Another pale pink slash tore through the air, slicing through space and coming straight at Black Rayquaza.

Black Rayquaza immediately raised its claw, gathering Dragon Breath energy, and formed a massive dragon claw to strike.

Boom!!

The Spatial Slash and the dragon claw vanished simultaneously.

Then.

A beam of extreme cold, accompanied by the spontaneous formation of ice crystals and frost, came from behind Black Rayquaza.

Sensing the threat, Black Rayquaza's expression tightened, and it turned to unleash a burst of scorching flames, which met the frosty air in mid-air, causing a violent collision and a large cloud of frost.

But it didn't stop there.

From the wide river in Desert City, six beams converged into one, unleashing their full force on Black Rayquaza's side.

Boom!!

The ground shook!

But when the dust cleared, Black Rayquaza's form hadn't changed much, only its dark scales now bore some scars.

Looking closely.

It was Groudon, half of its head still submerged in the lake.

Very good!

Black Rayquaza suddenly smiled, nodding slightly.

Its gaze swept over the area as it counted slowly:

One, two, three, four, five

Except for the struggling Giratina and the Groudon held back by Giovanni, all the Mythical Beasts summoned by Ultra Hoopa had launched their attacks on Black Rayquaza.

"Hmph!" Ultra Hoopa proudly lifted its head. "Now, see the might of the strongest Hoopa! Lo! Lo!"

Hum—

Ultra Hoopa didn't launch an attack but the five Golden Rings it had released earlier finally responded, seemingly finding a worthy "ally" from the vast otherworld.

Darkness swirled within the Golden Rings, and a wave of Death Aura rushed forth. Even before its form was visible, a crimson Death Wing beam shot out.

Death Wing!

Xerneas!

"Screech!!"

With a long cry, the massive black and red wings emerged from the Golden Ring!

"Roar!"

Black Rayquaza gathered a surge of Dragon Breath energy, releasing it as a wave of energy.

Boom!!

The Death Wing and the Dragon Wave annihilated everything in mid-air.

"Lo!"

Another voice.

A thick yellow aura, combined with Dragon energy and a white hue, emerged from another Golden Ring.

As the figure gradually became visible, Jing He's eyes began to twitch uncontrollably.

"Are you kidding me?"

Jing He quickly looked at Black Rayquaza and said:

"Should we stop this?"

But Black Rayquaza stared intently at the Golden Ring glowing with a white-green light, its voice becoming somewhat heavy and eager for the first time.

No, let it summon!

As soon as the words left its mouth.

A bright green wave, shaped like a "Z", surged toward Black Rayquaza. Black Rayquaza's expression turned serious and focused, its body straightening as a thick green energy enveloped it, forming a straight arrow to meet the beam head-on.

The finishing touch!

And the similarly green "Z" wave, if Jing He hadn't guessed wrong, should be

Core Punisher!

Thus, the Pokémon behind the golden ring was revealed—

The God of Order, Kyurem!

More accurately—

The shiny, White Kyurem!

Emerging from the Golden Ring.

However, what slightly eased Jing He's mind was that it wasn't the fully formed God of Order, White Kyurem, but the 50% form, Z-Kyurem.

Boom!!

The collision between the finishing touch and the core punisher sent another terrifying shockwave through the air, the clouds in the night sky dissipating completely, creating a vacuum in the sky!

What a pity.

Black Rayquaza halted, looking at the white Z-Kyurem, its voice filled with deep regret.

It had expected the fully formed White God of Order.

Unfortunately, it was only the 50% form.

But this way—

Dialga, Palkia, Kyurem, Groudon, Ultra Hoopa, Xerneas, and Z-Kyurem made seven again.

Any more?

Black Rayquaza's interest and battle desire seemed to be ignited, and it even turned to Ultra Hoopa to ask.

Jing He's mouth twitched.

This guy is hooked.

In response to Black Rayquaza's provocation, Ultra Hoopa's answer was one word.

Lo!

The third Golden Ring of the second round emitted a powerful dark energy, accompanied by the scent of a hurricane.

This time, it didn't attack directly, but the figure that emerged from the Golden Ring carried an evil aura that rivaled Ultra Hoopa's, flying out on its own!

Black feathers, crimson eyes.

"Lo, Lugia?" Daiya felt a bit numb but still managed to say, "And it's black again."

Indeed.

The third Pokémon to appear was a black Lugia!

Clearly, it wasn't the Lugia Jing He knew, influenced by the "Dark Orb" and dark energy. Instead, it was a truly otherworldly, dark Lugia!

At the same time.

Almost simultaneously with the dark Lugia, a deep purple Pokémon with a bat-like appearance appeared. Its presence made the already bright moonlight in the night sky resemble daylight.

Wings adorned with golden crescents, dark red eyes, and a head that seemed like a vast starry sky—

All these traits spoke to the identity of this Pokémon.

"What Mythical Beast is this?" Daiya murmured.

Jing He pressed his temples and slowly said, "The Beast of the Moon's Invitation, the Moonlight God, Lunala!"

The Pokémon that appeared and hovered before the moon was none other than the legendary existence from Alola, the Mythical Beast that corresponded to Solgaleo, which Jing He had encountered in space.

Lunala!

"Huh?" Daiya looked at Jing He, not as serious as Jing He, and asked, "Can Teacher Jing He handle this?"

Jing He's cheeks twitched.

Can I handle it?

If I can't, are you going to step in?

While inwardly grumbling, Jing He's mind raced, calculating the combat strength of the black Rayquaza. Suddenly, his heart clenched, and he looked up.

He gazed at the last of the five golden rings released by the Unbound Hoopa, from which the holy and radiant light was already shining before the figure was fully revealed.

Those lights seemed to be the embodiment of its greatness, the source of its power!

No, no, no!

This one, absolutely cannot be summoned by the Unbound Hoopa!

For goodness' sake, the Unbound Hoopa isn't afraid of being overwhelmed by the Pokémon it summons?

It didn't dare to summon Rayquaza, nor the complete Gigalith, yet it dares to summon this one?

Seeing the holy light, the black Rayquaza, which had been somewhat disappointed by the 50% form of Gigalith, became revitalized.

The truly interesting one has arrived.

Light God, Necrozma?

"You might as well give up, but I still have to deal with this!" Jing He glared fiercely at the Unbound Hoopa and then immediately looked at Hoopa (child form).

"Hoopa!"

"Hoopa found it!" Hoopa (child form) searched for the Pokémon as Jing He intended, and finally, it found it!

Boom!!

A familiar and powerful Psychic Power surged from the golden ring of Hoopa (child form).

A small, white, cat-like Pokémon flew out, immediately catching the attention of the black Rayquaza.

"Another interesting one."

The figure flew out of the golden ring and landed in front of Jing He, nodding slightly at Gengar.

Mewtwo!

Mewtwo, who had been silent for so long, might still be busy, but at Jing He's call, it still came.

Seeing the powerful Mythical Beasts around, Mewtwo briefly fell into a moment of confusion.

But it quickly composed itself and said to Jing He, "It seems this trouble isn't small."

Jing He sighed, "I wouldn't have disturbed you if it weren't necessary."

Last time, during the Groudon chaos, he didn't call Mewtwo, but this time—

He needed Mewtwo's help.

Mewtwo nodded, turned, and looked at the last golden ring radiating light, telepathically saying, "No matter where or when, no matter what I'm doing, I will come to you as quickly as possible."

Jing He smiled.

Then, he grew serious and said, "Don't let that one out, Mewtwo!"

Today is already chaotic enough; it can't get any worse. Otherwise—

Even if the new "Punishment Vase" is completed and the Unbound Hoopa is sealed again, the trouble won't improve much.

The Unbound Hoopa can summon without consequences, but Jing He can't clean up the mess afterward.

"Understood!" Mewtwo's eyes glowed with Psychic Power, and in response to Jing He, its form suddenly vanished.

It reappeared—

Right in front of the Unbound Hoopa!

Teleport!

The Unbound Hoopa was taken aback, not expecting Mewtwo to appear so quickly.

But as a Dark-type Pokémon, it had no reason to fear a purely Psychic-type Pokémon.

"Hoopa is the strongest—"

Bang!!

Before it could finish, Mewtwo made a slight movement, lifting its hand slightly, and the massive body of the Unbound Hoopa was sent flying backward, rolling on the ground several times.

"Ouch!!"

The Unbound Hoopa's forehead veins bulged, lying on the ground and shouting in pain, clutching its chest in a state of severe discomfort.

Mewtwo looked down at the fallen Unbound Hoopa with a disdainful gaze.

Who says Psychic Power can't hurt a Dark-type Pokémon?

Strongest?

Calling yourself the strongest in front of me is laughable!

Mewtwo's raised hand slowly clenched, and a powerful Psychic Power gathered from all directions, enveloping the Unbound Hoopa on the ground.

Psychic Break!

An attack of the mind and Psychic Power, yet it dealt physical damage to the Unbound Hoopa.

Physical defense was undoubtedly one of the Unbound Hoopa's greatest weaknesses.

The intense pain and the continuously contracting Psychic Power finally drained Ultra Hoopa of the energy needed to control the last Golden Ring.

The brilliant light gradually dimmed, the Golden Ring slowly shrank, and the interdimensional portal began to close. The final terrifying entity never managed to make its entrance!

But Jinghe shivered inexplicably.

He felt that the last gaze from the entity beyond the portal seemed to linger on him for a moment.

"Pity, but not really."

Black Rayquaza finally spoke again.

It was a pity that the Light God Necrozma, whom they had been waiting for, never appeared. But it wasn’t really a pity, considering they had seen Mewtwo.

"Rayquaza, instead of fighting Mewtwo!" Jinghe, clearly understanding Black Rayquaza’s thoughts, suggested, "Why not sweep through these guys?"

"These guys?"

Black Rayquaza’s gaze swept over the area.

Dialga, Palkia, Kyurem, Groudon, Ultra Hoopa, Xerneas, Z-Kyurem, Dark Lugia, and Lunala.

Nine in total!

Black Rayquaza bared its teeth and nodded slightly.

"Indeed, this is quite interesting."

One versus nine?

That’s where the challenge lies!

"Here we go, Hoopa, pull!"

At this moment, the last of the small Hoopas finally managed to pull through, exclaiming in surprise.

A dark shadow emerged.

A familiar figure appeared from behind the Golden Ring, and even before fully crossing through, a voice accompanied it, tinged with resignation.

"Who are we fighting this time? I’m out!"

Darkrai was speechless. Every time it appeared, it always ended up fighting one or two Mythical Beasts, and it had almost become a routine.

But this time.

As it emerged halfway from the Golden Ring, its gaze swept over the scene, and it realized:

Damn, so many Mythical Beasts?!

And they were all looking at it!

It wasn’t surprising, really.

After all, although small Hoopa could only pull through three entities, the first one, Black Rayquaza, had an overwhelming presence.

The second one, Mewtwo, while not as intimidating as Black Rayquaza, was still not to be underestimated, evident from Black Rayquaza’s respect for it.

So, naturally, the third one was expected, feared, and curious.

However, the third one to emerge from the Golden Ring was Darkrai, and it immediately retreated upon showing its head.

Jinghe’s forehead twitched.

"Darkrai."

"Don’t speak yet, let me catch my breath!"

Darkrai’s voice came, and after a pause, it tentatively asked, "So... do I have to fight ten? I didn’t count, but I guess it’s about a dozen Mythical Beasts?"

Jinghe: "."

It seemed Darkrai thought everyone outside was an enemy.

No wonder.

All the Mythical Beasts were staring at it, which was quite intimidating.

Even Arceus would probably tremble.

But before Jinghe could speak, Darkrai continued, "I don’t care, but let’s get this straight: I’m going to ‘sleep’ in White Birch Town, and you’ll bury three truckloads of energy bars under White Birch Town!"

Jinghe was taken aback, but he couldn’t help laughing, feeling a warm sense of familiarity.

Hakida, you guy...

"Don’t be silly, some are enemies, and some are allies." Jinghe said.

"You should have said that earlier!"

Darkrai immediately joined Jinghe, facing the others like Dialga, Palkia, and Kyurem, "I didn’t look closely before. Wow, they’re all familiar faces."

"Also, they’re all enemies."

Darkrai: "."

Which ones are friends?

Jinghe shook his head and looked at the eager Black Rayquaza.

"Rayquaza."

Hearing the call, Black Rayquaza looked at Jinghe with interest, a realization dawning on it.

"So... this is the person the world’s Rayquaza values."

As a fellow Rayquaza, it wasn’t hard to see this.

Jinghe held the Key Stone.

"I think I can offer you some help."

Black Rayquaza’s eyes narrowed, then it smiled.

"Do you know the cost?"

"The cost of controlling Mythical Beasts? Of course." Jinghe’s expression remained unchanged.

Mr. Chikara commanded Rayquaza and died as a result.

Da Wu drove the three Pillar Gods for twenty-two days and ultimately exhausted himself.

Controlling Mythical Beasts, aside from absolute friendship, like with the Black and White Dragons, or Mewtwo, is a tremendous burden for anyone.

But Jinghe had experience.

And besides...

Some situations didn’t allow him to back down, some tasks didn’t allow him to refuse, and some commitments he had already made silently in his heart.

Seemingly sensing Jinghe’s resolve, Black Rayquaza stared at him for a moment before saying,

"Then I’ll allow you this one chance to be reckless."

As Daiya watched in amazement, Black Rayquaza flew down, and with Gengar’s and Darkrai’s help, Jinghe landed steadily on Black Rayquaza’s head, grabbing its two horns.

Instantly.

Jinghe felt the Waveguide in his body become active and rapidly drain.

But that wasn’t enough.

For Black Rayquaza to face so many Mythical Beasts, this state alone wasn’t sufficient!

So...

"Let’s go!" Jinghe took a deep breath, and the Key Stone in his hand burst into light. Gengar transformed into a black mist, enveloping Jinghe.

"Finish the masterpiece!"

"Roar——!!"

At this moment, the connection between the black Rayquaza and Jing He was established through the Waveguide, linking their hearts and deepening their bond!

Buzz——

The light of Mega Evolution suddenly burst forth, golden particles like stars connecting into a golden thread around the black Rayquaza.

Under the green glow, the black Rayquaza swiftly completed its Mega Evolution!

The dragon's roar echoed through the heavens and the earth!

"Roar!"

"Whine!"

Influenced by the black Rayquaza's aura, the two Groudons also entered their Primal Reversion states!

"Finally, this is more like it!" Giovanni laughed, sweat sliding down his forehead, veins bulging as he spread his arms, unleashing the boundless Evergreen Power.

Daiya gritted his teeth, both hands moving as six Pokémon were summoned simultaneously.

"No matter what, every minute we can hold them back is a minute we gain!"

He then led his Chimchar and the rest of his Pokémon, burning with a fiery intensity, through the obstacles toward Palkia.

"Here I come, Palkia!"

Back in White Birch Town, he had been almost helpless against the Time and Space Dragons. Now, he had grown into one of the Sinnoh Elite Four!

As an Elite Four member, even outside his own region, he had a duty to fulfill!

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh!!!"

Daiya ran, his fluffy red afro seeming to burn like a flame as he moved.

And beside him, his Chimchar, whose head was ablaze with real fire, like a raging inferno, leaped nearly ten meters!

"Until I can no longer breathe, you will only face me!"

When an emotional trainer, especially one at the Elite Four level, fully burns with passion, even Palkia couldn't help but take notice.

"Long time no see."

Mewtwo, looking at Jing He riding on the head of Mega Rayquaza, shook its head and sighed.

After so long, it didn't expect him to become so "impulsive."

Mewtwo looked down at the two glowing Mega Stones in its hands, seemingly identical but with subtle differences.

This was one of the fruits of its recent efforts.

Forget it.

It had intended to show them off, but given Jing He's current state, it wasn't wise to overexert him.

Let's see if this black Rayquaza can hold its own. If not, we'll switch to the main force!

With that thought, Mewtwo flashed to the side of Mega Rayquaza, moving in unison.

After all, in the movie, the black Rayquaza's 1v7 performance was impressive, but the roles of the red and blue planes couldn't be ignored.

Meanwhile, Darkrai, following Jing He's instructions, approached Giratina.

"Old friend, calm down."

Giratina, a Pokémon filled with negative emotions, had already exceeded expectations by not being completely influenced by the Unbound Hoopa.

But as the Unbound Hoopa's awakening prolonged, the power of "desire" grew stronger, and Giratina could only endure while barely restraining Kyurem.

It wasn't that it didn't want to restrain Dialga and Palkia, but they were too familiar with each other, and under the Unbound Hoopa's guidance, they deliberately avoided it.

The Time Dragon and the Space Dragon, when their powers of time and space collided, could unleash their greatest potential.

On the contrary, the Primal Groudons were better suited to fight on separate battlefields!

And Darkrai was here because, apart from the three Golden Rings' dimensional portal ability, Giratina's "Destruction of the World" was key to Jing He's strategy for rallying more allies!

He not only needed to consider solving the Unbound Hoopa problem but also the issues left by the remaining Mythical Beasts after the Unbound Hoopa was sealed again.

The more allies, the better!

Thus, under Jing He's instructions, Darkrai came to replace Giratina, helping it against Kyurem, while Giratina focused on resisting the Unbound Hoopa's overwhelming "desire", hoping to regain the use of "Destruction of the World" as soon as possible.

Therefore, in the sky above the bustling Desert City, before the towering Desert Tower, and along the banks of the city's widest and most turbulent river, the scene was set:

On one side, Mega Black Rayquaza, Jing He, and Mewtwo.

On the other, the Unbound Hoopa, Dialga, Primal Groudon, Z-Kyurem, Xerneas, Black Lugia, and Lunala!

"Damn it", the Unbound Hoopa glared at Jing He, gritting its teeth.

If it weren't for this human, everything would have been over by now!

But now...

The Unbound Hoopa took a deep breath, looked at its "allies", and confidence surged within it.

However, seeing only two Mythical Beasts on the other side, it couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease.

So, for the first time today, the Unbound Hoopa spoke in what it believed was its best tone:

"Hoopa just wants freedom. Once this is done, Hoopa will leave."

It pointed to the small Hoopa, which was no longer as afraid, standing behind Jing He.

Jing He, standing atop Mega Black Rayquaza, with Gengar and Mewtwo by his side, his face stern, hands gripping Rayquaza's horns, chuckled lightly and said:

"In 22 days, we'll talk about that!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end