Chapter 675: VS Ultra Hoopa! Hoopa: Can't Handle It?

Chapter 675: VS Ultra Hoopa! Hoopa: Can’t Handle It? (Merged, Vote for Monthly)

22 days?

After 22 days, even Hoopa "Shadowform" would be nothing but ashes!

With negotiations failing, the only option left was to fight. This, in fact, aligned more with Ultra Hoopa's inner desires.

Although the two opponents, Mega Black Rayquaza and Mewtwo, were formidable and somewhat intimidating, Hoopa still felt confident.

"Ultra Hoopa is the advantage!" Ultra Hoopa shouted loudly.

【Here it comes!】

Even after Mega Evolution, Mega Black Rayquaza couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous when facing the lineup before it. However, it was more excited and eager.

It had been a long time since such a high-intensity battle!

"Roar—!!"

Mega Black Rayquaza let out an excited roar.

Mewtwo, on the other hand, remained calm, silently staying by Jing He's side. Protecting Jing He's safety was its primary goal. As for the seven opponents—

If Black Rayquaza could handle them, it would. If not, Mewtwo would step in!

At the very least, it could ensure a safe retreat for Jing He.

"Ultra Hoopa, the strongest!!"

Ultra Hoopa Unbound's chest swirled with dark shadows, its eyes devoid of pupils, filled with surging desire. Golden rings glowed one after another, instantly opening a dimensional portal between it and Jing He.

Clearly, this was Ultra Hoopa's signature move—Dimensional Assault!

Moreover,

Compared to before, Ultra Hoopa's powers seemed even stronger as its awakening progressed.

"Rayquaza, Dragon Ascent!!"

Jing He commanded loudly, feeling his stamina and Aura Power rapidly drain as he entered combat mode.

Even the little Victini clinging to his shoulder, gripping his clothes tightly, couldn’t keep up with the rate of consumption.

It was no wonder that trainers sometimes died from exhaustion when commanding Legendary Pokémon, especially those with whom they had a less intimate bond.

But,

He could still hold on!

"Roar!!"

Mega Black Rayquaza raised its head and roared, its body dancing in the air. Golden particles swirled around it, skillfully avoiding Ultra Hoopa's punches.

"You’re not very good at this."

Jing He taunted, drawing Ultra Hoopa's attention. Just as it prepared to attack again, a wave of Psychic Power struck its head.

Bang!!

It was Mewtwo's Psychic Blast!

Ultra Hoopa was hit as if by a hammer, crashing heavily to the ground.

In terms of tactical ability and combat experience, Ultra Hoopa was on a completely different level from Jing He.

If they continued this way, Jing He could easily use Mega Black Rayquaza and Mewtwo to dominate Ultra Hoopa.

But clearly,

This blow, while momentarily stunning Ultra Hoopa, also unleashed its full potential.

"Let’s go all out!" Ultra Hoopa, rising to its feet, was furious.

Rumble—

In an instant, the earth shook, and terrifying energy surged within the Legendary Pokémon influenced by Ultra Hoopa.

Dialga's chest Diamond glowed brilliantly, azure particles gathering in its mouth, carrying the essence of time.

Primal Groudon’s six energy orbs unleashed their "Primordial Pulse", while Kyurem’s green and white patches flickered like electronic signals, rapidly forming a green "Core Punisher."

"Roar!!" Xerneas spread its vast wings, revealing the crimson "Y" symbol on its chest, emitting a red beam filled with a thick Death Aura!

Dark Rayquaza and Lunala were equally formidable.

One summoned a dark energy hurricane, forming a vortex attack.

The other soared above the full moon, its wings spreading to cover and replace the moon, gathering the power of shadows and firing a dark, ghostly beam—the Shadow Light!

"Ultra Hoopa!"

Ultra Hoopa, not to be outdone, gathered its six arms at its chest, emitting the most malevolent energy!

At once,

Before Jing He and the others, it was as if they were facing a rainbow of terrifying energies, each one sending chills down their spines.

Even turning to ashes would be a light fate if hit by these attacks!

Jing He gripped Rayquaza’s horn tightly and declared sternly:

"Rayquaza, Storm! Beartic, assist!"

"Vee~!"

Victini’s face tensed, the V on its head blazing with fire, like a crown of victory, injecting golden energy into the black and gold Mega Rayquaza.

“Roar—!!”

Mega Black Rayquaza reared up, its mouth gaping wide as a terrifying storm erupted, threatening to engulf the entire city. The storm surged forward to meet the seven incoming attacks!

“Mewtwo, Psychic!”

Hum—

The Psychic Power in Mewtwo’s eyes intensified, and an invisible force immediately bolstered Black Rayquaza’s storm, making it even more formidable!

Rumble—

The storm grew exponentially, sweeping up the forces of time, water, order, death, darkness, the moon, and desire into its swirling maelstrom.

In an instant, the energies and rules clashed violently.

Boom!!

A terrifying explosion erupted, but the shockwave didn’t spread. The sheer magnitude of the energy collision caused the space-time around the explosion to collapse!

A massive black hole formed, devouring all the energy in its path.

This wasn’t just a simple annihilation of space and time. Even Dialga, the deity of time, couldn’t help but narrow its eyes at the collapsed space-time.

If it were to get caught in such a collision, it might not emerge unscathed.

The black hole, suspended in the air and resonating with the moon, lingered for a long time.

“Roar”

Mega Black Rayquaza took a deep breath, its expression growing even more excited.

It had held them off!

One move against seven!

While the assistance from Beartic and Mewtwo’s Psychic was crucial, the main force was still it!

Even though it had blocked the attack by causing a space-time collapse, it had still held them off!

Holding off was holding off.

To be honest, Ultra Hoopa was taken aback by this.

It couldn’t break through the opponent’s defenses?

Meanwhile, the massive chaos in Desert City was finally beginning to subside. Most of the residents had been successfully evacuated to safe locations.

Thanks to Jing He and his team, who had anticipated that Ultra Hoopa would break free from the Punishment Vase and target Little Hoopa and the Desert Tower, they had coordinated with the mayor to evacuate the city.

Although there was no Gym in Desert City, Jasmine and Nurse Joy were still present.

With their help, the city had been largely evacuated, and the remaining residents were finally moved to safety while Ultra Hoopa was being held off.

Initially, the mayor of Desert City had hoped that Jing He and his team would move the battle outside the city. However, the Desert Tower was crucial for creating a new Punishment Vase, and Ultra Hoopa would inevitably return.

Instead of trying to lure it out, they decided to evacuate early.

Now, with everyone safely evacuated, the residents and some daring news reporters of Desert City finally had the chance to witness this historic battle.

When everyone saw the lineup on both banks of the largest river in Desert City, jaws dropped.

What an incredible lineup!

All Legendary Pokémon!

Even the twin deities from Hoenn, Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, had appeared, and Mega Black Rayquaza stood out prominently.

Especially the “clash of the century” that had just occurred, which left everyone speechless.

“It’s Jing He! That person on the head of the black Rayquaza is Jing He!”

With the danger somewhat averted, someone finally noticed the person standing on Black Rayquaza’s head.

Not everyone was as informed as the mayor, who knew Jing He had come to Desert City, but seeing Jing He’s presence brought a sense of relief to everyone.

Jing He was well-known as the “Legendary Pokémon Man,” having built friendly relationships with many Legendary Pokémon and quelled several disasters caused by their rampages.

But...

Even with such trust in Jing He, seeing Ultra Hoopa’s lineup left no one completely at ease.

It was too overwhelming!

At the same time, countless trainers around the world flooded into the few live-streaming channels, watching the Legendary Pokémon on the battlefield. Their eyes widened, and they were left speechless.

Among them were Jing He’s friends, such as Cynthia, who was training on the summit of Sky Pillar.

She had received a call from Jing He, informing her of the impending event, and he had reassured her that he could handle it.

After all, the situation was quite sudden, and Hiruna was too far away. Without the power of space, there was no way she could make it in time.

Looking at the slightly blurry but still shocking live stream on her phone, Hiruna’s beautiful face grew particularly serious.

Beside her, Hydreigon, who was watching the live stream with her, was also agitated, seemingly thinking about how it hadn't caught up.

“Hydreigon!” Hiruna decisively put away her phone.

“Ssskk?”

Faced with Hydreigon’s puzzled gaze, Hiruna said with firm resolve:

“I’m going!”

The last time, she had said she wanted to face the situation with Jing He, at least not letting him bear it alone.

Now that such a major event had arrived, should she still just watch from Sky Pillar?

“Sss, ssskk?” Hydreigon paused, voicing its confusion.

How, how to get there?

Fly there?

By the time they reached Desert City, Jing He’s ashes might already be scattered.

Hiruna leaned down, looking toward the base of Sky Pillar, and only uttered three words.

“Random Ruins, Unknown Totem, Key of the Gun!”

With the abilities of the Unknown Totems and the uniqueness of the Key of the Gun, she could definitely reach the battlefield in a short time.

As for what to do if the Unknown Totems were unwilling to help...

“Ssskk!”

Hydreigon bared its teeth in a fierce smile.

Then they would have to be a bit more “persuasive”!

Under the cover of night, Hydreigon descended at high speed, with Hiruna, who was half-kneeling on its back, resolute.

“Wait for me!”

“Not finished yet?”

Riding on the head of Black Rayquaza, Jing He turned to look at the towering Desert Tower, which still stood firm.

Around the Desert Tower, the area was already in ruins, making the towering tower even more prominent.

Jing He massaged his temples, trying to ease the intense throbbing.

Directing Black Rayquaza in battle, both physically and mentally, was extremely draining. If not for his powerful Aura Power, he would have collapsed long ago.

After all, they were facing so many powerful Legendary Pokémon.

Even with the strength of Mega Black Rayquaza and Mewtwo’s Psychic Power, just defending was exhausting, let alone counterattacking. The difficulty and cost were too high.

However, while Jing He and Black Rayquaza were under immense pressure, Ultra Hoopa was also under considerable strain.

Boom, boom!

The intense vibrations echoed in his mind again.

The sense of dread from the direction of the Desert Tower grew stronger.

“Hoopa won’t lose!”

Ultra Hoopa floated above the ruins and immediately drove all the Legendary Pokémon to ignore Mega Black Rayquaza and Mewtwo, directly attacking the Desert Tower.

And then...

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

Golden rings opened dimensional portals, hovering in front of each Legendary Pokémon.

On the other side, six golden rings also surrounded the Desert Tower!

Ultra Hoopa’s signature Dimensional Assault!

But this time, it was a combined Dimensional Assault from six Legendary Pokémon, not just Ultra Hoopa’s fists. The power was far greater than the combined attacks of the seven Pokémon from before.

In an instant.

Blue, red, purple, and black lights flickered suddenly, the oppressive feeling making everyone’s breathing pause and their pupils quake.

Regardless of Ultra Hoopa’s combat experience and command ability, by forcing its way past Jing He, Rayquaza, and Mewtwo to directly attack the Desert Tower, it had effectively achieved the strategy of “attacking where they must defend”!

“Roar—!”

Mega Black Rayquaza gave a deep look at the group of Legendary Pokémon and immediately turned, flying toward the Desert Tower.

Mewtwo closely followed, ready to take over the main defensive responsibilities from Black Rayquaza.

But just then...

“Roar!!!”

A roar filled with authority echoed, accompanied by cracking earth and surging lava.

In the next second.

Boom!!!

A massive rock spike, enveloped in scorching lava, rose from the ground like a sword, accompanied by a violent tremor.

It struck the belly of Primal Groudon!

Cliff Sword!

“Grrr!!”

The sudden attack, one that was all too familiar, forcibly interrupted Primal Groudon’s building primal energy!

It stared with wide, shocked eyes at its old rival, disbelief clear in its gaze.

If Primal Groudon could speak, it would have surely said something like ^%$#^#@

Damn it.

Are you here to cause trouble now, you freeloader?

Primal Groudon immediately abandoned the golden ring in front of it and looked toward the distant Primal Groudon standing on the street.

There, it saw...

The gigantic crimson beast, enveloped in molten lava, was now provocatively waving at Primal Groudon, roaring fiercely.

“Roar—!!”

So what if you can fly?! I’m asking you, is that something to be proud of?!

What’s going on?

Not only Ultra Hoopa, but even Jing He couldn’t help but look in the direction of Primal Groudon. Boss Giovanni had said...

Suddenly.

Jing He’s pupils constricted sharply.

His gaze focused.

He saw a middle-aged man, drenched in sweat, standing unsteadily on the head of Primal Groudon, which was enveloped in lava and scorching heat. The man, Boss Giovanni, had a noticeable burn mark on his chest.

The emerald Viridian Power had not been used to heal his injuries but to sever the connection between Primal Groudon and Ultra Hoopa, and to forcibly establish a link between himself and Primal Groudon!

Without relying on the Scarlet Orb!

The ancient "Earth Deity" Primal Groudon had briefly become a Pokémon under the control of "Giovanni of the Earth"!

“Don’t forget about us!”

Giovanni, pale-faced, coughed violently as he spoke, his entire body seemingly reaching its limit, yet his presence reached an unprecedented peak.

Burned out!

The sudden turn of events changed the situation.

The original 2V7 had become 3V7!

However.

This was just part of the change.

“Roar!!”

Another familiar roar echoed. Behind Dialga, who was unleashing Roar of Time, a thin black line suddenly appeared.

The next moment, the line expanded, and a giant dragon with black, gray, and gold scales emerged, flapping its demonic black bone wings!

Shadow Assault!

Upon its appearance, it immediately pressed down on Dialga’s head, forcing it to the ground and dragging it across the cemented surface, scraping it for dozens of meters!

The one who had made its entrance was none other than the Lord of Antimatter, the Lord of Ruin, the King of the Netherworld, Giratina!

And Giratina was not alone.

On its back, a girl with a determined look, her wind coat fluttering and her golden hair flowing, stood resolutely.

Hiruna!

If Giovanni’s appearance was unexpected yet logical for Jing He, then Hiruna’s appearance was a complete surprise.

How did she get here?

It turns out that after seeing the live stream, Hiruna had rushed to the Relic Ruins with Hydreigon and found the Unknown Totems. This time, the Unknown Totems were more “cooperative.” Although they didn’t immediately help her reach the desert city, they helped her “contact” Giratina.

At that moment, the struggling Giratina immediately recognized Jing He’s girlfriend and, gritting its teeth, pulled her over. Hiruna, without hesitation, took command of Giratina and helped it resist the “desire” corruption from Ultra Hoopa.

However, Ultra Hoopa’s “desire power” was as fragile as paper before the incredibly determined Hiruna. Giratina finally broke free from its greatest constraint and returned to the battlefield!

“You...” Jing He opened his mouth.

“This time, I won’t let you fight alone.” Hiruna’s voice was slightly low but left no room for doubt.

Clearly, just as Jing He had to bear the pressure of commanding Black Rayquaza, Hiruna, commanding Giratina, had to bear even greater pressure.

“Roar—”

For the first time, Giratina looked at Jing He with a gaze filled with envy bordering on jealousy.

In its mind, the scene of their earlier exchange flashed.

“Giratina! The small human stood before it, calling its name.

Before Giratina could respond, Hiruna said earnestly, “Lend me your strength, and I will bear everything for you!”

“Roar—” (I’m not looking down on you, Jing He’s girlfriend, but you can’t handle it!!)

Giratina’s eyes were filled with ferocity.

“No.” Hiruna raised her hand and walked toward Giratina, speaking firmly, “I can.”

The moment Hiruna’s hand touched Giratina, it felt an immediate release from the “desire power” that had bound it.

But only Giratina knew how tenacious that power was. A mere human, with a human body, could actually...

“Roar?” (How did you do it? You’re just a human...)

After Hiruna climbed onto its back, her answer was a single word.

“He.”

Her thoughts returned, and Giratina looked at Dialga again, waving its claw menacingly.

“Come on!”

Dialga staggered to its feet, casting a wary glance at Giratina. When it looked at the opposing lineup, its heart sank.

The situation had changed again!

4V7 now!

However.

With Giratina’s recovery, Darkrai no longer needed to tangle with Kyurem and returned to Jing He’s side.

But the same went for Kyurem, who also returned to Ultra Hoopa’s formation.

Five against eight!

Ultra Hoopa felt somewhat surprised.

Why did this mere human have so many allies?

Was he really human?

Ultra Hoopa quickly turned to look at Palkia.

At this moment, every bit of Palkia’s power was crucial.

But, the mighty deity of space, being held back by a human who couldn’t even fly a Flying-type Pokémon?

Was this for real?

Palkia watched as Daiya, bruised and battered, staggered to help his Charmander, and with a grin, yelled:

“Keep going! We can fight all day!”

“Roar!”

Palkia observed the human and his Pokémon, who, despite being knocked down time and again, always got back up, their indomitable spirit and passion never waning.

Even Palkia had to admit that it had a newfound respect for this human and his Pokémon.

Of course.

If Palkia wanted to crush Daiya completely, it could. But the situation on the other side was too risky to intervene.

Palkia shook its head slightly and roared at Daiya.

“Roar!” (Come on, let’s go another three hundred rounds!)

“Hey!” Daiya’s teeth were stained with blood.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

Giovanni used Primal Groudon to interrupt the Origin Pulse, and Cynthia suddenly appeared, commanding Giratina to pin down Dialga and grind it into the ground.

But the attacks from Kyurem, Xerneas, Dark Lugia, Lunala, and Ultra Hoopa did not cease!

“Giratina!” Cynthia barked.

Buzz—

A spatial rift to the ruined world suddenly opened. The “Core Punisher” from Kyurem, which had traveled through the dimensional corridor, was exiled to the ruined world by Giratina, adding another layer of ruins to the already shattered world.

“Rayquaza, Dragon Pulse!”

“Roar!!”

A surge of dragon energy erupted from Mega Black Rayquaza’s mouth, the blue-purple energy forming a roaring dragon that tore at Yveltal’s Death Wings and countered Dark Lugia’s Air Slash!

“Mewtwo, Psystrike!”

Buzz—

Psychic Power exploded, mental energy weaving into countless threads that sliced through Lunala’s beams.

Darkrai called out arrogantly, opening a massive black hole that swallowed Ultra Hoopa’s Dark Pulse.

No one else heard what Darkrai was shouting, but Jing He did.

“More! More! More! Oh oh oh oh—!! Bring it on, weaklings!!” Jing He’s face twitched in irritation.

However, the pressure on Mega Black Rayquaza and Mewtwo suddenly decreased.

All they needed to do was hold on until the Punishment Vase was completed, right?

In reality, it wasn’t that simple.

Because Ultra Hoopa Unbound had “evolved” again, suddenly realizing that humans were the key to the current situation!

First, it was Jing He, then the middle-aged man, and the sudden appearance of the cool woman, and even the spiky-haired one with a bruised face.

Without these people...

“It should have been over long ago!! Hoopa!!”

Ultra Hoopa shouted, using Dimensional Assault once more. A golden ring appeared before the Legendary Pokémon, but this time it didn’t focus on the Desert Tower or Little Hoopa; instead, it targeted these humans who had turned the tide!

“This guy...”

Jing He’s expression changed, and he quickly shouted, “Mewtwo! Darkrai!”

These two understood him better, so they knew what he meant.

Mewtwo vanished into thin air, wrapped in Psychic Power, reappearing behind Giovanni.

Giovanni didn’t waste words; he understood Jing He’s meaning and his own condition. With a long sigh, he said, “It’s in your hands.”

As he spoke, his body collapsed like a broken kite.

Even as he fell, Giovanni felt a tinge of regret.

If only his body was at its peak...

Mewtwo enveloped Giovanni in Psychic Power, his expression softening.

Honestly.

This was the first time Mewtwo had seen Giovanni in this state, and memories of their first meeting came flooding back, when Giovanni had said to it:

“Want to change the world? We can work together!”

Now, in a different way, they had achieved that cooperation.

Mewtwo caught Giovanni and vanished, reappearing above Primal Groudon, avoiding Ultra Hoopa’s Dimensional Assault.

The command of Primal Groudon naturally fell to Jing He.

At the same time, Darkrai sank into the shadows.

It then emerged from Cynthia’s shadow on Giratina’s back, saying:

"It's time to take cover."

Hiruna bit her lip, her resolve unwavering as she shook her head. "No need."

Looking into her eyes, Darkrai was reminded of the look Alicia had when she first protected it in White Birch Town.

No, even more resolute than Alicia!

Such a formidable will—could this be the power of love?

But with the threat looming, Darkrai followed Jing He's instructions:

"He needs Giratina's power."

Hiruna turned to Jing He, who was also looking at her, nodding slightly.

"I see."

Her heart eased, and Hiruna's form wavered. The burden of controlling Giratina, and the strain of resisting Ultra Hoopa Unbound's "Desire Force", had taken a significant toll on her.

But she had helped Jing He through the toughest moments. Now, all she needed to do was hand over control of Giratina.

Darkrai immediately caught her, enveloping her in shadow and carrying her out of the range of the Dimensional Assault.

"Damn."

Sweat poured from Jing He's forehead. With the addition of Primal Groudon and Giratina, his pressure had increased dramatically.

"But it's still not enough."

"Giratina!" Jing He shouted.

"Roar?" Giratina looked at him.

"Call in reinforcements!"

Heh!

Giratina grinned.

A rift in space opened, and through the ruined world, two figures—one white, one black—emerged!

Reshiram, the White Dragon, and Zekrom, the Black Dragon!

For Jing He, they were two of the Mythical Pokémon that put the least strain on him when commanding!

Finally, they had arrived on the battlefield!

"Roar—!!"

"Roar!!!"

Little Hoopa's eyes widened at the sight of the white and black dragons.

"Jing He is amazing! Really amazing! He actually managed to summon help! Hoopa, Hoopa! Jing He, Jing He!"

Ultra Hoopa, who had also witnessed this, couldn't help but scratch its head.

What the hell? Am I Ultra Hoopa, or is he Hoopa?

Could it be that Hoopa has a human form in addition to its Liberated and Punishment forms?

Giratina's recovery had evened the numbers for Jing He's side.

Ultra Hoopa's side: Dialga, Primal Groudon, "Z" Kyurem, Xerneas, Dark Lugia, Reshiram, Lunala, and Ultra Hoopa—eight in total!

Jing He's side: Black Rayquaza, Mewtwo, Giratina, Primal Groudon, Darkrai, Reshiram, Zekrom, and Jing He—also eight!

But even numbers?

Jing He wasn't so sure about that!

He pulled out a metal pendant from his inner pocket!

The Gene Wedge!

Seeing this, Reshiram's heart skipped a beat.

"Reshiram, Zekrom!"

Both dragons looked at him.

"Merge with me! Securing control is success!"

"Alright, then."

Reshiram flapped its snow-white wings, bathed in the light of the Gene Wedge, and lunged at Kyurem.

Although the True Person was in poor condition, their will was stronger than ever before!

Such indomitable resolve fueled a surge of power within Reshiram.

The stronger the True Person, the stronger the True Dragon!

Once, it had feared Kyurem, but now...

It was time for me to take the initiative!

For how long, I can't say, but at least until the end of this battle, control of the body will be mine!

"Pity."

Zekrom pouted, regretting that it hadn't reacted as quickly as its brother. Otherwise, the Ideal Person's resolve would have been just as strong!

Reshiram and Kyurem were about to merge!

Jing He called out again:

"If you don't come out now, I won't help you with your partner later!"

A streak of light shot towards them, transforming into a green and black hound.

Kyurem!

The "hound" showed a hint of human-like frustration.

"It's not that I'm hesitating, but..."

It had its reasons and its own struggles.

"Help me deal with it temporarily, and once this is over, I'll help you with your partner." Jing He interrupted.

"Deal!"

Kyurem didn't doubt Jing He's word for a moment.

It immediately lunged at the inverse "Z" Kyurem, and countless green streaks of light converged on it from all directions.

"Let me introduce myself to my partner from another world..."

The two Kyurems—one white, one green—began to merge!

Ultra Hoopa, witnessing this, was speechless.

Can you actually turn someone like that?

Can't play this game, huh?

Do you think I won't pull out a "Fusion Release"?

Boom!

Suddenly, a violent tremor and roar came from the direction of the Desert Tower, as if the sky itself was shaking.

Ultra Hoopa's expression froze.

Jing He's smile grew even wider.

The new "Punishment Vase" was complete!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end