Chapter 677: I Want to Become the Champion

Chapter 677: I Want to Become the Champion (Combined, Requesting Monthly Votes!)

A vast, empty void.

Jing He sat cross-legged on what could be loosely called the "ground", staring at the holy lama in front of him—oh, Arceus.

"How did you end up like this?"

A gentle, calm voice, tinged with a hint of helplessness, echoed through the space.

Arceus had only wanted Jing He to help reinforce Ultra Hoopa’s Seal. How did things escalate so much?

Jing He pinched his arm and shrugged.

"Can't help it. As a Pokémon psychologist, I can't stand to see Pokémon ‘suffer.’"

Arceus's eyes glinted with a mix of exasperation and amusement.

"A Pokémon psychologist? And you let those negative emotions affect you, leading to such reckless actions?"

Jing He grinned.

"How can I operate without feeling those emotions? I need to ensure Hoopa won't be influenced by them again."

To personally experience those emotions?

Arceus gazed at the smiling Jing He, silent for a long while.

"Aren't you afraid?"

"Scared." Jing He's smile faded, and he nodded seriously.

"Then—"

But he quickly broke into an even brighter smile.

"First, I really wanted to test my limits with Gengue. I just never had the courage to do it. This time, I was driven by the hidden ‘madness’ in my heart."

"Second, I trust my little Pokémon and the friends I’ve made. Of course, that includes you, Arceus."

It was Arceus's "Cosmic Arm" that guided him here. Jing He didn’t think Arceus would just stand by and do nothing.

"Can't help it, I have a lot of friends."

Seeing Jing He's cheeky expression, Arceus couldn't help but laugh.

But—

Friends?

Arceus never thought it would be considered a friend?

It felt... not bad.

Jing He continued, "Third, well, the first two are enough."

Arceus mentally added, "Third, probably many wouldn't dare let you do that?"

It shook its head.

"Once this is over, find the Fairy Tablet."

"Fairy Tablet?" Jing He looked as if he had nothing left to live for. "I have to help you with more work?"

Arceus replied, somewhat irritably,

"What do you mean ‘help me with work’? It’s for your own good."

"For my own good?"

Arceus sighed.

"You really pushed yourself this time. To prevent you from pushing yourself to the brink again, find the Fairy Tablet."

"It’s the most life force-rich object in the world, aside from Xerneas."

In truth, Jing He had another reason for taking such risks, which he hadn't mentioned.

When Xerneas was imparting "Life Force" and teaching abilities to Nine-Tails and Forger, Jing He was also a beneficiary.

With Xerneas's "Life Force" protection, even without additional support like Celebi or the best cameraman, he should be able to hold on long enough to recover.

It would just be a painful process.

But Arceus's words reminded him of the Fairy Tablet.

For safety, it would be wise to use it.

"You can ‘return’ now."

Jing He was taken aback.

"So soon?"

"There’s a mess waiting for you to clean up."

"True."

A bunch of Mythical Pokémon were still gathered in Desert City.

With that, he stood up, dusted off his clothes, and waved to Arceus.

"See you next time, Arceus."

In this pure white space, Jing He's figure slowly faded away.

Watching him leave, Arceus gazed for a long time.

Suddenly, it laughed, a rare occurrence.

"This guy."

It was hard to say whether he was truly influenced by Ultra Hoopa or just wanted to help Hoopa recover its strength.

Looking back at Jing He's actions since becoming a Trainer, he had never shied away from helping Pokémon.

But as a Pokémon psychologist, he was indeed one of the few who could help with Ultra Hoopa’s issue, which is why Arceus had guided him here.

Arceus's form also slowly dissipated.

"Friends, huh?"

The river shimmered with golden light.

"Ugh."

In the Ruins, Jing He, who had been resting on Hiruna's lap, fluttered his eyelids and slowly opened his eyes.

The first thought that crossed his mind upon regaining consciousness was—

Still, a thigh is more comfortable.

"Awake?"

A slightly choked voice reached his ears.

He followed the sound and saw a pair of slightly red eyes and a delicate face stained with dust.

Hiruna.

"Ge-eek?!"

The next second, a large, dark head loomed over him, eyes glowing red with a rare sternness and barely contained excitement.

"Gengue."

Jing He weakly smiled. "Were you crying?"

"Ge-eek!"

To ‘punish’ you, here comes the eighteen-licks technique!

Gengue, seeing Jing He about to reveal his embarrassing moment, immediately stuck out its tongue and gave Jing He a thorough "face wash."

If not for the Cheri Berry he always carried, recovery would have taken much longer.

Jinghe, feeling the taste of his meal getting better and better, suddenly thought to himself:

After being revived by Ho-Oh, Zhizhe became a "human Pokémon" and a "super newbie." Could this journey turn me into a "super Hoennian"?

"It's all good."

He gently caressed Hiruna's cheek, wiping away some dust, then patted Gengue's head, and spent some affectionate moments with his Pokémon.

Then, he saw Machado, baring its teeth and holding a dim "Rainbow Feather."

And Celebi, flying in the air, looking very happy.

Of course.

There was also the "photographer" in the sky, the legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh, shining brightly in the morning light!

However, Ho-Oh's current "situation" didn't seem to be very good.

Under the watchful eyes of Mewtwo, Black Kyurem, Giratina, White Kyurem, Zekrom, and Darkrai, Ho-Oh's face was stern.

If it weren't for Machado's call, if it didn't sense the presence of the "Rainbow Warrior" from the "Rainbow Feather", if it weren't for Hoopa's dimensional portal, and if...

Would it have stood against these Mythical Beasts?

Ha!

Ho-Oh looked at the human in the center, surrounded like a star in a constellation, feeling a wave of helplessness.

Clearly, the "Rainbow Feather" wasn't given willingly; it just fell by accident.

"Machado!"

After a long time, Machado leaped into Jinghe's arms, handing him the now dim, gray "Rainbow Feather."

"Long time no see, Machado."

As the "Shadow Guide", both Machado and Ho-Oh had a very clear perception of the "Rainbow Feather." Machado could arrive so quickly thanks to the "Shadow World."

Taking the "Rainbow Feather",

The feather, which was still gray in Machado's hand, turned even darker in Jinghe's, almost black.

[Rainbow Feather]: Ah, it's burned out. (πーπ)

"Tsk."

This color isn't good.

Jinghe immediately injected a bit of his restored Waveguide into it, and the "Rainbow Feather" instantly regained its vibrant rainbow colors, with its fine feathers spreading out clearly.

[Rainbow Feather]: Ah, it's full of energy again!

Seeing this, Ho-Oh's state didn't improve.

However, the surrounding Mythical Beasts looked at it much more "friendly."

So, it's one of us. Why didn't you say so earlier?

Ho-Oh: "."

This is the "Rainbow Warrior"?

If it weren't for all these Mythical Beasts present, Ho-Oh would have lost its temper.

"Bi~~"

Celebi finally came close to Jinghe, who was the key to his "resurrection."

"By the way, Celebi, I have a friend..." Jinghe thought of the fallen Giovanni.

To be honest, Giovanni was truly amazing. He faced the Primal Groudon head-on and successfully "conquered" it, which was a crucial turning point in the battle.

"I'm fine."

Giovanni, with bandages on his chest and arm, wearing a suit jacket, refused the support of the Rocket Team elites and appeared in Jinghe's line of sight.

"Bi~~"

Celebi drew a large circle with its hands, indicating that it had put in a lot of effort to save him.

Jinghe smiled and said, "Thank you, Celebi. I'll treat you to a big meal."

"Bi~~"

The little guy hummed happily and flew away.

Giovanni's expression was somewhat complex.

Honestly,

He had already made up his mind to face Primal Groudon as his "final dance."

With his "Evergreen Power", he was well aware of his physical condition, knowing it was a terminal illness that even advanced Pokémon technology couldn't cure, a lingering condition from his early days.

To ensure the future of the Rocket Team and to entrust it to Jinghe, he fought Primal Groudon to the death, even overextending his "Evergreen Power" and his body.

In Giovanni's view,

Dying while searching for a cure with no leads or dying in a hospital bed was a wretched way to go. It was better to leave the world with a grand battle, leaving a lasting mark.

He preferred it this way.

But he never expected that the cure he had no hope of finding became a "routine" method for Jinghe.

To be honest,

Life's ups and downs can be so unpredictable.

However,

Although his old illness was treated, Giovanni felt more at peace.

So be it.

Life is short, and he wanted to mend the gap with his son, Silver, and spend more time with him.

As for the Rocket Team, he would stick to the old plan.

Looking at the rising dawn, it felt like a new beginning, a chance at rebirth.

Giovanni sighed softly, "The dawn of a new day."

Jinghe: "???"

Giovanni, I feel like you're insulting me and you have the evidence.

"Celebi also helped me recover", Hiruna said.

She had been helping Giratina resist the negative emotions from Ultra Hoopa and directing Giratina in battle, which was quite draining.

"Good kid", Jinghe said, feeling relieved.

But why do I feel like I'm forgetting something again?

Hmm?

Why "again"?

Never mind.

Let's handle the present.

Jinghe, feeling weak and exhausted, with Hiruna's help, reluctantly sat up.

"Thanks, everyone."

Black Kyurem nodded at him.

Today, it not only enjoyed the “fun” of facing multiple opponents but also experienced different Mega Evolutions. For Jinghe, this human, it began to understand why the world's Rayquaza would acknowledge him.

Unfortunately, today was indeed a bit tiring. Otherwise, it would have liked to have a fight with Mewtwo. It sensed that Mewtwo hadn't used its full strength.

But it was enough; today was satisfying.

"Roar—!!"

With a long roar, Black Rayquaza, enveloped in clouds, shot straight into the sky.

"Reshiram, please."

"Leave it to Reshiram, Reshiram is very powerful!"

Little Reshiram had fully recovered its former strength, but it didn't transform into its Ultra form. Instead, it maintained its small size.

Understanding the meaning of "punishment", it realized that even its own power shouldn't be relied upon excessively.

Some things are better taken one step at a time.

Buzz—

A golden ring appeared above Black Rayquaza, and its figure vanished into the dimensional portal.

With Black Rayquaza's departure, the other Mythical Beasts also began to take action.

"Screech—!!"

Giratina left immediately after seeing Black Rayquaza depart. As a Mythical Beast of the Kalos Region, it didn't need Reshiram's help.

Better to beat a hasty retreat!

It already sensed that the atmosphere was getting a bit tense.

Without the influence of Ultra Hoopa, other Pokémon aside, Kyurem and Palkia immediately turned against it.

Their gazes—

It was as if they wanted to beat it up first to "prove their loyalty" and avoid getting beaten themselves.

Off it goes!

Next were Darkrai and the white "Z-God" Gigalith.

They didn't say much; it wasn't appropriate to speak in front of Jinghe and the other Mythical Beasts. They obediently flew back through the dimensional portal opened by Reshiram.

Then came Groudon.

Its fins flapped, and it soared into the sky. After leaving the boundary of Desert City, it dove into the vast ocean.

"Whoosh—"

I plunged into the water, bubbles rising—gurgle, gurgle, gurgle—

Groudon thought much like Yveltal.

If it didn't leave soon, Groudon might team up with other Mythical Beasts to beat it up!

And, Jinghe, why didn't you mention your close relationship with Groudon earlier?

Hoenn can't be returned to for now; it's time to go into hiding.

I've heard that Alola has few people, less land, less development, and a vast ocean. I'll hide there for a while.

[We, cough, will also take our leave.]

Kyurem and Palkia exchanged glances and said to Jinghe.

However, they were still considerate enough to restore some of the damage to Desert City before vanishing into Time and Space, respectively.

Speaking of which—

A god of Time who can't time-travel.

A god of Space who can't traverse dimensions.

Pfft, fake gods!

"Fusion canceled." Jinghe picked up the Gene Wedge.

Buzz—

White Kyurem separated back into Kyurem and Reshiram.

Reshiram had a look of satisfaction, as if savoring the pleasure of the power it had just gained.

Kyurem gave Jinghe a deep look, then bowed its head and flew into the dimensional portal opened by Reshiram, returning to its world.

Reshiram and Zekrom chose to stay for a while longer.

Feeling the "danger" level decrease, Ho-Oh glanced at the Rainbow Feather in Jinghe's hand and soared into the sky.

"Screech—!!"

This world is indeed full of danger. It's better to interfere less in the future.

No more giving out feathers.

Groudon stood alone on the river, like a mountain, looking up at the Mythical Beasts flying away, frozen in place.

Damn.

Am I the only one who can't fly?!

Most of the Mythical Beasts from other worlds were sent away by Reshiram's dimensional portal, while the Mythical Beasts of this world relied on their own abilities. And as a Mythical Beast of this world—

It looked toward the direction of Johto.

So far away...

Buzz—

A golden ring opened a portal in front of it.

"Roar—"

Groudon scratched its head.

Should I go in or not?

Going in, it felt like everyone else was relying on their own abilities, and it would lose face.

Not going in, Johto is damn far away...

Groudon put on a thoughtful expression, unable to decide, and pretended to be very smart for the moment.

"Groudon."

Jinghe's hoarse voice called out.

It turned to look.

"Go back first, I'll come find you later."

"Roar."

With an excuse, Groudon decisively stepped into the golden ring.

A bit tired, better to go back and sleep.

Thus—

The Mythical Beasts that caused chaos in Desert City had mostly left, leaving only Mewtwo, Giratina, Reshiram, Zekrom, Darkrai, Gigalith, Machado, and Celebi.

"Bi~"

Celebi played with Gengue and Blastoise for a while, then waved at Jinghe.

"Leaving so soon?" Jinghe was taken aback.

We haven't seen each other in a long time, and we didn't even get to sit down and chat.

"Bi~"

Celebi indicated that Time is vast, and there are many forests in this endless Time that need its protection and rescue.

Jinghe could only express his regret.

However, Celebi is one of the few beings, like Arceus, that can travel through multiple universes. No wonder Giovanni didn't have much hope of finding Celebi.

"Next time, next time I'll have Little Hoopa invite you, and we can have a proper gathering." Jinghe said.

Given his current physical state, he honestly couldn't entertain Celebi right now.

"Bi~"

Celebi nodded happily, waved to Jinghe again, and then opened a Time portal, diving through it.

When it came to a true understanding of Time, Celebi seemed to be even more advanced than Giratina. However, in a specific universe, Giratina’s application of Time, especially in Destruction, far surpassed Celebi’s.

In the Time portal opened by Celebi, Jinghe caught a glimpse of many familiar yet strange fragments of worlds.

Recalling the alternate world he had been thrown into by Ultra Hoopa, Jinghe shook his head.

"Wait a moment."

After Celebi left, Jinghe noticed Giratina, who was also preparing to leave.

"Roar"

Hearing Jinghe's voice, Giratina paused, its hands still clawing at the crack leading to the ruined world. It turned around with a sheepish smile.

Seeing Giratina’s expression, Jinghe couldn’t help but laugh.

"You old thing. Alright, once I recover, I'll come to your place for tea."

Giratina nodded, its tail swishing, and disappeared into the crack.

[We'll take our leave as well.]

Reshiram and Zekrom exchanged glances and said to Jinghe simultaneously.

This was the Kalos Region, and as the legendary dragons of the Unova Region, they couldn’t stay here for too long, as it might cause unnecessary issues.

The Giratina Core, which had already reverted to a cellular form, was watching them.

"Alright." Jinghe nodded. "Thank you for your help."

[Your thoughts are my reality.]

Reshiram showed no dissatisfaction.

Zekrom also agreed but added:

[Next time, let me fuse.]

Reshiram couldn’t help but glance at it.

Jinghe responded, "Actually, I hope there won’t be such an opportunity next time."

The twin dragons spread their wings.

"Once I finish building my island in Hoenn, I’ll invite you for a meal."

With that, only Mewtwo, Darkrai, Machado, and the Giratina Core remained in Desert City.

None of them, whether Mewtwo, Darkrai, or Machado, had the so-called "Rules." As long as they didn’t cause widespread destruction, they wouldn’t have a significant impact on the Kalos Region.

Thus, the Giratina Core, as the "God of Order", didn’t dwell on it.

"You."

Jinghe looked at them.

Darkrai immediately burrowed into his shadow, muttering, "You want to kick me out without feeding me? I’ll wait until you recover!"

Despite the words, Jinghe could sense that Darkrai was concerned about his health and wanted to stay until he fully recovered.

Mewtwo, meeting his gaze, used telepathy to say very simply and straightforwardly:

"Until you recover."

It seemed to have the same thought as Darkrai.

However, Mewtwo added:

"Once you recover, see the power I’ve gained. From now on, you won’t need that Black Kyurem."

His words were filled with strong confidence.

It had to be said, Mewtwo, clear about its goals and free from confusion, could be considered a "perfect form."

However, Jinghe knew very little about its true strength after this period of time.

Judging by its demeanor, it seemed confident it could face off against the Black Kyurem from earlier.

This made Jinghe somewhat uneasy. Could Mewtwo have obtained another Mega Evolution stone?

Machado, who had been away for so long, naturally wouldn’t leave quickly this time.

As for the Giratina Core:

[Once you recover a bit, we can talk about being partners.]

With that, the "Halo Ultra Hoopa" incident was finally over.

Or rather, not quite.

His little companions still needed to be comforted.

When he disappeared and nearly died, they must have been terrified.

"Hisss!"

Snivy, tears streaming down its face, repeatedly punched Jinghe’s chest.

This was the first time Jinghe had seen the stubborn and tsundere Pokémon cry.

Earlier, due to the dangerous and tense situation, Snivy had tried to come out to help but was locked in the Poké Ball by Jinghe.

Now, it was “venting” its frustrations.

"I’m fine, you know", Jinghe said, somewhat helplessly.

But recalling a method taught by a so-called "master" from his past, he decided to hug her tightly and wait it out.

So he embraced Snivy, "It’s alright, it’s alright."

However, Snivy pulled out its Vine Whip, pressed it against Jinghe’s chest, and broke free from his embrace.

"Hisss!"

It ran to the side, arms crossed, looking furious.

Jinghe pouted.

"Sure enough, those ‘masters’ are all frauds."

Snivy was livid, its expression a picture of indignation as it seemed to say, "You treat every Pokémon like this, so it's no wonder it doesn't work when it's my turn!"

Snivy was livid.

You treat every Pokémon like this, so it’s no wonder it doesn’t work when it’s my turn!

On the side, Nine-Tails and Forger exchanged glances.

"Ha, ha."

Before they could laugh more, Jinghe clutched his chest and coughed.

"Hisss!"

Seeing this, Snivy quickly rushed over, gently massaging his chest.

Are you okay? I might have used too much force just now.

"I’m fine, cough, cough, I’m fine", Jinghe said hoarsely, subtly raising his eyebrows at Hiroina.

Look at that.

Hiroina couldn't help but laugh.

"Hisss!"

Look at this guy, he has so many tricks to deceive girls. You should be careful!

Hydreigon, standing nearby, pointed at Jing He, warning Hiroina.

Finally, after calming down all the little ones, Jing He slumped into his wheelchair, exhausted.

However.

As their trainer, Jing He could clearly feel that the little ones were trying harder.

This incident, although they all contributed a lot, especially when facing Ultra Hoopa, Gengue even teamed up with Jing He to handle the situation, but...

They still felt that their strength was too weak, the gap between them and the true Mythical Beasts was too large.

If they didn't want similar situations to happen again, they had to continue to strengthen their power!

Even Nine-Tails, who was usually quite lazy, was now patiently practicing the use of Fairy Moves.

In Nine-Tails' view, if it could control as much Life Force as Xerneas, Jing He wouldn't have faced such a situation.

The other little ones also had their own "role models" to some extent.

Seeing how hard they were working, Jing He felt it was unfair to tell them to take it easy.

After all, he was the one who had gone a bit "crazy" first.

But...

His wallet, oh his wallet, Jing He started to worry again.

With the increased training volume and difficulty, the expenses would naturally increase, which would be a significant test for his wallet.

"Let's take a walk", Hiroina said, pushing the wheelchair.

"Sure."

"By the way..." Jing He suddenly remembered something, "Where's Daiya?"

Golden sunlight, a bustling crowd in the ruins, walking along the largest river in Desert City, feeling the rare cool breeze.

"How are you recovering?" Hiroina gently brushed her hair and asked.

"Pretty good."

Jing He lifted his hand from the wheelchair, but couldn't raise it above his head.

This time, he had really overexerted himself, more than even Giovanni. Although Celebi and Ho-Oh had helped, his body still hadn't fully recovered, especially in terms of energy.

"Next time..." Hiroina pursed her lips.

She wanted to tell Jing He not to push himself so hard next time, but the words died on her lips.

Some things had to be done.

When the sky falls, someone has to hold it up.

How many people in the Pokémon world, besides Jing He, could handle this situation? Could solve it?

Even if the entire League mobilized, the Kalos Region might be almost destroyed by the time things were over.

Moreover.

Hiroina, who had set her sights on becoming the champion, asked herself what she would do if faced with such a situation. She would probably still step up without hesitation, right?

That was the resolve of a champion!

Seeing Hiroina stop talking, Jing He smiled, knowing what she was thinking.

"I want... to become the champion!" Jing He suddenly blurted out.

"Huh?"

Hiroina was taken aback.

"Champion?"

She looked at Jing He in surprise and then touched his forehead.

"You're not burning up, are you?"

Jing He: "..."

He grabbed Hiroina's hand and gently caressed his cheek, saying:

"Going through this, I've realized some things."

"Like what?"

"Like... if someone has to take on responsibility, if someone has to stand up as the 'tall one,' why can't that person be me?"

"Haven't you always been that person?"

Jing He: "..."

He turned to look at the smiling woman, seeing the amusement in her eyes, and knew he had been "teased."

"Um..." Realizing she had been caught, Hiroina pursed her lips, hiding her smile, and asked:

"What about Daiya?"

The Hoenn League, after Jing He's recent setbacks, had shifted their focus to training Daiya.

"Simple."

Jing He had already thought about it.

"After a year or half, I can pass it on to him."

After all, according to the Hoenn League's plan, Daiya would also need a year or so to become the champion, which would be during the "interregnum."

Hiroina's pale hand slipped from Jing He's grip and pressed against his temple, applying a little pressure.

"Is the championship something you can just 'give away'?"

"You don't understand; it's a Hoenn tradition."

"Tradition?"

"Uh..."

Jing He realized this "tradition" had actually started with Daiya.

"Ah, no, it's a tradition starting with me", he said, straightening his face.

"Ah, I see."

Hiroina nodded thoughtfully.

The wheelchair moved slowly, and both fell into a brief silence, lost in their own thoughts or simply enjoying the rare, peaceful moment.

After a while.

Hiroina spoke again:

"Are you sure it's not because of your island?"

In about a year or so, the island would be fully developed.

"Hmm? Who told you that? It's a rumor! Someone is slandering me!" Jing He looked up sharply.

"Ha!"

Hiroina burst into laughter.

While Desert City was gradually returning to calm, the outside world, especially online, was in chaos due to what had happened here.

---

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end