Chapter 678: After the Great Battle

Chapter 678: After the Great Battle (Combined, Requesting Monthly Votes!)

Desert City gradually returned to normal, but the entire world was in a state of shock.

Following the chaos caused by the Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre in the Hoenn Region, the Kalos Region faced another massive disaster.

If the chaos in Hoenn could be considered a "regional" disaster, then the current situation in Desert City was a "worldwide" disaster!

In the former, a region's combined efforts of Champions, Elite Four, and top trainers might, at a great cost, quell the chaos.

In the latter, even the entire League's combined strength would struggle. The sheer number of Mythical Beasts involved far exceeded the number of all Champions!

Trainers capable of resolving such a crisis could be counted on one hand.

Of course, it's not that the League lacks trainers of extraordinary power, capable of facing Mythical Beasts. However,

even if they could stave off the disaster, what destruction would it cause?

Compared to the chaos in Hoenn, this event erupted far too suddenly.

In Hoenn, they had advance warning and preparation, which barely minimized the disaster.

If not for Jing He, the entire Kalos Region might have been devastated.

Even the local Champion and Elite Four of Kalos were too late to arrive.

Jing He, almost single-handedly, relied on his friendly relationships with numerous Mythical Beasts, calling upon them and paying a heavy price, to barely avert this "worldwide" disaster.

It's important to remember:

This is Jing He, the renowned "Beast Master", who nearly lost his life. If not for the timely intervention of the Mythical Beasts, he might not have survived.

The outcome was grim.

Riding a black Rayquaza, Jing He summoned nearly a dozen Mythical Beasts, including Hoopa Unbound and its summoned Mythical Beasts, to fight a monumental battle. This feat sent shockwaves throughout the League and the world, leaving no one unaffected.

Some even joked that they finally saw Jing He's "strongest lineup", no wonder Champion Sugimori said that if Jing He used his full strength, he had no chance of winning!

Previously, some laughed at Champion Sugimori for being too humble, too modest, for a prominent Champion to admit he had no chance against a single trainer, labeling him as "weak."

Now, people understand:

Champion Sugimori was not being humble; he had a clear understanding of the situation!

Imagine:

With a white dragon on one side, a black dragon on the other, Giratina in the center, Mewtwo above, and Darkrai behind, who could stand against Jing He's "strongest lineup"?

This sentiment received widespread agreement online.

Some even suggested:

The League should create a position above the regional Champions, titled "Beast Master", to oversee all regional Champions.

In this era, Jing He is the perfect candidate for this position!

However,

while many praised Jing He, there were also rational voices.

While Jing He's ability to summon Mythical Beasts is exceptional, it's clear that his relationship with them is more of a friendship rather than a taming.

Thus, these Mythical Beasts cannot be considered his Pokémon in the traditional sense.

Nonetheless,

besides the clashes between Mythical Beasts, Gengar's "final dance" left everyone in awe.

Mega Evolution! Terastallization! Z-Move!

All three enhancements in one, Gengar, a mere human, faced Mythical Beasts and battled Hoopa Unbound, culminating in a massive black sphere of "hundred ghosts' power", which left everyone stunned.

While the three enhancements pushed Jing He to the brink of collapse, they also revealed the true upper limits of Gengar's strength as his ace Pokémon.

He is undoubtedly a force that surpasses the champions' aces.

Given this, it's not unreasonable to say that Jing He could surpass the Champions.

However, such power cannot be relied upon as a regular strategy.

Thus,

online, a new classification emerged, dividing trainers into categories like peak Champions, strong Champions, standard Champions, weak Champions, and near-Champions. This sparked much debate and ranking among enthusiasts.

In summary,

After the chaos in Desert City, discussions about Teacher Jing He never stopped, whether online, on forums, or in real life.

Especially online.

Videos and photos, which initially appeared as mere fragments, were pieced together and supplemented with speculation, gradually revealing the general course of events.

Particularly concerning Hoopa, an entity that, despite not being a Mythical Beast, could command and control them, the details became clearer.

The combination of issues such as Pokémon, dissociative identity disorder, a volatile personality, and overwhelming negative emotions further solidified Teacher Jing He's identity as a "Pokémon psychologist."

People exclaimed—Teacher Jing He truly lived up to the title of "Master of the Mind"!

The discussions about Teacher Jing He were not limited to ordinary citizens and trainers; the entire League's upper echelons were also deeply moved.

The League Headquarters, located on the summit of Mt. Silver in the Kanto region, contacted various regions to convene an emergency meeting.

However, they hit a snag when it came to rewarding Teacher Jing He.

Given the magnitude of the event and the involvement of so many Mythical Beasts, not providing a reward after quelling the chaos would be hard to justify.

But what kind of reward could match such a significant "feat"?

That was the question.

Moreover.

During this incident, three other individuals also played crucial roles that could not be overlooked.

Hiroko, who controlled Giratina and turned the tide of the battle!

Daiya, who faced off against Palkia and held it at bay!

And

Giovanni, the Gym Leader of the Vermilion City Gym in the Kanto region, who confronted Primal Groudon and ultimately subdued it!

Everyone was surprised by Giovanni's presence in Desert City.

Giovanni's identity was not a secret among the true upper echelons of the League.

Leader of Team Rocket!

The League allowed him to serve as the Gym Leader of Vermilion City for several reasons.

First, Giovanni did not engage in any outrageous behavior or leave any incriminating evidence while serving as a Gym Leader. His position was obtained through legitimate means, and as long as his identity as the leader of Team Rocket remained hidden, they could not easily criticize him.

Secondly, Team Rocket, as the largest underground force in the Kanto and Johto regions, had deep roots and a complex network of personnel, most of whom possessed formidable combat skills.

The League could take down Team Rocket, but the cost would be too high.

Team Rocket members were skilled in practical combat, rule-less fights, and wilderness battles. The League's casualties would be significant.

Moreover, Giovanni's personal strength was also a point of concern.

Furthermore.

As long as Giovanni was around, the core of Team Rocket remained stable, preventing chaos.

If Giovanni were gone, that would be a real problem. Without his restraint, who knows what Team Rocket would become.

Additionally.

Giovanni, as a Gym Leader, naturally maintained stability in Vermilion City, and the League and Team Rocket had a means of "communication."

At least, they could talk to each other.

If Giovanni's position as a Gym Leader were removed, he could hide in any corner, making him impossible to find, which would be a real headache.

Champion Blaine spent most of his time in Vermilion City for this very reason.

However, the most important factor was that recently, Team Rocket had been surprisingly well-behaved, almost as if preparing to go into hibernation, leaving the League's upper echelons puzzled.

This time.

Giovanni appeared at the center of the "Desert City Chaos", facing Primal Groudon. His declaration, "As long as I stand on this earth, I will not be defeated", won him countless fans.

People exclaimed—

Giovanni, the Gym Leader, is amazing! Uncle Giovanni is so cool! I used to wonder why Teacher Jing He would shed his suit at critical moments, but after seeing Giovanni, it all makes sense!

Moreover, this incident highlighted Giovanni's strength to many.

Many were surprised, saying that while the Four Elite Trainers of the Kanto region were known to be strong, the Gym Leaders were terrifyingly powerful, almost on par with the Champion.

A Gym Leader who almost burned himself out to protect Desert City, now being called the leader of the evil organization Team Rocket, would hardly be believable to many.

After all, his identity as the leader of Team Rocket lacked evidence, while his solo battle with Primal Groudon was undeniable.

This led the League's upper echelons to speculate—could Giovanni be trying to rehabilitate his image?

Otherwise, why would he be so determined?

Additionally, Giovanni's appearance revealed that Teacher Jing He and Giovanni had a deep connection!

Of course, no one suspected that Jing He was colluding with Giovanni or, by extension, Team Rocket.

After all, Giovanni only gained a large number of supporters by showing up once during this major event, while Jing He had consistently played a decisive role in almost every major event.

To suggest that he colluded with Team Rocket?

Not only would the vast majority of trainers not believe it, but even the higher-ups in the league would find it laughable.

Moreover, only a few people were aware of Giovanni's true identity, and even the new Elite Four members, such as Adu, who were active in the Kanto and Johto regions, remained in the dark. It was unthinkable that Jing He could have known about it.

He must have simply treated him as a gym leader.

However, Giovanni’s appearance did indeed draw the attention of many league officials.

As for the reward for Teacher Jing He, it remained the primary focus of the meeting.

Jing He, far away in Desert City, was completely unaware of what was happening within the league. He hadn’t even paid much attention to the heated discussions online.

On one hand, his body was still somewhat weak.

On the other hand,

Hiruna, Mewtwo, Machamp, Little Hoopa, and his other little ones all needed his company, didn’t they?

Although Desert City was located in the desert, it actually had a unique and picturesque landscape. Finally able to rest peacefully, he naturally didn’t want to be disturbed by trivial matters.

However, Little Hoopa was a different story.

With the disappearance of Hoopa Unbound, he inevitably became the "culprit" responsible for the incident.

Although Dialga and Palkia helped restore some of Desert City before leaving, the destruction was too extensive to be easily repaired.

Thus,

As Little Hoopa’s “supervisor,” the Genesis Valley took the initiative to offer some valuable items, such as treasures, gold, and mining resources, to help compensate for some of Desert City’s losses.

Originally, Little Hoopa wanted to use his newly recovered abilities to take on some responsibility, but Jing He, Balzar, and Mayari immediately vetoed the idea.

They had finally made Little Hoopa understand the meaning of "punishment" and the joy of achieving results through hard work. They couldn’t let him misuse his abilities again.

In response, Little Hoopa obediently promised not to directly bring gold or other valuable items from other places or dimensions. He only wanted to help rebuild Desert City.

This brought some comfort to Jing He and the others.

Meanwhile, the injured Giovanni sensed an opportunity.

He approached the mayor of Desert City and proposed that the Rocket Construction Company could take on the reconstruction project at a very low price.

Given that Giovanni’s life-or-death battle against Primal Groudon was still fresh in everyone’s minds, and the price he offered was nearly at cost, the mayor of Desert City couldn’t refuse, and was even overjoyed.

Thus, the majority of the reconstruction and restoration projects in Desert City were entrusted to the Rocket Construction Company.

This also included the infrastructure projects that had been previously discussed.

After finalizing the details of the project, the mayor of Desert City hurriedly left. There were too many matters that needed his attention in the current state of Desert City.

The only fortunate thing was that the destruction was limited to the buildings. Thanks to the timely evacuation, there were no casualties among the residents and tourists of Desert City.

As the saying goes, as long as the people are safe, the land will be safe. With no casualties, the wealthy Desert City would not find it too difficult to restore its urban construction.

While Desert City was urgently rebuilding, Jing He and his group of "injured" were enjoying a leisurely time.

Mewtwo, with a stern face, was wearing a Gengar apron and standing in the courtyard, grilling meat.

The meat sizzled on the charcoal fire prepared by the Crimson Blade Gengar, and the aroma quickly filled the air.

“Gengar?”

Is it burning?

Gengar poked his head out from behind.

Mewtwo, startled by the question, quickly flipped the meat and looked at Gengar with a deadpan expression.

Gengar, undaunted by Mewtwo’s glare, just grinned and patted his shoulder.

“Gengar~”

Be more serious~

Mewtwo stiffly nodded.

Indeed.

Being human is much harder than being a Pokémon, Mewtwo thought.

In the past, it had pondered whether it was more human or Pokémon. But under Jing He’s guidance, after several “experiences” and “trials,” Mewtwo realized it was indeed a Pokémon!

On the other side, Giovanni, wrapped in bandages, was pushing Jing He through the garden.

“Pokémon, construction, and technology?” Jing He listened to Giovanni’s words and couldn’t help but look back at him.

Giovanni remained unperturbed and continued:

“These are the three main business lines of the transformed Team Rocket. There are also four secondary businesses: entertainment, fruits, catering, and logistics.”

After this battle, which had brought him to the brink of death, Giovanni had finally seen things clearly.

Since Team Rocket was transforming, he might as well do it thoroughly!

Pokémon breeding was something Team Rocket already had its own facilities for, and Giovanni had a private breeding house. Most of his Pokémon, except for those like Beedrill, which he had caught early on, came from these facilities.

Team Rocket originally had hunting as one of its “businesses,” but after discussions with Jing He, Giovanni decided to discontinue it, which led to the growth of the breeding house business within the organization.

At this point, the main business of Pokémon training is fully capable of handling everything.

As for construction, it’s a planned collaboration with Devon, which is a no-brainer.

Regarding technology,

Team Rocket’s ability to create artificial Mythical Beasts like Mewtwo, combined with Giovanni’s heavy emphasis on technological advancements, ensures that the team is brimming with scientific talent. There’s no need to elaborate on this front.

As for the four secondary businesses—entertainment, fruit, dining, and logistics.

Entertainment was the first project for Team Rocket’s transformation, suggested by Jinghe and initiated by Giovanni. It’s now managed by Shincho and has settled into a steady rhythm.

However, the entertainment market in the Pokémon world isn’t particularly large, so it’s sufficient as a secondary business.

Fruit cultivation, like Pokémon breeding, has always been part of Team Rocket’s operations. It’s a natural extension of the Pokémon breeding business.

Dining.

Originally, dining was tied to entertainment, but it was later separated and is now being reintroduced as a standalone project by Giovanni.

As they say, to win a man’s heart, you must first win his stomach, and the same goes for women.

So, Giovanni decided to start with internal consumption.

Given the large number of personnel in Team Rocket, the internal food supply alone can bring in a significant amount of funds. Plus, it helps keep the team members’ “stomachs” happy, achieving multiple goals at once.

And logistics.

This has always been a part of Team Rocket’s operations.

As an underground force spanning two regions, the transportation of various materials, items, and equipment is inevitable. Many Team Rocket members also operate under the guise of logistics personnel.

Now, the logistics business, which originally covered two regions, is being expanded. This is an excellent way to conceal the number of Team Rocket members.

Listening to Giovanni’s explanation, Jinghe was inwardly amazed.

Boss Giovanni, you’re really taking a page from the “Malcolm Group” in the Galar region.

The Malcolm Group covers a wide range of sectors, including aviation, railways, energy, technology, the internet, construction, daily life, banking, and television, spanning almost every corner of the Galar region.

"I call it the Rainbow Rocket Plan!"

Sitting in his wheelchair, Jinghe’s eyebrows twitched and his mouth quirked.

"This is the name you suggested when we first met", Giovanni said calmly.

At the time, Jinghe had only proposed the name “Rainbow.”

Now,

With three main businesses and four secondary businesses, it fits the name even better.

"Find someone to coordinate with Shincho when the time comes."

Stopping, Giovanni gently patted the handle of the wheelchair and said to the girl in front of him in a gentle tone:

"I’m leaving it to you."

"Okay."

It turned out that Giovanni had brought Jinghe to meet Hiruna.

Watching Giovanni’s departing back, Hiruna frowned slightly but then relaxed.

"This Giovanni guy is not simple", Hiruna whispered.

Her intuition told her that Giovanni was hiding a lot.

"Of course, he’s not simple", Jinghe sighed.

"Hmm?"

Hiruna blinked and looked at him.

Jinghe smiled and waved her over, indicating she should come closer.

Hiruna slowly leaned in, her ear close to his.

Jinghe reached out and gently wiped her mouth, smiling.

"Little kitty."

In an instant, Hiruna’s pale cheeks turned red.

It wasn’t because Jinghe had wiped her mouth, but because she now understood why Giovanni had looked at her strangely earlier.

Jinghe chuckled, finding the blushing Hiruna incredibly cute.

He continued, "Someone who can take on Primal Groudon and control it, how could they be simple?"

Hiruna gave him a playful glare, blaming him for not warning her earlier.

But she agreed with his words.

"You’re right."

As a Gym Leader, facing and controlling Primal Groudon, even for a short time, is something not even ordinary Gym Leaders can accomplish.

Even the Chikara Gym Leader from Johto or the Izuchi Gym Leader from Sinnoh would struggle.

Watching Giovanni disappear around the corner, Hiruna mused,

"But he does seem like a good person."

Good person?

Jinghe’s expression turned a bit odd.

He wondered how Boss Giovanni would react if he heard this evaluation from their “bamboo.”

Night fell.

The campfire crackled, and the flames danced.

"Show me."

Jinghe grabbed the longest spike on Gengar’s back, holding it like a small handle, preventing him from slipping back into the shadows.

“Gengar.”

Gengar chuckled, scratched his head, and suddenly pointed to the sky.

“Gengar!”

Look, a flying saucer!

He then tried to run away, but Jing He was still holding onto his tail, causing Gengar's feet to slip on the ground.

Turning around, he saw Jing He's teasing eyes.

After being together for so long, how could I not know what you, you little purple fatty, are thinking?

“Haha, I can tell if your farts stink just by the way you wiggle your tail.”

“Gengar?” Gengar pinched his nose, waved his hands in front of his face, and looked utterly disgusted.

You actually pay attention to that?

A black line appeared on Jing He's forehead. “Don’t make me delete your entire browsing history.”

“Gengar!”

Gengar immediately opened his mouth and pulled out a palm-sized stone that emitted a rainbow glow.

Seeing this, Jing He's pupils dilated, and his mouth twitched.

“How did you manage to extract this?”

This rainbow-glowing stone was the very Rainbow Meteorite that caused Rayquaza's Mega Evolution and the chaos between the Johto Groudon and the Hoenn Groudon!

Although, this palm-sized piece was much smaller compared to the massive Rainbow Meteorite from before.

Back then, in Johto, when Groudon and Kyogre met, the Rainbow Meteorite was formed and condensed. To prevent these two giants from obtaining it, Gengar, following Jing He's instructions, sent the meteorite to the Ruined World.

However, the Rainbow Meteorite was difficult to preserve and would disappear after a certain period. It would only re-form when enough Mega Energy was present.

So, at the time, neither Jing He, the Pokémon Gods of Hoenn, nor Rayquaza cared much about it.

Who knew that Gengar had managed to extract a piece and kept it for himself?

“No wonder the consumption during Mega Evolution keeps increasing,” Jing He murmured.

“Gengar!” Gengar grinned, showing his teeth.

“Don’t get too cocky.” Jing He lightly tapped Gengar on the head, annoyed.

Gengar immediately covered his head and pouted.

This is unreasonable! As a Ghost-type Pokémon, how can a human's punch even hit me?

Even a Fighting-type would just pass through, right?

Jing He is so unreasonable!

Even though Jing He didn't use much force, Gengar still acted like he was wronged. Jing He rolled his eyes at the little purple fatty.

“Machamp~~”

Machamp approached Jing He, sniffing the air around him.

“What’s wrong, Machamp? The food is with Mewtwo and Rotom.” Jing He noticed the little guy he hadn’t seen in a while and pointed to Mewtwo's barbecue stall and Rotom's oven and fridge.

“Burp~” Machamp belched, patted his belly, and indicated he was already full.

He moved closer to Jing He, sniffed again, and tilted his head.

“Machamp?”

Machamp sensed a familiar yet strange smell on Jing He.

Realizing this, Jing He said, “You mean this?”

He pulled out the Z-Crystal that belonged to Machamp from his pocket.

Although it was supposed to be Machamp’s exclusive Z-Crystal, for some reason, his Gengar could also use it, probably because the moves had the same origin.

“Machamp!”

Machamp immediately jumped up, looking excited.

This is it! This is it!

“Maybe I’ll let you use it sometime.” Jing He couldn’t help but smile.

Machamp nodded eagerly.

“By the way, Machamp, what have you been up to lately?” Jing He asked.

Machamp rolled his eyes, swayed his body, and acted like he was about to collapse from exhaustion. Gengar floated behind him and caught him.

Then, Gengar and Machamp put on a dramatic scene, acting like “Don’t die, you must live on,” which left Jing He feeling helpless.

“Machamp!”

Getting back to the point.

Machamp quietly indicated that it was all Ho-Oh's fault for giving out too many feathers, forcing him to run around and “guide” the holders of those feathers.

This was very troublesome.

More importantly, these feathers never stayed with one person.

For example, a father might pass one to his son, a grandfather to his grandson, a teacher to a disciple. Some people hoped to see Ho-Oh and treated the feathers as treasures, passing them down through generations.

So, while Ho-Oh might only give out a few feathers in a given period, the accumulation over such a long time was really exhausting.

Jing He immediately understood and, using some of his restored Waveguide, gave Machamp a Waveguide massage.

“Machamp~ (3)”

Machamp promptly collapsed onto Jinghe’s lap at Mewtwo’s barbecue stand.

“Another one.”

Darkrai floated out of the shadows, tossing a few skewers into the trash bag and said to Mewtwo.

Mewtwo glanced at it and expressionlessly handed over a few more skewers.

Why are these guys so hungry?

They've been grilling from morning till night, and they still haven't had enough?

Darkrai skillfully pulled off a skewer and nodded slightly. “Not bad, your grilling skills have improved a lot.”

Are you Jinghe’s Pokémon?

Mewtwo, looking at the skewer in his hand, suddenly asked.

“No.” Darkrai replied coolly.

Then why are you working so hard? I thought you were Jinghe’s Pokémon.

Mewtwo’s voice was somewhat stiff.

But Darkrai didn’t seem to mind.

It watched as Jinghe massaged Machamp, fed Beartic some crispy biscuits, and told stories to Nine-Tails, Forger, and Dratini. Then it snapped back to reality and asked, “Aren’t you the same?”

It glanced at Mewtwo.

This guy, like it, was one of the only two Pokémon who stayed behind.

Mewtwo was silent.

“Besides, who says you have to be someone’s Pokémon to fight for them?”

Huh?

Darkrai pulled off another skewer.

“The word ‘friend’ is enough.”

Friend?

Mewtwo nodded thoughtfully.

Darkrai threw away the skewer. “By the way, more skewers, and make them spicier.”

Mewtwo: “.”

Boom!!!

Suddenly, a loud noise came from outside the yard, but it didn’t seem to faze Jinghe, Hiruna, or the Pokémon inside.

A moment later, Giovanni, with bandages wrapped around him, walked into the yard, looking refreshed and invigorated.

Behind him, Daiya, who was already bruised and swollen, was now grimacing and limping in, supported by a Blaziken.

Jinghe’s expression was odd when he saw this.

Daiya really had some nerve.

To challenge Giovanni, the leader.

Not to mention the type disadvantage—a fire-type trainer challenging a ground-type master.

What’s the difference between this and a Doduo picking a fight with a Conkeldurr?

Especially when the opponent is “Giovanni of the Earth.”

Jinghe could only admire his courage.

“Ouch—” Daiya plopped down beside Jinghe’s wheelchair, gasping for breath. “Teacher Jinghe, Uncle Giovanni is really strong.”

You don’t say, Jinghe thought to himself.

Even at his peak, Aoi would likely lose more often than win against a peak Giovanni.

Especially with such a severe type disadvantage.

“By the way.” Daiya scratched his head. “Why do I feel like you, Big Sister, and Uncle Giovanni have all been healed, but not me?”

“It’s your imagination.” Jinghe looked straight ahead, maintaining a serious tone.

“Imagination?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright…”

At this moment, Giovanni, now dressed in a suit, approached and said to Daiya with satisfaction, “You did well. How about it? Want to work for me—cough, want to take a position at my new company?”

“A position?” Daiya was taken aback.

“Good salary.”

Daiya’s eyes lit up.

Just a position, huh?

“Cough, Leader Giovanni.” Jinghe lightly coughed to remind him.

Giovanni snapped back to reality, paused, and then nodded slightly to Jinghe. “You’re right, it’s too early. Let’s wait two months.”

“Agreed.” Jinghe nodded in agreement.

“Huh?”

Daiya looked confused, glancing between Jinghe and Giovanni, not understanding what was going on.

“By the way, there’s something else.”

Jinghe seemed to remember something and called out, “Xiaoruan.”

Plop—

A green cell dropped into his palm and propped itself up.

I’ve told you many times, I’m not called ‘Xiaoruan.’

“Okay, Xiaoruan, I understand, Xiaoruan, no problem, Xiaoruan.”

Giratina Core: “.”

“Let’s get to the point. Your issue, Leader Giovanni might be able to help with.”

Huh?

Giovanni and Giratina Core were both taken aback and looked at each other.

Jinghe then whispered to Giovanni, “Let me introduce you. My friend, Gigalith, is a Mythical Beast, Ground type.”

Giovanni’s eyes showed a hint of change.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end