Chapter 682: The Goal, Victory Road!

Chapter 682: The Goal, Victory Road! (Two-in-One, Requesting Monthly Votes!)

The massive Gigalith loomed majestically, and the league trainers quickly directed their Pokémon to respond.

Jinghe and Karin arrived a bit later, but their immediate actions had a significant impact.

"Espeon, Psychic!"

"Blastoise, Rock Spear!"

Thud, thud, thud—

Sharp rock spears shot up from the ground, not attacking the Gigalith but encircling it, slightly hindering its progress.

"The center! The most energy is concentrated in the red core at its center!" Dr. Blattano shouted, holding his notebook.

"Teacher Jinghe?" Karin couldn’t help but look at Jinghe.

"Just a moment, just a little longer."

Buzz—

As they spoke, the red core at the center of the Gigalith suddenly burst with an intensely bright light, followed by a powerful shockwave.

"Darkrai!"

A black shadow darted forward, and Darkrai appeared, spreading its arms to face the brilliant ray with a massive black hole.

Darkrai gritted its teeth.

It hadn’t expected a mere stone to unleash such a powerful impact. This was almost on par with Dialga’s Roar of Time.

"Found it!"

Jinghe’s eyes lit up.

"Gengar!"

Suddenly, a Gengar emerged from the shadows on the Gigalith’s body, finding Flarov, who had red eyes and was hidden within the Gigalith.

"Damn it, let me go!"

After being illuminated by Kuroseroski’s beam, Flarov was now consumed by negative emotions, acting purely on instinct, far from the calm and collected figure he once was.

As Gengar found Flarov, the Gigalith immediately went into a frenzy, its numerous black and red tentacles flailing wildly, trying to knock Gengar away.

However, Gengar, following Jinghe’s instructions, was prepared. He reached out and created a fissure, tossing Flarov inside and then following him.

When they reappeared, they were already by Jinghe’s side.

"Take it off." Jinghe pointed to the golden device on Flarov’s arm.

"The world needs to be remade."

Bang!!

Flarov roared viciously, but a small wooden stick suddenly appeared behind his head and struck him hard. His eyes rolled back, and he fell straight to the ground.

"Masquer!" Masquerade dropped the stick and clapped his hands.

Karin and Dr. Blattano: "..."

Gengar couldn’t help but glance at it.

It seemed that Masquerade’s “Hammer Sleep” method was sometimes more effective than Hypnosis.

Gengar wasted no time and promptly removed the golden device from Flarov’s left arm.

"What’s this?" Karin and Dr. Blattano, along with the others, looked over.

"A controller."

Jinghe immediately put it on his own arm.

Then he discovered that it was quite advanced, bound to the user, and others couldn’t use it even if they tried.

"Sure enough."

Jinghe shook his head.

"Rotom!"

"Here, Rotom!"

Rotom flew out from the Pokédex in Jinghe’s pocket and, at his signal, dove into the golden device.

It was uncertain whether Rotom could hack it.

If not, they might have to destroy the Gigalith forcefully.

But not entirely.

Jinghe took out his phone and found Giovanni’s number.

He dialed.

"The situation here is under control", Giovanni’s voice came through.

Kuroseroski, as the second-in-command of the Blaziken Squad, continued to organize the squad’s actions even after Flarov’s disappearance, attempting to overturn the world once again.

So.

Dealing with the Blaziken Squad was like dealing with the Plasma Team. Simply capturing the leader, whether Flarov or Ghetsis, wasn’t enough.

Additionally.

It would be best to capture the rest of the Blaziken Squad as well, if possible.

"Lend me the Metagross Beta", Jinghe said.

The Metagross Beta had already been dispatched by Giovanni from Team Rocket before Jinghe, Giovanni, and Daiya entered the Flarov Research Institute.

During the supposed battle between Jinghe and Flarov, it had quietly infiltrated the Flarov Research Institute’s system.

It had collected all the “crimes” committed by the Flarov Research Institute and the Blaziken Squad.

After all, if Flarov had been cooperative, Jinghe, even as the Chief of the International Police, couldn’t just arrest a representative of a research institute that paid substantial taxes every year.

In addition, Metagross Beta had gathered a significant amount of covert information on Blaziken Squad members.

When it came to infiltrating the League, if Team Rocket claimed first place, the Blaziken Squad would undoubtedly take second. Pachira was a typical example, but he certainly wasn't the only one. Therefore, it was essential to gather all this information.

Furthermore, the Blaziken Squad had secret bases scattered throughout the Kalos Region, with countless officers and elite members. Most of these would need to be arrested.

In Jing He's view, cutting the grass without uprooting it was as good as not cutting it at all.

And Team Rocket, coincidentally, needed a workforce for their "construction projects" to develop and mine resources.

Of course, the vast majority of Blaziken Squad members would be arrested by the International Police.

In reality, what Jing He and Giovanni were most concerned about was the "Holographic Imaging Technology" developed by the Flarov Research Institute. With the widespread adoption of this technology, it had effectively monitored the information of trainers throughout the Kalos Region and beyond.

Among this data were several Pokémon hunters that Jing He deeply despised, as well as various factions that had collaborated with the Blaziken Squad.

Solving this issue wasn't as simple as just taking down Flarov.

To dismantle a massive organization:

Either a new "leader" would need to reorganize it, as with the Plasma Team.

Or, like Magma Team and Aqua Team, most of its top leadership would need to be eliminated.

Otherwise, it would end up like the Galactic Team in the Sinnoh Region, where Wuson was still dealing with the remaining members.

"I've sent it over", Giovanni said without hesitation.

When it came to using electrical devices, Rotom was undoubtedly the expert.

However, in terms of hacking and networking, Metagross Beta far outstripped Rotom.

The round, two-colored Pokémon had a dazed expression, and the long-unseen Metagross Beta appeared to have changed little.

But artificial intelligence progresses, and its eyes held a profound depth.

After surveying the area, it dove into the machinery.

A dual-pronged approach!

Zzzt—

The machinery in Flarov's lab came to life.

Jing He looked toward the distant Petalburg City.

He wondered how Mewtwo was faring.

If he were Flarov, planning to destroy the world, he would definitely play a two-pronged strategy.

On one front, he would personally oversee the "Gigalith", and by touching the sundial and harnessing its power, he could unleash tremendous strength.

On the other side, in Petalburg City, he would send someone to activate the "Ultimate Weapon." While he might not have the activation key, years of research might have allowed him to bypass it, or he might have obtained critical components from King AZ.

Before long, Metagross Beta and Rotom flew out together.

The entire Blaziken Squad system had been hacked by Metagross Beta, and such a simple security system posed no challenge.

Rotom, on the other hand, half-closed its eyes and scrutinized the seemingly dazed Metagross Beta.

Sensing a "threat."

This guy...

Is he trying to take my place as the "best tool"?

Danger! Danger!

Seeing this, Jing He put on the golden, bracelet-like device and immediately felt a connection to the "Gigalith."

It was a mystical connection, similar to the bond between a trainer and their Pokémon during a Mega Evolution.

However, the "Gigalith" exerted a far more oppressive force than a Mega Evolution.

And due to the integration of negative emotions similar to those of Ultra Pokémon Hoopa, it began to influence Jing He's will.

Fortunately, he was already quite familiar with this energy.

Boom!!

The rampaging "Gigalith" suddenly paused, and the surrounding Gym Leaders and League trainers, who had been trying to stop it, were taken aback by this unexpected turn of events.

"Gengar, Male", Jing He closed his eyes and whispered, "Help me."

"Gengue~"

Gengar, Male licked his lips, smacking them as if savoring something, and quickly floated beside Jing He.

The Waveguide power worked to peel away the negative energy.

Meanwhile, Gengar, Male, who was more familiar with the Mega Evolution power of the "Iridescent Megalith", managed to loosen its hold after some effort.

Karin and Dr. Blattano watched the scene, puzzled.

Though they didn't understand what Jing He was doing, they could tell that he had stopped the "Gigalith" from moving.

"See?" Xiaoruan said with a smug look, raising an eyebrow at its partner.

Z2 remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

"I thought he would need our power to succeed."

To be honest,

It had no intention of helping humans at all.

But after the brief interaction on the plane and Jinghe's rescue, it began to reconsider its stance.

It never imagined

That it would be resolved so quickly, even before it made up its mind?

Z2 lifted its head, looking up at Jinghe.

From this person's perspective, humans were indeed different from its preconceptions.

"This is Jinghe!" Xiaoruan said with a sense of pride, as if proving something to its partner.

"Pity..." Jinghe, who had his eyes closed, sighed. "I can't pilot the 'Gundam' now."

Gundam?

Z2 looked at Xiaoruan.

"What's a 'Gundam'?"

Xiaoruan's expression was slightly uneasy. It coughed lightly and turned its head away.

"If everything goes as expected... it probably refers to us."

Z2: "???"

Just as it finished speaking,

Boom!!

The Gigalith collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Blastoise got its meal!

A large amount of gray-brown rock fell to the ground and crumbled into dust.

Meal (crossed out).

The scattered light converged into a brilliant Rainbow Meteorite.

This time,

The Rainbow Meteorite appeared and disappeared quickly, vanishing like starlight in the blink of an eye.

Only a few craters remained on the ground.

Gengar, Male, opened his mouth in regret.

My meteorite...

"Is it over?" Karin asked, dazed.

Dr. Blattano stared at the screen, which no longer showed any energy fluctuations.

"Seems... so."

He had expected a grand battle where Jinghe would summon numerous Mythical Beasts for a spectacular clash.

Karin had thought the same.

But it ended so quickly, so simply.

However,

It was a good thing that everything concluded in this relatively peaceful manner.

At that moment,

Elite Four Dolassena approached.

"It looks like it's over."

Jinghe opened his eyes and held out a Usb drive, looking at Karin and then at Dolassena before handing it to her.

"Champion Dolassena."

"This is..."

Jinghe's lips moved, and he spoke a few brief words.

Dolassena's expression immediately turned serious, and she nodded solemnly.

"I understand."

The Elite Four, Gym Leaders, and League Trainers, who had relaxed after the Time ended, were once again summoned by Dolassena for an emergency operation!

Karin had also heard Jinghe mention "evidence" and "names", and she looked at her unconscious friend Flarov with a complex expression.

She had tried her best.

But she never expected Flarov to be so deeply involved.

Thus, this event, which seemed to have caused quite a stir, ended in this peculiar way.

In reality, it took much longer than Jinghe and Giovanni had anticipated.

On one hand,

The Flarov Research Institute and Blaziken Squad, known for their technology, were not easy to hack.

If not for the battle between Jinghe and Flarov, which drew the attention of most Blaziken Squad members, the Metagross Beta wouldn't have been able to infiltrate so easily. It might have been caught immediately upon entry.

On the other hand,

Flarov had prepared multiple contingencies. Whether it was Kuroseroski or the "Ultimate Weapon", he had distributed them externally.

In such a situation, even if Flarov was taken down swiftly, the outcome would have been the same.

But even so,

By combining the Rocket Team's unorthodox methods with the League's official procedures, they managed to uproot the deeply entrenched Blaziken Squad from the Kalos Region, digging it out root and branch.

As for the damage,

When Z2 transformed into the Red Gigalith, it did cause some damage to a part of Mémoire City, but fortunately, there were no casualties.

The destruction of buildings, with the resources and abilities in the Pokémon world, was easy to repair.

After the Gigalith was destroyed and all the vines disappeared, the process became even easier.

The destruction caused by the Gigalith was minimal, as the battlefield had been moved outside Mémoire City. Apart from some streets, there was no substantial damage.

However, a piece of information found in the Flarov Research Institute's data caught the Metagross Beta's attention.

Aether Foundation!

This wasn't actually the first time Jinghe had come across information about the "Aether Foundation."

He had seen it in the notes from the fallen Plasma Team, or rather, from Acromax's notebook.

He had also encountered it through Hunter J and the Ghost Pirate Pokémon Hunter Gang.

And even more so,

he learned from Giovanni that the former Pokémon hunting division of Team Rocket also had a certain level of cooperation with the Aether Foundation.

This made Jinghe sigh.

"The Aether Foundation's reach is really too extensive. No wonder the 'Rainbow Rocket' incident happened."

The so-called "Rainbow Rocket" incident was actually related to the "Ultra Wormholes" in the Alola Region, involving the "multiverse" concept in the Pokémon world.

Among the members, besides Giovanni, were Tabitha of Magma Team, Shelly of Aqua Team, Cyrus of Galactic Team, Ghetsis of Plasma Team, and Flarov of the Blaziken Squad!

These people, with their dark and evil thoughts, resonated with the energy that could open the "Ultra Wormholes" emanating from Necrozma, summoning them to Alola.

Thus, these leaders of various evil organizations actually came from worlds where they had achieved their ambitions.

Add to that Zaobor of the Foundation,

and it was hard for Jinghe not to suspect that the Aether Foundation was closely linking these evil organizations to prepare for something along these lines.

"Whatever."

Jinghe shook his head, stifling his thoughts.

"Even if Boss Giovanni is on our side, these so-called evil organization leaders, without a truly charismatic 'leader,' would probably fight among themselves first."

Besides, it's not certain that such a "sci-fi" scenario would really happen.

After all, the "multiverse" concept in the Pokémon world has proven to be quite disappointing.

With Mewtwo carrying the last high-ranking officer of the Blaziken Squad, the red-haired Akabi, back from Petalburg City, the matter was finally resolved.

Kalos Region, League Headquarters.

A man with fiery red hair, resembling a lion, sat in a room filled with monitors, looking as if he had aged ten years, devoid of spirit.

In front of him sat a woman in a white dress, with an exceptionally delicate face, but a somewhat complex expression.

Karin!

As a former good friend, Karin handed him a cup of coffee.

"Flarov."

Since the Mémoire City incident, Flarov had been confined here, not allowed to leave.

Surprisingly, Flarov had been unusually compliant, like a soulless shell, sitting in silence every day.

Hearing Karin's voice, the dull and lost look in Flarov's eyes finally showed a glimmer of life. He slowly raised his head, looked at this familiar yet distant friend, nodded without expression, and then held the coffee cup with both hands, taking a sip.

After a long while,

Flarov finally spoke in a hoarse voice, "Bitter."

Karin was taken aback, gently stirring the spoon in her cup, "This is the coffee you used to love."

Used to...

Flarov frowned and slowly said,

"I used to think, the bitterness comes before the sweetness. Bitterness, though painful, brings a lingering sweetness that one yearns to enjoy. To savor the sweetness, the bitterness is inevitable, and the more bitter it is, the sweeter the aftertaste."

Karin understood that her friend was using the coffee as a metaphor.

The "bitterness" referred to the destruction of the world, while the "sweetness" was the "beautiful new world" he envisioned.

But...

"But I realized, I was wrong."

Huh?

Karin looked up, her eyes holding a hint of surprise.

Flarov put down the coffee cup, pressing his fingers against his temples.

"That day, I had a dream... it must have been a dream that Jinghe's teacher made me have, showing me a 'new world' different from what I knew."

He lightly rubbed the rim of the cup, swirling the coffee.

"That 'new world' was empty, desolate, and silent."

Karin didn't know what Flarov had "dreamed" or "seen", but seeing her former close friend in this state, she didn't know whether to be happy or sad for him.

With Flarov's abilities, steady development, he could have become not just the champion of the Kalos Region, but even the president of the Kalos League.

And she knew about Flarov's ideals.

But knowing was one thing.

She could never really join Flarov in such a mad endeavor.

One could only say,

if Flarov realized his mistake now, it wasn't too late.

"Have you figured it out?" Karin asked cautiously.

Flarov fell silent again.

"No", he gritted his teeth, shaking his head, "I need to wait for a result."

"A result?"

Flarov slightly tilted his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through the thick walls, crossing mountains and rivers to see a vague figure.

"Let 'him' verify it for me one more time!"

The incident in Mémoire City was significant, but the commotion it caused was minimal.

After all, it wasn't a proud moment that the Flarov Research Institute, a landmark in the Kalos Region, turned out to be the base of the Blaziken Squad.

So, the Kalos League not only suppressed the situation but also took over the Blaziken Squad members.

Furthermore, they dispatched professionals to take control of the Flarov Research Institute.

The league also took over the "holographic projection" technology, which has strong functional capabilities, and planned to continue researching and expanding it.

Of course, none of this had much to do with Jinghe.

He was still lamenting the fact that he couldn't pilot a "Gundam."

But at least everything had ended smoothly.

Boss Giovanni had already returned to Kanto, and King AZ, with Jinghe's help, had successfully established contact with Team Rocket. The hotel construction was handed over to the "Rainbow Rocket Group's" Construction Department.

As for Ailan.

The mischievous child was convinced by Flarov and was taken back by Dr. Blattano.

Fortunately, it was just a brief persuasion, so it shouldn't be too difficult to set things right.

It's just hard to predict what might happen if he encounters Satoshi again in the future. Will "Water Gun" still appear?

Apart from this, Jinghe did something significant!

He managed to "kidnap" the two cores of Gigalith.

Actually, Jinghe had previously invited "Xiaoruan" to visit Hoenn.

But at that time, Xiaoruan was busy looking for a partner and, as the "God of Order" of the Kalos Region, couldn't leave the region easily, so they didn't go together.

But this time,

Jinghe, using the excuse of letting "Z2" learn more about humans and the human world, had an easier time convincing them.

He also clearly stated that they could return anytime they wanted, and he could even have Hoopa or Giratina help them get back.

As for whether the "God of Order" coming to Hoenn would be met with hostility from the local deities,

As long as they don't overuse their powers, who would care about two cells?

Besides,

In Hoenn, whether it's Rayquaza or Groudon, Jinghe still has some influence. As long as he doesn't do anything outrageous, like transforming in public, there shouldn't be any issues.

And the safety of the Kalos Region?

Well, their cells would constantly monitor the situation. If anything unexpected happens, Hoopa and Giratina can still send them back in time.

So,

Driven by their curiosity about the human world (and its food), the two cores of Gigalith were secretly "kidnapped" to Hoenn by Jinghe, without anyone knowing.

"Gengar!"

Gengar stood under the sun, on an open island, spreading his arms excitedly as he introduced the two Gigalith cores.

This! Is my "kingdom"!

Kingdom?

The Giratina cores looked at each other, puzzled.

This barren place?

Apart from the somewhat soft soil, what else is there?

Unlike their confusion, Daiya's reaction was much more enthusiastic.

"Teacher Jinghe, is this your island?!"

Daiya stomped the ground, his face full of shock.

Coming from a poor background, how could he still only have a few coins in his pocket, while Teacher Jinghe already had an invisible flying vehicle and an island?

"Island lord Jinghe?"

Jinghe squinted his eyes, savoring the pleasant title.

He was just one step away from being called "Lawyer Zhang" like Zhang Wei.

It wouldn't be as satisfying to tell people like Da, Hiruna, and Wuson, who are already wealthy, but Daiya's expression was exactly what Jinghe "hoped" to see.

Comfortable.

Mind at ease!

"Ahem, Groudon left this behind, and I thought it was nice, so I applied to keep it", Jinghe said with a nonchalant expression.

He had always considered himself a rather vain person, yes, he was very thorough in his self-assessment.

"Um."

Daiya cautiously approached Jinghe, lowering his voice.

"Teacher Jinghe, can you ask Groudon to make one for me too?"

Jinghe: "..."

He walked past Daiya towards the two Giratina cores.

"Do you see anything that needs improvement here?"

As "Gods of Order", although they couldn't easily make the entire island come to life like "Life Gods", they were essentially a form of plant and should have many ways to help.

The two Giratina cores stiffened at Jinghe's words.

Improvement?

This place is completely barren, okay?

It's more like a complete reshaping.

"Did we... get tricked?" Z2 whispered.

Perhaps it's just asking us to help out a bit.

Xiaoruan said this with little confidence.

Z2 glanced at the hardworking Diglett, whose body seemed to have grown thinner from the labor.

Just like it?

Although this was a small island, the terrain was originally solidified lava, making it much harder to transform into soil compared to a forest. Diglett was known for helping to loosen the soil, but it must have been exhausting.

Xiaoruan's face stiffened, unsure of what to say for a moment.

Z2, as if realizing something, said, Humans are indeed sinister.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Jinghe handed over two energy bars.

Xiaoruan immediately chimed in, Indeed, 'sinister'!

Z2: Hmm!

After securing the two Giratina cores, Jinghe took out two Poké Balls and threw them.

"Come on out, Ride Ponyta!"

Red light flashed, and two Ride Ponyta appeared on the island.

These were borrowed from Grandpa Fukai's farm in Kalos. According to Grandpa Fukai's experience, having Ride Ponyta improve the vegetation on newly cultivated land was the best approach.

Sure enough, as soon as the two Ride Ponyta landed, soft grass began to grow under their hooves.

Jinghe had always had a lingering doubt. Ride Ponyta could produce grass on their own, and one of their foods was grass. Did that make them a perpetual motion machine of sorts?

Unfortunately, the "Grass Pledge" ability was exclusive to the Kalos region's starter Pokémon—Grookey, Thwackey, and Cinderace—and the Alola region's guardian deity, Tapu Bulu. If a Pokémon with this ability were on the island, the effect might be even better than with Ride Ponyta.

Jinghe then took out two more ordinary energy bars to serve as the Ride Ponyta's food.

Although the grass could "self-produce", relying solely on it for nutrition would be insufficient, and the effect of sowing the grass would not be as good as it is now. If the Ride Ponyta returned to Grandpa Fukai thin and weak, that would be unacceptable.

Once the island's vegetation became lush and the ecosystem began to balance, he wouldn't need to continue supplying energy bars, allowing the island's ecosystem to achieve a true cycle.

In summary, the Diglett's hard work and the Ride Ponyta's initial grass planting had laid a good foundation for the island's ecosystem.

Next, Jinghe called out his own Pokémon to play and check the island's condition, looking for any potential issues.

After all, they were in the ocean, and there were many wild Pokémon in the sea. Occasionally, more aggressive ones might attack the Diglett and Ride Ponyta, which would be problematic.

In the Hoenn region, Sharpedo and Gyarados were particularly notorious among Water Pokémon.

However, after playing for a while and seeing that the grass had already covered a small patch of land, Jinghe received a call from Genji.

"Are you back in Hoenn?"

"Um, just got back."

After causing such a commotion in the Kalos region, it would be strange if the Hoenn League didn't contact him upon his return.

"I'm at your shop's entrance", Genji said.

The shop's entrance?

So quickly?

"Be right there."

Jinghe looked around and sighed.

"Dratini!"

Since Genji was already there, it wouldn't be polite to keep him waiting too long.

For flying, Dratini was undoubtedly simpler than the invisible flyer. The flyer hadn't been "registered", and he didn't want to get a fine if it was seen by the "old inspector."

In a couple of days, he could go through Da Wu's Devon Corporation to help register it, and there would be no problem.

"Whoa~~"

Dratini took off excitedly. Recently, it had been "studying" the "Dragon Pledge Scroll" and gained new insights, and it had also gained some understanding of the small "Rainbow Meteorite" from Gengar. Its speed had improved significantly.

"Slow down!"

Maybe his Dratini really had the potential to circle the Earth in 16 hours.

His Dratini was already at the level of a champion's main Pokémon. If it went into a frenzy, who knew what might happen.

In Canalave City.

Jinghe met Genji at the café's entrance. Genji was standing with his robe open, looking ready for battle.

Upon seeing Jinghe, his first words were, "When did you get involved with Giovanni?"

As expected.

The true upper echelons of the League knew the details about Giovanni.

With the Hoenn Champion absent, Bony, the Elite Four member, handled internal affairs in Hoenn, while Genji represented Johto in external matters.

Jinghe didn't answer immediately but, after a moment's thought, said, "Genji, I want to challenge the 'Victory Road' in Hoenn."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end