Chapter 690: Regieleki: My 'Home' Is Gone?

Chapter 690: Regieleki: My 'Home' Is Gone? (Two-in-One, Requesting Monthly Votes!)

“Ever since we arrived at the Crown Snowfield, you’ve been unusually quiet and not as active. Is something on your mind?”

Jing He didn’t immediately enter the Legacy of Choice. Instead, he took a moment to rest outside and then pulled Regieleki aside, asking a question he already knew the answer to.

“Regi.”

Regieleki replied softly, his signal light flickering.

As one of the ultra-ancient giants, Regieleki inherited the straightforward and simple nature of Regigigas, as well as the tireless and devoted spirit. In simpler terms, he was a lovable, simple-minded creature, even more so than a Blastoise.

However, this didn’t mean that Regieleki lacked his own thoughts and feelings. He just didn’t know how to express them.

But Jing He, the “Pokémon psychologist,” wouldn’t be much of a teacher if he couldn’t pick up on such subtle cues.

He could sense it.

Regieleki seemed hesitant, unsure whether he should return to the legacy to sleep.

This hesitation could be attributed to Jing He and his Pokémon. Over the time they had spent together, Regieleki had felt a sense of connection, a feeling of having made friends, something he had never experienced before.

However, his instincts told him that these feelings didn’t belong to him. His duty was to guard the legacy, even though he didn’t know what exactly he was guarding.

This confusion was something Regieleki couldn’t even name, let alone understand.

“Shall we go in?” Jing He asked.

“Regi,” Regieleki nodded obediently.

Regieleki might not have recognized his hesitation, but Jing He did. He decided that it would be best to let Regieleki make his own choice when the final decision was truly upon him.

Choice?

Jing He paused, then looked up at the ancient doors of the legacy.

“Legacy of Choice.”

Rumble—

The moss-covered, vine-entangled doors slowly opened, releasing a wave of dust and decay.

“Cough, cough, cough.” Daiya waved his arms, trying to clear the air.

“Regi.”

Regieleki stepped inside, his signal light flashing rapidly.

“What a massive legacy.”

Upon entering, Daiya marveled at the vast space. The legacy was carved into the mountain, as if a significant portion of the mountain had been hollowed out. The interior was vast, with brickwork visible everywhere, somewhat resembling the internal structure of a pyramid.

However, the legacy had a unique feature.

From the center of the entrance, the legacy was almost evenly divided into two parts, each with distinct colors, decorations, and structures.

Most importantly, directly opposite the entrance, at the end of a passage leading to an unknown place, were clear marks of Regieleki’s and another ancient giant’s signal lights.

The true meaning of the Legacy of Choice was the choice between the Electric Pillar and the Dragon Pillar.

“This legacy,” Daiya exclaimed in realization, “is similar to the structure of the Snow Peak Temple!”

Jing He ignored Daiya’s outburst.

It was reasonable that the legacies of ancient giants would share similarities.

He looked at Regieleki, who stood motionless, his signal light flashing more rapidly.

After a moment of hesitation, Jing He said:

“Regieleki, if you wish, you can continue traveling with us.”

“Regi... Regi, Regieleki.”

Regieleki seemed not to hear Jing He’s words, repeating the same phrase—stay, leave, stay, leave—over and over.

It was as if a computer with limited processing power had crashed, stuck in an endless loop.

Jing He’s lips twitched.

“Hou.”

Nine-Tails approached Jing He, her tail naturally wrapping around his arm as she let out a low hum.

“What’s wrong?”

Looking into Nine-Tails’ icy blue eyes, Jing He was momentarily stunned.

Nine-Tails’ voice was gentle, but her words left Jing He speechless.

In essence, Nine-Tails was saying:

Jing He’s willingness to respect the self-determination of Pokémon was commendable, but it was more suitable for Pokémon with strong self-awareness, like Gengue, Thicklipuku, and Crimson Blade Phantom.

However, for Pokémon with weaker self-awareness or more timid personalities, it wasn’t always a good thing.

For example, Nine-Tails herself.

Initially, she had cowered in a pile of garbage, timid and easily frightened. It wasn’t until she had a few interactions with Jing He that she finally mustered the courage to make a decision. Only she knew how uncertain she had been at the time.

Even after returning home with Jing He, she spent most of her time hiding under the bed or in the cabinets, gradually opening up over time.

So, sometimes, as a trainer and a friend, it wasn’t necessary to let Pokémon make every decision on their own.

When it was clear what they were feeling but they were hesitant due to external factors, it might be better to—

Help it make the decision!

Isn't this also what friends should do for each other?

Trainers respect their Pokémon's choices, but Pokémon also respect their trainers' decisions, don't they?

Giving too much freedom can make Pokémon feel like you don't really care about their choices.

It can give them the impression that you don't take them seriously.

He had never even truly invited Regieleki to join him.

After hearing Nine-Tails' story and reflecting on it, Jing He slapped his forehead.

"Really, I’m obsessed."

Focusing solely on giving Pokémon enough respect and recognition, he forgot that as a trainer and a friend, sometimes it's okay to be a little "selfish."

"Thanks, Nine-Tails." Jing He squatted down and gently stroked Nine-Tails' head, speaking softly.

"Arf~"

Nine-Tails closed her eyes and nuzzled against Jing He’s hand.

Zap—

Suddenly, a golden arc of light flashed within the Legacy of Choice.

"Power, one hundred and fifty percent, Rotom!"

The Pokédex that had just touched Regieleki suddenly became brighter, showing an excess of power.

Huh?

"Regieleki." Regieleki seemed unaware, muttering incessantly.

"Gengue?"

Gengue approached, trying to shake Regieleki, but—

Zap!

As soon as his hand touched Regieleki, another golden arc of light flashed, and Gengue quickly withdrew his hand.

"Huff—huff—"

He blew on his hand, which had been electrocuted.

It had been a long time since he had been zapped by Regieleki.

Sensing Regieleki's unusual state, Gengue waved his hand in front of Regieleki but received no response.

He looked at Jing He and shrugged.

"Gengue~"

This is bad; the Electric Pillar seems to have really malfunctioned.

Jing He's face twitched.

Regieleki, you’re not even as good as an XP system.

He took a deep breath and stepped forward, speaking softly.

"Regieleki?"

But Regieleki still didn’t respond. Even when Jing He used Aura to try to communicate, he could only sense a chaotic mind.

This made Jing He feel a twinge of guilt.

Does it have to stay malfunctioned here forever?

Suddenly.

Rumble—

The entire Legacy of Choice shook violently, and a roar echoed from deep within.

"Regi—!!"

Jing He turned sharply to Daiya.

Daiya stood at the entrance to the deeper passage, looking back at Jing He with a bewildered expression.

Jing He rubbed his forehead and gestured to Daiya’s hand.

He saw that Daiya’s hand was resting on a sculpture to the right of the door.

Daiya had made his choice.

"Regidrago!!!"

A mechanical roar, accompanied by the beeping of a signal light, echoed from the passage.

Then.

A massive black shadow, like a gaping maw, lunged toward Daiya.

"Get out of the way!" Jing He shouted.

"Ku!"

Fortunately, Chimchar reacted much faster than Daiya at that moment, leaping and pushing Daiya to the side.

Bang!!

The fearsome maw snapped shut with a bone-chilling sound.

It was a massive, black dragon's head!

"Did the sculpture come to life?" Daiya asked, stunned.

The dragon's head slowly parted, revealing a dark red sphere with jagged patterns, and a signal light at its center, glowing with a dangerous red light!

It was the other God Pillar in the Legacy of Choice, the Dragon Pillar, Regidrago!

"Is this another ancient giant?"

Seeing the true form of Regidrago, Daiya swallowed hard.

"Obviously."

"Roar!!"

Dratini flew out from behind Jing He, its wings fluttering, ready for action.

A Dragon-type Pokémon!

Although it didn’t look much like a dragon—no, more accurately, it looked like just a dragon's head—the dense Dragon-type energy it exuded was unmistakable, even to Dratini.

Jing He glanced at Dratini, hesitated for a moment, but did not stop him.

Regidrago was the only God Pillar that Regigigas had not completed, yet it could rival the other four God Pillars, and perhaps even surpass them!

Legend has it that in ancient times, the Pillar King Regigigas tried to create its greatest helper, Regidrago, using the purest "Dragon Crystals."

However, during the creation process, Regigigas realized that the "Dragon Crystals" it needed far exceeded its expectations. The "Dragon Crystals" it had prepared were only enough to create a head.

Even so, Regidrago's abilities satisfied Regigigas.

The ancient people, fearing that Regidrago’s entire body might one day be completed, sealed it away.

In a sense, Regidrago is the only God Pillar with the potential for significant growth.

Even without a complete body, Regidrago is extremely powerful, especially with its ability, Dragon Jaw!

[Dragon Jaw: Pokémon with this ability have their Dragon-type moves' power increased by 50%.]

To compare, Regieleki, which is often mentioned alongside Regidrago, has a similar ability called Electromagnet, but its effect is much weaker.

[Electromagnet: Pokémon with this ability have their Electric-type moves' power increased by 30% (in the ninth generation, this was reduced from 50% to 30%, which is quite disappointing).]

Both were signature abilities, both aimed to boost the power of moves of their type, yet there was a 20% difference!

The signal lights of Regidrago buzzed intermittently, his gaze sweeping across the scene. The original target was Daiya, who had triggered the mechanism, but the sight of the flying Dratini immediately captured his attention.

A battle between Dragon-type Pokémon!

"Regi—"

Regidrago emitted a mechanical sound. The dark red crystal core in the center of his body pulsed with a surging dark purple Dragon-type energy, as if countless dragons of various forms were surging within.

When Regigigas created Regidrago, he used a "Dragon Crystal" formed by the long-term accumulation of many Dragon-type Pokémon. Thus, it was said that Regidrago possessed all the abilities of Dragon-type Pokémon.

It was also because of the existence of this "Dragon Crystal" that so many Dragon-type Pokémon inhabited the Three Forks Plain.

Next, the upper and lower jaws of Regidrago, which had been separated, quickly closed, leaving only his mouth open, like the head of a dragon preparing to exhale.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

The gathering energy and the buzzing of the signal lights intertwined, and anyone could feel the intense threat emanating from Regidrago.

Jing He's expression was serious, his demeanor stern. Without holding back, he immediately extended his Aura Power.

At the same time, he quickly issued commands.

"Dratini, use Extremespeed to dodge! You can't take this move!"

You can't take it.

Because the move Regidrago was about to use was its signature move, "Dragon Power."

[Dragon Power: The power of the move decreases as the user’s HP decreases!]

This was a Dragon-type move on par with the Fire-type move "Flamethrower" and the Water-type move "Hydro Pump", with a maximum power of 150!

More powerful than Dragon Tail and Dragon Meteor.

Without a doubt, Regidrago was in peak condition when he first appeared, and the power of Dragon Power was at its highest.

Combined with the boost from the "Dragon Jaw" ability.

"Drago!!"

The black dragon's mouth suddenly opened wide, and a terrifying dragon breath, accompanied by surging energy, was unleashed.

"Ugh!!"

While Dratini was strong against Dragon-type Pokémon, it couldn't ignore Jing He's commands during battle.

Thus, before the Dragon Power impact reached it, Dratini's body turned into a streak of white light, moving at an incredible speed to disappear from Regidrago's sight.

Boom!!

The energy that missed its target erupted within the ruins, causing a massive explosion, and the entire ruins seemed to tremble.

"Dragon Dive!" Jing He waved his hand.

After Dratini dodged Regidrago's attack and flew into the air, its wings suddenly flapped, and a surging blue-purple energy erupted from its body, forming a dragon-shaped aura around it.

The dragon tore through the air with fierce momentum, charging straight toward Regidrago.

Facing Dratini's Dragon Dive, Regidrago did not dodge. Instead, he swung his lower jaw to meet the attack.

Dragon Claw!

Bang!!

The collision of the two powerful forces instantly created a massive shockwave, causing Daiya, Jing He, and their Pokémon to step back.

"Regi!"

But with a low growl from Regidrago,

Boom—

Dratini's large body was thrown backward, crashing into the wall of the ruins, leaving a clearly outlined indentation.

Seeing this, Jing He's brow furrowed.

Such immense power.

Even with Dragon Dive, Dragon Claw still had the upper hand.

Crash, crash, crash—

Rocks continued to fall, and the injured Dratini, after a brief pause, flew up again.

Regidrago wasted no time, his mouth opening and closing once more to unleash another scorching Dragon Power.

It was as if he had been asleep for a long time and had an endless supply of energy to unleash.

Dratini suppressed the pain and quickly flapped its wings, flying along the wall of the ruins to avoid the Dragon Power energy.

Jing He's face was serious, his Aura and eyes closely monitoring the battle.

Dratini's advantage was speed.

"Right now!" Seeing the Dragon Power energy weakening, Jing He gave a low command without hesitation:

"Dratini, Dragon Tail!"

Dragon Tail, activate!

Roar!!

A fierce dark red aura suddenly surged from Dratini's body, and its eyes were filled with bloodshot veins.

But under the calming influence of Jing He's Aura and its own adaptation over time, it immediately suppressed the raging anger in its heart. It folded its wings and then flapped them again, making a 90-degree turn in its flight path!

It flew past the Dragon Power energy, directly charging at Regidrago!

Regidrago, of course, noticed Dratini's movement and sensed the intense threat from it. He immediately turned his head, attempting to hit Dratini with the remaining impact of Dragon Power.

But Dratini and Jing He's actions were faster.

"Again, Extremespeed!"

Daiya, hiding in a corner, clicked his tongue. "Teacher Jing He's signature move, using a move after Dragon Tail. As they say, a little counter isn't a counter, a little open isn't an opening."

Chimchar gave its trainer a sidelong glance, annoyed.

You caused the trouble, yet you expect others to clean up after you, and you're still talking about openings?

It wanted to fight too!

Even taking on the opponent, it still ended up at a disadvantage.

What good are you?!

Boom!!

Dratini collided solidly with Regidrago, sending him flying.

"Ugh!"

Gently wiping the corner of its mouth, Dratini, who had changed from its usual gentle and plump appearance, wiped away the blood and revealed a fierce smile.

After the give and take, it finally evened out.

"Regi—"

But Regidrago clearly wouldn’t lose its fighting ability after just one attack.

Regidrago’s greatest advantage was its incredibly thick “health bar”!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

As soon as it fell from the wall, a dense shower of scales shot out from Regidrago’s body, nearly covering its entire surroundings.

Scale Shot!

No matter how fast Dratini was, it couldn’t possibly dodge such a dense barrage of scales.

"Dratini, Dragon Whirlwind!"

Whoosh—

Flapping its wings, a hurricane formed, sweeping up the densely launched scales into the fierce wind.

"Be careful! Dodge!" Jing He suddenly shouted.

But in the next second.

Roar—

A ferocious dragon head suddenly lunged at the Dragon Whirlwind created by Crunch, biting down on the unprepared Dratini!

While Scale Shot reduced Regidrago’s defense, it also increased its speed.

What surprised Jing He was that this Regidrago had unexpectedly good combat experience.

Bang!!

The ferocious mouth bit down on Dratini, making it difficult for the latter to break free no matter how it struggled.

Hum—

Suddenly,

A surge of powerful dragon energy swelled up in the giant dragon’s mouth!

It was Dragon Power again!

At such close range, if Regidrago were to unleash Dragon Power, Dratini would be hard-pressed to avoid a severe hit.

But neither Jing He nor Dratini panicked.

The more critical the moment, the more important it was to stay calm.

"Air Slash!"

"Ugh!!"

Though Dratini’s body was clamped in the bite, its wings were free.

With a fierce flapping of its small wings, two sharp, bright white Air Slashes were cleaved and struck Regidrago’s body.

Interrupt the spell!

Regidrago briefly fell into a "flinch" state, frozen in place.

Dratini took advantage of this to forcefully pry open the black dragon’s jaws, a smile similar to Jing He’s spreading across its face.

"Dragon Meteor!"

"Roar!!"

Dratini took a deep breath and, aiming at Regidrago’s dark red body inside the giant dragon’s mouth, unleashed its hottest meteor.

Usually, meteors would be aimed at the sky, then scattered to fall, but this time, like Dragon Power, it was at such close range!

However, to the surprise of Jing He and Dratini, Regidrago, still in the "flinch" state, suddenly awoke mid-attack.

The seven signal lights flickered wildly, a terrifying dark red aura surged, and Regidrago’s aura became even more violent.

Rogue Scale!

It forcibly broke free from the "flinch" state’s restriction using Rogue Scale!

Boom—!!

A massive explosion accompanied by swirling dust and the frantic shaking of the ruins sent Regidrago and Dratini flying in opposite directions, slamming them back into the walls of the ruins.

"Truly worthy of being a Dragon Pillar", Jing He couldn’t help but marvel.

In its normal state, Dratini’s strength could rival that of an ordinary champion’s main Pokémon. With the "Rogue Scale" state activated, it wouldn’t be any weaker than an ordinary champion’s ace Pokémon, perhaps even stronger.

Even at such close range, with double the type advantage, a full-power Dragon Meteor didn’t take Regidrago down.

Its stamina was truly maxed out.

"Ugh"

Dratini staggered, pulling itself out of the wall.

Looking at the slowly rising Regidrago, it felt not the slightest bit annoyed, but rather, very satisfied.

Very satisfied!

This was what a dragon should be like, this was the opponent it valued!

"Ku"

Beside them, Daiya’s Chimchar was serious and focused, its eyes burning with a misty flame, its fighting spirit soaring.

How frustrating, to have no chance to participate in such a battle!

Thinking of this, it glared at its trainer Daiya with a sullen look.

But it found Daiya even more excited, shaking Chimchar’s neck vigorously.

"Chimchar, see that? It’s ignited! Teacher Jing He’s Dratini, and Teacher Jing He’s burning fighting spirit, it’s been so long since we’ve seen this."

Chimchar nodded in agreement.

In this regard, it completely agreed with Daiya.

Indeed, Dratini’s fighting spirit had been thoroughly ignited.

And along with it, Teacher Jing He’s fighting spirit had also been kindled.

Though they had the Aura and a strong bond, for a moment, Jing He felt as if he were directing Mega Gengue and Mega Blastoise in battle.

Had Dratini really learned something from the "seven-colored meteor"?

"Ugh!!"

Dratini suddenly flapped its wings and rose, its eyes filled with surging fighting spirit, dragon energy continuously welling up from its body, blue and purple intertwining with dark red, as if its body had grown several sizes.

At the same time.

The opposite Regidrago truly began to swell in size.

Its form visibly grew larger, from its original height of over two meters, gradually restoring to the size it should have as an ancient giant.

"Regi—!!"

Unlike Dratini, Regidrago didn’t have Jing He to help suppress the negative effects of Rogue Scale. It was still in an extremely violent and enraged state after activating Rogue Scale.

The crimson signal lights flickered, locking onto Dratini again.

Dratini, undaunted, faced Regidrago’s overwhelming ancient aura.

"Dra—!!"

Regidrago swung its arm, using its dragon upper jaw as a claw to tear toward Dratini.

Jing He’s eyes narrowed, his voice stern as he waved his hand and shouted:

"Dratini, Dragon’s Finishing Touch!"

"Ugh!!"

Wrapped in the intertwining blue and purple aura, Dratini suddenly flew toward the highest point of the ruins’ dome.

The next moment.

It transformed into an arrow.

Plunging straight down!

It glided past the massive dragon jaw of Regidrago, striking its body without hesitation.

Boom!!

A muffled sound burst forth, and the legacy trembled.

"Again!" Jing He narrowed his eyes, taking in the mostly ruined legacy.

Bang!!

Dratini had already learned the basics of Dragon's Finishing Touch from Rayquaza, and with Rayquaza’s personal guidance, as well as the inheritance and study of the Dragon's Finishing Touch scroll.

While it couldn’t perfectly replicate Rayquaza’s Dragon's Finishing Touch, it was at least as powerful as the Cliff Sword simulated by Blastoise.

More importantly,

Speed!

Although Regidrago’s strength had increased after growing larger, its agility had significantly decreased.

In Daiya’s line of sight, all he could see was

The massive Regidrago surrounded by blue-purple and dark-red arcs of light, each appearance accompanied by a violent impact and collision.

The entire legacy swayed from the collision.

"Teacher Jing He, if we keep this up, the legacy will be destroyed!" Daiya shouted.

Destroyed?

Perfect!

Then the malfunctioning Regieleki won’t have to make a choice!

"Dratini, one last time, Dragon's Finishing Touch!"

Aura Power erupted from Jing He’s body. Dratini flapped its wings, and the already somewhat dim dark-red aura surged again.

Rogue Scale!

The straight arrow pierced through the hazy legacy, a loud boom accompanying the legacy’s mournful wail and the heavy thud of Regidrago’s body hitting the ground.

The battle ended!

"Ugh"

The aura surrounding Dratini dissipated, and it staggered out of the ruins, its body bruised and battered, gasping for breath. But Dratini grinned, clearly delighted.

It had a great fight.

Especially, a fantastic flight!

However, just as it took a step,

Bang—

It tripped and fell.

"Ugh!"

Fortunately, it was just a fall. Dratini patted its round belly and got up again, but then

Bang—

It tripped over a rock again.

Jing He: "."

He hurried over, took out a spray to treat Dratini, and said,

"Don’t move."

He was genuinely afraid that Dratini, having not lost the battle, would trip and pass out after it.

"Ugh~(ˊˋ)"

Dratini fluttered its little wings, sitting down obediently, accepting Jing He’s treatment. Despite the pain, it couldn’t hide its happiness.

Enjoying the treatment after a satisfying battle, Dratini felt content.

Rumble—

Suddenly, the legacy erupted with a violent boom, large chunks of stone falling.

"Teacher Jing He, the legacy is collapsing!" Daiya shouted urgently.

Jing He didn’t hesitate. He took out a Poké Ball and recalled the malfunctioning Regieleki. The little ones gathered around him for protection, except for the massive Regidrago, which lay sprawled in the ruins.

After a moment’s thought, he threw a blue-gray Heavy Ball at Regidrago.

The incapacitated Regidrago, unable to struggle, didn’t resist. The Heavy Ball wobbled a few times, the light flickering, and then it made a "click" sound.

Gengue picked up the Heavy Ball and quickly followed Jing He out of the legacy.

Boom!!

A loud explosion.

A massive earthquake shook.

The wild Pokémon in the Three Forks Plain all looked toward the direction of the Legacy of Choice.

Outside the Legacy of Choice, Daiya and Jing He watched the scene unfold.

"Teacher Jing He, did you destroy the legacy?" Daiya’s eyes widened, his expression exaggerated.

Jing He shot him an irritated glance.

"In broad daylight, how can you accuse me?"

"Me?" Daiya pointed at himself, glancing at the Chimchar by his side, as if asking, "Who am I accusing?"

Jing He said calmly,

"It was clearly Regidrago who did it. Dratini was just defending itself."

"Is that possible?"

Daiya was impressed.

But upon reflection, he realized

It was indeed Regidrago who caused the destruction after growing larger and falling into the side effects of Rogue Scale. Dratini had merely left a couple of deep and shallow marks on the walls of the legacy.

Jing He added,

"Actually, it’s not bad that this 'Prison' is destroyed."

"Prison?" Daiya was taken aback.

The Legacy of Choice, officially a legacy, isn’t it actually a "Prison" built by the ancients to contain Regidrago and Regieleki, fearing their power?

The legacy itself doesn’t guard anything. The murals on the walls merely depict some of the dangerous, frightening deeds Regidrago and Regieleki did in ancient times.

While the truth of these events is debatable, these two "model citizens" were thoroughly confined within this legacy.

This was what he discovered upon entering the legacy.

With the legacy destroyed, Regieleki won’t have to hesitate anymore.

The choice in the Legacy of Choice?

It’s now a single choice.

But the problem now is that he had to capture Regidrago to save it.

Now, it’s a single choice for Regidrago as well.

Considering Regieleki’s "appetite", Regidrago is probably also a big eater.

Jing He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Should he let the League take care of Regidrago?

He can’t possibly

Raise it himself, can he?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end