Chapter 706: Jinghe: "I Can Represent!"

Chapter 706: Jinghe: "I Can Represent!" (Two-in-One, Monthly Votes Requested!)

"Teacher Jinghe!"

Seeing Jinghe slowly descend from the sky, holding Tapu Bulu's hoof, Lira and the others immediately felt a sense of relief.

When facing a major event, the pressure on those at the forefront is immense.

Though Lira and the others are not afraid of trouble, they fear that their lack of ability might lead Alola into crisis.

Now, with Teacher Jinghe's arrival, at the very least, there is a stabilizing presence to reassure everyone.

Plop—

Jinghe landed with a slightly pale face, taking a light breath.

"Moo~"

Tapu Bulu gave him a slightly odd look, as if it had discovered some "secret."

Jinghe avoided its gaze, not wanting to reveal any "clues", and took a moment to steady himself.

Standing on solid ground felt much more reassuring.

This must be the feeling of "as long as I stand on the earth, I will never be defeated", Jinghe thought.

I must have been "influenced" by Leader Giovanni's The Essence of the Earth.

Yes, that's it!

"Rotom, record!" Jinghe said softly.

"Got it, Rotom!"

The Rotom Dex floated out, activating its recording and analysis functions.

The best times are when Gengar goes out to battle, as no one can interfere with its recording.

Meanwhile, Lira and the others approached.

Jinghe recognized Lira and Molayne, and while he had never met Hapu and Lusamine, he could guess their identities. As for the masked figure hiding nearby—

Noticing Jinghe's gaze, Professor Kukui flashed a smile, revealing his white teeth, and gave a slightly nervous thumbs-up.

Why does Teacher Jinghe's gaze seem so strange?

He couldn't have seen through it, right? He shouldn't have, Kukui thought, feeling a bit uneasy.

Fortunately, Jinghe nodded slightly and then turned his attention to Lira and the others, greeting them.

Lira then briefly recounted the events and the current predicament they were facing.

On the other side, the chairman of the Aether Foundation, Lusamine, wiped her forehead and watched Jinghe land.

"So this is the 'legendary' Teacher Jinghe?"

"Chairman Lusamine, we can't hold on much longer", Zarude hurriedly said, stepping forward.

For some reason, he felt a sense of "danger", especially when Lusamine looked at Teacher Jinghe.

It was as if his title as "the person Lusamine trusts the most" was about to slip away.

Lusamine turned her gaze to the Cradily and Poipole in the sky, her eyes showing a hint of eagerness.

Then she quickly lowered her head and operated the machinery.

"Almost there, it will be done soon!"

"Chairman Lusamine, do you need help?" Zarude asked.

"Go put those materials into the machine."

"Sure thing!"

Zarude happily took on the task.

"That's about it", Lira quickly summarized the situation.

The situation on the ground was quite clear, so she didn't need to elaborate much.

Jinghe had been somewhat worried, fearing the appearance of Solgaleo or Lunala, which would complicate matters.

Now, with this group of Cradily and Poipole—

Though their numbers were troubling, Jinghe had a rough idea of why they were here.

However, just as they were discussing, the Cradily in the sky reacted and immediately launched an attack on Gengar and Dratini, who had defeated their comrades!

Their strength and coordination came from their unity!

"Roar!!"

Roars echoed one after another.

Jinghe put aside his complex thoughts.

As Lira had described, these Cradily and Poipole were flying high, using their long-range attacks, the special properties of their toxins, and their agility to become a very difficult and troublesome presence.

Even for Jinghe, facing Cradily flying so high was somewhat challenging.

But only somewhat.

Five Cradily, having freed themselves from their opponents, immediately launched their Metal Needles, spraying Poison Jab-infused toxins toward Gengar and Dratini.

Facing the thick, toxic liquid, Gengar scratched its nose, adopting a nonchalant attitude.

"Teacher Jinghe, be careful!" Hapu couldn't help but warn.

She didn't know the reputation of "Teacher Jinghe", but seeing how Lira and Uncle Molayne respected him, she knew he wasn't an ordinary trainer.

Earlier, her Landorus had fallen to the Poison Jab assault, so she felt compelled to warn him.

Lira and the others, while trusting Teacher Jinghe, knew the strength of the Cradily. If Gengar and Dratini were enveloped by the toxins, it would be very troublesome.

In fact, Jinghe understood the power of Poison Jab better than anyone.

When it came to toxic tactics and strategies, he wasn't boasting, but no one present could match him.

But hearing Hapu's warning and seeing the concerned looks from Lira and the others, Jinghe smiled to reassure them.

Subsequently.

The group saw it.

“Gengar!”

As the poison drew closer, Gengar couldn’t help but let out a wicked laugh. He then placed his hands on his mouth, one above and one below, and pulled!

Gengar’s mouth opened wide.

In one gulp, he swallowed all the poison!

“D-Did he... eat it?” Hapu’s eyes widened.

Even Lira, who knew Jinghe’s prowess, couldn’t help but open her mouth in shock, at a loss for words.

Lusamine and Molayne exchanged glances, both seeing the astonishment in each other’s eyes.

Gulp—

The sound of Gengar swallowing was a bit loud.

Really?

“Gengar~(`)”

Gengar patted his belly and licked his lips.

Nice!

Hum—

A faint purple aura enveloped Gengar but quickly disappeared.

At this point, not only were Lira and the others stunned, but even the Cradily and Poipole on the opposite side were dumbfounded.

What was happening?

Both the Cradily and Poipole had never seen such a situation.

“Hey.” Jinghe chuckled.

The Poison Jab that Lira and the others found most troublesome was probably just a snack for Gengar.

“Roar!!!”

Unwilling to believe it, the Cradily aimed at Gengar again, their long needles spewing even more potent and concentrated toxins.

But the result was the same. Gengar’s mouth opened wide, and he swallowed all the poison.

“Gengar?”

More?

Gengar looked at the Cradily with a hint of anticipation.

The Cradily: “.”

You’re kidding, right? I’ve been sucking on Arbok’s fangs since I was a kid, you know.

While the Poison type wasn’t Gengar’s strongest attribute, neglecting his Poison type would be a mistake. Those who had faced Gengar and been hit by his Poison Jab would have something to say about that.

“Roar!!!”

At this point, the Cradily realized.

Their pride and joy, their poison, was useless against Gengar.

Fortunately, they weren’t just Poison-type Pokémon.

One of the Cradily called out.

Hum hum hum—

A dense Dragon-type energy began to gather, accompanied by a strong energy pulse, like energy cannons being loaded.

But Dratini, sensing the Dragon-type energy, became excited.

“Roar!!!”

With a spirited cry, a surge of Dragon-type energy erupted from its body.

“Extremespeed!”

Jinghe commanded without hesitation.

Whoosh—

Dratini and Gengar almost simultaneously vanished from their spots, disappearing from the Cradily’s sight.

When the Cradily tried to locate them,

They saw a thick, green arrow, glowing with a hint of emerald light, hurtling toward them at an incredible speed.

The finishing touch!

The most troublesome aspects for Lira and the others were the Cradily’s toxins, aerial advantage, and speed.

But speed was what Dratini feared the least!

Bang!!!

Dratini slammed into the belly of one of the Cradily, instantly dispersing the Dragon-type energy it was about to release!

“Nine-Tails, Forger, Blastoise.”

Jinghe threw out the Poké Balls in quick succession.

“Roar—”

“Bark!!!”

Snow began to fall, and the temperature dropped sharply.

Sand slowly rose, swirling in the snow, the two forces merging.

The Sandstorm intensified the snowfall, and the freezing temperatures hardened the sand particles, making them more painful when they hit.

“Chomp?”

Forger’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the numerous Cradily and Poipole. He immediately grabbed a rock that Blastoise had just formed.

Without aiming, he swung his hammer and smashed it out.

Aim?

Why aim when the sky was full of targets?

Sure, they were high, but I’m a pro at “bird hunting,” it’s instinct, something ingrained in my bones.

“Roar!”

Nine-Tails, lying on all fours, felt a peculiar aura gather around it like a network.

After experiencing the auras of Melemele Island and Ula'ula Island, it was already accustomed to this aura’s power, quickly absorbing it and converting it into its own strength.

The already cold area became even colder.

A whirlwind of snow and wind suddenly surged, sweeping through the air and ground.

Some of the weaker Poipole began to wobble and fall due to the sudden drop in temperature.

Flying high?

No problem, the higher you go, the colder it gets.

“Bark!”

Blastoise roared to the sky.

This was a barren canyon, a desert, his territory!

How dare you act so arrogantly in the domain of the “Desert Tyrant”?

The Sandstorm, which had been somewhat out of reach, instantly swept upward, causing more Poipole to fall, unable to withstand the Sandstorm’s assault.

“Wow, that’s intense,” Hapu, the Island Queen, swallowed hard and whispered.

They had all been helpless against the high-flying Cradily, at most dispatching some flying Pokémon or those with long-range attacks.

But even with long-range attacks, by the time they reached the high altitude, their speed slowed, and their power diminished.

The Cradily had the advantage in numbers, capable of wide-area coverage, and their toxins didn’t require the same impact force, focusing instead on their potency.

But now,

Those that could fly attacked from the air.

Those that couldn’t fly found other means to interfere and attack.

And,

Whether it was Gengar, Dratini, Nine-Tails, Forretress, or Blastoise, they all displayed incredible bursts of power, posing a significant threat to the Cradily and Poipole.

"This is the strength of a champion-level trainer?" Lusamine remarked with awe.

As natives of Alola, those who held the titles of Island Queen or Island King already represented the highest combat strength in the region.

However, when they witnessed Jinghe's display of power, they deeply felt the gap between Alola and the outside world.

It turned out that this was the level of strength a region should truly possess at the top.

They had been a bit too arrogant and self-satisfied.

Perhaps Alola really should establish the Alola League to connect more with the outside world, thereby raising the average and top-tier strength of the region.

Professor Kukui didn't know what they were thinking, but if he did, he would be very grateful to Jinghe. This would significantly reduce the resistance he faced in establishing the Alola League.

At the same time, he might also say, "Don't take Teacher Jinghe as a benchmark; his 'standard' is too high."

But just when they thought Jinghe had already given it his all, he threw out two more Poké Balls.

"Regieleki, Dragapult!"

"Regi—"

"Regi—!!"

An electric type and a dragon type, two God Pillars, suddenly appeared.

Since it wasn't a formal battle, the number of Pokémon exceeding the limit didn't matter.

Regieleki and Dragapult were still very reliable in terms of strength.

But that wasn't enough.

"Beartic, Machamp!"

"Nim~"

"Machamp?"

Beartic, who had been invisible on Jinghe's shoulder, and Machamp, who had been hiding in his shadow, also emerged.

"Wow."

Molayne, who had been relatively calm, couldn't remain calm anymore upon seeing Jinghe's moves.

Two God Pillars, two Phantom Beasts, plus Jinghe's own Pokémon and their yet-to-be-fully-unleashed true strength—such a lineup could probably even face off against a legendary deity.

Not to mention, Jinghe had many friends and the reputation of a "Mythical Beast Man."

"Nine, nine Pokémon?"

Compared to Molayne, who knew about these Pokémon, Hapu and Lusamine were more concerned about the number.

A trainer's ability to command Pokémon is limited, as one's attention and reaction speed are finite.

Six is the theoretical limit for the number of Pokémon a trainer can command, based on years of experience.

To go beyond that, one would need to form a corps with one or more Pokémon as the core, like Kukui.

But in one go, Teacher Jinghe summoned nine Pokémon!

And he seemed to command them quite smoothly.

They once again felt the gap in strength between themselves and the top trainers outside of Alola.

The gap was evident not only in the strength of the Pokémon but also in the trainers' abilities.

Originally, the dozen or so Cradily seemed difficult to handle, not just because they worked together, but also because each one was relatively strong.

But now...

It didn't seem to be a problem at all.

It seemed that all of them combined were still no match for Teacher Jinghe.

This was why so many regions and leagues vied for Teacher Jinghe, Kukui thought with a sigh.

If Teacher Jinghe was willing, he would also want to recruit him to the soon-to-be-established Alola League.

At that time, not just the championship, but even the position of League President could be given to Teacher Jinghe without hesitation!

But if Jinghe knew Kukui's thoughts, he might run away with a bucket in the middle of the night.

Champion and League President?

And in a league that was just starting out?

The myriad tasks involved would surely drive Jinghe crazy.

"Gengar!"

Just as these thoughts swirled in their minds, Jinghe called out to Gengar.

"Gengar?"

Gengar emerged from the space behind him, licking the corner of its mouth as it swallowed a drop of poison.

The purple, pudgy Pokémon patted its belly, somewhat regretfully.

He hadn't even been half-satisfied.

It was a shame that these Cradily didn't use poison-type moves.

"Come, let's go meet the Cradily leader", Jinghe patted its head and smiled.

"Gengar?"

Gengar's eyes darted around, and its mouth began to salivate.

The Cradily leader?

The poison must taste even better, right?

With Gengar by his side, Jinghe made his way to where the Cradily leader and the four Island Guardians were entangled.

Earlier, the Cradily leader had been holding back the Island Guardians, preventing them from interfering with the other battlefield.

Now, the situation had reversed, with the four Island Guardians restraining the Cradily leader, preventing it from affecting Jinghe's "clean-up."

"Roar!!"

The Cradily leader was quite anxious. Even though it was strong, it could only barely hold back three Island Guardians earlier.

Now, with all four Island Guardians working together to restrain it, it had no chance of breaking free.

However, upon seeing Jinghe and Gengar approach, the Cradily leader gradually became even more agitated.

It saw clearly.

This person's appearance had completely turned the tide of the battle.

If not for this person...

"Tapu Fini! Tapu Bulu! And Tapu Peri, Tapu Lele, let me communicate with this one." Jinghe shouted loudly.

"Bulu?"

The four Island Guardians exchanged glances.

Tapu Peri and Tapu Fini were meeting Jinghe for the first time, while Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini, after a brief look at each other, agreed to Jinghe's request on behalf of the four Island Guardians.

Jinghe smiled in gratitude.

"Cradily!"

Using the Waveguide, Jinghe's voice echoed in the mind of the Cradily leader.

"Roar!!"

Facing Jinghe, the Cradily leader was filled with rage and roared angrily.

Ignoring the anger, Jinghe continued:

"So, your clan came to the Pokémon world, to Alola, to find a new home, right?"

Hearing this, the Cradily leader paused.

It looked around; the four Island Guardians were still on high alert.

And the Gengar by Jinghe's side, who seemed carefree and grinning, also made it feel a great threat.

It knew that on its own, it couldn't do anything to this human.

However, it was also curious and puzzled by Jinghe's words.

Suppressing its anger, it used telepathy, and its voice echoed in Jinghe's mind.

"Needleless one, how did you know?"

To the Cradily, creatures were divided into those with needles and those without.

Indeed.

Jinghe sighed inwardly.

In the original anime, Ash's Poipole belonged to a group of Poipole from Ultra Space, and their leader was a Cradily. Originally, it should have been very powerful, but it had become extremely weak due to age.

In fact, the original Ultra Space was a sunny and resource-rich world, home to many Ultra Beasts.

The Ultra Beasts lived a comfortable and peaceful life.

But a massive meteorite appeared, and to protect Ultra Space, Necrozma used its own power to fight the meteorite.

Although it successfully defeated the meteorite, this led to the depletion of its energy, the loss of its light, and it fell into a deep sleep.

From that moment on, Ultra Space gradually lost its light, becoming unbearably dark.

Without light, plants began to wither, and no more fruits grew. The Ultra Beasts in Ultra Space lost their food source.

The old Cradily in the anime once said that it should have led its clan to find a new, habitable place, but it was too old and weak to do so, so it sent Ash's Poipole.

Now, it was clear that this group of Cradily, having lost their food source in Ultra Space, were searching for a new home.

Whether by coincidence or intent, they had passed through the Ultra Wormhole and arrived in Alola.

The scarcity of resources and food made them particularly united.

To survive, they had fought with all their might, as evidenced by their ability to hold off three Guardian deities on their own.

Unfortunately, Jinghe's appearance had foiled their plans.

Jinghe did not answer the Cradily leader's question but posed another one.

"So, Necrozma fell into a deep sleep to fight the meteorite?"

The Cradily leader was taken aback again, looking at Jinghe with disbelief.

"How did you know that?"

Hearing this, Jinghe felt a slight relief.

Good.

It was likely the "anime version" of Necrozma.

If it were from a special episode or the games, things would be much more complicated.

This time, Jinghe answered the question.

"Because I have some knowledge of Ultra Space, the world you live in, and Necrozma."

"Are you from Ultra Megalopolis?" the Cradily leader quickly countered.

Hmm?

Jinghe furrowed his brow.

Isn't it the anime version?

How could there be Ultra Megalopolis?

After asking, the Cradily leader displayed even stronger hostility.

Sensing this hostility, Jinghe temporarily set aside his doubts and waved his hand.

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not from Ultra Megalopolis, just—"

After a moment's thought, Jinghe took out the Cosmic Arm from his inner pocket.

"I am a messenger of Arceus, so I know more."

"Arceus?"

The Cradily leader looked puzzled.

It stared at the Cosmic Arm in Jinghe's hand, sensing its aura, and its eyes slowly widened.

This aura was unfamiliar to it, something it had never felt before.

But from the Cosmic Arm, it sensed something similar to Necrozma's sacred aura, a power and aura that seemed to belong to the creator of the world.

Jinghe also looked at the Cosmic Arm in his hand.

Doesn't know Arceus?

Is it because it has never been seen, or does it simply not exist?

It seems there's a question mark over whether Ultra Space is one of the universes created by Arceus.

However—

A llama and a mule, they clearly go well together.

Plus, Arceus almost fell because of the meteorite, and Necrozma had to fall into a deep sleep due to the meteorite. They mirror each other.

The mystery is solved.

In the Pokémon world, or in Ultra Space, the meteorite is the greatest "enemy" of all Mythical Beasts!

After seeing the Cosmic Arm, the Cradily leader put aside its doubts but still stared at Jinghe seriously.

"So, what do you want, needleless human? Do you want us to go back?"

Going back to starve to death, or staying here—maybe there's still a chance to fight.

As long as there are some "sparks" left, there's still a chance for the species to flourish again.

"No, no, no."

Jinghe waved his hand again, releasing a wave of goodwill through the Waveguide.

"Because I understand, I know what kind of situation you're facing."

Even though he knew that the Cradily and Poipole might starve to death if they returned, Jinghe didn't say anything so cruel.

"Huh?" The Cradily leader was taken aback.

Jinghe continued, "What I mean is, I know you need a place to thrive and reproduce. If you go back, you'll face a bleak world and barren land."

"So, what I mean is, you can stay here temporarily."

Stay here?

"Temporarily?" The Cradily leader seized the key point.

"Of course." Jinghe smiled and spread his hands. "If your world recovers and you still want to stay here, we welcome you."

"Recover?" The Cradily leader's face showed despair and loss. "It's impossible to recover."

"It will recover." Jinghe was quite certain.

At the latest, by the time Ash starts his journey, it will be recovered.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. He said,

"Whether it recovers or not, you can stay here. We can provide you with a place to live."

The Cradily leader looked at him deeply.

But still didn't lower its guard, and asked in a serious tone,

"So, what do we need to pay? Labor? Mounts? Enforcers? Or test subjects?"

It didn't doubt that Jinghe could make decisions for the people present.

Test subjects?

Jinghe furrowed his brow.

The people of Ultra Megalopolis were still using Cradily or Poipole for experiments?

No wonder the Cradily leader showed such hostility earlier.

"No, none of that. All you need to do is not cause destruction and live quietly and peacefully. We can provide you with food to sustain your lives."

He paused.

"Of course, if you're willing, you can provide some labor in exchange for resources. It's entirely up to you."

Jinghe believed that he currently had the authority to represent most of the people present and make this promise.

Not just because of his strength, but also because of his position.

"Just, just that?"

"Just that."

The Cradily leader's eyes became somewhat blank.

What was the point of their earlier fierce battle?

After a long silence, the Cradily leader's voice softened considerably.

It was then that Jinghe realized it was a female voice.

"How can we trust that you're not lying to us?"

Hearing this, Jinghe exhaled.

Alright.

He held the Cosmic Arm in one hand and fumbled in his pocket with the other.

"I swear by the name of Arceus's messenger, Waveguide's messenger, Rainbow Warrior, Sky's Companion, Truth and Ideality Bearer, Destruction's Companion, Fighting Master, International Police Superintendent, Pokémon Soul Master—"

"—."

So, such a long list?

You have a lot of titles, so you get to decide.

But it still asked for confirmation,

"Can you represent those humans?"

Jinghe didn't turn back, but said firmly,

"I can represent them!"

If he couldn't, then all his efforts, strength, and growth would be for nothing.

Anyway, if Alola doesn't agree, he can take them all to Hoenn.

Hoenn can bear the burden for now.

If even the Hoenn League is reluctant, then don't blame him for taking them all to Team Rocket.

He's sure Giovanni will be very happy.

The Cradily leader glanced warily at the four guardian deities and slowly descended to the ground.

The island guardians exchanged glances and finally looked at Jinghe.

Jinghe nodded slightly, giving a reassuring look.

Seeing the "proof" in Jinghe's hands, they chose to believe.

Damn, he really pulled it off!

Until the Cradily leader landed, it didn't face any attacks, and its tense heart relaxed a bit.

"Eat this, to regain some strength." Jinghe took out a universal energy bar.

The Cradily leader sniffed it lightly. It smelled very different from the food in Ultra Space, but it was still very tempting.

After a brief hesitation, it opened its mouth slightly.

Jinghe tossed the energy bar into its mouth.

As it chewed, swallowed, and felt the changes in its body, the Cradily leader's eyes gradually brightened.

"Delicious!" Its eyes showed a new kind of expression when it looked at Jinghe.

Jinghe smiled, "So, how about letting your people come down? We'll provide food and recovery potions."

After a brief hesitation, the Cradily leader chose to trust Jinghe again.

"Roar—"

The Cradily and Poipole in the air exchanged glances and began to descend.

Jinghe took out a large amount of food, feeling a sense of sympathy.

They're all pitiful creatures. Well, I'll just report a bit less for the expenses.

"Gengar?"

Gengar rubbed his hands and approached the Cradily leader with a grin.

Facing the Cradily leader's puzzled gaze, he stated his purpose.

Hey, can you let me taste your venom?

Cradily leader: "..."

"Phew!"

Lusamine let out a long breath, her eyes bright with excitement as she held the newly created Ultra Ball.

Although she failed many times and wasted a lot of materials, she finally succeeded!

She looked eagerly at the Cradily and Poipole.

---

PS: Nearly 17,000 words updated today! Love you all~

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end