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Outside the Temple, Above Ground
Half an hour earlier.
After the earthquake.
Though the location of the Sun Cult's base had been discovered thanks to a certain Corviknight, the sudden emergence of numerous Dawn Sect followers launching suicidal attacks from the sand with their Pokémon made things far from simple.
Hidden high-tech traps disabled vehicles, released toxic gas, sprayed acid, and discharged high-voltage electricity.
A massive sandstorm tornado, one that even a group of weather-altering Pokémon couldn't dispel, swept people into the air.
Underground roots, tough enough to block Dig attacks and sabotage vehicle undercarriages.
And the temple itself—buried deep underground, its layout completely unknown.
Countless problems meant that despite the sheer number of people present, breaching the temple within ten minutes was impossible.
Numerous armored vehicles had been destroyed, and injuries had piled up.
After much deliberation, they decided to force their way in from a safer distance using Pokémon like Excadrill and Steelix.
Earlier, Psychic-type trainers had attempted teleportation, only to find the area shrouded in a bizarre magnetic field that disrupted their Pokémon's ability to lock onto coordinates.
Ghost-types, too, found their intangibility and phasing abilities hindered, preventing them from slipping inside.
Electronic equipment was similarly jammed.
"How is this possible?"
Kalisan, president of the Saizhou Pokémon Association, frowned in disbelief.
"It is. But this kind of specialized magnetic field is still in the experimental phase—originally meant for Association defense…" the secretary-general of the Saizhou Association murmured.
In short, this was undeniably man-made technology designed to restrict Pokémon, not a natural phenomenon.
In recent years, humanity had developed more and more technology to counter Pokémon's overwhelming power—barrier systems, protective suits, and the like.
Countermeasures against Psychic and Ghost-types were also a major focus of modern research.
The fact that the Dawn Sect had access to such tech all but confirmed outside support.
The real question was: Which faction was behind it?
If even Zhu Xia didn't possess this technology, barring some ancient civilization's relics, the number of entities within the Alliance capable of it could be counted on one hand.
As Kalisan pondered, someone rushed in.
"President! President! Reinforcements from headquarters have arrived!"
The man's face was alight with excitement. "The Heavenly Kings, Haiyuan and Meimeng, along with several Master-level trainers, are here! Those damn roots are gone!"
Kalisan's expression shifted, and he hurried outside—only to find the area blanketed in a chilling white mist that refused to dissipate.
Many people wore expressions of awe, murmuring about the "Incarnation of the North Wind."
In the camp, a group of well-known Master-level trainers donned protective suits with assistance, preparing to sweep through the area with their Pokémon.
For them, unless a Legendary Pokémon stood in their way, sheer force—backed by logistics—would bulldoze through any resistance.
Kalisan scanned the area until his eyes landed on a black-clad man standing beside a Kingdra and a Gyarados, a sword cradled in his arms as he spoke with a beautiful woman.
She asked, "Since when did you know it?"
Mo Ye replied, "I'm the Water-type Heavenly King. It's the Water-type's vanguard. Knowing it isn't strange."
"That's not what I meant! When did you meet Suicune? Did you catch it? Or… did you lose?"
"We're friends. What does it matter if I won or lost? No time for this. Kingdra has already located the Pokémon hiding in the sandstorm. I'll deal with them. You find a way to break through the magnetic field and get people inside."
Mo Ye glanced at Kalisan but didn't address him directly, merely nodding before leaping onto the back of his levitating Gyarados.
With Kingdra at his side, he charged into the towering sandstorm tornado, unbothered by the raging winds.
Soon, he vanished from sight.
A group of rangers, watching his departure, suited up and summoned their heavy-duty Pokémon before giving chase.
"Tch. Acting all mysterious—he definitely lost."
Nan Gongmeng snorted, a small Pokémon resembling a Pikachu but with round ears, a cable-like tail, and antennae on its cheeks crawling out from her clothes.
—Dedenne, an Electric/Fairy-type.
"Do me a favor," Nan Gongmeng said, stroking Dedenne's fur. "Find the machine generating that weird magnetic field."
Though her Dedenne wasn't much of a fighter, its ability to detect electromagnetic signals and locate objects was exceptional.
Nan Gongmeng had trained it specifically for search purposes—like a treasure-hunting mouse in cultivation novels.
Dedenne nodded, its antennae crackling with electricity as it sniffed the air.
"Miss Nan."
Kalisan seized the chance to approach. "I've long heard of your reputation. Thank you for the reinforcements. What exactly happened out here just now?"
Nan Gongmeng glanced at the old man, her expression indifferent.
"The Incarnation of the North Wind appeared out of nowhere. Destroyed a bunch of traps, froze the roots to death, then vanished into the sandstorm."
The Incarnation of the North Wind…
So it really was Suicune.
"Why would it appear—"
Before Kalisan could finish, Dedenne's eyes lit up, and it tugged at Nan Gongmeng's earring.
"Save the questions for later, President Kalisan." Nan Gongmeng brushed him off and left with her Pokémon.
Kalisan watched her retreating figure in silence.
.....
Within the Sandstorm
Mo Ye narrowed his eyes, one hand gripping Gyarados' horn as Kingdra—neither possessing Levitate nor being a Flying-type—floated effortlessly beside him.
A massive transparent bubble encased them, shielding them from the sandstorm's fury. Despite the howling winds and the storm's sheer force, they advanced smoothly, as if walking on flat ground.
The sandstorm might as well not have existed.
However, visibility was near-zero, with the swirling sand making it impossible to see beyond five meters.
As the trio pressed deeper—
"You're pretty big for something trying to hide."
Mo Ye's cold voice cut through the storm. Gyarados and Kingdra halted, waiting.
Ten seconds passed.
No response.
As if he'd imagined it.
"Hmph."
Mo Ye smirked.
Kingdra's slender snout glowed blue as a condensed sphere of water formed instantly—then shot forward like a high-caliber armor-piercing round!
BANG!
The water bullet shattered the bubble mid-flight, tearing through the air with a sharp whistle before striking a sandy-brown Pokémon with massive nostrils, ear-like eyes, and desert camouflage patterns covering its body.
—Hippopotas, a Ground-type.
The Pokémon yelped in pain—but the water sphere exploded on impact, erupting into a crushing tidal wave that engulfed everything within a ten-meter radius!
WHOOSH!
Several Hippowdon—larger, fiercer versions of Hippopotas, their bodies riddled with sand-spewing pores—were revealed, howling as the water pressure knocked them unconscious.
With their collapse, the sandstorm's intensity lessened slightly.
Clearly, these Pokémon had been the ones maintaining it.
"Heh. Not bad. You must be that so-called 'Top Trainer,' huh? Pretty impressive."
A voice, impossible to place in gender or direction, cut through the storm, reaching Mo Ye's ears.
As the speaker finished, countless Hippowdon and Hippopotas emerged from the sand, surrounding Mo Ye and his Pokémon in a sea of hostile eyes.
The sheer numbers were overwhelming—impossible to count at a glance.
The voice chuckled. "Sorry, but we've got strength in numbers, Top Trai—"
"Mega Evolution."
Mo Ye's sword flashed as he drew it, radiant light bursting from the hilt. Chains of lightning arced toward his glowing Gyarados.
Gyarados' body was engulfed in a violet aura as its form shifted—its slender frame bulking up, its light-blue hue deepening into a rich azure.
Its horns darkened, lengthening into jagged black spikes. The fins on its back expanded, stretching outward like wings. Two tendril-like whiskers lashed through the air.
Finally, a helix-shaped pattern shimmered briefly before its elongated horns.
In the blink of an eye, Mega Gyarados stood transformed.
"ROOOOAR—!!"
The reborn beast's roar shook the sky.
The encircling Hippowdon flinched, retreating despite their overwhelming numbers.
Mo Ye, standing calmly atop Mega Gyarados' head, tilted his head.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that. You were saying something about numbers?"
"Mega Evolution?! Impossible! I—Useless trash!"
The hidden voice snarled. "All of you—ATTACK!"
The Hippowdon snapped out of their daze, some forming mud bullets in their mouths, others charging forward with glowing bodies.
Mo Ye flicked his sword dismissively, stepping onto Kingdra's back as Mega Gyarados bared its fangs in a savage grin.
"Futile."
Then—
A surge of azure water materialized out of thin air, spreading from Mega Gyarados' brow all the way to its tail. The crimson vents along its sides flared open as its massive fins slightly folded inward.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amidst countless explosive bursts, torrents of water erupted from the vents, propelling Mega Gyarados forward like a blue streak of light—vanishing in an instant!
The next second, every Hippowdon in sight was engulfed by the surging currents, tossed around like helpless dolls. Some were sent flying into the air, while others tumbled across the ground like rolling gourds!
Immediately after, a gale-force wind howled, so fierce it forced everyone to shut their eyes.
The raging sandstorm was scattered in an instant!
Above, dark clouds gathered at a visible pace. Rain began to fall, starting as a light drizzle before transforming into a downpour within seconds.
Beneath Mo Ye, Kingdra's horns glowed blue.
Without a doubt, this massive storm cloud—spanning nearly a kilometer—was its doing.
Soon after, Mega Gyarados shifted its trajectory, charging toward the direction Mo Ye's sword pointed. The crimson vents along its body violently expelled water, accelerating it further!
In the distance—A green light flashed.
The next instant, Mega Gyarados crashed into a glowing green shield with a thunderous impact, shattering it effortlessly amidst a cacophony of cracks!
Behind the shield, a colossal, sand-colored monster was sent flying, rolling across the ground four or five times before staggering back up, one eye clenched shut in pain.
Mega Gyarados hovered before it, expression calm but momentarily locked in recoil. Such explosive bursts of power required brief pauses—otherwise, its body would suffer severe strain.
"A shiny Tyranitar? And oversized at that?"
Mo Ye frowned. The Pokémon in the distance far exceeded the normal size of a Tyranitar, standing at a towering 4.5 meters tall.
Even with Protect mitigating some of the damage, its durability was shocking.
Was it due to the sandstorm? Or its sheer size?
Suddenly—
Kingdra fired a water bullet downward, the projectile morphing into a spiraling vortex that exploded outward!
A shadowy figure that had been creeping along the ground unnoticed was sent flying by the sudden surge!
Kingdra didn't let up. Its eyes gleamed as its cannon-like snout unleashed a stream of blue-white fiery breath!
Dragon Breath!
The shadow let out a shrill, pained shriek before collapsing into the form of an ugly, doll-like creature with spiraled eyes.
—A Ghost-type Banette, defeated in one combo by Kingdra's Whirlpool and Dragon Breath!
"Damn it! How do you have this much power?! You're breaking the rules! What the hell is Lu Zhong doing?! Intel this bad is unforgivable!"
The voice from earlier returned, now laced with fury.
Mo Ye glanced over and realized the sound was coming from inside Banette's zippered mouth.
Likely a walkie-talkie.
So the real mastermind wasn't even here.
Mo Ye felt a twinge of disappointment. The Hippowdon army must have been commanded by the shiny Tyranitar, with Banette relaying orders via the walkie-talkie.
"Pathetic," Mo Ye muttered, lowering his gaze. "Coward."
Too spineless to even face him directly.
"What did you just say?!"
The voice from Banette's mouth erupted into a stream of curses.
But soon, the transmission grew choppy. After a startled shout, it cut off entirely.
Kingdra frowned and fired another water bullet at Banette's mouth, smashing the walkie-talkie inside with a Crunch.
Never pull a Banette's zipper unless you're its trainer—unless you have a death wish.
Retrieving the walkie-talkie was impossible.
In the distance, Mega Gyarados had recovered and immediately unleashed another Waterfall, slamming the shiny Tyranitar into a nearby hillside!
BOOM—!!
Dust billowed up as if a bomb had detonated!
The Tyranitar didn't even get a chance to fight back. Gritting its teeth in pain, it barely managed to open its jaws—attempting to fire off a Rock Slide—before being pummeled into unconsciousness!
"ROAR—!"
Mega Gyarados let out a triumphant bellow as the sandstorm began to weaken.
Without the Pokémon sustaining it, the storm's scale and intensity naturally dwindled—soon vanishing entirely.
The path for the joint forces was now clear.
Mo Ye sheathed his sword. Mega Gyarados, returning to his side, reverted to its normal form.
He patted his pockets, only to realize his clothes were torn. After a brief search, he spotted a shattered phone half-buried in the sand.
"...Broken?"
Mo Ye fell silent.
Then, stepping onto Gyarados' head, he scanned the surroundings with mild confusion before pointing toward a distant slope.
"I think camp is that way. You two agree?"
Gyarados and Kingdra exchanged a glance, then nodded in unison.
Yes, yes. Definitely that way.
The trio set off.
About two minutes later, the rangers—who had been keeping their distance—emerged to handle cleanup.
In front of a Heavenly King, their role was strictly support.
....
Back at Camp
"President! The sandstorm's gone! The roots vanished! The traps are being dismantled! The weird magnetic field's down! Most Dawn Sect followers outside have been captured! We can start excavation!"
A staff member reported excitedly. The reinforcements from headquarters had solved countless problems in just ten minutes.
"Our signal jammers are working! Enemy communications are down! The intel team infiltrated their internal network! Porygon2 units are deployed, cracking their database now!"
Another report came from the tech division.
Kalisan nodded, his expression unreadable. "Good. Keep at it. Report again when there's news."
"Yes, sir!"
The two hurried off.