Xia Hu Na's astonishing remark echoed once more. Within a certain unnamed publisher's ranking of trainers' most desired Pokémon in the Minglong Kingdom, two Pokémon shared the top spot: Xia Hu Na's "Guagua," renowned for its numerous combat forms and stylish fighting style, and Arceus, the One True Creator, an ultimate choice for exuding an air of superiority due to its noble status.
Of course, it was difficult to ascertain how many trainers chose Arceus out of sheer defiance, but its popularity among all trainers was undeniable.
However, it was universally acknowledged that Arceus, as the God of Creation, would not be commanded by any trainer – a pride befitting a divine beast, or perhaps, the God of Creation. Even after being struck by a stray rocket from the Dunhe Kingdom, this notion remained unshaken.
Xia Hu Na now commanding Arceus to attack left everyone in stunned amazement. Arceus, in the sky, obediently fired a Hyper Beam at the Master鼬 below. To perfectly execute Xia Hu Na's command of "Hyper Beam EX Kai," Arceus's Hyper Beam surpassed Master鼬's in both speed and power.
The onlookers squinted as they watched Arceus unleash the Hyper Beam, while Xia Hu Na, seated in his wheelchair, tapped his chin with one hand. "Excellent, truly excellent."
The so-called Hyper Beam EX Kai, directed at Master鼬, proved incredibly troublesome. Master鼬, though intending to dodge, found itself powerless, directly hit by the Hyper Beam on its head, sending it tumbling away. Master鼬's body executed a three-thousand-degree backflip followed by a seven-hundred-and-twenty-degree spin in the air before crashing into the forest, its fate uncertain.
If there were a universal communication channel for the Pokémon world, tomorrow's headlines would undoubtedly scream of Arceus's betrayal of its kind, aiding humans in attacking Pokémon. Such a disgrace dealt a significant blow to the Pokémon, causing them to scatter in disarray. Only a handful remained, either frozen in fear or possessing an almost arrogant confidence in their combat prowess, choosing to stay put and observe Arceus's intentions.
Arceus landed on the ground, casting a cold glance at the remaining Pokémon before walking into the gathering point without looking back. This gesture exuded confidence and arrogance, embodying the human saying, "A true man never looks back at an explosion."
"Its demeanor is perfectly captured. Truly the God of Creation."
"Of course. I'm starting to feel a connection that transcends species and gender..."
"Alright, alright, shut up. I never knew you were like this."
The crowd in the gathering point buzzed with hushed whispers, while Arceus stood motionless in the center, like an anchor. Its presence proved remarkably effective; for at least half an hour after Arceus settled, no Pokémon dared to provoke the humans. However, every situation has its limits. Just as Arceus seemed poised for a triumphant departure, new enemies emerged from the forest.
Perhaps calling them "new enemies" was inaccurate, for Xia Hu Na recognized the Pokémon standing at the forefront of the group: it was the very Master鼬 that had been struck by the Hyper Beam earlier. This Master鼬, having seemingly undergone significant mental fortitude somewhere, was allowed to return to confront Arceus. The onlookers turned their gazes towards Arceus, which responded by unleashing a Hyper Beam.
The Hyper Beam soared past the gathering point's entrance, aimed directly at Master鼬. Master鼬 raised its hands, using Protect. How infuriating.
However, observing Master鼬 using Protect instead of dodging, Xia Hu Na couldn't help but look closer, noticing something amiss with Master鼬's attributes.
"System, why do I feel like this Master鼬's attributes have decreased? Does the Hyper Beam have this buff?"
The system displayed Master鼬's attributes before Xia Hu Na: "Look for yourself. I find it rather absurd."
Xia Hu Na's eyes widened in shock. The Master鼬, originally over level eighty, had plummeted to below level seventy. What kind of trick was this? Xia Hu Na could guarantee, from a biological perspective, that this Master鼬 was the same individual as the one before. How could it have lost twenty levels in an instant? Most ridiculously, the eighty-eight data point was provided by the system. Could it be that the system was nearing its end and should be sent for recycling?
Xia Hu Na's suspicious gaze fell upon the system, which was now in deep self-doubt: "This is illogical, it makes no sense. Could something on Lingyao Star be influencing me?"
The matter was essentially a muddled case where both parties bore some blame. Xia Hu Na was correct in assuming the opponent's Hyper Beam wasn't a recent acquisition; it was plausible that a Kung Fu鼬, upon evolving into a Master鼬, had a chance to learn Hyper Beam spontaneously. Levelling from fifty to sixty-eight was a considerable period. However, the system had been idle, and recently, Xia Hu Na's urgent requests had caused it to become unpracticed. In its haste, it made a mistake, overlooking the possibility of spontaneous learning and directly counting upwards from its level seventy database, misinterpreting sixty-eight as eighty-eight, nearly terrifying Xia Hu Na to death.
Xia Hu Na received erroneous data, which it then disseminated, leading all trainers astray. Coupled with Master鼬's own tenacity, it managed to achieve considerable success before Arceus even landed.
Fortunately, the situation had now shifted. With the correct data, Xia Hu Na was determined to reclaim its honor. Xia Hu Na pointed its middle finger at Master鼬 and declared, "Arceus, use Judgment!"
While Master鼬 was using Protect, Arceus seized the slight opening after the Hyper Beam's after-effect. Upon hearing "Judgment," it glanced at Xia Hu Na. Judgment was a level one hundred ultimate move, using it on Master鼬 felt like using a bazooka to swat a mosquito. Nevertheless, being Arceus, it unleashed countless energy spheres towards Master鼬, blocking all escape routes. The visual effect was remarkably similar to the meteor shower Xia Hu Na had witnessed multiple times that day.
The energy spheres, trailing light, streaked through the air, striking Master鼬's head with a barrage of impacts. Master鼬 felt as though its head was covered in lumps, its eyes rolled back, yet it remained standing.
"What the hell! How can a wild Pokémon have its HP locked like this?"
Xia Hu Na's understanding of common sense was repeatedly shattered. Though Xia Hu Na had long accepted that other trainers' Pokémon could, like Guagua, forcibly maintain a sliver of HP before reaching zero, this occurred with a trainer's involvement, relying on the bond between trainer and Pokémon. With whom did this wild Pokémon share its bond?
Xia Hu Na looked bewildered. The Master鼬, with its HP locked, still swayed unsteadily, intending to confront Arceus again. Xia Hu Na clutched its head. "Ah, this is killing me. I really want to make an example of it."
Heroes often receive widespread admiration. At this moment, Master鼬, having withstood Arceus's attacks twice, was a hero to the other Pokémon. Under the leadership of the heroic Master鼬, the Pokémon's assault grew more fervent. Xia Hu Na touched its wrist, then wheeled its chair closer to Arceus, extending its hand. The gesture suggested an attempt to pat Arceus's head.
It was a jest; the three-meter-tall Arceus was not easily accessible for Xia Hu Na to grab its head and rub it. Helplessly, Xia Hu Na grasped something in mid-air and pulled hard. Arceus turned its head and gave Xia Hu Na a coy roll of its eyes. Xia Hu Na raised its hand. "I'm going to use this."
Arceus nodded obligingly and flew off. Xia Hu Na, meanwhile, held up the hand on which the Z-Ring glowed with intense energy, intertwining with Arceus's power.
"Let me show you this: Z-Psychic!"
Xia Hu Na's actions were always unexpected. As the Z-Move progressed, most people knew that the Psychic-type Z-Move was "Cute Star Fly," having nothing to do with Psychic. Had Xia Hu Na's capabilities grown to the point where its words and actions no longer aligned?
Regardless, Z-Psychic was effective, instantly clearing the field without a trace, leaving everyone stunned. Once Arceus returned to the gathering point, Xia Hu Na, whose back had just been healed by the wheelchair, lunged towards Arceus. "You did so well, let me hug you!"
"Holy crap, Boss Xia is truly Boss Xia. So bold, daring to touch the God of Creation, and it looks as casual as petting an alpaca."
Xia Hu Na continued to reach out into the void. "Why do you have time to find me? I thought you were all swamped." As if recalling something, Xia Hu Na glanced at Arceus. "Say, is it only Sister Meng who's busy?"
Arceus, held by Xia Hu Na, spun in the air for a moment before transforming into a pink silhouette and nuzzling into Xia Hu Na's embrace, its head rubbing against Xia Hu Na's hand as it neatly tucked its tail away. "She has some minor matters to attend to. She'll be back soon."
The onlookers were taken aback when they realized Xia Hu Na was hugging Mew, not Arceus, then chuckled. Only Mew could elicit such reckless behavior from Xia Hu Na. However, a small question remained: how did Xia Hu Na discern it was Mew?