Chapter 558: Making Friends Z2

"Wow! Xiaobai, are you okay?!"

As a golden ring materialized out of thin air in the laboratory.

Hu Pa poked its head out, looked around at the rather gruesome scene, its little face full of shock, and pointed at the researchers sprawled all over the floor as it asked: "Are they dead?"

"Dead my foot. How could they be that fragile."

All Baimu was so angry he reached out to twist its face, "Quick, use your Psychic to carry them out!"

"Oh~~"

With its voice distorted by its squished cheeks, Hu Pa tilted its head, curiously looked at the Pachira not far away who was staring down a Mega Bosswell, and asked again: "Is that one an enemy too?"

"Obviously. When an unknown person shows up in a place like this, ninety percent of the time they're an enemy!"

All Baimu nodded, and rather unexpectedly said to Pachira: "Aren't you going to try running?"

Pachira raised an eyebrow, shifted her gaze away from the Mega Bosswell, and said: "Little kid, are you telling an Elite Four member to run?"

"Elite Four…"

He subconsciously glanced at the panting, heavily wounded Mega Houndoom.

As if sensing that "contemptuous" gaze, Pachira laughed in anger, "Taking the fruits of a sneak attack as your own true strength — that's not the mark of a fine Trainer."

"My respect is reserved only for opponents who fight fair and square. Besides, when it's already a fight to the death, demanding others play by some unspoken rules — you're pretty naive yourself."

All Baimu was well aware that most people in the main-series regions had very high moral standards; sometimes even when their lives hung by a thread, they would still sit and watch their opponent strengthen themselves through certain means.

But for the ambitious Team Flare to play by that same set of rules — wasn't that a bit too ironic?

"Fair and square… Hmph, even if you're right."

Pachira's expression darkened for a moment. She recalled the Mega Houndoom into its Poké Ball, picked up the handcuffs on the ground, and silently put them on. "At a time like this, arguing with words is already meaningless."

She leaned against the wall as if she'd accepted her fate.

Self-sacrifice?

In fact.

The moment she saw Hu Pa, she understood that running was futile — no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't outrun someone who could simply open a golden ring to come catch her.

No wonder these guys arrived so silently and swiftly. And Lysandre probably never imagined that someone in this world could find a Pokémon like Hu Pa to use against him, right?

Unless they managed to escape this time, Lysandre would likely develop corresponding defensive measures.

Pachira's heart was in turmoil.

Or rather, ever since she learned that Lysandre, under the banner of building a beautiful world, had tricked countless people into participating in his mad scheme to destroy the world, she had been caught in inner conflict.

She did admire and like Lysandre, true enough — but that didn't mean she was willing to accept his ideas wholesale.

What did he mean, creating a utopian world without strife and plunder?

As long as living beings existed, competition could not be eliminated. Lysandre's ideas would only slowly lead every creature in the world to extinction — including those who believed they would live better in the new world.

"Well said, though."

All Baimu recalled the Mega Bosswell into its Poké Ball, but didn't let it revert from Mega Evolution — there might still be places where fighting was needed later.

He ran toward where Xerosic was. The fat man was still unconscious, and behind him Z1 was softly calling out to Z2, who was gradually coming to.

"Thou… why art thou here? Could it be…"

Z2 stared blankly at Z1, then immediately saw the devastation around it, and Xerosic — the one who had always inflicted pain upon it, now lying unconscious.

"Why…"

"This was done by humans! We came specially to rescue thee! Fortunately, we arrived in time!"

Z1, in its canine form, said excitedly: "Art thou unharmed?"

"Slightly unwell, but unharmed."

Z2 slightly raised its head, looked at All Baimu right before it, and sternly retreated a few steps: "Humans cannot be trusted!"

Z1 immediately spoke up to rebut:

"They can be trusted! Not all humans are the same!"

"That is merely a lapse of vigilance — thou hast grown foolish—" Z2 was about to rebut when All Baimu suddenly half-squatted down and gently extended an index finger to lightly touch the latter's head.

Verbal communication was simply too inefficient. At a critical moment like this, it was time to bring out this thing!

The Heart of God!

The Heart of God is triggered by sincere emotion — by undisguised affection.

Who wouldn't love a Legendary Pokémon?

Besides.

You're a Dragon too!

"What meanest thou by this?!" Z2 was greatly alarmed, and Z1 beside it was equally bewildered.

But soon, a golden wave of light that calmed both of them rippled out from All Baimu's index finger.

Z2, as if drowsy, gradually closed its eyes.

Not far away.

Watching this scene, Pachira's gaze trembled. "This is… Psychic power?"

In her understanding, any power a human could wield was classified under Psychic abilities, and she had never expected All Baimu to possess a similar miraculous power.

For some reason, Pachira grew increasingly unconfident about Lysandre's plan.

And through the successfully triggered Heart of God, All Baimu had already arrived in the mindscape with Z2. The latter still appeared in its Core form, but behind it stood three phantoms, corresponding respectively to the three forms the cells could take.

Dog, serpent, giant.

"Humans are not only one-sided darkness and evil — there is also light, greatness, and sacrifice."

All Baimu transmitted to Z2 all the memories he believed could move the heart.

There were his experiences and observations in Iron Town, wonderful scenes of humans and Pokémon living in harmony, and even more — the grand, sweeping images in his memory symbolizing humanity's eternal defiance against fate.

Finally, it was the good will that served as the decisive blow.

There was no need to deliver some kind of mental shock to Z2 — just letting him know that humans are complex creatures, and asking him to give kind people some expectation and tolerance, was enough.

In but a moment.

All Baimu withdrew his palm; if time had allowed, he would actually have wanted to show Z2 more.

"Are you unharmed?"

Z1 asked again, but compared to the urgent concern from before, this time it leaned more toward curiosity.

"... Unharmed."

Z2 shook his head, his single eye gazing up at All Baimu filled with complexity, and said softly to him: "If that is so, I shall trust you once. You who have opened the radiance of your heart — if you are willing, I can lend you my aid."

Z1 was instantly dumbfounded.

What situation is this?

Bro, did your attitude just change way too fast? I was still thinking about how to convince you!

"To receive your aid is my honor." All Baimu replied with a smile, feeling that this Heart of God of his was practically a replica of the Azure Flute.

So long as one finished communicating with a legendary Pokémon, the other party would inevitably be willing to offer their own power.

Just like the time god Dialga in "The Rise of Darkrai," who shared his power with the Azure Flute's heir Xijiana.

He stood up, saw that most of the unconscious researchers around had been carried away by Hu Pa, and that two more technicians were copying the research data here, and immediately asked:

"Where are Yurika and the others? Still waiting over there?"

"Yurika? She went with Little Knowledge to find someone called Ali!"

"Ali?"

All Baimu was stunned for a moment, then caught on, "You mean Alan, right?"

"Right! That's Ali!" Hu Pa nodded.

All Baimu: "..."

One of these days I'm going to straighten out that tongue of yours!

But didn't Champion Dawu send Alan away? Why did Little Wisdom and the others go looking for Alan?

"That guy, I called him back."

Paschika's voice rang out not far away; she, leaning against the wall, smiled and said: "My original intention was to chat with him about things related to Fladrill, but I didn't expect that the moment I came back I'd run into something like this first."

"Why are you still here?"

All Baimu looked at her strangely, then looked at Hu Pa, "Why didn't you carry her out?"

Hu Pa tilted its head, "Isn't Little White chatting with her? I saw you two seemed to be chatting quite happily just now."

Actually, after eating a setback over at Fladrill's side, it planned to recoup its face from Paschika, who might run, and then take credit in front of others.

Can't catch Fladrill, but can't I catch you!?

But Paschika simply refused to run.

"Not happy at all!"

All Baimu lightly brought a chop down on the top of its head; the latter covered its head in an exaggerated manner, putting on a look of being in agony.

"Stop being thick-headed — you take her... um... you take her over to Little Wisdom's side, tell them this one's a bad guy, then come back."

He thought it over, removed all the Poké Balls from Paschika's person, and said to her: "Since you're not planning to run, then take a good look at this world's future."

"Future..."

Paschika didn't finish speaking before being teleported away by Hu Pa's golden ring.

The laboratory instantly fell quiet, leaving only the two technicians in charge of copying still seriously operating the computers.

All Baimu returned to the two Zygarde Cores' side, and had them guard the doorway to prevent any more Flare Team grunts from running over.

To be honest.

His mission was already complete at this point.

Finding Z2 and capturing two executives of the Flare Team — this feat alone was enough to make him the MVP of this operation; what remained was perhaps only dealing with the legendary giant stone and arresting Fladrill and the remaining executives.

But dealing with the legendary giant stone was Champion Dawu and Miss Xijiana's responsibility; the combined strength of those two was far greater than his, so surely they wouldn't crash.

Probably wouldn't... right?

To be safe, All Baimu felt he should go over and take a look — what if something went wrong?

At that thought.

He turned his head and said to Z1 and Z2: "Later I'll have to ask you two for a favor..."

He briefly explained his plan.

The two Zygarde Cores exchanged a glance, and nodded one after another: "We understand."

The words fell.

A golden ring opened beside them.

"Little White! I've come to pick you up!" Hu Pa poked through while saying: "Little White, you don't know, Little Wisdom and Ali got into a fight!"

All Baimu: "... Huh?"

"Wait, got into a fight? What do you mean? Little Wisdom hit Alan?" His heart skipped a beat.

Although he had previously taught Little Wisdom the 【Big Dipper Friendship Breaking Fist】, by all reason it shouldn't have led to those two getting into a fight, right?

Is Alan that hot-headed?

"Yeah! Greninja and Charizard can even transform like Hu Pa! It scared me!" Hu Pa nodded with great seriousness.

"Uh... the 'getting into a fight' you mentioned is a Pokémon battle?"

"Yeah! What else?"

"Never mind."

All Baimu tugged at the corner of his mouth — he'd almost really thought this Pokémon show had turned into a teen fighting anime, but in the end it was just a Pokémon battle?

The Lumiose Conference finals, playing out ahead of schedule?

"Enough about that — how's Champion Dawu doing over there? Any news?"

He asked urgently.

Hu Pa replied, "Seems like he's locked in a tough fight. Hu Pa really wants to go help, but Baraz and Mei Mei Yali won't allow it."

"A tough fight? Both Champion Dawu and Miss Xijiana are locked in a tough fight?"

All Baimu's eyes went wide.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear — what on earth happened over at the Legendary Titan? Normally Champion Dawu and Miss Xijiana shouldn't be losing to Team Flare, right?

"Hu Pa isn't sure, that's just what I heard earlier." Hu Pa waved his hand and opened a golden ring. "Bai Guang wanna go take a look?"

"Of course — you can't go!"

He nodded rapidly, stepping inside while blocking Hu Pa, who wanted to follow. "Send those two down to the ground!"

So far he still didn't know where the mind-control system was located. If it happened to be over at the Legendary Titan, what if some Team Flare underling saw the ring about to fire over?

There was a real probability of such a dramatic scene occurring.

"—Hmph!"

Hu Pa looked at Z1 and Z2 standing in place without moving, and seeing that they weren't following either, the grievance in his heart eased quite a bit.

In everything, the saying holds: it's not scarcity one fears, but unfair distribution.

Either everyone goes, or no one goes!

The golden ring vanished.

—

Inside a laboratory that had nearly become ruins.

All Baimu stepped out from a corner, and Fladri's roar rang in his ears.

"Your actions are utterly meaningless! Why must you come obstruct me! I only want to make this world a better place!"

"The 'better place' you're talking about — is that stripping other people of their lives?"

Champion Dawu's angry voice rang out next, "What do you take human lives for!?"

He looked around.

He could plainly see Fladri with his back to the glowing red Legendary Titan, floating in mid-air and looking down at Champion Dawu not far away.

Between the two were Mega Gyarados and Mega Metagross, and the former's face was full of barely-suppressible agony, with energy bursting out uncontrollably all over its body.

Miss Xijiana and Mega Salamence were positioned a little farther away.

The woman and her dragon were both covered in red light. The source was those two female Team Flare executives — their clothes in tatters, with wounds still on their faces, they held strange firearms, firing beams from them that bound Miss Xijiana and Mega Salamence in place.

Beside them lay two other female executives who had lost consciousness.

Isn't this the same black-tech used to capture Z2!

All Baimu remembered that Z2 had been caught by Team Flare because of those two guns. He hadn't expected them to use them on people… no wonder they were locked in a tough fight!

This black-tech stuff — even a Champion can't withstand it!

He pulled out a Poké Ball and charged straight out.

Bang!

Bai Guang flashed.

"Guuua!"

Mega Aggron landed, immediately drawing the attention of everyone around.

"All Baimu!"

"All—"

Champion Dawu and Miss Xijiana each let out a sound.

Fladri looked at him, the fury in his eyes intensifying. "You again! If you hadn't snatched Z2 from me, my plan would have succeeded long ago! What did you do to Xerosic!"

"Nothing much, just—"

All Baimu smiled slightly. "Sent her off to see the future she wanted to see."

"Aaargh—!"

The slightly ambiguous words instantly made Fladri let out an uncontrollable mad roar, and the two remaining Team Flare scientist executives also showed looks of shock.

And in that split-second of distraction—

Two azure dragon-arrows suddenly shot out through the air, striking each of them.

"Ah!"

"Eeek!"

The two immediately collapsed amid the smoke of the explosion, and Miss Xijiana and Mega Salamence successfully regained their freedom.

"Now it's three-on-one — let's see if you die or not."

All Baimu licked the corner of his mouth, and looking at the raging Fladri, the corner of his mouth curved up.