Chapter 487: The Dragon God's Great Battle at Mt. Pyre

Ten thousand meters above the ground.

Baimu, wearing goggles and a scarf, looked down at the Shiny Rayquaza beneath him. Although the strong wind against his face kept him from speaking—or even crying out—he still felt a touch of exhilaration in his heart.

This is riding a Rayquaza!

You have to know, even in the games you don't get this perk. At best you get to ride a Charizard or Dragonite in the post-game…

To be honest.

The riding conditions on a Rayquaza are actually not that great. Combined with its extreme speed at high altitude, Baimu had no choice but to grip one of its dragon horns at all times to keep from being flung off.

But are these problems?

No!

The satisfaction Rayquaza riding gave Baimu came mainly from the soul—like that instant when you summit Mount Everest, plant a flag, and throw your head back to roar.

For that, the cold and the fatigue were both bearable.

So happy~

Baimu happily rubbed the Shiny Rayquaza on the head, but before he'd even scratched it twice, the latter suddenly let out a long, drawn-out howl.

"Aaang—!"

The sound, like a great bell, rang through the heavens, and the vibration nearly numbed his rear end.

Ah, this.

Looks like you can't just casually rub a dragon's head…

He realized his behavior just now had been a bit presumptuous, and couldn't help feeling awkward.

Just then, the Shiny Rayquaza, which had been flying forward, also slightly turned its head, its gaze seeming to carry a warn—

Hm?

What do you mean by that lingering look?

Baimu stared blankly at the Shiny Rayquaza's golden dragon pupil. He absolutely wouldn't misread the color within it—after all, that look was exactly the same as right after finishing breakfast!

He tentatively reached out and rubbed Rayquaza's smooth head again.

Sure enough, the fellow didn't get angry. It just turned its head and flew even faster, letting out another lofty, long howl, fully displaying its divine majesty as the Dragon of the Sky.

So that's how it is.

It was crying out happily.

Baimu thought the Shiny Rayquaza really was one of a kind. When Lei Gong got happy from being rubbed, he'd only purr like a cat—where would you ever see him so "unrestrained"?

He wondered what sound Lugia would make if you got it happy from being rubbed.

Try it some other day when there's a chance?

He suddenly found himself looking forward to it, and then thought that in just over a year since transmigrating, by his count he'd already ridden three legendary Pokémon.

Lei Gong, Lugia, and Rayquaza.

He wondered if he'd get the chance to ride other legendary beasts in the future.

Speaking of which, doesn't Zhu Zi let you ride legendary Pokémon right from the start?

Too bad he transmigrated too early. He'd only watched a few promotional footage clips and never got to wait for Zhu Zi's official release before being forced to transmigrate into the Pokémon world.

And now, searching online for those two motorcycle-like dragons turned up nothing. You have to know, most legendary Pokémon online have at least some record.

The complete lack of information clearly showed that those two cover legendaries named Koraidon and Miraidon carried no small secret.

Baimu decided that once he had both the strength and the chance in the future, he would definitely go to the Paldea region to search for traces of those two legendary beasts.

While he was thinking.

The Shiny Rayquaza suddenly dropped in altitude.

"We're here?"

He curiously peered down through the sea of clouds, only to spot a large airplane abruptly piercing through the cloud sea up into the high sky, happening to come face-to-face with them.

Although the two were roughly a dozen meters apart, Baimu could still clearly see the terror and bewilderment on the captain and first officer's faces inside the cockpit.

Terror at encountering a Rayquaza, bewilderment at seeing a person on the Rayquaza's head.

Most likely the two of them wouldn't sleep well tonight.

Baimu thought this, and, his hunting heart stirred with fresh delight, waved at a passenger inside the cabin who was eagerly peering outward just before Rayquaza fully sank into the sea of clouds.

Seeing that person's eyes go wide as saucers, an unconscious smile of a successful prank spread across his face.

"Hahahaha—cough cough cough!"

Baimu, forced to swallow a bellyful of wind, was still in high spirits.

Inside the cabin, the passenger who'd caught that fleeting glimpse outside scrambled to pull out his phone, ready to capture this stunning scene.

But Rayquaza had already fully sunk into the sea of clouds, nowhere to be seen.

"Ah!

That person let out a frustrated cry, immediately drawing the flight attendant's inquiry and the strange looks of those around him.

He awkwardly apologized, then, still unreconciled, left a post titled "Seen With My Own Eyes! Someone Caught a Shiny Rayquaza!" on some trainer forum.

But since he had no proof, the only replies he got were countless identical jeers.

Meanwhile.

Baimu, who had successfully passed through the clouds and caught sight of the Hoenn continent, had no idea that just now he'd been only seconds away from becoming internet-famous again.

Of course.

Even if he knew, it wouldn't matter. In his current getup, he probably wouldn't recognize himself either—every single thing on him that could expose his identity had been swapped out.

Including the Magma Suit—one set was washed and not dry, the other was too dirty.

"Phew… feels like I can even breathe properly now."

As Rayquaza gradually descended, the gale that had been choking him into silence also weakened, and the surrounding temperature slowly rose. Before long, it would return to the warm climate of the Hoenn continent.

As he circled around, the last thin clouds dispersed, and the outer silhouette of the Sky Pillar appeared before All Baimu's eyes.

He hurriedly pulled out a telescope and looked, and after finding no trace of the Hoenn Rayquaza at the top, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"How fortunate."

Heaven had at least not let these two ancient Pokémon of the same kind end up together.

He had always had a premonition that if the two met, it definitely wouldn't be as peaceful as when the Lugia met each other.

Half a minute later.

The Shiny Rayquaza landed on the top of the Sky Pillar.

All Baimu flipped himself down, thanked it, and said, "Thanks for bringing me back… then I'll head down now?"

While saying this, he kept watching the Shiny Rayquaza's demeanor, to avoid a situation where, after arriving at the destination, the latter wouldn't let him leave.

But fortunately, the Shiny Rayquaza didn't seem to resist his departure.

Silence.

Plus observation.

The Shiny Rayquaza's standard configuration.

While All Baimu felt relieved, a small, inexplicable sense of loss welled up in his heart—only this little emotion came and went quickly, like a thought that rose on the wind and vanished with the wind.

He shook his head, sent out Hydreigon, and descended rapidly along the outer wall of the Sky Pillar, also avoiding running into those Ghost-type Pokémon inside again.

Arriving at the base of the tower.

Miss Xijiana hadn't left after all; she was sitting on a tree stump, a single-lens frame glasses perched on her nose bridge, cradling Gu Niu Niu in one arm while reading with her head lowered.

Salamence was coiled up and dozing nearby.

For Dragon-type Pokémon, long periods of dormancy were very common—let alone a day and a night, sleeping for a year in a suitable environment was nothing.

The moment All Baimu approached, Salamence raised its head, and Miss Xijiana turned her head to look as well.

"Oh! You're finally back!" Her eyes suddenly lit up, then settled back down.

"I was only gone for one night… were you nearsighted originally?"

He was quite surprised by her appearance—the glasses softened Miss Xijiana, who originally radiated a wild, untamed aura, and even gave her a bit of a scholarly air.

"Just mild astigmatism."

Miss Xijiana didn't want to dwell on this, turned her head to look at the top of the Sky Pillar, and asked, "Is 'it' still there?"

All Baimu replied: "It should be. It approached me out of curiosity, and until it figures out what it wants to figure out, there's a high chance it won't leave."

Miss Xijiana's brows furrowed instantly.

It was obvious she was very displeased with the Shiny Rayquaza's behavior of occupying a magpie's nest—the Sky Pillar was built by the People of the Meteorite to thank the Hoenn Rayquaza, so how could other Rayquaza come and stay?

"Uh, sorry, I'll find a way to make it leave as soon as possible."

All Baimu took the blame on himself, but she shook her head.

"I know this isn't your fault, but it's a shame you finally passed the basic trial…"

"Tell me about it."

He sighed along with her—if Rayquaza simply didn't approve, that would be one thing, but after all that effort, the examiner wasn't even here—what kind of situation was that?

The energy expended should at least yield some return.

The two chatted briefly.

Miss Xijiana brought the topic back to the trial and said: "In that case, we'll come again next time—once you've gotten rid of the Shiny Rayquaza, and I've confirmed that the Dragon God Rayquaza is up there."

Clearly she still hoped All Baimu could become the inheritor, to share the responsibility of carrying on the People of the Meteorite with her.

This resolve made the latter raise an eyebrow; after a brief consideration, he didn't refuse: "Alright! I'll wait for your word!"

Since Miss Xijiana didn't mind him coming into contact with the "Outer God," there was no need to agonize over whether to become the inheritor either—having one more title wouldn't hurt.

Once he returned to Oreburgh City, whether they liked it or not, after he settled down and started a family there, he'd definitely count as half an inheritor.

Either way, he was going to be one.

Might as well make it official.

"…"

Miss Xijiana hadn't expected All Baimu to agree so quickly; she inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, thinking it was good that the latter hadn't been bewitched by that differently-colored fellow, and hadn't developed any disrespect toward the Dragon God Rayquaza.

Willingness to meet the Dragon God Rayquaza a second time already counted as a clear statement of intent.

"Then let's end this trial here for now. Hurry up… try to persuade the Shiny Rayquaza to leave as soon as possible. This sky ultimately belongs to the Dragon God Rayquaza."

Miss Xijiana was likewise worried about the two Rayquaza meeting, and understood that getting rid of the Shiny Rayquaza had to depend on All Baimu, so she mentioned this.

All Baimu nodded upon hearing this and said: "That's exactly my intention. I'm heading off now."

Miss Xijiana: "Mm."

He also said goodbye to Gu Niu Niu and Salamence, remounted Hydreigon, and returned to the top of the tower, just happening to come face to face with the Shiny Rayquaza, which had come to the edge and was peering down.

The latter's appearance—two claws gripping the wall's edge, poking its head about—reminded him of the old Hydreigon.

"!?"

A legendary being acting cute is too much!

All Baimu landed to one side, took a deep breath, and prepared for the second mind-link.

Verbal persuasion was too inefficient; directly opening his heart to let it see what he was worried about—he figured the Shiny Rayquaza wouldn't make things too hard for him.

He placed his hand on the Shiny Rayquaza, which had come closer.

The Heart of God actually didn't require specifically touching the head; other body parts worked too, but touching the head helped the two parties make eye contact.

Inside the golden consciousness space.

He and the Shiny Rayquaza communicated once more; the latter seemed extremely excited, as if it had been waiting a long time.

And when the exchange ended and he deactivated the Heart of God, Rayquaza once again showed a look of wanting more, as if peeking into his past and thoughts was something particularly interesting.

Fine.

It's pretty interesting to watch as a story, but it's not so fun being treated as one.

"Hoo…"

The shiny Rayquaza exhaled a puff of air and slightly lowered its head.

All Baimu stared at its posture, so proactively inviting him to take a seat, and fell into silence.

Question:

Is it normal for a shiny Rayquaza to always let people ride on its back of its own accord? Online, kinda urgent.

Answer:

Never mind whether it's normal or not, just get on first.

All Baimu, who cherished every chance to ride a dragon, decisively climbed onto Rayquaza's back. He wasn't quite sure where the fellow wanted to take him, but there was still some time before the Mi Ke Li Cup.

Once they arrived, he'd find a chance to let Milotic practice.

He quietly made his decision. The shiny Rayquaza also habitually raised its head and let out a long howl, then flew toward the sky like a swimming dragon, completing a hundred-kilometer acceleration in just a few short seconds.

The base of the Sky Pillar.

Miss Xijiana breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the howl, but she still did not leave.

She would wait until the Dragon God Rayquaza returned, to see whether the aura left behind by the shiny Rayquaza would provoke the other, and give All Baimu a heads-up when the time came.

She was somewhat helpless regarding that fellow of the same species.

Being entangled by a shiny Rayquaza to this extent — whether it was fortune or misfortune, she truly could not say.

——

High above.

All Baimu felt he was almost getting used to this mode of transportation.

But what struck him as strange was that the shiny Rayquaza didn't seem to plan on leaving the Hoenn region, as if there was still something in the Hoenn continent that attracted it.

What's going on?

You really want to throw down with the Hoenn Rayquaza?

All Baimu felt he had made himself perfectly clear during their mental exchange — he didn't want the shiny Rayquaza to clash with the Hoenn Rayquaza… If the latter wouldn't listen, then there was truly nothing he could do.

Reasonably speaking, the shiny Rayquaza didn't seem like the type of Pokémon that liked casually provoking others.

But looking at it from another angle — if it thought that an all-out battle with the Hoenn Rayquaza was a very interesting thing, especially after he kept mentioning in their mental exchange that he wanted to avoid conflict…

This fellow might just pick a fight with the other for fun.

If that were really the case, then his sins would be great indeed!

"……"

All Baimu's lips trembled slightly. He leaned his body back into the Triple-headed Dragon clinging to him, and used its middle big head as a hat to warm the top of his own.

He decided to calm down a little.

Things might not be as he imagined; perhaps the shiny Rayquaza's refusal to leave had some other purpose.

He quietly convinced himself.

Half an hour later.

Over a stretch of sea near Hoenn.

All Baimu stared dumbfounded at the terrifying thundercloud mass drawing closer and closer to him. Hearing the roars that rang out from within it besides the thunder, a strange thought squeezed into his mind.

This fellow…

Wouldn't be looking for a Mega Stone, would it!?

His heart skipped a beat, but thinking it over carefully — Rayquaza, as a being capable of self-initiated Mega Evolution through its Primal organ, perhaps the only thing that could attract it was a Mega Stone containing terrifying energy within.

However.

Looking for a Mega Stone wasn't the problem.

The problem was that it wasn't the only one looking for Mega Stones. The owner of the territory was looking too!

All Baimu looked at the thundercloud before him, and the unease in his heart rose to its peak.