Chapter 657: Bloodstained Crescent

Roars echoed continuously.

The blood-red haze before Baimu vanished entirely.

He stood up, clutching his pounding heart as he gasped for breath, then felt his eyes ache and burn as if scorched, tears automatically welling from the corners.

"Three-Headed Dragon!"

No response came.

He looked at the Three-Headed Dragon, which had bowed its head into silence since finishing its roar, knowing its physical strength and elemental energy had reached their absolute limit.

Choosing to rest with Yu Xi would leave it in a dire state with no energy left.

Choosing to attack or restrain might leave it with only one final strike—or even unable to move at all before being knocked out.

Having defeated both of Shi Yuan Zhi's main Pokémon, it could have easily withdrawn to rest.

But.

Staying on the field had meaning.

Shi Yuan Zhi's last Pokémon, as expected, was a Flygon with the Intimidate ability; this ability had already triggered once, and the chance of it triggering again within such a short time was extremely low.

If it used a move now, it would be an incredible gain!

You can do it!

Answer me!

Baimu stared at his Dragon until a weak, weary growl reached his ears.

"Shaa…"

The largest head of the Three-Headed Dragon slowly turned toward him, its mouth slowly curling into what looked like a smile, its faint blood-red eyes filled with resolve.

The battle isn't over.

It was a proud and formidable dragon, whose victory had been cheered by the roars of every one of its kind across this land.

So for it to leave the field, only two possibilities existed!

Either defeat the opponent… or be defeated by the opponent!

The answer was crystal clear.

No guesswork needed—it simply appeared naturally in Baimu's heart.

Why?

Because when the Three-Headed Dragon was about to collapse under the impact of Dragon Pulse, his own inner scream had merged with it as one, leaving behind faint traces even now.

In memory:

Three parallel perspectives surged with chaotic streams of colorful dragon flames, while weakness, exhaustion, and pain eroded his body at its breaking point.

But a strange, immense power suddenly erupted.

Then he… no, the Three-Headed Dragon devoured all the dragon flames shot by the opponent, "converting them into its own," and dove toward the Sandshrew.

The fusion ended there.

Looking back now, perhaps it had been interrupted by the residual shockwave of the explosion.

Fortunately, the Lava Armor and his sufficiently robust physique spared him from injury concerns.

Recalling that strange experience in his mind, Baimu frowned.

Dragon Heart?

Nothing like it.

He knew perfectly well what Iris's Dragon Heart looked like in the anime, and what his own Divine Heart felt like—there was not a single similarity!

"This is the power of resonance."

A hoarse voice came from afar.

Baimu looked up and saw Shi Yuan Zhi brushing dust off his captain's hat as he walked slowly back to his battered trainer's seat.

The man's sharp gaze seemed to pierce through Baimu's confusion; his slender frame remained upright, surely hardened by decades of seafaring that allowed him to easily endure the explosion's residual shockwaves.

After all, the old Champion was the kind of man who crossed oceans on a three-masted sailboat even in the Advanced Generation era—Ash had even joked it looked like a pirate ship.

Baimu's attention returned to those words: "Resonance?"

Shi Yuan Zhi adjusted his captain's hat, pulled out a Poké Ball to recall the Sandshrew, and spoke in a quiet but clear voice: "Bond resonance—a rare phenomenon that occurs only between Pokémon and trainers with exceptionally deep bonds; during this state, the Pokémon can unleash terrifying power beyond conventional understanding."

Bond resonance…

Bond evolution?

His first thought was Ash's Greninja.

But if Baimu had arrived in this world a little later, he would have witnessed a far more direct example during the Eight Masters Final:

【Friendship Thunderbolt】 and 【Champion Moment Fire Blast】.

Of course.

In the Pokémon world, cases of sudden power surges due to bonds were not rare, so Shi Yuan Zhi's explanation was easy to grasp.

A special power-up, then.

Outside the arena, the Starfall Tribesmen, hearing Shi Yuan Zhi's words, grew curious and turned their gazes toward Old Qingliu, the one who had trained Dragon Pokémon the longest among the Dragon Tamers.

The hunched old man coughed lightly and said: "This is an extremely rare phenomenon, occurring only when the Pokémon and trainer's wills align perfectly. Take a simpler example you can understand—during Mega Evolution, you feel as if you can hear your Pokémon's voice."

"And your Pokémon can hear yours—that's a weakened manifestation of bond resonance. The reason Mega Evolution requires such a deep bond stems from this principle, but it does not mean Mega Evolution guarantees this phenomenon will occur."

The crowd nodded thoughtfully.

Inside the arena.

Shi Yuan Zhi's voice, hoarse, said: "Baimu, I am glad to have witnessed the bond between you and the Three-Headed Dragon. Even if this battle must end here, I am deeply satisfied…"

"But I believe this is not your limit!"

The old man shifted tone, his stern face now lit with a gleam of anticipation as his third Poké Ball soared high into the air.

Boom!

"Roar!"

In a deafening roar, the vast crimson wings unfolded, blotting out the sun.

The moment the Flygon appeared, a terrifying aura surged toward the half-unconscious three-headed dragon and the distant Baimu.

Hum!

"Sshhh!"

The three-headed dragon suddenly lifted its head, its snarling, grotesque expression startling the frontline examiner who had stepped forward to assess its condition.

Baimu had been about to ask a few more questions, but now he forcibly swallowed them back.

In his eyes, the Flygon was wreathed in flames of blazing crimson energy; just one glance made his heartbeat quicken involuntarily.

Here it comes! 【Intimidate】 ability!

A brilliant blue light flared across the three-headed dragon's body, revealing the true nature of the aura.

It had somehow taken shape on the mental plane.

What an terrifying Pokémon!

"..."

Baimu swallowed hard, temporarily setting aside his doubts about resonance—this chilling Flygon reminded him the battle was far from over; in fact, the real drama had only just begun.

The top-tier Four Heavenly Kings' flagship Pokémon...

He looked at the three-headed dragon, its scaled wings flapping slowly; after the resonance, it seemed to have undergone subtle changes.

The exact nature of those changes remained unknown—he'd have to wait until the battle ended to find out.

"Dragon Breath."

From the opposite side came Shi Yuan Zhi's command.

The words had barely fallen.

Hoom!

A colossal pillar of indigo flame shot through the air, striking the three-headed dragon's chest at a speed too fast for any normal person to react—then exploded with a thunderous crash, instantly engulfing it in fire and black smoke!

"Sshhh..."

A faint, barely audible moan rose, followed by the three-headed dragon tumbling out of the smoke, its massive body crashing onto the shattered battlefield, kicking up swirling dust.

All onlookers gasped in shock.

But when they turned to look at the Flygon, they noticed dark mist coiling around its deep-blue scales.

"It's Taunt!"

"Used just now?"

"That guy's too strong... I'd love to breed a three-headed dragon too!"

Even though the three-headed dragon had clearly lost its fighting ability, the dragon trainers' eyes gleamed brighter than ever, eager to breed similar Dragon Pokémon.

After all, its heroic performance—enduring fierce battles against Armored Dragon and Desert Fly, overcoming powerful foes through sheer will—had won over every trainer present.

But...

Could Baimu possibly win against that Flygon?

Among the Starfall folk—not just the small group of dragon trainers—faces showed worry; Shi Yuan Zhi's reputation in Starfall Village was built entirely on the strength of his Flygon, and everyone knew just how powerful it was!

Throughout Starfall Village and the Dragon Nest, no Dragon Pokémon had ever defeated Shi Yuan Zhi's Flygon.

Even if Miss Xijiana's own Flygon, the strongest among the youth, were to face it, the best outcome would be a draw.

Its decades-long prestige was no lie!

Amid all those anxious gazes, Baimu did not hesitate—he threw his Poké Ball while yanking open his shirt.

The Super Pendant swayed in the wind.

Someone shouted: "It's a Key Stone! Super Evolution is coming!"

The dragon trainers, lost in fantasies of breeding three-headed dragons, snapped back to reality, their expressions turning excited.

Due to the strict trial system, even the deeply rooted Starfall folk couldn't provide every dragon trainer with a Key Stone and a Mega Stone.

Thus, battles involving Super Evolution weren't just spectacular—they represented the very dreams held in their hearts.

Boom!

The Poké Ball opened.

"Kee-doh!"

Gulpin landed on the field, gazing at the cracked ground beneath its feet, its cute brow slightly furrowing.

It disliked this bumpy, uneven terrain; the awkward stance slightly hindered its power output—but upon seeing the Flygon across from it, its aura as tangible as solid flame, it instantly forgot all that.

This guy...

Is strong!

It felt just like those daily training bouts back at the Liuli Gym, facing off against Gyarados and Milotic.

But if it wasn't mistaken, the opponent was a Dragon-type Pokémon.

Then it was fine!

Its trainer had said it was the Dragon Beast's nemesis!

"Kee-doh!"

Gulpin clenched its fists as its trainer's low voice echoed behind it.

"Super Evolution!"

Hum!

Blinding light erupted from the giant glass orb at the back of its head, like a chain of colorful electric currents spiraling outward, connecting with chains hurtling toward it from behind!

Boom—

A muffled sound echoed through the air.

Wildly scattered energy transformed into a terrifying gale, radiating outward from the sudden transformation of Bai Guang's Garganaught.

The already fragile ground instantly cracked into countless shards, rocks and dust surging skyward in the violent energy surge!

Let it be said.

The process of Garganaught's Super Evolution was spectacularly dramatic.

Even Shi Yuan Zhi, with his vast experience, showed a flicker of surprise, then fell silent as he grabbed the open flap of his left coat and pulled out an ancient flintlock pistol.

From the side, one could see a gleaming Key Stone embedded at its center.

"Cough! Super Evolution!"

Shi Yuan Zhi let out a light cough and pulled the trigger.

Click!

The mechanism fired.

Brilliant light coalesced into a chain of lightning-like psychic bonds that shot forward, reacting violently with the Super Stone clamped to the base of Sharpedo's left wing!

"Aoooh!"

Sharpedo roared upward, its entire body erupting in an energy wave rivaling Garganaught's, shaking the ground and sending countless pebbles and sand flying.

The Meteor People stared in awe at the two brilliant lights, until they each dimmed.

On one side.

Was the petite, adorable, pink-tinged Super Garganacl, its rear jaws grotesquely ferocious, opening and snapping at the air as if alive, emitting crisp clacking sounds.

On the other side.

Was the Super Sharpedo, its twin wings stretched wide like a crimson crescent moon, its head, neck, and torso elongated, its triangular side fins greatly extended, limbs drawn close.

The aura of malice it now radiated was heavier than ever, living up to its nickname, "The Bloodstained Crescent."

The two Pokémon stared at each other.

Through the faint resonance of their Super Evolution-linked minds, both understood they were their Trainer's final Pokémon.

In other words.

The coming battle would decide everything!

"Old Qingliu, who has the greater chance of winning?"

"Hard to say. Garganaught holds the type advantage, but Shi Yuan Zhi isn't some greenhorn—he has strategies to defeat Fairy-type opponents too…"

Old Qingliu answered the person beside him, yet his eyes held a trace of worry.

In his view, Shi Yuan Zhi was no worse than upstarts like Champion Dawu or Mi Ke Li—but at their age, denying old age was impossible.

In recent years, when had Shi Yuan Zhi ever lost a battle in the Champion League, if not because his stamina couldn't keep up with his Pokémon's fierce combat?

Especially under Super Evolution.

Once he faltered—even for an instant—it would affect the Pokémon bound to him by mind-link, giving the opponent an opening to strike decisively!

The stronger the opponent, the more stamina it drained.

Old Qingliu knew Shi Yuan Zhi's prior two battles with Baimu had already drained much of his strength, compounded by the lingering effects of Dragon Dive's explosion, and the faint cough that had slipped out during Super Evolution.

That's why Shi Yuan Zhi had just said, "Even if it ends here."

You must hold on until the end!

Shi Yuan Zhi!

You are the strongest Elite Four of Hoenn!

Old Qingliu's short, withered body trembled slightly—he knew how agonizing it was for a Trainer to be unable to fight fiercely due to physical decline.

And as he screamed silently in his heart,

the two Pokémon in the arena launched their first furious exchange!

"Electro Ball!"

"Flamethrower!"

Baimu and Shi Yuan Zhi gave their commands in unison.

Yet Super Sharpedo moved faster, its crescent-shaped crimson wings carrying it like lightning to the front of Super Garganaught.

"Aoooh!"

It blasted a torrent of blazing orange-red flame upward at an angle, forming a vast cloud of Xiong Xiongliehuo as if burning all before it.

This was a prediction of the evasion path!

But.

Super Sharpedo hadn't anticipated that Super Garganaught hadn't used Electro Ball straight upward—it had instead tapped its toe and leapt backward.

Hss—

Countless bright yellow currents shot from its body into the ground, and the shattered, cracked earth rumbled violently as massive rocks rose, swiftly obscuring its form!

Shi Yuan Zhi crossed his arms and coughed lightly.

He hadn't expected Super Sharpedo's attack intent to be so easily read.

Is it getting better as it fights?

He found Baimu increasingly agreeable.

The Super Evolution mind-link allowed them to issue brief commands, yet their Pokémon still executed precise actions.

Thus, Super Sharpedo's path prediction and Super Garganaught's evasion prediction were unsurprising.

The key lay in the Trainer's perception.

Unfortunately.

If Baimu was willing to stay in Toyora, then his position would have a successor; after decades as one of the Four Kings, he could retire with honor and return to his seafaring career...

Searching for the Dragonite that had once saved him.