Chapter 778: The Pilgrimage Begins

Z Crystal, or just a regular Z?

All All Baimu asked curiously, "Where did this come from?"

How could Wearing Bear have a Z Crystal? It's not a dominant Pokémon.

From its nest?

Even less likely.

It just left in the opposite direction of the nest, and if there had been a Z Crystal inside, unless Team Rocket's previous device was inaccurate, there's no way it wouldn't have been detected.

"Guma~"

Wearing Bear's cry was flat.

Meowth gasped: "You're saying you got this from Chief Mauville?"

Got it?

You can just ask for something like this and get it?

All All Baimu had a feeling things weren't that simple, but although Wearing Bear hung around Team Rocket, it didn't have their habit of stealing things.

He remembered how in the plot, Staryu had nearly fallen into Team Rocket's hands multiple times, only to be returned by Wearing Bear.

After defeating Froslass, it only collected Team Rocket's Evil Z and Mimikyu's Z Crystal, ignoring the rest scattered on the ground.

And when he didn't reach out, Wearing Bear simply shoved the regular Z into his pocket.

"Guwo gu!"

"Alright, thank you, Wearing Bear."

All All Baimu thanked him with a complex expression—he had assumed only defeating a dominant Pokémon could yield a Z Crystal, never expecting that defeating Wearing Bear could too.

Mega Gargamel silently reverted to its normal form, "Kichido~"

At this moment.

The sky began to darken subtly.

It signaled he had spent nearly the entire afternoon in Wearing Bear's nest.

Maybe I could find Hala now?

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind: no matter how much the Island King roamed, didn't he still have to go home for dinner at night?

But upon further thought…

Never mind.

Showing up late at night would be too rude.

All All Baimu snapped back to reality: "It's getting late. We'll stop here for today. I'll come visit you again in a few days."

Wearing Bear looked down at him, then suddenly pulled him into its arms, "Guma!"

A massive force pressed against him—he could feel his arms and chest being squeezed.

But it was fine.

Just moderately painful.

Maybe the Lava Armor was working, or maybe his physique was just special.

Either way, Wearing Bear's hug didn't make him struggle to breathe—it even prompted him to hug back.

Hmm.

The wild animal scent in its fur was strong, but its body's elasticity was astonishing.

It felt as if he applied a little pressure, he could turn Wearing Bear's waist from a barrel into a narrow gourd.

"Gugu?"

Wearing Bear was both surprised and delighted by All All Baimu's ease, and tightened its grip further.

Team Rocket's trio turned green.

Someone actually endured Wearing Bear's hug attack?

Is he even human?

Yet as Wearing Bear's hydraulic-style hug intensified, All All Baimu finally couldn't hold out—his lips twitched as he begged.

"It hurts—this is my limit, please let me go."

The adorable Wearing Bear didn't press further, releasing its massive paws, each the size of a human head.

Instead, it turned to hug Gargamel.

Gargamel was unhappy but, out of respect for the Trainer, said nothing, "Kichido!"

"Guwo gu."

Wearing Bear blinked its glossy black eyes and let out a soft cry.

Freed, All All Baimu exhaled and turned to Team Rocket's trio: "Don't rush the device—I want stability and durability. Don't give me a defective product."

Jessie hurriedly replied, "Absolutely, absolutely!"

After all, he'd paid.

Team Rocket might be villains, but they understood the importance of business reputation.

"Goodbye!"

All All Baimu and Gargamel left.

Wearing Bear watched his silhouette vanish into the trees, then snatched up Team Rocket's trio under its armpits and returned to its nest.

At first glance, it looked like a hunter returning from a hunt.

On the way home.

Gargamel turned the lead-gray regular Z over and over in its hands.

"Kichido?"

"It needs a Z-Ring—just having the Z Crystal alone does nothing."

All All Baimu explained casually: "And unlike Mega Stones for Mega Evolution, Z Crystals only work when worn on my hand."

Upon hearing this, Gargamel's interest in the Z Crystal dropped sharply.

It preferred gems it could wear—recently, it had turned the gem it took from Haunter into a small accessory.

Its good friend Chansey and the Shiny Milotic each picked one, and the rest were all its own.

All All Baimu took the regular Z—he knew from the games and anime that Z-Moves differed greatly, one key point being that Z Crystals didn't need to be carried by the Pokémon.

Thus, near the end of the Sun & Moon anime, during the Malie City tournament.

Ash's Noivern was accused of cheating for supposedly using three items: wearing a Decidueye coat, holding a Never-Melt Ice, and using a Grass Z.

Snap! Snap!

He snapped his fingers twice—Shiny Gengar emerged from the shadow of a tree trunk and handed him a box with its blood-red tongue.

"First one."

All All Baimu stared at the remaining seventeen empty slots, hoping to collect all Z Crystals before year's end.

Signature Z?

He hadn't even considered that.

None of his Pokémon could use a Signature Z—unless he could somehow turn an Electric Z into something like Pikachu's Pikachuu Z.

But the odds of that were astronomically low.

Which of them—Pikachu's Pikachuu Z, Charizard's Charizardite X, or the Dusk Mane Necrozma—wasn't unique to Ash alone?

Rather than dreaming.

He now wanted to know how to get to the Aether Paradise to find Mimikyu.

He'd planned to tell Wearing Bear where its child was, letting the all-knowing Wearing Bear find it itself—but instead, Wearing Bear had shoved a regular Z into his hand.

A favor owed must be repaid.

In the plot, Mimikyu didn't return to Wearing Bear until much later—he could shorten that process by finding Mimikyu and returning it directly.

Apply for a temporary job at the Aether Foundation like Team Rocket?

Maybe not a bad idea.

In the plot, Lusamine's direct subordinate Zorua was recruiting on the street—and ended up hiring Team Rocket's trio, who couldn't even sell three Honey Honey Donuts.

Clearly, the Aether Paradise was short-staffed.

In a couple days, he'd ask at the job agency in Hau'oli City—there might be unexpected results.

Back at the beach cabin.

All All Baimu released all his Pokémon, planning to shower before making dinner.

Gargamel's battle with Wearing Bear had produced almost no direct hits or effects—just dust everywhere.

How could he, the closest one, have escaped?

"No back scrubbing today."

He pushed out the Gengar who was about to hang a towel over his head and follow him into the bathroom.

He also refused to bathe together with Gyarados, Gargamel, or any other Pokémon that needed washing today.

They could all wash themselves by now.

But honestly—

He'd have to wipe the salt crystals off the surfaces of Bisharp and Steelix later, or it would harm their joints and skin.

Above the skylight.

A yellow shadow silently flew away.

—

The next day.

All All Baimu returned to Lili Town.

This time, his luck was better.

Although he still had not met Hala, he learned from a passing townsman that the Island King visited the War Ruins every morning to pray.

If you have an urgent matter, you can go directly to the War Ruins to find him.

All All Baimu naturally dared not intrude upon such a sacred place; he decided to wait in the town center, where two children were battling on the festival stage—perfect for killing time.

"They both have Z-Rings…"

He noticed the white wristbands resembling bracelets on both children's arms and marveled at how much lower the barrier to Z-Moves was compared to Mega Evolution.

Of course, that was before.

Once the Mega Stones in the Kalos region are fully mined and Jarvis's research on Mega Evolution concludes, the barrier to Mega Evolution will surely drop dramatically.

As his thoughts drifted.

One of the children could no longer contain himself and activated a Z-Move.

"Burn with our potential!"

He shouted loudly while flailing his arms, then crossed his hands horizontally above and below his slanted forearms to form a Z-shape, successfully unleashing Natural Power:

"Ultimate Invincible Ram!!"

"Kuubi!"

A baby Snorlax, wreathed in golden energy, slammed with ferocious force into its opponent—a Ducklett.

"Gaa?"

The Ducklett dodged sideways in fright, barely avoiding the Snorlax's straight-line charge.

All All Baimu thought to himself: this was the second difference between the game and the anime regarding Z-Moves—in the game, Z-Moves always hit; in the anime, like all guaranteed-hit moves, they can sometimes be dodged.

At that moment.

An accident occurred suddenly.

The Snorlax and its Trainer had only a crude grasp of the Z-Move, causing the Ultimate Invincible Ram to miss and continue unchecked.

It barreled past the festival stage and hurtled toward an elderly woman who looked very old.

"Stop, Snorlax!"

Its Trainer screamed, face pale.

All All Baimu recognized her as the kind person who had just pointed him toward Hala's whereabouts.

"Go!"

"Ssang!"

The Dragonite let out a low growl and instantly shot forward as a streak of dark shadow.

The Snorlax saw only a blur—the old woman vanished, and it continued helplessly hurtling into the deep forest.

"Kuu—"

"Snorlax—"

Its Trainer shouted in panic, then sighed in relief as the Dragonite gently set the old woman down, bowing hastily: "I'm sorry!"

Then he rushed off to chase the vanished Snorlax.

"Thank you~"

The old woman smiled, stroking the Dragonite.

The Dragonite lifted its head haughtily, as if to say: I only saved you because my Trainer ordered me—don't misunderstand.

In truth, it was thoroughly pleased with its heroic entrance.

How many Pokémon in the team could move that fast?

Slowpoke's Bonsly certainly couldn't—so it was only right that Dragonite be the ace!

"Well done."

All All Baimu praised it, his peripheral vision catching the child emerging from the thicket—being dragged out by the Island King, Hala.

In Hala's other hand was the Snorlax, dusty and covered in broken branches and fallen leaves.

"I've told you many times—if you're not sure you can control a Z-Move, practice more, don't use it in battle!"

Hala scolded the child harshly, even including the opponent.

Both hung their heads, silent and obedient, accepting their blame.

Fortunately, Hala did not scold them long; he made them apologize again to the old woman, gave them further warnings, then let them go.

Then, turning.

The stout-looking Island King locked eyes with All All Baimu, his eyes narrowing into slits, his brow furrowed in stern seriousness.

Hala asked: "You are All All Baimu?"

"Yes… How do you know my name?"

All All Baimu was startled—he had not left his name when he visited yesterday.

Hala's brow gradually relaxed, a smile appearing on his face: "Kukui told me. He said you greatly admire the power of Z-Moves."

Professor Kukui!

All All Baimu never expected the professor to speak up for him; his heart swelled with gratitude as he replied: "Yes, I hope you'll allow me to join the Island Challenge."

"Sit down and talk."

Hala did not answer directly but invited him inside for a detailed discussion.

The main event had begun.

He knew the coming conversation would determine when he received his Z-Ring—hoping Hala wouldn't ask questions he couldn't answer or impose an impossibly hard trial.

Inside the house.

The two sat facing each other.

Hala poured All All Baimu a cup of hot cocoa, but did not immediately get to the point; instead, he first thanked him for his swift and courageous act of saving the woman.

All All Baimu quickly demurred: "It was only natural."

The Island King chuckled: "Since you wish to join the Island Challenge, let me ask you a few questions."

"Please, go ahead."

"Is your purpose in joining the Island Challenge to obtain the power of Z-Moves?" Hala's narrowed eyes opened slightly.

All All Baimu answered honestly: "Yes and no."

"Oh?"

"In my view, the Island Challenge is a way for people to deeply understand nature, Pokémon, and Alola. It also pushes individuals to grow and realize their self-worth by using wisdom and strength to overcome various trials."

He paused briefly, then continued: "For me, the Island Challenge will enhance my strength and let me see a true Alola. So far, the Alola I've known has been only pale images and scenes—I want to see it with my own eyes."

After finishing his long speech.

Hala clearly approved of this answer and asked: "Do you know Alola well?"

All All Baimu replied: "I wouldn't say I know it well, but I'm not unfamiliar…"

He carefully recounted everything he knew and could say; Hala listened, nodding, then burst into laughter.

"Good, good—I believe you truly love Alola."

Hala didn't care whether All All Baimu had rehearsed this long speech; from his expression and the Dragonite beside him, he could tell All All Baimu genuinely loved Alola.

Seeking power is not wrong.

Z-Moves are a powerful gift from nature to the people of Alola, designed as tools for challengers to complete the Island Challenge.

All Hala needed to confirm was that All All Baimu had no ill intent.

"The Island Challenge has never been limited to Alola natives—as you said, it is one of the greatest ways for people to understand Alola."

He said slowly: "In recent years, many outsiders have successfully completed the Island Challenge. I believe you possess such potential."

This was…

Agreement?

All All Baimu's face lit up with joy: "Then—"

"I declare your Island Challenge officially begun!" Hala clapped him hard on the shoulder and added: "Your first trial is to find a Radiant Stone."

【Radiant Stone】.

The raw material for crafting Z-Rings.

Hearing Hala's first trial, All All Baimu's lips began to tremble.