Chapter 262: Meng Lei Gu VS Hakamo-o

Whether the monsters in Area Zero can be tamed has no connection whatsoever to a Trainer's talent or strength; they lack that most crucial spark of intelligence that defines a Pokémon. This is the truth Clavell, once a colleague of Professors Sada and Turo, came to know.

It is also the consensus shared by everyone who has ever explored Area Zero.

Clavell lowered the arm clutching his commemorative Poké Ball; now, he could only trust Geeta, and trust Luo Mu.

On the battlefield, the highly anticipated match commenced at this very moment.

Without refusing Luo Mu's concession to let her strike first, Professor Huangbo curled the corner of her mouth upward and excitedly ordered, "Hakamo-o, leap into your Dragon Dance!"

This was practically an opportunity handed to her on a silver platter by Luo Mu; rather than recklessly launching an attack, it was better to boost stats first and seize the advantageous position—a lesson Professor Huangbo had learned from countless battles against Rika!

"Roar—!"

Letting out a sky-shaking dragon roar, Hakamo-o slammed its powerful, hanging arms together, performing a fierce Dragon Dance right on the spot; the pale red light glowing across its body signified that Hakamo-o's already excellent Speed and Attack had risen by an entire tier!

Luo Mu gave his command at just the right moment: "Electric Terrain."

Reflected in Clavell's gradually widening eyes was the massive form of Meng Lei Gu beginning to move.

Meng Lei Gu was actually obeying Luo Mu's commands!

Maintaining a state of high emotional stability, Meng Lei Gu heavily stomped its forefeet upon the ground; instantly, surging Lei Guang erupted from its purple, thundercloud-like mane, and terrifying Electric-type energy conducted through Meng Lei Gu's body down to the earth, turning the entire field into a domain of scattering electric sparks in the blink of an eye!

"As expected of an Electric-type Pokémon; in that case, Hakamo-o, use Earthquake!"

Having secured the advantage of striking first, Professor Huangbo naturally wished to expand upon it further, decisively issuing her second command while Meng Lei Gu was still in motion.

Hakamo-o executed the instruction immediately, its arms wreathed in earth-yellow Ground-type energy smashing heavily into the Ground Heavy floor with a force as thick and powerful as a thousand-jin boulder.

No one doubted how terrifying the Earthquake about to erupt would be; everyone swiftly planted their feet in a horse stance or sought something to lean against to prevent falling.

In that same instant, the Electric Terrain had finished setting up, and Luo Mu smiled lightly, saying, "Swift Thunder."

A muffled thunderclap burst forth; the next second, before the astonished gazes of countless students and faculty, a surging, vast torrent of Lei Ting erupted from Meng Lei Gu's mane, striking later yet arriving first, descending directly upon Hakamo-o's sturdy body!

"Roar!!!"

Hakamo-o's pupils contracted sharply; its superior senses hadn't even had time to react before its entire body was eroded by the terrifying power of the Lei Ting, involuntarily letting out a pained roar, while the motion of pounding out Earthquake with its fists was forcibly halted by the paralysis gripping its body.

Arven, watching from the sidelines, widened his eyes until they were round; his first reaction was to wonder what had just happened—even for lightning, that speed was simply too fast, wasn't it?

His second reaction was that Meng Lei Gu's identity seemed to be that of a Paradox Pokémon.

In other words, his future goal of entering Area Zero to protect his parents meant he would need to defeat and drive back Paradox Pokémon like Meng Lei Gu within the Great Crater of Paldea?

Eh? Me fighting Paradox Pokémon? For real?

Arven fell into deep thought.

After all, as a Dragon-type Pokémon renowned for its superior physical constitution, and with Hakamo-o being one of the pinnacles among ordinary Dragon-types, it relied on its exceptional physique to forcibly withstand the electric current.

As the price, several scales on Hakamo-o's body were scorched black, emitting a burnt smell as if it had been electro-grilled; even though it resisted Electric-type attacks, the Swift Thunder boosted by the Electric Terrain still inflicted considerable damage upon Hakamo-o.

The Swift Thunder that struck later yet arrived first completely exceeded Professor Huangbo's expectations; not only was the move's name entirely unheard of, but in her impression, no Electric-type move should possess such an effect—the only somewhat related technique seemed to be the Dark-type move Sucker Punch.

Facing the Hakamo-o that was emitting white steam from its entire body, she asked with concern, "Hakamo-o! Are you alright?"

Hakamo-o shook its head and let out a low growl, indicating that it was fine.

Professor Huangbo's gaze hardened: "Very good; let us show Professor Luo Mu our perseverance! Dragon Pulse!"

A massive dragon of blue-purple energy, claws bared and teeth gnashing, lunged toward Meng Lei Gu; its powerful momentum caused many students to involuntarily step back, as if intimidated by Hakamo-o itself.

One should not be misled by Hakamo-o's appearance as a Pokémon specializing in close combat; its special attacking capability is actually quite formidable.

"Let us do the same: Dragon Pulse."

Luo Mu waited until Hakamo-o and Professor Huangbo had fully adjusted before issuing his command a step slower; this was merely a sparring match, or rather, an instructional battle, so there was no need to nitpick over a few seconds of timing; testing Meng Lei Gu's degree of resistance to being commanded was what mattered most.

Meng Lei Gu opened its mouth, massive amounts of Dragon-type energy converging before erupting forth similarly as a ferocious giant dragon.

The two Dragon Pulses collided and clashed; billowing dust clouds swirled up at the center of the move collision, and immediately afterward, Meng Lei Gu's Dragon Pulse, which clearly held the advantage, tore through the dust cloud and continued screaming toward Hakamo-o.

"Dragon Claw!"

"Roar!"

Hakamo-o roared toward the heavens, crossed its arms, and transformed Dragon-type energy into a fluorescent green giant claw, viciously smashing down upon the screaming Dragon Pulse!

Boom!

The shockwave and sound brought by the energy explosion rippled outward together; the blowing dust forced the students to cover their mouths and noses, squinting as they peered into the field, eager to know whether Hakamo-o had endured the blast.

Anyone with eyes could see that there was an extremely significant gap in strength between Hakamo-o and Meng Lei Gu; they were very curious to see how long this new Battle Studies teacher could hold out against Luo Mu.

"Hakamo-o is still standing!"

Someone suddenly shouted, and the students swiftly focused their gaze on the center of the dust cloud, where Hakamo-o's figure, still standing tall, loomed in and out of sight amidst the floating dust.

Professor Huangbo's expression was grave; she knew the gap in physical constitution between both sides was far too large, and she absolutely had to narrow that difference!

She would go all in!

"Clanging Scales!"

Within the dust cloud, a furious roar rang out, even more Gao Ang than the previous Dragon Roars; a clanging sound capable of shaking one's heart resonated from within, and accompanied by the shockwave sweeping away the dust, carrying a powerful presence, Hakamo-o launched a charge toward Meng Lei Gu!

With every step forward, Hakamo-o's vitality declined by a fraction.

With every step forward, Hakamo-o's momentum rose by a fraction.

This was the signature move of the Hakamo-o line, sacrificing more than half of its own HP to comprehensively boost its abilities!

Professor Huangbo clenched her right fist and punched forward: "Close Combat!"

Hakamo-o's eyes turned red as it instantly rushed forward to Meng Lei Gu's front; fierce punches dancing like a mad wind continuously struck Meng Lei Gu's surface, the dull sounds of flesh colliding with flesh ringing out repeatedly, while the rolling shockwaves forced the students to raise their arms in defense.

Meng Lei Gu lowered its eyes, looking at the Hakamo-o attacking it with all its might, and displayed an expression of appreciation.

Not bad; daring to engage in close combat despite such a huge disparity in size, this courage is truly commendable.

However, the dignity of a dragon is inviolable; surely Hakamo-o also knows what price it will have to pay.

Just as such thoughts arose in Meng Lei Gu's mind, Luo Mu's voice arrived right on time.

"Dragon Hammer!"

Vast Dragon-type energy converged upon Meng Lei Gu's surface, appearing like hard armor or an unbreakable outer layer; Meng Lei Gu's massive body transformed into a giant battering ram, sweeping toward Hakamo-o with irresistible power!

The Iron Valiant, which had been frantically throwing punches, suddenly froze; the next instant, an irresistible colossal force transmitted from its fists where they contacted Meng Lei Gu, sending the Iron Valiant crashing into the cracked ground like a tennis ball being struck at will.

Seeing this, the students collectively let out gasps of shock.

An Iron Valiant that had been strengthened to such an extent could not gain even the slightest advantage against Meng Lei Gu; just how terrifying was Meng Lei Gu's foundational strength?

The effect of this strike was extremely significant, directly causing the Iron Valiant's already low stamina to drop near the critical red line.

The Iron Valiant struggled to stand up on the electric field, which crackled with popping sounds and surging electricity, feeling as powerless as if it had been hit head-on by a large truck.

However, even trapped in such a desperate situation, the fighting spirit of both the Iron Valiant and Professor Professor Huangbo showed no sign of waning; they were still thinking about how to break the deadlock!

Originally, Professor Professor Huangbo did not want to casually use such a move that harmed the enemy by a thousand while injuring herself by eight hundred, but she knew very well that without employing everything she had, she could not contend with that Meng Lei Gu.

Professor Professor Huangbo shouted loudly: "Scale Noise, then Reversal!"

Relying on extraordinary willpower to stand up, the Iron Valiant rubbed the scales over its entire body; the piercingly loud sound, akin to nails scraping against a blackboard, made the students cover their ears, while fierce sound waves filled with Dragon-type energy spread out from the Iron Valiant as the center, converging toward Meng Lei Gu under its control.

In the brief interval when Meng Lei Gu was affected by Scale Noise and its movements halted, the Iron Valiant seized the opportunity to roar toward the sky; its body became completely enveloped in crimson light as it erupted with a terrifying aura that made hearts tremble, its dragon eyes overflowing with rage and frenzy glaring at Meng Lei Gu!

At this moment, compared to Meng Lei Gu, it was the Iron Valiant that looked more like a mindless monster from Area Zero; timid girls and boys had even hidden behind their friends, daring not to show their heads.

In the eyes of the enraged Iron Valiant, only the figure of Meng Lei Gu existed; it shattered the ground as it instantly surged forward to Meng Lei Gu's front, and a frenzied close-quarters battle erupted once again!

Under multiple buffs, the Iron Valiant's destructive power had already reached a level capable of inflicting damage upon Meng Lei Gu, and Luo Mu's voice arrived accordingly.

"Wild Charge—"

Blinding electric currents exploded across Meng Lei Gu's body surface, amplified by the Electric Terrain.

Meng Lei Gu's massive body crashed toward the Iron Valiant like a cannonball; this time, even while enduring the pain of its body being wildly eroded by lightning, the Iron Valiant gritted its teeth and stubbornly withstood the impact, even though its body was knocked backward more than ten meters across the ground by Meng Lei Gu.

There was a fleeting ripple in Peony's eyes hidden behind her lenses; she recalled that when her father had become the new Champion of the Galar League during her childhood, he seemed to have struggled just as hard as Professor Professor Huangbo.

"Iron Valiant, well done!"

Seeing that the Iron Valiant had finally withstood Meng Lei Gu's offensive, Professor Professor Huangbo's eyes lit up, realizing that the opportunity existed only in this single instant.

She shouted without hesitation: "Use this move to rise from the dead! Iron Valiant, Endure—!!!"

The Iron Valiant's scarlet dragon eyes gained a moment of clarity in that instant; it unleashed a sky-shaking roar, transforming its critically low stamina into infinite power, its terrifying momentum soaring straight into the clouds.

Even if it would collapse immediately after this strike, it must firmly carve its mark onto Meng Lei Gu's body!

That's right; as a Fighting-type Pokémon, it should definitely know this comeback move; wasn't Cynthia's Garchomp flipped by Ash's Mega Lucario using this very technique?

Luo Mu slightly lowered his gaze, watching the electric energy on the field rapidly dissipate; indeed, the time was about right, and this battle should come to an end.

He wondered just what brilliant light this move would unleash under the combined buffs of Terastallization and Harsh Sunlight.

At the exact moment the Iron Valiant's tightly clenched right fist slammed toward Meng Lei Gu, Luo Mu gently waved his right hand upward and said softly: "Electric Terrain Up."

Buzz—

A heart-trembling hum resonated from the sky.

In an instant, everyone's vision was filled with dazzling golden flashes; they subconsciously closed their eyes as physiological tears seeped out.

All the electricity from the Electric Terrain, which was about to dissipate, transformed into furious Lei Ting power, converging into a single point; accompanied by a deafening roar that vibrated eardrums, a rising pillar of Lei Ting shot up into the clouds.

The Iron Valiant's final desperate action completely froze in that instant.

As the frenzied Lei Ting power gradually dissipated, a foul stench permeated the air.

Professor Professor Huangbo struggled to open her eyes, her heart beating wildly.

When she clearly saw the Iron Valiant still standing in place, its fist only one step away from Meng Lei Gu, its entire body charred black, her expression changed, and she stumbled forward, running toward it.

Due to her panic, her voice temporarily failed her.

Meng Lei Gu lowered its gaze to look at the Iron Valiant, which still maintained its standing posture, and an expression of appreciation appeared on its face.

This kind of willpower and the courage to challenge a stronger opponent, fighting until the very last moment, was worthy of praise.

Subsequently, aware that its presence would make some people nervous and unwilling to stir further emotions, Meng Lei Gu directly used its eyes to signal Luo Mu, who then recalled it into an Ultra Ball.

Amidst the crowd, Hearing Nimo and Pawmi felt an incomparable shock in their hearts at this moment; a tiny seed was planted within them.

Could they too unleash such dazzling electric light in the future?

At this moment, among the students who were standing frozen in shock, a beautiful woman with pink hair pushed through the crowd and quickly ran to Professor Professor Huangbo and the Iron Valiant's side; under her slightly surprised expression, Nurse Nurse Mimosha revealed a sweet smile.

"I am Nurse Nurse Mimosha, in charge of the infirmary; leave the treatment of the Iron Valiant to me."

As soon as she finished speaking, Nurse Nurse Mimosha took a special spray for treating paralysis from her white coat, then released a Meganium from a Poké Ball, commanding it to use Heal Pulse to treat the Iron Valiant, which had lost the ability to battle.

Luo Mu paused in the motion of taking out the Poké Ball containing his Comfey, smiling helplessly; it seemed that heaven itself intended for Nurse Nurse Mimosha and Professor Professor Huangbo to become friends.

Looking at Professor Professor Huangbo, whose eyes were filled entirely with the Iron Valiant, it seemed his suggestion would have to be given to her separately later; for now, her heart and mind were likely entirely occupied with worry for the Iron Valiant.

Under the gazes of the students, some filled with admiration and others with fear, Luo Mu turned and walked toward the other side; now that the battle was over, he should first go see his new independent office following his promotion.

Clavell gazed deeply at Luo Mu's retreating figure; today, he had witnessed history, witnessing the joint battle between a Paradox Pokémon and a human Trainer.

The prejudices and stereotypes he had formed while researching in the Great Crater of Paldea were completely rewritten in this moment.

"Among Paradox Pokémon, there also exist extremely special individuals capable of forming partnerships with Trainers and fighting together."

Suppressing the turbulence within his heart, Clavell said in a deep voice: "For this one-on-one Pokémon singles battle, the winner is Luo Mu and Meng Lei Gu!"

In the Director's Office, Geeta stood with her hands behind her back, her eyes seemingly still reflecting the Lei Ting that had just soared into the sky.

The corners of her mouth rose slightly as she looked at the cooperation proposal initiated by the Galar League in her hand, murmuring softly: "With his talent, it probably won't be long before he surpasses me, and then contends with the most brilliant stars among the other Leagues."

"Professors Sada and Turo will surely be even more excited upon receiving this footage; the research on 'Paradox Pokémon also having special individuals capable of forming partnerships with Trainers' now has a very mature direction."

"By the way, I recall his Dragonite hasn't learned 'Extreme Speed' yet; coincidentally, the Dragon Clan of the Johto region is preparing to hold that event soon... Since Eri won't attend mostly to avoid her family, I'll ask Luo Mu then whether he is willing to go."

(End of Chapter)