Chapter 299: Hey, I'm Fighting Lugia? For Real?

Helpless, Luo Mu could only agree to Professor Oak and Professor Ivy's request; since he hadn't brought out his Arcanine this time, he would have to find a later time to visit Professor Oak's laboratory in Pallet Town and let them observe the Arcanine.

There was also that Pokémon which strangely resembled one of the Johto region's legendary three beasts, Raikou; if possible, they also wished to observe it a bit.

Of course, Professor Oak and Professor Ivy were not people who would freeload; after all, Luo Mu came from the distant Paldea region, and it ought to have been them making the trip to Paldea.

The two were already pondering what kind of gift they should prepare for Luo Mu then; hadn't they heard from Ash that Luo Mu's main profession nowadays was being a farm owner?

After concluding their exchange, the three came to the residential area on Asertia Island, accepted the islanders' enthusiastic hospitality, and played by the bonfire until nearly dawn before dispersing.

Luo Mu was also in high spirits because he had witnessed a rather interesting scene.

Tsk tsk, they were just a bunch of ten-year-old children, yet they were already starting a love triangle.

Thinking of Misty, who kept saying "He's my nuisance" and "He's definitely not my boyfriend," while vigilantly staring at Furura, who held quite a fondness for Ash, along with that blockhead Ash and Kenji forgotten in the corner, made Luo Mu want to laugh.

After dispersing, Luo Mu declined the islanders' proposal for him to stay overnight on Asertia Island, stating he still had some unfinished matters; thus, amidst Ash and the others' reluctant farewells, he boarded his Dragonite and left the residential area, flying directly to an uninhabited beach on the edge of Asertia Island based on his memory.

Tonight, the sky was cloudless, and bright moonlight poured down, resulting in high visibility.

As the Dragonite flapped its wings to create colliding air currents, kicking up a bit of dust and sand, it landed steadily; Luo Mu flipped off and looked around.

"Are you the Pokémon who lent a helping hand?"

There, clearly perched, was Lugia, the Sea God, who had declared before everyone that as a legend, it would not easily appear before humans!

Pity that although the other party's power was inferior to his own, their control over that power was extremely strong, perfectly concealing their presence and leaving Lugia with no way to find them.

In the next instant, Lugia's gaze instantly locked onto a spot in space; subtle fluctuations appeared there, and Mewtwo's figure slowly materialized.

Facing Lugia's inquiry, Mewtwo nodded slightly, yet its mouth was not forgiving, rebuking: "Sea God Lugia, you arrived too late."

Seeing Luo Mu nod to indicate he understood, Lugia glanced at the innocently dazed Dragonite and sighed: "You humans are truly amazing; even though its species shares only a minuscule connection with me, you have trained it to single-handedly defeat the naturally divine Fire God; truly impressive."

The ultimate result was that he and Lugia were like a couple meeting secretly late at night, sneaking and skulking off to a desolate place to meet.

Answering subconsciously, Luo Mu suddenly recalled something and wore a strange expression, fearing Lugia might pop out another line via telepathy like "You shouldn't have come," so he quickly changed the subject.

However, if Lugia knew that Luo Mu was gossiping about it, it would probably prefer not to know.

Although it was merely used to change the subject, Luo Mu was indeed curious about why Lugia had specifically summoned him here.

The Dragonite, praised to the point of embarrassment, crossed its two chubby little paws, and the whole dragon became shy and awkward.

Lugia's indifferent voice rang out; ever since Luo Mu shot down the Fire God and suppressed Lei Zhishen and the Ice God, it had regarded him as an equal existence.

Under the illumination of the moonlight, Mewtwo's silver-white figure seemed to be glowing.

Lugia did not miss Luo Mu's fleeting expression; it could tell that Luo Mu was thinking about something, yet it could not fathom what exactly he was thinking.

Lugia was called the "Sea God," while the Dragonite was dubbed the "Embodiment of the Great Sea" by a captain who witnessed its form; both Lugia and Dragonite possessed the Flying type, yet as Pokémon bearing titles related to the great sea, neither had the Water type, and both Lugia and Dragonite shared the hidden ability "Multiscale."

It was just three brief words.

Luo Mu fell silent; before he could consider whether to reveal Mewtwo's existence to Lugia, Mewtwo, who had been hiding high in the sky above Luo Mu's head, transmitted a message to him via telepathy—

"Of course, this is merely one of the reasons I sought you out; if you do not know, it matters not; I was simply curious about the existence that lent a helping hand and wished to personally thank it for resolving quite a few troubles for me."

Lugia fell silent for a moment, shifting from a leisurely posture lying on the beach to standing on its two feet, though its wingspan remained unfurled.

"The relationship between us is equal."

Moreover, to settle the chaos caused by Luo Mu brutally beating the three legendary birds, it had expended Hao Yi Fan Gong, and its anger had not yet subsided.

Luo Mu recalled the moment earlier when Lugia leaped into the depths of the great sea before everyone's eyes, and the message transmitted through that mental wave which targeted him alone.

The instant it saw Mewtwo, it confirmed Mewtwo's identity from the mental energy fluctuations that, although well-concealed, revealed a corner of their nature at close range.

This thought suddenly surfaced in Luo Mu's mind.

If it and Luo Mu had not detected the problems in the Orange Islands beforehand, by the time Lugia arrived, the situation would have become so dire that resolving the incident would have been exponentially more difficult.

"I have come."

"Thank you for your compliment; this is also inseparable from the Dragonite's own hard work."

Without immediately answering Luo Mu's question, Lugia's voice resonated in Luo Mu's mind through telepathy.

Finding Luo Mu truly impenetrable, Lugia did not insist and directly stated the reason it had specifically sought Luo out today: "I will speak plainly; yesterday, besides you, me, and those humans, are you aware of who else was secretly suppressing the aftermath caused by the three legendary birds to reduce the speed of the natural balance's collapse?"

"Respected Sea God, do you have some matter for which you seek me?"

"No need for formality; you are a rare powerhouse among humans; in fact, you are also very clear that even I, who am honored as the Sea God, setting aside the final result, you possess the strength to fight me, do you not?"

"I have come."

Although phrased as a question, Lugia's voice was extremely certain.

The dozing Lugia opened its eyes and looked at Luo Mu without surprise; after all, as a Psychic-type legendary Pokémon, the instant the Dragonite's aura approached the surrounding area, Lugia had detected it.

Luo Mu was unclear about the truth of the relationship between Lugia and the Dragonite, but he could be certain that some connection indeed existed between them; perhaps in a more ancient past, there was an unknown historical story, such as one wronging the other or something similar.

There's hope!

Luo Mu chuckled awkwardly a few times and could only hug the cute Dragonite tight, pressing against its soft belly, daring not to make a sound.

Luo Mu knew Lugia was referring to the Dragonite; he strangely detected from Lugia's voice an undisguised appreciation for the Dragonite.

Lugia did not refute Mewtwo's rebuke, merely shaking its head.

Like a cosmic big bang, a flash of inspiration struck Luo Mu, and he recalled a hypothesis he had seen online before transmigrating.

Lugia had tried to search for the other party.

"You have come."

"Usually, I sleep in the deepest parts of the seabed, accompanying this planet's ocean currents; that place is extremely far from the Orange Islands, so even after I detected the ocean current balance being broken and rushed here, it still took quite some time to arrive."

"After all, I cannot learn Teleport."

Mewtwo:.

Almost forgot; some Psychic-type Pokémon indeed lack the talent and ability to learn Teleport.

However, although somewhat ill-timed, another doubt arose in Mewtwo's mind.

Lugia is called the Sea God, yet based on the abilities it displays, it is clearly a dual Flying and Psychic type.

The Sea God lacks the Water type; is this reasonable?

Lugia, unaware that Mewtwo was slandering it, stared intently at Mewtwo for a long time before uttering a shocking statement: "Are you not a being born of nature?"

Boom—!

Under the shocked expressions of Luo Mu and Dragonite, Mewtwo's body instantly erupted with terrifying momentum, its nearly solidified psychic power sweeping outward like a storm.

Mewtwo's eyes shone frighteningly bright due to its active psychic abilities; it stared tightly at Lugia and questioned in a cold voice: "So what if I was not born of nature? Are you saying I should not have been born on this planet?"

Although Luo Mu and Luxray had somewhat corrected its personality through a combination of electric therapy and talk therapy, Mewtwo was actually still in the stage of searching for its meaning of existence; while usually fine during this phase, once anyone touched upon its sensitive psychological spots, Mewtwo would erupt like a volcano.

Furthermore, Mewtwo always subconsciously tended to assume the worst about everything; in its view, Lugia suddenly bringing this up meant it wanted Mewtwo to get off this planet.

Lugia used its psychic power to create a shield blocking Mewtwo's leaking energy, casually shielding Luo Mu and Dragonite as well.

Lugia cast a shocked gaze at Luo Mu; what madness had seized Mewtwo all of a sudden?

At this moment, Luo Mu no longer cared about currying favor with Lugia to raise its affection.

Luo Mu glared at Lugia; wasn't it your sudden remark that accidentally touched Mewtwo's reverse scale?

Due to those Team Rocket fellows, what Mewtwo hated most was others reopening its old wounds.

Now things had become troublesome; if the growing Mewtwo suddenly had a moment of despair and tried to suppress Lugia, dealing with it would be difficult—at the very least, Luo Mu lacked the confidence to subdue Mewtwo without causing a huge commotion.

Because of yesterday's incident, various crowds from the outside were currently flooding continuously toward Asertia Island; if anyone captured this on camera, Team Rocket would likely arrive within moments.

This time, Lugia strangely understood Luo Mu's intent; considering itself not here to fight, before it could speak to remedy the situation, the seemingly extremely agitated Mewtwo suddenly stopped releasing its psychic power and said indifferently: "I need an explanation."

At this moment, Luo Mu admitted he had misjudged the situation.

It seemed that over these past few months, Mewtwo had completed a considerable amount of self-improvement on its own.

Lugia muttered internally about why all the young ones in recent tens of thousands of years were so impetuous, then opened its mouth to explain: "My meaning is that even if you are not a being born of nature, you have long since gained this planet's acceptance; moreover, you made outstanding contributions when the natural balance was disrupted."

"Perhaps you cannot perceive it yet, but I can clearly sense a fact—"

"Your connection with nature has become tighter; perhaps you were alone when you first emerged, but soon enough, you should be able to borrow the power of nature to accomplish many things, just like us."

Mewtwo lowered its head to look at its own hands, a trace of disbelief in its voice: "My connection with nature... has become tighter?"

"Then what about the other cloned Pokémon? Has this planet, has nature accepted them?"

Lugia gave Mewtwo a strange look; it did not quite understand what Mewtwo meant by "cloned," but as one of the Legendary Pokémon representing nature—

It could absolutely confirm this matter.

"Do you not understand? From the moment you were born into this world, into this planet, into this circle of nature, you were already accepted!"

Mewtwo knew very well that, in a certain sense, Lugia was equivalent to an incarnation of certain aspects of nature itself.

Therefore, its words were equivalent to the words of nature itself.

In that instant, Mewtwo felt as though struck by something; the answer to one of the problems that had troubled it for so long was finally revealed, causing it to freeze directly on the spot.

Luo Mu was nearly dumbfounded; could Lugia's words really possess such power, enough to convince even Mewtwo?

Having lived for who knows how many years, Lugia knew at a glance from Mewtwo's appearance that it was currently unraveling one of its own intricate psychological knots.

With no intention of disturbing Mewtwo, Lugia proudly raised its head, happily thinking that it had guided another lost Pokémon today, then looked at Luo Mu and stated the second purpose for which it had followed Luo Mu to this beach.

"Regarding Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno, who are your partners, I have some concerns."

Hearing Lugia's second purpose, Luo Mu couldn't help but have several question marks appear above his head.

Concerns?

What was Lugia concerned about?

Meeting Luo Mu's puzzled gaze, Lugia slowly spoke.

"Do you know why the three Legendary Birds of Fire Island, Thunder Island, and Ice Island are the most special?"

Luo Mu hesitated slightly.

"Because merely provoking them causes a disruption in the natural balance, so they are virtually invincible?"

"Incorrect."

Lugia shook its head; although those three indeed possessed that nature which made it difficult for even it to lay a beating on them, that was not the point it intended to convey.

"Through yesterday's ceremony, beside the deep-sea currents that rose to perform self-repair amidst the flute sounds played by me and the Maiden, the three of them received the 'Blessing of Nature'."

"The so-called 'Blessing of Nature,' simply put, you can regard it as a qualification, similar to us Legendary Pokémon—a qualification to use natural power, the force of nature, or natural energy; the names differ, but the essence is the same."

"And those three on the three islands are so unique precisely because they wield the power of nature, maintain a close connection with nature, and simultaneously symbolize the cycles of nature."

Lugia recalled that in the region humans call Hoenn, there existed an Ancient Pokémon that never left the ground and created the land, and an Ancient Pokémon that created the ocean where it resided.

They could accomplish many incredible feats by relying on natural energy.

Luo Mu had been listening for so long that his head felt somewhat dizzy; Lugia was still spouting a bunch of terminology he had never encountered before.

As for Dragonite, it had already given up, plopping its butt down on the beach and refusing to listen anymore.

After spending a small amount of time, Luo Mu distilled two key points.

One: In the future, Moltres and the others would be able to borrow the power of nature to fight or perform other tasks.

Two: Lei Zhishen, the God of Fire, and the God of Ice were essentially special existences manifested when Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno—who borrow the power of nature—drew infinitely close to this planet's nature.

In that instant, discovering the crucial point, Luo Mu's eyes widened as he asked in disbelief: "Are you saying that Moltres and the others can also become special existences like the God of Fire and the others in the future?"

Luo Mu felt somewhat excited.

Although the God of Fire's combat strength was merely at a level where a Champion could solo it, its ability to influence the climate to a certain extent was undeniable!

Luo Mu had already planned it out: once the farm's Ecological Giant Egg project launched, he would have Moltres regulate the climate between different regions!

However, Lugia's next sentence shattered Luo Mu's expectations.

"No, this world already has the God of Fire, Lei Zhishen, and the God of Ice; at most, they will only be able to utilize the power of nature for combat in the future."

Luo Mu: "..."

Tsk, he had thought he could raise new Gods of Fire, Lei Zhishen, and Gods of Ice.

Nevertheless, just the ability to fight by borrowing the power of nature was already sufficiently powerful; even Lorelei, facing a Legendary Bird whose strength should be comparable to her own, had been extremely embarrassed because her opponent could fight using the power of nature.

Luo Mu was satisfied with just this much.

Hehe, this trip wasn't in vain!

Just as Luo Mu was immersed in joy, Lugia suddenly spread its wings, and a feather emitting a silver glow under the moonlight hovered right before him.

Luo Mu admitted that his heart was about to leap out of his chest.

Lugia's calm voice rang out: "This feather, imbued with my power, is named the Silver Wing; accept it as my gratitude for your saving of this Asucia Island, the Orange Islands, and this entire planet."

"Possessing the Silver Wing, whenever you need me, simply place it against your chest and silently call my name, and I will rush to assist you."

"Of course, if I ever have need of you, the Silver Wing will notify you as well."

"I am not that stiff old fellow Ho-Oh; rest assured, accepting this Silver Wing does not require you to undergo some long and stinky trial."

At this moment, joy vanished, and only one thought echoed in Luo Mu's mind—

So, the grand prize was here all along.

The Silver Wing capable of summoning the Sea God, the Ocean Current God, and the Monsoon God, Lugia—could it be that he was about to become the protagonist of an invincible-style story!?

Luo Mu would always face his inner desires and thoughts truthfully; even a moment of hesitation would be a betrayal of himself.

He opened his hand, and the Silver Wing, floating in mid-air by some unknown force, drifted down onto Luo Mu's palm; only then did that somewhat subtle, indescribable texture bring Luo Mu a sense of reality.

At this moment, Lugia shifted its gaze toward the Dragonite nearby, which was already so bored it was sitting on the beach playing with sand.

Just like the Rainbow Wing, the Silver Wing meant that, in a certain sense, Luo Mu had become a human chosen by it, so naturally, it had to offer a little more benefit.

Lugia had witnessed the several Pokémon Luo Mu released while suppressing Lei Zhishen, the Fire God, and the Ice God.

But those Pokémon either had types that shared not a single penny's worth of relation to its own, or they couldn't even fly.

Only this Dragonite, in a certain sense, was most suitable for learning its power and insights; furthermore, since Dragonite's own combat strength was very high, this also represented that its comprehension and talent were both quite excellent.

Thinking thus, Lugia pointed at Dragonite and stated very plainly: "Let your Dragonite fight me; I wish to teach it something."

"Boo-wu?"

Dragonite's motion of building Shabao paused; it looked up in utter confusion, glancing at Lugia, then at Luo Mu.

Eh, me fighting Lugia?

For real?

(End of Chapter)