Chapter 358: Subduing Regice: Casting the Net to Catch Lei Ji and Calyrex

Things unfolded exactly as Mudkip had said they would.

Regice's Blizzard spread out in a 360-degree arc with no blind spots; the biting cold wind carried a chill that seemed capable of freezing even the soul, coating the ground in a thick layer of ice upon which any untrained Pokémon would likely slip just trying to move.

Yet Ceruledge, having activated its Protect barrier, shattered it with a single sword strike as if breaking an eggshell of frozen ice.

Immediately afterward, a second Penance Sword cut through the air, striking once more against Regice's sturdy body.

Clang!

It was still that crisp ringing sound produced by the collision between blade and body.

Ceruledge was not discouraged by this; following Luo Mu's commands, it alternated between Fire-type and Fighting-type moves effective against Regice, occasionally supplementing them with Ghost-type attacks, while its steady and agile footsteps remained completely unaffected by the icy surface.

For a moment, the entire ruin echoed continuously with the rhythmic clanging sounds of sword blades colliding with an ice body as hard as steel.

It was almost as if Ceruledge, this master blacksmith, was forging its dual flaming greatswords with all its might.

The scene appeared perilous in the extreme, with Ceruledge's attacks seemingly unable to inflict any damage upon Regice's robust form.

It seemed as though one misstep by Ceruledge would result in it being encased in ice by Regice and plummeting into an abyss.

Yet what was the true situation?

The yellow dots on Regice's face flashed with increasing frequency; even this legendary giant, normally devoid of emotional fluctuations, now found itself troubled by Ceruledge's tenacity.

Regice raised its hand, invisible energy locking onto Ceruledge as if dragging afterimages along with it, while electromagnetic cannons gathered once more in both its hands.

Yet this powerful combination of Lock-On followed by Zap Cannon was directly shattered twice in succession by Ceruledge's twin swords.

Furthermore, Ceruledge dodged every other move Regice attempted, while simultaneously forcing Regice's own body to resonate with numerous strikes of blade against flesh.

All due to differences in agility.

Even with comparable strength, Regice posed less of a threat to Ceruledge than Chairman Zhi Mi's Mega Blastoise did.

The damage inflicted by Ceruledge was accumulating smoothly; the fact that it appeared unscathed on the surface was merely because Regice, as a legendary Pokémon, possessed such profound stamina that its injuries had not yet manifested visibly.

"Penance Sword!"

"Hiss-gra!"

Ceruledge let out a low cry as the pale flames upon its flaming greatswords surged violently once more.

This time, its mind circulated the insights gained from its previous two swordsmanship duels with Iron Valiant; those techniques, sometimes swift as the wind and other times heavy with overwhelming force, were now thoroughly mastered and integrated by Ceruledge.

Within Ceruledge's purple eyes, a tiny crack—produced by continuous slashes on the side of Regice's light-blue polyhedral crystal body—became exceedingly clear at this moment.

Ducking low to evade the terrifying Hyper Beam, Ceruledge exerted force with its feet to dash to Regice's side, and before the latter's sluggish movements and sensory reactions could respond, it swung down its two flaming greatswords with heavy force!

Clang! Clang!

As the flaming greatswords struck Regice's body, two loud and clear clanging sounds rang out in succession.

"Gee-gee-gee!!!"

This time, Regice reacted strongly; its rotating motion stalled, as if frozen in place.

On its pristine light-blue body, cracks resembling a spiderweb appeared, and Luo Mu did not miss the crisp "crack" sound that accompanied them.

Thus, knowing the moment had arrived, Luo Mu spoke without hesitation.

"Flare Blitz!"

Stepping on the ice layer, Ceruledge's cold gaze became overlaid with scorching heat; the surging pale flames on its greatswords climbed onto its body, transforming it within the blink of an eye into a fiercely burning fireball that charged straight toward Regice!

Wherever Ceruledge passed, water vapor released from the ice layer melted by high temperatures condensed into frost under the low temperature, but when this frost was further heated and melted by the intense heat, it formed a field of vision filled with water vapor.

The next instant.

Boom—Bang!

Ceruledge's all-out Flare Blitz struck Regice; the fierce storm of flames swept away all surrounding water vapor, while further melting of the ice layer caused even more steam to rise.

The violent explosion seemed as if it would pierce through human eardrums, while scorching air currents distorted the cold air modified by Regice.

Mudkip and Jacq's eyes widened until they were round, as if shocked by the scene before them.

Jacq couldn't help but wonder what result would occur if her idiot father's Copperajah were to encounter this attack.

After a short while, the commotion finally subsided.

"Boo-wuu~"

Dragonite stepped forward, flapping the dragon wings on its back several times rapidly; the resulting whirlwind rolled the steam obscuring the view upward toward the top of the ruin, finally allowing the interior scene to enter Luo Mu's field of vision.

Ceruledge knelt half-way on the ground, closing its eyes to calmly endure the recoil from Flare Blitz.

Regice was in even worse condition, lying collapsed on the ground; its originally indestructible body showed severe damage, and the scattered chunks of ice, mostly melted, were likely originally part of its own body.

The yellow circular dots that served as its eyes flashed with a significantly weakened frequency, and several faint mechanical sounds of unclear meaning emanated from it.

"Beep-beep-beep... gee... ai..."

Seeing that the outcome was decided, Luo Mu pulled Cosmog, who had slept so soundly that not even the great battle could wake it, out from under his clothes; protected by Mimikyu, he approached Ceruledge, stopped, and extended his hand toward it.

"Can you still stand?"

"Hiss-gra."

Ceruledge nodded gently, did not refuse Luo Mu's help, took a deep breath, and slowly rose to its feet.

Just now, it had merely felt somewhat fatigued due to the stamina consumed by dodging and swinging its sword, needing only a brief rest.

For Ceruledge, Regice had hardly been able to inflict any significant damage throughout the entire battle.

The most severe injury was actually the recoil damage it sustained after releasing Flare Blitz to exploit the weakness it had forcibly "created" on Regice's body.

"That's good then; however, after we leave here later, we'll still have Comfey use Floral Healing on you."

Luo Mu breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that this result was quite satisfactory.

He hadn't even needed to use many of his prepared trump cards, defeating the legendary giant Regice relying solely on Ceruledge's power.

The strategy of having Ceruledge continuously strike the same location, allowing attacks that couldn't penetrate defenses to successfully break through, had also succeeded.

All of this was inseparable from what Ceruledge had learned during its previous battles with Iron Valiant.

At the very least, the Ceruledge of the past would have been incapable of effortlessly dodging Regice's indiscriminate, freely-cast area-of-effect attacks while simultaneously maintaining precise focus on a single spot to deliver cumulative strikes.

"Mystery~"

At this moment, Luo Mu felt his hem being tugged.

Looking down, he discovered it was Mimikyu.

Mimikyu first tugged Luo Mu's hem to attract his attention, then pointed at Regice lying on the ground, seemingly asking Luo Mu whether he wanted to capture it.

"Capture it, huh?"

Having roughly understood Mimikyu's intended meaning through its eyes and movements, Luo Mu fell into thought.

The three pillars—Regice, Registeel, and Regirock—often appear as guardians protecting certain places; perhaps when Regigigas created them, it intended for them to guard something.

If Regice would obey after being captured, it could be tasked with guarding the farm, though its effect on the environment would need careful attention.

【Ding! Capturing Regice or letting it fall back into slumber can both open the ruins' gate】

The System, seemingly unwilling to be left out, used jumping text before his eyes to assert its presence.

Fortunately, Luo Mu had already formed a plan; since his mind was made up, he did not dawdle.

After all, the opportunity was right before him; regardless of the consequences, he would deal with later matters later.

Come to think of it, this was his first attempt to capture a Legendary Pokémon relying solely on battle.

With Moltres, he had used force before courtesy—a club and a carrot, plus a little attachment—to lure it into his trap.

Luo Mu immediately took out several Ultra Balls with excellent overall performance and threw them one by one at Regice lying on the ground.

As expected of a Legendary Pokémon; although Regice had already been rendered unable to battle by Cang Yan Ren Gui's super-effective hit, the first four Ultra Balls burst open one after another, shattering into pieces.

Just as Luo Mu was about to throw the fifth Ultra Ball, the unconscious Regice seemed to awaken.

"Ji ji ji—!"

Regice emitted several distorted mechanical sounds, trying to support its body with its arms to stand up, but because a large chunk of ice was missing from its body, even rising was extremely difficult.

Knowing what was happening, Luo Mu decisively threw out the fifth Ultra Ball; the instant it struck, Regice's entire body turned into red light and flowed into the Ultra Ball.

The Ultra Ball fell onto the ice layer, shaking consecutively three times.

Peony and Chaco, rushing over from afar, dared not even breathe, their hearts pounding, fearing their voices might affect the capture result.

Fortunately, Luo Mu was very lucky; although Regice's consciousness had recovered this time and it even wanted to continue acting,

the capture succeeded directly.

Ding!

Three bright yellow stars flashed on the Ultra Ball.

Luo Mu paused slightly, blinking his eyes, not expecting to succeed in capturing it with only five Ultra Balls.

He had thought that if things went poorly, he might have to fight another round.

After all, Regice, Registeel, and Regirock could all repair their bodies by "consuming" ice, metal, and rocks; the ice layer melted by Cang Yan Ren Gui was merely within this small circle, while everywhere else was full of Regice's "fuel."

Luo Mu picked up the Ultra Ball containing the Ice Pillar Regice; Mimikyu climbed onto Luo Mu's shoulder, emitting happy cries.

Cang Yan Ren Gui also nodded in satisfaction.

In any case, his companions had already increased by quite a few, so adding Regice made little difference; moreover, in its eyes—being captured by Luo Mu was actually Regice punching above its weight!

At this moment, with the assistance of Dragonite and Swampert, Peony and Chaco, who had been walking carefully across the ice surface, arrived beside Luo Mu, their faces beaming with joy: "Congratulations, Teacher/Teacher Luo Mu, on capturing Regice!"

"Thank you both."

Luo Mu smiled gently, asking each of them about their physical condition and whether they could still hold on; only then did he shrink the Ultra Ball and put it away, turning his gaze toward the closed gate.

Since Regice had already been captured, that gate should open soon, right?

Just as Peony and Chaco were about to ask what else needed to be done to leave the Bingshan Ruins, a low, prolonged rumbling sound erupted from the gate.

Immediately afterward, the door panels began to move slowly yet firmly; the opening crack brought forth a strong current of cold air, blowing away the dust accumulated in the fissure and filling the air with an ancient aura.

True sunlight streamed into the ruins as the antique gate opened; through these rays, the scenery of the Snowy Valley could be seen clearly.

Outside the gate, a figure silhouetted against the light, as if having waited for a long time, drifted rapidly into the ruins!

Seeing that unfamiliar Pokémon, Peony and Chaco froze in surprise.

As for Luo Mu, he hugged Cosmog in his arms slightly tighter, a look of astonishment shining in Emperor Yan Di's eyes.

Wasn't it just one accident? Had Lei Guan Wang actually walked straight into his trap?

The instant the gate opened—for the first time—Lei Guan Wang, without a second thought, rushed straight into the ruins, arriving before Luo Mu and his group along with their Pokémon like a gust of wind.

Only then did Lei Guan Wang's brain, which had stopped functioning due to worry, start running again.

Looking at Cosmog sleeping soundly in those arms, at Luo Mu's astonished face, at those several Pokémon beside him whose strength Lei Guan Wang considered quite formidable, and at those two bewildered girls,

and then sweeping the interior of the Bingshan Ruins with telekinesis, perceiving the interwoven auras of scorching heat and biting cold, the ice layer covered in battle scars, and the missing guardian statues,

Lei Guan Wang instantly realized it had acted impulsively.

This human, Luo Mu, had passed the trials of the Bingshan Ruins relying solely on his own strength; it was likely that Ice Giant had also been stored away by him using that miraculous sphere.

His worries had, in fact, been entirely unnecessary.

Lei Guan Wang froze for a second, took one last look at the sweetly sleeping Cosmog in Luo Mu's arms, and its form gradually faded as it was about to activate Teleport.

"Wait a moment, Lei Guan Wang."

At this moment, Luo Mu suddenly spoke out, trying to stop Lei Guan Wang.

Surprise flashed in Emperor Yan Di's eyes in Peony and Chaco; was this large green Pokémon the legendary King of Bounty, the Legendary King who once ruled the Galar region—Lei Guan Wang?

Dragonite and the others also stared curiously at Lei Guan Wang, observing this king forgotten by later generations.

Seeming to have changed its mind, Lei Guan Wang's gradually fading form reappeared; Luo Mu showed some delight: "You're willing to communicate with me!"

The embarrassment on Lei Guan Wang's face, who had not actually changed its mind, flashed and vanished.

Just now, it had been single-mindedly wanting to leave this place, afraid that seeing Cosmog again would cause its heart to tear apart with pain, becoming increasingly reluctant to part.

But Lei Guan Wang had forgotten that even though the ruins' gate had opened, Teleport still could not be used inside here.

"Ahem... Since things have come to this, do you have any words you wish to say to Us?" Since it was too late to leave without saying a word, Lei Guan Wang proposed: "Let us go outside the ruins; if we stay too long, the gate here will close again."

"Ah!?"

Peony and Jacq, who were experiencing telepathy from a Pokémon for the first time and feeling their horizons expand, let out a startled cry.

Since Lei Guan Wang had spoken thus, Luo Mu did not dawdle; he nodded and said, "Very well, we shall leave this place immediately."

Having Dragonite scoop up Peony and Jacq, recalling Cangyan Cangyan Rengui into its Poké Ball to rest, and with Swampert's assistance carrying Cosmog, Luo Mu departed the ice layer region, quickly exited the ruins, and returned to the Snow-Covered Valley.

Upon reaching the outside, Luo Mu actually felt it was warmer out there; one could imagine just how extreme the temperature influenced by Regice had been—staying inside the Bingshan Ruins for too long might truly have resulted in freezing to death.

Not long after the group left the Bingshan Ruins, that ancient gate, as if aware that those inside had departed, began to move slowly and resolutely.

After a low, prolonged humming sound, the gate of the ruins closed completely.

Lei Guan Wang withdrew its gaze from the gate, turned sideways to look at Luo Mu, its telepathic tone slightly cold.

"Now you may speak your mind."

Behind Luo Mu, Peony and Jacq stood tensely, not daring to breathe a single breath.

After all, before them stood a true king from history!

Every movement truly radiated majesty.

Nodding gently, Luo Mu tucked Cosmog closer to his chest; this was not out of a desire to monopolize Cosmog, but simply fear that it might catch a chill.

Only after doing all this did Luo Mu speak under Lei Guan Wang's slightly warming gaze: "Regarding your past deeds and history, we have conducted investigations in Frostpoint Village."

"Oh?"

Lei Guan Wang's minute floating motion, drifting up and down with extremely low amplitude, paused abruptly, halting mid-air; from this alone, one could see its emotions were not as carefree as its surface appearance suggested.

Luo Mu accurately captured this detail; his eyes darkened slightly, and sighing inwardly, he stated in a deep voice: "The villagers of Frostpoint Village have also come to regard you as a fictional existence fabricated within compiled tales..."

Luo Mu briefly conveyed the villagers' viewpoints gathered by Hearing Hearing Nimo and the others to Lei Guan Wang in a tactful manner.

After listening to it all, Lei Guan Wang slowly turned around, gazing at the surroundings of the Snow-Covered Valley, unsure of what it was thinking.

After quite a while, just as Luo Mu heard Lei Guan Wang emit a barely perceptible sigh, it turned its body back; both its demeanor and speech remained filled with the elegance and majesty of days past.

Luo Mu knew this was Lei Guan Wang's way of refusing to display its vulnerable side before him, or before Peony and Jacq, the descendants of its former subjects.

"It seems they do not believe in my existence... Humanity has long forgotten the bond we built together."

"... It matters not; why should I lament over this? I am the King of Abundance! I would not be so shallow as to place hope in humanity!"

Beneath Lei Guan Wang's majestic eyes shone determination, even though Luo Mu's words had completely shattered the illusions it had harbored all along.

Those answers it had subconsciously ignored, or perhaps dared not believe, were the truth.

Even if the truth was like a sharp blade, Lei Guan Wang would neither become negative because of it nor resign itself to degradation.

On the contrary... precisely because of this, it could finally make up its mind!

Since it had resolved no longer to rely on humanity and wished to restore its power, there was only one choice left.

Lei Guan Wang closed its eyes, seemingly engaging in some internal struggle.

Only at this moment could Peony and Jacq cast gazes of pity and heartache upon it, if only for an instant.

But only for an instant.

For the two of them understood very clearly that a monarch would not appreciate being watched with such eyes.

Luo Mu opened his mouth but ultimately made no sound to comfort Lei Guan Wang; such comfort might perhaps be an insult to Lei Guan Wang.

After quite a while, Lei Guan Wang opened its eyes and stated in a deep voice: "If my beloved steeds could return to my side, the situation would be somewhat better."

It had considered many things; although it had just claimed it would not be so shallow as to hope in humanity, Luo Mu, to whom it had entrusted Cosmog, was ultimately different; otherwise, it would not have made this request.

Looking at Luo Mu, Lei Guan Wang continued: "Those were mounts I once rode with ease, Pokémon with four legs; the statues in the village also depict me riding upon them."

"Long ago, they were companions with whom I galloped freely across mountains and fields, but ever since my power waned and we parted ways, I have had no way of knowing where they are."

"Moreover, you should also understand that even if I could truly find my beloved steeds now, this meager power temporarily restored would likely be insufficient; there is absolutely no possibility of riding them..."

As its words fell, Lei Guan Wang raised its head to look at Luo Mu, seemingly awaiting his reply.

Under Lei Guan Wang's gaze, Luo Mu realized it had now reached a state that could be described as having no way out.

That Lei Guan Wang could disregard its own posture and honestly voice its needs was truly a pleasant surprise for Luo Mu.

The arguments he had prepared for persuasion had lost all meaning; one could say that Lei Guan Wang had now truly "walked right into his trap"!

"Snowy Steed and Shadow Steed, correct? I will help you regain your power, and then, you will agree to leave the Wang Guan Tundra with me and personally raise Cosmog; how does that sound?"

Luo Mu did not use a coercive tone to force Lei Guan Wang into accepting his demands as a condition for regaining its power.

Leaving aside whether Lei Guan Wang's own pride would allow it to lower its stance to such a degree, Luo Mu absolutely did not wish to do such a thing.

Therefore, his tone was one of inquiry, seeking Lei Guan Wang's opinion.

"You even know the names of my beloved steeds..."

A flash of surprise passed through Lei Guan Wang's eyes, and its gaze involuntarily shifted to Cosmog in Luo Mu's arms, of which only half a head was visible.

Immediately afterward, it fell into hesitation.

As the king of this Galar, even if a king of a forgotten past, it had never considered leaving the Wang Guan Tundra, leaving the Galar region, leaving its own territory, or leaving this land filled with its past memories.

But Luo Mu's inquiry placed the issue squarely on the table—

Even if it regained its power, was it to rule over this land once again as a king?

Not to mention the impact its return as a reigning monarch would have on the existing system, or the effect it would produce on the Galar region and the descendants who were once its subjects.

Even if it truly regained its power, Lei Guan Wang felt certain its answer would be no.

It no longer wished to experience such things again; this was not cowardice, but rather Lei Guan Wang having achieved complete enlightenment.

Compared to becoming king again, its heart actually now desired more to act as a guardian, to raise Cosmog, which had filled its empty heart during the confused period following its awakening.

After remaining silent for a long time, Lei Guan Wang finally opened its mouth to respond: "If you can fulfill your promise, then it is not that I cannot consider it."

Lei Guan Wang's reply was exactly what Luo Mu wanted.

Given that he had indicated he would help it find its beloved steeds even if Lei Guan Wang disagreed, the fact that it did not outright reject him with harsh words meant that Lei Guan Wang's heart had already wavered and it had begun to consider this possibility.

This was sufficient!

Luo Mu raised a smile and said, "Then it's a deal!"

(End of Chapter)