Chapter 56: Cangyan Ren Gui vs. Mega Squirtle

As soon as the battle began, Xie Mi’s entire aura changed; if he had been as calm and composed as a still lake while cooking, now he was as fierce and radiant as a storm-tossed sea.

“First course—Water Pulse!” Xie Mi swung his right hand and gave the command.

“Kame!”

Squirtle roared loudly; blue light flared from the cannons on both sides of its shell, and in an instant, two waves of Water Pulse surged forth.

The Water Pulse raced toward Cangyan Ren Gui, whose purple eyes narrowed; flames of vengeful fury instantly blazed along the twin great swords on its arms.

As the Water Pulse drew nearer, Cangyan Ren Gui still made no move—until the very moment before impact, when both great swords slashed downward, cleaving straight into the Water Pulse.

A hissing sound erupted where flame met water; then, as if slicing tofu, Cangyan Ren Gui cut through the Water Pulse without resistance.

Splashes from the shattered Water Pulse struck Cangyan Ren Gui’s armor, sending up streams of white steam.

Unfazed by the failed strike, Xie Mi ordered again: “Retract into your shell—spin at high speed!”

Squirtle instantly pulled in its limbs and head, its defense enhanced; now only its shell remained exposed, spinning like a top as it charged straight at Cangyan Ren Gui.

“Sword Dance—”

Cangyan Ren Gui’s great swords whirled so swiftly they formed an impenetrable wall; the clang of blade against shell rang like metal on metal, and as it defended, its offensive power surged.

Without Luo Mu’s reminder, Cangyan Ren Gui’s eyes flashed purple; a piercing screech tore through the air as a solid, crescent-shaped violet psychic blade erupted from its great swords, slicing Squirtle’s shell clean off and leaving a deep gash upon it.

“Kame...”

Amid a cloud of dust, Squirtle rose from its shell, its gaze heavy with gravity.

Had its shell not been reinforced, it never could have risen so easily.

The opposing Pokémon clearly poured all its talent into offense—even through the shell, it felt a dull ache in its back.

“!!!”

Xie Mi felt as if his throat had been choked—he realized this was the peak he sought; beyond Miss Karu, countless warriors awaited his challenge.

Xie Mi pressed his left chest, as if feeling his heart pound wildly, “What an exhilarating feeling... Rain Dance!”

Squirtle roared; clouds instantly gathered overhead, blotting out the clear sky, and heavy raindrops poured down in an unending symphony.

Cangyan Ren Gui, its body steaming with white vapor, frowned; honestly, this rain affected it greatly—the flow of fire energy felt obstructed, like constipation.

Dai Ke, eyes fixed without blinking, wiped his rain-soaked head and blurted out his favorite phrase: “Rivers flow, merge into the sea, evaporate into clouds, condense into rain.”

“Hah! Long since I’ve seen such a mighty Rain Dance!”

Wenshiaodou gazed longingly at the sky—could it one day achieve this level?

“Not done yet!” Under Dai Ke’s confused stare, Xie Mi flipped his neckerchief, revealing a Key Stone adorned with a colorful DNA pattern; he said solemnly, “It seems I can’t gain the upper hand against you without it.”

Luo Mu’s eyes narrowed—here it comes!

This was the first time he’d ever witnessed a Mega Evolution in real life.

Xie Mi gripped the neckerchief embedded with the Key Stone, his gaze resolute: “Squirtle—Mega Evolve!”

In an instant, four streams of rainbow light spilled from between his fingers, forming bridges that resonated with the Mega Stone atop Squirtle’s head; blinding evolution light erupted, fully engulfing Squirtle’s body.

Dai Ke froze, then opened his mouth wide as if seeing something impossible.

Wait—can Squirtle even Mega Evolve!?

No one answered his question; Luo Mu and Cangyan Ren Gui watched solemnly as Squirtle’s form shifted within the light—they knew the pressure would skyrocket.

The evolution light faded, revealing Squirtle’s transformed form.

Mega Squirtle’s arms now bore two separate shells, each concealing a water cannon; its back cannons merged into a single massive cannon, its barrel extending past its head.

With its torso and limbs thickened, Mega Squirtle was now an undeniable super cannon.

Xie Mi roared: “Water Pulse!”

Mega Squirtle extended its arm cannons and, with a single motion, aimed its back cannon at Cangyan Ren Gui; torrents of water surged forth like tank shells, firing three thick jets of water.

The thick water jets cascaded like waterfalls from the heavens—vastly beyond the power of its pre-Mega Water Pulse.

Knowing Cangyan Ren Gui couldn’t take this head-on, Luo Mu ordered: “Phantom Ambush!”

A portal, like a dimensional gateway, opened beneath Cangyan Ren Gui’s feet, swallowing it instantly; the next moment, the violent Water Pulse slammed into the spot it had occupied, carving a massive crater into the ground.

The next instant, Cangyan Ren Gui emerged from the portal behind Mega Squirtle, its great sword swinging horizontally.

Clang!

Mega Squirtle reacted instantly, spinning to block the slash with its arm shells, while its back cannon began charging another devastating Water Pulse.

In an instant, the Water Pulse reformed; Cangyan Ren Gui’s pupils shrank, and without hesitation, it shoved Mega Squirtle away with both arms, its twin great swords blazing with Cangyan flame as it slashed downward.

The surging Water Pulse clashed with Cangyan Ren Gui’s Vengeful Blade; thick mist erupted, obscuring the scene—only the occasional clash of weapons revealed the battle still raged.

Moments later, the mist cleared; Cangyan Ren Gui, breathing slightly heavily, faced Mega Squirtle, which now seemed to hold the upper hand.

Luo Mu thought: “So—under these adverse conditions, even Cangyan Ren Gui struggles against a Mega-Evolved Elite Four member...”

Rain, Water-type advantage, Mega Evolution—if it were Lianqianmao in its base form, defeating this Mega Squirtle would be no issue—but for Cangyan Ren Gui... it must now rely on Terastal power.