Chapter 646: Star Fall Continent Rayquaza: Nigeyulu Dayo!

An almost deserted corner of the city.

A small figure moved swiftly through the shadows, occasionally leaping out like a dolphin breaking the water’s surface to strike its enemy.

The wind whipped at its cute doll-like exterior, yet the pair of tiny eyes on its belly burned with determination.

If anyone had been standing nearby, they might have sighed and thought how adorable Pichu was.

In contrast, the creature fighting Pichu looked anything but friendly.

Though not horrifyingly grotesque, Deoxys—with its alien appearance—still inspired first impressions of mystery and dread.

Yet no one knew how furious Deoxys felt at this very moment.

The aurora blooming above its head shifted colors and spectra at an extreme frequency, like an angry teenager screaming curses.

There was a specific reason why Deoxys, normally calm and devoid of desires, who valued only its kind and companionship, had become so agitated.

Even four years ago, when its entire body had been disintegrated by Star Fall Continent’s Rayquaza “Hyper Beam” and it was forced to separate from its companion, its emotions had never surged so violently.

Deoxys swore this was the first time it had felt just how cruel the Pokémon of this planet could be.

—The tricks were too deep.

It had made this ignorant alien look like a brainless fool.

In truth, Pichu didn’t want to fight this way either; if possible, it much preferred matching strength with its opponent—it felt satisfying.

But Luo Mu’s order was to “hold off” Deoxys—no need to win or lose, and ideally, avoid injury to both sides while ensuring its own safety.

This caused Pichu to abandon its idea of using “Sword Dance” three times, then leaping out to unleash a barrage of Shadow Claw strikes on Deoxys.

It started playing dirty.

Electromagnetic waves and Will-O-Wisp were just appetizers—any move it knew, any that suited the situation, or any that could trouble Deoxys—it used.

Pichu hurled them at Deoxys like they cost nothing.

This “spam-heavy” tactic unsurprisingly disgusted Deoxys terribly.

But Deoxys could only let Pichu disgust it.

Because it had seen—the aurora released by its long-lost companion, its species’ “language.”

Precisely because of that aurora, Deoxys willingly endured Pichu’s annoyance, all to reach its companion’s location.

As they halfway crossed the distance, a muffled boom suddenly rang ahead, and the earth trembled as if bearing immense force.

Deoxys even heard, beneath that aurora, the pained roar of Star Fall Continent Rayquaza.

It didn’t know how to interpret emotional tones in sound, but that roar told Deoxys one thing clearly.

—That Star Fall Continent Rayquaza, which had attacked it without reason, was now standing beside its own companion, who was clearly in the midst of regeneration.

This couldn’t continue!

Deoxys, already shifted into its Speed Forme, tried to extract even more energy from within to maintain and accelerate its flight speed.

It had to reach its companion!

Strangely, after the loud boom, the persistent Pichu—as if receiving a command—stopped harassing its movement entirely and instead vanished into its own shadow, hitching a ride.

Deoxys didn’t understand, but it didn’t mind—it was better this way.

Now it could fly full speed toward that direction without fear of further interference.

Without Pichu’s interference, Deoxys’s Speed Forme, at its ultra-high velocity, reached the vicinity of the aurora’s glow in mere moments.

—What met its eyes was a crater as if a meteor had struck the planet, and the figure of Star Fall Continent Rayquaza, just regaining mobility.

Now fully recovered, Star Fall Continent Rayquaza hovered in midair, sneering mercilessly at the Super Gyarados, who struggled to rise and fight again.

Hahaha! I just wanted to see this exact expression of yours!

This helpless expression as you watch me recover before you!

On the other side, Pokémon like Flareon and others stood on high alert, ready to sacrifice their combat ability to block Star Fall Continent Rayquaza’s path.

Flareon believed its stamina and recovery speed were already impressive.

But Star Fall Continent Rayquaza had utterly rewritten its understanding.

In less than three minutes after that thunderous boom, with no external intervention, the opponent had already regained full flight capability.

Now, any excuse about hesitation, fearing Star Fall Continent Rayquaza might ambush from the dust, or choosing to hold back—was just self-deception.

They should have charged into that thick smoke earlier to prevent Star Fall Continent Rayquaza from recovering so fast.

Now all they could do was sacrifice themselves for Super Gyarados, the only one capable of standing against Star Fall Continent Rayquaza, to buy it time to recover.

Below, Ash and the others also realized Star Fall Continent Rayquaza was eyeing the laboratory behind them. They gritted their teeth and stepped forward, sharing the same resolve.

Watching this group of passionate fighters, Star Fall Continent Rayquaza narrowed its eyes.

Then it made another choice.

—It turned around, aiming its mouth, now glowing purple-black, at Super Gyarados, still immobilized.

When everyone thought Star Fall Continent Rayquaza was brainless and reckless, it was as if Super Gyarados’s earth-shattering punch had opened its meridians.

This time, it chose to redirect its focus—eliminating Super Gyarados, the one that had already become a threat, if not a potential one.

Super Gyarados, unable to move, wore a look of resignation.

Landing a punch that nearly knocked Star Fall Continent Rayquaza unconscious should have been cause for joy.

But to achieve this chance, it had leapt from a hundred-meter building, deliberately forgoing any use of its air sacs to slow its fall and maximize the punch’s power.

If not for its physique far surpassing its kind, Super Gyarados didn’t know if Star Fall Continent Rayquaza would pass out—but it certainly would have.

Now, its body was still weak, its once-solid muscles and bones like a shattered frame; it couldn’t even stand to fight, let alone maintain its Super Evolution state without immense effort.

Faced with Star Fall Continent Rayquaza’s monstrous recovery speed, Super Gyarados, despite having already created one miracle, had no answer.

Yet even now, it still believed Luo Mu’s orders were correct.

The time it had fought for must mean something.

The purple-black energy particles swirling in Star Fall Continent Rayquaza’s mouth grew ever more turbulent; even without instruments, one could sense the terrifying compression of energy.

—But at that moment, an unexpected figure suddenly burst onto the battlefield.

Deoxys, emerging from the side, clamped its tentacle-like arms together and fired a massive psychic sphere, pulsing with psychic currents.

Signature move: “Psychic Surge!”

Target: Star Fall Continent Rayquaza, whose attention was fixed on Super Gyarados!

The psychic sphere expanded like a force field, instantly striking Star Fall Continent Rayquaza with full force!

It was blasted again into the crater.

Deoxys didn’t care what happened to Super Gyarados.

But it couldn’t trust Star Fall Continent Rayquaza—this creature attacked recklessly; who knew if, after dealing with Super Gyarados, it would turn on its own companion, still in the critical phase of regeneration?

So Deoxys acted without hesitation.

First, drive Star Fall Continent Rayquaza away!

Again, it locked eyes with Star Fall Continent Rayquaza, which roared in pain and crashed into the pit. This time, Super Gyarados paused, then—breaking its usual simple, earnest demeanor—smiled mockingly, mimicking Star Fall Continent Rayquaza’s earlier taunt.

I knew it—Luo Mu wouldn’t have overlooked Star Fall Continent Rayquaza’s recovery speed.

This “coincidence,” more precise than coincidence, was clearly Luo Mu’s backup plan, in Super Gyarados’s view.

And now Pichu leapt out from Deoxys’s shadow, having secretly stacked three layers of “Sword Dance” while hidden—it launched “Play Rough” directly at Star Fall Continent Rayquaza.

Star Fall Continent Rayquaza’s spine bent again.

Super Gyarados kept smirking.

—Even as it was flung into a nearby wall by Star Fall Continent Rayquaza’s enraged tail swipe.

Despite the pain, Super Gyarados still laughed at Star Fall Continent Rayquaza’s stupidity—completely unaware it had been manipulated from start to finish.

Deoxys was surprised Pichu had stopped annoying it and instead turned its attention to Star Fall Continent Rayquaza.

But to this simple alien, since Pichu was indirectly helping, it would temporarily refrain from attacking Pichu.

The two Pokémon engaged Star Fall Continent Rayquaza, now burning with rage.

And at this moment,

In Dr. Lendo’s laboratory, the Awakening Experiment had reached its most critical stage.

The laser emitted by the Awakening Device, boosted by Bidoof, had reached an unforeseen performance threshold; as it struck the green crystal, the light nearly filled the entire space.

Dr. Lendo’s assistant, Yuki, squinted at the data fluctuations on the screen, her expression gradually turning joyful.

“Wavelengths fully synchronized—this time, it will succeed!”

Within the blinding light, the extraterrestrial meteorite shattered like broken glass, instantly covered in dense cracks, then exploded into countless fragments with a crisp sound.

An invisible wave swept outward, shattering the entire glass barrier isolating the meteorite from the outside.

The only remaining core crystal floated into the air, enveloped in a glow shaped like Patrick Star.

Then the glow stretched—Deoxys No.2 began reconstructing its body autonomously.

The reconstruction was so fast the three observers hadn’t even reacted before it was over.

Resembling the Deoxys outside but with a green core crystal embedded in its chest, it now hovered silently above the lab table, its gaze falling one by one on Dr. Lendo, Miss Yuki, and finally, Xiao Chao.

From its chest, another active light aggregate drifted out, transforming into an aurora.

This made Xiao Chao realize—no matter its appearance, it was still the “secret friend” it had met in the ecological park.

“Deoxys! Go to your companion!”

Deoxys nodded gently, then turned and flew toward the battlefield’s intense energy fluctuations.

Compared to the other of its kind, it had “lived” in this city for four years and understood things the other didn’t.

For instance, right now—reuniting was less urgent than teaming up with its companion outside to drive away Star Fall Continent Rayquaza; there would be plenty of time later.

It also wanted to eliminate, as much as possible, the danger its presence had brought to these kind people.

—Deoxys burst out of the lab, joining the battle as the Pokémon and Ash and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

Even though Ho-Oh of Hoenn wasn’t in peak condition to begin with, no matter how extraordinary its recovery ability, it couldn’t possibly return to full strength in just three minutes.

After all, that would make those alien giants, who can only fight at full power for three minutes, look ridiculous.

Its condition was better than that of Mega Swampert, but that didn’t mean it could stand calmly under attack from two Deoxys and a still largely intact Pichu.

Ho-Oh of Hoenn grew increasingly frustrated as the battle dragged on.

If only it had swallowed more meteorites in advance, just in case.

If only it still had spare special energy reserves to activate the “Imperial Organ” and achieve a Mega Evolution similar to that cursed Mega Swampert.

Now, no matter how many of them came, they’d all be wiped out by a single move of mine!

Just as Ho-Oh of Hoenn was being forced back step by step.

On the other side of Laurus City, a deafening explosion roared into the sky.

The two Deoxys, still chasing Ho-Oh of Hoenn, and Pichu all halted their movements simultaneously, instinctively turning to look in that direction.

The visual impact of the rising mushroom cloud left Ash and the others, along with Dr. Lendo and his two companions who had emerged from the lab, frozen in place.

Especially Dr. Lendo—he immediately thought someone had deployed a large-scale war weapon banned by the Alliance within Laurus City!

The stunned group didn’t notice that the most shocked among them was actually Ho-Oh of Hoenn.

Even in the ozone layer or outer space,

it possessed an extraordinary ability to lock onto specific auras.

Because of this, Ho-Oh of Hoenn was nearly driven mad.

It knew well enough that the location was the battlefield of the Shiny Ho-Oh, along with a human and a Luxio.

—But who could tell it why the aura of the Shiny Ho-Oh was rapidly fading, worse than when it had taken a single punch from Mega Swampert, while the human and Luxio’s auras, though declining from their peak, still remained remarkably strong!?

Ho-Oh of Hoenn even briefly thought it had mistaken the auras.

But after triple-checking, it painfully reached a conclusion.

—That inscrutable black old man had truly crashed!

This truth struck Ho-Oh of Hoenn like a sledgehammer to the head.

Calmly, it assessed its own current physical state, comparing it to the two Deoxys and Pichu, whose conditions remained relatively intact.

If it kept fighting like this, it would inevitably end up just like that black old man—dead on the ground.

After a brief silence,

Ho-Oh of Hoenn whipped its tail like a divine dragon and flew without hesitation toward the other end of the sky.

By the time the Deoxys realized Ho-Oh of Hoenn was fleeing, it had already vanished beyond the clouds.

(End of Chapter)