[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham":3,"chapter-pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-695":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Pokemon: The Reemployment of a Paldea Former Champion",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":12,"novelImage":21},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2324712,4546,"Chapter 695: The Enthusiastic Hot Spring Lover","pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-695",695,"\u003Cp>The attack did not have the expected effect; the Undulating Water did not calm down, but instead grew even more agitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just looking at its demeanor, it was hard to believe what Reho had said—that it could communicate with Undulating Water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Reho had also tried making sounds to draw Undulating Water’s attention, hoping to use her identity as the one who led it out of the Padia Abyss to soothe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——But Undulating Water’s response was none at all; it completely ignored Reho’s calls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undulating Water’s fierce golden-red dragon eyes locked firmly onto Reiguanwang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its primal instinct told it that Reiguanwang was the most threatening presence here—and one it could not comprehend at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given that, Undulating Water’s attention naturally fixed entirely on Reiguanwang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Roar—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another low growl—this time, Undulating Water left the nearly boiling reservoir area, its body dripping scalding water droplets as it stepped onto the “shore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Against the backdrop of milky-white, ethereal steam, Luo Mu finally saw Undulating Water’s full form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stood upright on powerful hind legs like a tyrannosaur, its neck covered in thick purple fur, two spiky tails lashing through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, compared to the elegant Water Guardian, Undulating Water could easily be mistaken for an ancient, ferocious beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, this beast dug deep grooves into the floor with its strong hind legs, its gaze utterly locked onto Reiguanwang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——It had been blocked once, but that wouldn’t make it retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reiguanwang wore a look of resignation as its psychic waves precisely pierced Undulating Water’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know you understand. Let’s talk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Roarang—!” (Talk to hell!)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undulating Water violently shook its head, as if trying to fling out the unwanted psychic intrusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a long howl, its form shot out from the steam, trailing faint afterimages, lunging at Reiguanwang like a predator!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, it was an “Ancient Paradox Species”—just like how Mengleigu, even when usually docile on a farm, was rarely provoked by little ones like Victini.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——This Undulating Water might have actually preyed on other creatures before!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the predatory Undulating Water, Reiguanwang now looked like a helpless head of broccoli, its slender arms and legs offering no sign of strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sight made Officer Junsa’s heart clench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But trusting the title on Luo Mu’s head, she did not act rashly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Undulating Water was about to touch Reiguanwang, it hit an invisible wall—no matter how hard it strained, its raised foreclaws could not reach Reiguanwang’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of irritation crossed its eyes; it tried to pull back and seek another opening, but found its body frozen mid-air, uncontrollable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In its mind, Reiguanwang’s sigh slowly surfaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh… I really didn’t want to resort to force.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Reiguanwang’s movement was swift and precise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dense surge of life energy suddenly gathered at Undulating Water’s defenseless abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, a compressed emerald-green energy sphere exploded violently from its belly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The violent blast instantly swept away all surrounding steam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undulating Water’s body was flung backward faster than it had charged, crashing heavily back into the reservoir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch. No matter how many times I see it, Psychic-type Pokémon still seem absurdly overpowered in real life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu muttered under his breath, audible only to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, given that Undulating Water’s Water\u002FDragon typing should correspond to Mengleigu’s, Reiguanwang’s energy sphere was at best a critical hit—no type advantage at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water\u002FDragon combination had excellent resistances, nearly matching Steel\u002FDragon in most cases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water type’s weakness to Grass was negated by the Dragon typing, but it gained new weaknesses to Dragon and Fairy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reiguanwang didn’t know any Dragon-type moves; its only Fairy-type move was “Draining Kiss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But recalling how Reiguanwang used that move, Luo Mu suddenly felt type advantage wasn’t something he absolutely needed to rely on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Luo Mu was lost in thought, with no intention of giving orders,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undulating Water resurfaced from the reservoir, glaring at Reiguanwang with pure rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If before it had only intended to rough up the intruders who kept coming into its newly claimed “territory,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was truly enraged—and decided to show no mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if stirred by Undulating Water’s fury, the boiling water in the reservoir surged violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Haidai’s expression changed drastically; he cried out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No good! That move’s coming!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officer Junsa and Reho, both having experienced it before, instinctively stepped back half a pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu immediately turned to Haidai, recalling the battle details Haidai had shared with him on the way here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haidai had spoken with great seriousness about a uniquely powerful Water-type move Undulating Water used.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That move had been responsible for putting several of Haidai’s Pokémon into critical condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——A move similar to “Scald,” using massive steam and boiling water as its weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was likely also the source of the overwhelming steam blanketing Boping City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very likely, like Mengleigu’s “Thunderclap,” it was Undulating Water’s signature Water-type move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reiguanwang, don’t let your guard down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu spoke for the first time, offering a slight warning to Reiguanwang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, in his view, Reiguanwang—who had fought a Shiny Rayquaza—wouldn’t lose to Undulating Water even without riding a mount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, I will.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reiguanwang nodded slightly; its gentle voice appeared in Luo Mu’s mind via telepathy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But its focus remained entirely on Undulating Water, still submerged in the boiling reservoir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undulating Water suddenly opened its massive jaws; the scorching steam around it spiraled inward like a dragon drinking water, condensing in its throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, the steam erupted into a high-pressure steam cannon, roaring forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boiling white mist tore through the air, its heat intense enough to burn holes through steel, hurtling straight toward Reiguanwang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——This was far hotter than boiling water at 100°C; clearly, the steam itself was the primary weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In response, Reiguanwang merely lifted its right hand slightly, its eyes glowing with a deep blue light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An invisible psychic field unfolded before it, forming an unbreakable barrier. The furious steam cannon struck it like waves crashing against rocks—splashing harmlessly in all directions, not a single wisp of vapor penetrating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steaming mist swirled around Reiguanwang but could not draw near even a fraction of an inch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sight left Haidai and the others utterly stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Wait, just what kind of Pokémon is this Reiguanwang that Luo Mu has with him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Elite Four’s main Pokémon couldn’t stand so calmly against Undulating Water’s attack without even a drop of moisture touching them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing its prized attack once again completely blocked by that hateful invisible wall, Undulating Water’s eyes darkened with malice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somehow, more steam cannons erupted from the reservoir—identical in power, like Kyogre’s “Origin Pulse,” striking Reiguanwang from multiple angles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——But all of it was powerless against the sheer gap in strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Undulating Water seemed to have exhausted itself, Reiguanwang stopped defending and began spreading its psychic force outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scorching steam cannons twisted and shattered under invisible pressure; Undulating Water itself was seized by Reiguanwang’s overwhelming psychic force, struggling uselessly to break free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you had enough of your tantrum?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you calm down now and talk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reiguanwang’s aura had completely changed—like when it once ruled the Crown Tundra, the king of all Galar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That aura of silent authority pressed down on Undulating Water, cooling its overheated mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though intelligent, it was still a Paradox Species; its past environment was nothing like modern Pokémon’s, so naturally it chose to fight first without words—just like Mengleigu once did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, utterly overpowered, its reason returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Damn, I really can’t beat this big-headed thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This thought surfaced in Undulating Water’s mind, followed by fierce resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t want to abandon the habitat it had chosen; leaving here, it wouldn’t find another place so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But who was it to object now, a dragon already in defeat cutscene?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the preset water cycle time was nearly up, Luo Mu ordered the engineer to go control the main terminal and pause the cycle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for this Undulating Water, they could deal with it after handling the current situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the steam had no adverse effect on the equipment—though old, they weren’t so precise that a minor glitch would shut them down; old gear had its own advantages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without any accidents or emergencies, the automatic water cycle was temporarily locked—no risk of the entire reservoir’s boiling water being sent throughout Boping City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This eased Luo Mu’s mind slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d always hated movies where, at the critical moment, something always broke down, or something was missing, or someone had an issue—just to add tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After resolving the “steam crisis,” the next step was to properly “interrogate” Undulating Water for its unprovoked aggression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, with Reiguanwang beside him and telepathy as a cheat, he didn’t need to strain like last time with Mengleigu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever he needed to say, and whatever Undulating Water answered, could be communicated flawlessly through telepathy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After briefly consulting Haidai and Officer Junsa, Luo Mu posed three questions to Undulating Water:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>1. Why did you choose to occupy Boping City’s underground water recycling system?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>2. Why did you refuse to communicate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>3. Was this action ordered by Reho?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the third question came from Officer Junsa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From her professional instinct as a police officer, Officer Jynx always felt an urge to handcuff Rehe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——As if she had encountered a criminal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she remained skeptical of Rehe’s earlier statements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, based on the answers given by Politoed under the restraint of Regieleki, they discovered this matter had little to do with Rehe—at most, she bore minor responsibility and had no intent to cause chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Politoed, it had indeed met Rehe inside the Paldean Wasteland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at that time, it had not yet found a territory it liked, so it did not attack Rehe; instead, it left the Paldean Wasteland with her under her “temptation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Rehe brought it directly to a post emitting a foul odor and ordered it to spray water on the post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Politoed did not refuse and actually sprayed a jet of water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But nothing happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Rehe, stubborn and unwilling to give up, could urge it to try again, Politoed suddenly grew annoyed—and at that moment, it caught the scent of a water source that matched its preferences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It immediately abandoned Rehe, plunged into the underground, seized the reservoir, and began transforming it into an environment it favored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steam that spread throughout Bottle City was produced during this process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This reminded Luo Mu of the Iron Bundle he had taken in from the forest where his Krookodile clan lived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thing had also recklessly altered its surroundings, reshaping them to suit its own tastes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is one reason why Paradox Pokémon are believed to cause massive ecological damage if they escape the Paldean Wasteland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for why it refused to communicate, it was simply because Politoed did not want to leave the environment it had spent a whole day creating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——It truly loved soaking in warm water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the environment of the Paldean Wasteland, this reservoir was far better suited for it to unleash its abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad this place had no sunlight—if only there were sun, it would be even better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had originally planned to find an opportunity to blast a large hole above, letting sunlight stream in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before Politoed could carry out this idea, it was arrested by Luo Mu and Regieleki.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It did not recognize its wrongdoing; instead, it felt it was unlucky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——There are too many barbarians here; they just show up without warning to seize its hard-won territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Politoed’s heartfelt words left Luo Mu and Regieleki silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could not imagine that Politoed had caused such a commotion simply because it wanted to soak in a hot bath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are you some kind of obsessive bath or hot spring enthusiast?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1964,"2026-06-20T17:11:50.049Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","745dc991fe875c31e88fb2d8f13533980ff70c6b8c4a8c5d0c01c29da393fbc4",null,"pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-694","https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fpokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-cover.jpg"]