Chapter 259: Abnormal Temporal Energy, Anti-Matter

Huo La clutched the Strong Hypnotic Agent pack, his steps featherlight, and he slowly approached the unconscious Axe Mantis King.

In theory, the Axe Mantis King had already completely lost consciousness, so such caution was unnecessary, and even the Strong Hypnotic Agent seemed superfluous.

But to be safe, Huo La still decided to follow the plan; an extra layer of security meant fewer accidents.

He reached the Axe Mantis King's head, snapped his wrist, and flung the Sedative Pack precisely at its cheek. The paper packet burst the moment it touched the skin, and dark‑green fluid smeared across the Axe Mantis King's face, spreading a faint, fresh scent through the air.

The deeply comatose Axe Mantis King only twitched its nostrils once, then fell completely still, not even lifting an eyelid.

Huo La stayed put for several minutes, confirming the Axe Mantis King's condition was fully stable, then turned his head and called to Dr. Laventon, "All set, Doctor, come over."

Dr. Laventon then stepped out cautiously from behind the boulder, cradling the Energy Detection Device, his steps so light they seemed afraid to disturb something.

Ju Yi and Zhu Bei flanked him on either side, their gazes fixed on the Axe Mantis King, ready at any moment to handle an unexpected situation.

Reaching the Axe Mantis King, Dr. Laventon crouched and began feeling its massive body— from the crack‑filled Rock Armor, to the joints' gaps, to the Energy Core at its chest—checking every part meticulously, his concentration making Huo La's stomach churn.

After the probing, he lifted the Energy Detection Device again, scanning the Axe Mantis King's body back and forth; the numbers on the screen fluctuated before finally settling within a fixed range.

Dr. Laventon set the device down, rose slowly, sighed, adjusted his hat, and said gravely, "Just as I guessed, the situation is more tricky than imagined. In theory, if we can channel the Abnormal Energy inside it out, it will return to normal."

"Then how do we channel it out?" Zhu Bei asked anxiously, her hands unconsciously gripping her sleeve.

Dr. Laventon's gaze swept between Huo La and the Axe Mantis King, then he slowly shook his head, "I have no way."

"Then your words were pointless?" Huo La rolled his eyes, his anger flaring instantly.

After all that struggling, still no clue?

"Listen to me fully," Dr. Laventon said, pointing to the largest cracked rock on the Axe Mantis King's body and gesturing the two forward, "See, this is the wound opened by Vaporeon's Muddy Water earlier, deep enough to expose flesh. If the Abnormal Energy were only on the surface, there would be signs of energy leaking at the wound."

He paused, his tone growing heavier, "But look, there's nothing here. Moreover, my Detector shows its internal energy values have remained stable, rising only when it goes berserk. That means the Spacetime Energy has fully permeated its body, binding with its vital signs, and cannot be separated."

As the words fell, everyone present was instantly plunged into dead silence.

Dr. Laventon's meaning was now obvious— all their previous efforts had merely delayed the inevitable end, and now the only path left before them was a final road, a death road no one wanted to take.

The silence lingered an unknown length of time, the air so heavy it stole breath.

At last, Zhu Bei was the first to break the quiet; her voice carried a barely perceptible tremor yet was unusually firm: "Is there truly no other way?"

Dr. Laventon closed his eyes, slowly shook his head, and said nothing.

"Then we need speed," Zhu Bei inhaled deeply, as if making a resolve, "Otherwise, once the Axe Mantis King awakens, even if we try to kill it we'll have to pay the price."

Beside them, Ju Yi watched the still frowning Axe Mantis King in a coma, his eyes reddening instantly; he turned to Zhu Bei, his voice choked, "Captain, this…"

He had cared for the Axe Mantis King for years; their bond was far beyond a simple Trainer‑Pokemon relationship, more like comrades fighting side by side.

Watching his partner be killed by his own hand was unbearably cruel.

Zhu Bei shook her head, reached out and patted Ju Yi's shoulder, her tone full of resignation and pain: "I know your bond with the Axe Mantis King runs deep; you've cared for it all these years. But… for the entire Giant Tree Battlefield, for all the surviving Pokemon nearby, even for all of Hisui, we must make this decision."

She lifted her head, her gaze sweeping everyone present before landing on the Axe Mantis King, her eyes resolute: "I am the Captain of the Pearl Team; let me make this hardest decision."

As she spoke, she slowly raised her hand: "Vaporeon, prepare…"

At that moment, Huo La suddenly spoke, cutting her off: "Wait!"

"Huo La, this is a Pearl Team matter; I'll handle it myself," Zhu Bei, thinking Huo La intended to jump in, immediately shouted to stop him, her tone unwaveringly firm.

She didn't want an outsider bearing the sin of killing a Pokémon King.

Huo La shook his head, his gaze fixed on the Axe Mantis King, saying earnestly, "I'm not trying to interfere with your decision; just wait a moment, I want to see if I can extract the Abnormal Energy from its body."

"You have a way?" Ju Yi shot up, eyes instantly flashing with delighted hope, as if clutching the last straw of salvation.

Huo La gave no guarantee, simply stating honestly, "I can only try; I can't promise success."

As he spoke, he urgently called to the system in his mind, "System, is there a way to absorb the Abnormal Energy inside the Axe Mantis King's body?"

"Scanning… Abnormal Temporal Energy… anti‑matter fluctuations detected…" the system's mechanical voice crackled intermittently, with a slight stutter.

"Abnormal Temporal Energy? Anti‑Matter?" Huo La's ears caught the keywords, his brows knitting instantly.

Just when he thought the system was powerless, the mechanical voice sounded again: "…Energy analysis complete… absorbable… converting to System Energy…"

Hearing the words "absorbable," Huo La's tense heart eased instantly, the hanging stone finally fell.

He hesitated not a moment; under the astonished gazes of Zhu Bei, Dr. Laventon, and Ju Yi, he hurried to the Axe Mantis King's head, inhaled deeply, and pressed his palm firmly onto its rough Rock Armor.

"System, begin absorption!"

"System absorbing… Abnormal Temporal Energy… converting…" as the System Prompt Sound rang in his mind, Huo La could clearly feel a cold, raging energy streaming from his palm into his body.

That energy, intensely destructive, felt like countless tiny needles darting through his meridians, making him involuntarily furrow his brows as fine cold sweat seeped onto his forehead.