[Collection Mission Triggered—"This energy is very interesting."]
[Completion Conditions: Assist the system in absorbing the Giant Rock's energy.]
[Failure Condition: The Giant Rock is destroyed.]
[Rewards: Individual 'Bai Chen' species evolution, System functional module upgrade.]
Bai Chen slowly woke up from a deep slumber. The first thing he saw was Nergigante sitting nearby, eating ice cream. She was holding a giant tub of vanilla cream ice cream, licking it incessantly, with four or five empty tubs already discarded beside her.
To her side, Indeedee was also holding a tub of cream ice cream, but she wasn't eating it herself; she was using a spoon to feed it, one bite at a time, to the newborn Velkhana.
It was clear that this little hatchling had already developed a strong fondness for supermarket ice cream.
Bai Chen sat up from the ground. Nergigante bounded over and licked his face with her cool tongue, leaving behind a puddle of vanilla-scented drool.
"How long was I out?" Bai Chen asked Indeedee.
"About half an hour," Indeedee replied.
"Half an hour... the sleep was shorter than I expected," Bai Chen murmured.
Indeedee looked at him with concern. "Master, do you feel any discomfort in your body?"
Bai Chen assessed himself. His injuries had healed rapidly; the burns caused by the Giant Rock were completely gone. But the armor... He looked at the Zorah Magdaros set laid out neatly to the side.
The extreme heat of the Rock had melted nearly half of it. If Tinkatuff saw this, she would definitely nag him for an eternity.
"Physically, I feel fine," Bai Chen noted. He looked around and realized they were in a supermarket. Candles provided the only light, indicating that the power in Lumiose City had not yet been restored.
He decided to get a handle on the current situation. "Has anything happened while I was unconscious? Where is Squishy?"
Indeedee provided the answers: "Half an hour ago, the Kalos Champion, Diantha, arrived in Lumiose City and began disaster relief. Five minutes after her arrival, Zygarde appeared in the sky and cleared away all the black thorns Nergigante created."
"Wait, Zygarde? Was it the Complete Forme?"
Indeedee nodded.
Bai Chen thought for a moment. "Nergigante's thorns erode the earth; I knew that. The fact that it forced Z2 to appear and fuse with Z1 suggests Nergigante's power truly caused a massive impact on the Kalos ecosystem."
Indeedee shared another interesting piece of news: after clearing the thorns, Zygarde had completely destroyed Lysandre's research institute.
"It seems Team Flare thoroughly offended that Great Deity. Though Zygarde doesn't really understand human societal rules—otherwise, Team Flare would have paid an even heavier price."
Even a saint loses their temper, let alone a Legendary Pokémon maintaining order. In the anime of his past life, Z1 and Z2 being chased all over the region by Team Flare was truly bizarre.
Having the power to destroy all of Kalos but failing to wipe out a human evil organization was a serious blow to their prestige.
"What's the status of Team Flare now?"
"According to the info I gathered, the boss, Lysandre, has been legally arrested by the police," Indeedee said.
The price Team Flare had to pay was more than just being hunted by Zygarde. Bringing the Giant Rock to a populated city and attracting a city-destroying Rayquaza were crimes enough to bleed them dry.
As for Steven and Bai Chen: Steven wasn't the mastermind; at most, he was a "shareholder." He might face financial penalties, but likely wouldn't be imprisoned.
Bai Chen, despite causing more damage than Rayquaza, was acting in "courageous defense of the public." He wouldn't be held liable; Lysandre would foot the bill for the city's reconstruction.
"I hope Lysandre doesn't go from the light to the shadows," Bai Chen thought. An enemy in the dark is far scarier. "Given his dream, he'll likely find a way to quiet this storm.
Destroying the world requires massive funding; if he's officially labeled as 'evil,' making money becomes much harder."
Of course, if Lysandre was already prepared to destroy Kalos, he might just go underground.
Bai Chen called over the newborn Velkhana. Holding the Bond Stone, he had already forged a bond with her. After capturing her in a new Monster Ball, he stood up, ready to leave the supermarket.
Indeedee used her psychic to carry his armor and Great Sword. After tidying up the ice cream trash and leaving a pile of cash on the counter, they exited.
Standing at the entrance, Bai Chen prepared to take flight using his Telekenesis. He activated his Psychic power as usual.
Puff—!
The next second, the blood vessels across his entire body burst. Golden blood splattered everywhere. He collapsed powerlessly into the pool of blood.
"What's happening?!"
Nergigante and Indeedee were terrified. Nergigante grew to her full size to shield him, while Indeedee brandished his sword, searching for enemies.
After the initial burst, Bai Chen's body began to repair itself at a speed far exceeding his usual Super Regeneration. He propped himself up. "Don't panic. It's not an enemy. I just... self-destructed."
Self-destruct? Nergigante looked down, her golden eyes full of curiosity. Did he finally become a Voltorb?
Bai Chen checked the system's progress bar. [Individual Evolution Progress: 0.1%]
Usually, he should be in a deep sleep during evolution, like Zinogre. But for some unknown reason, he was awake. As for the "self-destruction," it wasn't that he was weak; on the contrary, every cell was overflowing with energy. He had absorbed over 80% of the Giant Rock's power. Being able to move at all was a miracle.
His current state was like a person suffering from both a full bladder and diarrhea. He could take tiny, careful steps, but any sudden vibration would cause an "explosion."
He tried to pick up his Great Sword. Snap. The vessels in his arm burst again. "I can't even exert force... is this what it means when 'Strength reaching the limit becomes weakness'?"
Until the evolution was complete, this wouldn't improve. The only silver lining was that his regeneration was top-tier; even fatal wounds vanished in seconds. "Forget it. Nergigante and Zinogre are strong enough; I don't need to worry about survival."
Bai Chen was currently only the third strongest in his own team. With so many Monsties to protect him, he wasn't worried about safety. He explained the situation to his partners. "For now, the fighting is up to you."
Ao? Nergigante tilted her head.
"Z-Moves and Kinship Skills? Those should be fine. They pull energy from me; I don't need to exert physical force."
Bai Chen climbed onto Nergigante's back. "Looks like I'm strictly a 'Rider' for a while."
"Ao!" Nergigante nodded happily and took flight.
On her back, Bai Chen stared at the 0.1% progress bar. "Evolution... I wonder what species I'll become?" He was also looking forward to the System Module Upgrade.
The system was currently a mystery—it triggered tasks at random, but the rewards were becoming increasingly incredible.
"By the way, while the system is upgrading, can I still use my other cheats?" He tested them; fortunately, the module upgrade didn't interfere with his existing functions.
At a Lumiose evacuation center, Lillie was staring anxiously at the horizon.
"Miss Lillie, given Executive Bai Chen's strength, he's surely safe," her attendant, Quinn, said.
Lillie didn't respond. She checked her phone. She had sent a text before the fight ended half an hour ago, but there was no reply.
Finally, a rescue helicopter arrived. Steven Stone stepped off. Lillie ran to him, looking hopefully at the cabin behind him. Steven sighed. "I'm sorry. We searched the area, but we haven't found Bai Chen yet."
Lillie's heart sank. "Did... did something happen to Mr. Bai?"
"I don't know. When the Giant Rock's energy went berserk, he solved the problem. After that, I only saw his partners carry him away. I don't know if he's safe."
"Carried away?" If Nergigante took him, he should be fine. But why hasn't he messaged me?
"I'm going to look for him!" Lillie started to run toward the city.
Suddenly, someone shouted, "A dragon is coming!"
Everyone looked up to see Nergigante flying in with Bai Chen on her back. Seeing him, Lillie collapsed to the ground in relief. But she found it strange—he usually flew with psychokinesis. Why was he riding now?
Nergigante landed, minimized, and hopped onto Bai Chen's shoulder. Lillie rushed up, and Bai Chen assured her he was okay.
Steven walked over. "You really have a knack for scaring people. You charged right into that energy storm—have you no regard for your life?"
"I suddenly remembered a move that could shatter the Rock, so I took the risk," Bai Chen lied. "By the way, what happened to the Rock?"
Bai Chen's last memory was hitting the evolution stage. Steven shook his head. "It just vanished. It happened once before in Hoenn. Perhaps it's for the best; something that dangerous shouldn't be in human hands."
Steven regretted not stopping Lysandre sooner. This disaster would cost him dearly, but at least casualties were low.
Diantha, the Champion of Kalos, stepped forward. "Thank you for protecting Lumiose. On behalf of the Kalos League, I thank you for your sacrifice. We will ensure you receive proper honors."
"Just don't hold me liable for the property damage," Bai Chen joked. He knew his team had done 70% of the destruction.
"The methods were rough, but it was to save lives. That is enough. The losses will be covered by others," Diantha assured him.
After saying goodbye, Bai Chen waited a while. When Squishy didn't return, he called Nebby and teleported back to Alola.
Back on his familiar island, the sense of security returned. He released his partners and treated their wounds. It was only then that he found out Gravios had eaten the remaining chunk of the Giant Rock.
"Good job!" Bai Chen praised.
The Giant Rock was a crystal of pure energy. Though Bai Chen had absorbed most of it, he still didn't know exactly what the energy was. He only knew its wavelength matched Mega Stones and Zygarde's bio-energy.
"I wonder what kind of minerals Gravios will produce after eating that. Maybe he can generate Mega Stones directly?"
This gave Bai Chen an idea. He had Indeedee collect genetic materials from everyone—Zinogre's shock fur, Nergigante's thorns, etc.—and stuffed them into Gravios's mouth.
Then, he sent Indeedee and Nebby to the Alola department store to buy every type of Evolution Stone available. He stuffed those in, too.
Evolution Stones + Monstie Genes + The Giant Rock.
"If these three things together don't create a miracle, nothing will."
The pressure was now on Gravios. Zinogre walked up to him and let out a threatening huff. Gravios shivered, remembering the "special training" days. He wailed—it wasn't like he could choose what his stomach produced!
Zinogre's gaze didn't soften. The message was clear: If you don't produce a Mega Stone, it's your fault. I only care about results.
As Bai Chen and Lillie finished treating everyone, Lusamine called Lillie's phone (Bai Chen's had melted).
"Hello, President?"
"I didn't expect you to cause such a stir in Kalos. My phone has been ringing off the hook."
"Not about compensation, I hope?"
"No, researchers. A lab in Galar wants to know how you achieved Gigantamax in Kalos. Others want to study your 'Ultra Beasts' (the Monsties)."
"What did you tell them?"
"I haven't replied yet. I wanted your take."
"I don't like trouble."
"Understood. I'll decline them. Also... I heard Team Rocket might be involved in the Kalos incident. You weren't involved with them, were you?"
"Who knows," Bai Chen replied cryptically.
Lusamine sighed. "You're bold, but dealing with an organization that large brings misfortune."
Bai Chen gave her a warning: "President, there's a saying: 'The tree wants to be still, but the wind keeps blowing.' The Aether Foundation might already be on their list. Better to prepare sooner rather than later."
In the anime, Team Rocket had a strong interest in Alola. In the games, Team Rainbow Rocket used Aether's technology to conquer other worlds.
The Ultra Wormholes could open paths to other dimensions—like the Monster Hunter world.
Lusamine's expression turned serious. "Did you receive some kind of intel?"
"No intel. Just a logical deduction based on Giovanni's character. His goal is to rule all worlds. A foundation with inter-dimensional technology would naturally be on his list, wouldn't it?"
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