ROAR—!
ROAR—!
ROAR—!
The roar of the engine tore through the wind and waves.
A rugged golden figure, like a tank crushing over the messy tidal flat, came to a steady stop in front of Ash.
"Boy~"
"I'm here!"
Lt. Surge's ferocious-looking all-terrain motorcycle was still emitting hot white smoke from its crotch... er, undercarriage.
...This vehicle was definitely illegally modified.
But no one could control Lt. Surge anyway.
He removed his goggles.
Those sharp eyes, accustomed to surveying battlefields, quickly scanned the entire scene.
The stagnant giant tentacles, the silent emerald existence on the reef, and the serious yet uninjured states of Ash and his two companions.
"Tsk..."
Lt. Surge clicked his tongue, his brows furrowing tightly. He had clearly read the atmosphere in the air.
"The arbitrator is here... that stupid golden hag really knows how to cause trouble for me!"
"If she died, fine."
"If she didn't die... heh heh heh heh..."
Though his words were crude, his actions were steady and powerful.
Trainers at the Gym Leader level inevitably come into contact with the deeper powers of this world.
That is, Legendary Pokémon.
They are also revered as gods.
And [Zygarde] is the god most familiar to all Pokémon Leagues.
Zygarde guards order, which naturally aligns with the Pokémon League's stance.
But that's about it—there's no formal cooperation between them.
The human League has no qualification to stand equal with [Zygarde].
However, after understanding [Zygarde]'s personality and behavior, a certain degree of coordination is possible.
And as a rational, down-to-earth corporate-drone god, Zygarde is happy to see such situations.
Emm... compared to other gods who sleep at the drop of a hat and couldn't care less.
Zygarde is a true workaholic, and it has a really good temper.
Its stance, however, is not good or evil, but order itself.
Lt. Surge dismounted.
Raichu, Magnezone, Electrode, and his other main Pokémon silently appeared behind him.
The linked electric lights and surging energy on Lt. Surge's main Pokémon indicated they were in peak battle condition, yet they restrained themselves from bursting out immediately.
They too had sensed the "rules" in that area.
"..."
Ash looked at the Raichu beside Lt. Surge—it felt completely different from the previous one.
"Kids, you did good. You kept it from really charging into the city."
Lt. Surge waved his large hand, his voice booming with a reassuring steadiness.
"Leave the rest to me."
He nodded to Ash, Misty, and Brock. His gaze finally landed on the black reef, carrying a familiarity like greeting an old colleague:
"I get the rules, Arbitrator."
The emerald Zygarde Cell flickered slightly in response.
It hovered there, like an eternal, unchanging law—cold and impartial.
The Pokémon League isn't actually that familiar with Zygarde.
But everyone knows Zygarde follows the rules.
As long as you don't break them, anything goes.
Anyway, in the eyes of Zygarde as a god... humans and Pokémon are the same.
Or rather, even Pokémon are divided into many different species.
So all beings are equal, treated impartially.
At that moment.
The Giant Tentacruel let out another roar.
But this time, it wasn't a chaotic, mad bellow, but a heavy, ancient sound carrying a draconic resonance—a grand voice issuing as if through its throat:
"Humans... Gym Leader..."
The voice shook directly in everyone's minds, unmistakably in the tone of the Giant Dragonite!
[The ocean's lament... the extension of my power... has been stated!]
[The Arbitrator has arrived!]
[Rules as follows—]
[This land as the battlefield!]
[You, Gym Leader, represent humanity's stance and power!]
[It, bearing resentment and the ocean's wrath, represents the sea's counterattack!]
[One battle decides all!]
[If you win, they retreat and seek new abode; the matter ends!]
[If it wins, this coast... belongs to its kin! Humans never disturb!]
[Fair or not?]
The Giant Dragonite's voice issued through the Tentacruel, carrying unquestionable authority, as if it were the accuser and witness in the "court" erected by Zygarde.
Generally, as one of the five Sea Kings, it would intervene to maintain ecological balance between sea Pokémon and humans, but it has no interest in conversing with humans.
One could even say this incident wouldn't have caught its attention originally... if not for this area's seawater being permeated by its power.
It was the jellyfish swarm's resentment that touched its power, drawing its attention.
And this time, it was in the mood—the Giant Dragonite had spotted Ash and his companions again.
What a coincidence.
Lt. Surge grinned, revealing a smile mixing wildness and seriousness.
He cracked his neck, joints popping:
"Fair!"
"Damn fair!"
"This beats reasoning with idiots any day!"
Lt. Surge stepped forward fiercely, muscles bulging under his camouflage vest:
"Vermilion Gym Leader Lt. Surge accepts the battle!"
Actually, with Lt. Surge's strength, taking down the Giant Tentacruel directly or even this Zygarde Cell wouldn't be an issue.
But no one would do that.
Killing a god's cell is easy.
Then what?
If the main body comes knocking?
You're done for, waiting to die?
It might even trigger that Yu-Gi-Oh classic BGM—[God's Wrath].
Then a massive boss descends from the sky.
And smashes everything with a Divine Fist of something.
Skin color aside, it's still a god.
Hilarious.
Divine Fist whatever.
But with Zygarde's status and personality, it generally doesn't leave the Kalos or Alola regions.
Those are its home turf; other regions are just helping out colleagues on the side.
But it's already such a corporate slave.
If its cells can't handle a problem, notifying the local god seems normal too.
What, you say the local god doesn't care?
If the local god doesn't care, then Zygarde won't either.
Other gods can't split off hordes of cells like Zygarde to monitor an entire region's ecology.
If someone's doing the work for you, who wants to do it themselves?
Lt. Surge turned back and roared at Ash and the others:
"Kids, fall back to the safety line!"
"Clear the field for me and this big guy!"
"This is Gym Leader work!"
Lt. Surge was actually a bit excited himself.
At the Gym Leader level, full-power battles are rare.
On one hand, duties keep them from wandering.
On the other, their strength is so great that going all-out risks severe ecological damage.
To compare... it's like nuking your own turf.
What's the point?
Cities funnel a huge chunk of benefits to them, after all.
The League grants Gym Leaders ample privileges and rights, so they won't undermine themselves.
Rather than binding these powerhouses with ideals... the League's founders chose power and profit to restrain them.
—You might ignore ideals and justice.
—But no sane person harms their own interests.
—You might betray your class, but not yourself.
Something like that.
Ash immediately pulled Misty and Brock back.
Misty glanced worriedly at the behemoth.
Brock nodded steadily, murmuring:
"Believe in Mr. Surge. This is the Gym Leader's reason for being."
Lt. Surge faced off against the Giant Tentacruel.
One side: the pinnacle of human trainer power.
The other: the incarnation of nature's fury and divine might.
Arbitration decreed, the battle about to begin.
The stake: the future of this coast.
____
New Story: FGO: Building a Lostbelt from Scratch, the Winner is Canon
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