Chapter 98: After Returning
His body felt no discomfort, just like after sleeping a night.
Zuo Hang discovered a purple jar right by his hand, with crooked writing on it.
This was Martial Fighting Star script, meaning Purple Qing Qing.
Zuo Hang was stunned; this seemed to be the one he had swiped from that vending machine.
“Wahhh~~~ Stinky little brother!! You scared me to death!! I thought you were gone just like that…”
“Piplup~~ Piplup!! Piplup!!!”
Zuo Rou and Turtwig pounced straight into Zuo Hang’s arms without a word; Zuo Hang was dumbfounded… and subconsciously stroked Zuo Rou’s hair.
Zuo Rou’s reaction was understandable, but what was up with Turtwig??
How are you more excited than Pikachu…??
“Pika! Pika pika!!!” The Electric Mouse twisted its butt and shoved Turtwig away.
What’s up with you, penguin??
I haven’t even hugged you, so how did you get hugged first?
Pikachu jumped onto Zuo Hang’s shoulder and used Draining Kiss right in front of Turtwig and Zuo Rou.
Zuo Hang remained unmoved.
Piplup blinked, looking at Pikachu somewhat puzzled.
He had hugged Zuo Hang and cried just to cooperate with Zuo Rou, and before entering the secret realm, he had been practicing a skill called Fake Tears. Though not very difficult, it required drawing material from life; the better the “material” cried, the faster it would be mastered.
“Piplup!”
Turtwig indicated that it would forever like Zuo Rou.
“Pika!”
I don’t care who you forever like! Anyway, hugging my Hang Hang and crying is not allowed!
……
Gardevoir watched this scene from not far away… her mouth unconsciously curving up…
“If I could see this heartwarming scene every day~” Gardevoir thought.
……
……
“Hangzi Ge, what did you see in there afterward?” Xingye said.
“Stinky little brother, next time you’re absolutely not allowed to leave me behind!” Zuo Rou said.
“Yeah, Zuo Hang, whatever happens, we’ll face it together.” Lin Ping said.
“Mm-hmm.” Heichuan agreed.
Several black lines instantly appeared on Zuo Hang’s forehead.
Was it me who left you all behind???
If any of you had even a bit of combat ability, I wouldn’t have ended up alone in the illusionary realm.
Though you probably wouldn’t have been much help even if you came.
Zuo Hang said very seriously, “If you want to help me, at least one S. As for what I saw in the illusionary realm… pretty much just watched the process of Martial Fighting Star’s fall. Nothing much to say.”
Xingye was a bit curious: “Even if there’s nothing much to say, tell us.”
“Mm, tell us.” Lin Ping also wanted to hear it a bit.
“Tell us, tell us; anyway, there’s no loss in telling.” Zuo Rou shook Zuo Hang’s arm while hugging it.
“Maoji!”
“Pika!”
Snowy Child and the Electric Mouse indicated they also wanted to hear the story’s continuation.
“—Sigh…” Zuo Hang sighed.
“Fine… then I’ll tell you… It was basically a bunch of black light orbs dropping into the deathmatch arena… then a huge swarm of Iron Fire Kaguya came out, rat-a-tat-tat… and gunned everyone down…”
Zuo Rou: ……
Xingye: ……
Lin Ping: ……
Heichuan: “I think you’re brushing us off.”
Zuo Hang spread his hands: “I’m not, it really was that simple. Iron Fire Kaguya was too strong; the people of that world couldn’t withstand it at all. With the Ultra Beast Boost ability, no amount of ordinary Elite Four or Champions would help. At least an S-tier Champion would be needed to confront even a single Iron Fire Kaguya.
“Imagine it: SS+ in every attribute except speed, all beyond base stats limits, and all stats improving with each Pokémon killed. Once such a Pokémon descends, what can a world do but wait for collapse?”
“Wait… what’s with those looks? No one doesn’t know about Ultra Beast Boost, right?”
Among them, only Zuo Rou’s expression was like that of a normal person listening to a story.
Xingye and Lin Ping both looked grave, and Heichuan was no exception.
Lin Ping’s parents had died fighting Ultra Beasts, so looking grave upon hearing Ultra Beast intel was normal.
But the optimistic Xingye looking grave was a bit abnormal, and Heichuan’s expression also concerned Zuo Hang.
When they encountered Guzzlord before, neither had reacted this strongly, but hearing about Iron Fire Kaguya suddenly changed their faces.
“What’s up?? You all have some connection to this Pokémon?” Zuo Hang raised an eyebrow; originally he was telling the story, but now he had become the curious one.
Xingye said, “A bit of a connection… but not anything good… Speaking of which, you might know too: a few years ago, that Pokémon rampage in Tokyo…”
“Forget it… I don’t really want to talk about it. Too many ties, too complicated. I was just in elementary school then; I don’t know the specifics. Anyway, that riot was actually caused by Iron Fire Kaguya… the Xingye family suffered heavy losses in that battle…”
Lin Ping interrupted: “When you were in junior high? You’re only first year high school now, right? So Iron Fire Kaguya appeared in Tokyo within the last three years? That’s not normal… the Ultra Beast subjugation war ended nine years ago…”
Zuo Hang said, “Nothing abnormal about it. There are live ones in this secret realm; one or two showing up outside is normal too. Anyway, since we’re all living fine now, that proves Ultra Beasts are still under control.”
Though he said that, Zuo Hang, having witnessed the Ultra Beast’s emergence, clearly understood—an Ultra Beast appearing at a location was an existence that absolutely could not be stopped by conventional means.
—Spatial Tremor.
Zuo Hang hadn’t heard of similar events in his survival world; he knew nothing about the Ultra Beast appearances from nine years ago.
His desire for Ultra Beast intel grew stronger in his heart, and his urge to leave the secret realm became more urgent.
Heichuan remained silent, showing no intention to speak.
The group was used to this attitude from her, but Xingye suddenly said, “I remember the Heichuan Family is also in Tokyo…”
Heichuan continued silent, but after a few seconds, she suddenly spoke: “Iron Fire Kaguya… they’re just the vanguard… afterward… there was also… Guzzlord, second batch…”
No one had ever heard Heichuan say such a long sentence; she seemed a bit stuttering, hard to make out when not speaking continuously.
“Heichuan’s family crest, the Legendary Pokémon symbolizing the sun… Heichuan Family… can fight Beasts…”
Hearing this intel, everyone’s expressions varied.
Zuo Hang started guessing the Divine Beast again. Since coming to White Dragon, it felt like he’d been outwitting the air, and none of the Legendary Pokémon he’d guessed had appeared in person.
Lin Ping and Xingye were also guessing that Divine Beast’s identity; only innocent Zuo Rou asked:
“What’s that Pokémon called?”
Heichuan tilted her head and gave Zuo Rou a cute, dazed smile.
“Don’t know, I forgot, but it’s very like Articuno, small, very cute.”
