“Ah? What method could you possibly have? At this point, retreating with me is the best strategy. Quickly contact the Alliance and have a Champion Trainer handle this. This is definitely beyond what we can manage.”
Zhu Zi’s face was filled with anxiety, and his eyes were full of worry, fearing that Zhang Heng would fall into a desperate situation due to a momentary impulse. After all, the destructive power and danger of the Divine Beast battle before them far exceeded their capabilities.
Zhang Heng knew in his heart that he was the one who awakened Zekrom, so by all accounts, he could not back down at this moment.
So, he turned his head, looked at Zhu Zi with a determined expression, and said in a deep voice, “You take everyone back outside the Divine Beast Field. Make sure no one or Pokémon comes in to disturb me. As for what happens next, I have my own plans.”
Zhu Zi’s face showed hesitation and struggle. He looked at Zhang Heng, his eyes filled with conflict.
On one hand, he knew that what Zhang Heng said might be reasonable; on the other hand, he truly couldn't rest assured leaving Zhang Heng to face such a dangerous situation alone.
But after seeing Zhang Heng’s undeniable determined gaze, Zhu Zi gritted his teeth and turned to leave.
Although Zhang Heng was still young, his abilities and courage displayed throughout his journey had brought countless surprises and unexpected moments to Zhu Zi.
He not only successfully awakened the legendary Zekrom but also had powerful Divine Beasts as partners. All of this made Zhu Zi trust him more and have greater expectations.
Zhu Zi quickly recalled Baxcalibur and Gimmighoul into their Poké Balls, and with slightly heavy steps, he slowly retreated towards the edge of the Divine Beast Field.
But as he walked, he suddenly stopped, his worry surging like a tide. In the end, he still couldn't rest assured leaving Zhang Heng to face it alone. So, he looked at the Manectric beside him and said, “Manectric, you stay here and help Zhang Heng. Be sure to protect his safety.”
Zhang Heng realized that Manectric staying might interfere with his next actions, and the energy within the Divine Beast Field was extremely volatile. Without Manectric's protection, Zhu Zi could be in mortal danger at any moment.
Thinking of this, he quickly interrupted Zhu Zi, saying loudly, “No! Without Manectric by your side, you will instantly be torn to shreds by the chaotic and violent energy within the Divine Beast Field. Quickly take it with you and go, trust me!”
Zhu Zi listened to Zhang Heng’s irrefutable words. Although his heart was still filled with worry, he understood that the situation was extremely critical and allowed for no delay.
So, he quickened his pace with Manectric and swiftly retreated outside the Divine Beast Field, but his gaze remained fixed on Zhang Heng inside the field, secretly worrying for him.
After Zhu Zi and Manectric had retreated, Zhang Heng felt a little uneasy. He frowned slightly, looking at Psyduck with uncertainty, and asked, “Can you handle it? The situation ahead might be very tricky.”
“Gah! Gah!” Psyduck turned its head, a confident expression on its face, and gave a thumbs-up, as if assuring Zhang Heng that it was absolutely fine and could definitely handle the upcoming challenge.
Seeing this, Zhang Heng felt a little relieved. He then turned to look at Walking Wake, his gaze filled with inquiry and expectation. Walking Wake nodded slightly, a soft blue light emanating from its body, as if responding to Zhang Heng, indicating that it too was ready.
Zhang Heng lowered his eyes, gazing at the “ideal crystal” in his hand, rapidly recalling all the information about this crystal and its function: “Divine Beast byproduct, also capable of summoning Zekrom.”
Thanks to the Dragon-type affinity granted by the system, he could keenly and clearly perceive the Dragon-type energy hidden within the crystal, as if he could hear the faint hum of that energy, resonating with a certain power deep within him.
“Since this crystal contains Zekrom’s Dragon-type energy aura, with my Dragon-type affinity, I should be able to establish a bridge of communication with it,” Zhang Heng murmured, his tone carrying a hint of certainty.
At this very moment, the surrounding air seemed to be stirred by an invisible hand. The originally scattered Dragon-type energy, as if strongly summoned, surged towards Zhang Heng like a mighty tide, rapidly converging and swirling around him, forming a visible energy vortex that emitted a heart-palpitating fluctuation.
Although Zhang Heng was human and could not generate or store energy within his body like Pokémon, the special ability to perceive and communicate with Water-type and Dragon-type energy granted by the system became the key to turning the tide at this moment.
This time, when Zhang Heng attempted to communicate with the energy in the crystal, his consciousness was not drawn into Zekrom’s chaotic slumbering place. Instead, he genuinely felt himself transform into an invisible link, connecting the real world with Zekrom’s spiritual world.
As Zhang Heng deepened his communication with the surrounding Dragon-type energy, the “ideal crystal” resting quietly in his palm suddenly emitted a dazzling and peculiar light.
This light was like a newborn blazing sun, instantly dispelling the gloom within the Divine Beast Field, illuminating every inch of the surrounding space as bright as day.
This light seemed to contain an ancient and mysterious power, causing Hoopa, who was launching a fierce attack, to show a clear moment of stagnation. Its originally fluid and sharp offensive seemed to be forcibly pulled by an invisible hand, pausing briefly.
At this time, Zekrom was still deeply enveloped by Hoopa’s six large golden rings, only able to passively parry and defend.
Its once indestructible black scales were now severely broken and scattered around, and its aura had become faint and fluctuating, clearly at its last gasp, unable to hold on much longer.
But even in such a desperate situation, Zekrom saw a fleeting opening in Hoopa’s attack, which had momentarily paused due to the sudden burst of light from the ideal crystal, and unhesitatingly prepared to counterattack.
“Zekrom, can you still hold on?” Zhang Heng’s voice quietly echoed in Zekrom’s mind, like a faint glimmer of light in the darkness.
However, before Zekrom could respond, it let out an earth-shattering roar, a roar filled with endless rage and defiance.
Immediately after, a surging electric-type energy burst forth around its massive body. Bright blue electric light, like materialized flood dragons, swept towards Hoopa’s golden rings, as if to tear all obstacles in its path to shreds.
Hoopa felt this sudden surge of power, and a hint of surprise flashed in its originally disdainful eyes. It immediately shed some of its contempt and focused entirely on controlling the six golden rings, attempting to launch an even fiercer Hyperspace Fury to suppress Zekrom’s counterattack.
But this time, Zekrom’s counterattack power clearly exceeded Hoopa’s expectations.
The electric-type energy condensed into electric dragons, moving nimbly and swiftly between Hoopa’s arms, constantly colliding with and neutralizing the Hyperspace Fury’s energy, producing a series of deafening roars and dazzling lights.
When the electric dragons impacted Hoopa’s golden rings, the rings trembled violently, and their surface light became dim, as if shrouded in a layer of shadow.
Zekrom seized this fleeting opportunity during Hoopa’s momentary panic and launched an even more aggressive counterattack against Hoopa.
A powerful force instantly erupted, interrupting Hoopa’s fierce Hyperspace Fury, earning itself valuable breathing room.
At the same time, its voice also resounded in Zhang Heng’s mind: “I am fine, you go, I can still fight.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Heng’s lips curved into a slight, almost imperceptible wry smile, and he thought to himself, “This Zekrom is really stubborn.”
According to Zhang Heng’s deduction, Zekrom’s current recovered state had not yet returned to its peak, and was even worse than before its last slumber. Defeat was only a matter of time.
“I am here to fulfill my promise, although it seems I just made it. But now you are in a difficult situation and need my Helping Hand. If we work together, and you follow my command, I believe we still have a slim chance of getting out of this in one piece…”