Chapter 142
Genesect could appear at any window in the corridor, meaning Qiao Ran had to be extremely vigilant.
Layer.
Two floors.
Three floors.
Fourth floor.
Qiao Ran didn't stop at any room door, nor did he recklessly open any doors to see what was inside. From the beginning, he headed straight for the top floor. After all, it was clear to the naked eye that the "fog" he could see became thicker and thicker as he climbed higher and higher. Even though Qiao Ran didn't know the specific meaning of these things, he already understood in his heart.
There must be something hidden up there.
'Master! Watch out!'
Qiao Ran's steps grew more and more hurried until, as he climbed the stairs, he heard the Vulpix perched on his right shoulder make a sound.
'... The Genesect that just came in has spotted us!'
...!
Qiao Ran turned his head, and sure enough, he saw a Genesect fly in through the window in the corridor, looking directly at him.
They stared at each other.
Without hesitation, Qiao Ran started running up the stairs. Although he had rehearsed escaping immediately if he encountered danger, he was already here and there, so how could he give up?
This Castle is only five stories high; the top story is the end!
As long as I can get there!
"Squeak... Sizzle... Sizzle..."
Upon spotting Qiao Ran, Genesect flew rapidly towards his location, its enormous Compound Eyes flashing with an unknown light. Qiao Ran could only have his two Pokémon defend him while he himself sprinted upwards.
Mimikyu fired a Shadow Ball, while Vulpix unleashed Ice Beam at Genesect. However, their combined power was insufficient to inflict any fatal damage on Genesect; at most, they caused some obstruction.
It'll be here soon! It'll be here soon!
Qiao Ran could already see the wall of the next floor, however—
When he reached the top of the stairs, he found several Genesect already waiting for him there.
The insects flew low, making some unintelligible buzzing sounds.
"...!"
We're surrounded!
Qiao Ran's face darkened rapidly. There were numerous traces of Genesect both above and below him. No matter which way he went, it would be a dead end. Moreover, if he continued to delay, the situation would become increasingly unfavorable for him.
"Dianxi!!"
Qiao Ran opened the Poké Ball, breaking the long silence.
A pink diamond Pokémon appeared in front of Qiao Ran, and immediately, Qiao Ran's thoughts entered her mind.
A diamond Long Sword took shape in her hand, and with Long Sword sudden burst of power, it smashed a large hole in the wall beside her.
Since neither the front nor the back is an option, we'll have to go to the side!
"Vulpix, seal the hole!"
With a mighty leap, Qiao Ran and Dianxi jumped one after the other from the stairs into the room next to the stairs. The Vulpix on his shoulder also Spit Up Ice Beam in perfect unison, covering the entrance with a thick layer of solid ice.
Although there's no way to buy much more time, time is exactly what Qiao Ran needs right now.
"Dianxi, Mega Evolution!"
We must use all our strength to deal with this!!
Section 275, Chapter 271 [Encirclement]
This is the second time I've entered mega mode today.
Neither Qiao Ran nor Dianxi were as sharp as they were the first time. Moreover, Dianxi's attributes were also countered by Genesect. However, Qiao Ran had no other choice.
In cramped spaces like Castle rooms or hallways, he can only use a limited number of Pokémon.
At least Yveltal or Suicune are no longer an option; even if they were to come, they could completely block these areas.
Especially Yveltal, who probably couldn't even flap his wings.
On the contrary, Pokémon that are relatively small in size, such as Vulpix and Dianxi, can achieve the greatest effect here.
Passing through the hole in the wall, Qiao Ran surveyed the room. It was probably just an ordinary Bedroom with extremely simple decor. Based on its location next to the stairs, Qiao Ran deduced that it had previously been a servant's room.
Fortunately, there were no other Genesect in the room.
"Let's keep breaking through the wall!"
By communicating with Rotom, Qiao Ran drew Zacian Sacred Sword from the space and, together with Dianxi, began hacking at the wall.
Dianxi's diamond sword doesn't look very big, but its power is quite astonishing. This is probably related to Dianxi's own strength. She originally represents "Mineral", so it's understandable that she has Special Attack against walls.
"Sizzle... sizzle sizzle!"
While Qiao Ran and the others were struggling to break through the wall, the Genesect successfully blasted through the ice layer frozen by the Vulpix and squeezed into the room. Moreover, these Genesect were not foolishly Pursuit after Qiao Ran's escape route; these guys had a plan.
"Oops!"
Qiao Ran looked out the window and, sure enough, some insects had already circled around to his front!
Now that we know the route he will take, all we need to do is wait for him at the finish line!
"Because they are social Pokémon, their teamwork is also quite perfect...!"
Qiao Ran's complexion grew increasingly grim. There were bugs outside the window, bugs behind him, and he figured there would be plenty in the hallway too. If this continued, the rooms in front of him would be infested as well...
"Never mind, let's charge forward!"
Qiao Ran gritted his teeth; he had no other choice. As he moved forward, the strange substance in the air gradually turned from black to white, a bizarre sight that sent a jolt through Qiao Ran.
There must be something hidden here!
He broke through another wall, passed through the scattered rubble, Qiao Ran entered the next room. Although he wasn't sure if these walls were load-bearing or if breaking them would cause the Castle to collapse, he couldn't worry about that now.
"This room is..."
Qiao Ran squinted, observing his surroundings. However, just as he was looking around, a large number of insects had already spread out, appearing almost everywhere in the room and outside the window.
These things had been lying in wait here for a while, just waiting for Qiao Ran to appear!
"Tsk!"
Knowing that a battle was inevitable, Qiao Ran could only throw out the Poké Ball once more, releasing Suicune, Zacian, and Nihilego.
Although Zacian and the others' physiques were not suited for indoor combat, as they went deeper into the Castle, the rooms inside became larger and larger, and compared to places like the corridors, they still had some room to move around in the rooms.
As for Nihilego, it can be considered a trump card that Qiao Ran has kept to conserve his strength. However, Qiao Ran is not sure how much of a role she can play in this situation.
"Never mind the rest, let's attack in one direction!"
Qiao Ran is now surrounded by enemies on all sides. It's impossible for him to fight all of Genesect. He only has one best option now—to choose a direction to break through, and that's the direction he should be heading anyway.
"Aww--"
Two enormous wolf-shaped Pokémon charged ahead towards the wall, while Dianxi protected Qiao Ran and followed closely behind. After handing the Sacred Sword to Zacian, Qiao Ran lost his ability to protect himself. In the current situation, Mimikyu and Vulpix on his shoulder were clearly not enough.
"Attack with full force!"
Zacian's Sword and Suicune's water flow were unleashed simultaneously. They both understood the urgency of the situation. The Genesect on the opposite side also gathered a powerful Energy Beam. Their attacks were almost made by directly hitting the Energy Beam, trying to break through even at the cost of injury.
Qiao Ran was in the same boat; many Genesect coming from the side had already aimed their giant cannons at him, and he could even smell the scorching heat in the air.
"...!"
Countless Energy Beam shot towards his location—through the eyes of Dianxi, who shared his thoughts, Qiao Ran witnessed the entire scene.
However, there were simply too many of those Genesect.
Dianxi had already reacted, conjuring a huge diamond Barrier in front of her. However, under the bombardment of multiple Energy Beam, her body ultimately couldn't withstand it. Although the diamond didn't shatter, the enormous impact left her powerless to resist, and she fell towards Qiao Ran.
"Ti--!"
"Pfft... Ah!"
Qiao Ran felt a sudden Tackle to his waist. At this moment, Dianxi's hard body became a dangerous weapon. The intense pain made Qiao Ran dizzy, and his vision went black. He almost passed out.
And he himself was sent flying by the force of the impact.
At that very moment, his Synchronize with Dianxi was also broken, and Dianxi emitted a light, exiting her Mega Evolution state.
!: Welcome to "[, hope, er's" pictures and books
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The sudden turn of events caught all the Pokémon. Suicune and Zacian, who were still leading the way, couldn't care less about anything else and turned around to rush towards Qiao Ran's location.
The ribbon-like tentacles on Suicune's body twitched a few times and wrapped around Qiao Ran's body. At this moment, Qiao Ran was unable to move, and this was the only method she could think of.
"Boom!!!"
Several more Energy Beam shot towards them, but this time, it was Zacian, who was biting his sword, who blocked these attacks.
Her large, strong body was covered in wounds, but the fighting spirit in her eyes never faded.
"... Don't... linger, let's... go to the next room...!"
Despite the intense pain, Qiao Ran continued to fulfill his duties as the Pokémon Exchange Center. He knew that if things went wrong here, all the Pokémon would likely fall apart.
By then, they will truly have no more chances.
The white substance in the air accumulated more and more. Although Qiao Ran didn't understand what it was, he had a premonition in his heart.
This feeling is inexplicable and cannot be explained, but Qiao Ran has always believed in this feeling.
"We... we definitely won't... fall here!"
Section 276, Page 272 [The Lobby]
"Ah... ha... haha..."
Qiao Ran desperately inhaled the surrounding air, hoping his body would recover quickly. The current battle situation was extremely unfavorable for them, and they were almost at their wits' end.
Moreover, due to the system's previous announcement that this place was a "Singularity," Qiao Ran had lost the ability to open Portal to other areas. Besides, even if he could open Portal, he would still be surrounded when he returned.
Therefore, only battle remains.
Only by continuing to fight can one have a chance to survive.
"Tianxi... Dianxi!"
Bound Bind Suicune's back, Qiao Ran once again gripped the Key Stone to his chest. His body had suffered severe injuries, but his will had not yet dissipated.
In this desperate situation, Qiao Ran once again activated the power of the Key Stone, and light emanated from his body, seeping into Dianxi's body.
This is the third time today.
Along with the power of the Evolutionary Stone, Qiao Ran's Tokiwa Power was also activated. He was almost pushing his own body's potential to the limit to heal the Pokémon present.
If Pokémon were combatants, then they would be the buff machines on the battlefield. Combatants might malfunction, but they absolutely cannot be ineffective.
He even needs to work harder.
... We absolutely cannot lose this battle.
"Ti..."
Entering Mega mode once again, Dianxi's expression didn't show much joy; her heart was filled with worry for Qiao Ran's body. However, for the sake of the current battle, she suppressed her emotions so that she could better get into the zone with Qiao Ran.
Nihilego Levitate in the air, using his skills to block the damage from the Energy Beam.
"..."
Vulpix and Mimikyu remained clinging to Qiao Ran, neither of the Pokémon uttering a word. Although they had fulfilled their duty to protect Qiao Ran perfectly from beginning to end, they also deeply realized their own weakness.
I need to become stronger...
With Dianxi's next Mega Evolution as the dividing line, Qiao Ran's Pokémon regained their spirits, and the Tokiwa Power that Qiao Ran injected became the fuel that allowed them to unleash their power once again.
"Boom!!!"
Countless skills and Energy Beam Tackle, creating a violent explosion in the room. The entire room seemed to shake violently; not only did the walls begin to crack, but even the floor beneath our feet caved in.
This Castle, already weathered by time, was destined not to withstand such turmoil.
"Boom!!!"