Chapter 371

With a special bonus of up to 130, coupled with the boost from the Psychic Terrain, this is no joke. Moreover, even the physical attack is as high as 85, enough to kill a Beedrill.

In terms of Pokémon selection, only Poison, Ghost type, and Steel types can counter Tapu Lele.

Qiao Ran also has Pokémon of these three types, but each of them has its own problems. Nihilego, a Poison-type Pokémon, is countered by Tapu Lele, and Mimikyu, a Ghost-type Mimikyu, is just a short-legged creature that moves on the ground. It might perform better in the limited space of the Battlefield, but in this Torn World, it has no advantage whatsoever.

As for the remaining Steel-type Zacian, although she possesses the Steel-type, Qiao Ran wasn't sure if calling her out in this situation would bring the sword along. If there was no sword, Zacian would probably be completely dumbfounded along with him, unable to enter her strongest battle state— King of Sword —and even less likely to acquire the second attribute, "Steel."

"..."

After much thought, there was no suitable option left. In Qiao Ran's mind, there seemed to be only one choice.

--Excluding Rotom, who serves as a support staff member, and nominally his second Pokémon.

Qiao Ran mentally recalled the other Pokémon's appearance and name, then forcefully Fling the Poké Ball in his hand. In the light, a Pokémon with a diamond-like appearance, pink like the Tapu Lele on the other side, appeared on the Battle Court.

She raised her little head and looked at Tapu Lele opposite her, not backing down even when faced with eyes full of anger and negative emotions.

"Really..."

Qiao Ran took a deep breath. When he saw the pink Pokémon, his eyes widened, and the turbulent emotions in his heart gradually calmed down.

Thinking about what the other person looks like,

This... is indeed useful!

"... Is this the other world?"

Dianxi's voice echoed in Qiao Ran 'Qiao Ran mind, stirring a sense of "emotion" within him in this empty and despairing world.

"Right."

Qiao Ran had told her about these things before, so it didn't take Dianxi much time to adjust. She only needed to glance around to understand the situation.

The pink-looking Pokémon opposite her is probably her opponent this time.

Moreover, the state of the other party, shrouded in dark purple mist, was clearly not normal; it was probably due to some reason that it had become like this.

"Te..."

A strange sound came from Tapu Lele's mouth. Without any warning, a strong Psychic type energy burst forth from its waving hands. Moreover, under the effect of the Psychic Terrain, Tapu Lele's Psychic type even showed a peculiar pink color, and its power looked incredibly terrifying—like two Twister, directly crashing towards Dianxi and Qiao Ran.

"Dianxi! Diamond Storm!"

Faced with the opponent's attack, Qiao Ran could only command Dianxi to launch a counterattack while dodging. Compared with the previous Ninetales, Dianxi's combat power was obviously stronger, and she wouldn't be suppressed indefinitely even when facing Tapu Lele.

However, as Trainer was also "in the battle," Qiao Ran could only run frantically to dodge the powerful psychic Whirlwind. In the end, he had to leap out to completely avoid the opponent's attack.

"So strong...!"

Compared to Tapu Bulu, Tapu Lele excels in special attacks. Although both have a terrifying stat of 130, special attacks clearly have a wider coverage area. With just one move, it covered the range of Qiao Ran and Dianxi.

Qiao Ran is just an ordinary human. If he were to be involved in a Legendary Pokémon battle of this level, it would be something he absolutely could not handle.

"Ti!"

Dianxi also crossed her hands and used her most signature skill. Countless pink diamond fragments surrounded her like flower petals, blocking the opponent's attack. However, Qiao Ran's condition made her take a few more glances. Clearly, she was very worried about Qiao Ran.

However—as Pokémon who fights on the battlefield, she understands very well that if she were to approach Qiao Ran out of concern for him at this time, she would only bring danger to him instead.

What she should do now is Sheer Force shift the other person's attention to her.

"Ti!!"

With a slight exertion of her hands, the already considerable Diamond Storm rapidly doubled in size. As Tapu Lele's first Psyshock gradually dissipated, she raised her hand, sending the storm flying directly towards Tapu Lele's location.

"Good!"

This sneak attack was entirely Dianxi's own idea. Even without Qiao Ran's command, she was capable of seizing many opportunities in the battle. As Pokémon already possessed a certain level of strength, it wasn't difficult for her to do this. Even Qiao Ran couldn't help but cheer when he saw this.

However, as the storm gradually subsided, the pink Island deity appeared before Qiao Ran and Dianxi intact.

"Te..."

Her body was enveloped by a transparent wall that faintly glowed pink, which was even more clearly visible under the reflection of the aura on the ground.

The Diamond Storm didn't cause any significant damage to Tapu Lele in front of her. Moreover, judging from her appearance, it seemed that she had used the Reflect before the attack hit, which greatly reduced the effect of Diamond Storm.

In terms of attack power, Dianxi's attack is clearly not as high as Tapu Lele's. However, even without entering Mega Evolution, Dianxi's attack power should not be underestimated.

Only...

"... Without Mega Evolution, it's definitely going to be a bit difficult..."

Normally, if Dianxi were to Mega Evolution, she could quickly switch to "All-Out Attack" mode and use her 150 attack power, which is enough to put her at the top of all Pokémon, to quickly overwhelm her opponent. However, now, not only does Qiao Ran not have the Key Stone needed for Mega Evolution, but Dianxi also seems to be missing the Mega Stone needed for Mega Evolution. Without these two items, no matter how much they want to Mega Evolution, they cannot do so.

Unless they can conjure up a legendary "Bond Phenomenon" on the spot, which is obviously unlikely.

"..."

The sudden disappearance of familiar elements was a significant obstacle for Dianxi in battle. Having mastered entering Mega Mode, Dianxi rarely maintained her usual form during combat, instead throwing herself into battle in a far more powerful form. In other words, she had become accustomed to using overwhelming attacks.

Her fighting style, which had been suppressing her opponent, had suddenly reverted to its normal state of "stronger defense and weaker attack," making her feel somewhat constrained.

"Te..."

After blocking Dianxi's attack, Tapu Lele continued to chant incomprehensibly, her hands emerging from the cocoon-like container, gathering surging Psychic.

In Qiao Ran's memory, he had actually had quite a few opportunities to battle Psychic type Pokémon. Although he gained experience in this area many times from Sabrina was already a master of Psychic.

--And the current Tapu Lele exudes a level of intimidation and destructive power that far surpasses any of Sabrina's Pokémon. Even its casual Psyshock was enough to rival the full-force attack of Sabrina's ace Alakazam back then.

Island Guardian are a type of land deity. Judging from the information revealed by the previous Light Orb, Tapu's existence is actually very closely tied to Alola's. So... given Alola's current situation, Tapu might not have reached its peak yet.

"Whoosh!!"

Two more pink Psychic beams shot out from Tapu Lele's hands, the pink light almost filling the entire field of vision, illuminating an entire area in the dark purple space. Qiao Ran had no way of identifying what kind of skill this was; all he knew was that its power was obviously outrageous.

How could such a small body launch such an attack?

"Boom!!!"

Dianxi conjured Eternal Diamond around herself, blocking one of the opponent's attacks. The other attack, however, was slightly off-target, grazing Dianxi's body before striking the Floating Island.

The beam of light pierced directly through the ground of the Floating Island. But that wasn't all. Tapu Lele simply raised her hand slightly and shook it a little, and the Psychic beam of light, like a scalpel, sliced through the thick ground of the Floating Island, dividing it in two from the point of impact.

A rumbling sound kept coming from Qiao Ran's ears, and at the same time, the ground beneath his feet was shaking Earthquake. Based on his experience fighting Tapu Bulu last time, he understood what was going on.

The land, ravaged by these Island deity, is basically beyond repair.

Moreover, given the current situation...

"... It's going to collapse!"

Without hesitation, Qiao Ran decisively ran off in another direction without looking back. Meanwhile, Dianxi, who had blocked the attack and was about to continue fighting Tapu Lele, flew over to Qiao Ran's side in perfect unison.

Despite her petite stature, Dianxi couldn't carry Qiao Ran between floating Floating Island like Ninetales. However, she could use her Rock Type abilities or her diamond-making skills to help Qiao Ran build a temporary "bridge."

These temporarily created pink crystals, while lacking the hardness and longevity of Eternal Diamond, are still quite effective. At the very least, they are more than enough to help Qiao Ran find a way to other Floating Island.

--As for the rest, Dianxi's short legs couldn't help either, so Qiao Ran could only rely on his own body, squeezing out his stamina, and trying to find a way to increase his running speed.

However, Tapu Lele on the other side clearly wouldn't let them have their way.

Upon seeing what Dianxi and Qiao Ran seemed to be doing, she quickly moved over. She was much faster than Dianxi in her normal state, but because she was in a strange state, the thoughts of these Island deity seemed to be interfered with.

Just like Tapu Bulu before her, the reason she was defeated by Ninetales was precisely because of this.

If it were a head-on confrontation, Ninetales wouldn't have much room to maneuver and would be easily defeated.

"Ke..."

With Tapu Lele's voice, several more pink Psychic Light Orb flew towards Dianxi. This time, in order to cover Qiao Ran's journey to another Floating Island, Dianxi could only stand in front of Qiao Ran and the "Diamond Bridge," using her own attacks and body to block all the attacks.

If they were hit by an attack here, even Dianxi couldn't guarantee the bridge's integrity. And if Qiao Ran fell, it would be quite difficult for her short arms to pull Qiao Ran up.

"..."

Faced with this situation, Qiao Ran could only try to speed up so as not to hinder Dianxi's battle. As a Trainer, he knew his limits and when he should rely on his Pokémon.

At this moment, Dianxi's reason for fighting was no longer to bring victory to Qiao Ran in the Battlefield. All she wanted was to bring Qiao Ran back safely and protect everything she had now.

Every Trainer, or every Pokémon, has its own reason for participating in battles. Perhaps it's simply to become stronger, or perhaps it's simply to win honor. When Qiao Ran first embarked on his journey, he probably thought the same thing.

But now, those things have become an even less important "other side".

When Qiao Ran first met Dianxi, and when he first encountered those extraordinary Pokémon, he should have realized that one day they might not be ordinary beings, and that he himself might embark on an adventure that was not so ordinary.

"Qiao Ran, run!"

"Um!"

Seemingly noticing the other's predicament, Tapu Lele's offensive intensified. In desperation, Dianxi even called out Qiao Ran's name directly. Although they didn't care what they called each other in private, in public or in front of other Pokémon, she always called Qiao Ran "Master".

Several enormous Light Orb energy formed from the other end of the sky and struck the diamond Barrier created by Dianxi, causing it to tremble.

Dianxi's defense is among the best in the Pokémon World; she can withstand attacks from Legendary Pokémon like Yveltal or Reshiram. However, this doesn't mean she can maintain this level of defense indefinitely.

"Ha ha..."

Qiao Ran had accelerated to his limit. Finally, after taking his last step, his body crossed the long crystal bridge built by Dianxi and arrived on the nearest Floating Island.

He gasped for breath and looked back at his back. The original Floating Island had long since collapsed and sunk. As the island collapsed, the connecting crystal bridge also collapsed. These crystals, which were not Eternal Diamond, were clearly different from ordinary crystals. After they began to disintegrate, they turned into specks of light and dissipated into this lifeless space.

"..."

On the other side, Tapu Lele was still watching Qiao Ran and Dianxi intently, like a pink demon. With a wave of her hand, she unleashed a fierce storm of Psychic. Although she was merely the "Island deity" of the Alola Region, the Pressure she exuded surpassed that of many Pokémon Pokémon Qiao Ran had faced before.

No, perhaps this is the second time this is a truly legendary Pokémon?

The Hoopa and the Genesect from before were merely illusions, their true nature unknown. These Tapu, however, are the real Island deity, representing the will of Alola.

Upon arriving at the new Floating Island, Qiao Ran paused briefly to catch his breath before throwing himself back into command and combat.

"Dianxi, Trick Room!"

A large part of Dianxi's previous disadvantages stemmed from her slow speed. Before Mega Evolution, Dianxi's speed was among the lowest of all Pokémon, and that's when this move came in handy.

As one of the few Pokémon that can learn Trick Room through leveling up, Dianxi is clearly more proficient in this move than those Pokémon that learn it through TM, or rather—this move itself was designed for her slow speed.

Dianxi gently stretched out her hands, and a square area slowly took shape in her palms, like a small Rubik's Cube, shimmering with a strange light. However—as she stretched her body, the small Rubik's Cube gradually expanded, eventually covering an area around the Floating Island.

It enveloped Qiao Ran, Floating Island, Dianxi herself, and Tapu Lele on the opposite side.

Trick Room is a skill that completely alters the speed Rules of objects within a spatial area. In this area, slower Pokémon become faster, and faster Pokémon become slower. In other words, as long as it is within this area, Dianxi can actually gain the upper hand over a faster Tapu Lele!

"Dianxi! Diamond Storm!"

Taking advantage of the fact that Tapu Lele on the other side didn't seem to have time to react, Qiao Ran decisively ordered Dianxi to launch an attack. Although Tapu Lele was very powerful, like Tapu Bulu before, it would always falter at times, as if it couldn't quite process what it was thinking.

"Ti--!!"

It wasn't until Dianxi's Diamond Storm rapidly took shape that Tapu Lele realized what was happening. She quickly gathered the same amount of Psychic energy as before, attempting to counter the storm, but this time, she miscalculated.

The opponent's speed had completely surpassed hers. The attack from the Pokémon that she had previously been able to suppress was now upon her before she could even react.

"Whoosh!!!"

The pink Diamond Storm, like a pink wind dragon, spread from in front of Dianxi, engulfing Tapu Lele's body. Countless tiny diamond fragments, like blades, continuously caused damage.

From the outside, Diamond Storm is undoubtedly an extremely beautiful skill, but only the one who takes the damage can understand just how terrifying this skill is. The fine diamond fragments are like indestructible steel blades, and even Tapu Lele, the Island deity, cannot withstand the pain it brings to her body.

"... how's it going?

Dianxi watched her opponent with some tension. This Diamond Storm attack was indeed her all-out strike. She had even used the technique of mixing Eternal Diamond fragments into the Diamond Storm to increase its attack power. However, it was definitely impossible to Defeat her opponent so easily.

"...!"

The endless Diamond Storm gradually dissipated. Before Qiao Ran and Dianxi could witness Tapu Lele's descent into the sky, two Psychic Whirlwind attacked once more. Tapu Lele's eyes were Red, and her body was covered in wounds from previous attacks. However, these injuries did not bring her down; instead, they further fueled her ferocity.

"Dianxi, get out of the way!"

"Ti!!"

With the help of the Trick Room, Dianxi easily dodged the opponent's counterattack; however, the Floating Island beneath Qiao Ran's feet was clearly not so lucky.

Looking at the Floating Island teetering on the brink of collapse beneath his feet, Qiao Ran's face was filled with frustration.

Are you coming again???

Next time, could you please find a Sturdy spot to play?