So charming, you want me to raise Pokémon?

Chapter 342 The gem starfish lifted the squid king high, like a work of art.

The starfish aimed its fist at the squid king's head, clenched it, and slammed it down. With the support of extremely high synchronization, the powerful punch directly dented the squid king's head. Facing the squid king, which was no longer a threat, the starfish was relentless. It grabbed the squid king's limp tentacles and wrapped them around its arm.

Just as school was letting out, a light and melodious nursery rhyme came from the school's loudspeakers in the distance.

"Where is spring? Where is spring?"

Springtime is in the green mountains and forests.

"I see red flowers, I see green grass."

"And there's that singing little oriole~"

Accompanied by a song, the gem starfish stomped on the squid king's head, using the force to tear it off like dead skin peeling off a finger, and casually threw it into the city behind it. The tentacles smashed against the tall buildings, and blood flowed into the streets along the walls and glass.

The people in the command room stared wide-eyed at the horrifying and savage battle on the screen. Under the cover of the forest, the gem starfish lay on top of the incapacitated squid king, its belly bulging and then sinking, as if it had vomited something—the starfish's most primitive way of feeding.

Extremely weird.

Even without witnessing the entire process, just imagining it, a female operator would uncontrollably cover her mouth and begin to dry heave.

Meanwhile, Red Sun, in the best viewing position, took in everything. The 100% synchronization rate could bring great power to Mega Pokémon. In addition, the pain felt when injured was amplified to the maximum by Jupiter's senses, with the assistance of Squidward.

The body's sensitivity is set to the highest level.

The pain of her limbs being torn apart contorted her expression, yet in order to survive, the Squid King continued to stimulate Jupiter's senses, trying to squeeze out a piece of her emotional battery and force her to stay awake. Jupiter couldn't even utter a plea for mercy; she could only roar in pain, her voice hoarse.

"Oriole or ...

"And there's that little oriole that can sing~"

"Stop, Gem Star, stop!" Red Sun, hearing Jupiter's struggling voice in his ear, kept pounding on the cockpit screen and mechanisms, trying to forcibly stop Gem Star's attack.

Unfortunately, it was no use. The gem starfish's actions became increasingly violent. Sensing the sun's unwavering will, the gem starfish increased its power even further, tearing apart the squid king's body. The sun, like a helpless husband, could only watch as the squid king's body was ravaged and torn to pieces.

Under the crimson sunset, blood-red flowers splashed open.

Immediately afterward, Akari felt the Gem Starfish stop its movements. He looked up and a colorful, dazzling sphere appeared on the screen—the cockpit, encased in the Gem Starfish's stomach. The Gem Starfish knelt reverently on the ground, its body arching towards the sky, its roar sounding like a prayer. The ferocious beast was now enjoying the pleasure of the hunt's end, and before indulging in its feast, it had to thank a supreme deity.

"Jupiter!" Chi Ri leaped up and rushed to the screen, hysterically pounding it. She knew what was about to happen; tragedy was imminent, right before her eyes. She screamed, slamming her body against the hard screen, "Stop! Gem Star! Stop! Pluto! The battle is over! Shut down the puppet system! Stop! I told you to stop!!!"

""

Then the screen shattered inch by inch. It wasn't that the sun had smashed the gem starfish's body; the cockpit was too hard. Even though she was bleeding from the impact, it didn't leave a single mark. She could only pound on the glass, tears streaming down her face, and watch the tragedy unfold.

The cockpit began to shatter, and Jupiter lay inside. After losing connection with Squid King, she regained some mobility. She slightly raised her eyes and met Akagi's gaze. She saw a familiar face, saw hope and light, and her lips twitched slightly, a relieved smile on her face.

The girl whispered her name: "Red Sun—"

Chi Ri knelt in front of the screen, watching the cracks gradually fill his vision. A piercing scream completely shattered Chi Ri's reason. Accompanied by blood splattering, the blood-red color covered the entire screen, and Chi Ri's vision went completely black.

"And there's that singing little oriole—"

The distant nursery rhyme stopped at just the right moment; the oriole's throat had been broken, and it could no longer sing.

The gem starfish knelt with its head raised to the sky, above which was a rising silver moon. Blood gushed from the extinguished gem in the center of its swollen belly, flowing down its body and thighs and onto the ground, leaving a scene of utter devastation.

In the past, if Starmie had defeated a Mega Pokémon, the battle room would have been filled with cheers and jubilation. But not today. After witnessing the heart-wrenching tragedy, the audience fell into a suffocating silence.

Dr. Blatano sighed, and after a brief moment of thought, asked with concern, "Akasaka, are you alright?"

Akari felt her body grow cold, as if she had fallen into an ice cave. She felt like a dog whose spinal cord had been removed. She could pilot a Mega, she could be a hero and save countless people, but she couldn't even save a girl lying in the cockpit.

"Hahahaha, you killed Jupiter!"

A sharp, mocking voice reached Chi Ri's ears; it was the Squid King's dying gift.

"She has done so much for you. She has tempered her sharpness for you, learned to do laundry and cook for you. No matter how many people around her praise her, she is always watching your gaze. She hopes that you will look at her as if she were looking at Mars, and see the bandages on her hands because of you."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!!!!" Akari covered her ears, trying to block out the sounds, but it was no use. The Squid King's voice was like a vengeful spirit, echoing in her mind.

"But you didn't. Your gaze was only fixed on Mars, which is why she chose to become the pilot of the Squid King. You are the one who started all this tragedy, great hero."

"Red Sun, it was you who killed me."

It's like a girl dragging her broken body to the gates of hell, raising her exposed fingers to accuse.

"It was me who killed Jupiter—" Akari murmured helplessly, her whole body trembling. In terror and remorse, she raised her hand to cover her face, her fingers digging into her skin as if she wanted to tear her face off, and she sobbed.

Chi Ri heard a familiar voice coming through his earpiece: "Where are Jupiter's vital signs?"

Chi Ri's eyes suddenly lit up, and in a daze he saw a glimmer of hope. Yes, the spirits of Squid King and Jupiter were merged, and Squid King's voice was still there. What if Jupiter was still alive? But then the operator's voice came through the headset, shattering his last remaining hope and illusion.

"Jupiter's life signs have disappeared."

Chi Ri's eyes were vacant as he slumped in the cockpit, completely consumed by despair and regret at losing his companion. He even experienced auditory hallucinations.

"Burp~"

It's practically a mockery of tragedy, and what's even more ironic is that after this tragedy occurred, Pluto simply said coldly, "That's it then, operation over."

There was no sadness, no melancholy, not even the slightest hint of feigned emotion; it was as if they were casually tossing away a broken toy.

Chi Ri couldn't believe his ears: "Fine, you're saying fine?"

After personally extinguishing the possibility of saving Jupiter, witnessing the tragic sacrifice of his companions, and creating this tragedy with his own hands, this guy actually says it's over?

Thinking Jupiter was dead, without even a word of comfort or apology, Chi Ri's features crumpled, he shook his head helplessly, a half-smile playing on his lips. Did our sacrifices, our efforts, and we, the pilots, mean nothing to him but disposable expendables?

Jupiter is, he is, Mars is, all Mega Pilots are, then what about everything they have done so far, all their efforts, risking their lives, enduring fear and pain to fight against Mega Pokémon?

Chi Ri's expression froze instantly, a lock of reason that had been placed on his body after his emotions had reached their peak. His tone was cold: "Why didn't you let me go save Jupiter just now?"

"This is a necessary sacrifice," Pluto said coldly. "I cannot risk letting the disaster escalate again. I must be responsible for the city, and for the ideals of all of us."

"Then why the hell don't you sacrifice yourself?" Chi Ri raised his voice, tearing away the shackles of reason, morality, and conscience that bound him. Unable to contain his rage any longer, he roared like a wild beast, "You need to be responsible for the city, but don't you also need to be responsible for us?"

Sensing the will of the blazing sun, the gem in the starfish's abdomen once again emitted a dazzling light. Its massive body suddenly stood up, turned around, and the blinding light pierced through the city, aiming at the drone hovering in the city.

Everyone was stunned when they saw Chi Ri's expression on the screen. He stared at the screen with a terrifying expression and pale eyes, as if flames were burning inside. Driven by these flames, a monster was about to be unleashed and tear their throats apart.

In the sudden stillness, the blazing sun surged forward, abandoning pretense and illusion, driving the gem starfish to rampage through the city. The surrounding skyscrapers shattered like glass beneath the gem starfish's massive body, and in a cathartic outburst, it turned the deserted city into ruins in almost an instant.

Finally, it leaped high into the air, as if demonstrating its abilities, and landed steadily on the edge of the city's tallest building. It bent down and looked down at the ground, its resentful gaze piercing through the protective barriers and landing on the base hidden deep underground.

Everyone was stunned. Chi Ri's driving skills had reached such an excellent level?

The full moon, hanging high in the sky, cast its mercury-like light across the city ruins, illuminating the monstrous, gigantic body of Starmie. In the cockpit, Red Sun calmly questioned, "Pluto, the city is destroyed now, are you satisfied? What are you going to do next? Send another Mega Pokémon to deal with me, and then repeat the cycle until everyone's value is squeezed dry, then you sit alone in your high chair, expressionlessly enjoying the fruits of everyone's sacrifice and nurturing, because you never cared about anyone from the beginning? Does your ideal only include yourself?"

"Your ideals are nothing but bullshit!"

For some reason, when Chi Ri spoke, his heart ached slightly, as if he were questioning himself, and he began to feel restless and uneasy.

"What about the puppet system? Isn't it working?" Pluto asked.

"The puppet system is overloaded and cannot be used again for a while."

"Akahi, calm down. Do you know what you're doing? A mega pilot's responsibility is to protect—" another operator urged.

"Shut up!" Red Sun leaped into the air, raised his foot, and kicked the ground from the sky. The ground shook violently, and the underground base also felt the tremor. Red Sun shouted angrily, "Don't provoke me anymore. Starmie's ability is very strong, stronger than any Mega Pokémon. I don't have much piloting time left, but it's enough for me to destroy half of the underground base."

Pluto remained silent. The operator beside him spoke up, "Red Sun, listen to me. When Jupiter was piloting the Squid King's body, its spirit was already corrupted. Even if it's rescued, it won't be able to—"

"That has nothing to do with me," Chi Ri retorted.

"But that's the truth—"

"I already said I can't be bothered with all this!" Chi Ri's clenched fist trembled. If there weren't other people in the underground base, he would have rushed in and crushed Pluto's skull long ago.

"Pluto abandoned Jupiter, he killed Jupiter, and he fucking used my hand!" Akari cursed angrily. "What about trust? What about the bond? Since you chose to believe us, why did you install a puppet system in Mega Evolution? How are your actions any different from Squid King's?"

"Why, why, why," like a child venting his frustration, the gem starfish's feet stomped on the ground in the center of the city, making a powerful, resounding sound: "I actually chose to believe you, and you betrayed my trust. I'm such an idiot."

"So, I'll make you taste the pain of loss too." With that, Chi Ri finally made up his mind. He said nothing more, smashed through the barrier leading to the elevator in the underground base with his fist, roughly tore it open, and looked down into the dark passage at the bottom where the traitor was.

"Is that so? It seems we have nothing more to say to each other." In the operations room, Pluto spoke with a regretful expression, "Dr. Blatano, forcibly sever the connection between Red Sun and Gem Star."

Dr. Blatano turned to look at Pluto, and said in horror, "The synchronization rate between the Red Sun and the Gemstone Star is extremely high. Forcibly severing the connection will cause serious damage to his mental state. We have already lost Jupiter, we cannot—"

Pluto said expressionlessly, "That's why we need to minimize the damage. We don't have the energy or resources to play along with disobedient kids."

"So you really have another trick up your sleeve?" Chi Ri asked through gritted teeth, then felt a sharp pain in his head, as if a fishhook stuck in his brain had been forcibly pulled out.

"Damn it—damn it—damn it—you bastard," Akari muttered unwillingly, his vision dimmed, and his consciousness finally sank into endless darkness, losing connection with the pilot. The giant body of the gem star fell backward into the ruins of the city.

The familiar sunset, the familiar train, the familiar siren sound. Chi Ri looks at the recurring scenery before him, and the shadows of people reflected in the window.

Chi Ri laughed self-deprecatingly and helplessly: "What ideals, what responsibilities? It's all just to satisfy my own selfish desires."

.

The figure in the window spoke, indicating agreement: "The human heart is like this—ugly, filthy, and unbearable to look at. That's why I chose to close my heart and try to sever ties with this hateful world."

"To cut off all contact with the world?"

"That's right, all the tragedies in this world are caused by ugly hearts, which is why I long for a world without hearts. Without hearts, everything will return to perfect nothingness."

As if guided, Chi Ri repeated, "A world without a soul?"

He couldn't help but imagine what a world without souls would be like, and whether everyone would be happy.

"Yes, without bonds there is no hurt, without expectations there is no disappointment. So, do you want to abandon this world? Or, create a world of your dreams?" The figure in the window took a step forward, stepped into the train, stood in front of Akari, smiled, and reached out his hand to him.

"Who are you?" Chi Ri looked up at the figure whose back was to the setting sun.

"Me?" The figure's lips curled up slightly, a haughty smile on his face. A very familiar face appeared before Chi Ri and gradually became clear. Apart from gender and clothing, everything else was exactly the same as his. He slowly said, "Chi Ri, I am you. So, let's leave together, leave this hateful world, or destroy it completely."

"Destroy this world?" Chi Ri paused for a moment, as if he had remembered something. He opened his mouth, recalling his former ideals, his former goals, and his former self. His eyes widened, and a maniacal smile appeared on his face. "Yes, I should destroy this world. I should have done it all along. That was my original plan."

He was about to grasp his own hand when, as if by some strange twist of fate, he noticed a strange figure behind him, a creature like an elf, floating in the window.

Its golden body floated in the air, its head was fiery red, and a red gemstone was embedded in its forehead. Its hands were crossed in front of its chest, making a big X, and it shook its head at him.

The same fiery red reminded Chi Ri of someone with the same fiery red hair, someone who used to be always alone, but now always by his side, caring for him, helping him with various matters, and even trying to ease the tension between him and their teacher, though it was all in vain—

Recalling that figure, Chi Ri withdrew his hand and placed it on his heart, feeling a warm sensation rising in his heaving chest—a comfort he couldn't describe.

He looked at himself and then remembered someone else who seemed to have said to him, "Chi Ri, can't you make peace with yourself?"

In the end, Chi Ri did not hold his hand. The tram sped past the platform. Amidst the urgent alarm and the gradually brightening light, some memories came to mind. He remembered who he was and guessed why all this was happening around him. It all stemmed from someone who, in order to save his incorrigible personality, even went so far as to write this script for him.

Chi Ri opened his eyes to a familiar ceiling. He raised his hand to block out the light in the room, turned to the side, and whispered, "Wei Xin, can't you write a better script?"

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