Pokémon: Did you play Pokémon today?

Chapter 364 At a time like this, the handsome researcher will definitely show up, right...?

Xiaoqian looked at the four people in front of her and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

She rushed into the dilapidated apartment building, carrying a large milk can.

Finally, in front of that broken window, they found that small figure.

The little girl was huddled in the corner of the windowsill, her face streaked with tears, and instinctively tried to hide when she saw someone coming.

"Don't cry, don't cry, it's okay. How about I take you to find your mom?"

Xiaoxi knelt down and spoke in the gentlest voice.

The little girl stared blankly at her, then looked at the big pink milk can next to her, and finally burst into tears, throwing herself into Xiaoxi's arms.

Xiaoqian gently patted her back and carried her downstairs step by step.

When she handed the little girl to her mother who had rushed over after hearing the news, the mother cried even harder than the child and almost knelt down before Xiaoqian.

Xiaoqian simply waved her hand, a slightly embarrassed smile on her face.

"It's good that you're alright. Quickly take the child to the shelter; it's not safe here yet."

She turned to look at the battlefield.

The four Crimson had already split up and were heading towards the remaining four Devouring Kings.

With them around, the situation should be able to stabilize—right?

However, just as the thought crossed her mind...

The largest and most powerful dimensional hole in the sky above the city center square suddenly twisted and expanded violently!

A figure dressed in a dark gray fitted suit slowly emerged from the invisible staircase.

Red sun.

The leader of the Galaxy team.

No, it used to be.

His appearance brought no pressure and released no energy fluctuations.

He simply stood there quietly, his hands hanging casually at his sides.

His gaze swept indifferently across the city below, which had become a battlefield, and over the figures who were fighting desperately.

Yet, it was precisely this tranquility.

The moment this happened, everyone with keen senses and Pokémon below felt a sudden chill run down their spines!

He waved his hand gently.

boom!!!

The pitch-black storm was suddenly torn apart!

An endless storm of inky blackness surged wildly from that enormous, ultimate void, rapidly expanding and spreading until it enveloped the entire city in the blink of an eye!

The sunlight was completely blocked.

Between heaven and earth, only that suffocating darkness remained.

The wind is blowing.

That wasn't ordinary wind.

Every wisp of air that swept by carried a bone-chilling cold that seeped into the marrow.

A colossal shadow, so immense it blotted out the sky, tore through space and proudly appeared!

Dark Lugia!

The true authority of the gods descends here!

It hovered quietly in mid-air, its wings slightly outstretched, its scarlet eyes looking down at the city.

There was no action taken.

It merely exists; the air is wailing.

An invisible shockwave spread outwards from it with a roar!

A fierce wind swept through the entire Wind City!

Debris from the street was swept into the sky, and windows of buildings shattered simultaneously, with countless fragments pouring down like a torrential rain!

Those still fighting were blown about by the sudden storm!

Everyone's heart tightened at the same moment.

Its massive, sky-covering form evokes an overwhelming sense of awe.

That is definitely not something that can be fought against by human power!

Ordinary Pokémon are truly like ants in the literal sense compared to it.

The spark of hope was extinguished in an instant, leaving no trace.

"W-What's that?! Is it a Pokémon too?!"

"Lugia—it's Lugia! I've seen its image before! It's the god of the sea! The guardian deity of Wind City!"

"But—but why—why does it look like this—"

Windrise is a city blessed by Lugia in legend.

Almost every household here has a statue of Lucia.

Every child here grew up listening to the bedtime story of Lugia saving Wind City.

They knew Lugia, they trusted Lugia, they loved Lugia deeply.

But now, the giant bird hovering above them, the one that should have been their guardian, felt utterly unfamiliar to them.

In the city center square stands a statue of Lugia, its silvery-white wings gleaming in the sunlight.

But at this moment.

The statue was completely enveloped by the shadow cast by the giant black shadow in the sky.

"This—this isn't Lugia—"

An old man spoke in a trembling voice, then knelt down on the ground, tears streaming down his face.

"This isn't our Lugia! This isn't it!"

When he was young, he was in danger at sea and was rescued by a giant silver-white bird.

He swore he must have encountered the legendary Lugia.

He believed and worshipped his whole life.

But now.

The thing in the sky was completely different from the guardian deity in his memory.

Faith collapsed at that moment.

"Monster—the real monster has arrived—"

"Even Lugia—where can we run to? Where can we run to?!"

"It's over, it's all over—"

Among the crowd, some people collapsed to the ground, some buried their heads in their hands and wept, and some just stared blankly at the sky.

The hope that had just been rekindled by the appearance of Crimson and the others was crushed to pieces at this moment.

Because this time, standing opposite them was a true god.

at the same time.

The four boys, who were struggling against the Gluttonous King, raised their heads almost simultaneously.

Crimson stared silently at the giant shadow in the sky.

His body was trembling slightly.

It wasn't fear, it was anger.

It's that feeling of anger at one's own powerlessness when faced with an overwhelming force.

But his eyes showed no sign of retreat or fear, only an even more intense fighting spirit.

"Tsk."

Qinglu spat, clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

His mind raced, rapidly simulating all possible battle scenarios, but—

All of them are dead ends.

That huge gap cannot be bridged by tactics and teamwork.

That's a difference between dimensions.

"asshole----"

For once, Ah Jin put away all his playful smiles, his brows furrowing deeply.

"How could Lugia be this big—it was clearly before—"

Xiao Yin remained silent, but he leaned forward slightly, blocking a little girl behind him who had fallen and hadn't had time to get up.

The little girl looked at the figure in front of her, and for some reason, her fear seemed to lessen a little.

Gods.

These two words were deeply etched in their minds.

It's not a term as approachable as "Legendary Pokémon"; it refers to beings that truly transcend comprehension, deities that cannot be resisted by human power.

That hundred-meter-tall body alone is enough to crush any will to resist!

A deep sense of powerlessness welled up inside me.

The Gluttonous King, whom they could easily contend with, was nothing more than an ant that could be crushed at will in front of this figure.

The Ultra Beasts that were just rampaging seemed to have received some kind of command and all stopped moving.

The blazing sun hung in the sky, its gaze sweeping indifferently over everything.

His gaze passed over the ruins, over the crowd, and over the tense young men destined for destiny.

Ultimately, it all came down to one direction.

He spoke slowly.

The voice was calm, yet it clearly penetrated the distance and noise, reaching everyone's ears.

"Bai Zhou."

"How about we make a deal?"

"How about handing over the stone tablet in exchange for this group of insignificant people?"

"It's a great deal, isn't it?"

The crowd suddenly erupted into chaos.

"Hakushuu!? Is that Professor Hakushuu!? The Professor Hakushuu who researches legendary Pokémon!?"

"Trade our lives for stone slabs? There's a limit to jokes! What are these people trying to do?!"

"What is the stone slab? Is this what he came for? Can't we hand it over?"

"Are you crazy?! Do you think they'll really let us go if we hand them over?!"

"But—but that's Lugia! How could we possibly defeat her—"

"Shut up! Don't say such discouraging things! The Alliance will definitely send someone!"

"The alliance? Look around! Communication has been cut off long ago! Who's coming to our rescue?!"

'

Amidst the clamor of discussion, fear and the will to survive intertwined.

Some hesitated, some were angry, and some searched for the owner of that name in the crowd.

Chi Ri frowned slightly.

It seems they found the sounds too noisy.

He raised his hand slightly.

Dark Lugia raised its head and let out a piercing scream that tore through the sky!

"唳"

In that instant, heaven and earth fell silent.

All other sounds were completely swallowed up by that shrill scream!

A fierce wind is blowing!

The rain poured down!

A dark storm erupted from the center of Dark Lugia, sweeping across the entire plaza!

The entire square, thousands of people, were swept away by this terrifying storm at the same moment!

"Hand over the stone tablet in exchange for these insignificant people."

Chi Ri repeated himself, looking down at everything, a faint smile curving his lips.

He seemed to enjoy the attention.

At this moment, Fenglai City was plunged into an eternal twilight.

A corner of the crowd.

Huoxing and Suixing stared intently at the blazing sun in mid-air, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Others might not recognize him, but as core members of the Galactic Archaeological Team, they knew exactly who he was.

"Commander of the Crimson Sun—how could that kind of guy be Commander of the Crimson Sun! I don't believe it!"

Huo Xing's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the figure, his voice trembling.

"Impossible! How could Commander Akari be that kind of person! He clearly—he clearly did it to create a new world—how could he—"

In contrast, Jupiter is much calmer.

Although I was also deeply shaken, with my heart almost leaping out of my chest, I was still able to barely maintain my composure.

She bit her lip hard and tasted the blood.

"Commander of the Crimson Sun Regiment—"

She was internally denying it, but reality told her that this was the Crimson Sun.

The same appearance, the same voice, the same aura—and the same indifference.

The only difference is that the current blazing sun is more absolute, more extreme, and more unscrupulous.

That was not the blazing sun they followed.

Despair welled up in their hearts, and it was precisely because of their understanding of the scorching sun that they knew what this meant.

Please—

Huo Xing's voice was low, almost a murmur, with a sob in it.

"Whoever you are—please—please save this city—"

If they are so desperate, the situation of other ordinary residents must be even more dire.

A young trainer clenched his fists, only to find that he couldn't even stand up.

Is this the power of legendary Pokémon?

Is this the power of God?

A sense of despair was spreading.

This is exactly what Chi Ri wants to see: despair means no resistance, and no resistance—

They can only be slaughtered at will.

"Nothing is invincible!"

Xiao Zhi, who had just arrived at the square, shouted loudly in an attempt to rouse the crowd's fighting spirit.

"Don't give up, everyone! Cheer up! We will definitely win!"

The boy's voice was loud and clear, resounding with conviction.

But the effect was minimal.

Even though Crimson and Green had successfully arrived at the square, it was all in vain.

Their personal aura was indeed useful, but it only slowed the spread of despair.

until.

A sigh was heard softly.

"well----"

The sound was very soft, as soft as a whisper in the wind.

Strangely, it pierced through the raging wind and reached everyone's ears clearly.

Like the first light to illuminate the darkness.

The downpour stopped instantly, leaving only rolling dark clouds.

People looked up blankly.

Chi Ri's smile faltered slightly.

Center of the square.

Space blurred and distorted, creating ripples.

A figure slowly emerged from it.

Everyone's attention was involuntarily drawn to him.

He was a young man wearing a simple researcher's lab coat.

He had a handsome face and gentle eyes, but his hair was a little messy, and he exuded a lazy and casual temperament.

He looked like an ordinary researcher who had just come out of the research institute to bask in the sun.

But this very person evoked a strange sense of familiarity in countless people present.

I feel like I've seen this somewhere before.

"Dr. Shirafusa? Something feels off—"

"No, he—he's a handsome researcher!"

"A handsome researcher? That handsome researcher from the Pokémon games?"

"Yes, yes, that's him! Look at his face! Look at his demeanor! They're exactly the same!"

"At a time like this! You're obsessed with video games! Do you really think the handsome researcher is omnipotent? He's just a fictional character!"

"Ah—right, the handsome researcher is just a fictional character—"

silence.

"But—but—"

A slightly childish voice suddenly rang out; it belonged to a little boy who was rubbing his teary eyes but trying hard not to cry.

"At times like this, the handsome researcher will definitely show up, right? —"

"He appears during every crisis in the game—"

"He will definitely come—"

More and more people began to murmur, vaguely anticipating something.

Bai Zhou.

Or rather, Shirazuki, dressed as a handsome researcher.

He listened to the whispers and rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Heaven knows how long it would take for the psychic-type stone tablet to materialize.

But at least we made it in time.

The worst-case scenario did not occur.

It was simply the appearance of Dark Lugia that shattered the faith and hope of the people here.

It's okay, just give them hope.

He looked down at his somewhat worn researcher's lab coat and a helpless smile appeared on his lips.

It's also thanks to the influence of Pokémon.

Unexpectedly, the alias "handsome researcher" actually proved useful in this situation.

What I never expected was that this long gown, which should have been thrown away long ago, would actually be worn again one day.

He slowly raised his head and looked at the crimson sun standing in mid-air.

"trade?"

His tone carried an inexplicable disdain.

"You've caused all this trouble just to try and make a deal with me?"

The scorching sun squinted slightly.

He didn't answer, he just looked at the white boat.

Looking at this man who even seemed somewhat nonchalant in front of Dark Lugia.

He didn't understand what gave this person such confidence.

Rayquaza? Or Zygarde?

However, according to information provided by Giovanni, these two legendary Pokémon from elsewhere do not hold any power over this world.

Even if it's incredibly powerful, it's still just a slightly stronger ordinary Pokémon.

What makes him think he can fight against Dark Lugia?

The abuse of global authority will inevitably disrupt global rules and lead to a series of serious consequences, such as the temporary collapse of global rules.

Even the Pokémon with divine authority would never use its power unless absolutely necessary.

But----

What does the fate of the old world have to do with the new world he's pursuing?