Elf: Is the bear apprentice the weakest? I'll shatter the sky with my fists.

The mechanical core on its chest rotated slowly, its red light flashing rhythmically, revealing a bewildered frequency.

It looked down at its restored gilded patterns, then at the temple seals destroyed by the aftershocks of the battle, its mechanical eyes revealing a confusion that was almost human.

Li Chen took a few steps forward, his boots crushing the remaining ice crystals on the ground.

He held up a Poké Ball, flicked its surface with his finger, and produced a crisp, resonant sound. "Come with me. It's better than getting entangled with those filthy things again someday."

The residual energy fluctuations from the ice touch body emanated from afar, like some kind of malicious reminder.

Regigigas's mechanical joints clicked softly as it slowly extended its giant hand, its fingertips pausing for a moment just before touching the Poké Ball.

This simple action caused the entire temple floor to tremble slightly.

Finally, its core gleamed with approval, transforming into a stream of light that plunged into the sphere...

Regigigas has been successfully captured.

clap clap.

The crisp applause stood out starkly against the backdrop of ruins.

Li Chen turned around, his gaze passing over the drifting ice crystals and dust.

It wasn't the expected Age of Gods, but a tall figure standing against the light.

The hem of her black trench coat fluttered in the cold wind, and her long golden hair flowed over her shoulders like molten gold.

"A brilliant performance."

Zhu Lan approached slowly, a half-eaten chocolate bar still between her fingers, yet her authority remained undiminished. "However..."

Her gaze swept over the mess on the ground, finally settling on the heavy ball containing Regigigas in Li Chen's hand.

Then, he suddenly chuckled and said, "How do you plan to explain to the Sinnoh League that you kidnapped our 'Regiel'?"

Suddenly, a searchlight from a distant pyramid shone down, illuminating the snow between the two of them like a dazzling diamond.

Li Chen deliberately spun the Poké Ball between his fingers, the metal shell reflecting Cynthia's ambiguous smile: "How can you call that kidnapping?"

He patted the surface of the sphere, and a muffled resonance came from inside, "This is my good brother who volunteered to come with me to make his way in the world."

"Okay, I'm not teasing you anymore."

Zhu Lan waved her hand and chuckled awkwardly, then continued, "Li Chen, the Elite Four member from the mysterious East... oh no, he's now a Champion-level Trainer. And he's also somewhat... related to my best friend, Gadriya, right?"

Hearing this, Li Chen narrowed his eyes: "What? Did Jia Deliya tell you about us? Did she send you to force us into marriage?"

Suddenly, Zhu Lan pulled a new chocolate bar from her trench coat and slowly unwrapped it.

The sound of tin foil being torn was particularly jarring in the silent temple.

"Forced marriage?" Her eyes swept over Li Chen's left ring finger, where a distinct ring mark was visible. "I'm just curious..."

The chocolate bar was suddenly broken in two, the cut as clean as if it had been sliced ​​with a knife.

"What kind of man could make Cattleya so infatuated?"

"That's between me and Cattleya. Besides, Miss Zhulan is very busy, she shouldn't concern herself with other people's love affairs, right?"

Li Chen shrugged helplessly.

"Well, that's why I didn't come here to talk about Cattleya."

Zhu Lan nodded and said, "I'm very curious about the disaster in your hometown."

How did you know about this?

"Dan Di told me."

Li Chen's fingertips paused on the surface of the Poké Ball, the metal shell reflecting Cynthia's thoughtful expression.

He suddenly chuckled: "Since when did Sinnoh champions start inquiring about other people's hometowns?"

Zhu Lan pulled out a letter with a sealing wax stamp from the inside pocket of her trench coat; the seal clearly bore the champion's seal of Dan Di.

The letter, when unfolded, exuded the aroma of tea, and had a few red tea stains on it, as if it had been written in a hurry.

"The silly champion of Galar won't ask for help casually."

She lightly touched a passage of text in the letter that had been repeatedly crossed out: "An 'otherworldly disaster' that could make him leave the room midway through a match..."

The remaining icicles of the temple suddenly broke off all at once, shattering into crystal dust between the two.

Zhu Lan's trench coat hem moved without any wind, and a faint smile played on her lips.

"Why does Dan Di tell everyone everything?"

Li Chen rubbed his temples.

I just want to find some outside help.

Chapter 624 VS Bamboo Orchid

Li Chen's gaze fell on the Poké Ball at Cyndaquil's waist, his tone calm but unquestionable: "Excuse me for being blunt, but apart from Garchomp, your other main forces probably don't even qualify to participate in the battle."

A sharp glint flashed in Zhu Lan's eyes.

The Garchomp's Poké Ball was slightly warm in her palm, as if it sensed the trainer's emotional fluctuations.

I understand your concerns.

She suddenly tossed a data chip to Li Chen, saying, "But it's not too late to draw conclusions after you've seen this."

The chip traced an arc in the air, its surface reflecting the light of the remaining ice crystals inside the temple.

Li Chen did not reach out to catch it, letting it fall onto the snow between the two of them, splashing up tiny ice shards.

"It seems, Mr. Li Chen, that you don't trust me?"

Zhu Lan squinted her eyes.

"No, that's not true. It's just that I really don't want irrelevant people to get involved."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Lan swayed slightly in the cold wind, gazing into Li Chen's eyes: "So, in your eyes, I'm just an 'unrelated person'?"

Li Chen sighed, tapping the Poké Ball at his waist lightly with his fingertips: "It's not a matter of trust."

His gaze swept over the ruins of the temple, and he said calmly, "The price of this battle is not something everyone can bear."

Garchomp's Poké Ball suddenly vibrated in Cynthia's hand, as if protesting the assessment.

Zhu Lan suddenly stepped forward: "Your world's defenses must be severely lacking in champion-level combat power, right?"

Her voice was soft, yet it struck precisely at the heart of the matter.

Li Chen's fingertip paused slightly on the Poké Ball.

Cynthia is right; there are very few champion-level trainers in the original world.

If multiple disaster sites erupt simultaneously, there will be no time to provide support.

Garchomp's Poké Ball spun between Cynthia's fingers, making a crisp click.

This simple action seems to be reminding us of an undeniable fact.

Li Chen raised an eyebrow: "Oh? When did the Sinnoh champion switch to charity?"

Cynthia chuckled softly, flicking open Garchomp's Poké Ball with her fingertip: "Crisis management is also the Champion's responsibility. Of course... the post-war commercial development rights must be handled according to Sinnoh standards."

"So, how many do you Sinnoh want?"

Li Chen asked in a deep voice.

"Not many, just spread them out, one small commercial district in each city will suffice."

Li Chen's gaze suddenly sharpened, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the surface of the Poké Ball: "Give me specific numbers."

Zhu Lan held up three fingers: "3% of the commercial land in each affected city. Of course... the post-disaster reconstruction portion is separate."

The remaining icicles of the temple suddenly broke, shattering into crystalline fragments between the two.

Li Chen's fingertips hovered in mid-air, the surface of the metallic Poké Ball reflecting his slightly furrowed brows.

3%.

This number was quickly broken down into specific values ​​in my mind:

The annual tax revenue from the core business district of each megacity is enough to support the annual expenses of three dojos.

If all the affected cities are added together...

He suddenly chuckled, the sphere gleaming coldly in his palm: "Miss Zhulan's price is much more ruthless than Cattleya's."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Lan's tone became serious.

"Then, I swear in the name of the champion."

Her voice, unusually devoid of its usual sarcasm, was clear as icicles falling from a temple: "Except for commercial land specified in the contract, the Sinnoh League will never interfere with any autonomy."

Garchomp's Poké Ball suddenly opened automatically, and the ace Pokémon materialized in the snowstorm.

Its forearm fins are crossed in front of its chest, making the most solemn guarantee gesture among trainers.

After a moment's thought, Li Chen suddenly tossed the Poké Ball high into the air, the ball tracing a chilling arc in the air: "How about... we settle this with a battle?"

His boots crushed the snow on the ground, leaving clear battle marks: "If I win, 3% becomes 2%; if you win, 3% rises to 4%."

Cynthia's champion cape fluttered without wind, and Garchomp's fin blades were already glowing with the blue light of Dragon-type energy.

A dangerous smile played on her lips: "Interesting... Then I'll show you why the Sinnoh champion has been able to hold the title for eight years."

Pokémon: Garchomp

[Attribute: Dragon, Ground]

[Level: 89 (Champion-level Peak)]

【Characteristics: For rough skin】

[Skills: Omitted]

Cynthia's Garchomp crossed its fins, and the overwhelming pressure of a Champion-level power shattered all the remaining ice crystals in the temple.

At this moment, Li Chen's Poké Ball cracked open and emitted a unique light.

Dragonite!

With that low shout, the orange dragon shadow soared into the sky.

When its feet shattered the ground, all the snow in the entire Snow Peak Temple floated up. This was not a skill effect, but a pure energy overflow that formed a domain!

Dragonite's innocent eyes narrowed slightly, and a sense of oppression suddenly emanated from its body, causing Cynthia's pupils to shrink.

The floating snowflakes formed a spiral force field around it, and the edges of each snowflake shimmered with the unique energy rainbow light of a master.

Garchomp instinctively took a half step back, a reaction it had never shown before when facing the Time-Space Twin Dragons.

Cynthia gripped the Poké Ball tightly in her fingertips.

"A master-level... Dragonite?"

Her voice showed a rare slight fluctuation.

Garchomp's fin blades carved deep furrows into the ground.

Dragonite simply patted its belly in a憨厚 manner, but the suspended snowstorm suddenly turned into a tornado.

Under this oppressive force, the remaining pillars of the temple shed ice shards, each crystal reflecting Zhu Lan's constricted pupils.

She suddenly chuckled and tucked a stray blonde hair behind her ear: "It seems that Dan Di was right, you've been hiding your true colors."

The words were spoken.

The Garchomp's fins suddenly bulged with a three-meter-long blue light, and its claws cleanly sliced ​​through the ice pillars along its path.

It exerted force with its feet, and the temple floor exploded with spiderweb-like cracks from the recoil; its figure moved so fast that it left afterimages.

Dragonite simply raised its right claw, which was covered in blue light.

"boom!"

The shockwave from the clash of the two dragons exploded in a ring, instantly vaporizing the snow within a radius of 100 meters.

Garchomp's fin blades sparked with dazzling sparks upon impact, while Dragonite's claws remained completely still.

The energy swirling around its claws was no longer ordinary dragon energy, but a nearly tangible deep blue force field.