Pokémon, Inkaros, my starter Pokémon

These experiences further solidified his determination to establish a Pokémon League full of Alola characteristics in his hometown.

Facing Tokito from Kanto, he unconsciously recounted this past event.

"That expert wearing a cloak and using Dragon-type Pokémon must be Lance," Tokito said with certainty.

Dr. Kukui was somewhat surprised, then smiled and nodded: "That's right, it's him. Lance's powerful Dragonite left a deep impression on me."

“He is also my target,” Shi Dou said casually.

"Good, that's ambitious." Dr. Kukui showed an appreciative look, then changed the subject and continued, "Speaking of which, I heard that in two weeks you'll be having a formal Champion Challenge match with Kanto's Fighting King, Shiba?"

Tokito was somewhat surprised and said, "Doctor, you're very well-informed."

Dr. Kukui chuckled, took out his phone, skillfully opened a news app, and said, "This is no secret anymore; it was a major news story that trended in various regions this morning."

Dr. Kukui showed the screen to Tokito and Mei.

The eye-catching headline read: [A Clash of the Titans! Tokito, the strongest Gym Leader in Kanto, will challenge Fighting Champion Shiba after the Indigo League to claim the title of 'Strongest Fighting Master'!!]

"Look, this is the number one trending topic." Dr. Kukui scrolled through the screen, where there were detailed reports and analyses below.

"The title of 'Strongest Fighting Master' is too attractive. You know, there are many well-known fighting experts around the world. Ah Si from Johto's Azure City, Fujiki from Hoenn's Dew Town, and Ah Li from Sinnoh's Veiled City are all excellent Fighting Gym Leaders."

"Among those who have reached the Elite Four level of power are Elite Four member Lianwu from the Unova region, the genius girl Bea from the town of Sorrento in the Galar region, and Elite Four member Shiba from Kanto. Among them, Elite Four member Shiba is generally recognized as the strongest. Now, you, the newly crowned 'strongest Gym Leader in Kanto,' are going to challenge him and decide the pinnacle of the Fighting-type in the new era. This news will naturally spread quickly throughout the world and attract huge attention."

Shi Tou looked at the news and nodded. He had been busy fighting Gladio in the morning and shopping with Mei in the afternoon, so he hadn't paid attention to the news.

"You're certainly getting a lot of attention. Judging from your expression, you seem quite confident you can win this over?" Dr. Kukui put away his phone and looked at Tokito.

"Of course," Shi Tou replied without the slightest hesitation.

Dr. Kukui stroked his chin and asked curiously, "There are only two weeks left until the competition. Instead of staying in Kanto for special training, you've come to the Alola region for a vacation? This doesn't seem like last-minute cramming."

Tokito smiled and explained, "For me, coming to the Alola region is itself a way to become stronger. For example... I'm very interested in the Z-Moves that are unique to you here."

Chapter 151 The Cricket's Native Thunder King Dares to Challenge the Electric-Type Elf King? (3/3)

"Z-Move? So that's what you came for." A hint of surprise flashed in Dr. Kukui's eyes, followed by understanding.

Mei, also curious, asked, "Professor Kukui, how can I gain the power to use Z-Moves?"

Dr. Kukui explained earnestly, “In the Alola region, there is a traditional ritual. Children here, once they turn 11, embark on a journey of growth called the ‘Island Pilgrimage.’ They need to travel to the four main islands of the Alola region—Melemele, Akala, Ula Ula, and Poni—and overcome the unique challenges set by the island queen and guardian spirits on each island.”

"These trials are not simply battles, but comprehensive tests that integrate local culture, natural environment, and Pokémon ecology. Only by successfully passing the trials of an island can one obtain the island's Z Crystal and gain the initial approval of the island's guardian deity. When a pilgrim collects a certain number of Z Crystals and finally defeats the island's king or queen in the grand trial, they are qualified to obtain the Z-Ring, symbolizing perfection, and officially gain the right to use Z-Power."

"This is a journey to seek a deeper bond with Pokémon and to understand the power of nature in Alola."

Dr. Kukui concluded that his eyes were filled with reverence for this traditional ceremony.

"Can we, as trainers from outside the region, also participate in this island pilgrimage?" Mei asked with concern.

“Of course!” Dr. Kukui replied confidently. “As long as they can gain the approval of the island king or queen, trainers from other places are also qualified to embark on the pilgrimage.”

"Then... what if they don't approve of us?" Ya Yi was still a little worried.

Professor Kukui laughed heartily and said, "Don't worry, especially Hala, the island king of Melemele Island, is a very kind and generous man. As long as you are sincere and show respect for Pokémon and Alola culture, he will definitely not make things difficult for you."

Indeed, most of the island leaders in Alola are very reliable, except for Merdan from Ula Ula Island, who sometimes likes to slack off; the others are all very serious and responsible.

"Alright, I'll take you to Mr. Hala now..."

"Chirp—!"

Dr. Kukui was interrupted by a clear and penetrating cry before he could finish speaking.

Everyone looked up and saw an orange streak of lightning rip through the night sky. Tapu Koko had returned, hovering lightly in mid-air in front of them, its battle-ready gaze still firmly fixed on Tokito.

"Is that Tapu Koko? Why is it suddenly here?" Dr. Kukui recognized the newcomer and looked surprised.

Mei laughed and said, "See? Tokito was right after all, Tapu Koko really is back!"

"You've seen it before?" Dr. Kukui was even more surprised.

Yai nodded and explained, "Yes, it appeared once this morning after we fought a boy who spoke a bit strangely. It looked at us for a while and then flew away."

Dr. Kukui looked completely bewildered, not yet fully understanding what was going on.

At this moment, Tapu Koko slowly landed in front of Tokito. Instead of attacking, it tilted its head and carefully examined Tokito, letting out a few unintelligible cries.

With a thought, Shi Dou activated the real-time translation function of Super NONO.

NONO received Tapu Koko's mental fluctuations and translated their meaning:

"Powerful lightning... an ever-present spirit... a thirst for battle!"

Immediately afterward, to the astonishment of Dr. Kukui and Mei, Tapu Koko extended its palm, on which a black Basic Z-Bracelet had appeared at some point, with a golden Electric Z-Crystal already embedded in its groove.

Tapu Koko directly handed the token symbolizing the Z power to Tokito!

"Huh?????" Professor Kukui's eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth agape, as he exclaimed, "This, this... Tapu Koko actually gave away the Z-Ring and Z-Crystal?! This is unprecedented!"

Looking at the Z-Ring emitting a faint electric glow, and then at Tapu Koko burning with fighting spirit, Tokito smiled knowingly and said to Professor Kukui, "It's probably eager to have an all-out battle with my Electric-type Pokémon."

Without hesitation, Shi Dou reached out and took the Z-Bracelet from Tapu Koko, solemnly putting it on his left wrist. The Z-Crystal flashed slightly the moment it touched his wrist, as if some kind of authentication had been completed.

Tokito raised his wrist, sensing the peculiar power contained within, then looked sharply at the eager guardian spirit before him and declared loudly:

"I accept this challenge. Tapu Koko, let's have a... clash of lightning!"

Dr. Kukui stared in disbelief at the brand-new Z-Ring on Tokito's wrist, but he quickly smiled and exclaimed, "No wonder you're such a sensational trainer; even the Guardian Spirit made an exception for you. So, what kind of powerful Electric-type Pokémon did you capture that made Tapu Koko so interested, even offering up a battle ticket?"

"He is the future Electric-type Spirit King."

Tokito smiled slightly and then tossed out the golden spirit capsule.

A flash of light appeared, and Ray appeared, his golden figure hovering in mid-air, with lively arcs of electricity naturally leaping around him, and a pure aura of lightning spreading out.

"This is...?" Kukuibo's eyes widened as he scrutinized Ray, the Pokédex in his hand remaining unresponsive. "An unprecedented Pokémon!!! Could it be... from another region? No, this feeling..."

His intuition as a Pokémon professor told him that the Pokémon before him was probably no ordinary creature.

Upon seeing Ray's appearance, Tapu Koko seemed to be injected with adrenaline, letting out a high-pitched cry. Its body crackled with electricity, and without pausing, it transformed into a streak of lightning, instantly flying to a more open beach not far away. Turning back towards Tokito and Ray, it let out a cry full of provocation and anticipation, indicating that the battle would begin there.

Shi Dou understood and strode forward with Lei Yi.

Ray hovered beside Toki, his golden eyes calmly watching Tapu Koko opposite him. Although he was much smaller than his opponent, his pride and power, which came from the source of lightning, were in no way inferior.

Two Pokémon representing different worlds of lightning power faced each other across a distance under the Alola night sky, with invisible sparks seemingly colliding fiercely in the air!

Dr. Kukui watched this scene, rubbing his hands excitedly, and said, "This is possible?! The Guardian Spirit is taking the initiative to challenge an Electric-type Pokémon from an unknown region... This battle between lightning is so interesting!"

Dr. Kukui and Mei quickly followed, finding a safe distance to watch this destined-to-be extraordinary battle.

No referee is needed; the battle begins the instant their momentum reaches its peak.

Tapu Koko was the first to demonstrate its power as a guardian deity, and in an instant, an invisible domain force suddenly spread out from it.

[Electrical Manufacturer] Characteristics: Start-up.

In an instant, the entire beach area centered on Tapu Koko and Ray began to shimmer with visible golden electrical energy, as if a shimmering electric blanket had been laid out, making it exceptionally eye-catching.

The electrical particles throughout the space became unusually active and concentrated.

"It's an Electric Terrain!" Professor Kukui immediately explained to Mei, "On this terrain, the power of all Electric-type moves on the ground will be increased, and Pokémon on the terrain will not fall asleep. More importantly, some specific Electric-type moves will have a more powerful effect!"

Mei nodded and said, "In other words, on this field, both Pokémon can unleash the full power of lightning!"

“That’s right. Tapu Koko can manipulate lightning and even store it within its body. It has a fickle personality and a strong curiosity. It will attack anything that annoys it and is also keen on dueling with strong opponents. Right now, it has clearly met an opponent that it finds extremely interesting. It’s something to look forward to.”

Dr. Kukui nodded excitedly, his eyes fixed on the arena.

Tapu Koko took the initiative, spreading his arms wide, and countless violent golden electric snakes burst out indiscriminately in all directions from him, a ranged attack of electric discharge.

Suddenly, a dazzling flash of lightning illuminated the night sky, threatening to engulf Ray completely.

"Ray, respond to it with our lightning! Use Thunderclap!" Tokito shouted the order.

Ray hovered in the air, drawing upon the natural energy of lightning. Several thick golden bolts of lightning erupted from his body, like roaring thunder dragons, precisely meeting the oncoming surge of electrical discharge.

"Boom! Sizzle—!"

Two powerful bolts of lightning collided violently in mid-air, producing a deafening explosion. Golden sparks flew in all directions like fireworks, illuminating the electrical field as if it were daytime.

This first round of pure lightning clash turned out to be evenly matched!

Tapu Koko's eyes flashed with satisfaction. He hadn't misjudged this opponent after all. He then quickly changed tactics, throwing out an electric net woven from electricity and enveloping Ray in an attempt to restrict his movements.

"Splitter it, use the White Light Blade." Shi Dou reacted extremely quickly and gave the order.

Ray instantly transformed the power of lightning into pure light energy, and a dazzling giant blade of light energy instantly took shape, slashing forward swiftly.

With a "sizzle," the seemingly robust electric grid was cleanly and neatly split in two and vanished without a trace.

When its first attack failed, Tapu Koko moved swiftly, transforming into a moving bolt of lightning, instantly closing the distance with Rayquaza. Then, it closed its shells, emitting strange, distorted, and unsettling electrical waves, the invisible fluctuations rippling around Rayquaza.

"It's a strange electromagnetic wave. This move can greatly reduce the opponent's special attack power, which is very dangerous for Pokémon that rely on ****."

Dr. Kukui immediately explained, his tone tinged with concern.

However, Tokito smiled calmly and replied casually, "Ability reduction? That kind of effect is one of the most useless interferences for my Pokémon."

"Ray, use your light to dispel the gloom! A blazing light!"

Ray let out a loud cry, and a purifying light, even more dazzling than the white light blade, erupted from his body.

This light not only contained powerful electric energy, but also carried a magical power to dispel all negative states. The light blasted towards Tapu Koko, who quickly closed its shells, forming a shield to block the direct impact of the light.

But more importantly, the strange electromagnetic waves that had been surrounding Ray vanished instantly under the radiant light, and Ray's special attack power returned to normal.

"This...this is?!" Professor Kukui stared in disbelief. "What's going on?! Toki, your Pokémon has returned to normal?! This move 'Radiant Light' even has the effect of clearing away any stat drops?! I...I've never seen anything like this in any Pokédex or research report!"

As an expert in technique research, he felt he had encountered a blind spot in his knowledge, feeling both excited and somewhat frustrated by his "dereliction of duty."

Tapu Koko also poked its head out from behind its shell, its eyes filled with surprise. Its strange electromagnetic waves could even work on those troublesome monsters from other worlds, namely Ultra Beasts, but it didn't work on this little golden guy...?!

After a brief moment of surprise, Tapu Koko's fighting spirit intensified. It opened its shells again, rapidly compressing the power of the Electric Field with its own lightning, condensing it into a giant ball of electric energy surging wildly inside, and hurled it at Rey.

The speed of this electric ball is determined by the speed difference between the two sides, and Tapu Koko's speed is obviously extremely fast.

Faced with the whistling electric ball, Tokito's eyes narrowed, and he issued a new command.

"Ray, gather your energy and lightning, and use the Energy Lightning Ball!"

Ray took a deep breath, quickly absorbing the energy of the surrounding world, while simultaneously fusing it with his own pure lightning power.

Instantly, a ball of light, flashing with platinum-gold lightning inside but appearing exceptionally stable and solid on the outside, rapidly took shape in front of it. Unlike the electric ball, this ball of light was not volatile; instead, it exuded a restrained yet powerful energy fluctuation.

The next moment, the energy ball shot out with unstoppable momentum, heading head-on towards Tapu Koko's electric ball.

Two spheres containing terrifying electrical energy collided violently in mid-air.

Tapu Koko's electric ball surged with violent energy, while Ray's energy ball shone even brighter with its white-gold electric light.

The difference in skill level was immediately apparent upon contact.

The Spirit Ball unleashed its astonishing power of 140 points, crushing Tapu Koko's electric ball through it with overwhelming force. The shockwave from the explosion, mixed with dissipated electricity, mostly swept towards Tapu Koko.

"Woo!"

Tapu Koko was forced back by the sudden and powerful force, its shells shielding its body as it let out a muffled groan of pain, its eyes filled with disbelief.

It actually lost in a pure clash of electric-type moves?!

Dr. Kukui, standing to the side, also opened his mouth slightly, somewhat stunned.

"No way... Tapu Koko actually lost in a head-on clash of Electric-type moves?!"

This completely overturned his understanding of the power of lightning, the guardian deity of Alola. This unknown Pokémon named Ray's control over lightning and the power of its moves actually surpassed those of the island's guardian deity.

Tapu Koko shook its head, suppressing its shock. Its gaze became more serious, and it quickly closed its shells. A deep blue aura began to flow around its body as its mental power became highly concentrated.

During meditation, Tapu Koko's special attack and special defense are both increased.

"Trying to turn the tide through enhancement?" Tokito smiled slightly as he watched Tapu Koko's actions. "Then I'll show you what a Thunder God-like enhancement looks like! Rei unleashes Thunder God Awakening!!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, an ancient power originating from the source of lightning was fully activated within Ray's body.

Instantly, dazzling golden lightning shot into the sky from its body, forming a huge pillar of lightning. Ray's aura surged wildly at a visible speed, and the electric arcs leaping around its body became even denser and faster!

[Thor Awakening] effect activated: Increases own attack and speed by two levels instantly!

"This...this level of improvement...it's clear that Ray's enhancement is much stronger and more comprehensive!"

Dr. Kukui, sensing Rayquaza's rocket-like surge of energy and comparing it to Tapu Koko, who had just finished meditating, couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Rayquaza's dual enhancement of attack and speed is simply a god-tier skill tailor-made for speed-type Pokémon!