novelraw Chapter 772: It's Decided—It's You, Teacher Lu!
Chapter 772: It's Decided—It's You, Teacher Lu!
The coastline of Barren City swarmed with people, cheers and shouts shaking the sky, excitement and tears pouring out without restraint.
A trainer had returned through fire before the storm that tore space itself.
The Law of Transcendence summoned Arceus, saving Barren City and the world!
Arceus’ awakening was an extremely long process, and the time-space storm was a threat far greater than the War of the Gods, so His awakening was accelerated.
Precisely because of the Law of Transcendence, Arceus could arrive first, demonstrating the grandeur of the "first deity."
After this battle,
the god of space lost face, the lord of the Reversed World was disgraced, and the earth god became a laughingstock.
Overlooking all gods was only… Celebi covering Arceus: it was me!
Lu Ye’s black-and-gold cloak fluttered in the wind, revealing a glittering sea of gold, the half-submerged bridge in the water, and the boiling crowds along the shore.
"Good thing I revived with my clothes on," Lu Ye muttered, "otherwise this episode wouldn't be broadcastable."Teacher Lu glanced at the shore again, lowered his voice, and looked up at the sky: "Damn… don't shake, do not shake!"
"Are you speaking to me?" Arceus walked in the heavens and asked gently.
"No…" Lu Ye didn't explain, cleared his throat and said, "Um, I already found the Fairy Plate…"
"We'll discuss that later."
The holy white Arceus, bathing in sacred light and looking down on the cheering crowds, said gently, "Now, Lu Ye, enjoy your legendary moment."
Lu Ye paused slightly and looked up.
He watched Arceus transform into a beam of sacred light and slowly ascend, soon vanishing into the layered clouds.
Indeed, this was no time for nostalgia, but the problem was…
Teacher Lu pressed his lips together, glanced downward, then quickly looked up with a serious expression.
"Latias didn't come with me, how am I supposed to get down…"
Under the dome of the sky, beautiful streams of light interwove—red, blue, gray, black… the gods radiated waves of different colors, floating silently as they gazed at the golden brilliance atop Desert Tower.
On the tower stood a black-haired youth whose cloak reflected the sun, his posture tall and unshaken.
He sacrificed himself to seal Super Demon Hoopa, yet was reborn in fire when the storm descended.
These scenes would be imprinted in their memories, carried through their ten-thousand-year lifespans, impossible to erase.
Primal Groudon glanced at Lu Ye and unconsciously looked up at the sky again.
The gods floated in the heavens, shadows falling across Groudon's wide yellow eyes.
Groudon: "……"
Tired—this time-space, let it be destroyed.
Along the shoreline, citizens recalled the peaceful voice that had just spoken in their ears.
"I allow my transcendence, this law of space-time."
They didn't fully grasp the meaning, but the subsequent appearance of the deity and the connection to the figure on the tower were certainly inseparable.
And the fact that he rode a black Rayquaza and commanded Haunter to defeat the Super Demon Hoopa was undoubtedly an unparalleled feat!
Balza looked up at the dome, his gaze trembling: "A miracle… the miracle of Ho-Oh and Arceus."
"No, brother, it all comes down to courage."
Meyali’s eyes flickered as she said earnestly, "The courage of trainers and Pokémon."
"And Hoopa!" Freed Hoopa laughed loudly. "Hoopa did a lot too!"
Ash grinned: "Okay, okay, just send those legendary Pokémon back quick, or they'll cause trouble again."
"No problem, leave it to Hoopa—Hoopa, scoot!"
Freed Hoopa stretched his six floating arms and opened a ring behind the gods, the space-time fluctuations of another dimension surging out.
Primal Kyogre whipped his tail, bared thin sharp teeth, and dove into the dimensional ring… roar, roar, roar, time to go home and sleep.
Next came Giratina, Palkia, and Dialga, who flew into the ring looking rather sheepish.
Then Dark Lugia, who had been relentlessly beaten, his morale shattered.
Mew, hidden away somewhere, frowned in confusion, then turned away and entered the portal.
Lastly were black Rayquaza and Blaze-White Kyurem.
Black Rayquaza looked down at the "Poké Cube Box" in its claw, snapped up a golden cube between breaths.
Suddenly a beam of light exploded and its eyes widened.
"Lu Ye, this champion—I will remember you." Black Rayquaza's gaze sharpened;
it whipped its black-gold body, sweeping its tail to carve a straight line.
Blaze-White Kyurem stared at the ring, then glanced down at the ruins where Darkrai lay and said,
"Your trainer, he survived."
"He's not my trainer," Darkrai said.
"Oh? You fought so hard, I thought you two had known each other for centuries," Blaze-White Kyurem replied.
"He's just…" Darkrai fell silent.
In his mind Alicia's smiling face remained;
she had lightly placed her hand atop Darkrai's head.
"You can stay, stay in everyone's courtyard."
"You can stay in the café, remember, be my bodyguard."
Darkrai formed a helpless smile, his deep blue eyes steady as he said,
"He's simply someone I want to protect."
The legendary Pokémon exited one after another. Primal Groudon walked alone into the sea-ring.
The champions also reached the end of their exit.
Giovanni's wrinkled face relaxed;
he stroked Silver's red hair, put on his cap in silence, and turned away.
"Giovanni." The red-caped man crossed his arms and said coldly, "Your business dealings are in order, but there are still warrants on you."
"You still can't arrest me," Giovanni replied calmly.
"This is just advice, understand?" Lance's red hair rose slightly as he spoke with authority, "Next time, don't blame me for not warning you!"
"Is that your justice?" Giovanni turned his back to the red-haired man, a curve at his mouth as he walked away, "Noted."
Steven stared at the weathered broad back and furrowed his brow… a dangerous man.
"There's the smell of blood on him, he's badly hurt;
nearby Pokémon Centers and hospitals won't open to him," Lance said, arms folded, expressionless. "For a short time, his wounds, medicines, and avoiding searches, he'll have to handle himself."
Silver glanced at the red-haired man.
"This is only my 'inference'."
Lance ignored Silver and turned away: "Alright, I'm going to hand things over to alliance personnel. Steven, Cynthia, hum, I know you two hate this work."
"Thank you for your effort, Mr. Lance."
Steven smiled helplessly, lifting his sapphire-like eyes to gaze at Desert Tower, slightly stunned:
"Teacher Lu is still standing up there?"
Bamboo Lan folded her arms, sighed softly, then smiled gently and said,
"Hoopa, go fetch him back for us, please."
"Leave it to Hoopa!!"
Freed Hoopa launched skyward with a 'boom', soaring to the top of Desert Tower, stretching into a ghastly grin.
Teacher Lu blinked: "What are you doing?"
Freed Hoopa grinned and opened a portal hovering one step in front of Lu Ye, inviting:
"Please enter."
Lu Ye: ?
Later, Teacher Lu would recall jumping from the three-hundred-meter Desert Tower, passing through six rings in succession before returning to the ground.
This newly minted "battle legend" wore an expression of slight numbness.
"Bungee, bungee!" Freed Hoopa grinned, "Were you scared by Hoopa?"
Lu Ye: "That was fun, but don't ever do that again…"
Teacher Lu realized belatedly. Damn, why didn't I have Haunter call Latias?
What a trap—I thought one ring would get me to the ground!
The crowds along the shoreline gradually dispersed, shaken, glancing back at the half-sunken bridge and remembering the figure atop Desert Tower.
"No wonder it's Teacher Lu!"
"So cool;
he didn't move even facing Arceus. I was trembling the whole time."
"Tear-jerking… there really are trainers who can handle such a disaster!"
"By the way, why didn't the red monster fly—he was the only one standing in the sea."
"If you want Groudon to fly, I don't even want to imagine what you'll ask for next!"
The noise faded away. Bamboo Lan stood not far off, leaving Teacher Lu alone with Haunter.
Between them lay a bond, giving to each other and fighting side by side…
Bamboo Lan leaned against her Garchomp, one arm around its head, smiling softly, visibly moved.
Lu Ye stood by the shoreline.
The sea breeze blowing, the earlier events had felt like a dream, yet he had truly survived.
Thanks to Sacred Ash and Celebi, he had returned.
"Thank you, Celebi," Lu Ye said sincerely.
"Swa~" Celebi waved two little antennae and fluttered beside Lu Ye, squinting.
"This is what I should do!"
Lu Ye smiled softly.
Kind Celebi would try to stop tragedies whenever possible.
Hiding in a Poké Ball was just Celebi being cute as always.
"Are you leaving?" Lu Ye asked.
"Swa!" Celebi nodded lightly;
there were many forests and timelines still waiting for her to guard.
"If you have time, come to my café in Miare City;
there's also the World Tree there," Lu Ye said.
"Swa?" Celebi opened her eyes wide.
"Just kidding."
Actually, there was also Mew…
Lu Ye waved and smiled: "Alright, goodbye."
Celebi smiled sweetly, scattering crystal light as she opened a space-time portal.
"Swa~" Celebi waved at Lu Ye and flew into it.
Lu Ye nodded slightly and looked at the fragments inside the portal, his gaze flashing.
In the moment of disappearance he had seen many fragments of time and space—now hard to recall, but at least he's real.
My Pokémon and I, unique in the world, one of a kind.
The portal's light gradually faded.
Lu Ye's black hair fluttered as he bowed his head and placed his hand over his chest where his heart had once beat with Haunter's;
the bond between them remained clear.
Like an invisible, uncuttable thread of fate, it wrapped them tightly together.
"Haunter…"
Lu Ye's gaze deepened as he slowly spoke,
"Punch me once, let's see if I can take it!"
Haunter: "Gengarrr? Σ(ﾟдﾟlll)"
He turned his head to confirm Ash wasn't nearby, and Lu Ye whispered,
"The Sacred Ash revived the true protagonist and enhanced his physique, so I should have been strengthened too—perhaps even to the same level as the three sacred beasts."
"Gengarrr! w(ﾟДﾟ)w" Haunter clutched his head.
He couldn't comprehend, Gengarrr!
"Come!"
Lu Ye's eyes hardened as he struck a flamboyant Substitute Envoy pose, pointing a finger: "Use Shadow Punch on me!"
Haunter sighed and casually waved;
a fist-shaped shadow shot out.
"Ha!" Lu Ye suddenly met the punch, his fist surging with Aura.
The shadow 'boom'ed and exploded.
"Useless, useless!" Lu Ye boasted loudly.
"Gengarrr! Σ(っ°Д°;
)っ" Haunter was shocked.
Holy crap, he actually took it!!
"Anyway, I roughly understand now…"
Lu Ye stroked his chin and checked his condition with Aura, pondering:
"Special attacks like Flare Blitz and Thunderbolt still get through, but physical defense and attack have increased."
Lu Ye rolled his neck.
With my current physique I can steamroll Bruno, knock out Rhydon, and trade punches with Machamp without issue.
The tone was growing fantastical, but considering the special episodes where faces take hits, it's still within acceptable bounds.
He's still far behind Ash.
After all, Ash's "lightning-tempering" lasted nearly three years;
his style is already beyond mine.
"Too bad Sacred Ash is consumable…"
Lu Ye sighed,
"I thought it would enhance Pokémon, but it actually strengthened the trainer."
Sacred Ash's boost to physical attributes was significant, indirectly enhancing self-preservation and wild-battle capability.
In the wild, facing something like Onix, Teacher Lu could slide tackle and handle it barehanded.
After this battle, Teacher Lu's Power of Transcendence and Aura both improved to varying degrees.
Especially the Power of Transcendence—its radar went from white to pale gold in his vision, boosting his team's overall enhancement effect even more.
As everyone knows, trainer levels vary and cover wild battles, official matches, command ability, mentality, and more.
Teacher Lu's overall trainer level reached "battle legend."
In terms of team, Haunter under normal conditions also reached "battle legend" standards.
Mega Blastoise likewise possessed "battle legend" strength.
Eevee Sylveon needed to return the Fairy Plate, and the other little ones still had room to grow.
However, the day of breakthrough would not be far off.
Lu Ye fell into thought.
Compared to Red's team where everyone is legendary, his current lineup had a minuscule win rate.
But the World Championships were six months away.
Who would fill the eight Masters seats next year was still unknown.
"When I win the World Championships…"
Lu Ye's eyes flashed.
A telepathic message from Haunter crossed his mind—the promise they had made.
Purple Kid Fatty stood before him, sharing life with him.
The image of being one life tied to another…
Teacher Lu clenched a fist lightly.
"That should pretty much make me… an excellent trainer, right…?"
...
Sunlight spilled across the sea, illuminating the collapsed half of the sea-crossing bridge.
Lu Ye and Bamboo Lan looked out at the sea in silence, as if an invisible block of ice had frozen the air between them.
"See that bridge?" Lu Ye pointed.
"Mm." Bamboo Lan nodded quietly.
"I and Haunter made it collapse," Lu Ye said calmly.
"Bahah…" Bamboo Lan couldn't help laughing and rolled her eyes at Lu Ye, her voice a little hoarse: "You… know, I was really worried…"
"I know," Lu Ye said. "I understand a champion's duty, so… we both need to step forward."
"You…" Bamboo Lan hesitated, "How effective is Sacred Ash?"
"Extremely effective. If you don't believe me we can test tonight—"
Lu Ye turned, and Garchomp glared at him, signaling, 'You brat, there's no second pack of Sacred Ash left, is there!'
Lu Ye composed himself and said seriously: "I like you, Bamboo Lan."
Bamboo Lan's golden hair fluttered in the wind;
her eyes curved like crescent moons as she folded her arms behind her back and smiled: "Same here."
Lu Ye opened his arms;
the shimmering light along the shore, one figure with golden hair swayed and leapt into the other's embrace.
"The ambassador from the Donghua Alliance just arrived, Teacher Lu—"
A blue-haired man in a suit stepped down from a stone platform, lowering his voice and naturally turning.
"Hmm… I'll deal with the ambassador, being a little late should be fine…" Steven muttered to himself.
...
Time and space in Barren City returned to normal, and the entire world was in an uproar.
If Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre awakening were merely 'regional' disasters,
the Super Demon Hoopa incident was a 'world-level' crisis!
The former could be handled through champions, Elite Four, gym leaders, Pokédex Holders cooperating—there was still a chance.
The latter, trainers across entire alliances who could resolve such events were few enough to count on one hand!
If Red, Green, or Dan Emperor had been present, or if alliances' scientific technology were applied, the Super Demon might have been quelled too.
But there are no 'ifs.'
When disaster struck, many champions stood up—although Karine did not make it in time.
Teacher Lu, by himself, drew most of Hoopa's firepower and at great cost resolved a world-level catastrophe!
With many witnesses and live footage of Teacher Lu riding black Rayquaza, the world erupted.
All major alliances convened a joint meeting and, prompted by the Donghua Alliance, proposed awarding Lu Ye the honorary title "battle legend" for his actions in this Super Demon incident.
The proposal received strong backing from Unova, Sinnoh, Hoenn, and Kalos alliances.
After all, Teacher Lu had faced legendary Pokémon in those alliances and left behind championship feats.
As the saying goes: though I am gone from a place, my legend remains.
Thus, by unanimous agreement, Lu Ye was granted the title "battle legend"!
The joint meeting acted swiftly—within two hours of the incident they organized rescue efforts and conferred the honorary title.
At this moment, Teacher Lu was still in Barren City, unaware of any arrangements.
As agreed,
Lu Ye ascended to the very top of Desert Tower to meet Arceus and return the Fairy Plate.
The dome widened, glass refracted rainbows, and at the center stood a sundial-like apparatus with a golden pillar of light rising from its core.
Lu Ye stood before the sundial and quietly intoned:
"I allow my transcendence, this law of space-time."
The golden pillar of light expanded, surged toward the dome, pierced the glass, and shot through the layered clouds;
the sacred light enveloped everything.
Lu Ye narrowed his eyes and looked up.
White light refracted into rainbows through the glass. Arceus bathed in the pillar, descending slowly as motes of light danced and hovered above the sundial.
He gazed at Lu Ye and spoke slowly:
"Lu Ye, it's good to see you again."
"According to our agreement," Lu Ye said, "I'm here to return the Fairy Plate."
Arceus smiled slightly:
"I have seen your heart of gold. Your Pokémon have all shown this."
A heart of gold…
Lu Ye and Haunter were both taken aback.
Why didn't I notice that!
"Regarding you bringing back the Fairy Plate, I am deeply grateful."
Arceus said: "By your human terms, Damos and I are friends, and with you…I hope the same."
He maintained decorum and continued: "Now, according to our agreement, I will reclaim the Fairy Plate."
Sylveon had held the Fairy Plate for a time and soared in strength to become a champion-level Pokémon.
Returning the item to its rightful owner was only proper.
Lu Ye nodded lightly and opened a Poké Ball.
A red beam flashed.
At Sylveon's bow, an energy-shaped Fairy Plate appeared and gradually solidified, flying toward Arceus.
Arceus's ring ascended, revealing seventeen floating plate projections;
the Fairy Plate flew into them and circled with the other seventeen plates.
Lu Ye watched silently until Arceus opened His gentle eyes, then relaxed.
"Our agreement is fulfilled," Lu Ye said. "I should go back now."
"There is one more thing." Arceus said.
"What?" Lu Ye asked.
"To show my gratitude, I will grant you a blessing."
Arceus said, "This will to some extent improve your luck, for example… increasing accuracy."
Even better perks!
Lu Ye hesitated, "Can you give it to my Pokémon?"
"Of course." Arceus sounded a little surprised, "But why not consider yourself first?"
"I'm used to it, and accuracy I can make up for with tactics and command."
Lu Ye lifted his confident eyes and smiled: "Please bestow a blessing upon my Pokémon, thank you."
Arceus smiled kindly and nodded slightly.
"Out, Togepi!" Lu Ye threw a Poké Ball.
"Chajiduy~(◦˙▽˙◦)"
Togepi tumbled out, lifting its little head to look at Arceus, tilting its head as puzzlement flashed in its small eyes.
Swoosh!
Arceus' forehoof lightly touched space-time, and pale-golden ripples spread, washing into Togepi's body.
"Togepi!" Togepi hurriedly closed its eyes, then opened them and looked around—nothing seemed different.
"Lu Ye." Arceus said gently, "I have blessed Togepi's luck."
"Luck?" Lu Ye was surprised.
Togepi's luck could be strengthened!
Arceus explained carefully:
"For example, with Metronome, the inability to pull a god's signature move is an innate limit. But various external factors can break this limit."
Lu Ye: "So that means…"
Arceus nodded: "Exactly as you think."
Lu Ye pursed his lips.
This meant that beyond Dragon Ascent, Togepi could pull other legendary Pokémon's signature moves!
A whole heap of illegal moves suddenly became possible!
"Furthermore, Togepi's 'Serendipity' will receive my blessing as well." Arceus added.
Lu Ye froze.
Serendipity!
Serendipity increases the activation rate of additional effects of moves.
Take Air Slash as an example: it has a thirty percent flinch chance;
with Serendipity it becomes sixty percent!
For any setup, that's a genuine "attribute tactic."
A Togepi blessed by Arceus could not only Metronome beyond Dragon Ascent, but its Serendipity effect would also be amplified!
From Arceus—this was truly divine Serendipity!
"More illegal characteristics have been added…" Lu Ye murmured.
Although Togepi couldn't learn Air Slash yet,
if it Metronomed a Rock Slide with a sixty percent flinch chance, even Dan Emperor's Charizard wouldn't be able to handle it…
This is truly… amazing (dirty)!
"Thanks, Arceus." Lu Ye said cheerfully.
"Just a small favor as my thanks."
Arceus said: "The Punishment Jar will be taken back to Genesis Valley by my kin… I must depart."
"Farewell." Lu Ye left satisfied.
"Chajiduy~" Togepi waved along.
Teacher Lu looked up at the sky.
Enhanced Serendipity plus illegal Metronome…
Exactly my tactical style!
No wonder Arceus saw my heart of gold at a glance!
…