After Cynthia shared her thoughts, everyone around her looked at each other in silence.
"If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask."
Cynthia noticed the hesitation on their faces and smiled as she spoke.
A moment later, Lance cleared his throat and said, "Since you put it that way, Cynthia, I won't hesitate to ask."
He looked at Cynthia with a puzzled expression: My first question. Did you come up with this idea, or did Rope suggest it?"
Cynthia didn't hesitate for a moment and replied directly, "It's my own idea."
"Then I'll be blunt. I don't think Rope would agree with this idea."
Lance was indeed blunt. The idea wasn't entirely absurd and did have some merit, but its importance was truly not reflected at all.
Cynthia also didn't mince words: "If we follow Rope's idea, then in the final showdown, we won't even have to move. We'll just watch him perform alone."
Lance opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. Setting aside the fact that Cynthia was undoubtedly the one among them who understood Rope the best, even with their limited understanding of Rope, it was clear that this was likely the outcome.
It's not that Rope is particularly stubborn. It's mainly because Rope genuinely believes they can't offer much assistance. What they can handle are crises stemming from the world itself.
That is, the conflict between Pokémon and humans.
Despite Professor Oak's Pokémon and Human Relations Theory being all the rage, this theory ultimately has little practical application. The task Rope has assigned them is essentially to put this theory into practice.
It's not exactly abuse of power; it's just that Professor Oak's theory is the only theoretical framework they have to work with right now. It's also the most mature one, relatively speaking.
That's what they've been working on lately. It's important, but it doesn't have much to do with the looming global crisis.
And Rope has no intention of letting them get involved.
"Although Rope doesn't want us to get involved," Cynthia shrugged, "in the end, there's no doubt that we can't just stand by and watch. And the other side won't play the same knightly duel game as Rope."
"So we have no choice but to do this. Only by doing so can we help Rope."
Cynthia spoke with sincerity and seriousness: "Everyone, I am the one who understands the current situation best. The world is dangerous, but not that dangerous. The probability of the world ending is actually very small. This is not my speculation, but Rope's actual response."
"However, a devastating war is the most likely outcome."
"Rope has always overestimated himself. If the enemy's target is this world, then Rope is an important opponent, but not the primary one."
"In Rope's negligence, we must actively cooperate with him to compensate for this deficiency."
Cynthia finished speaking and leaned back in her chair, clearly not intending to say anything else.
The decision-making power once again fell into the hands of others.
Cynthia looked at the faces of everyone on the screen. She also noticed how they were looking down at their phones, and her lips involuntarily tightened. Regardless of the outcome of this discussion, she would proceed according to the plan she had just outlined.
Even if she was the only one. Because she was the one least willing to let Rope gain too much of a lead over her.
After a long while, the eye contact and private conversations among the group came to an end.
Lance raised his head again and asked, "We agree with your idea in principle."
"So, after you present a detailed plan, we'll discuss it further."
——————————————
The deities, of course, would not overlook such a significant event, and they naturally had their own methods for observing what was happening in that distant place.
So they fell silent…
There were not many deities present.
Each region had sent one deity to this current island—the same island where they had previously held their meeting—while another remained stationed in their original region. They rotated, but the rotations were not frequent. Because each rotation could be considered dangerous.
"Wait, do you think you can defeat anyone over there?"
Groudon sucked in a sharp breath before speaking with a touch of resignation.
"Anyway, I don't think I can beat any of them." As he said this, Groudon's own tone betrayed a sense of disbelief, confusion, and frustration.
"Well, there's a chance. The guy across from Rope clearly lacks combat experience. Though he seems to have put in a lot of effort into martial arts, he ultimately lacks real-world combat experience."
Phoenix analyzed seriously, "But the most critical point is that their fighting styles are not like ours, and they don't use any of the skills we know. If it comes to a fight, we're definitely at a disadvantage."
That was the truth, and Phoenix's analysis made sense. No matter how you looked at it, Rope's martial arts techniques were vastly different from the combat techniques of their Legendary Pokémon.
Although it feels like they're using brute force to overcome everything, it's actually completely different. After all, it looks simple and brutal now because Rope doesn't need to use techniques against Katsuhisa. And even if Katsuhisa has techniques, he can't block Rope's attacks.
But there's no doubt that those two have the ability to take them down. That's what makes it so frustrating. Why is that?
After all, they should be the gods of this world.
"I think what we should be considering right now isn't this,"
Zamazenta, who usually doesn't speak much, said, "We should first think about how to handle our relationship with the human side. I estimate that the fighting on Rope's side will also render the negotiations on their side meaningless."
The Legendary Pokémon nodded in agreement.
It was the truth; they weren't fools. The fighting on Rope's side might have been more of a coincidence, but objectively speaking, it did significantly reduce the bargaining power they had originally intended to leverage.
If the fighting didn't happen, there would be no deterrent effect.
"Let's do it this way then. Have Mewtwo go over there to restart the negotiations. The humans have probably already guessed our intentions."
Xerneas said calmly, "When everyone negotiates together, some things are simply out in the open."
————————————
In the valley, the impact that swept through the valley truly made Rope feel what it meant for everything to be turned upside down. And this was with explosives that had already been restricted in multiple ways.
Rope knew that the explosives over there had not been fully triggered. Rope could feel that when they exploded, most of them shattered like ordinary stones rather than exploding like that small portion.
Additionally, Rope's flames had consumed the majority of the trembling soul energy contained within. This was thanks to the natural suppression of such energy by the solar flames obtained from Al. Otherwise, Rope would have definitely not been able to handle it as easily as he did now.
Furthermore, Rope's flame wall served as a third layer of restriction.
It blocked part of the shockwave.
Unfortunately, the flame wall did not last very long. For Rope, the protective power was far from sufficient. Rope's flame armor was not simply a concentration of flames, but a special combined state akin to a skill.
Therefore, while the explosion did leave Rope in a rather disheveled state, it ultimately did not cause any significant injuries.
It must be said that such a situation would at least make Rope tone down his arrogance a bit.
Rope dispersed his flame armor and turned to the relatively intact part of the valley behind him, saying, "Are you all okay?"
There was a burning purple-red shield there.
Eternatus, upon hearing Rope's words, shook his head, which was still dizzy from the shock. In that moment, he felt as though his soul was about to be blasted out of his body. Glancing at the little creatures beneath him, Eternatus sighed in relief.
"Everyone's okay. What about you?"
Rope also sighed in relief upon hearing this: "I'm fine. They've already left. There's no need to hide anymore."
Eternatus dispelled the shield and looked at the valley around him, which had been devastated beyond recognition, unable to hide his astonishment.
Such a situation would not be too difficult for any Legendary Pokémon to achieve. After all, even a secondary deity like Entei, when releasing its sacred flames, possesses the ability to alter the terrain.
Though it could only burn down a forest or dry up a lake in a certain area.
A first-tier deity, especially one like Eternatus, if unrestricted, could unleash a devastating attack capable of obliterating this valley with ease.
But if restricted, it's a different story. After all, during his battle with Mewtwo, Eternatus was so restricted he couldn't even destroy a single building.
And yet that small stone, under Rope's multiple restrictions, still possessed such power...
"Now I understand why you always feel you're not strong enough."
Eternatus spoke with a hint of realization.
Rope, upon hearing this, shook his head helplessly and said, "It's not that simple."
"I still feel I'm too strong."
If Red had been confused about his strength before, Rope, though always tense about his situation, was a lazy fellow who always believed his strength was sufficient to handle any unexpected challenges.
Even when facing Katsuhisa, he arrogantly waited for Katsuhisa to build up his ultimate move, watching his performance to see just how powerful his opponent truly was.
Rope was also arrogant. After all, how many of those called geniuses are without a hint of arrogance?
However, often, even a little arrogance must be compensated for with a huge price or tremendous luck. Those with the protagonist's aura usually rely on the latter.
Those without the protagonist's aura are usually the former.
After this battle, Rope realized that he could never let his guard down. Because Katsuhisa was relatively inexperienced. But while Rope had more experience than Katsuhisa, it was still limited.
He had little understanding of the common tactics, ordinary items, or standard weapons used in the Void.
The items Rope obtained were a series of legendary or epic-quality treasures. These were items Year mentioned offhandedly, but his subordinates had carefully selected them.
They were by no means inferior items in the company's treasury.
During his brief time with Al, Azure Flute and Sun Flame were also present. The former is akin to an heirloom item, almost allowing one to instantly transition into the role of Imperial General by venturing into the Void—though the prerequisite quests must still be completed. The latter, however, is a Void artifact itself, akin to the exclusive admission privilege for top-tier universities in the original world.
The time it would take for Rope to climb to the pinnacle of the world was suddenly reduced from an indefinite period to something within sight.
To be honest, even Year would have to acknowledge Al's contribution in this regard.
However, he was certain that the stone in Katsuhisa's hand was not something rare. It was powerful and had a soul-shaking effect, but it couldn't create any spectacular or special effects.
It wasn't exactly commonplace, but it was nothing extraordinary.
But Rope had never seen this thing before... It was like asking, "Why not eat meat porridge?"
"I think we need to be more careful with how we handle this going forward."
Rope pondered for a moment, then addressed the Pokémon gathered around him.
The Pokémon exchanged glances, but could only say… "As long as you're happy, boss." After all, they didn't know what Rope was worried about and dared not ask.
Eternatus was definitely the most frustrated one. To be honest, his power should have been enough to sweep across the entire world. But he just happened to encounter someone like Rope. What could he do? He was also desperate.
But now, someone like Rope was actually thinking about being more cautious…
Well, Rope should indeed be more cautious now. Before this setback, Eternatus had also thought that Rope was invincible. Who would have thought that such a freak existed besides Rope…
Does this world even give these gods a chance to survive?
Rope doesn't know what Eternatus is thinking right now, otherwise he would definitely give Eternatus a hundred and eighty thumbs up.
"Anyway… let's retreat for now. The next battle won't be too far off."
Rope's expression was somewhat gloomy, but there was no doubt…
"The next major battle will essentially be the final showdown."
His next opponent will definitely not be as simple as Katsuhisa. He hadn't spent much time with Katsuhisa, and this was their first time as adversaries. But after this one encounter, Katsuhisa had essentially been eliminated from the list of potential opponents.
That's right, Katsuhisa isn't worthy now.
Rope was confident that the next time he faced Katsuhisa, he wouldn't underestimate him. But if he hadn't miscalculated, the other party wouldn't let Katsuhisa face him again either. Not everyone is willing to give someone a second chance.
Especially when that person isn't irreplaceable and facing them again would inevitably lead to defeat.
Rope smiled at the Pokémon in front of him, who still looked a bit shaken, and said, "You guys worked hard today. We'll head to the Oak Laboratory later for some delicious food!"
With that, the Pokémon no longer felt tired. Who could resist such delicious food?
Especially those made by Daisy and Blue.
Rope recalled them one by one. He hadn't had much time to spend with the Pokémon lately, as the opponents they faced were mostly beyond their capabilities.
In other words, the typical relationship between Pokémon and trainers is roughly...
"Brothers, charge!"
While Rope's relationship with the Pokémon is more like...
"Brothers, follow me!"
But his brothers often hadn't even reached the enemy's front lines before the enemy's minions had already knelt down, and the enemy's leader was someone they couldn't handle. In such a situation, there was little else to say but "there's nothing we can do."
However, in the next battle, it was clear they would have a role to play.
"That woman in black isn't stupid; she knows she can't directly confront my demands, so she'll definitely try to interfere with me."
Rope didn't leave immediately. Instead, he stood there, deep in thought. The once-mountainous valley, now a basin, was unusually quiet. Only the occasional sound of wind sweeping up small pebbles could be heard.
Apart from Rope and the Pokémon, there was nothing else left to stay here. While survival was difficult, few creatures would choose to die.
Thus, most of the overworked office workers would continue to survive diligently while complaining that life was worse than death.
Therefore, nothing would disturb Rope at this moment.
"Then they will certainly target the normal order of this world. Or rather... their original target was that normal order. Only by disrupting this world can they have an opportunity. Though even now, I still don't know what they're planning."
Rope truly couldn't fathom what these so-called bigwigs were thinking. The people before him were nothing but clowns in Al's eyes. Even if he were to distribute all eighteen of his primal essences, he could still easily eliminate them.
As for what his opponents truly desire, Rope has no idea. He only knows that he must not allow his opponents to disrupt his plans, and that disrupting their plans is sufficient.
As for how to disrupt their plans of unknown purpose...
If the problem cannot be solved, then perhaps the ones who created the problem can be dealt with.
Rope · Should Be Dragged Out and Hung from a Streetlight · Harlow spoke thus.
After a moment, Rope had finished his thoughts. He shook his head and said, "We still need to have Cynthia and the others prepare. Keeping them on alert was just to keep them vigilant and tense, but I didn't expect it would actually come in handy now."
Rope spread his fire wings and flew toward Lumiose City.
Along the way, Rope instinctively concealed his aura. Later, as Rope flew through the forest outside Lumiose City, he witnessed his first Pokémon swarm.
The densely packed Pokémon formed various shapes and sizes, but there was order amidst the chaos. Rope observed carefully. Although they were primitive and inexperienced, their battle patterns and team composition were indeed healthy.
However, this was limited to small-scale organizations. Large-scale coordination and group combat were largely beyond their capabilities.
After all, they truly lacked human leadership.
Such matters have always been studied more by humans, as back when they fought Pokémon with bare hands or weapons like swords and spears, they had no other choice.
Rope's bold flying posture naturally caught the attention of many Pokémon.
"Chirp!"
A Talonflame noticed Rope. He stared at Rope with sharp eyes. Something felt off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
The Pokémon under his command watched as Rope flew through their airspace so brazenly, and they were also a bit angry.
"Screech! (Boss, let's take him down with my brothers.)"
A Braviary spoke up.
However, Talonflame didn't respond immediately. He still felt something was off.
"Screech! (Boss, this is clearly going to assist the humans! We can't just let this strange flying object go!)"
Braviary looked frustrated.
Talonflame thought for a moment. Even if they didn't attack, they still needed to investigate what this thing was.
"Chirp! (Be careful, take a few more people with you, and avoid conflict unless absolutely necessary!)"
"Screech! (Don't worry!)"
Immediately, several flying-type Pokémon resembling Mewtwo and Braviary took flight from the forest, ready to investigate what exactly was before them.
Talonflame watched his subordinates' backs and nodded. After all, Braviary had a point. From this angle, the opponent was likely a force supporting the human side. Such a creature was flying past them with such arrogance—how could they possibly tolerate that!
But just as he thought this, Talonflame suddenly froze.
Direction… right, direction…
The direction this guy came from was off!
Talonflame looked in the direction Rope had come from...
Hadn't there just been a battle there? One that they dared not even watch.
So if it flew over from there...
Talonflame instinctively wanted to call his subordinates back. Unfortunately, it was too late...
Braviary had finally gotten a chance to show off, and maybe even make a name for himself, so naturally he wasn't willing to give up such an opportunity. And he was especially motivated.
Joking aside, this could be described as a gathering of Pokémon from around Lumiose City.
If he could make a name for himself in such a setting, then he would undoubtedly gain priority in choosing a mate. And not just the familiar members of the opposite sex from its own territory!
No matter the time or species, the opposite sex and food are always the root of their conflicts.
Thinking this, Braviary looked at the flying object over there with even greater eagerness.
It wasn't just a human being; it was its honor, its future.
"Screech!!"
It let out a loud cry and charged toward Rope!