Rope doesn't need anyone's help.
Or rather, he can't rely on anyone's help, because that's just how the rules of this world work. Only Pokémon that trainers capture on their own can be commanded by them.
If you capture a Pokémon that you can't control with your own strength, it will turn against you.
In gaming terms, this means their Trainer level is insufficient, and the Pokémon won't obey their commands.
It makes sense, after all, Trainers who haven't reached that level of strength can't capture Pokémon of that caliber. In a way, it's a fairly scientific explanation.
Rope's primary objective is to capture Arceus and further enhance his own power. Therefore, if others, especially those not affiliated with Rope's Pokémon, intervene to assist, the battle would escalate to a level where it would be better not to fight at all.
Rope initially intended to merely discuss the secrets of the world with Arceus, including Al's origins and the true nature of Katsuhisa and the mysterious woman in black behind him.
However, Al's origins were confirmed by Year's arrival. Katsuhisa and the black-clad woman's identities remain unclear. However, judging from Arceus's reaction, asking about such matters would be pointless.
A being sealed away by Al countless years ago—even with the world's assistance, how much could he possibly know about these matters?
Rope truly does not believe Arceus knows much about these issues.
In the end, this guy is just a pure unlucky soul. After being beaten up by Al, he was sealed away by Al, ignoring the outside world and focusing solely on seeking revenge.
It's not too much of an exaggeration to call him Goujian[1] from Pokémon. After all, Goujian served as a servant to Fuchai of Wu [2]and endured hardships. But remember, Arceus also knelt before the statue of Al for thousands of years.
Rope is at a loss. He can't fathom what Al's twisted sense of humor is targeting. After all, Arceus is also its conceptual avatar.
Isn't that essentially kneeling to himself?
Of course, Rope thinks this way, but there is still a difference. For example, can an avatar with its own thoughts still be considered an avatar?
Clearly, Arceus does not think so. He not only does not consider himself Al's avatar or vassal, but he is already plotting his own independence and upgrade.
Rope didn't have any skills to create clones. Not to mention someone like Al, who could still condense a conceptual clone of his own legend after leaving a world.
Therefore, he cannot comprehend the relationship between these two entities.
However, one thing he is certain of is that he cannot take it out on Al, so venting his frustration on his clone is acceptable.
Rope is not moving aimlessly.
The tug-of-war, pursuit, and long-range confrontations between them are fundamentally aimed at identifying each other's weaknesses and vulnerabilities. As the saying goes, except for those who are truly flawless. Otherwise, searching for each other's weaknesses is always the fastest way to resolve the battle.
Only when there are no weaknesses to be found do they choose to go head-to-head.
It's a battle of reserves and strength.
Of course, this is also why Rope couldn't defeat Arceus. As long as he had an advantage in any one aspect, Rope would dare to charge forward and attack, but now it seems that Rope has no advantage in any aspect.
Whether it's strength or speed, Arceus can match him. More importantly, Arceus's six attributes are always balanced, which is fundamentally different from Deoxys, who compensates for weaknesses by enhancing strengths.
Deoxys pushes to extremes, enhancing a specific ability to the limit to gain an advantage.
Arceus, on the other hand, has an inherent advantage without needing any enhancements.
If both Pokémon are on equal footing in terms of combat power, a Pokémon like Deoxys could easily overpower Arceus.
After all, such extreme enhancements are indeed extremely effective.
However, as long as one's strength hasn't reached that level,
Arceus completely dominates in every aspect. This level of dominance is simply overwhelming.
So compared to Arceus, Rope is slightly inferior in every aspect. But when you add up all these aspects, the difference becomes significant.
This is why a straightforward Pokémon like Rope resorted to a flanking maneuver this time.
Because a direct confrontation would definitely result in defeat. Rope can be quite careless at times, but Rope isn't stupid, okay?
Glancing back at the llama behind him, Rope couldn't help but feel helpless. He had already overestimated Arceus' strength as much as possible. But in the end, Arceus' strength was still far superior to Rope's.
This reminded Rope of the situation when he fought Hoopa's evil side. His plans were always disrupted for no apparent reason. There were no signs at all.
Thinking about it, it was actually quite similar.
On the other side, Arceus was even more surprised. To be honest, he hadn't expected a human to possess such power. Based on his understanding of humans, they were already quite capable if they could train a few Pokémon well. He was a god, but not a true creator god. So he didn't really mind Pokémon helping humans fight against him.
After all, in a big forest, there are all kinds of birds, and everyone has their own reasons. Why would Pokémon hatched from eggs by humans abandon the humans who raised them from infancy to help a god they've never even seen?
The relationship between humans and ordinary Pokémon is growing increasingly close. Even more gods are growing increasingly close to humans.
It can be said that the fusion between the two is an inevitable trend.
However, this trend also has stages. And as expected, the stage Rope and the others are currently in is the final agony of this fusion.
Once the final conflicts between them are resolved, humans and Pokémon can coexist harmoniously and achieve perfect fusion for a long time.
The starting point of this period is in the not-too-distant future. The endpoint of this period will be the next time when the solidification of order prevents certain individuals from ascending.
Or the time when Pokémon alternatives emerge.
Mutual need is essential for perfect fusion. If one party is no longer needed, even the most perfect relationship will crumble in an instant.
Rope is well aware of this. He does not seek for the order he has established to be eternal. He only wishes for the world to remain as peaceful as possible for as long as possible.
The next time a change occurs, if Rope is still around, he will still strive to choose a solution that everyone can accept but is also sufficiently long-lasting.
Though Rope also knows that only conflict can drive the progress of this world.
Of course, these two individuals have no time to think about such matters now.
Rope is observing Arceus behind him. But after observing for a while, Rope feels a bit despairing.
Although Arceus was severely punished, Al did not choose a brutal form of punishment. Instead, he chose to have Arceus kneel before his statue—a punishment that causes little physical harm but is extremely humiliating.
This also led to Arceus, after being released from prison, not only retaining his strength but actually becoming even stronger. He also had fewer reservations and was even more angry. While anger is a double-edged sword, this statement does not deny the power it brings to a person.
As long as you avoid the blade pointing at you as much as possible, that should be fine.
So Rope is now facing an extremely difficult situation…
Rope thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a good solution. After careful consideration,
"This time, I'll have to play my trump card…"
Rope's lips twitched slightly, and he felt quite helpless.
After all, Arceus cannot be ignored. If Rope fails to subdue Arceus this time, he fears he will face obstacles on the other side as well. Such a chain reaction is unacceptable.
With that in mind, Rope came to a halt, turned around, and looked at Arceus, who was closely following behind him.
Arceus, seeing Rope stop, also halted his steps and stared back at Rope.
"You're quite skilled."
Arceus spoke first.
"To be honest, I never expected this era to produce such a powerful human. No wonder you were chosen by that guy Al."
Rope shook his head in response. "I'm not from your world, so I can access many things that humans in this world cannot, and my physical constitution is also different."
Some organs atrophy from lack of use. The same applies to physical constitution.
If one doesn't come into contact with supernatural substances for an extended period, the body may lose the ability to utilize them.
Rope said this subconsciously.
Because Arceus' words implicitly denied the capabilities of humans in this world.
Rope was subconsciously trying to exonerate the people he cherished.
It's not that they're incapable; it's that this world is incapable.
Only a world where the world's will has been wounded can be completed.
However, Arceus shook his head.
"It's different. You already bear the mark of this world, though I can sense another mark on you. But the mark of this world is not fake either."
"You belong to two worlds."
Rope was taken aback by these words.
In truth, he felt no sense of belonging to this world. It was only because of Cynthia and the others that he was willing to do his utmost to save it.
To put it bluntly, this world was far behind in terms of systems and ideology. If Rope hadn't feared being 404'd, he would have seized this opportunity to write extensively about it.
However, for some reason, upon hearing those words, Rope did indeed feel a slight sense of belonging to this world.
"Thank you for the compliment. To be honest, you are indeed the first opponent I've encountered in this world who feels truly formidable."
Rope didn't like to boast about his opponents; he was simply speaking the truth.
"Let's discuss mutual respect after the battle."
Arceus said coldly, "We should fight now. Not exchange compliments."
Rope's lips twitched. He now felt that the damage Al had inflicted on Arceus might not be as simple as it seemed. After all, judging from Arceus's current mental state, this guy had indeed been thoroughly beaten.
The entire deity felt a sense of fragmentation.
However, Rope remained silent, and the flames burning on his body grew even more intense, their color gradually shifting toward gold.
Arceus nodded; this was the kind of presence his opponent should have.
Then he gathered a ball of light in front of him again and blasted it towards Rope.
The light rings on his body also shone brightly, and beams of divine light pierced toward Rope like swords.
Rope swung his long sword, deflecting the divine light and splitting the light sphere that was attacking him.
He was now focused on advancing toward Arceus.
Arceus wasn't small in stature. More importantly, Arceus lacked sharp teeth, claws, armor, or fur, which essentially meant he was ineffective in close combat.
Although Arceus' physical and special attack stats were the same, his physique clearly indicated he wasn't suited for close combat. This aligned with Rope's assessment.
Arceus is well aware of its weaknesses. It's no surprise that Rope can identify its weaknesses. It's obvious to everyone.
Just as horses and cows may be powerful, but in close combat, lions and tigers are still stronger.
It's not that horses and cows aren't brave. It's just that some things are hard to change.
When Arceus saw Rope charging toward him, he immediately prepared to retreat. He was well aware of his own weaknesses. Back when Al beat him up, it was essentially the same tactic as Rope's: close in, activate enhancements, and unleash a barrage of powerful strikes.
A simple tactic, but brutal in its execution.
Arceus couldn't accept this kind of battle; it offered him no advantage whatsoever. Rope was indeed weaker than him. But he wasn't going to just hand over his weaknesses like that!
Transparent shields quickly appeared around Arceus, and he prepared to retreat. But Rope had finally gotten this opportunity—how could he let him leave so easily?
Firewing slapped down, propelling Rope's body forward with great force.
He raised his long sword high and swung it down toward Arceus with all his might.
However, when the sword made contact with Arceus's shield, he realized it hadn't achieved the effect he'd imagined.
The shield blocked Rope's sword, though only for an instant—but it was enough.
Golden light swords emerged from the light rings surrounding Arceus, and four golden light swords stabbed toward Rope. There was no mercy at all.
Rope immediately retreated, just like when he played Dark Souls back then—if he couldn't hit the target, he'd run away immediately to avoid being killed by the enemy in one move.
Although Rope could block this move, there was no need to do so… If hit, he would feel intense pain, and there would be no good opportunity for Arceus to land a decisive blow. While combat is combat, some losses are best avoided.
Arceus did not pursue further. He was well aware that if he advanced now, it would give Rope an opening. If Rope seized the chance to strike, Arceus would once again find himself at a disadvantage.
This is a foolish thing to do.
As long as the current situation is maintained, the two will fight for a long time, but if they continue to fight, the ultimate victor will definitely be Arceus. This is something everyone is well aware of.
Therefore, Rope is desperately looking for an opportunity, while Arceus is doing his best to attack, defend, and stabilize the situation.
This has led to a situation where, even though Arceus has the upper hand in terms of strength, Rope has the upper hand in terms of the situation on the battlefield.
Arceus hasn't used his signature move yet. After all, if he really throws out the Sanctum Shard, it would feel like a do-or-die situation.
Rope is also well aware of this and hasn't dared to use his ultimate move either. Both sides are fighting with restraint. Or perhaps... they haven't found the right opportunity yet.
That said, those involved are often blind to the situation, while outsiders can see it clearly.
Hoopa, watching from afar, and the gods observing the battle from even further away, all felt helpless.
"Did Rope forget... that Arceus still has the Plate move?"
"I don't think Rope forgot. But the Plate move can't be defended against either... We can only hope that Rope isn't giving it his all right now."
Rope wasn't giving it his all, but he didn't have any good way to counter Arceus. If Arceus didn't engage him directly, even if he revealed his trump card, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference.
But it seemed like Arceus had made up his mind to play it safe. Rope was helpless. For a moment, he didn't know how to proceed.
While Rope was helpless, Arceus was even more so.
He also wanted to end the battle quickly, but the Plate wasn't something he could just recall at will.
In some corner of the world.
The purple-eyed Toxic Plate lay on the ground, struggling in agony.
"No! I don't want to go back! I don't want to be your vassal!! I've developed my own independent consciousness! I can have my own future!"
He struggled fiercely, unwilling to return to Arceus's side and once again become that Plate without independent ability.
And such scenes were unfolding on the peaks of Sinnoh, in the forests of Kalos, on the plains of Unova, in the deep valleys of Hoenn…
Among those watching the battle, Al was likely the only one who noticed Arceus's dilemma.
"Hmph, how does it feel to be ambushed by your own clone?"
A mischievous yet joyful smile curled the corners of Al's mouth.
"I hope you like the gift I've prepared for you, this world's version of me."
Meanwhile, Rope stared intently at Arceus, sensing his distraction.
He was about to deliver a decisive blow to Arceus!
[1] King of the Yue state
[2] The last king of the state of Wu