The Z-Move—Acid Downpour.
Its effect was to form a poisonous mire, trapping anything caught inside.
So the rain itself wasn't the threat.
The real danger was what it became.
The moment it hit the ground, it spread into a toxic sludge—and Lie Ke's Pokémon sank into it, stuck fast for the moment.
Only Thundurus, floating in midair, avoided getting bogged down.
While they were pinned—Guo Yi swiftly drew two Ultra Balls from his belt.
These were the two Pokémon Lin Feng and Jin Peng had lent him as backup.
"Pinsir, Salamence—get those people out!"
Two red flashes burst out, and the Bug-type Pinsir and Dragon-type Salamence appeared one after the other.
Salamence, everyone had seen before.
After all, Guo Yi and the others had ridden it to Yunlong Dam.
But Pinsir was one of Lin Feng's top three ace Pokémon.
Which only went to show—they really did take Guo Yi seriously, each lending him a Pokémon worth an entire team on its own.
And before handing them over, both men had given the same instruction:
Listen to Guo Yi's orders.
So the moment the two Pokémon hit the field, they didn't take advantage of the trapped enemies to attack. Instead, they shot straight toward where Gan Yun and the others were pinned down.
"Damn!"
Lie Ke realized Guo Yi's intent at once—rescue first.
He moved to stop it immediately.
"Thundurus, stop them!"
With no wasted motion, Thundurus raised a hand and hurled a bolt of lightning at the two Pokémon.
Pinsir and Salamence were veterans of countless battles.
They weren't Thundurus's match, but dodging a single strike was still well within their abilities.
Pinsir used its smaller frame, twisting aside to slip past the crackling current. Salamence beat its powerful wings and shot upward, narrowly clearing the blast.
Each dodged in its own way.
"ROAR!"
Thundurus bellowed in irritation when the attack missed.
It lifted both hands.
Lightning danced at its fingertips, gathering for something far nastier.
But—before it could bring the strike down, a razor edge slashed toward its back.
Thundurus didn't hesitate. Its right arm flared with blinding white light as it twisted and slammed a Hammer Arm backward!
BOOM!
A muffled impact rang out.
An invisible shockwave rippled through the air, and half the sky quivered like a lake surface shuddering with rings and spray.
There, suspended in midair, a long lance and a thick, powerful arm locked in a dead struggle.
Guo Yi's opening Z-Move had only one purpose: save the hostages.
He wasn't about to let Thundurus ruin that.
"BZZZ!"
With its right lance pinned, Beedrill didn't hesitate.
A dark violet sheen flickered over its left lance.
In the next instant—Poison Jab screamed out.
But Thundurus was no weakling.
As Beedrill struck, its other arm snapped alive with dancing sparks.
Thunder Punch met it head-on.
CRACK!
Another collision tore through the air.
Only this time, it wasn't even—Beedrill was forced back.
In raw strength, Beedrill really was a step behind Thundurus.
Getting driven off was only natural.
The reason it had held even briefly before was simple: it had caught Thundurus off guard.
In a straight clash, Beedrill came up short.
But—that brief interference was enough. Pinsir snapped the ropes and freed the captives.
Everyone scrambled onto Salamence's back in a rush.
"Teacher Guo, thank you for saving us!"
"Thank you, Teacher Guo!"
Once they were safe, the rescued group all spoke at once, gratitude spilling out.
"It's fine," Guo Yi replied, then turned to Salamence and Pinsir. "Get them out first."
Only after the hostages left the Secret Realm could Guo Yi fight without restraints—no need to hold back, no need to worry about collateral.
"Teacher Guo, th—"
"This is an order."
Gan Yun tried to say more, but Guo Yi's tone left no room for argument.
"Then… Teacher Guo, be careful."
"Once we're out, we'll get the Elite Four to come support you."
Gan Yun knew the truth: with their strength, staying would only get in the way.
Getting out to find reinforcements was what mattered.
Under Gan Yun's guidance, Salamence and Pinsir headed for the exit they'd used to enter the Secret Realm.
Guo Yi expected Lie Ke to move to block them—but instead, the man simply watched, smiling.
It made Guo Yi frown.
"Why aren't you stopping them?"
On the way in, Guo Yi had used Aura to sweep the surroundings.
He was sure of it.
Aside from Lie Ke, there was no one else here.
So the chance of anyone intervening was zero.
Lie Ke suddenly threw his head back and laughed. "Whether they live or die—I couldn't care less."
"I kept them here to lure you in."
"As long as you're still here, I can't be bothered with them."
If Lie Ke had felt even a flicker of concern about Thundurus's strength before… that concern had been erased by its brief clash with Beedrill.
Lie Ke's own strength still had limits.
But his eye for a fight was sharp.
In that exchange, Thundurus had held an absolute advantage.
Which meant… revenge was finally within reach.
At the same time, the poisonous mire created by Acid Downpour was fading.
Lie Ke's Pokémon were breaking free one by one.
To prevent Guo Yi from escaping, they spread out and completely encircled him.
Lie Ke walked up slowly and stopped in front of Guo Yi. "Guo Yi, don't even think about reinforcements."
"Lin Feng and Jin Peng are probably in a mess themselves right now."
The moment Guo Yi entered the Secret Realm, their Leader's plan had already begun.
If Lie Ke's read was right, the Leader should already be clashing with the League.
Even with two Elite Four on-site, they likely had no time to spare to come help here.
After all—this time, their Leader intended to deploy the ice dragon Kyurem.
Forget sending support… whether those two Elite Four could even hold the line might be a problem in itself.
"Heh. Reinforcements?" Guo Yi let out a soft laugh, and his gaze sharpened like a blade.
A nameless pressure—something that belonged to the truly strong—rolled off him.
"I never planned on reinforcements."
"Letting them leave first was just so I wouldn't have to worry about them when the real fight starts."
For some reason… looking at Guo Yi now, Lie Ke—despite having the numbers and the advantage—felt a chill creep up his spine.
He'd never felt anything like it.
Lie Ke shook his head hard.
Forcing the unease down, he fixed Guo Yi with a stare blazing with fury.
"Guo Yi, today I'm going to make sure you die without a trace!"
Hmph.
"Just you?"
Guo Yi snorted. He slipped the Key Stone onto his wrist, then handed Beedrill a Mega Stone etched with a yellow-and-cyan gene pattern—Beedrillite.
"Lie Ke, you should feel honored today. You're about to witness a brand-new power."
"Let's see if you're still smiling after this."
As he spoke, Guo Yi pressed his index and middle fingers together and tapped the Key Stone.
"Beedrill—show them your new look!"
"[MEGA EVOLUTION]!"
"BZZZ!"
The next second—the Key Stone on Guo Yi's wrist erupted with dazzling, crystalline light, and a strange, unseen tether linked him to Beedrill.
At the same time, the Beedrillite in Beedrill's grasp resonated with the Key Stone's power, bursting with the sealed energy inside.
Then—rainbow Mega Evolution energy engulfed Beedrill completely.
Inside that dense, luminous cocoon, Beedrill began a transformation unlike anything before.
Watching this unprecedented scene, Lie Ke's unease surged even harder.
"Get them!"
He barked orders at his Pokémon, trying to interrupt Beedrill's strange state.
"ROAR!"
Charizard's wings flashed with a metallic sheen as it dove from above; Blaziken, Typhlosion, Flareon, and the others ignited in roaring flames and charged forward…
At Lie Ke's command, every Pokémon except Thundurus rushed Guo Yi and Beedrill.
They meant to crush them in one sweep.
But the corner of Guo Yi's mouth lifted in a faint, almost imperceptible smile. In a voice only he could hear, he murmured, "Too late."
"BZZZ!"
A louder, more domineering insect cry ripped across the mountaintop.
The six attacking Pokémon all sensed it in the same instant—a shadow flickering across their vision.
Their eyes went black.
Their bodies were hurled backward, helplessly, as if struck by an invisible force.
Thud. Thud. Thud…
Six heavy impacts rang out in succession.
Lie Ke's six Pokémon weren't just forced back—they lost all fighting power entirely.
"What… happened?"
Lie Ke stared, mind blank for a beat.
They'd been fine—so why were they all down?
But unlike Lie Ke, Thundurus above had already gone rigid, as if facing a mortal enemy, its expression grim as it stared at the brand-new Pokémon before it.
MEGA BEEDRILL!
---
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
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