Chapter 553: The Shadow of Hoopa
Twenty minutes ago.
Dahara City.
The pale yellow sunlight spilled lazily on the open-air dining tables covered with checkered tablecloths, the air filled with the sweet aroma of powdered sugar and fried dough.
N and his group, along with the Baraz siblings, sat outside a famous donut food truck in Dahara City enjoying afternoon tea.
N did not fail Will's expectations.
He smoothly stopped Baraz and Meray, preventing them from rashly coming into contact with the Prison Bottle, and spent two days successfully persuading them to believe him.
Although Meray and Hoopa were somewhat disappointed.
But they also understood.
If that thing was really that dangerous, it would be better not to open it.
"I'll take you to find the Prison Bottle in a bit, alright? Previously, I had already determined a few locations based on the will left by our grandfather. We should be able to find it in these next two days."
"Okay, sorry to trouble you."
N took a bite of a donut and nodded gently.
He had no special requirements for food.
As long as it could fill his stomach, it was fine.
However, this world-renowned donut actually tasted pretty good. In N's heart, it was almost catching up to the pudding his mother made.
"No, it should be us thanking you for informing us of such an important matter."
Baraz hurriedly waved his hand.
If what N said was true, then if he rashly touched the Prison Bottle, he would highly likely be controlled by the Shadow of Hoopa inside, thereby opening the Prison Bottle and giving it a chance to swallow the real Hoopa.
If his rashness caused Hoopa to be hurt.
He would definitely be extremely remorseful.
"But in that case, wouldn't Hoopa never be able to recover its power?"
Meray said somewhat disappointed.
She remembered Hoopa had always wanted to regain its power.
"It doesn't matter!"
A voice strongly resembling a certain well-known voice actress with the surname Kugimiya (Rie Kugimiya voices Hoopa Confined in Japanese) sounded on the table.
Only to see Hoopa, holding a large donut in one hand, grin and try hard to puff out its small chest:
"Even without the power inside that bottle, Hoopa is very strong. As long as I have the rings, Hoopa is super awesome!"
"Hehe, mm!"
Meray covered her mouth and smiled, nodding gently.
"That's right, that's the spirit, Hoopa! Show some fighting spirit! Spirit!"
"Pika pika pi!"
Ash roared towards the sky, and Pikachu also jumped directly on the table.
The joyful conversation continued.
The food truck owner looked at this lively group of customers, a smile inevitably hanging on his face as well.
In the sky.
A semi-transparent aircraft slowly flew over.
"Target confirmed, Dahara City Central Square, Boss?"
"Smash it, throw it down."
Lysandre's indifferent voice sounded.
"Yes!"
Only a crisp sound of pottery breaking was heard in mid-air, and the next moment, several pieces of pottery wreckage fell from high in the sky.
And the landing point was exactly where N and his group were eating donuts.
"Hm?"
N, who was teasing Pikachu, suddenly stopped.
His slender eyebrows instantly furrowed tightly, and a strong sense of unease coiled around his spine, causing dense goosebumps to break out on his skin.
"Pika?"
Pikachu also felt something at the same time, perking up its ears and tail, standing up and looking at the sky.
Ash and Pikachu's exclusive move—Mythical Beast Radar.
But a Mythical beast didn't appear.
Only some sharp fragments falling from the sky could be seen.
"Pika!"
Pikachu was just about to use Iron Tail to smash them.
But N raised his hand and pressed down its furry little head:
"It's fine."
Using Iron Tail could certainly shatter the fragments, but the resulting smaller pieces exploding outward might accidentally injure the surrounding people like a shotgun blast.
N had a better solution here.
He raised his pale hand, blue fluorescent light appearing in his eyes, and invisible telekinetic power spread out.
The fragments in mid-air immediately stopped.
Bizarrely hovering a few meters above everyone's heads.
"So dangerous! Who is throwing things around?"
Clemont stood up somewhat angrily.
"But there are no tall buildings around here. Who could throw things down here?"
Serena looked confusedly at the completely empty sky.
They were in a square.
Even the shop selling donuts was a food truck.
Where was there a place for people to throw objects from a high altitude?
"Pokémon?"
"Deden?"
Bonnie and Dedenne tilted their heads at the same time.
"Never mind that, these fragments don't look good."
N suddenly spoke.
He fiercely threw the fragments controlled by telekinesis to the side.
"What's wrong?"
Ash asked.
"There's something very evil inside that can devour my telekinesis."
N frowned tightly.
"That's the Prison Bottle!"
Baraz's roar came from the side.
The next moment.
Everyone saw dark purple energy emerge from those fragments on the ground. This energy drifted into the air like gas, gradually coalescing into a seven-meter-tall behemoth.
A Hoopa Unbound with eyes filled with dark purple energy!
Huge golden rings, like shackles and also like the crown of a demon king, encircled its six thick arms, emitting heart-palpitating spatial fluctuations.
The sweet air in the square instantly became cold and viscous, and the sunlight seemed to dim a bit.
The surrounding onlookers weren't stupid either.
Seeing this massive Pokémon being so sinister, they immediately retreated repeatedly.
And when someone blurted out that this guy was Hoopa, everyone immediately scattered and fled.
Hoopa.
That is the psychological shadow of every Kalos native child.
If you don't sleep obediently when you're little.
Mom will bring out the Great Demon God Hoopa!
"Going to disappear... Hoopa is going to disappear."
Little Hoopa was sweating profusely, hugging Meray and shivering.
"How is that possible?! Besides us Arche people, who else could enter the secret cave sealing the Prison Bottle!"
Meray tightly hid Hoopa in her arms, deeply afraid of it being discovered by the Shadow of Hoopa.
But.
The Shadow of Hoopa is an angry personality derived from Hoopa's power. How could it not see Hoopa?
As long as Hoopa is alive.
The Shadow of Hoopa will tightly follow it for a lifetime, just like a real shadow.
Inseparable.
"That's not the point right now! The Shadow of Hoopa has escaped. We have to deal with this guy first. Do you have a way to repair the Prison Bottle?!"
N made a judgment at the first moment.
He gripped Reshiram's Poké Ball, cold sweat running down his forehead.
A hundred years ago.
Reshiram, teaming up with Zekrom and Regigigas, couldn't finish off Hoopa. Can they take care of the Shadow of Hoopa now?
"Yes! The core fragments of the Prison Bottle are still here, it can be remade!"
Baraz took the opportunity to retrieve the broken pieces of the Prison Bottle from the ground. Looking at those fragments, he hurriedly nodded,
"No time to explain. We need the help of Water, Fire, and Ground-type Pokémon, and we can only remake the Prison Bottle in Dahara Tower."
According to the legends left by their grandfather.
The Prison Bottle.
Was created using the extremely abundant Water, Fire, and Ground natural energies in the world.
All Arche people can control natural energy, and Baraz and Meray have painstakingly practiced this ability since childhood, so of course they can do it too.
"I have Braixen!"
Serena hurriedly summoned her partner.
"Frogadier can also help!"
Ash also immediately took action.
At this point in time, his Frogadier hadn't evolved into Greninja yet, and he didn't even have a full team of six members.
"Crustle."
N placed a Poké Ball into Bonnie's hands,
"Dahara Tower is quite far away. Have Hoopa directly teleport you there using a ring."
"But Hoopa can't pass through the rings himself!"
Meray said anxiously.
The newly coalesced Shadow of Hoopa seemed to have gradually awakened its consciousness, and its gaze was already fixed on Meray's arms.
"Then you guys go. N and I will stay behind to protect Hoopa!"
Ash had Frogadier follow Serena, hurriedly took Hoopa over, and encouraged it,
"Hoopa! Don't be afraid! Let's fight together!"
"A-Ash... Hoopa, will fight!"
Little Hoopa is easily influenced by words.
When it felt the confidence and encouragement in 'Ash''s words, it was immediately influenced by Ash.
"Disappear!!"
The Shadow of Hoopa roared at Hoopa.
Little Hoopa was startled.
But a moment later, it clenched its fists and shouted:
"No! Hoopa won't disappear! Wants to be together with everyone!"
Immediately after.
Little Hoopa threw one of the rings on its arm.
The ring enlarged.
The scene on the other side was exactly Dahara Tower, located on the sea opposite Dahara City.
"Let's go quickly!"
Baraz didn't hesitate at all, pulling his sister Meray and walking into it.
At this kind of time.
Not a moment could be delayed.
Very quickly.
Only Hoopa, Ash, Pikachu, and N were left at the scene.
"Ash, you guys take Hoopa and run. Reshiram and I will stall it."
N summoned Reshiram.
And climbed onto its back himself.
Engaging in a Pokémon battle alongside a Pokémon is extremely dangerous.
But the battle between Reshiram and the Shadow of Hoopa couldn't possibly be restricted to a small area.
Once the distance was too far.
Reshiram might not be able to hear his commands.
Even the Shadow of Hoopa might come to grab the isolated N.
"Okay! Pikachu, Hoopa, let's go!"
Ash nodded.
He immediately started scurrying through the streets and alleys of the city together with little Hoopa.
"Reshiram, Fusion Flare!"
"Uwaah!!"
Reshiram spread its wings.
A blazing red fireball surrounded by streaks of flame was rapidly fired out.
"Hoopa~"
The Shadow of Hoopa raised an arm.
A ring suddenly expanded, swallowing the huge fireball fired by Reshiram.
Then another hand waved forward, and another ring expanded. Reshiram's Fusion Flare was actually transferred out by it, shooting towards N and Reshiram.
"Dodge it quickly!"
N's eyes widened and he hurriedly shouted.
Reshiram, already mentally prepared, dodged at the first moment.
"This is the tricky part about that guy."
Reshiram was somewhat helpless.
Even the God of Space Palkia couldn't perform such moves.
The fake God of Space control—Palkia.
The true God of Space scooping—Hoopa Unbound.
"Tsk... it has a full six of such rings on its body."
N gritted his teeth, feeling a bit of a headache.
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