A water-type trainer who specializes in dragon-type water.

All the information flow finally subsided completely.

Zhang Heng gasped for breath, his consciousness returning to reality. He found himself still standing on the open ground outside the charred tower, the blue light in his hand long gone.

"Xiao Heng!"

"Goohoo?!"

"Ooh!"

"Gah!"

His father, Zhang Leiyuan, Bo Dangshui, martial arts master Xiong, and Yongyueya all anxiously surrounded him, looking at him with concern.

His changing expressions and slight trembling as he received the message clearly worried them greatly.

Zhang Heng shook his still throbbing head and gave a reassuring smile: "I'm fine, it's just... I saw something very important."

The Leaping Duck waddled over to his legs, nuzzled him with its little head, and looked at him with worry in its eyes.

At that very moment, another unexpected event occurred!

The water droplet stone slab fragment that Zhang Heng had just obtained, and the original fragment inside the Leaping Duck, seemed to be strongly attracted to each other, and at the same time burst out with a strong blue light!

"Om-!"

The two fragments floated out of Zhang Heng's hand and the body of the Leaping Duck on their own, and like long-lost relatives, they rapidly approached and spun in the air, fitting together perfectly at the broken points!

A dazzling light enveloped the man and the duck, and the purest water elemental power rippled out like the tide, causing the water spirit beside them to nod slightly.

A few seconds later, the light gradually faded, and a water-drop stone slab, twice the size of the previous one and completely intact, slowly fell and quietly returned to Zhang Heng's palm.

Zhang Heng held the fused stone slab, feeling the even more powerful water system within it.

Then I looked down at the leaping duck in front of me, which looked somewhat bewildered because the stone slab had come off its body, but whose eyes were still clear.

He took a deep breath, preparing to solemnly extend an invitation to it to become his partner—even if it meant that his unfinished fire-type targeted taming mission might fail, bringing unknown consequences.

But he could not bear to see the Leaping Duck, now without the protection of the stone slab, survive alone in this perilous secret realm, for that would mean certain death.

However, before he could speak, Zhang Leiyuan stepped forward.

She snatched the still somewhat dazed leaping duck in her arms and, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, glared at Zhang Heng with fierce eyes and a fierce expression.

"Hey, hey, hey! Xiao Heng! This shiny duck is my Pokémon now!"

"Don't even think about stealing it again! Your old man has been around for so many years, and this is the only shiny Pokémon I have. You know how hard it was for me!"

"Huh?" Zhang Heng was stunned. Looking at his father's expression that said, "If you dare to take it from me, I'll fight you," he didn't react for a moment.

He said timidly, "Dad? You... why are you suddenly interested in Water-type Pokémon?"

"joke!"

Zhang Leiyuan patted the head of the Leaping Duck proudly, "When it evolves into the final Carnival Duck, it will be a Water/Fighting type! It will fill the gap in my team's attacking capabilities, wouldn't that be a perfect match?"

"You already have enough Pokémon, kid. You can't handle these, so let your dad train this one!"

The Leaping Duck seemed to sense Zhang Leiyuan's protectiveness. Although it didn't quite understand what was going on, it still snuggled comfortably in his arms.

"quack…"

Seeing this, Zhang Heng chuckled to himself, and his worries subsided.

It was undoubtedly the best arrangement for him to be subdued by his father.

At this moment, the Water Lord slowly strolled over, its deep gaze falling on Zhang Heng with a hint of approval and peace.

Although he didn't open his mouth, that ethereal and majestic voice resonated clearly once again in the hearts of Zhang Heng and his son, as well as all their Pokémon.

"Now that the trial is complete, you may leave at any time. The entrance to the secret realm is the same path you came from."

After it finished speaking, it looked deeply at Zhang Heng, as if looking at him, or as if looking through him at the events of a hundred years ago and the possibilities of the future.

Then, it turned gracefully, taking silent steps, its figure gradually becoming ethereal, transforming into a cool north wind.

Just as Shui Jun's figure was about to completely merge into the water vapor of the secret realm and dissipate into nothingness, Zhang Heng suddenly looked up and shouted urgently:

"Suicune! Please wait a moment!"

The dissipating north wind paused slightly, and the elegant, ethereal figure of the Water Lord solidified a bit more.

It slowly turned around, its deep, abyss-like eyes looking at Zhang Heng with a hint of confusion and inquiry.

Feeling a little embarrassed by the gaze, Zhang Heng scratched his head, organized his thoughts, and forced himself to speak.

“Um… Suicune, the powerful enemies who killed my father and forced us to flee into this place are probably still guarding the entrance to the secret realm.”

"Given our current state, even if our Pokémon are at their peak, breaking through will likely be quite difficult."

Zhang Leiyuan suddenly turned his head to look at his son and couldn't help but secretly give him a thumbs up.

Suicune was clearly taken aback. A moment of surprise seemed to appear on its majestic face, as if it had not expected that this human who had just passed its trial would make such a... request?

The fluctuations in the space suddenly carried a hint of displeasure, and an ethereal voice echoed.

He said, "Human, do you mean... you want me to become your henchman, to clear the obstacles in front of your door?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Heng hurriedly waved his hands, his expression becoming anxious: "No! Shui Jun, you've misunderstood! I had absolutely no such intention!"

He took a deep breath, and his tone became incredibly sincere.

He knew that if it weren't for Suicune sensing the power of Ho-Oh's feathers and intervening to save them, he and his son would have perished at sea long ago.

Suijun was their savior, and they had no choice but to make this request at this moment.

"It was because of your help that we had a chance to catch our breath. We will never forget this kindness."

Zhang Heng solemnly said, "But as I said, the enemy outside is too powerful. If we go out now, it would be tantamount to walking into a trap and repeating the same mistakes."

"So...so I'm just begging you, could you temporarily hold off their attack while we're leaving, just to buy us a little space to retreat? There's no need for a fight to the death!"

Suicune's aura seemed to grow colder, and its azure ribbons fluttered without wind, clearly indicating that it thought this human was pushing its luck and trying to exploit its power.

However, Zhang Heng's next words were like a precise key, instantly unlocking the heart and anger that had been sealed for a hundred years by Shui Jun!

"Moreover, those surrounding us are none other than members of the Temple of Creation!"

Zhang Heng's gaze sharpened. "That's the same person who coveted Ho-Oh's power a hundred years ago, enslaved that armored Pokémon, and ultimately caused the Bell Tower to burn down, resulting in your unfortunate death along with Raikou and Entei!"

"In a sense, we have a common enemy! My father's 'death,' and what you went through, both stem from this evil organization!"

"The Temple of Creation!"

The three words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a monstrous wave in the eyes of the Water Lord!

Those fragments of memory, intertwined with flames and pain, surged forth!

Its gaze suddenly turned icy cold, and its body emanated a tangible chill and killing intent—a deep-seated hatred!

Zhang Heng sensed the change in Shui Jun's emotions and knew that his words had worked. He pressed his advantage and gave Shui Jun his last and most compelling reason.

"When Ho-Oh left, it gave you new life and responsibilities: to find trainers with pure hearts and to look forward to the day when humans and Pokémon can truly live in peace."

"And the Rainbow Warriors are the most crucial bridge connecting humans and Ho-Oh!"

He pointed to himself, his gaze intense: "Perhaps... I am one of those possibilities. Would you really want to see this person, who has just emerged from your trials and could potentially become the Rainbow Hero?"

"You couldn't even leave the gates of your secret realm before perishing at the hands of your common enemy? If that's the case, when will the rift between humans and Ho-Oh ever be resolved?"

Suijun: "!!!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt in the heart of the Water Lord! Its icy killing intent gradually transformed into a deeper and more resolute will.

Its gaze toward Zhang Heng became incredibly complex, containing scrutiny, reminiscence, and a heavy expectation.

It did not answer with its thoughts, but the silent beating and the suddenly determined look in its eyes said it all.

Zhang Leiyuan just shrank back, thinking to himself that his son's PUA techniques were simply unparalleled.

"You might not be able to hold a scalpel steadily, but you must be ruthless. I've never even used these PUA techniques before..."

In just a few words, Zhang Leiyuan and Shui Jun were both positioned as victims who had been "murdered," and a common enemy—the Temple of Creation—was also created.

He then appealed to Suicune's emotions and reason by explaining that he might be the one to ease the tension between humans and Ho-Oh, forcing Suicune to intervene.