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

Zhang Heng's breathing became increasingly difficult, as if countless invisible hands were choking him.

Zhang Heng saw Wan Xiang's bloodshot eyes staring intently at him in the darkness, hatred almost tangible.

"You sinner against humanity! Give Zygarde back to me!!"

The roar was not like a human voice, but more like the howl of a wild beast, making his eardrums ache.

The suffocating pain made his whole body go limp, and he couldn't even lift a finger.

In the darkness, he could only feel his consciousness slipping away little by little, like a stone sinking into the deep sea, powerless to stop it.

"what!"

With a startled cry, Zhang Heng sat bolt upright in bed, his forehead covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, his heart pounding in his chest.

He gasped for breath, greedily inhaling the morning air.

Looking down, he saw a huge pink arm lying across his chest and neck; it turned out that the Swamp Monster, in its sleep, had accidentally draped its arm over him.

That heavy pressure transformed in his dream into the sensation of all things choking him.

"Hey... Dude, you're going to crush me."

Zhang Heng patted the thick arm helplessly, his voice still hoarse from just waking up.

Swampert was startled awake, and groggily raised its arm to wipe the drool from the corner of its mouth, realizing that it had almost suffocated its trainer in his sleep.

Those round eyes immediately widened, and he scratched his head sheepishly, making a low gurgling sound to express his apology.

The commotion woke up the other Pokémon in the room.

The bluebird gracefully spreads its soft, cotton-like wings and lightly flies down from its perch by the window;

Charizard yawned, and the flames on its tail flickered, casting shimmering light and shadow in the room in the early morning.

The aluminum-steel dragon stood up from the corner of the room, its metal casing gleaming with a cold silver light in the morning light filtering through the curtains.

They all gathered around Zhang Heng, looking at him with concern.

Zhang Heng smiled as he looked around at his companions who had just recovered from the fierce battle. He gently stroked the soft feathers of the Altaria and patted the Charizard's strong arm.

"I'm fine, I just had a nightmare. Thank you all for your hard work these past few days."

After returning from the bloody battlefield in the East China Sea, Zhang Heng was arranged by his father, Zhang Leiyuan, to rest for one night in the league dormitory of the East China Champions Office.

Although he has recovered physically, the shadow of war and the tense situation of the past few days still leave a deep imprint on his subconscious.

After washing up and getting dressed, Zhang Heng put his companions back into their Poké Balls one by one.

As he pushed open the heavy dormitory door and walked into the corridor of the Alliance dormitory, a bright blue duck had been waiting for him for a long time—it was the Shiny Leap Duck that his father had tamed.

"Quack quack quack!" Upon seeing Zhang Heng, the Leaping Duck immediately squawked excitedly, flapping its wings covered in water droplets as it ran towards him, leaving a trail of wet footprints on the clean floor.

Zhang Heng, possessing the power to control water, naturally understood its meaning—this was someone his father had sent to take him to the cafeteria, a place within the East China Regional Alliance where he could move freely.

He smiled slightly and followed the enthusiastic guide through a wide corridor that could accommodate several large Pokémon, heading towards the exclusive cafeteria for League employees and their families.

The grandeur of the canteen amazed Zhang Heng, who was visiting for the first time.

Several giant crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, which is more than ten meters high, casting a soft glow on the gleaming marble floor.

Dozens of food pick-up lines are arranged in an orderly manner, with a wide variety of dishes available, enough to accommodate thousands of people at the same time.

What's most amazing is that trainers are allowed to bring their medium-sized Pokémon to dine here, and Elite Four trainers are on duty in several prominent locations.

Their vigilant yet composed gazes swept across the entire area, ensuring that no disturbance would occur.

Zhang Heng went to the ordering area and first ordered special set meals suitable for each of his four companions' attributes. He planned to pack some more to take back to Bodangshui, Martial Arts Bear Master, and Thorn Dragon King.

The fire-breathing dragon received a spicy berry platter served in a heat-resistant ceramic dish, with a small cluster of magical flames underneath to keep the berries at their best.

In front of the Swampert was an algae salad made with mineral-rich Water Stone fragments, the azure stone chips shimmering among the emerald green seaweed;

The bluebird enjoys the pure cloud cotton candy and the seeds in the breeze, which swirl gently in the air and emit a refreshing fragrance.

The aluminum-steel dragon features a meticulously polished metal coating and hardened steel sheets, each gleaming with a refined luster.

He also prepared special energy cubes for each Pokémon. These crystal-clear cubes can not only replenish energy, but also slightly improve the Pokémon's status.

He ordered a simple fried egg and toast, found a quiet corner to sit down, and ate while thinking about the recent events.

The steaming hot fried egg melted in his mouth, but his thoughts drifted to the distant battlefield.

On the South China Sea battlefield, all of Duan Guanjun's main forces were seriously injured. Keldeo, which had severely wounded Kyurem with a single sword strike, and Gallade, which had repelled the Ice-type army on the battlefield, were both critically injured and on the verge of death.

Zhang Heng recalled the scene of Duan Guanjun lifting the fighting stone slab with one hand. The flesh on that arm kept breaking and regenerating under the power of the rules and props, eventually becoming a bloody mess. He wondered how this mentor and friend was doing now.

The Northeast Du champion's Absolute Command Snowstorm Horse was also severely injured by Kyurem. That once galloping swiftly across the snowfield is now struggling to walk.

Back in the Northeast Theater, facing the enemy's covetous encroachment, this champion guarding the nation's gate could only shrink his defenses and swallow his anger for a short time.

The most difficult situation was for Hua Haitang, the champion. His championship team was almost entirely wiped out. Mega Heracross, Volcarona, and Beedrill all fell in the fierce battles against the Thousand Islands Kingdom and Rem...

Aside from Genosekt, who miraculously survived but was also badly injured, fortunately, with his grandfather's promise, treatment should not be a problem.

On the battlefield of the Huahai Sea King's Secret Realm, Li Guanjun's main force, the Fire Lion, was also killed. That invincible lion now lies quietly on the cold earth.

Although Li Guanjun gained a lot, including killing Steel God Pillar and forcibly taking in two Divine Clouds.

But the partners you cultivate yourself are always the best. How can such a loss be easily made up for?

Although none of my father's main Pokémon died in this battle, making it seem like he suffered the fewest losses, he almost died...

"Ding ding ding..."

Zhang Heng's thoughts were interrupted by a communication request from the encyclopedia. He picked up the device that was flashing blue light, and the screen showed his grandfather.

"grandfather!"

Zhang Heng answered the video call, and a sprightly old man appeared on the screen with his silver hair neatly combed.

"Is there something urgent that you're contacting me so early?"

"Xiao Heng, I'm relieved to hear that you and your son have returned safely from the East China Sea."

The grandfather's voice was filled with undisguised concern, and his eyes, which were remarkably similar to Zhang Heng's, carefully examined his grandson's face.

"Where is your father? Why isn't he answering my calls?"

“My father went to have a meeting with Mr. Guo early this morning, which should be about the specific arrangements after the war.”

Zhang Heng pursed his lips. "In this battle in the East China Sea, all sides suffered considerable losses. Father, as the new champion, will probably face a lot of trouble."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the grandfather and grandson turned to business.

"Xiao Heng, Tang Guanjun's Genosect injury is serious and requires high-quality steel for treatment."

"You need to find a few high-quality Steel-type Pokémon in the East China Steel-type Citizens' Park, preferably Bug/Steel type Pokémon like Scizor or Escavalier, and obtain some steel from them."

Zhang Heng immediately thought, "Grandpa, didn't Li Guanjun kill a Steel-type legendary Pokémon, Registeel, from the Sakura Kingdom? That should be able to heal the external injuries of Genesect, which is also a Steel-type legendary Pokémon, right?"

Grandpa Zhang pondered for a moment, his eyes slightly relaxing, and nodded, saying, "That's a good idea. The resonance of materials between divine beasts can indeed produce miraculous effects. I'll contact Li Guanjun immediately to discuss it. But for now, you should..."

"This is a public place. What kind of rude people are making such a racket?"