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

Bang bang bang!

Suddenly, a burst of lively firecracker noise erupted, and colorful ribbons fluttered down from mid-air, like a dazzling rain.

Zhang Heng looked through the lingering firework debris and colorful ribbons and saw the organizers of this "welcome ceremony".

It turned out to be his father's Pokémon—the Totem Charizard, Ampharos, and Alolan Raichu, each holding a specially made paper tube firework in their claws; the "fireworks blaring" just now was their masterpiece.

The dominant Charizard grinned, while Ampharos squinted and uttered gentle cries; Alolan Raichu playfully twirled its head, its long tail curling into a firework display.

Behind these Pokémon, a group of people were watching him with smiles.

Leading the group was naturally his father, Zhang Leiyuan, who possessed both authority and kindness. Standing beside him were the kind-hearted Uncle Luo, the capable Secretary-General Kang, and Dr. Mo Tieshan and the old champion Guo Jian'an, who rarely gathered together.

Happy 18th birthday, son!

Zhang Leiyuan's voice was loud and full of satisfaction, and his eyes sparkled with the pride of being a father.

Uncle Luo's smile was no less intense than Zhang Lei's. He had no relatives and treated Zhang Heng almost like his own son. At this moment, his eyes were slightly red.

He shouted loudly, "Xiao Heng, you've become a grown man! Good! That's great!"

Mr. Guo appeared exceptionally energetic today, seemingly free from the torment of Alzheimer's disease for the time being. His eyes were clear, and he let out a hearty and hearty laugh.

He said, "Haha! Today we're all here because of that young Zhang. Old Mo and I have come to join in the fun and share in your birthday joy!"

Dr. Mo Tieshan, the leading figure in charge of the Steel System Citizens' Park and Research Institute, also showed a rare gentle smile and nodded to Zhang Heng.

The heartwarming and sincere scene before him brought a lump to Zhang Heng's throat, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears.

He couldn't help but reach out and touch his nose, trying to hide the surging emotions within him.

After arriving in this world, he witnessed the cruelty of the battlefield and experienced the infighting and conspiracies within the alliance.

But at this moment, this unreserved care and blessing deeply touched the softest part of his heart.

As the fireworks faded and their afterglow lingered, Qi Shu's clear voice rang out from the side: "Make way! Make way, everyone! The cake is here—!"

Qi Shu was pushing a small cart decorated with colorful lights, on which sat a very stylish cake.

The cake is themed around Ghost-type Pokémon, with a deep and mysterious purplish-blue base. It is decorated with delicate cream depicting a mischievous Gengar sticking out its tongue, as well as small Rotom dolls that are transformed into various household appliances and making funny faces.

The cake is decorated with handcrafted "ghostly" elements and chocolate tombstones, giving it a quirky and creative overall style.

Zhang Heng could tell at a glance that this was definitely something that Qi Shu had carefully selected or even helped to produce.

How could such a joyous occasion be complete without his comrades who fought alongside him?

Zhang Heng smiled knowingly, skillfully pulled out a handful of Poké Balls from his waist, and held them up with both hands!

Bang bang bang bang—!

The sounds of numerous spheres opening rang out one after another, and streaks of white light flashed, landing in the center of the field.

Zhang Heng's core companions appeared one by one: Swampert, Altaria, Milotic, Duraludon, Kingdra, Charizard, and the newly added Shiny Charizard.

Finally, from the shadows, the mischievous Gengar and the agile Shiny Dragapult emerged.

As for the mythical beasts such as Heatran, Bodan Water, and Martial Ursa, they were not released.

This is not about hiding one's strength, but rather that after losing the natural shield of Giratina's legendary Pokémon field, the natural dissipation of the legendary Pokémon's power will not be controlled.

If all three mythical beasts appear at the same time, the resulting energy will cause unnecessary trouble.

As soon as Gengar appeared, it was immediately attracted by the ghost-themed cake, and it excitedly circled the cart several times.

Especially when he saw the lifelike Gengar doll stuck on top of the cake, he kept pointing at it with his chubby fingers.

It let out a smug "hehehe" laugh, as if to say, "Look, that's me!"

At this moment, the Thorn Dragon King slowly moved its slender body to the side of Champion Guo, lowered its head, and affectionately rubbed its unique horns against the old man's arm.

Looking at his old comrade-in-arms who had fought alongside him in the past, Guo Lao's eyes were filled with emotion and heartfelt joy.

He chuckled and patted the Thorn Dragon King's hard scales: "Old buddy, you've gotten stronger! I can feel the power within you has become even more immense."

"Nod, nod..." The Thorn Dragon King let out a deep growl and rubbed against him even more affectionately.

Old Guo gently stroked the iconic dragon horn on the head of the Thorn Dragon King, his tone tinged with relief and a hint of understanding: "You've found a good home, and I'm happy for you, truly."

As he spoke, a hint of sadness and longing appeared in the eyes of the Thorn Dragon King.

From the time of the Mexican Seahorse, it was bred by Guo Jianan and accompanied him all the way until he became the champion of East China.

After evolving into Kingdra, it became known as the "King of the Seas," intimidating overseas communities and striking fear into the hearts of those who coveted East China.

Unfortunately, even heroes grow old. Guo Lao suffered from Alzheimer's disease and often fell into a state of confusion. The glorious years he fought alongside the old champions seemed to be covered with a layer of dust.

Seeing this, Zhang Heng quickly stepped forward, bowed deeply to Elder Guo, and said sincerely, "Elder Guo, thank you! If it weren't for your trust in me and lending me the Thorn Dragon King at that crucial moment, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to turn the tide of the battle in the East China Sea, let alone save my father."

On the brutal battlefield of Huahai, the master-level Thorn Dragon King was undoubtedly Zhang Heng's strongest fighting force at the time.

Whether facing powerful Master-level Pokémon from abroad or encountering legendary Pokémon, Kingdra, under Zhang Heng's command and with the boost of Dynamax energy, displayed unparalleled strength and never retreated an inch.

Grandpa Guo nodded with satisfaction, reached out to help Zhang Heng up, his eyes full of appreciation: "Child, get up. This is not entirely my doing. Kingdra is proud, and there are very few trainers who can gain its approval."

“I’ve seen too many excellent Water-type Trainers, and it remained unmoved. But you are different; it chose you yourself.”

Zhang Leiyuan also walked over at this moment, his tone calm and sincere: "Old Guo, no matter what, your decision back then did save my son and me. Our Zhang family will always remember this kindness."

"Alright, alright, I appreciate your kind intentions." Old Guo waved his hand with a smile.

"I have complete peace of mind with the Thorn Dragon King by Zhang Heng's side. Today is a big day for the Zhang family lad, so let's not get bogged down in these words. This old man is still waiting to eat the cake!"

"I'm coming!"

Qi Shu hopped over, holding a golden paper crown shaped like the God of Longevity, and deftly placed it on Zhang Heng's head.

Then quickly insert a uniquely shaped, rather thick birthday candle into the center of the cake.

She instinctively reached into her pocket for her lighter, but found it empty. A look of frustration immediately crossed her face: "Oh no! I think I've lost my lighter..."

She looked around anxiously, her gaze sweeping over all the Pokémon before finally settling on the flickering flames of Zhang Heng's Charizard's tail.

Qi Shu's eyes lit up, and he immediately ran over, carefully cupping the tip of the fire-breathing dragon's tail in both hands, like holding a natural torch, and brought it close to the candle's fuse.

"Little Dragon, please help me!" she said with a grin.

"Roar...?!" Charizard was taken aback at first, then understood her intention and cooperated by keeping its tail steady.

"Whoosh..." The candle's fuse was instantly lit, and the orange flame danced merrily.

Qi Shu quickly urged, "Hurry, hurry! Longevity God, make your wishes! You only have three wishes. You can say the first two aloud, but you must keep the third one silently in your heart!"

For many adults, birthdays may be a tedious or even something they no longer look forward to.

But when you're surrounded by a group of people and Pokémon who genuinely rejoice for you, work hard for you, and bless you, the process becomes filled with indescribable warmth and happiness.

In this moment, Zhang Heng felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He did as he was told, clasped his hands together, placed them tightly against his heart, slowly closed his eyes, and silently made a wish that would carry the weight of the present and the future.

A moment later, he opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

"call--"

The candle went out immediately.

Happy birthday, Xiao Heng!

Qishu and his Pokémon immediately became the most enthusiastic atmosphere group, with cheers, applause, shouts and clapping sounds from the Pokémon filling the air, creating a lively and jubilant scene.

The clear-headed Mr. Guo was unusually quick-witted, as if he had rediscovered the playful spirit he had in his youth.

He strolled over to Old Master Mo and, without any hesitation, put his arm around his shoulder.

He joked, "Hey, Lao Mo, we're all getting on in years. It's not good for the younger generation to eat and drink for free. As the elder, have you prepared any gifts for the birthday boy?"

Mo Tieshan was clearly uncomfortable with Guo Lao's sudden arm around his shoulder, and pushed him away with a look of disgust: "Go away! Don't touch me, you're so unseemly!"

He straightened his wrinkled clothes before turning to Zhang Heng, his face regaining the gentleness and seriousness of an elder.

"Zhang Heng, speaking of which, I should thank you for the idea you gave me at the research institute last time. It benefited me a lot. Here, consider this your birthday present."

As he spoke, Professor Mo Tieshan took out an item wrapped in a special soft cloth from his briefcase.

Uncovering the soft cloth revealed an irregularly shaped iron block, roughly the size of an adult's fist, shimmering with a strange silvery-white metallic luster.

Its surface seemed to have a faint glow flowing through it, subtly radiating a unique energy fluctuation.

Zhang Heng, still in the early stages of fusion with the power of the Overlord, immediately and keenly sensed the extraordinary energy contained within the iron block and a trace of a familiar divine beast aura.

This is clearly a special alloy forged from the remains of the Steel Pillar Registeel, and then fused with other rare metals through a complex process!

"This is...that kind of composite metal?! You've successfully researched it so quickly?!" Zhang Heng was both surprised and delighted.

The aluminum-steel dragon beside him reacted even more directly. Its gaze was instantly drawn to the small piece of iron, its massive body involuntarily leaning forward, letting out a longing growl, as if the metal had a fatal attraction for it.

Old Mo stroked his goatee with pride and laughed, "With the divine beast steel as the core 'catalyst,' many of the technical problems that were previously stuck have been solved."

"Of course, your idea of ​​using divine beast metal as the main component that day did help me clear away a lot of theoretical obstacles and speed up the process. This piece is the first successful version, with stable energy and excellent properties."

Zhang Heng accepted the heavy, significant piece of metal with both hands, feeling the power contained within it, and sincerely expressed his gratitude: "It's so precious! Thank you, Elder Mo!"

Old Mo nodded with a smile, then, as if remembering something, turned his gaze to Old Guo, who was watching the show with amusement, and spoke with a hint of sarcasm.

"As for gifts, of course I've prepared them. I just wonder if anyone will be disrespectful to their elders and come to a younger person's birthday party empty-handed, only wanting to freeload?"

These words were pointed, immediately drawing everyone's attention to Old Master Guo Jian'an.