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

Zhang Leiyuan's low voice echoed across the battlefield, where the aftershocks of the explosion had not yet subsided, like a stone thrown into a deep pool.

However, all he got in response was dead silence.

Reggie Elegy's golden body still stood silently in the center of the charred crater, the three dim black electrodes flickering slightly, the electric light flowing inside slow and weak.

It did not react to Zhang Leiyuan's words in any way—no angry rebuttal, no resonant tremor, not even the slightest emotional fluctuation.

Those "eyes" made of electricity remained empty and indifferent, as if the words just spoken were nothing more than a breeze passing by the ear.

The atmosphere in the room became somewhat... subtly awkward due to this unexpected silence.

Zhang Leiyuan raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting from anticipation to a hint of helpless embarrassment.

He stroked his chin and muttered to himself, "Tsk, stubborn as a mule..."

Faced with the other party's indifference and lack of response, it seemed a bit like... wishful thinking?

"Heh... Hahaha!!!"

Breaking the silence was the mocking and manic laughter of Dian Sha, filled with the ecstasy of someone who had survived a catastrophe.

Electric Fiend struggled to his feet from beside the floating rock wall, looking utterly disheveled. His once pristine hooded robe was now covered in dust.

But looking at Zhang Leiyuan's slightly embarrassed expression, a twisted sense of pleasure welled up inside him.

"Daydreaming!!"

He pointed at Zhang Leiyuan, then at the silent Reggie Ellech, his voice trembling with excitement and injury.

"Who do you think you are? You think you can sway a divine beast controlled by a 'sacred artifact' with just a few words? You have no idea of ​​the power of the 'sacred artifact fragments'!"

"That is a supreme power that can even distort and imprison the will of gods!"

"You? A so-called champion? Hahaha!!!"

His maniacal laughter echoed in the spirit world, filled with a sense of hysteria.

Zhang Heng's gaze was not drawn to Dian Sha's frenzied state, but rather, like the sharpest probe, it was fixed on the black scepter in Dian Sha's right hand that he had just waved.

The groove at the top of the scepter, where the Poké Ball was originally embedded, is now empty.

Below the groove, at the junction of the staff and the top, a strange fragment, about the size of a thumb, grayish-white in color, with a texture resembling both inferior ceramic and weathered bone, and with extremely irregular edges and covered with fine cracks, is quietly embedded there.

The source of the evil energy of that golden ring that bound Regigi Leigh just now was this inconspicuous fragment!

At this moment, although the light of the fragments had dimmed, a faint and strange tremor emanated from the super-resistance power within Zhang Heng's body, which had not yet been fully awakened!

It wasn't disgust or rejection, but rather a... indescribable, complex feeling.

It was as if some related power contained within the fragment was intricately connected to something awakening deep within his bloodline.

It is faint and distant, but it does exist.

"Fragments of a sacred artifact?" Zhang Heng thought to himself.

"Twisting the will of the gods? How can the Temple of Creation possess such power?!"

"This fragment gives me... a feeling that is both familiar and strange, intimate yet tinged with extreme distortion..."

"What exactly is it? Is it related to Arceus? Or is it related to the power of overpowering?"

Questions flooded my mind like a tide.

"The Temple of Creation collects stone tablets and uses these so-called sacred artifact fragments that can forcibly control divine beasts..."

There were many clues, but they were all jumbled up, like a ball of yarn that had been tangled by a cat.

Zhang Heng frowned, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"Damn! I just don't understand!"

He sneered inwardly, and a simple, brutal, yet incredibly effective thought instantly replaced all his complicated thoughts.

"Whatever it is!"

"Since it seems to be related to me, and it's in the hands of the enemy..."

"—Just grab it!"

On the other side, Zhang Leiyuan's face darkened slightly as he was made to laugh and mock the electric demon. His embarrassment quickly turned into a cold killing intent.

He looked at the smug face of the Electric Fiend, then glanced at the silent, statue-like Reggie Elech.

He shrugged helplessly, his tone returning to its previous calmness, but carrying an even deeper chill.

"Looks like I was too merciful. I didn't want a legendary Electric-type Pokémon with unlimited potential to die alongside a sewer rat like you. Did you really think I had a good temper..."

Zhang Leiyuan crossed his arms and looked at Dian Sha, his eyes filled with nothing but cold killing intent.

"But since you're so stubborn, then I have no choice but to..."

However, Zhang Leiyuan hadn't even finished reciting his "courtesy first, then force" line—

If Zhang Leiyuan is going to offer courtesy first, then Zhang Heng will now have to resort to force.

Zhang Heng silently nodded to the Combo-Style Martial Arts Master Xiong beside him.

"Shua——!!!"

A torrent of deep blue water suddenly ripped through the calm!

The Combo-Style Martial Arts Bear Master didn't need to wait for Zhang Heng's explicit verbal instructions. With just a glance, it transformed into the deadliest blue lightning bolt and shot towards the floating rock where the electric calamity was located!

[Water Jet] Unleashing its full power, the speed was so fast that it even left a long afterimage made of water vapor behind it!

Although it was in the magic space, the preemptive moves used by Martial Arts Master Xiong were still effective.

Trick space and preemptive moves, or move priority, are two independently operating mechanisms.

Simply put, move priority is always determined before Trick Room; for example, moves like Protect ignore Trick Room.

Martial Arts Master Xiong has a clear objective—to capture Electric Fiend alive and seize the scepter!

The maniacal laughter on Dian Sha's face froze instantly, turning into boundless horror!

He watched helplessly as the blue lightning bolt rapidly enlarged in his pupils, the chilling cold of death almost gripping his heart!

"Do not!!!"

"Don't come here!!!"

His survival instinct overwhelmed everything. He gripped the scepter tightly with both hands and frantically poured his last bit of mental energy into the gray fragment at the top!

"Sacred artifact! Grant me power once more!"

"The Ring of Binding!!!"

“Buzz——!!!”

The gray fragments once again glowed with that extremely unsettling dark golden light, forming a golden ring that was slightly smaller than the one that had bound Reggie Elegy before, but was just as swift and eerie!

It instantly took shape and enveloped the charging martial arts bear master!

"Roar!"

Faced with this strange binding energy, Martial Arts Master Xiong's scarlet eyes flashed with a sharp light.

Its charging momentum did not diminish at all, but its arms suddenly crossed in front of its chest!

“Crash!!!!”

The surging azure water around its body was not used for attack or defense, but rather, as if it had a life of its own, it detached from its body, extended, and spread out!

The water flowed and intertwined rapidly in the air, transforming into a strange "scroll" several meters long and one meter wide, composed entirely of clear water, with faint ripple patterns and ancient fighting runes flowing on its surface!

It is the exclusive item of the Combo Style Martial Arts Bear Master - the Water Scroll!

This is not an attack move, but a special defense and purification method formed by the Combo Style Martial Arts Bear Master combining his own divine beast energy with the Water Scroll!

The golden ring arrived in an instant and slammed hard into the unfolded "water scroll"!

"laugh--!!!"

There was no violent explosion, only a loud reaction sound like cold water being poured into hot oil!

The dark golden evil energy clashed violently with the clear, supple water flow, and then neutralized it!

The "water scroll" seemed to have a life of its own; the edges of the scroll automatically curled and closed, actively enveloping the golden energy that was trying to penetrate and bind it!

Inside the painting, clear water swirls and washes wildly, like the most sophisticated purification filter.

In the blink of an eye, the dark golden light dimmed, disintegrated, and finally... at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It completely dissolved into the pure water, leaving not even a ripple.

The forced binding of the artifact fragments was directly neutralized by Martial Arts Master Xiong using the principle of water's softness overcoming hardness!

however!

The martial arts master Xiong Shi's aggressive charge, which seemed to break free of his restraints, was actually just... a feint!

Just as Dian Sha's full attention, and even some of Zhang Leiyuan and Zhang Heng's gaze, were drawn to this exciting offense and defense.

Less than two meters away from the electric demon, the void rippled silently like water.

A figure, half-illusory, entirely deep purple, with an unusually solid outline in the spirit world environment, quietly appeared like a ghost.

Doronchi!

In the spirit realm, its home turf, as Giratina's messenger, its ability to traverse space was further amplified, and its body solidified like a true "ghost dragon."

The ghostly aura surrounding him blended seamlessly with the spatial fluctuations, causing almost no energy ripples with his movements!

Until its long tail, which had become unusually thick and powerful, covered with illusory dragon scales, resembled a steel whip that had been gathering power for a long time.

With a terrifying shriek tearing through the air, it lashed down at Dian Sha's right forearm, which was gripping the scepter tightly. Only then did Dian Sha realize that death was already upon him!

"What?! No—!!!"

The horrified screams of the electric shock and the crisp sound of bones breaking rang out almost simultaneously!

"Click——!!!"

Doronchi's tail lashed solidly into the middle of Electric's right forearm!

The terrifying force was transmitted instantly, and the forearm bone broke in an unnatural "V" shape, piercing through the skin and flesh!

His shoulder joint was also dislocated by the tremendous impact, and his entire right arm drooped down like a tattered rag doll!

"what--!!!!"

A heart-wrenching scream erupted from the depths of Dian Sha's throat, his face instantly turning ashen, and cold sweat pouring down his forehead!

The scepter he had been clinging to as a lifeline slipped from his limp hand and fell with a clatter onto the pumice.

The excruciating pain nearly overwhelmed his reason, but the fact that Dian Sha could climb to the position of the eighth divine punishment in the Temple of Creation meant he was no ordinary person.

In the instant his tail lashed out, he relied on his almost instinctive fighting instincts honed over years of suicidal combat.

He twisted his waist and bent his knees forcefully, and with the force of the blow, he fell and rolled awkwardly to the right!

Although this series of movements was unsightly, it narrowly created a distance of several meters between him and Doronchi, preventing him from being crushed by subsequent attacks.

He collapsed amidst the rubble, coughing up blood. His severed arm throbbed with excruciating pain, yet his eyes burned with a final, frantic glint of will to survive.

Staring intently at the silent Reggie Elegy not far away, he roared with his last ounce of strength:

"Help me... Reggie... Ai..."

P.S.: Happy 2026! Wishing all trainers prosperity and a prosperous New Year.