Their eyes met his with skepticism, was he joking? But Larry was serious. The idea of immortality might sound like a fantasy, but to him, it wasn't impossible.
Setting aside the hopes and disasters tied to the Dark Continent, many Pokémon have already mastered incredible abilities. Take Celebi, for instance, it can travel through time and space, so maybe it can even freeze someone's aging process.
Then there's Jirachi, who grants wishes; Ho-Oh, capable of resurrecting creatures; and Xerneas, the god of life itself. There are countless legendary Pokémon known for bringing things back to life, let alone granting true immortality.
"Immortal..." President Netero murmured, a faint, distant look in his eyes.
Larry noticed this from the corner of his vision. Judging by Netero's expression and the tone in his voice, it was clear he was ready to sacrifice himself, more like taking the initiative to die.
After all, dealing with the Chimera Ant threat was too easy right now, especially since the Ant King hadn't even been born yet. They could simply have Morel's Purple Smoke Mecha Squadron use a Poor Man's Rose bomb to wipe them out.
Compared to the damage caused by the Chimera Ants, the destruction from a Poor Man's Rose explosion would be far less severe. There were no humans in the area, only Chimera Ants, so using such a weapon would be appropriate.
Yet Larry understood why Netero hesitated. The current situation wasn't just about Netero facing death; someone was forcing him toward it.
Even if the Chimera Ants were wiped out with the bomb, there was no guarantee other dangerous creatures wouldn't appear later. Before he died, Netero still wanted a worthy fight. This was a kind of mercy from those pulling the strings behind the scenes.
"President, don't underestimate yourself," Larry said quietly. "If you can't beat the Royal Guards, how will you handle the Ant King?"
Nearby, Neferpitou had unleashed her En, a terrifyingly large aura that stretched irregularly across the area. Her En was unique, it could take on irregular shapes rather than just perfect circles.
In the original story, En usually measured several hundred meters, sometimes up to two kilometers. By comparison, a first-class Nen master typically controls a circle about 50 meters wide.
The difference between Neferpitou's and the average master's control was staggering. Of course, this also reflected Neferpitou's extraordinary skill in manipulating her En.
Even among people with similar strength, the size of their En can vary a lot. Neferpitou is the best at using her En among the three Royal Guards, which is why she's usually the one on watch.
Larry estimates that Neferpitou's strength is probably around the S-level range, and the other two Royal Guards are roughly at that level too. Right now, under Larry's focused attention, a blood-red mental energy shield appeared in the distance, covering a wide area around it. Ordinary Nen users would be terrified just by seeing this En.
"So, everyone has noticed that monster-like En over there. What should we do next?" Netero asked, turning his back to the ant nest and addressing the small group thoughtfully.
"President, you really have questionable taste. You should've come up with a countermeasure long ago, right?" Knov half-crouched, pressing his palms firmly against the ground.
A pure Nen energy appeared on his hands, and in an instant, a dark, deep Nen space opened up before them. Knov reached inside and pulled out Morel's big pipe. Since it was too heavy to carry around, Morel had simply stored the pipe inside Nob's four-dimensional apartment.
This four-dimensional apartment was incredibly useful, not only could it store items, but living beings could also enter it. It was far more practical than Gengar's ability, whose stomach could only hold dead things.
Suddenly, Larry realized he had something similar to the four-dimensional apartment, the Internet world. With Porygon Z, the Internet world functioned like his own four-dimensional apartment, allowing creatures to come and go and storing items.
The only downside was that it required an Internet connection to function. But that wasn't a big deal; Porygon Z was getting stronger every day and would soon be able to create the Internet itself. Having an ability like the four-dimensional apartment was crucial for exploring the Dark Continent.
"Take your time, enjoying the fight is part of the fun," Morel said confidently, holding the big pipe.
With President Netero and Larry around, both Morel and Knov felt an overwhelming sense of security. They were even more convinced that inviting Larry had been the right decision. Without him, they wouldn't be this calm and steady.
"Yes, enjoy the fight," Larry said with a slight smile, sitting cross-legged on the ground.
Suddenly, a strong wind swept through, bringing with it a heavy, oppressive atmosphere that pressed down on the platform. The force of the wind was so intense it blew the hem of President Netero's robe.
A group of figures appeared behind Larry, leaving Morel and the others stunned. One by one, various nen beasts with different shapes and sizes emerged before them. Despite their differences, they all shared one thing, a terrifyingly strong aura.
"This is... the army of nen beasts led by the legendary nen beast Master!" Knov stared intently at the Pokémon, his voice trembling under the overwhelming pressure.
Every single nen beast here was far stronger than him; it was like facing an entire army in one person. This was the true meaning of being a nen beast Master.
Any enemy foolish enough to rely on sheer numbers against him was basically digging their own grave. This was the power that earned him the title of World's Strongest!
Gardevoir, Lucario, Arcanine, Dragonite... the rocky platform quickly filled with Pokémon. Surrounded by such a formidable force, Morel and his companions felt much safer.
Seeing the numerous Chimera Ants, Larry planned to send out his Pokémon to gain some experience points. At that moment, both Morel and Knov shared the same thought, 'Was it really necessary to weaken the enemy first? With Larry's nen beast team alone, couldn't they just push through?'
Most of the ants had already fallen. The King of Ants was about to be born.
Meanwhile, Netero's eyes sparkled with excitement as he muttered to himself, "Wow, so impressive."
Larry's nen beasts had stirred his fighting spirit. Though called an army, Larry had only deployed six of his nen beasts.
Since only the Ant King and the Royal Guards offered meaningful experience points, releasing too many Pokémon would only split the rewards thinner. Plus, if too many Chimera Ants died, the Royal Guards might leave their nest to attack, putting the lower-ranked Pokémon at risk.
So, Larry chose a balanced strategy, a "old and new" pairing. He grouped two Pokémon together, pairing an S-level Pokémon with an A-level one in each duo. This way, if they faced the Royal Guards, the weaker Pokémon could still escape safely, or even manage to take them down.