I already told you not to call me Xiaobai...
Baimu gave up trying to correct this guy's slip of the tongue. Ash Ketchum called him Xiaozi, and it seemed it would take a while to fix that.
After dealing with the "aftermath."
He looked at N again, "This time I'm really counting on you!"
"I'll do my best, but it's not easy to soothe a Pokémon's anger." N didn't confidently claim that he could definitely dispel Lugia's fury.
Being on good terms with Pokémon doesn't mean you can manipulate or toy with their hearts at will.
Just as he was about to attempt summoning Lugia again, Hoopa raised its hand.
"Wait! Hoopa's going to transform!"
Transform?
"Mei Yali! Hoopa's getting serious! Let Hoopa transform!" it said earnestly, looking at Mei Yali who had the Vase of Punishment in her small bag.
Mei Yali couldn't help but look at her brother Balza.
"With Hoopa released, we won't have to worry about Lugia's attack causing major destruction." Balza nodded in agreement.
The previous destruction caused by Hoopa's battle with Shadow Hoopa was still fresh in their minds; even though the Desert City authorities didn't hold them responsible, they didn't want a repeat of such events.
So Mei Yali opened the Vase of Punishment.
A surge of azure power flew out and entered Hoopa's body. Its body was shrouded in azure flames and rapidly enlarged, becoming the Demon-like Unbound Hoopa.
"Heh heh heh heh! Hoopa's here! Xiaobai can rest assured now!"
Unbound Hoopa boastfully declared, clenching its top fists, trying to flex its muscles to show Baimu its terrifying strength, "Hmm~~ Do you see it, Xiaobai, these massive fists! Ha ha ha!"
"Yes, yes, I see them."
Baimu was a bit overwhelmed by its flamboyance.
Then the Golden Ring opened again.
This time.
Lugia emerged directly as a water pillar, soaring into the sky, then flapping its wings mightily to reveal its entire form.
"Woo!!"
A long, whale-like wail echoed throughout the sky.
It lowered its head to look at the people present, but instead of attacking immediately as before, it observed everyone again, pausing when it saw Baimu, and finally focusing on N.
The earlier mention of "Ore Region" had triggered a stress response, leading it to attack immediately. On further reflection, none of those present had the aura that made it feel repulsed. The considerate and understanding Lugia realized it might have misunderstood them, so it didn't attack again.
This made Baimu breathe a sigh of relief; it was good that the insurance didn't need to be used. Who wants to fight before talking if it's not necessary?
Too troublesome.
Speaking of which, if it really came to a fight, Lugia probably couldn't defeat Unbound Hoopa. It's not that there's a power gap between the two; it's just that Unbound Hoopa doesn't play fair, capable of "manipulating" Legendary Pokémon.
Like in the movie, when Hoopa summoned another Lugia, that Lugia promptly attacked Shadow Hoopa with a Water Cannon, acting with a decisiveness that was unbelievable.
It felt like Hoopa was the Trainer, and Lugia was its Pokémon.
Later, when Shadow Hoopa directly controlled Space-time Gods and other Cover Gods, it shocked people even more. So, Lugia probably had no way to deal with Unbound Hoopa.
But if one were to delve into where this Mythical Pokémon got such power...
It's hard to say.
Looking at it from the perspective of watching an animated movie in a past life, it's evident that the scriptwriter disrupted Pokémon's power logic for the sake of story dynamics and the grandeur of divine battles, something that wasn't uncommon.
But once the scriptwriter's settings become reality, it becomes baffling.
"Lugia, we mean no harm. We're just asking for your blessing to bring fertility to the earth with rain."
N stepped forward and finally began his healing talk, "Without a doubt, we're from a land that makes you feel sorrowful, but we still hope to receive your grace and protection..."
So straightforward?
Baimu was a bit surprised by his way of communicating; he thought N would first chat with Lugia, then rant about the Shadow Team while clearing the air, but instead, he directly stated the purpose and request.
Will it work?
Won't Lugia get angry? In a land it loathes so much, having someone suddenly ask for rain is almost like moral coercion...
"I'm done."
N's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Baimu looked up, confused, "What? Finished?"
"Yes." N replied softly, "I've said all I needed to say; the rest is up to Lugia to decide."
"Leave it to Lugia to decide..."
"What else?" N glanced at him, "Do you want me to calm Lugia's long-standing pain in a few words and have it willingly return to the Ore Region to use its power? That's too arrogant; I won't do such a thing.
"Showing genuine respect for a Pokémon's will and seeking its help means displaying sincerity and letting it decide, not making decisions for it with various justifications."
Damn.
After all this time, it's not "moral coercion;" he's directly stating the intention and leaving it up to Lugia whether to help the Ore Region.
It's great if it's willing to help; if not, there's nothing they can do.
"...Makes sense."
Baimu had to admit that N's logic was correct, even though it went against his original intention for calling N here.
Balza and Mei Yali also very much agreed with N's approach. As descendants of the Valley of Creation, they've always been passionate about the coexistence of nature, humans, and Pokémon.
This aligned perfectly with N's current thoughts.
The three of them started an enthusiastic discussion.
Baimu and several Pokémon were left exchanging glances, looking helplessly at Lugia, which was hovering in the sky as if in deep thought.
"Forget it, let's send it back."
He took a few photos of Lugia, then had Mawile take a few pictures of him with Lugia in the sky, before waving at Unbound Hoopa.
Looking for Lugia was just an excuse to go on a journey from the start.
Persuading a tormented Pokémon to return to its place of sorrow is unimaginably difficult—or perhaps they should never have considered borrowing the power of a Legendary Pokémon.
Isn't it better to keep your feet on the ground?
Now that they have the photos, they can at least give an account.
"Really going to do this?" Unbound Hoopa had been confused since the start, not understanding what they were doing at all.
Summoning it here and then sending it back, it doesn't make sense.
"Yes, please."
Baimu nodded; if Lugia wanted to leave, it would surely know the way back to the Ore Region, and keeping it here was meaningless.
"Alright~"
Unbound Hoopa nodded, stretching out a hand to open a ring in the sky above Lugia that led to its return path.
Baimu shouted, "Sorry for the disturbance! Thank you for being willing to listen to us! The way back is open! Really sorry!"
"...Woo?"
Lugia snapped back to reality, looking down at the three people conversing below and at the person shouting.
After thinking for a moment, it suddenly flew down!
Whoosh!
A gust of breeze passed by.
Baimu was slightly dumbfounded, then suddenly lifted off the ground, clutched by Lugia as it shot up towards the blue ring in the sky, with Mawile, quick to react, and two Dreepy grabbing onto his legs.
All five of them simultaneously rushed into the passage opened by Unbound Hoopa and disappeared.
Balza and Mei Yali were left gaping in shock, while N first showed surprise and then smiled.
Unbound Hoopa also gaped, a confused look flashing across its face.
"What happened? What's going on?"
"Lugia just whisked Baimu away."
N answered its question with utmost care, then laughed, "Things are getting interesting."