So when the Dragon's Heart was tested on the plane earlier, it didn't care how dangerous or troublesome it was to approach human creations, and deliberately came over to take a look.
When Hoopa summoned it to deal with a group of Legendary Pokémon, it agreed without any hesitation, bravely like a tool dragon.
Although later it was collectively blasted out of the sky by those guys, it didn't get angry; instead, it was happy to see Arceus and Hoopa, such peculiar Pokémon.
A cheerful youth indeed.
Compared to that, the temper of Hoenn's Rayquaza is much worse; well-known victim Deoxys surely has things to say, like being chased down after being smacked into a slumber for years.
Of course.
Despite its bad temper, Hoenn's Rayquaza is still enthusiastic. It quickly calmed down after being saved by Deoxys and would respond to requests from the Meteor People.
Overall, it's a straightforward and single-minded strong man.
Baimu undoubtedly prefers the alternate-colored Rayquaza, given he cherishes his life and doesn't want to partake in the deadly game of battling then befriending. Moreover...
The alternate color is really too cool!
If one day he can ride the alternate-colored Rayquaza through the sky, he would surely be moved to tears.
On the other side.
The alternate-colored Rayquaza "gazed" at the human boy in front of it, yet its curiosity about him did not fade with this mental interaction.
Mental interaction is not complete information sharing. They only exchanged part of their memories and thoughts, certainly not enough to know everything about each other; otherwise, Rayquaza's memories would be enough to overwhelm Baimu's brain.
It is precisely this "retention" that causes it not to be fully satisfied, even feeling an increasing desire to understand everything about the other.
Why can he summon me? Why do I feel familiar waves on his body?
Met before?
Why do I have no impression?
As for his attempt to make friends.
Rayquaza naturally—
Would not refuse.
Having gained the definition of friendship from Baimu, it very much wants to experience what friendship is, and also seeks to understand what [Trust], [Honesty], [Like], [Caring] are.
Rayquaza eagerly wants to experience things it has never understood.
In a long life, only these unknown surprises can make it feel truly alive in this world, enjoying the beauty of life and the aspiration for the future.
Oh mysterious person!
I look forward to you bringing me more joy!
The Rayquaza, turned joy-seeker, had its eyes filled with Baimu's figure, seemingly leaving no room for anything else.
Exchange concluded.
Both parties achieved relatively satisfactory outcomes.
"Phew..."
Baimu's hand withdrew from the other's forehead, his breathing gradually calming. The mental exchange was more exhausting than imagined... or perhaps it's because the communication partner's amount of information is overwhelmingly large?
No.
He must be tired.
Taking out his phone to check the time, it was already past eight. Normally, he would be either lying in bed browsing his phone or already asleep.
Baimu looked at Hydreigon and Dragapult, Dragapult was alright, but Hydreigon and the Dreepy Siblings were evidently a bit weary, blinking more frequently and showing some signs of fatigue.
However, the large backpack containing most travel supplies was not brought onto the ship now; at present, he only had a lighter pack with some Poké Blocks and items potentially needed for climbing towers.
Now what to do?
Baimu raised his head to look at Rayquaza, who only returned an expectant gaze without any other indication.
"..."
He took a deep breath and asked, "Do you mind if I call someone over?"
The alternate-colored Rayquaza's goal is simple, it just wants to observe him, but unlike Dragapult who likes to observe secretly while invisible, it prefers others to be in its clear sight.
With the night deepening, Baimu prepared to handle other matters the next day, as he and his Pokémon must fill their stomachs and get a good night's sleep to replenish their energy.
Rayquaza nodded with barely noticeable movement.
"Thank you."
He breathed a sigh of relief and took out his phone to contact Balza for help from Hoopa.
Johto, though adjacent to Hoenn, is still too far for humans; without Hoopa's rings, he and Aggron might go hungry and cold today.
After contacting Balza, he reached out to Xijana to explain the current situation.
The other party seemed speechless, not speaking for a while, especially upon hearing that the alternate-colored Rayquaza was particularly interested in him and reluctant to let him go, the silence extended even longer.
After a thorough explanation, Xijana reluctantly accepted the friendship between the alternate-colored Rayquaza and him, but firmly and righteously refused to contact the latter.
"I'm the most loyal fan of Dragon God Rayquaza! I will never betray!"
"I'm not asking you to betray..."
"Enough! I will always love my Dragon God Rayquaza! I will always be the inheritor it acknowledges!"
"You..."
Baimu was quite headache-ridden looking at his phone, feeling in a different world Xijana might scold the alternate-colored Rayquaza as "heretic, evil god" or something similar.
After all, Xijana's firm belief in Hoenn's Rayquaza is undeniable.
In the games and specials, besides her intense sense of mission, her reverence and belief in Rayquaza are unmatched and unrivaled, although she never received Rayquaza's favor in either version.
What does it mean "a bootlicker never meets a good end"?
Well.
Can't really say that.
But Xijana's decisive refusal made Baimu feel a bit difficult, although he was confident she wouldn't dislike him for it, inheritor status might be challenging now.
Climbing the tower for nothing! Damn!
He felt an overwhelming blackness, almost suffocating to faint, but after glancing at the alternate-colored Rayquaza, he felt climbing the tower might have been to meet it, and his mood settled considerably.
If not an inheritor, so be it.
Baimu helplessly promised Xijana he'd definitely return tomorrow, then hung up the phone.
She, constantly traveling outside, was long accustomed to camping in the forest, smart enough to avoid rain, didn't seem to need extra worry.
Suddenly.
"Xiaobai... Huh? Why is Lieku here?"
Hoopa's voice and its ring appeared simultaneously.
It poked out a small head, curiously looking at Baimu and the alternate-colored Rayquaza, scanning the surroundings, "Wow! Where exactly are you playing, such a strange place!"
"...Here, here is Rayquaza's home, not that. Hoopa, could you please bring my backpack over?" Baimu clasped his hands together in a plea.
"Then can Xiaobai treat me to some donuts?" Hoopa set its price sitting down.
However, just as it spoke, a jade hand suddenly appeared to pinch its cheek.
Mei Yali's voice resonated through the ring into his ears, "Hoopa! You've had donuts today, you know!"
"Have I? Hoopa doesn't remember... Ouch! It hurts! Enough, enough! Hoopa remembers now! Goodness!"
Hoopa dejectedly covered its cheek, diving through the ring to escape Mei Yali's grasp.
Baimu laughed, saying, "Seems donuts aren't an option; do you want some Poké Blocks?" He extended a rainbow-colored Poké Block.
"Hmm... This is nice too, thanks Xiaobai!" Hoopa took it and stuffed it into its mouth, then looked at the adjacent alternate-colored Rayquaza, "Does Lieku want to eat too?"
Hmph?
Upon hearing this, he immediately looked at the alternate-colored Rayquaza, who had been eyeing his small bag with a trying expression.
"You want to eat?"
Baimu tentatively took out one and waved it in front of the pitch-black dragon.
The alternate-colored Rayquaza chose to open its maw.
He thus threw five Poké Blocks in to ensure none got lodged, and couldn't help but think, "Turns out even the most imposing dragon has a pink interior."