Bouffalant stood as the Unova region's structural counterpart to Tauros, its baseline elemental attributes closely mirroring those of the Wild Bull Pokémon.
"Very well, Feng Che. If your current Pokémon can successfully conquer my Bouffalant, I shall openly concede that my tactical prowess falls short of yours," Champion Alder declared, a succession of cryptic black light waves rippling aggressively across his form.
"Come forth, Hydreigon! Reveal the absolute zenith of your power!"
Feng Che smoothly deployed a Poké Ball, sending out his newly evolved Hydreigon. The precise microsecond the Brutal Pokémon cleared the capsule, the heavy, primordial forces of frost, incandescent flame, and living electricity expanded across the arena.
"Descend, Ruler of the Sky! Lend me your divine majesty!"
Alder chanted the ancient incantations, desperately calling upon the most powerful Sky Fiend.
"Alder, did I not explicitly caution you? My core vessel is in the middle of a delicate recovery phase—why must you persist in summoning me at an hour like this?!"
The Sky Fiend rose aggressively from Alder's shadow, its colossal, shadow-wrought plumage expanding to blot out the high sky.
"Lord Sky God, forgive me for disrupting your eternal rest," Alder answered deferentially. "I require an immediate injection of your divine parameters to grind this brat to absolute dust. Furthermore, I am prepared to offer the entire Dragon Clan as a grand sacrifice to your majesty."
Alder leveled his finger toward Feng Che's coordinates.
"Hahaha! So your opponent happens to be Feng Che? Very well, I grant your request," the Sky Fiend cackled smoothly, genuinely amused. "Remember this well: the exact millisecond you break his vessel, his spirit belongs to me!"
The ancient entity effortlessly surrendered a portion of its dark parameters. Instantly, Bouffalant was completely cocooned within a swirling vortex of black miasma. A pair of massive, feathered wings violently erupted from its flanks, while the dense afro atop its skull ignited into a roaring crown of pitch-black hellfire. Snorting heavily, it vented thick columns of superheated steam from its nostrils.
"Feng Che, don't you find it exceptionally bizarre that Alder can concurrently channel the distinct parameters of the Earth Fiend, the Ocean Fiend, and the Sky Fiend?" Mewtwo reported via telepathy, its voice sharp with analysis. "I am detecting a heavy, volatile underworld aura radiating from the ancient pendant resting against his chest. This specific energy signature is remarkably identical to the spectral parameters housed within Gengar's core."
"Are you suggesting Alder successfully breached the boundaries of the Emperor's Mausoleum?" Feng Che quickly linked the data points, his mind snapping to the legendary burial site.
"Why would Alder have access to the Emperor's Mausoleum? And what on earth is that black pendant?" Feng Che thought, deeply perplexed.
"The active interference of that black pendant has barred my psychic senses from reading Alder's complete memory blocks. I managed to extract only the physical coordinates of the Emperor's Mausoleum—strikingly, it rests directly within the Spirit World. However, the specific memories detailing how Alder entered the mausoleum have been securely sealed away by an unknown consciousness. The Sky Fiend, the Ocean Fiend, and the Earth Fiend share an infinite web of deep connections with that Emperor's Mausoleum," Mewtwo confirmed.
"Perhaps once you shatter Alder's line, we can salvage a concrete clue from his vessel."
Feng Che watched as an increasing density of black miasma spilled from the pendant resting against Alder's chest.
"Unlikely. The exact millisecond Alder fails, his soul will be aggressively incinerated and consumed by the enraged Sky Fiend. Once the Sky Fiend harvests a spirit of that caliber, its true unsealing will accelerate dramatically. Ho-Oh cannot afford to abandon its post at Mt. Chimney; otherwise, the global climate order will fall into absolute chaos," Feng Che analyzed.
"The Sky Fiend stands as an entity whose parameters approach the Master Class or even the Mythical tier. To break a force of that magnitude, I will need to seamlessly tap into your ultimate parameters," Feng Che thought. He knew Mewtwo could independently trigger its Mega X and Mega Y states, and he wanted to test if funneling his personal psychic energy would trigger an absolute genetic resonance within Mewtwo's core.
"At present, Giovanni has likely secured his position as a Master Class Trainer, and Pryce is undeniably another. The moment Pryce clears the chronal rift, his parameters will scale even higher."
Feng Che's underlying motivation to claim absolute sovereignty over Unova was to consolidate the entire region's administrative resources, forcing his path into the Master Class within the shortest possible timeline.
"It appears the waters surrounding the Emperor's Mausoleum run exceptionally deep. I must ensure my primary partners break cleanly into the Champion rank before I dare coordinate an expedition into that sector," Feng Che concluded gravely.
"Have no fear, Feng Che. I shall accompany you through every disaster; after all, I am a partner raised under your hand. Furthermore, if we factor in my elder brother Ditto, our unified combat parameters will scale to an unbelievable height," Mewtwo assured him smoothly.
Feng Che currently held an immense arsenal of Mythical Pokémon on his roster—Naganadel, Zeraora, Genesect, Regidrago, and Shaymin all possessed devastating combat parameters. Additionally, he commanded a Ditto capable of mimicking Legendary deities at a whim, alongside a dormant Darkrai Egg.
Yet, Feng Che remained entirely oblivious to the fact that as his high-intensity battles multiplied, the dense waves of negative energy bleeding across the field were being aggressively siphoned by the Darkrai Egg. Nurtured by the volatile malice, the shell was already in the middle of a rapid maturation phase, a massive web of structural fractures spreading across the surface with a sharp clack.
"Go, Hydreigon! Showcase the absolute, peerless terror of your inheritance!"
Hydreigon unhinged its three massive jaws concurrently, delivering a sequence of three high-pitched, echoing dragon roars that shook the valley.
Meanwhile, outside the perimeter.
"That's... Feng Che's Deino? No way—it was a mere Deino just a couple of days ago, wasn't it?!"
"Word has it that Clan Leader Feng Che's partner integrated the unified legacy of the entire Tao Trio."
"I can't wait to see just how terrifyingly cataclysmic a Hydreigon backed by the parameters of the three Dragon Gods truly is!"
Relying on high-powered long-range scopes, the members of the Dragon Clan tracked the unfolding duel from the safety of the foothills.
"He truly deserves his title as our clan leader. His parameters are simply staggering," Drayden remarked softly, slowly lowering his scope. "Vio, what is your assessment of the current layout?" He turned his head toward the veteran.
"His absolute strength has already completely outstripped mine, climbing to an entirely different tier," Vio replied smoothly, his eyes narrowing. "The exact second Champion Alder falls, Feng Che will stand as the reigning Champion of the Unova region."
"When that hour strikes, our Dragon Clan will become the absolute, undisputed sovereign of Unova. Once we systematically dismantle Team Plasma, the entire region will be unified under our banner. However, going by my understanding of Feng Che's character, he won't necessarily wipe Team Plasma off the map." Vio unmasked his underlying deduction.
"Feng Che's true intent is to securely anchor and control Team Plasma from the shadows. By maintaining their structural existence, the Global Pokémon League headquarters won't lock their administrative gaze onto his operations."
"The League directors dread the rise of an absolute sovereign; a complete unification would leave the League headquarters in an exceptionally awkward, threatened position," Vio explained, putting himself in the League's shoes.
"If I were directing the Global League, I would harbor intense trepidation toward a regional Champion who unified Unova independently. Furthermore, wherever light shines, shadows must co-exist. Even if you achieve a flawless unification and erase the current underground syndicates, fresh criminal syndicates will inevitably manifest to fill the vacuum. It is vastly more efficient to leave Team Plasma anchoring the underworld."
"Drayden, we must not let our administrative vision be restricted to Unova alone. Other territories are well within our reach. Consider the Alola region—there is zero Dragon Clan presence established there. We are fully capable of migrating resources to forge a brand-new branch of our Dragon Clan within Alola's borders," Vio declared with absolute calm.
"Hahaha! I truly fall short compared to you, Vio," Drayden laughed heartily, every shred of his residual anxiety dissolving. "Whether it concerns the long-term administration of the clan, Pokémon training curriculum, or the caliber of our descendants—I haven't managed to best you in a single metric."
"No, Drayden. You are an exceptionally capable and brilliant individual; do not dare look down on your own achievements. You were simply constrained by the conservative administrative duties of the clan, whereas I had the luxury of wandering the open world for decades to finally internalize these truths."