Who needs a girlfriend when you have Pokémon?

However, in a mysterious turn of events that no one could have foreseen, Higana has actually managed to elicit a response from the meteorite, and at the same time, her identity has become clear.

The only beings capable of using this inherited secret technique to resonate with this ancient meteorite from thousands of years ago could be the ancient inhabitants of the Hoenn region, those who have practiced this method since time immemorial…

"...People of the Meteor!"

“That’s right…” Knowing that she could no longer hide her identity, Higana answered frankly, “I am a descendant of the Meteor Dwellers, and now, we have come to reclaim the treasure that rightfully belongs to us.”

As soon as he said that, Shui Wutong laughed too, it seemed he already knew Xijiana's identity all along.

"So this is a proper return of the item to its rightful owner. What, doesn't the Alliance recognize it?"

"...you, me, this"

Dr. Solans was speechless for a moment. Of course, he wanted to refute, but after thinking about it carefully, he couldn't think of any rebuttal for the time being.

If everything is true, then according to legend, Higana, as a descendant of the Meteorite People, does indeed own the meteorite, which in a sense is a case of "returning it to its rightful owner"...

However, this scene was quite difficult for him to accept logically. This thing, which had been here for thousands of years and had always been considered an ownerless national treasure, suddenly had an owner.

This is like someone jumping out and claiming to be a direct descendant of Qin Shi Huang, and that the Terracotta Army is their family's collectible...

It's definitely a bit difficult to hold back...

Chapter 141 Another Gas Explosion

The situation was indeed a bit tense, because normally, you could just gloss over it by saying, "You say it's yours, call it, do you think it will answer you?"

However, it turns out that it actually works, because Higana really did make the meteorite react, which made the situation seem a bit delicate.

Luo Wei's reaction was very direct: "Sorry, but even as a Meteorite, there's no reason for you to recklessly use your power!"

This statement immediately gave Aysa and Dr. Solans the right to continue arguing about the ownership of the meteorite. Indeed, it was pointless to continue debating the issue of the meteorite's ownership.

Even if the meteorite truly belongs to the Meteor People, there is a prerequisite: they cannot use the meteorite's power to do things that violate public order and good morals.

So ultimately, this is no longer a matter of returning something to its rightful owner, but simply an act to uphold public order and good morals, and has nothing to do with the identity of the other party.

Even if the league champions came today, you can't cause trouble if you want to...

However, the other party's actions now confirm one thing: the meteorite itself does indeed possess incredible power and is not merely a simple prop with humanistic value...

Having established this fact, it is even more imperative to avoid handing the meteorite over to the other party.

Masked Meowth launched another attack, throwing a punch at the Mega-evolved Salamence. Mega Evolution can enhance a Pokémon's power in all aspects and even give them new characteristics and abilities.

Under these circumstances, Salamence's power is probably vastly different from before, and it will definitely try to gain the upper hand.

However, the opponent dodged with incredible speed, dodging Masked Cat's move, and the punch landed squarely on empty air.

"I can't use excessive attacks here either, so..."

With a flick of her finger, Sigana sent Salamence spewing forth a torrent of flames that quickly transformed into a raging fire tornado, completely engulfing the Masked Meow that was trying to charge forward again.

On the other hand, Gardevoir used its psychic powers to try to break through, while Sienna had already taken out her other two Poké Balls.

The reason we didn't send them out earlier was because they weren't the main force in the battle, and sending them out wouldn't have been of much help.

But this occasion is perfect for them. The Pokémon in these two Poké Balls are Baby Tyranitar and Baby Dragon, which are also the Pokémon that Shyvana used to participate in the Contest.

As soon as they appeared, they rushed towards the meteorite. There, the Water Wutong blocked Asha's way. Both sides were holding back, afraid to go all out for fear of getting hurt, so neither could do anything to the other for the time being.

Meanwhile, the mysterious figure in black robes, manipulating the Frankenstein Pokémon type: Null, managed to suppress Haiquan for a time...

He dared to come alone, so he must have some real skills, although at present, his strength is barely comparable to Haiquan's.

As an executive, Haiquan is probably stronger than the average elite trainer, but he is definitely no match for the Gym Leader. Xigana, who is also an executive, is much stronger.

However, Higana's situation is clearly special, and from this perspective, the situation seems quite delicate.

It seemed that everyone's actions were being held back by each other, and it looked like no one was stopping them, so the meteorite was about to be taken away by Higana.

At the critical moment, a sharp, piercing shriek suddenly rang out, startling everyone present.

"……ultrasound?"

Luo Wei immediately recognized it, and at the same time, a large amount of thick, pungent gas rushed into the cave.

"Ouch, what the fuck?"

Upon realizing the true nature of this gas, only one keyword flashed through everyone's mind...

……gas?!

Are you crazy? How could you dare to release such a flammable and explosive gas in this kind of environment?

Aysa was momentarily at a loss. She quickly recalled all the Fire-type Pokémon around her, without even considering that she was in a battle.

After all, if even a tiny spark could ignite the gas and cause an explosion, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Higanbana immediately had Salamence unleash a whirlwind to disperse the flames, while also attempting to use the whirlwind to dispel the gas.

However, the gas kept gushing in from all directions, and it couldn't be completely dispelled in a short time.

Archie didn't take the opportunity to pursue Aysa after she recalled her Pokémon. Instead, he quickly controlled his Pokémon to use moves like Whirlpool to dilute the gas and prevent an explosion.

He had already figured out what was going on.

"Ha, I've really been tricked..."

After the words were spoken, finally, a deep, middle-aged man's voice came from the shadows on one side of the cave.

"The so-called 'leader' is someone who uses limited resources in the most appropriate way. Your actions are too ostentatious, Water Wutong..."

"Hahaha..." Water Wutong clearly recognized who the voice belonged to, "...the guy who attacked the mining area and blew up most of the mountain road, he really has the nerve to say such things, Crimson Flame Pine!"

From the darkness emerged a tall, thin, stern-faced, red-haired middle-aged man. His red clothes bore a striking emblem—the logo of Team Magma, the organization that rivaled Team Ocean.

Judging from the conversation between the two sides, the man's identity is quite obvious...

...Leader of the Lava Team, Crimson Pine

That makes sense. Since Team Ocean has already arrived, there's no reason why Team Magma shouldn't react. Sure enough, Team Magma had been waiting for Team Ocean to make the first move, with the aim of turning the tables at the last moment.

A slender figure, humming a cheerful tune, deftly darted past while blowing bubblegum and riding a cross-bat, snatching the meteorite right in front of everyone...

The others were all tied down by each other, and no one could break free. Luo Wei tried to have Gardevoir use Teleport, but then saw two Dream Eaters appear next to Crimson Pine...

"...We've certainly taken into account the interference from supernatural entities."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Dream Eater shook the coin on the rope in his hand. With a flash of white light, the Crimson Pine and the Fire Goose that had taken the meteorite had vanished without a trace.

Before they left, they did one last thing: they unleashed a fireball towards the top of the cave, igniting the gas that had accumulated there.

At that moment, a series of explosions erupted simultaneously; what everyone had been trying so hard to avoid had finally happened...

"Oops……"

Seeing the explosion happening so close by, Lowe had no choice but to have Masked Meow and Gardevoir immediately turn back to protect him and Lillie. Meanwhile, looking at Sigana, he noticed that she didn't seem to have much of a reaction to the meteorite being taken away.

In that fleeting glimpse, the cave could no longer hold on and collapsed completely...

Chapter 142 I'm taking your sister with me, don't worry~

In front of everyone, Fire Goose and Crimson Pine took away the activated meteorite. Before leaving, they didn't forget to add a burst of fire, which directly ignited the accumulated gas.

Although the accumulated sediment is no longer sufficient to cause a large-scale explosion, it would still be easy to damage the internal structure of the large cavern and cause it to collapse.

At that moment, a loud explosion occurred, and the entire cave structure began to disintegrate from the top where the explosion occurred. Cracks appeared one after another, and large pieces of rock flew down like rain.

Seeing this, Meowth and Gardevoir immediately abandoned their opponents and rushed back to protect Rowe and Lillie. Meanwhile, Rowe looked up at Sigana opposite him, but there was little change in her expression.

It was as if the meteorite had been snatched away right under her nose; she didn't seem to react much. On the other hand, Luo Wei looked at the Water Wutong on the other side, and he also didn't seem to show much annoyance.

"go!"

After all, the meteorite had already been taken away, and there was no point in staying here any longer. Water Wutong, Haiquan, and Xijiana reacted very quickly and started to retreat at the same time.

The last man in black robes seemed to be on opposing sides with everyone else present. Seeing the meteorite being taken away, he immediately tried to leave as well.

However, just as he was about to set off on his escape, a mournful cry caught his attention.

The cave over there had been blown up, and the collapsing rocks kept falling. It was obviously the first time Lillie had faced such a scene, so she couldn't help but show her fear. Even with Sylveon's psychic barrier protecting her, she still couldn't help but let out a cry of pain the moment a boulder fell on her head.

Previously, Lillie had been following behind Rowe, and with the added benefit of a wig and colored contact lenses, plus the fact that she had just crossed Autumn Leaf Town and was covered in volcanic ash, her disheveled appearance made her even more difficult to identify.

Therefore, the man in black did not recognize Lillie. At this moment, Lillie's voice seemed to have triggered some memory in the man in black, and he immediately subconsciously took a closer look at Lillie.

Then, he clearly recognized Lillie…

"...Lillie, why are you here?"

"Hey, you, you are..."

The other person's voice came out unconsciously, and they even forgot to lower their voice, which revealed a bit of their natural voice.

He was younger than I had imagined; it was clearly the voice of a boy who didn't sound more than twenty years old.

Lillie seemed to have discerned something from the sound, and stared at the other person in a daze.

However, before the two could have a chance to reunite, the cave had completely collapsed. Luo Wei patted Lillie on the shoulder, signaling her to run away quickly. Seeing that Lillie was in a daze, he had no choice but to grab her wrist and run away.

Pulled by Rowe, Lillie finally seemed to come to her senses and stumbled after him, retreating. The black-robed youth tried to catch up, but the collapsed cavern completely blocked his path. Helpless, he could only watch as Rowe led Lillie away into the distance...

………………

…………

……

Rowe led Lillie out of the collapsed cave, without worrying about Aysa. Even if she was not good enough, she was still a League-certified Gym Leader and would surely find a way to escape on her own.

As for Dr. Solans, his gophers are professionals at handling such situations. Although they may not be good at fighting, they are definitely experts at digging holes.

In short, all Lowe needs to do is protect Princess Lillie, and that's naturally not a problem.

Gardevoir and Meowth rushed forward in a panic. One used Teleport, and the other immediately swept Rowe up in a princess carry. Rowe could only pick up Lillie in return. As a result, a mysterious structure of three figures embracing each other was formed, and Gardevoir used Teleport to send them out of the collapsing cave...

With a flash of white light, Luo Wei's group had arrived at the passageway outside the cave. They heard a deafening roar behind them as the entire cave collapsed at the last moment, with a pile of rubble completely blocking the final passageway and utterly destroying the Meteor Falls cavern.