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At the Goddess Mountains
At the foot of the Goddess Mountains, the Goddess Peak Base Camp served as a transit station for climbers seeking to conquer the world's highest peak, Goddess Peak.
The cold wind howled mercilessly as heavy snow blanketed the landscape. The world around them was a pristine expanse of white—clean and untouched.
Maximus wrapped himself in a thick padded jacket and huddled inside the shelter, warming his hands by the crackling fire. A pot of strong liquor sat on the table beside him. The harsh weather in this region made him want nothing more than to remain in bed, sheltered from the biting cold.
"Senior Maximus," said a beautiful woman sitting nearby. Despite being bundled in thick winter clothing with a fur hat covering her head, her delicate features remained visible. "When are we departing?"
Fia's voice was soft with hints of the regional accent from China's water towns. It sounded sweet and melodious. It was difficult to believe from her voice alone that she actually hailed from the Northeast region.
"Fia," Dragon Master Maximus wasn't well-acquainted with Fia, the newly appointed Northeastern Heavenly King. This mission marked their first collaboration. "Rest for a while. I'm getting old and not as resilient as I once was. The cold is particularly biting today."
Looking at Fia who had become one of the Four Heavenly Kings at such a young age, Maximus couldn't help but sigh at how powerful the younger generation had become. This reminded him of his daughter Nina and his new apprentice Jacob. He realized that in recent years, both Gym Leaders and Heavenly Kings were getting increasingly younger.
Almost every year they heard news about which province had produced the youngest Gym Leader or the youngest quasi-Elite trainer, with these records constantly being broken.
In truth, this progression was natural. With advances in breeding technology and scientific developments, the time and resources required to raise Pokémon had significantly decreased. For trainers of Maximus's generation, it typically took about ten years to raise a pseudo-legendary Pokémon from its first stage.
"Senior Maximus, aren't we venturing out again today?" Just as Maximus was reminiscing about times past, Fia spoke again, her voice remaining gentle.
"The snowfall is too heavy for safe travel, so we should remain here. We'll wait until the storm subsides before proceeding," Maximus casually lifted the wine glass from the table and took a measured sip. The liquor burned through him, dispelling the chill that had settled in his bones. Then he continued thoughtfully, "Going out in such severe conditions would be suicidal. We can't be hasty. This is its territory. We lack the advantage of familiar ground, so we must carefully choose the right weather conditions."
Maximus's words transported Fia back to the events of the previous day. While pursuing the Baxcalibur tribe, various factions had clashed with one another. The tremendous commotion caused by the battle between Heavenly King-level trainers had ultimately disturbed the ruler of the snow mountain.
It was an extraordinarily massive Articuno, its blue silhouette darkening the sky. The three dark blue crest feathers on its head gave it a regal, imposing appearance. Its enormous eyes swept over everyone present—the absolute sovereign of this frozen domain.
It wasn't that trainers with legendary Pokémon didn't exist in this world. If it had been just an ordinary Articuno, it wouldn't have shaken Maximus and Fia so profoundly. However, the Articuno they encountered was exceptional. Its power was terrifyingly immense.
Even among legendary Pokémon, power levels varied considerably. Consider Articuno as an example. Throughout history, various Articuno had appeared—from one that was defeated by a Krookodile to the Ice God Articuno documented in famous historical battles.
Though both were Articuno, their strength existed on entirely different planes. The power of this particular Articuno reminded Maximus of the nightmare god Darkrai that had manifested in the Secret Realm several years prior.
That Darkrai had embodied true terror—the genuine nightmare god. It had unleashed Dark Void to engulf the entire battlefield, dragging almost all Pokémon into its dark realm, trapping them in eternal slumber and causing countless casualties.
The oppressive aura emanating from this Articuno was equally suffocating. Upon its appearance, it summoned a blizzard that shrouded the entire sky. The enormous blue shadow blocked out the sun, and the blue crest on its head and the phoenix-like tail plumage fluttered majestically in the air. Wherever it passed, blizzards persisted.
In the documented Pokédex entries, the standard Articuno measured only about 1.7 meters tall and weighed approximately 110 kilograms.
But this was the real world, and this Articuno stood over ten meters tall. Its blue wings spread out like a dark cloud, leaving everyone breathless. When it soared overhead, it left all below with an overwhelming sense of insignificance.
The appearance of the giant Articuno sent tremors through the souls of Maximus and Fia. What defined a legendary Pokémon? This was a true legendary. When it spread its wings, snow and wind cascaded across the entire sky, and winter's grip tightened eternally. This was the genuine god of ice.
Fortunately, the giant Articuno didn't attack Maximus and the others, but merely drove them away. Had they faced the giant Articuno after their already fierce battle, their chances of victory would have been slim. However, if they could somehow subdue such a legendary creature, anyone would undoubtedly qualify to compete for the championship title.
By now, the Goddess Mountains had been classified as one of the world's dangerous zones by the China Pokémon Association. Beyond the Goddess Mountains, other hazardous regions worldwide included the Alps, Antarctica, and similar territories, all hosting legendary Pokémon.
News of the giant Articuno's appearance was completely suppressed by the China Pokémon Association. Apart from Maximus and Fia, those who knew about it could be counted on one hand. Even Aris and Ruben weren't privy to the details. They were merely aware that Maximus and his team remained in the Goddess Mountains for an important mission.
Although this giant Articuno was formidable, there remained a possibility of conquering it. Unlike Rayquaza, who dwelled atop the Alps and had been active in the ozone layer for ages, or Kyurem in Antarctica, both infamous for their merciless temperaments—not only was conquering them questionable, but whether one could return alive was equally uncertain.
...
The next day.
The European Pokémon Association initiated negotiations with the China Pokémon Association regarding the captured Heavenly King. Simultaneously, Fountainhead Laboratory held a press conference, announcing that researcher Jacob had developed another category of Z-Move distinct from the attribute Z-Moves—an exclusive Z-Move.
The announcement sent shockwaves through the community.
Less than a month had elapsed since Jacob had developed the corresponding poses for the Z-Moves, and now he had achieved another research breakthrough, causing an immediate sensation and setting the internet ablaze with discussion.
At the press conference, Lewis, director of Fountainhead Laboratory, alongside Mr. Scott and two vice presidents of the Pokémon Association, Aris and Ruben, were in attendance.
During the meeting, Lewis, head of Fountainhead Laboratory, personally introduced the exclusive Z-Moves to everyone present.
"Exclusive Z-Moves surpass attribute Z-Moves in power. They come with stricter usage conditions. They require specific Pokémon to use specific moves, and the Pokémon must hold exclusive Z-Crystals while the trainer must wear a Z-Power Ring to activate them. Ordinary Z-Rings cannot trigger exclusive Z-Moves. We will now present a video demonstration."
The video displayed the execution of Kommo-o's exclusive Z-Move.
There were multiple videos, all deliberately blurred, making the footage appear as if captured with an outdated phone. This effect was intentionally created by Fountainhead Laboratory.
"Many have questioned the potency of exclusive Z-Moves, but we can address this directly with facts," Lewis explained. "Two days ago, Dragon Master Maximus, leader of the Four Heavenly Kings in North China, conducted a covert mission and utilized Kommo-o's exclusive Z-Move to decisively defeat a Heavenly King-level Pokémon from the European region capture a foreign Heavenly King."