Just as Julian was about to head off to deal with Hoopa, his footsteps came to an abrupt halt. Almost simultaneously, he and Xerneas looked toward the east.
Just moments ago, a terrifyingly powerful aura had erupted from the east.
"Is it Hoopa?"
The aura lasted for roughly a dozen seconds. Though not very long, its intensity was something Julian had never encountered before.
And the direction was toward the East Africa region.
"Hoopa has already recovered the energy it expended breaking its seal."
"It's declaring war on you and the four of us."
As one of the four First-class Legendaries who had sealed Hoopa back then, Xerneas was very familiar with Hoopa's aura.
After speaking that, it looked at Julian.
Julian understood the look in Xerneas's eyes, and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
The other was obviously blaming him for not going after Hoopa sooner. Now that Hoopa's energy had recovered, dealing with it would undoubtedly be far more difficult.
"You could've just e and warned me earlier."
Julian felt a little aggrieved. Sure, he was partly to blame, but wasn't Xerneas also somewhat at fault?
"I didn't expect you to be this stupid, not even realizing something so obvious."
Xerneas had clearly heard Julian's muttering and replied with obvious disdain.
"There's no point talking about it now."
Hoopa had already recovered its power, and judging from the aura it had released just now, it was definitely even stronger than it had been before it was sealed.
Because even from such a great distance, Xerneas still felt immense pressure.
"Besides you, which other three First-class Legendaries were involved in the sealing?" Julian asked.
Since Hoopa had already recovered its power, there was even less reason for him to rush now.
"Lugia, Regigigas, and Mew," Xerneas replied.
"Both Regigigas and Mew were there?"
Julian's voice rose a few notches, his face full of surprise.
After all, he was very familiar with these two First-class Legendaries, especially Mew, whom he had nearly petted bald. It was just a pity he hadn't seen Mew in several years.
It no longer lived at the Ancient Giant Tree where it used to reside before.
"No wonder Regigigas said it was its duty," Julian said with sudden understanding.
Earlier, when he had awakened Regigigas specifically to ask for its help in dealing with Hoopa. The other had agreed immediately, even stating that it was its duty.
Of course, Julian had thought the other meant that protecting the world was its duty.
"In that case, why don't the four of you just seal it again? I'll help from the sidelines," Julian said.
Since it had been sealed once before, it stood to reason that it could be sealed a second time.
But to his surprise, Xerneas shook its head.
"Lugia was gravely wounded during the sealing process, and even I don't know where it's sleeping now."
So it was simply a case of being one short. Julian felt that his Twin Dragons should be able to fill that vacancy.
But just as he was about to say so, Xerneas continued, "Are you thinking of substituting it with another First-class Legendary?"
Julian nodded. That was exactly what he had been thinking.
"It can be done. However, Hoopa has already been sealed once before. A second sealing would be much harder to succeed. And judging from the aura it released just now, Hoopa is even stronger than it was before it was sealed."
Hoopa: 'The same move won't work on me twice.'
That first sealing hadn't succeeded because the four First-class Legendaries' power was overwhelmingly strong, but rather because Hoopa had been careless—that was the main reason the seal had worked.
"Fine."
Julian decided not to argue any further.
Anyway, he could see it clearly now: Xerneas was determined to make him deal with Hoopa.
Jigglypuff-Jiggly~
His phone rang, and looking at the screen, he saw it was his grandfather calling.
"Hello, Grandpa."
Julian picked up the phone and put it to his ear.
"My dear grandson, where are you?"
John's voice sounded unusually urgent.
"At home, but I'm about to head out."
"You are not going to East Africa!"
As though he already knew exactly where Julian intended to go, John's tone became exceptionally stern.
"Just now, Hoopa appeared in the skies above East Africa. It merely released its aura once, and every living thing within a vast radius was wiped out. Even the Secret Realms disappeared."
Secret Realms were essentially independent dimensions.
Even nuclear weapons or Champion-level Pokémon attacking from the outside couldn't affect them in the slightest.
Back when Groudon rampaged through a nation, its Flamethrower had passed right through a Secret Realm's gate without causing any damage to the gate whatsoever.
So to destroy a secret realm, one had to enter it through its gate and destroy it from the inside.
But now, Hoopa had merely released its aura and pletely destroyed Secret Realms from the outside.
Such a phenomenon had pletely exceeded humanity's current understanding of First-class Legendaries.
pared to Earth, Secret Realms were separate dimensions. Yet Hoopa had merely released its aura on Earth and had destroyed those dimensions.
Groudon, who was also a First-class Legendary, couldn't do that. So why could Hoopa?
Didn't that just mean Hoopa was much stronger than Groudon?
Moreover, according to the Ancient Stone Tablets unearthed over the past two years, Hoopa had been honored with the title "Demon God".
The title alone was enough to show how extraordinary it was.
John knew that if there was anyone in this world who could stop Hoopa, it could only be his grandson.
But the power Hoopa had displayed terrified John.
He wasn't afraid of death, but he was afraid of having to bury his own grandson.
"Grandpa, Hoopa's target is me. Even if I don't go, it'll e looking for me."
Julian had already bee enemies with both Organization Y and Hoopa. And this damned Xerneas was standing right beside him.
Hoopa also had a grudge against Xerneas for sealing it. And it might lump that grudge onto him as well.
So no matter what, a battle with Hoopa was unavoidable.
At least now Hoopa was still in East Africa, and Julian could go there.
If he waited for Hoopa to e looking for him in Drakoria, then the battlefield would bee Drakoria itself.
"Grandpa, don't worry. I have trump cards, and plenty of them. Nothing will happen to me. Just stay at home and watch the show."
As soon as he finished speaking, another call came in. It was from James.
"Grandpa, I'll talk to you later. Grand-uncle is calling."
With that, Julian answered the second call.
"Have you made your decision?"
James got straight to the point.
"Of course I'm going. If I don't go, am I supposed to let dad or grandpa go? Or are you planning to go yourself, Grand-uncle?"
Julian replied with a smile.
Ever since he had begun capturing First-class Legendaries, Julian had known that if an apocalyptic crisis ever threatened the world, he would most likely be the first person to step forward.
And Hoopa was exactly the source of such a catastrophe.
"Then go. Like the generations of Walker ancestors, defend your homeland, and even in death, have no regrets." James's voice was both solemn and sorrowful.
"Grand-uncle, I'm not going to die."
Julian said that before hanging up the phone.
*****
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