Chapter 171

Seeing Tapu Koko raise his right arm like he was prepared to smash him, Jason's pupils shrank to the size of pinholes. He had faced death before, but there was a big difference between facing off against a mutated fish and standing before what was effectively a god...

Ding!

'...!?'

As it had been a while since he experienced the phenomenon, Jason was caught off guard when the world suddenly blue-shifted and a notification window appeared before him. Time had slowed to such an extent that he could track the movements of the electricity across Tapu Koko's body. But as mesmerizing as that was, it wasn't what required his attention...

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Quest: [Nature's Madness]

Rank: D~SSS [Linked]

Description: The fury of nature is not restrained by mortal conventions or understanding. Endure or perish.

Objective(s): Demonstrate your convictions to Tapu Koko(0/1)

Optional Objective(s): Defeat Tapu Koko(0/1), Kill Tapu Koko(0/1), Capture Tapu Koko(0/1)

Base Rewards: ???? AP

Optional Rewards: 100,000 AP, 300,000 AP, 100,000,000 AP

Notice: Since your chances of completing an Optional Objective are only 0.139%, you will be rewarded based on the amount of time you're able to withstand Tapu Koko's judgment.

[Acceptance of this Quest is Mandatory]

[Yes]/[Yes]

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'Endure or perish...' Jason read, his mind sobering and a cold, indignant fury taking root within. He couldn't allow himself to be killed because of something so insensible, so as the flow of time gradually restored to its normal passage, he leaped into action.

'Hmn...?'

Not expecting Jason to leap forward and dive under him, entering his blind spot, Tapu Koko blinked in genuine surprise. When he subsequently shifted to his right and looked back, he saw a black sphere rolling across the ground.

While blocking a series of attacks directed at him by Jake, Tom, Kaialu, Tenka, and Gwynn, Tapu Koko observed with curiosity as Jason appeared in a flash of bluish-white light. At the same time, the sphere darted up and into his chest, sinking into it.

'Interesting...' Tapu Koko remarked, aiming his beak-like left hand at Jason and opening it. Golden electricity condensed within, forming a sphere. But before he could unleash it, a surging Aura demanded his attention.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM...!"

Charging forward in her Terra Forme, Ren crashed into Tapu Koko's guard with such force that it produced a spherical discharge that permeated the clearing and surrounding trees. The grass and soil below them were torn away, and though none were uprooted outright, several trees visibly tilted away from the impact.

'There is indeed great power to be found in fury...' Tapu Koko remarked, his shield arm trembling under the force and weight of Ren's attack before her momentum lessened and he was able to angle her toward the ground, adding, 'But true power is born from serenity...'

KA-THM

Using the same movement that made it appear as if he teleported, Tapu Koko drove Ren's body into the crater she had created, causing bands of golden electricity to surge outward from the point of impact.

'Hmmn...?'

Expecting Ren to be knocked out by the blow, Tapu Koko was mildly surprised when she grabbed hold of his shield with her powerful claws and muscular arms. He tried to pull his arm back and levitate upward, but it was as if she were magnetically affixed to the ground.

"Now's our chance! Attack from multiple directions...!" Kaialu shouted. As he did, several attacks slammed into Tapu Koko. He was able to block the majority with his free shield-arm, but he ended up taking a Water Gun to his unprotected left eye, courtesy of Sammy.

'...'

Retracting his shields around his body, Tapu Koko unleashed a powerful Shock Wave that expanded through the area as a hemispherical dome of golden electricity. Ren, like a lightning rod, took the brunt of the blow. But it was enough to blast away and electrocute every person and Pokémon within a twenty-meter radius—including Jason.

'This motherfucker...' Jason growled internally, his teeth gnashing and his body feeling as though it had been burned from the inside as he struggled to rise from the ground. He had heard the rumors and warnings of people dying during Tapu Koko's trials, but he didn't expect the insensible Island Guardian to unleash an attack that harmed students.

Just as Jason was beginning to resent Tapu Koko with every fiber of his being, a familiar voice reached his ears, shouting, "Come on, Bruce! Let's hit him with Flamethrower!"

Raising his head, Jason felt equal parts surprise, relief, and anxiety as Kiawe, riding atop Bruce, came to a stop a few meters above him and unleashed a powerful Flamethrower at Tapu Koko. At the same time, a pair of soft but strong hands abruptly grabbed hold of him, followed by Hau yanking him to his feet and shouting, "Don't worry! I've got you...!" before throwing him over his shoulder.

"Kgh-gh-gh-gh..."

With Hau running as fast as he was able, Jason had to tense his abs to avoid parting with his lunch. His body bounced with each step that Hau took, causing the latter's shoulder to drive into him over and over before he was rather unceremoniously put down with his back to a tree.

"Hey, man! Are you good...!?" Hau asked, surprising Jason with a crisp slap to his right cheek. Jason wanted to retort that slapping someone in the face was a terrible way to try to break them out of shock. But when he noticed the severity and concern in Hau's usually easygoing expression as the latter painfully squeezed his shoulders, his words failed him.

'Just what is happening right now...?' Jason asked himself, looking past Hau with his thoughts completely muddled. Kiawe and Hau weren't the only ones who had arrived. At least a dozen students had teamed up to attack Tapu Koko. And while their attacks had no noticeable effect, they were forcing the Legendary Electric-type to stay on the defensive.

SMACK

"Would you stop slapping me in the face...!?" Jason shouted, his brows creased and a pissed-off expression marring his soot- and dirt-stained face. Contrastingly, Hau appeared relieved, an exasperated but genuine smile blossoming across his face as he retorted, "Welcome back. Now, I need you to tell me where Ren's Poké Ball is. You normally wear it around your neck, right?"

"...?"

Reaching up to touch his chest, Jason was surprised to find there was no bump beneath his shirt. Hau was correct that he usually wore Ren's Poké Ball around his neck, but that was before the quarantine period. He hadn't had a reason to return her for some time, so the necklace was ostensibly collecting dust on the nightstand in his room...

Exhaling from his nose and shaking his head, Hau gave Jason's shoulder an affirming slap and said, "It's fine. Stay here. Or, if you can walk, move further away. Leave things here to us."

Without waiting for Jason's response, Hau got up and fearlessly bolted in the direction of the ongoing battle against Tapu Koko.

'This is madness...' Jason thought to himself, shifting his weight forward but unable to put any strength into his legs to stand. The lower half of his body felt cold, as if all blood had stopped flowing to it.

Forcibly activating his Faux Eyes of Truth, Jason was confounded yet relieved to find his nerves still active. If anything, they appeared more active than usual, confirming he wasn't conventionally paralyzed.

Opening his Status Window, Jason's suspicions were confirmed when he discovered he was under the Paralysis Status Effect. Tapu Koko's Electric energy had permeated his body. And he lacked the know-how to expel it without assistance.

'No...I need to get to Ren...' Jason thought, falling onto his side, rolling over, and forcibly rising to his elbows and knees. He felt like every muscle in his body was cramping. But if he gritted his teeth and focused on his link with Ren, her anger, anxiousness, and excitement washing over him with each impact and flash of electricity that occurred in the distance, he could still move.

[The Maw That Smiles From Within the Abyss grins expectantly.]

'I don't have time for this...' Jason thought, glancing to his right where a text window had appeared.

[The Maw That Smiles From Within the Abyss says that if you become their Apostle, they will vest you with the power to absorb the invasive energy in your body and fight.]

[The Great Sage Who Peers Under Skirts scoffs and calls The Maw That Smiles From Within the Abyss crazy.]

[The Lost Wanderer of Myriad Realms frowns disapprovingly at The Maw That Smiles From Within the Abyss.]

[The Dragon Who Slumbers Beside a Hearth interjects to remind that it is the Aspirant's decision to make.]

[The Constellations tense at The Dragon Who Slumbers Beside a Hearth's reminder.]

Shaking his head, Jason disregarded the text chain and continued trying to rise on his own. He did not doubt that the Constellations could lend him a hand to overcome his current predicament, but he would rather die than become indebted to beings who observed his struggles as entertainment. It would be one thing if he were on his own, but he was entangled with far too many people to risk such an absurd lapse in judgment...

"Jason...!"

As if to reinforce that he wasn't alone, Lillie's panicked voice cut through Jason's confusion and fury like a bolt of lightning in a storm. At nearly the same moment, he found himself being picked up, not just by Lillie, but by several sets of hands that carried him away from the battlefield.

Waiting until he was set down and rolled onto his back, Jason shook his head, forced a smile, and insisted, "I'm fine..." despite barely being able to speak.

"You most certainly aren't...!" Lillie shouted, surprising Jason greatly with how angry she looked, even with teary eyes.

"..."

Feeling Lillie's emotions through their bond, Jason chose to remain silent as his anxious fiancée activated her Pactio regalia and began treating him, unmindful of the curious glances her transformation garnered. Even Runa was doing her best to help, her tiny hands pushing against the left side of his face as she used what seemed to be a weaker version of Heal Pulse to fill his cheek with warmth...

'I can't do a single thing...' Jason thought to himself, closing his eyes and allowing himself to be treated. A sour feeling abruptly suffused his nose, but he used every ounce of willpower he had remaining to prevent himself from breaking into frustrated tears.

"You don't have to do everything yourself...!" Lillie shouted, pressing her hands to Jason's chest and frowning deeply as she asserted, "Just look at this situation! You're not alone! I won't allow it...!"

"..."

Hearing Lillie's shout, Jason managed to avoid succumbing to the guilt that threatened to wash over and pull him into its depths. He felt that it was his fault that Tapu Koko was rampaging, making him responsible for every injury sustained and every Pokémon hurt. Even now, he could feel that Ren was fighting, desperately holding the line so that others could exploit the openings she was creating...

"You're not alone..." echoed a familiar voice, prompting Jason to open his eyes just as Lana bent over to kiss him. The unexpected lip-to-lip contact caused his eyes to widen to their limits, but he was even more surprised when she sat up, smiled at him, and clenched her raised fists in a fighting pose, stating, "Leave Ren to me. I'll bring her back without fail."

"Come on. Let's go...!" Lana shouted, prompting everyone but Lillie and Runa to leave him and join the battle against Tapu Koko. It was like a war had broken out. But instead of fighting alongside everyone, he was stuck being cared for...

"Why do you do this? Why do you feel like you need to carry everything yourself?" Lillie asked, tears wetting her cheeks as she looked at Jason with a mix of pain and frustration.

"Because I don't want to lose anyone..." Jason admitted, the sour feeling in his nose returning with a vengeance.

"That's why we fight together," Lillie asserted, her expression hardening as she said, "Now, get up. Ren and our friends are waiting for us. That's how we avoid losing anyone. Even in the face of an overwhelming threat, we fight it as one."

"..."

Seeing Lillie rise to her feet and extend a hand to him, her expression the most serious he had ever seen it, Jason found himself at a loss. She had always been captivating. But at that moment, she was radiant in a way he couldn't describe...

"Now isn't the time for that..." Lillie muttered, her cheeks flushing as she took the initiative to grab Jason's hand and pull him to his feet. She had already expelled Tapu Koko's energy from his body, so after brushing him off, she looked up at him and said, "Now is the time to act..."

"You're a hundred-percent correct..." Jason affirmed, a wry, markedly cramped smile adorning his face as he added, "But I would feel better about our chances—"

Before Jason could finish, Lillie stood on the tips of her toes and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Then, with a serious, determined expression, she urged, "Let's go..." before accepting Runa, who floated into her arms, and turning to lead the way.

'She's so brave...they all are...' Jason thought, his gaze lingering on Lillie's retreating figure before he raised it to the battle occurring in the distance. By that point, it felt like half the student body had gathered to tackle what was effectively a living natural disaster. It was such an absurd notion, but it was happening right in front of him. And thus, for the first time since his arrival in the Pokémon world, Jason began to understand what it meant to be a Trainer...

...

..

.