The [Soul-Devouring Crocodiles] swung their mud-caked bony tails, their steps swift as the wind, covering several paces in the blink of an eye.
Though their jaws gaped wide, no sound escaped—as if they were speaking inaudible words.
In an instant, the rustling of countless crocodiles trampling the grass filled the field.
Seeing this, everyone tensed, preparing for battle according to their respective combat styles.
Golem extended his hands, gathering a mass of pure Aura that flashed white before transforming into multiple rocket launchers.
The nearby Stone Wall members took them with practiced ease—this was a routine they had repeated countless times.
After obtaining the rocket launchers, they hoisted them onto their shoulders, channeling streams of Aura through Flow into the barrels.
In the next moment, multiple Aura blasts were fired simultaneously, the projectiles streaking through the air at incredible speeds.
There was no need for precise aiming—with so many Soul-Devouring Crocodiles on the battlefield, every shot was bound to hit several.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
In an instant, dust and thick smoke filled the air, obscuring vision.
After a brief pause, another wave of Soul-Devouring Crocodiles emerged.
Only a few of the weaker ones had been blasted apart—most merely lost a layer of their Ink Muck.
Muheer, too, extended both hands, holding them level before his chest.
A "light rod" materialized in his grasp, its glow dimming to reveal a long spear forged from Aura.
With a casual flick of his wrist, he sent a ripple through the air.
As the group prepared, the nearest Soul-Devouring Crocodiles were already closing in.
Glancing at the surrounding creatures with their gaping, bone-filled maws, Ging narrowed his eyes and subtly shifted his stance.
At the same time, two Soul-Devouring Crocodiles lunged at him from either side, their jagged white fangs sending chills down the spine.
With a slight exertion, Ging pushed off the ground with his toes, propelling himself into the air as if weightless.
With Ging no longer in the way, the two Soul-Devouring Crocodiles collided mid-air, their vision blurring from the impact.
Ging watched coldly as his right hand suddenly gleamed with a yellowish light, followed by a roar akin to that of a tiger.
In an instant, a fist shaped like a tiger's head descended upon the skulls of the two Soul-Devouring Crocodiles, compressing the air beneath it.
The sheer density of Aura made his fist radiate like the sun, its brilliance so intense it stung the eyes.
Ging remained expressionless, thinking to himself: Two is just right—good for a test run.
Perhaps intentionally, his punch landed precisely around the eyes of the Soul-Devouring Crocodiles—where their soul flames resided.
From the very first glance, Ging had been particularly wary of the red glow in their eyes.
This light was far from natural—almost as bright as a lightbulb.
Recalling certain legends, Ging decided to test his theory by targeting the eye sockets first.
As a hunter, Ging never expected to find the solution on his first attempt.
The same applied to dealing with Soul-Devouring Crocodiles.
Often, discovering a method required relentless trial and error—dozens, even hundreds of attempts were common.
Thus, patience was an essential trait for any competent hunter.
Ging was no exception.
"Crash!"
Ging's right fist struck the heads of the two Soul-Devouring Crocodiles with devastating force, the massive burst of light leaving ruin in its wake.
A terrifying shockwave rippled outward, carving a deep crater where the impact landed.
The upper bodies of the two Soul-Devouring Crocodiles were instantly buried in the ground, only their tails left exposed.
Their heads, bearing the brunt of the force, shattered into fragments—their soul flames extinguished, their eye sockets obliterated.
The residual shockwave also stripped away most of the Ink Muck clinging to their bodies, revealing the mangled remains beneath.
Ging landed lightly on the ground, shaking his hand slightly as he surveyed the aftermath with a faintly raised brow.
It seems he used a bit too much force; he didn't need to expend this much Aura.
But it's fine—this was just a probing move anyway.
From what we can see so far, these creatures appear rather fragile.
Those eerie bones don't seem to have high defensive capabilities.
As for the red glow in the eye sockets...
Ging kicked the surface, sending the dirt flying to reveal the bone fragments beneath.
There wasn't a trace of the red glow.
'Did it disappear because it died?'
'Or was it extinguished?'
While pondering this, Ging swung his right fist and knocked over an oncoming Soul-Devouring Crocodile.
A few moments later, Ging ignored the now-defunct Soul-Devouring Crocodile and turned his attention to the ones still "full of life."
"Well, no need to rush. There are plenty more here."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ging vanished from his spot, only to reappear beside an isolated Soul-Devouring Crocodile.
In a flash, he reached out and grabbed the crocodile's head, prying its jaws open with both hands—one above, one below.
Better safe than sorry.
Though he hadn't been bitten yet, it was best to avoid injury when dealing with creatures of unknown origin and abilities.
In fact, Ging dared to handle it directly only because he was wearing a high-defense Safety suit.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have touched the Soul-Devouring Crocodile at all.
Watching the crocodile struggle, Ging remained expressionless as his fingers dug into its bones.
He left behind several indelible marks.
Ging stared straight into the crocodile's eyes, where the red glow was unmistakably clear up close.
Through those two red lights, Ging's mind wavered, and disjointed images flashed inexplicably through his thoughts.
These weren't his memories—they were from the crocodile's perspective.
The memories seemed to be from when the crocodile was still normal, living among its own kind.
After a few flashes, Ging snapped back to reality as if he'd just watched a short film.
Only a moment had passed.
'Were those the crocodile's memories?'
'If so... could this eerie red glow really be...?'
A glint of realization flashed in Ging's eyes, and his curiosity about the Soul-Devouring Crocodile—and even the Hellbell Snake—grew stronger.
But first, he had to deal with some enemies.
...
"Ding!"
"Pokémon incubation complete!"
Just as everyone was fighting hard, Akira's alarm suddenly chimed.
The Dark Sonata's incubation bar had reached its end!
Without hesitation, Akira immersed his consciousness into his mind, eager to confirm whether his guess was correct.
The first thing he saw was an anthropomorphic figure—clearly a humanoid Pokémon.
Moreover, the new Pokémon's appearance was strikingly unique, with a highly distinctive style.
Its body was primarily green and black, with small accents of ocean-like azure.
Its hair bore musical bar-like stripes, and its slender arms connected to oval-shaped hands, forming the shape of a quarter note.
Its pair of azure eyes resembled whole notes.
On its forehead was a gemstone, along with a black headpiece shaped like a treble clef.
These two treble clef-like structures overlapped, forming something akin to a wireless microphone commonly used by singers.
Clearly, this was a Pokémon deeply intertwined with music, its body adorned with musical motifs.
It was none other than the Mythical Pokémon known as the "Diva" of the Pokémon world—Meloetta!
Exactly the Pokémon Akira had been guessing all along!
Because Akira believed this incubation bar could fully hatch a Mythical Pokémon.
Obtaining Meloetta was no easy feat.
The incubation bar was linked to the Dark Sonata, requiring all four movements to be collected before it could hatch.
Yet the Dark Sonata was elusive—no one knew where to find it.
He was lucky enough to have found two of the movements.
But it still wasn't enough. Without collecting all four, even having three movements wouldn't suffice.
With worse luck, it might have taken who knows how long for the incubation bar to reach completion.
Fortunately, the Hellbell Snake lent a hand, allowing him to hatch the Pokémon ahead of time.
The arduous incubation conditions, combined with the musical requirements, naturally pointed to one outcome—the Mythical Pokémon Meloetta!
In the Pokémon world, many legendary Pokémon reign supreme in their respective domains.
So much so that when people mention a certain field, the first thing that comes to mind is them...
For example, Groudon, the Pokémon representing the earth, or Kyogre, the Pokémon representing the oceans...
And when it comes to legendary Pokémon representing music, none other than Meloetta comes to mind.
In appearance, Meloetta is a delicate, humanoid Pokémon.
Known as the Melody Pokémon, it can manipulate the emotions of humans and Pokémon through its songs.
Yet people need not worry about Meloetta using this ability to control others indiscriminately.
Because Meloetta is an exceptionally kind and gentle Pokémon.
In fact, this ability is believed to have developed as a means of self-defense against threats.
Even when attacked by enemies, Meloetta uses joyful melodies to diminish their fighting spirit.
It strives to charm foes with the power of music, reducing unnecessary conflict and fostering peaceful coexistence.
The melodies sung in Meloetta's unique vocal style can freely manipulate the emotions of listeners, bringing joy or sorrow to nearby Pokémon.
It's said that many famous compositions in the Pokémon world draw inspiration from Meloetta's melodies.
With just a single note, it produces breathtakingly beautiful music—an embodiment of sound itself.
Thus, many musicians dream of meeting Meloetta or hearing its songs at least once in their lifetime.
Though Akira had no particular passion for music,
the chance to listen to legendary melodies was still a welcome opportunity.
In the Pokémon world, this was a privilege countless people Covet but never attain.
And now that he had Meloetta, he could enjoy its enchanting songs anytime, anywhere.
After learning about the Dark Sonata, Akira also understood that the power of music was far from simple.
When combined with other elements, melodies could transform into something unimaginable.
Name: Meloetta
Ability: Serene Grace
Type: Normal / Psychic
Strength: SS
Moves: Ancient Song, Dark Song, Sing, Teeter Dance, Triple Axel...
[Dark Song]: Born from the Dark Sonata, Meloetta gained an extraordinary ability.
It can sing corresponding melodies, wielding the powers of the Dark Sonata and the Hellbell Snake.
Moreover, this ability only consumes Aura, causing no negative effects on Meloetta itself.
...
Akira glanced down the list as usual, showing no surprise at Meloetta's SS-tier strength.
After all, most Mythical Pokémon naturally fell within the SS-tier range.
It was somewhat lamentable—Meloetta had been his first Mythical Pokémon incubation bar.
Yet, by the time it was born, it could only become his fifth Mythical Pokémon, ranked 1.9.
Ahead of it were Marshadow, Genesect, Shaymin, and Diancie.
As a prestigious Mythical Pokémon, Meloetta naturally possessed its own signature move.
[Ancient Song]: Sings an ancient melody that strikes the opponent's heart, with a 10% chance to induce sleep.
Moreover, when Meloetta used Ancient Song, it would change forms.
That's right—just like Shaymin, Meloetta had two distinct forms.
Normally, Meloetta was in its Melody Form, but after using [Ancient Song], it would shift into its Step Form.
In Step Form, Meloetta's demeanor underwent a significant transformation—
From an elegant, reserved singer to a passionate, exuberant dancer, its color palette shifting to vibrant orange-red.
Its stat distribution also changed, essentially transitioning from a ranged special attacker to a close-quarters physical one, with its special attack advantage shifting to physical attack.
But none of that was the real highlight!
When Akira reached the final section, he realized the truly groundbreaking information was yet to come.
Because Meloetta's birth was unique—tied to the Dark Sonata—it inherently possessed the abilities of the Dark Sonata.
Simply by singing the corresponding melody, it could unleash them.
Not only that, but it also carried the bell-based abilities of the Hellbell Snake.
In other words, a single Meloetta was equivalent to the Dark Sonata plus the Hellbell Snake.