Chapter 69: Sweeping Away All Obstacles
Chapter 69: Crushing Like Dry Leaves
Louis was suddenly jolted, goosebumps prickling his skin.
He spun around sharply, his gaze sweeping behind him.
Where the canyon entrance had been utterly empty just a blink before, a black-and-gold figure now stood.
“What is this...?”
Louis stared at the humanoid Pokémon standing quietly ahead, feeling a strange mix of unfamiliarity and faint recognition. His mind raced, combing through decades of trainer experience, striving to recall. Then, from memories of rare Pokémon glimpsed long ago in dusty archives, an image surfaced, slowly merging with the being before him.
His pupils contracted; his mouth fell open in involuntary awe. He uttered the name without thinking:
“Zeraora!”
A mythical Electric-type Pokémon from the Alola region,
Powerful, exceedingly rare!
Excitement, joy, and a subtle terror—
A swirl of conflicting emotions tangled within Louis’s heart.
The fear stemmed from the realization that the culprit who had annihilated Matt’s team was none other than the Zeraora before him. Facing such a cold, ruthless, top-tier Pokémon—even for a seasoned elite trainer—there remained that primal terror all humans feel when confronting a predator at the summit of the natural food chain. Louis’s body trembled despite himself.
The excitement was because his squad had been tasked by the organization to investigate traces of legendary Pokémon before the operation began. He’d held little hope for any wild encounter, the odds too slim. Yet now, at the final hour, fortune had smiled unexpectedly.
If the organization could harness this Zeraora, its future impact would be unfathomably immense.
The final joy was pure, the thrill every trainer feels upon glimpsing a legendary Pokémon. For one as strong and striking as Zeraora, who hadn’t dreamed of owning such a creature as a child?
Louis’s eyes darted as he thought:
The members of his squad were all experienced elite trainers. If they attacked together, leveraging their numbers and his secret weapon, they might just take down this Zeraora.
With a surge of resolve, he raised his right hand high, pointed at Zeraora ahead, and shouted:
“Attack!”
Click—
Click—
As Poké Balls snapped open, powerful Pokémon erupted onto the field, each radiating a fierce aura.
“Houndoom, Flamethrower!”
“Gengar, use Grudge!”
“Dragapult, Phantom Force!”
The fastest-reacting members immediately commanded their ace Pokémon to launch assaults on Zeraora.
As captain, Louis was the first to release his main battler: Dragapult.
Within moments, the squad—honed by years of training and teamwork—executed a near-flawless combination.
Gengar’s Grudge provided control; Houndoom’s Flamethrower delivered massive damage; Dragapult, lurking in the void, would finish the foe.
A textbook-perfect combo, deployed without any prior discussion, by Louis’s team.
Zeraora stood still, icy blue eyes flickering with surprise.
How long had it been?
Someone daring to attack it without hesitation?
A mocking smile curled at its lips.
“In that case, don’t blame me.”
Buzz—
A chaotic, immense magnetic field surged outward, silver-white lightning crackled from its body.
Zeraora tilted its head, meeting the incoming Flamethrower from Houndoom.
Clearly, this Houndoom was well-trained—its shiny black coat gleamed, the devilish white horns on its brow curved with elegance.
The pale red flames it spewed were dense and solid, forming a pillar of fire in the air. The scorching heat radiated outward, creating waves of searing air.
Zeraora’s expression remained calm. Its right fist clenched, muscles taut, currents converging rapidly.
Lightning flashed.
Zeraora met the flaming pillar head-on with a punch.
Bang—
A dull thud resounded. The dazzling, electric-charged fist collided fiercely with the flames, like a boulder in a torrent. Silver lightning split the fiery column apart, scattering sparks everywhere.
“That’s all?”
Zeraora raised an eyebrow; energy surged down its arm. It stepped forward suddenly.
“Slash!”
A blinding white arc flashed. An energy blade swept forward, slicing through the dense fire pillar like a hot knife through butter, cleaving toward Houndoom.
Too fast.
Houndoom didn’t even react before the energy blade struck squarely atop its head.
Crack—
Its hard white horn snapped instantly. The force sent Houndoom flying backward, its pitch-black body tumbling through the air, hot blood splattering across the ground.
With a single move, the mighty Houndoom was gravely wounded, unable to battle!
Meanwhile, on the shadow cast by Zeraora in the sun, a pair of sinister purple-red eyes appeared.
Black waves rippled like water, spreading toward Zeraora.
Unperturbed, the black wave enveloped Zeraora, causing it to pause abruptly.
“Success!”
Gengar grinned wickedly from its hiding place, about to reveal itself—then shrank back in alarm.
The instant the black wave touched Zeraora, silver lightning overflowed from its skin. Like snow melting under fierce sunlight, the black wave dissolved rapidly under the electric assault.
Zeraora glanced disdainfully at its feet.
“Disgusting bug!”
Ruby-red energy pulsed on its slender, powerful black claws.
“Mega Kick!”
A faint current crackling, Zeraora stomped down hard!
Boom—
The ground collapsed, forming a vast circular crater centered on Zeraora, cracks spreading like branches.
“Ugh!”
Gengar spat blood, its body shrouded in black smoke, blasted out of the shadows, floating helplessly as it tried to flee the monster nearby.
“Trying to run?”
Zeraora’s eyes narrowed, brownish-red flame-like energy surged in its palm.
“Brick Break!”
With a flicker of golden lightning, it chopped down.
Gengar’s round body was sent flying like a basketball, its fate unknown.
In an instant,
Just as Zeraora’s old strength waned and new strength had yet to rise,
From the void beside it,
A streamlined, blurred figure suddenly appeared!