The battlefield had already descended into complete chaos.
On the frontlines, Wattson's Pokémon were being completely tied down by the six Rhyperior. Their Lightning Rod abilities had turned what should have been overwhelming electric dominance into a complete stalemate.
And that stalemate Was all the hidden forces needed.From the shadows, they moved.
The first to charge forward was a massive Steelix.
Its enormous metallic body tore through the mountainside, smashing through rocks and trees alike as it descended. Years of living under extreme underground pressure had hardened its body beyond ordinary steel, making it the perfect vanguard.
It didn't dodge and It didn't retreat , It simply endured.By the time it reached the lower battlefield, its body was already cracked and battered, steel plates shattered in multiple places.But its role had never been to win.
Only to break the formation And it had succeeded Because the moment it crashed forward Everything collapsed.
Dozens of Pokémon surged in from all directions.
"Lucario, Bullet Punch!"
"Charizard, Dragon Claw!"
"Ursaring, Thrash!"
The battlefield erupted ,Attacks overlapped.Energy clashed.Explosions echoed one after another across the mountain.
Even with all his experience, Wattson could no longer maintain perfect control. His Pokémon were spread thin, forced to respond to threats from every direction.And that meant Some attacks slipped through.
At the center Raikou was forced to face everything alone.Raikou's eyes flashed with violent electricity.
"Raaaaoooou!!!"
With a thunderous roar, lightning exploded outward from its body.
A massive surge of electricity spread in all directions-Thunderbolt unleashed at full force.The shockwave blasted through the battlefield, instantly forcing back every Pokémon below high-tier elite level.
Many were sent flying while Others collapsed on the spot But Not all.
Three figures pushed through the storm.
Lucario.
Charizard.
Ursaring.
Their auras alone marked them as far beyond ordinary elite Pokémon.
These were peak-level combatants.
Lucario moved first.Calm ,Precise. Its fists glowed white as it dashed forward, ignoring the surrounding lightning as if it didn't exist.
Bullet Punch struck in rapid succession, each hit carrying enough force to crack stone.
Charizard took a different approach.It didn't challenge the lightning head-on. Instead, it took to the sky, wings beating powerfully as it avoided direct contact. Dragon-type energy gathered around its claws, forming a sharp, cyan glow.
It waited ,Watched and Struck only when openings appeared And then There was Ursaring.
Unlike the other two It didn't avoid ,It didn't hesitate.It charged straight through the lightning.
"GRAAAAH!!"
A direct hit from Thunderbolt slammed into its body. Electric arcs exploded across its fur.
Its body trembled.It staggered Then collapsed.
For a moment, it looked finished Then It moved again standing Slowly,Deliberately. It stood up again.
A grin formed.Its body still crackled with residual electricity.
Paralysis.
But instead of weakening it ,Its aura surged.
Stronger. More violent.
Silas' eyes sharpened.
"Guts…"
The ability had activated. Instead of being hindered, Ursaring's attack power had increased dramatically. It slammed its fists against its chest, roaring as its presence expanded.
Now It was even more dangerous.Raikou was forced into a corner. Three peak-level Pokémon attacking simultaneously.
Constant interference from the surroundings And on top of that It was already injured.Its movements slowed and Its lightning lost some of its earlier dominance.Each second Drained more of its strength.
Wattson clenched his fists.
"…Damn it!"
He understood now.This was never meant to be a direct battle.They weren't trying to defeat him.They were simply stalling him.
Holding him in place While Raikou was isolated And it was working. Even someone like him couldn't break through dozens of coordinated attackers at once.
Numbers Were overwhelming. For the first time, regret flickered across his face.
If things had been different…If this Raikou had not been tied to something greater…
Maybe They could have stood on the same side.Because this wasn't just any Raikou.
This was one of the guardians connected to Ho-Oh.
A being tied to balance itself.Not something that could simply be captured.Not something meant to belong to anyone And yet Greed blinded people.
"…Humans…"
A deep, rough voice echoed suddenly.
"…greed… sin… corruption…"
It wasn't heard through ears.It resonated directly within the mind.
Telepathy.
The entire battlefield froze for a brief moment. Even the attackers hesitated.Because those words Carried weight.
Wattson reacted instantly. His eyes met Raikou's No words were needed.
"RAAAOOOOU!!!"
Raikou roared.
Lightning erupted again ,far more violently than before This time It condensed. A massive pillar of lightning formed and shot forward, directly striking the three attackers.
Lucario, Charizard, and Ursaring were caught off guard.The blast sent all three crashing backward into the mountainside with a thunderous impact.
Then Raikou lifted its head And roared toward the sky The storm responded ,Dark clouds twisted violently. Lightning surged And then The sky itself seemed to open.
A massive tear of light formed above, like the world itself was splitting apart.
Wattson's eyes lit up.
"Now! Feed it your power!"
His Pokémon responded instantly.
Ampharos.
Raichu.
Electrode.
Manectric.
Magnezone.
All five released their electricity simultaneously.Five streams of lightning surged upward Then converged All of it,Flowed into Raikou.The effect was immediate.
Raikou's body was engulfed in blinding light ,Its weakened aura surged ,Expanded,Stabilized.Lightning roared louder than ever before.
The storm intensified.
The battlefield trembled And for the first time since the battle began Raikou stood tall again Not as prey But as something far more terrifying.
A force that refused to fall.
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(End of chapter)