A terrifying amount of scorching energy rapidly condensed within Gyarados's mouth. Violent destructive power spread outward like a tidal wave.It was the strongest known Normal-type move mankind had discovered.
Hyper Beam.
A terrifying attack with a base power of 150.The brilliant golden beam pierced through the raging sandstorm and blasted directly toward the cruise ship.
The entire vessel instantly descended into panic But at that moment Cynthia stepped forward. Her golden hair danced wildly in the storm as her sharp eyes locked onto the incoming Hyper Beam.
"Garchomp!"
"Dragon Claw!"
"GRAAAAH!!"
The instant Cynthia gave the command, Garchomp shot into the sky like a missile. Its massive claws spread open as emerald-green Dragon-type energy erupted around them.
The dragonic aura sharpened into gigantic glowing claws that resembled divine blades.
Then Garchomp soared upward directly into the incoming Hyper Beam. The next second ,Its dragon claws slashed downward.
SHING!!!
The expected explosion never came. Instead The gigantic Hyper Beam was split apart into four separate streams of light. Garchomp had literally cleaved Hyper Beam apart.
The entire deck fell silent.
Then Captain Yamamoto immediately roared:
"Now's our chance!"
"Everyone attack while Gyarados is locked in recoil!"
At once The guards and Trainers aboard the ship launched a full counterattack.Although Hyper Beam possessed terrifying destructive power.
After using it, the user entered a brief period of stiffness where it couldn't immediately use another move.And the enraged Gyarados, already unstable due to mating season aggression, now thrashed violently across the sea in frustration.
Huge waves exploded across the ocean surface. Even nearby Water-type Pokémon were caught in the aftermath.Naturally The Trainers aboard the ship seized the opportunity.
"Thunderbolt!"
"Rock Slide!"
"Ice Beam!"
"Air Slash!"
Flames.
Lightning.
Rocks.
Ice spikes.
Wind blades.
Countless ranged attacks bombarded Gyarados from every direction But among everyone present ,Only Cynthia's Garchomp dared engage it in close combat.
Once Gyarados recovered from Hyper Beam's recoil, some of its rationality finally returned And immediately It locked onto the humans aboard the ship. Its instincts told it something important.
These "ants" were weak individually But together, they posed a genuine threat And all the Pokémon attacking it were clearly following commands from those humans below.
Then The solution was simple.
Kill the humans.
Having spent nearly its entire life dominating the sea, Gyarados had never truly encountered humanity before. To it Humans were merely powerless creatures without energy.
Tiny insects.
This time, Gyarados didn't charge another Hyper Beam. Instead It opened its jaws wide and condensed an enormous sphere of water.
Water Pulse.
And unlike before This one was aimed directly at the crowd aboard the deck.
Cynthia frowned slightly. She had only just managed to get Garchomp close enough to entangle Gyarados in melee combat.
If she recalled Garchomp now to intercept Water Pulse ,Then Gyarados could escape back into the ocean And once a powerful Water-type Pokémon returned to the sea ,It became nearly impossible to deal with.
At that point, Gyarados could simply attack the ship from underwater repeatedly while Garchomp remained unable to pursue beneath the sea.
That would be truly troublesome.
Just as Cynthia hesitated ,A calm male voice rang out.
"I'll handle the Water Pulse."
"You focus on Gyarados."
Silas stepped forward, Cynthia paused slightly. Then she looked into Silas's steady eyes And chose to trust him. Without wasting another second Silas released two Poké Balls.
"Sharpedo!"
"Crawdaunt!"
"SHAAAARK!!"
"CRAAAW!!"
The two Pokémon appeared instantly.
"Sharpedo!"
"Use Psychic Fangs to slow it down from a distance!"
"Crawdaunt!"
"Swords Dance first, then Crabhammer!"
Sharpedo immediately wrapped itself in water and floated above the soaked deck. Then Pink psychic energy condensed into gigantic phantom fangs before launching forward. Psychic Fangs struck the Water Pulse head-on.
Although it failed to stop the attack completely,It slowed the water sphere's descent just enough. That tiny opening was all Crawdaunt needed.
"Crawwww!!"
Crawdaunt stomped heavily against the deck.Its massive claws danced wildly as streams of water spiraled around them.
Swords Dance completed.
Attack power surged explosively.
At that moment Crawdaunt fully resembled the unstoppable monster Silas had envisioned.
Crabhammer.
A 100-power move with an increased critical-hit ratio.
Combined with:
• STAB.
• Adaptability.
• Mystic Water.
• And a Swords Dance boost.
The power behind this strike became terrifying. Silas narrowed his eyes coldly.
"Let's see if you can block this."
"CRAAAWW!!"
BOOM!!!
An enormous explosion erupted above everyone's heads. The gigantic Water Pulse shattered instantly.
Countless droplets rained down from the sky. Everyone aboard the deck, already drenched in sweat from fear and battle Was now soaked completely But nobody complained.
Instead Cheers erupted everywhere. Meanwhile Gyarados was already being pushed backward repeatedly by Garchomp's relentless assaults.
High above the sea Garchomp tore across the battlefield like a dragon-shaped jet fighter. Its Dragon Claws repeatedly carved bloody wounds into Gyarados's body.
Then Cynthia raised her hand again.
"Garchomp!"
"Dragon Rush!"
"GRAAAAAAH!!!"
At the same time The rainwater soaked Cynthia's black dress completely. The fabric clung tightly against her tall, elegant figure.
Even someone as rational as Silas couldn't help glancing at her for a brief second longer But he immediately regained focus Because The true spectacle was in the sky.
Purple Dragon-type energy erupted wildly around Garchomp. A gigantic phantom dragon materialized behind it, radiating terrifying draconic pressure.
Then Garchomp folded its body forward and descended. Like a divine dragon crashing from heaven.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Dragon Rush slammed directly into Gyarados's battered body. The massive sea serpent let out a miserable roar. The tide of battle had completely changed.
After all Most Water-type Pokémon below couldn't even reach the deck due to the ship's enormous height. And the Blissey Cruise, built by the Joy family, possessed incredibly sturdy defenses.
No matter how the weaker Pokémon attacked,They couldn't damage it at all.Meanwhile Silas's contributions were becoming increasingly obvious.
Especially in the aerial battlefield. Most of the attacking Flying-types like Pelipper had been intercepted by Honchkrow.
Combined with Cynthia's Togekiss ,The two Flying-types had likely eliminated over eighty percent of all airborne threats And during the chaos ,Silas had quietly captured several valuable Pokémon.
Including:
An Elite-level Pelipper with the Drizzle Ability And A Mantine possessing Swift Swim.
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(End of chapter)