Chapter 60: Giant Tentacruel

Upon hearing about the one-million-yen reward, both Ash and Brock were instantly tempted. Before either of them could speak, however, Misty let out a loud refusal.

"Are you kidding me! Who would agree to such a demand?"

With that, she grabbed Blaze by the arm and stormed out of the office.

Down in the city, the group walked along the shoreline. Even now, Ash and Misty still had no idea why Misty was so furious.

"Wait a second, Misty. Why don't you want to help her?" Ash asked in confusion. After all, if they could actually get that one-million-yen reward, he could finally pay her back for her bicycle.

"That old hag is utterly infuriating!" Misty complained. "Tentacool are so adorable, why would anyone want to hurt them? I'm sure there must be some reason behind why they're attacking humans!"

"Tentacool adorable!?" Blaze, Ash, and Brock all stared blankly, utterly bewildered.

"Yes, absolutely," Misty said with a dreamy expression. "Tentacool are so soft to the touch, it's amazing. And that red part on their heads is even known as the 'Ruby of the Sea'!"

"A ruby?" Ash said, speechless. "Whenever water-type Pokémon are involved, you turn into a completely different person!"

Just then, the city's public address system blared to life across the entire area, broadcasting the voice of the old woman.

"In order to drive away our enemies, the Tentacool, we are now recruiting capable warriors! If anyone can expel those hateful Tentacool, I will reward you with one million yen! If you want this money—no, if you are trainers who wish to make a name for yourselves locally—hurry to the docks and gather there!"

The broadcast repeated three times in a row. Trainers throughout the city sprang into action upon hearing the news. Whether they genuinely wanted to help, were blinded by greed, or simply wanted to join in the excitement, they all rushed toward the harbor.

"How could she do something like this!" Misty frowned, turning and hurrying toward the docks. Seeing this, the others had no choice but to follow closely behind.

The docks were already packed with a dense crowd. Blaze and his friends managed to squeeze their way through, only to see the old woman sitting inside a tank, while right in front of her, Team Rocket had apparently already accepted the mission and were speeding away on a boat!

"Team Rocket!?" Misty's heart sank. "If they get involved, things are definitely going to get worse!"

Sure enough, as soon as Team Rocket's boat reached a coral reef, they were promptly attacked by Tentacool and an explosion occurred.

It was only then that people stared in astonishment, realizing that at some point, tens of thousands of Tentacool had gathered there. Underwater, they were densely packed together, overlapping in a dark mass. The red jewels on their foreheads emitted a terrifying red glow that blended into a continuous sheet, looking utterly frightening.

The crowd fell silent, finally realizing that humans might not be the only ones seeking to eliminate and drive away their adversaries.

Strangely enough—through some unknown sequence of events—under the provocation of Team Rocket, a single Tentacool was drenched from head to toe in a barrel of mysterious liquid. It suddenly mutated, directly evolving into a colossal Tentacruel towering dozens of meters high!

The moment this Tentacruel appeared, it sparked panic among the people on the shore. Some who realized the situation was turning grim quietly slipped away!

"How could it possibly grow that big!?" Misty's jaw dropped in sheer disbelief.

Blaze guessed, "It must be Dynamax! Perhaps that barrel contained some substances shipped all the way from the Galar region; otherwise, a situation like this shouldn't be possible."

"Dynamax!?" It was the first time Ash had ever heard the word. Then, as if recalling something, he blurted out, "Ah, I remember! Back when we were at Bill's Lighthouse, we saw a giant Pokémon in the mist too. Was that Dynamax as well?"

"Who knows?" Blaze shook his head. "There are countless unknown mysteries in this world that science simply cannot explain. There are far too many truths just waiting for us to uncover."

Misty covered her mouth with a chuckle and said, "The way you talk sounds just like a scientific research scholar."

"Eh? Really?" Blaze blinked. Could it be that spending too much time around Professor Sakura had subtly influenced his mindset?

At that moment, the giant Tentacruel had already climbed onto the unfinished super luxury hotel. With its tentacles continuously whipping and squeezing like a monster invading Earth, it completely battered and destroyed the hotel!

Nearby, watching her dream shatter before her eyes, the old woman felt a wave of darkness cloud her vision as a surge of hot blood rushed to her head, nearly causing her to faint.

"How dare you destroy my hotel! I will never forgive you! Attack! Attack!!"

The tank beneath her opened fire immediately, while her four flamboyant male attendants miraculously produced bazookas from somewhere, continuously firing upon the giant Tentacruel!

Unfortunately, human artillery shells merely bounced off the Tentacruel's soft body, failing even to pierce its outer skin.

Yet this action only further infuriated the creature. With a roar from the beast, the army of Tentacool began making landfall on the city, while the giant Tentacruel itself generated a towering tsunami with its massive body, surging toward the shore.

"Everyone, stop standing around like idiots, let's get out of here!"

Seeing the monstrous wave closing in fast, Blaze first snapped Ash and Brock out of their daze, then grabbed Misty's hand and bolted backward.

Alas, the tidal wave came with such ferocious speed that the entire city began to be flooded and submerged by the sea. Blaze and his companions had only managed to run a few dozen meters before the waves caught up to them!

As for the people lagging behind them, they had already been swept away by the raging waters. Buildings were battered by the violent impact, doors and windows shattered, cars were swallowed up, and the entire area was plunged into a vast ocean.

"Gyarados, come on out!"

Blaze hastily unclipped a Poké Ball. As the Pokémon materialized, the group scrambled in a panic onto Gyarados's back. Guided by Gyarados, they finally managed to escape disaster.

When they eventually retreated safely to the foot of a television tower on the back mountain and looked back, the city beneath their feet had already been reduced to a scene of utter devastation!

As for that giant Tentacruel, it clearly was not satisfied yet. Leading its kindred, it crawled further into the city, flailing its tentacles in all directions and wreaking wanton destruction.

Brock let out a long sigh and realized aloud, "So that Horsea was simply trying to warn us about this very thing."

"But why on earth did they have to do this?" Misty asked, bewildered. "If things keep going like this, people are only going to hate them even more!"

At that moment, Blaze knew he had to explain the situation to them.

Pointing toward the ruins of the hotel out in the sea, he told them, "Look closely. That hotel was built right on top of a coral reef, and that very spot is the natural habitat of this pod of sea Pokémon. When those workers were doing construction, they inevitably destroyed the coral reef and encroached upon their territory. That's why they were attacked by the water Pokémon in the first place, which ultimately brought about this retaliation!"