Chapter 62: Battle of Sea and Sky

"Zapdos? Is it really Zapdos!?"

"Why is a legendary Pokémon like this even here!?"

The crowd erupted into loud discussions. The sudden appearance of Zapdos was, to them, even more eye-catching than the giant Tentacruel!

Just as some people were about to give up on the Tentacool and pursue the trail of Zapdos, they saw the legendary bird fly at an incredible speed toward the giant Tentacruel, launching an attack right at it!

"Huh!? It's actually attacking that giant Tentacruel!?"

People were stunned for a moment, and then suddenly realized something.

"Does this Zapdos already have a Trainer?"

Tracing the direction from which Zapdos had flown, the crowd scanned the area for a long time until they finally spotted a man on top of the television tower, wearing a mask and draped in a black robe.

Wrapped tightly from head to toe, the man's appearance and age were entirely unknown. Due to the distance, people could only see his mouth moving beneath a somewhat comical Gengar mask, as if he were saying something.

On the rooftop, Xia You planted one foot on the edge of the concrete ledge, glanced down quickly, and said somewhat nervously, "I have to say, Haunter... I think I might be a little afraid of heights. Why else would my calves be shaking this badly..."

In Xia You's shadow, only Haunter's eyes were visible as it sighed helplessly, "If you're afraid of heights, step back a bit, or just stop looking down altogether! Pay more attention to Zapdos's battle, will you!"

"No way!" Xia You said with a straight face. "Only by facing fear directly can you truly overcome it. But seriously, if I accidentally fall, you'll catch me, right? Hey, don't just go silent on me, say something!"

Haunter's figure emerged, feigning a scratch at its ear as it sighed, "Honestly, I never noticed before how much of a chatterbox you could be. Don't worry, I'll definitely catch you when you're just 0.01 meters away from the ground, so you can personally experience the terrifying thrill of a Haunter-branded drop tower!"

Perhaps Haunter's dark humor eased Xia You's mood somewhat. He took a moment to glance at his other Pokémon, seeing them engaged in battle with countless Tentacool under Misty's command!

"Great job, Misty. Let my Pokémon rack up some more experience!"

Xia You praised inwardly. Just as he had anticipated earlier, countless people were looking up at him, and some even had their phones out, recording both him and Zapdos!

Good thing he had the foresight; otherwise, he would have been completely exposed in plain sight.

In the distance, Zapdos circled around the giant Tentacruel while generating bolts of electricity from its wings, striking the massive Pokémon.

The giant Tentacruel, naturally refusing to be outdone, fired laser-like beams from the ruby on its head, sweeping them toward Zapdos.

Perhaps due to Dynamaxing, however, the Tentacruel's resistance was greatly enhanced. Despite taking so many electrical shocks, its condition remained quite good, and it didn't back down at all!

Seeing this, Xia You shouted, "Zapdos, stop using Thundershock! Use Thunderbolt!"

Whether his words actually carried on the wind and reached Zapdos's ears was unclear, but the very next moment, Zapdos suddenly surged forward. Countless dazzling flashes of lightning erupted, carrying a tyrannical and overpowering electrical might as it launched an indiscriminate attack in all directions!

At that moment, the giant Tentacruel finally let out a wail, and the electrical current traveled along the seawater beneath it, striking the countless surrounding Tentacool.

In an instant, one Tentacool after another was flipped upside down by the electricity, drifting passively with the waves on the sea surface, completely unconscious.

Then, with a sweep of Tentacruel's tentacles, Meowth was hoisted out from somewhere.

The giant Tentacruel used toxins to control Meowth's nervous system, borrowing its voice to convey its wrath to the world.

"We are Tentacruel and Tentacool! This time, you humans have destroyed our home, so we will destroy your city in retaliation! We will make you experience the sorrow of having your homeland ruined!"

Saying this, its gaze suddenly shifted to Zapdos.

"And you! You are a Pokémon just like us! Why are you standing on the side of humans?!"

Unfortunately, given Zapdos's pride, the only reply it received was a bolt of electricity!

Furious to the extreme, the giant Tentacruel thrashed dozens of tentacles wildly, yet failed to touch even a single feather of Zapdos.

Realizing it couldn't inflict any damage on Zapdos, Tentacruel suddenly remembered Xia You, who had been giving the commands just moments before, and began moving its massive body toward the television tower.

Along the way, any Pokémon that dared to block its path was mercilessly trampled. Knowing that it couldn't be allowed to get close, Xia You decisively ordered, "Zapdos, stop it! Use Drill Peck!"

Zapdos began to glide in the air, gathering momentum while its body spun continuously, its long beak glowing brightly as it dove straight toward the giant Tentacruel!

Though Tentacruel's tentacles thrashed endlessly, they still failed to block Zapdos's attack. As its sharp beak struck hard against the giant Pokémon's body, Tentacruel couldn't help letting out a massive wail!

Mmm-!!!

The wail seemed to shake the heavens and earth, letting the Trainers throughout the entire city truly witness the power of Zapdos!

"So... so amazing!!"

"Is this the power of a legendary Pokémon!?"

People stood dumbfounded, watching the battle between the two Pokémon. Compared to them, their own Pokémon looked like child's play. Even Ash and Brock wore expressions of yearning.

As a Trainer, who could ever resist the temptation of a legendary Pokémon?

Yet, despite taking such a heavy blow, the giant Tentacruel still had not fallen. Once the distance was close enough, it suddenly unleashed a beam of light, striking straight at the top of the television tower.

Following the flash, Xia You felt the ground beneath him shake. The spot where he stood collapsed with a roar. The next second, amidst countless shattered bricks, his body fell uncontrollably toward the ground. But right at this critical juncture, Zapdos swept past at lightning speed and caught him securely.

"Phew!" Xia You let out a long breath. In that split second, his heart had almost stopped beating. Now that he had survived the ordeal, he couldn't help muttering, "This Tentacruel actually knew to capture the leader first—quite impressive, I must say! But seriously, thank you so much, Zapdos. Even though you were so resistant earlier, you still caught me!"

"..."

Following a brief silence, for a fleeting moment, Zapdos desperately wanted to drop him back down...

At that moment, several more beams of light swept toward them. Zapdos hurriedly maneuvered to dodge, but carrying Xia You significantly reduced its speed, and on several occasions, it only narrowly avoided disaster by a hair's breadth.

"Damn it, this isn't going to work." Xia You crouched halfway on Zapdos's back and said, "Use that move!"

Zapdos nodded slightly, and the next moment, Xia You leaped backward, actively releasing himself from Zapdos's back!

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, as if he possessed a pair of invisible wings, he rode the wind and landed once again atop the television tower!

This time, the people could no longer contain their emotions, shouting out in absolute shock!

"Good god! How did he even do that!?"