----
The cold air bit through their clothes, sharp and unforgiving.
High above the treetops, Kai and Erika soared through the sky on the back of Charizard. The Pokémon's blazing wings sliced through the clouds as they raced toward the Pokémon Center.
But with how fast Charizard was flying, the forest below was a blur nothing but streaks of green. Not that either of them was in the mood to admire the scenery.
There was one slight downside to this speed: Erika had to hold on tightly around Kai's waist to avoid being thrown off.
Not that Kai minded.
A refined lady from a noble family really does feel… different.
He coughed lightly to refocus himself. Although his mind had wandered, he maintained his composure and gently tapped Charizard's side, signaling it to slow down. That allowed Erika to sit up a bit straighter, easing the awkwardness between them.
What Kai couldn't see, though, was the slight flush on Erika's cheeks.
Some of it was from the wind.
But the rest… well, she couldn't exactly pretend she didn't notice the warmth of his body or the firm muscles beneath her fingers.
Still, both of them pretended nothing had happened.
---
As they neared the forest near the Pokémon Center, Kai spotted it immediately: a massive dark storm cloud swirling overhead.
Just like before it wasn't natural. That crystal was active again.
Thunder flickered inside the clouds, and the unmistakable sound of battle echoed from the ground below.
Already fighting?
Without hesitation, Kai commanded Charizard to dive.
As they neared the battlefield, Kai quickly assessed the situation. The mechanical shark from before was rampaging through the area, flanked by a dozen Rocket grunts sending out Pokémon in coordinated strikes.
On the other side of the clearing, Jimmy, Marina, Eusine, Kudō, and another slightly chubby Trainer were doing their best to hold their ground but they were clearly outnumbered.
And then Kai saw it.
Raikou…
Seriously? It got caught again!?
Just like the day before, it was once again trapped in that same energy barrier.
Unbelievable.
No time to complain. Charizard folded its wings and landed behind Jimmy with a heavy thud.
Everyone froze.
Kai's arrival changed everything.
Jimmy and Marina lit up with relief.
The Rocket grunts, on the other hand, including Attila and Hun, looked like they'd seen a ghost.
Let's just say: morale dropped fast.
And with good reason.
From the start, Attila and Hun had come here expecting a clean win. They brought backup, had Raikou boxed in, and even assumed Kai would be far from the fight.
What they didn't count on was the resistance from Jimmy's group or how skilled those "rookies" and their allies would turn out to be.
Things had already gone sideways… and now Kai had shown up.
This was a disaster.
Kai, unaware of their internal panic, hopped off Charizard and started talking.
"Give it up. In case you haven't heard your base is already gone."
"What?!" Hun's face twisted in shock. The other grunts immediately broke into whispers and panicked glances.
Cutting off the enemy at the root of textbook psychological warfare.
"Don't listen to him!" Attila barked. "He's bluffing. There's no way he found the base! He's just trying to shake us!"
Kai smirked. "Oh? Then how do I know that Sebastian was captured by Interpol?"
That hit home.
Attila's pupils shrank.
He knew Kai wasn't lying.
If he knows Sebastian's name, then the base really is gone… But how? That location was top secret! And where the hell did Interpol come from?!
Kai didn't waste time.
He tossed several Poké Balls into the air, and with a flurry of light, his team arrived in full force Gardevoir, Jolteon, Scyther, Dragonair, Pupitar, and his newly trained Eevee. Charizard was already on the field.
Seven Pokémon now stood by his side.
Numerically, they were even. But in terms of power?
This wasn't even close.
Kai's strategy wasn't to go all out immediately. Instead, he subtly gave Gengar a nod.
The Ghost-type vanished into the shadows and slinked toward the barrier containing Raikou. Once in position, it began charging a massive [Shadow Ball].
This would be its strongest attack everything it had.
"Break it."
Gengar hurled the orb with a cry.
The barrier was designed specifically to suppress electric types shattered on impact, splintering like glass. The Shadow Ball kept going, slamming into the central crystal device embedded in the ground.
CRACK-BOOM!
An explosion ripped through the field, engulfing half the battlefield in a thunderous shockwave.
Smoke billowed high.
From within it, a streak of yellow surged upward Raikou, finally free.
It landed atop a rocky hill and surveyed the battlefield below.
For a brief moment, it looked down at the humans who had fought so hard for their freedom.
Then, without a word, it turned and ran vanishing into the forest.
Kai gave Gengar a quick signal, and it nodded before fading from view again.
He turned next to Scyther and whispered, "Your turn. Follow it."
----
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