Pokemon: Skybound

Flannery still relied on her signature Camerupt, but this time she released an additional Pokémon Weezing. One fought from the air, the other from the ground, the two coordinating seamlessly.

As for the other elite members of Team Magma, although their Pokémon were similar in species to those used by ordinary grunts, their strength was clearly on another level.

With these core forces joining the battle, Team Magma's momentum surged. Their morale skyrocketed, and Kai was forced to devote nearly all of his attention to holding them back.

Through telepathic communication, Kai's commands were delivered with precision.

"Charizard—use Flamethrower and drive those Golbat away! Don't let them attack from the air!"

"Blastoise—switch to Hydro Pump! Focus on Camerupt; they're slower and easier to hit!"

"Jolteon, use your speed—draw the Mightyena away!"

"Suicune, unleash your strongest move right into the densest group!"

"And you too, Gengar—no more holding back. Show them what you're really capable of!"

Under his coordination, Kai's Pokémon moved like a well-oiled machine. With Misty's Pokémon supporting them, they barely managed to withstand Team Magma's assault, keeping the frontline pinned near the base of the mountain.

But this stalemate was not what Kai wanted.

He turned toward Gardevoir. "You should join them too."

Gardevoir hesitated.

Sensing its concern, Kai laughed lightly. "It's fine. Go ahead. Psyduck is still here—I trust it to protect us."

Psyduck…?

Gardevoir shot Psyduck a cold glance. The duck stood there blankly, head tilted, staring back in confusion.

Entrusting its trainer's safety to that thing was not exactly reassuring.

Kai felt Gardevoir's unease through their bond.

"It's alright," he said more seriously, resting a hand on its shoulder. "I still have a trump card. If things get dangerous, I'll handle it."

Reluctantly, Gardevoir turned and rejoined the battlefield.

Its arrival eased the pressure on the frontline, but numbers were still an overwhelming disadvantage. No matter how strong Kai's Pokémon were, they couldn't cover every angle.

Flannery seized the moment.

With two elite subordinates, she broke through the defensive line and charged up the mountain straight toward Kai.

Misty reacted instantly, yanking Psyduck forward and positioning herself in front of him.

"Kai! You've always protected me this time, it's my turn!"

The purple-haired girl shouted fiercely, "As long as I'm here, you won't lay a finger on him!"

Flannery barely spared her a glance. Her eyes lingered on Psyduck for only a second before locking onto Kai.

Kai sighed and shook his head calmly. "Why go this far? Team Aqua is surrounding Deoxys right now. Aren't they your sworn enemies? Are you really okay ignoring that?"

Flannery sneered. "Aqua? Shelly thinks she's clever believing one Pokémon can change everything. But only I understand the truth. People like you are the greatest obstacle to Team Magma's dream."

She wasn't wrong.

Finding Groudon was difficult but not impossible. What truly threatened Team Magma were trainers like Kai: powerful, persistent, and constantly sabotaging their plans.

Eliminate him, and everything else would become easier.

Kai shrugged. "Then answer me this—were you lying in wait here specifically for me?"

He had only arrived to retrieve Devon Corporation's package an hour or two earlier. Yet Team Magma and Team Aqua were already fully prepared.

Someone had leaked information.

Someone inside Devon was a traitor.

Flannery didn't bother answering.

At this distance, words were unnecessary.

She attacked.

Her subordinates followed immediately.

"Misty!" Kai shouted.

"Psyduck, stop them!" Misty cried, waving her arm.

Psyduck tilted its head, utterly clueless.

But ignorance didn't spare it from danger.

Fire attacks surged forward.

Psyduck panicked, dodging clumsily—too late. Flames singed its tail, sending it running in circles, clutching it in pain.

The sight stunned Flannery's group.

This… was Kai's Pokémon?

Compared to the monsters they had fought earlier, Psyduck's performance was laughable.

Misty's heart sank. I'm such an idiot… trusting this guy at a moment like this.

She shouted desperately, "Psyduck! Use Confusion!"

Nothing.

Kai, however, remained calm.

He touched his wrist, about to act—

When suddenly—

A blue, winged dragon slammed into the battlefield, ramming a Mightyena aside!

Everyone froze.

From behind a boulder, a black-haired girl in a cloak leapt into view.

Kai and Misty recognized her instantly.

Zinnia—the Draconid they had met at Meteor Falls.

And the Pokémon?

Salamence.

"So you did come to save us!" Misty exclaimed.

Zinnia shook her head lightly. "I was here the whole time. Watching."

She directed Salamence to force the remaining attackers back, then turned to Kai.

"I didn't expect you to be hiding this much power," she said in disbelief. "Not just Raikou—but this many Legendary Pokémon?"

Kai smiled faintly. "Everyone has their secrets. But what about you? Don't tell me you came just to watch the chaos."

Zinnia laughed. "Do you really think Devon was the first to find that meteorite?"

Kai's eyes narrowed. "You?"

"Three days ago," she said quietly, "when it fell, I was already here. I saw Deoxys. And then—Rayquaza appeared."

Both Legendaries clashed, shaking the mountains. Wild Pokémon fled in terror.

That explained everything.

"The next day," Zinnia continued, "Deoxys fought Devon's people. Rayquaza vanished into the sky."

Misty swallowed. "Then… Rayquaza might come back?"

"It will," Zinnia said with certainty. "It never forgets. And it never forgives."

Hope burned in her eyes.

For the Draconids, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Kai glanced toward the battlefield again, where Team Magma and Team Aqua were still locked in chaos.

"So they came because of that fight?"

"They were just lucky," Zinnia replied. "After you saved Professor Cozmo, they'd already been lurking nearby. When they sensed the clash between Rayquaza and Deoxys, they rushed in."

Kai exhaled slowly.

Everything finally made sense.

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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter

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