Chapter 486: Dark Lugia!
Chapter 486: Dark Lugia!
In the quiet night, beneath the seemingly calm sea surface, dark currents stirred.
Schools of Iron Cannonfish, Sun Coral, and Thousand Needlefish fled swiftly from their familiar waters, their instincts telling them that tranquility would soon be disrupted.
Protected by Psychic Power, Jinghe and his companions descended swiftly, unaffected by the seawater.
Observing the scattering fish, Jinghe's crisis awareness, honed by Wave Guide, alerted him to the impending battle.
"This is going to be a grand showdown," he realized.
Adjusting his hat, Jinghe remained composed, despite the impending chaos.
Ridiculous.
To my left, Herona, and to my right, Jadira, even if they hadn't reached their peak, few could halt such a formidable duo.
Not to mention these mere Pokemon hunters.
Pokemon hunters excel in capturing valuable Pokemon swiftly using cunning and mysterious methods, but direct combat is not their forte.
"Hunter J has a Petrify Gun, so be cautious. Gramps wears an exoskeleton armor, granting him immense strength, rivaling top-tier martial artists."
Jinghe meticulously briefed Herona and Jadira on the precautions they needed to take.
"Additionally, these individuals are ruthless. Be prepared for sudden attacks on the trainers themselves."
In a free-for-all outdoor battle, whoever protects the trainers gains the upper hand.
Jinghe doubted that Hunter J could capture them all with a single net. They weren't the Water Lords.
"Mhm," Herona nodded in agreement.
With her extensive exploration of various ruins, she possessed exceptional combat skills and a keen awareness.
"Blabber," Jadira, on the other hand, displayed a tougher demeanor.
As a Psychic-type with potential surpassing even Nagi's, she was the least concerned about personal safety, including Hunter J's Petrify Gun.
Buzz—
Jadira's Psychic Barrier seamlessly merged with the Oceanic Shrine Barrier, allowing them to pass through without hindrance.
And what greeted them was—
"Water Gun!"
A chilling voice commanded, followed by a barrage of water jets.
Beware.
It wasn't a single Water Gun but a torrential downpour of them, akin to a raging torrent, roaring waves charging directly at Jinghe and his companions.
Evidently, Gramps and Hunter J weren't alone; they were accompanied by their crew from the massive submarine.
Numerical advantage sometimes means nothing in the face of absolute power.
However, there's a saying that quantity leads to quality—when accumulated, it can threaten even the strongest.
Within the League, particularly in the Kanto and Johto regions, there are permanent military forces due to the presence of Team Rocket.
In the Pokemon world, the military emphasizes consolidating all forces to achieve qualitative change through quantitative accumulation.
This was the situation Jinghe and his team faced.
But there was a problem.
Whether it was Hunter J's subordinates or Gramps' pirate crew, their nature as Pokemon hunters meant they lacked professional military training. They could coordinate but lacked cohesion.
The turbulent water, though fierce, had unavoidable gaps.
Take the "Water Gun" command; the reaction time varied among the people and their Pokemon, resulting in different water jet release times.
Furthermore, the targets and positions of their attacks also differed.
Even with the same command, would the timing and accuracy be identical for those at the edges compared to those in the center?
This was the difference between professionalism and amateurism.
So—
"Lady Goth, Manaphy Egg!"
Jadira's feet slowly lifted off the ground, and two Pokemon floated by her side, forming a Psychic Barrier with their combined Psychic powers.
The seemingly overwhelming onslaught appeared riddled with flaws in Jadira's "vision."
"Martial Bearmaster!"
"Mew, Seel!"
Jinghe and Herona exchanged glances, their mutual understanding unspoken.
"Rooar!"
Within a red glow, Jinghe's Poke Ball at his waist opened on its own, releasing Martial Bearmaster, who leaped out of the barrier to face the surging water. Taking a deep breath, he narrowed his eyes.
The next moment—
"Rooar!"
Tensing his body, he "read" the water currents, unleashing a powerful punch!
A combo attack, mastered at the Water Tower, where water currents were the core of this ultimate technique—read, understand, dominate, and utilize.
Boom!!
Martial Bearmaster stood like a reef amidst the raging waves, cleaving the water with his mighty punch!
Mew and Seel positioned themselves behind Martial Bearmaster, swirling their tails and rumbling their abdomens.
Water Tail!
Water Pulse!
Two forces erupted.
Boom!!
The seemingly dangerous torrent exploded into a white floral display, transforming into raindrop-sized water droplets that fell like a shower.
Witnessing this, Hunter J's subordinates and Gramps' crew stood in awe.
Such courage!
Just then, a black mist appeared beside them, as if something sinister was emerging.
Instinctively, they turned to see—
A sinister smirk floated within the black mist, revealing Gramps with his scarlet eyes, seemingly filled with mischief and dark clouds.
"Hahaha~ (^☆)"
At that moment, a raging black aura swirled around Gramps' hand, engulfing some water currents that vanished, transforming into dozens of smaller black spheres that shot out.
"Dodge!"
Hunter J's expression changed, warning them to avoid the attack.
But it was too late.
The black spheres didn't cause harm but enveloped the people and Pokemon they hit.
When the spheres vanished, they had fallen asleep.
Witnessing this, Hunter J's face darkened.
When did League trainers become so devious?
Not only did they stealthily launch a surprise attack, but they directly targeted the trainers!
You're more like a villainous team leader than us!
If Jinghe knew what Hunter J was thinking at this moment, he would definitely sneer without hesitation. Do you think it's over?
"Hey." Jinghe chuckled lightly, then shouted, "Gramps, Song of Doom!"
Everyone: Σ(дlll)
"Dragon Scorpion, Abyssal Thrust!" Hunter J waved her hand and shouted urgently.
Upon hearing the command, the Dragon Scorpion rushed out, its pincers covered in dark rays, charging towards Gramps.
If Gramps were to sing, that would be terrible!
But it seemed like Jinghe and Gramps were playing a joke on everyone. Gramps grinned but didn't open his mouth. Instead, he dove into the dimensional rift that had opened up.
Hmph, I'm not going to sing for you fools!
Jinghe smiled and once again temporarily took over the "command" from Hydro Viper.
"Rapid Dragon, Hydro Viper, Dragon Dive!"
"Wuu~~(ˊˋ)"
"
Despite the commotion, Hydro Viper wasn't joking around at this moment.
Two ferocious dragons soared into the sky and then slammed down, cleaning up the "mooks" alongside Gramps.
At the same time, Jinghe finally got to see the people behind the scenes.
Hmm?
Jinghe wasn't surprised to see Hunter J.
However, when he saw Star Governor and Suixing behind her, his eyes narrowed slightly.
The Galactic Team is involved in this matter?
The ghost with the mutton chops was gone. Instinctively, he turned to look inside the Aquadeus Temple.
The trickling water, the greenery, the ancient yet well-preserved architecture, the towering spire, and the seawater surrounding the temple—this was the Aquadeus Temple.
So, the ghost had gone to find his "Sea Crown," Jinghe realized.
What did Hunter J and the Galactic Team get?
Wait!
Where's Lugia?
Jinghe suddenly realized.
Logically, Lugia should be inside the Aquadeus Temple, right?
How—
Before he could finish his thought, he saw Hunter J, wearing sunglasses, coldly smiling, and shaking the pitch-black sprite ball in her hand.
Dark Ball!
This sprite ball was all too familiar to Jinghe. It was the Dark Ball that the Rocket Team traitor, Bisa, had used in the Forest of Time not long ago!
How did Hunter J get her hands on it?
It made sense. Bisa was born as a Pokemon Hunter, and she was definitely familiar with Pokemon Hunter J. With enough cost and benefits, it wasn't impossible to obtain a few Dark Balls from her.
So...
Jinghe's heart sank.
"Where's Lugia?" Herona came to his side and asked in a hushed voice.
Jadira's floating hair settled, and she slowly descended from the air, landing on the other side of Jinghe. She stared at the Dark Ball in Hunter J's hand and said in a deep voice, "I sense pure darkness and fear."
"I'm afraid Lugia has been captured," Jinghe said gravely.
Hmm?
Herona and Jadira both looked at him with surprise.
The legendary giant bird Pokemon, Lugia, the guardian of ocean currents and storms, had been captured?
This... this is beyond our control.
Seeing the solemn expressions of Jinghe and the others, Hunter J coldly smiled again.
"It seems you've guessed it."
She shrugged, "Then let me show you."
Saying so, she lightly tossed the Dark Ball in her hand.
Zzzz—
Purple arcs of light flashed, and as the Dark Ball opened, a cloud of black mist emerged.
In the midst of the black mist, crimson eyes suddenly opened, and pitch-black wings slowly spread out. A massive shadow-like figure loomed over everyone's hearts.
"Gaaah!"
With a loud roar, the giant wings flapped, and as the black mist dissipated, its form was fully revealed to everyone's eyes.
Its appearance was almost identical to Lil Lugia, but its originally silver body and hair had turned into an eerie ink color!
Dark Lugia!
"Gaaah!"
The massive Dark Lugia unleashed its ferocious aura, and the howling wind swept through the entire space of the Aquadeus Temple. The terrifying aura was so oppressive that Jinghe and the others felt like they couldn't breathe.
"Hng!"
"Roar!"
"Sing!"
Gramps, Rapid Dragon, Martial Bear Master, Hydro Viper, Lady Goth, and the artificial cell egg—all of Jinghe's Pokemon—rushed to their side, their expressions serious as they guarded against the terrifying deity.
Jinghe's heart felt like it was churning with waves.
Dark Lugia?!
Hunter J, Star Governor, and Suixing seemed surprised as well.
"Did it undergo a mutation?" Hunter J asked, gazing at the Dark Lugia, which was constantly releasing a terrifying aura, causing the seawater outside the Aquadeus Temple to become violent and raging.
But then, without hesitation, she burst into wild laughter.
"Perfect!" She said, her eyes burning behind her sunglasses, "It's worth a fortune!"
She never expected Lugia to mutate and become such a pitch-black color.
But for her, this was the best thing that could happen.
Lugia was rare, but it had also appeared before the public, like the distant Whirlwind City, where there was a legend that Lugia appeared once a year.
However, Dark Lugia was a being that no one had ever seen before.
Its value was self-evident!
As a Pokemon Hunter, there was nothing more exciting for her than capturing such a rare Pokemon.
At the same time, on the sea...
The originally cloudless sky and calm sea also underwent a transformation.
Black clouds, like velvet swans, appeared out of thin air, slowly blocking the bright moon and dimming the light in this place.
The sea became turbulent, with waves crashing against the ship's cabin one after another, making a "bang bang" sound as the sailboat swayed.
Inside the cabin...
The sleeping Lil Lugia suddenly opened its eyes, its eyes shimmering.
It had a nightmare, dreaming that its mother, Lugia, had an accident, turning black and unable to hear its voice, becoming a mindless monster.
"Yochi?"
Tyrogue bumped into the ship's cabin in the swaying and woke up, rubbing its head.
Upon seeing the curled-up Lil Lugia, trembling and crying in fear, it patted its buttocks and trotted over.
"Yoji!"
It smacked Lil Lugia's back, causing it to stumble, and a red flush appeared on its back.
"Wuuuuh?"
Perhaps due to the pain, or maybe it was Tyrogue's call, Lil Lugia momentarily forgot its fear and looked at Tyrogue with a dazed grin.
Tyrogue laughed and grabbed Lil Lugia's neck.
"Yoji~"
Did you have a nightmare? Tell me what's wrong, I'll protect you!
Lil Lugia recounted the events from its dream, disjointedly.
Tyrogue's eyes widened in confusion, and he scratched his head.
Dark Lochia?
What's that?
However, having spent so much time with Jinghe and Gramps, he quickly came up with a plan and laughed as he smacked Lil Lugia's back again.
"Yoji!"
Don't be afraid! Even if all else fails, we still have Jinghe! We also have Gramps, the Nine-Tailed Sister, and..."
It listed all the big brothers and sisters it knew.
They'll help you!
"Wuuuuh?"
Lil Lugia looked at Tyrogue, whose blind trust seemed to come from nowhere, but it was silently infected by his confidence.
It nodded heavily.
Yes!
It's not alone anymore!
Jinghe will help us!
And at that moment, their mental image of Jinghe...
"Rapid Dragon, Martial Bear, move aside!" Jinghe commanded, with a hint of sweat on his forehead.
Under his direction, Rapid Dragon and Martial Bear avoided the air slash attack from Dark Lochia's flapping wings.
Facing Dark Lochia directly was extremely stressful.
However, as a Pokemon psychologist, he remained relatively calm.
From the earlier brief collision with Dark Lochia, he had discovered some clues.
A... very thin, almost assimilated dark red chain was bound to Dark Lochia.
The Red Chain!
As the holder of the Red Chain, despite the differences, he recognized it at a glance.
The corner of his eye caught the cold smile of Hunter J, as well as Star Governor and Suixing, and he instantly understood their intentions.
The Galactic Team must have replicated the Red Chain, perhaps using a meteorite like in the anime, instead of the one Jinghe possessed, which was crafted from the remnants of the Three Sacred Mushrooms.
Unsure of the Red Chain's effectiveness, they wanted to test it.
And their test subject was Lugia!
The reason?
Perhaps it was because the Phantom Pirate found Lugia, but couldn't capture it, so they made a deal with the Galactic Team and Hunter J.
Lugia, with its child, became an easier target to restrict and control.
During the capture, the Galactic Team used the Red Chain, but couldn't fully restrain Lugia.
So, Lugia sent its child, Lil Lugia, away to protect it from potential harm, and then retreated into the Aquadeus Temple to try and suppress the Red Chain's power.
This explained why Lugia stayed in the Aquadeus Temple and didn't search for Lil Lugia.
It was only when the Phantom Pirates found Manaphy's egg that they could enter the Aquadeus Temple, giving Hunter J the chance to throw the Dark Ball.
After all, even a Dark Ball couldn't be thrown in the vast ocean.
Even more so, it seemed that the Phantom Pirates intentionally let Lugia enter the Aquadeus Temple; otherwise, Hunter J and the Galactic Team wouldn't have helped search for Manaphy's egg and find a way into the temple after capturing Lugia.
In Jinghe's mind, thoughts flashed like lightning, piecing together the various reasons and processes.
Even if there were discrepancies, they were likely minor.
And regardless of the process...
Now, the three of them had to face the combination of Dark Lochia, Hunter J, Star Governor, and Suixing.
The situation was instantly reversed.
But...
"It's not hopeless," Jinghe said, narrowing his eyes, his thoughts flashing like lightning.
The key to everything lay with Dark Lochia.
If he, as a Pokemon psychologist, could awaken Lugia's rationality and have it restrict its actions, it would represent an opportunity.
Hunter J furrowed her brows, sensing Dark Lochia's resistance; otherwise, the previous attack wouldn't have been so easily avoided.
"Hmph!" she scoffed, "Stubborn resistance."
Even an uncooperative Dark Lochia was enough to crush their opponents.
Moreover, they had more than just Dark Lochia.
"Tyrantrum, Dragon Scorpion!" Hunter J summoned her ace, Tyrantrum.
Star Governor and Suixing exchanged glances and threw their Poke Balls as well.
"Toxicroak!"
"Tank Weasel!"
"Lugia, Waterfall!" Hunter J commanded coldly.
They needed to find an opportunity to temporarily break free from this situation. Jinghe's thoughts raced as he searched for a chance.
"Hydro Viper, Dragon Roar, Dragon Dive!"
Herona's cold face was filled with determination.
"Roar!"
Hydro Viper roared.
Who said Hydro Viper couldn't learn Dragon Dance!
"I'll hold them off; you find an opportunity," Herona said, turning to Jinghe with a slight smile.
It seemed that even facing Dark Lochia, she wasn't afraid.
Jinghe's expression changed.
He suddenly straightened up and smiled, "It seems we won't need to; we have a 'helper'."
The barrier of the Aquadeus Temple slowly disappeared, and seawater flooded in from all sides.
This scene surprised Hunter J, Star Governor, and Suixing.
But Jinghe understood.
It was their good "teammate," the Phantom Pirates, who had triggered the mechanism of the Aquadeus Temple.
What great teammates they were...
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(End of Chapter)
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