The sky, once completely shrouded in thick, immovable storm clouds, was now pierced by a single beam of sunlight—it was like a miracle.
"This is... the move Sunny Day?"
Aven looked up at the sky, eyes gleaming with joy.
Sunny Day—it had to be. Only this move could summon the sun hidden behind the clouds.
After all of Cherrim's long and arduous training, she had finally mastered Sunny Day at this critical moment!
As he murmured to himself, the sky suddenly shifted. Like a ripple spreading out from a stone dropped into water, the clouds began to part.
At the same time, the petals on Cherrim's body fully bloomed, and the solar energy within her erupted in full.
High above, a hole opened in the storm clouds. The dark sky began to split further apart, letting more sunlight pour through and bathe Cherrim in golden light.
"The weather… it's really clearing up?"
Everyone stared in stunned disbelief. No one could hide the astonishment in their eyes.
"This is bad! That Pokémon has an ability just like those Pelipper!"
"And its ability summons sunny weather! It's trying to bring the sun back out!"
Paul's expression changed drastically as he watched the scene unfold. He had trained the Pelipper himself and was very familiar with their rainmaking ability.
Though the Pelipper had strength in numbers, the sky was originally sunny. They had only forced it into rain. Now, Cherrim's power was reversing that effect. The Pelipper were gradually losing their grip over the weather, and the sun was beginning to shine again!
"Wingull! Take that Pokémon down!" Paul shouted to the Wingull perched on his shoulder.
"Winggg!"
With a cry, Wingull spread its long wings and soared swiftly into the air.
"Froslass, protect Cherrim!" Aven ordered, his gaze turning sharp.
In an instant, Froslass disappeared into the air. The next moment, she appeared beside Wingull, firing an Ice Beam that instantly froze the surrounding raindrops.
Wingull tried to dodge, and though it was only of Intermediate-tier strength, its speed and flying skills—honed for scouting—allowed it to narrowly evade the attack.
"Winggg!"
It called out loudly, its voice echoing through the sky.
Froslass floated in the air and raised a hand, unleashing a Blizzard. Fierce winds and snow swept across the sky like a storm, blanketing a wide area.
Wingull tried to keep flying, but the blizzard struck hard, freezing it midair like a statue in time.
Thud thud thud!
Shards of ice fell from the sky like missiles, crashing into the ground below.
Wingull plummeted like a meteor, slamming into the earth with a loud crack. The ice encasing it shattered into pieces, breaking like glass.
"Wingull!"
Paul's pupils contracted sharply, his fists clenching with fury. He glared at the floating Froslass, grinding his teeth audibly.
"Lass…"
Froslass silently glanced down at the ice shards, then quickly turned her gaze skyward again.
From within the clouds came a loud screech—a Pelipper dove from the sky, opening its beak and unleashing a massive jet of spiraling water.
The water stream absorbed moisture from the surroundings, growing in power as it blasted toward Froslass.
She narrowly dodged the spiral, the torrent brushing past her. When she looked up again, the Pelipper was already closing in.
"Lass!"
Sensing this Pelipper was an Advanced-tier magical beast, Froslass's expression turned serious.
She raised her hand and fired another Ice Beam. The two attacks collided in midair. The spiral water stream overpowered the beam, causing icy shards to scatter across the sky.
Although the rain was weakening, it was still a rainy environment—giving water-type moves a strong boost. Froslass's ice attacks weren't as effective.
Even so, the spiral jet only barely overpowered the Ice Beam. The clash of energies triggered a violent explosion in midair, but neither side landed a direct hit.
"Froslass?!"
Froslass's sudden appearance startled the knights of Marina City.
Especially Hill, who had seen her before. His eyes widened in shock, immediately recognizing her.
"It's that Froslass! The one who killed my Staraptor and Sneasel!"
Hill lay atop his Mightyena, clutching its fur with trembling hands, his eyes bloodshot.
Hearing his words, the other knights' expressions darkened. Before attacking Aspiration City, they had all heard rumors of a king-tier Froslass living in the Black Forest—a threat to be cautious of.
And now, that same Froslass was in Fruitvale Village? Or had she belonged to Fruitvale Village all along—to its border earl?
"If she really is king-tier…"
Their hearts grew heavy. A king-tier magical beast could easily turn the tide of battle.
But as the fight between Froslass and the Pelipper continued, they began to feel slightly reassured.
This Froslass didn't seem to be king-tier—her strength appeared to match an advanced-tier magical beast. Maybe she wasn't the one from the Black Forest?
"It's her. It has to be her!" Hill snapped. "No wonder she was in the Black Forest—it's because Aven was there!"
His eyes burned red with hatred. He recalled the battle where this very Froslass had seemed unremarkable—until she struck, killing his Staraptor and Sneasel with king-tier power.
Yes, it had to be her. Aven must have sent her to end the Abyssal Beast Tide.
And this magical beast—Froslass—must have been raised by Aven, meant to fight the Abyssal Beasts. It had to be!
No matter what others thought, Hill was convinced. And in his heart, a raging fire of vengeance was born.
He would kill Froslass and Aven. He would have his revenge!
Whooosh—
The sky continued to shift.
The hole in the clouds grew wider, letting more sunlight shine through. The rain was weakening, falling now as a light drizzle instead of a storm.
"Per! Per!"
Suddenly, bird cries echoed overhead.
Three Pelipper burst from the rainclouds and flew toward Cherrim.
Cherrim floated quietly in midair, glowing with a milky-white aura as she communed with the sun.
Beside her, Starly flapped his wings protectively, standing guard.
Seeing the approaching Pelipper, Starly immediately darted forward to intercept them.
Just like before, Starly would never allow his friends to be hurt. Whenever danger came, he was always the first to charge in!
"Star star star!"
Starly cried out and launched himself toward the Pelipper.
But the Pelipper responded with three powerful jets of water—blasting Starly away violently.
"Cherrim! Starly!"
From below, the villagers cried out in alarm as their two Pokémon were struck.
If those Pelipper reached Cherrim, their final hope would be lost!
Now… who could help Cherrim and Starly?
Is this how it ends?
Starly's body ached from the impact. Even flapping his wings hurt. He was falling fast, the orchard below rapidly growing larger in his vision.
Buzz! Buzz!
Suddenly, he heard the sound of frantic wingbeats.
Looking up, he saw a swarm of Yanma flying toward him at high speed.
One of them swooped underneath him, catching him gently. More Yanma surged into the air, heading straight for the Pelipper.
There were dozens—so many Starly had never realized Fruitvale Village had this many Yanma!
"Huff... just in time."
A human voice suddenly reached Starly's ears.
He felt a weight shift as another Yanma caught him.
Looking up in confusion, he saw a one-legged human being carried through the air by the Yanma.
The man smiled kindly and said, "Starly, you did great. Now leave the rest to the Yanma."
(End of Chapter)