"Don't waste time, Mr. Azir. We'll handle things here. You all keep moving forward!"
A trainer from Goldenrod City spoke, choosing along with the trainer beside him to jointly confront the Magneton.
The Electric Arena of the Magneton was already activated, and under the immense thunderstorm from Zapdos, the arena's effects were undoubtedly pushed to their limits.
Azir pondered briefly before quickly making a decision, solemnly saying:
"Be careful. If anything unavoidable happens, retreat!"
With that said, he waved his hand decisively and continued forward with the remaining people.
The slums were already situated in the westernmost district of Goldenrod City, and the junkyard was at the very west end of the slum. What would normally be a short path had now become extremely difficult to navigate.
Following behind Azir and the few others, Natsuhiko's eyes flickered.
After Lance learned about Weedle's condition, he took on the responsibility of protecting Natsuhiko, fending off almost all the lightning strikes that fell from the sky.
In the battle with Lotto, Charizard and Gyarados were both seriously injured. Given that Charizard and Gyarados are Flying-type Pokémon, they struggled to withstand the lightning attacks. Gyarados, being both Water and Flying-type, had an even harder time. So Lance could only summon Dratini at this time.
Step by step, they pushed forward.
The wild Pokémon appearing along the way grew increasingly stronger.
The terrifying power of Zapdos might in some way be drawing Electric-type Pokémon near, which was quite a hassle.
It was predictable that if this continued for a while longer, Goldenrod City would experience an influx of Electric-type Pokémon.
To speed up progress, trainers who came together were forced to stop one after another to block these Electric-type Pokémon.
The junkyard finally appeared in sight!
At this moment, only Lance and Azir remained beside Natsuhiko.
However, their attention was entirely attracted by the Fear Pokémon gleaming with Thunderlight.
Just by looking, Natsuhiko and the others felt their breath catch, and the speed of their heartbeats suddenly increased.
The Weedle on his shoulder instinctively shrank into itself.
It wasn't just Weedle; Lance's Dratini and Azir's Nidoking and Golem also showed varying degrees of reaction.
Oppressive Aura!
The oppressive aura trait of Zapdos covered a large area completely.
The divine beast's presence made every Pokémon feel pressured.
But what really turned their heads were not only the already anticipated Zapdos, but also the six Pokémon still working in perfect harmony under its oppression.
Tom Rokicki's Pokémon!
The Reserve Elite Four's Pokémon!
Is he trying... to capture Zapdos?
Such a slightly absurd idea surfaced, yet no one considered it impossible.
Because right before their eyes, it was happening!
These Pokémon were...
Kanto Region, Electric-type Pokémon, Raichu!
Kanto Region, Electric-type Pokémon, Jolteon!
Johto Region, Electric-type Pokémon, Ampharos!
Sinnoh Region, Electric-type Pokémon, Luxray!
Kanto Region, Grass and Poison-type Pokémon, Venusaur!
Hoenn Region, Water and Ground-type Pokémon, Swampert!
Six Pokémon, four of which are Electric-type from different regions. It seemed that Tom Rokicki might be a prepared Electric-type Elite Four.
From these Pokémon's types, it was clear that Tom Rokicki had carefully balanced his Pokémon lineup.
The four Electric-type Pokémon worked harmoniously as the main battle force.
The Grass and Poison-type Venusaur served as the frontline thanks to its sturdy build and Grass-type's attribute suppression, reducing damage from Electric-type techniques by half.
Meanwhile, Grass-type also counters Ground-type, potentially effective if the opponent resists Electric-type with Ground-type.
Of course, throughout the battle, Venusaur's role wasn't limited to this; its Poison Attribute might sometimes play an even greater part.
Sludge Bomb and Toxic are effective techniques.
Similarly, the combination of Water and Ground types in Swampert meant there's no single enemy type if Grass is avoided; the dual attributes complimented each other, greatly enhancing resistance.
When facing Zapdos, its Ground-type attribute, which is immune to Electric-type techniques, could be very advantageous.
Additionally, Swampert is an aggressive Pokémon, with Ice moves dealing substantial damage to the Flying-type Zapdos.
For instance, Frozen Fist.
Just from the line-up of these six Pokémon, it was evident how thoroughly Tom Rokicki prepared to face Zapdos.
Even though Zapdos was giving its all, it couldn't overpower these six harmonious Pokémon in a short time.
This drove Zapdos to become more agitated, gradually falling into the combat rhythm dictated by Tom Rokicki.
Nobody knew why Zapdos was so angry.
But if things continued this way, Natsuhiko could guarantee that capturing Zapdos was a sure thing for Tom Rokicki.
Which meant, could it be that this Zapdos wasn't the real one?
Of course, he wasn't the only one who saw through this.
From the anxious faces of Azir and Lance, it was evident.
They continued to get closer.
Natsuhiko gradually discovered another problem.
The six Pokémon seemed to be shrouded in a thin layer of psychic power?
Was there a seventh Pokémon?
Commanding the battle through telepathy, hence being able to direct the six Pokémon so seamlessly, with minimal mistakes during combat.
Upon reaching here, there were noticeably fewer wild Electric-type Pokémon around.
Gradually, the thick, pungent stench mixed with odors of decay, mold, staleness, and acidity invaded the nostrils.
The junkyard.
They arrived.
Without hesitation, Azir commanded Nidoking and Golem to clear the path.
He might not rival Zapdos and Tom Rokicki, but if he intervened, the balance between Tom Rokicki and Zapdos would be disrupted, making it better for Zapdos to either leave or continue its rampage than being caught by Tom Rokicki.
Upon entering the center of the junkyard and seeing the area amidst piles of garbage, everyone's pupils involuntarily contracted.
Pokémon!
Corpses!
Masses of Pokémon corpses, piled up densely, layer by layer, almost all Electric-type Pokémon.
Carelessly discarded around clusters of Mareep's wool.
You could even vaguely see strands of electricity floating from these Electric Pokémon's bodies, converging into the Mareep's wool, then into the conversion device stolen from the power plant, finally feeding a golden feather suspended above it.
How cruel!
Perhaps this was why Zapdos was so enraged upon seeing this scene... Natsuhiko thought.
As his vision swept over,
Natsuhiko and the others finally spotted the true orchestrator of this incident, clad in a solid black raincoat, enveloped in psychic power...
Tom Rokicki!
Didn't Lance say that Tom Rokicki didn't have any Psychic-type Pokémon?
And realizing their presence, as he slowly turned his head to reveal a face that made Natsuhiko's heart skip a beat.
"Anai?!"
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Fourth update! Thanks to Meowth for the generous support. This is an additional chapter!
And... please spare me. Just give some recommendation votes, it's important to keep reading... that's all...