Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"Found it! It's at the nine o'clock position! Thousand-Faced Beast, get up quickly and use the 'Water Gun'!"

"You actually had the energy to dismantle props while fighting me?"

Wearing dust goggles, Boss Ju pressed down on the brim of his cowboy hat, which was being whipped around by the strong wind, his voice as cold and hard as if carved from rock.

"Dragon Head Groundhog, '100,000 Horsepower'!"

"Use 'acrobatics' to dodge it!" Water Wutong shouted angrily.

"It's no use. Didn't you see the injury on its leg?"

The "King of Mines" let out a sneer.

Although Archie, who wasn't wearing goggles, couldn't clearly see the minor wounds on his own Pokémon on the sandstorm-swept battlefield, he didn't mind shattering his opponent's remaining confidence with words.

"Dragon Head Mole, deliver the final blow—'Iron Head'!"

Amidst the surging sand waves, the Dragon Head Ground Rat approached the Thousand Faces Refugee with lightning speed, suddenly appearing before it.

Before Inteleon could even unleash its "Water Gun" attack, a heavy headbutt slammed out from the side, determined to completely crush the already injured Pokémon.

However, Shui Wutong remained unmoved, indifferently ignoring her and saying, "Hmph, she was just a useless pawn to begin with."

Almost at the same moment that the Thousand-Faced Avoid collapsed and fainted, a jet-black dorsal fin suddenly pierced out of the yellow sand beside it—the next second, the dorsal fin flipped over, the sand waves exploded, revealing a blood-red maw full of sharp teeth.

It's a trap!

"Megatus, 'Water Break'!" The command from Archie was even deliberately a beat slower than her partner's action, waiting for this moment of surprise.

Unfortunately, this scheme ended up empty-handed.

"Save your energy—I heard all the noise you made in the sand a long time ago!"

Ju Laoda's figure emerged from the swirling dust and wind. He raised his rough, ore-like fingers and pointed to a half-hidden, already opened dark sphere in the sandy battlefield.

The next moment, a giant blue hand covered in tumor-like protrusions suddenly emerged from the sand and gripped the Megalodon's side fin tightly. The Toad King, capable of sensing vibrations and space through its tumor-like growths, revealed its enormous size.

But the water lily's reaction was equally decisive. As the situation changed, a net shot flew out of her hand—

"Emperor Sea Lion, 'Frozen Fang'!"

The battle situation changed rapidly, and at the same time, the gym leader's command rang out: "Switch! Excadrill, use Metal Claw to intercept!"

"Don't even think about it! Megalodon, use 'Taunt'!"

Amidst the yellow sand, Shui Wutong endured the stinging pain from the sand and tried her best to keep her eyes wide open to observe the battle situation; at this moment, her eyes were already bloodshot.

He was not without experience in desert warfare—he had previously fought against a branch of the Lava Team in a similar desert environment, but at that time he did not encounter the leader or officers of the opposing organization, and the intensity of the battle was far greater than it was now.

At his command, Megalodon broke free from King Toad's grip and let out a strange, contemptuous roar at Dragonhead Grub.

The provocation worked!

The dragon-headed gopher, which had locked onto the Dianthus sea lion, suddenly froze, its attack abruptly reversed. Its "metal claws," which were disadvantageous to water-based creatures, slammed into the Megalodon's "rough skin" covered in thorns, producing a series of ear-piercing scraping sounds.

The toad king, now without cover, was precisely bitten on the back of its neck by the Dianthus sea lion's fierce "Frozen Fang," letting out a painful growl.

"Press the attack!" Archie's command followed immediately. "Use 'Mount Tai Press' like that! Megalodon, 'Water Jet'!"

"It's meaningless."

Ju Laoda simply shook his head calmly.

"In the end, you're just fighting with your eyes closed. As the Gym Leader of Sailba City in the Unova region, I have no reason to lose to an opponent like this—Excadrill, use that move."

Before the words were even finished, the dragon-headed exploding grub, which had just been struck by the Megalodon, used the recoil to leap out of the sand, suddenly raising its metallic claws and slamming them down onto the ground—

"earthquake"!

boom--!!!

In an instant, the violent shockwave, carrying towering sand and dust, engulfed everything.

When vision is completely obscured, everything is plunged into a dark and chaotic state.

In the darkness, only the dull stomping and heavy thuds of those detestable ground-type elves echoed one after another, like a chaotic drumbeat pounding on the heart.

As the sandstorm subsided, Water Wutong barely opened her eyes and saw that Megalodon had been violently thrown far away, covered in mud and looking utterly disheveled.

On the other side, although Deinjac used its thick layer of fat to withstand most of the damage, it was tightly entangled by Kingdra – the Unova Pokémon's "Poisonous Hand" ability had been triggered, and the toxins were gradually eroding Deinjac's stamina along its blood vessels, making it difficult to sustain a prolonged battle.

"How is it? Are you satisfied with the 'local customs' of the Unova region?"

Boss Ju slowly walked out from the still-settled dust, as if the earth-shaking tremor just now was nothing more than a routine blasting test in his mine.

Shui Wutong spat a mouthful of sand on the ground and sneered, "Haven't you noticed yet?"

He raised his hand and pointed directly at the sky. Suddenly, a small gap of azure blue was torn open in the dim yellow sand clouds.

In the distance, the Thousand-Faced Beastman, who was thought to have already fainted, was stubbornly standing with his battered body.

Around it, nine sandy rocks, firmly sealed by the "Frozen Wind," lay scattered on the ground, indicating that this "agent" had successfully completed its entrusted mission.

Under this small patch of blue sky, the sandstorm temporarily subsided, and the ever-accumulating yellow sand finally stopped pouring down.

Once the mineral dust settles, the groundwater will inevitably flow again.

Shui Wutong slowly moved her wrists, her knuckles making a crisp cracking sound—

"Now, this vacant lot... is my responsibility."

Chapter 429 Before the Lasso Hits

"It's time to end this pointless contest with these showy nouveau riche, Megalodon—"

Shui Wutong stood in front of Ju Laoda, raised his hand and wiped the back of his hand in the onesieve combat uniform—like a wounded but finally baring fangs, a cold smile appeared on his lips.

Under the blinding sunlight, a glint of iridescent light suddenly flashed between his fingers. Even though the navy fleet had always disdained minerals buried deep underground, pirates were best at stealing the most treasured possessions of others.

"Super Evolution!"

Shui Wutong shouted angrily.

In an instant, the dazzling light completely enveloped the Megalodon, which had just been suppressed by the Dragon Head Grub under the "sand-shaking" attack.

The energy of super evolution surged through his body like a torrent, and bright yellow patterns resembling battle scars appeared on his body surface. His body also suddenly expanded, and countless cold, sharp serrated spikes suddenly sprouted from the tip of his snout.

"It's time to tear that pile of scrap metal to shreds—'Waterfall Climb'!"

An even stronger airflow erupted behind the Megalodon, propelling it into the air like a torpedo bursting from its barrel, heading straight for Excadrill's face!

"Quickly, 'dig a hole' and get out of there!" Boss Ju reacted extremely quickly and immediately gave the order.

However, perhaps the sudden drop in speed caused by the "sandstorm" disrupted the rhythm, and the Megalodon's fangs were a fraction faster than its opponent's.

Just as the dragon-headed gopher had dug out a hole in the thinning sand, the "waterfall" torrent, carrying brown muddy sludge, roared in and swallowed it up along with the sand pit!

"Don't give it a chance to escape—just use 'crush'!"

The captain of the naval fleet clenched his fist tightly, the sound like metal clashing against metal—

"And you, Dianthus Sea Lion! You've been entangled with that Toad King long enough... It's time to finally put an end to it!"

Not good!

Even though Excadrill managed to withstand the double blow of "Waterfall" and "Crush" and barely managed to "Dig" underground to temporarily escape the pursuit, the battle situation on the other side suddenly changed.

Boss Ju instantly saw through the other party's intention, abruptly turned towards the Toad King's location, and shouted loudly—

"Back off quickly! Use 'Guard' to block!"

Upon hearing the sound, the Toad King, who had just been toying with his poisoned opponent, retreated swiftly, and a semi-transparent barrier suddenly unfolded.

Almost simultaneously, the Dire Tooth Sea Lion raised its fangs, its massive jaws gaping wide, unleashing a terrifying surge of cold air that instantly engulfed the entire space before it—a pure, frigid white.

It is the same ultimate move as Hatchku on the neighboring battlefield – "Absolute Zero"!

Although the fatal blow missed thanks to Boss Ju's timely command, Shui Wutong's lips curled into a cold smile once again.

"Ha... Such a mere illusion has managed to make a gym leader so flustered. It seems that this land of Unova is indeed too peaceful."

An unbelievable scene unfolded—

The breath, which should have unleashed deadly low temperatures, abruptly ceased after only a moment. Just as the "protection" barrier dissipated, a vibrant blue water sphere pierced through the swirling ice crystals, tracing a cunning arc as it hurtled straight at the Toad King—

"Water Waves"!

The previous "Poisonous Hand" ability had already indicated that this Toad King did not possess the "Water Storage" ability, which grants immunity to Water-type attacks. This attack landed squarely on its body, which was a hybrid of Water and Ground types, causing considerable damage.

The battle turned dramatically in the blink of an eye with the change in weather. The two Ground-type Pokémon, who had just held the upper hand, were suddenly on the defensive.

Meanwhile, other key members of the naval fleet were quickly clearing away the scattered sand and rocks on the field.

As the "sandstorm" that had obscured their vision gradually subsided, the aerial suppression effect of the wind and dew from above the clouds also weakened. Regaining their senses, the Fleet Aqua members began to use their numerical advantage to launch a counterattack against their opponents overhead.

Even the Thousand-Faced Beast, which had previously feigned unconsciousness and secretly dismantled the sandy rocks, rejoined the long-range attack—although it immediately attracted the attention of the Boss Chrysanthemum Desert Dragonfly.

Just as it attempted to launch a tricky "sniper" into the air, its sharp "dragon claws" descended from the sky, completely intercepting its attack.

"The 'Heart Bat' can be dealt with using 'Powerful Mental Focus'!"

Feng Lu decisively seized the opportunity. A blue light flashed in the eyes of the Heart Bat in the distance, and a precise and sharp beam of superpower shot out, completely ending the last fighting force of the Thousand Faces Avoid.

However, the Aqua Fleet's counterattack did not stop. Not only did the long-range attacks on the ground continue, but a burly man—the Aqua Fleet executive known as "Deep-Sea Bomb"—climbed directly to Kazero on a giant flying fish.

"Hey, you... you've clearly never had any proper flight training, have you?" Feng Lu said, maintaining a steady altitude on the Dancing Swan. "With this kind of piloting skill, you dare to challenge me to an aerial battle?"

Chao clung tightly to the two rabbit-ear-like tentacles on the giant flying fish's head, his body swaying precariously in the air currents, like a child recklessly charging uphill after having his training wheels removed. But far from showing fear, he continued his clumsy yet stubborn ascent—

"What's the use of being good at it?! As long as you don't fall, that's all that matters!"

His roar was a mix of provocation and bravado, as if he wanted to drown out the wind noise—

"I'm not like those crawling insects from Team Lava who can only lie on the ground! I've experienced this kind of height battle countless times atop the mast!"

"But that's completely different from real flight."

Feng Lu had no desire to argue with him any further. She also needed to focus on directing the other Flying-type Pokémon to deal with the attacks from all sides, so she decisively issued a command to Wu Tian'e—

"Swan Dance, 'Air Blade'!"

Seeing the invisible wind blades carrying fierce wind pressure rushing towards him, Chao suddenly lowered his back, gripped the tentacles of the giant flying fish tightly with both hands, and urged his mount to charge forward with all its might.

With his almost reckless flying skills, this was actually the most effective way to deal with the situation at that moment.

A series of cracking sounds rang out as Chao's Aqua Team combat suit was instantly torn to shreds, revealing his dark and muscular physique. He and the giant flying fish, using the acceleration of "High Speed ​​Movement," forcefully broke through the wind blades' blockade and suddenly closed in on Feng Lu—the shadow cast by the giant flying fish, with a wingspan of over three meters, almost completely enveloped the Flying-type gym leader.

"Think you can easily succeed just by getting close? How naive!"

A gentle breeze patted the right wing of the dancing swan, and the white bird gracefully flapped its wings, scattering countless pure white feathers across the sky. Most of the feathers quietly clung to the giant flying fish's damp body, like a soft shackle covering it—

"Feather Dance" can significantly weaken the opponent's offensive capabilities.

"Hahaha... I never expected to win by such a lukewarm method!"

Suddenly, Chao burst into laughter and leaped off the back of the giant flying fish without warning!

The dancing swan immediately retreated rapidly, trying to create distance.

But in that instant, a deep blue tentacle shot out from the side, tightly wrapping around the white bird's slender neck like a soul-binding snare.

"We are a fleet that traverses the seven seas—boarding and jumping over are our specialty!"

As if singing a ship's song, "Deep Sea Bomb" mimicked the movements of an aerial acrobat, tightly embracing the spiny Omanyte that he suddenly released in mid-air, using its tentacles as cables, and swung rapidly towards the direction of the wind and dew!

Chapter 430 The Bargaining Chips Are Easily Distorted

Feng Lu had already unleashed all the Pokémon she had. If she allowed the enemy to get close and release more Pokémon from Swan's back, the situation would completely spiral out of control!

So, faced with the Water Team's officers approaching like swings in mid-air, the young Flying-type Gym Leader had only one thing to do at that moment—

"Swan Dance, Free Fall!"

Pokémon like Hawlucha and Braviary can use "Free Fall" as a move, similar to "Seo Throw," to launch their opponents high into the air before hurling them back to the ground. However, even without mastering this move, Flying-type Pokémon can still use it as a tactical maneuver while in flight.

After all, gravity is always present. For a flying Pokémon to freefall, it simply needs to refuse the support of the air and fold its wings.

"Hey, hey, that's not fair!"

Chao Gang managed to wrap his arms around Swan's neck with Omanyte's "Tighten," but the sudden weightlessness threw him and the fossil Pokémon into the air again.

However, this "depth charge" launched high into the air suddenly burst into laughter—

"This spot—perfect for me! Omastar, Rock Blast!"