Chapter 32: The Natural Bird

Chapter 32: The Natural Bird

In the vast, empty room, Mogg stood where he had before, and hurled the Poké Ball in his hand forward with force.

A burst of crimson light, and a strange green bird appeared, hovering high above the arena. Its emerald body was covered in unique red and yellow patterns; its head, round like a vulture, bore a pair of emotionless eagle eyes, with large, round black pupils so deep they resembled bottomless abysses. A pair of white wings crossed oddly over its chest, the tips streaked with glowing red and black stripes.

Using its psychic power, the Natural Bird floated effortlessly in the air, gazing down at Lu Yun with an expression of indifference. Though others always saw the Natural Bird as cold and detached, in truth, it harbored intense feelings within. Kirlia, the youngest in Mogg’s team, was usually obedient and adorable, deeply beloved by the "boss" Natural Bird. Seeing Kirlia severely injured in battle against Lu Yun, the Natural Bird was furious, determined to teach Lu Yun a harsh lesson.

Lu Yun stared at Mogg’s familiar face ahead, his lips twitching slightly. "So after beating the little one, now the boss shows up?"

On the field, a powerful psychic force collided with Lu Yun’s electromagnetic field, producing sharp, jade-like sounds in the air.

"Oh? This Natural Bird seems out of the ordinary..." Lu Yun’s gaze sharpened, suppressing the swelling pride born from his easy victory over Kirlia, and quickly mobilized the electric power within him.

Midair, the Natural Bird glowed faintly blue, floating silently as if waiting for Lu Yun to make the first move.

Lu Yun assessed the situation: one opponent above, one below. This aerial battle put him at a disadvantage. Moreover, the bird’s condescending look irked him deeply. So...

A smile curled at Lu Yun’s lips. Electric energy radiated from his body, intertwining and merging with the electromagnetic field permeating the air.

A low hum sounded as Lu Yun’s body, like the Natural Bird, slowly floated up into the air.

His perspective shifted from looking up to looking straight ahead, and he smiled. "Much better now."

Mogg, watching from the sidelines, saw Lu Yun flying alongside the Natural Bird and clenched his fists in shock. "He can do that too?"

Lin Si nodded slightly. "Electromagnetic Levitation? This Woolly Lamb knows quite a few tricks."

Lu Yun eyed the Natural Bird's indifferent expression, feeling a tinge of irritation. "Tch..."

Electric energy surged through him, and a lightning bolt shot straight toward the Natural Bird.

The air crackled with the explosive sound of electricity.

The Natural Bird did not dodge. Its dark, lifeless eyes suddenly shone with a strange blue light, and it seemed as if an invisible hand materialized in the air, gently diverting the yellow bolt.

The lightning veered off in an uncanny arc, just missing the Natural Bird and blasting a deep crater into the ground, where currents snaked and exploded like a swarm of serpents.

In the air, the two long red feathers behind the bird's head fluttered, its vacant eyes still full of indifference.

Lu Yun frowned. He knew the Natural Bird was a formidable foe, but its dismissive gaze fueled his annoyance.

Anger surged within him as electric current burst from his entire body.

His right fist emitted a shrill sound, growing louder and reverberating throughout the room. Powerful current condensed, shining like a blazing white lamp.

He manipulated the electromagnetic field’s power to the limit, swinging his right fist forward with force.

Thunder Punch + Electromagnetic Levitation + Charge

A wave of yellow-tinged electricity exploded in the air, and Lu Yun, shrouded in current, accelerated to a terrifying speed within the magnetic field.

A flash of yellow light streaked across the air; Lu Yun’s electrified fist appeared before the Natural Bird with astonishing momentum.

Even before contact, the powerful current seeped through the air, tingling the bird’s forehead.

Startled, the Natural Bird hadn’t expected Lu Yun’s speed. It was caught off guard in a split second.

As a high-attack, low-defense mage, the Natural Bird knew that if struck by Woolly Lamb’s Thunder Punch, it might instantly lose the ability to fight.

Time seemed to freeze. The bird’s vast computational power whirred frantically in its mind, its dark eyes burning brighter blue.

The electrified fist drew closer, the tingling sensation spreading throughout its body. Still, the Natural Bird remained motionless, floating while its mind raced, nearly smoking from overload.

At the critical moment, the bird relaxed. Dazzling blue light erupted from its body.

"Teleport!"

A wave of invisible psychic power rippled through space. Lu Yun saw the Natural Bird, once within reach, suddenly vanish, while a surge of force rose sharply behind him.

"Shadow Sneak!"

Startled, Lu Yun poured all his strength into shifting his electrified fist to the left.

His body, carried by inertia and wrapped in wild current, veered off course, crashing diagonally toward the ground.

Violent electricity exploded outward, and the impact shook the entire room.

Behind him, a sinister black beam struck hard along his original path. Seeing the fading black line on the floor, a strong sense of danger surged in Lu Yun’s heart.

"That was close..."

Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as he glanced at the Natural Bird, still hovering with indifference, his wariness deepening.

Lu Yun calculated inwardly.

Clearly, brute force alone wouldn’t work against this Natural Bird. He needed wit!

Resolute, he calmed himself and manipulated the scattered electric energy in the air to converge and condense upon himself.

"Charge!"

Tiny electric particles, sparkling like starlight, appeared in the air and flew toward Lu Yun, as if moths to a flame.

A brilliant yellow glow shone from Lu Yun, suspended in midair, like a miniature sun.

The Natural Bird felt a severe dizziness and a stabbing pain in its mind. It knew Lu Yun was preparing an extraordinary move, but after the previous mental overload, any attempt to summon psychic power brought needle-like agony to its brain.

All it could do was calm itself, rapidly recover its psychic strength, and pray that Lu Yun’s brewing attack would take longer to complete.

Meanwhile,

Feeling the enormous electric power within him almost overflowing, Lu Yun closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and controlled the currents to form clusters of tiny wool balls around him.

Cotton Spore!

Unlike the usual light and gentle form, these spores were now infused with Lu Yun’s accumulated, terrifying current, shining like endless stars in the dark night, rising and falling beside him.

He opened his eyes, a faint electric glimmer flashing, and with a fierce expression, stared at the Natural Bird hovering overhead.