Chapter 45: Eruption

Chapter 45: Eruption

The wild winds stirred by compressed energy howled along the lakeshore, unsettling waves of power pulsating through the air. In Gu Yue Bird's beak, the brown small fish slowly spun, gradually enveloped by a swirling blue energy vortex.

A deepening rumble echoed across the field. Suddenly, a sharp gleam blazed in Gu Yue Bird’s emerald eyes.

"Ability: Missile Mouth activated!"

"Fire!"

A piercing sonic boom split the air, shockwaves rippling outward. Gu Yue Bird, native to the Galar region, was infamous for its insatiable appetite—anything of suitable size that could fit into its mouth, it would attempt to swallow. This often resulted in odd objects getting stuck in its throat, which it would then hurriedly spit out.

Yet, through countless generations, this peculiar behavior led Gu Yue Bird’s kind to develop a unique ability: Missile Mouth.

Missile Mouth is a formidable trait, amplifying the destructive power of any object spat from its beak to a staggering degree, bypassing substitute skills of its target. Most terrifying of all, it can stack effects.

In other words, when Gu Yue Bird activates Missile Mouth, it can simultaneously employ its inherent skills—Charge and Spit Up—creating a skill combo exclusive to its species, maximizing the attack’s potency.

Of course, such terrifying power comes with significant constraints. This limitation stems from Gu Yue Bird itself: Missile Mouth can only be triggered by spitting out food from its mouth, and it only has one mouth. Thus, in a single battle, this overwhelming ability is usually unleashed just once.

But once is enough, for this mighty move can decide the outcome in one blow.

At this moment, the brown small fish held in Gu Yue Bird’s beak was no ordinary creature—it was a Barracuda.

This Pokémon fish also hails from Galar. Though common locally, it possesses remarkable attributes. Its triangular, pointed head, streamlined slender body, specialized scales reducing water resistance, and tail fins resembling propellers grant it astonishing speed. If not for its tendency to slow down when overfed, Barracuda would have few natural predators in the water.

Back at Mirror Lake’s shore.

Barracuda, wrapped in intensely concentrated blue energy, spun at an incredible speed as it shot from Gu Yue Bird’s mouth.

Behind it, white airflow interwoven with dazzling pale blue energy streamed across the sky like radiant tassels. Like a missile from modern warfare, Barracuda, unstoppable and fierce, hurtled toward Mecha Yanma.

Time seemed to freeze.

Xiao Zhu stood dumbfounded, despair etched on his face. In the fleeting moment, he hadn’t even reacted before witnessing Gu Yue Bird, previously vacant-eyed, unleash a terrifying move of unprecedented power.

Behind him, Ah Zhe dashed toward the battlefield, tossing a black-and-yellow Poké Ball into the air.

Too late.

In a blink, Barracuda appeared before Mecha Yanma, leaving only a brilliant blue arc in the sky.

There is terror between life and death.

"I’ll die!" Mecha Yanma’s senses screamed alarm, desperately squeezing out every ounce of latent power.

"Protect!"

With extreme precision, energy surged within, forming a sudden pale shield around Mecha Yanma.

It was useless.

Before Barracuda’s sharp head even touched it, the pale barrier formed by Protect was shattered by Barracuda’s spiraling blue energy.

Yet, even as it was easily breached, the shield bought Mecha Yanma that vital split-second—0.01 seconds of reaction time.

Using all its strength, Mecha Yanma twisted slightly aside.

Boom! Boom!

A blue meteor streaked across the evening sky, long, dazzling streamers reflected in the vast heavens, lingering for ages.

Thud.

A heavy landing resounded. Dark green blood splattered across the ground. Mecha Yanma had lost consciousness; its translucent left wing and three sturdy legs shattered to dust.

Though its last desperate maneuver saved its life, the time gained was too brief, and the horrific injuries were unavoidable.

"Aaargh!"

A wailing scream erupted. Xiao Zhu’s eyes nearly burst, his companion’s fate uncertain before him. Regret, fury, sorrow—all tangled in his heart.

He frantically pulled out a Poké Ball, pressing its button against Mecha Yanma, hoping the ball’s built-in life-saving function could preserve its life, at least for now.

A crackling sound.

Unnoticed, thick black mist laced with explosive currents crept across the battlefield like thunderclouds before a storm.

A powerful magnetic field abruptly enveloped the entire arena, pressing Gu Yue Bird so hard it could barely breathe.

A shrill screech burst from the center of the black mist. Like the dawn’s first light, a dazzling yellow brilliance shot forth, compressed currents flashing with blinding energy.

Lu Yun’s brows knitted. While inside the Poké Ball, he had witnessed the entire battle through its translucent walls.

The green Thunder Stone on his chest hummed furiously, pouring its terrifying electrical power into Lu Yun’s right hand. The overload stung like needles.

Anxiety churned within him. The opponent’s strength exceeded his imagination. He neither wanted nor dared to hold back.

Otherwise, his fate would be as tragic as Mecha Yanma’s.

In his previous life, Lu Yun had just received the latest Sword/Shield Pokémon game, but before he could open it, he was transported to this world.

Unfamiliar with the new Pokémon, he couldn’t know that the formidable enemy before him, after expending the Barracuda in its mouth, was now a mere paper tiger.

Witnessing the astonishing scene, Lu Yun naturally assumed the stranger before him possessed unimaginable power. Thus, he resolved to unleash his strongest skill, hoping to stall an opponent still recovering from their move's cooldown. At the same time, he prayed that his mission’s renters—Ah Zhe and Xiao Zhu—had some backup, or else his whole group might perish here.

Within the magnetic field, Lu Yun hovered quietly in midair.

On his right hand, searing high-voltage electricity exploded in dazzling brilliance, shining like a miniature sun.

Energy, nearly overflowing, raged unchecked. Sharp, numbing pain radiated from his fist. Lu Yun struggled to bend his arm, slowly aiming his fist at Gu Yue Bird ahead.