...
Holy shit, check it!
Infernape!
That little Monferno finally pulled off his last damn evolution!
Now, most Pokémon evolve after they've beefed up, right? But this dude's Infernape? Nah, he waited until the power-up was done, then bam, evolved. What a show-off, eh?
Honestly, at first glance, there wasn't a huge difference.
But if you actually looked, the biggest damn change between his Infernape and your average Infernape was the color of the flames on his wrists, knees, and shoulder blades. Regular Infernape got them golden-ass flames, but this guy? Deep. Red. Fire. Fuck yeah!
He was clearly a Shiny Pokémon, but thanks to Groudon's crazy energy, his fur ended up looking kinda like a normal Infernape's. Though, if you got right up in his face, maybe a smidge darker. Still, cool as hell.
"Inferrn!"
Infernape's flames just exploded from his tail all the way to his head, that wicked red fire just dancing freely in the wind like he owned the damn place.
Whoosh ——
That familiar sound? That was the bone club, alright. Marowak wasn't out of the fight yet from that last hit, the tough bastard.
Pow!
That bone club, which Monferno couldn't do jack shit about before, was now held firmly in Infernape's hand. Just like that!
With a quick flick of Infernape's wrist, that bone club went flying right back at Marowak. And get this: deep red flames poured right from Infernape's hand onto the club, heading straight for Marowak. Talk about a nasty surprise!
Marowak just stared, dumbfounded, at the bone club coming its way. For a second, his expression was just... blank. "Oh, fuck."
Bang!!
That bone club slammed into Marowak, and those deep red flames dealt some serious damage, sending him stumbling backward. What a hit!
But as his eyes darted around, he suddenly saw a thick burst of fire, just appearing out of nowhere in front of the bone club.
"Holy shit, so fast?!"
In Marowak's eyes, that blaze wasn't just fire; it was a terrifying, volcanic explosion, like lava spewing everywhere. And inside those deep red flames, there were even some glimmers of golden fire. What the absolute hell?!
Bang!!
Marowak hit the deck.
This time, the poor bastard couldn't get back up. Game over, man!
"Infeeeern-!!"
Infernape let out a roaring cheer, hands stretched out, and fire shot skyward from his head. What a fucking victory!
"Os!"
"Eev!"
"Vuull!"
After the battle, those three little Pokémon who'd been watching the whole damn thing went rushing toward Infernape at the same time. It was a damn reunion!
Meloetta, sitting on Natsu's shoulder, just kept swinging her tiny legs, munching on a Pokéblock, and side-eyeing Natsu.
She didn't seem to panic at all? What a cool customer.
Natsu turned to look at Meloetta.
Meloetta quickly looked away. Yeah, like she wasn't doing anything.
Natsu just smiled, seeing her act "as if nothing happened." What a fucking riot.
Infernape's evolution was exactly what he'd been hoping for.
It was like when a Kakuna is about to pop out of its cocoon and evolve into a Beedrill; things just naturally fall into place, no sweat.
"Infern!"
Infernape, surrounded by the three little ones, scratched his head and came over to Natsu.
Natsu gently patted his shoulder, grinning: "Good job, buddy. You kicked some ass."
Hearing this, Infernape froze for a second, then broke out into a huge grin. The big lug.
Infernape's evolution and newfound power really got Latios and Eevee pumped up even more. They were already buzzing!
Latios felt like he was damn close to Gym Leader level now, so he went even harder in the next few fights. No holding back!
Eevee, who'd seen some serious "fire" action, had a great sense for Fire-type moves now.
Natsu had told her there were seven Eevee evolutions, so she could just see for herself which one she liked best. Smart move.
But Eevee wasn't in any hurry to choose. Turns out, Eevee actually has an eighth evolutionary type, but it hasn't been revealed yet. Sneaky, sneaky!
Next time they get back to Solaceon Town, maybe that Fairy Forest the Shiinotics were building will be ready. If Eevee still hasn't picked by then, Natsu figured he'd let Eevee get a feel for Fairy-type energy first, and then make her final choice.
For now, it seemed Eevee didn't hate Fire types too much. That's a start!
Vulpix had stars in her eyes as she gazed at Infernape.
She just wanted to say: "You're so freaking cool!"
Clearly, Vulpix, seeing a Pokémon evolve for the first time, was totally blown away by Infernape's impressive actions and majestic evolution. What a sight!
Infernape's evolution probably got a hell of a boost from that Groudon Carapace Fragment. Fucking legendary power, right?
But now wasn't the time to ponder that shit.
They pressed on, pushing deeper toward the stone tablet.
The Wild Pokémon in this area were practically all Gym Leader level once you got deep enough. Serious business.
And here, Natsu had to watch out not just for the Wild Pokémon, but also for the constant damn thunderbolts falling from the sky. What a pain in the ass.
The closer they got to the hillside, the clearer they could feel Thundurus's terrifying presence. That guy was no joke.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Thundurus was feeding the Wild Pokémon across the entire island with his thunder and lightning power. What a goddamn generous jerk.
Natsu couldn't help but look up. That stone tablet, which didn't seem too far away, was where the thunder was thickest. Fucking great.
And even with Monferno evolving into Infernape, the power of just those four little ones wasn't enough for Natsu to just waltz through here. No fucking way.
As a last resort, Natsu still called out Beedrill, Alakazam, and Togekiss. Time for the big guns!
They congratulated Infernape on his evolution as soon as they popped out. Good lads!
It was clear that Infernape could now pretty much integrate into the whole system with Alakazam leading the charge, and could already play a specific, important role. He was part of the damn crew!
The only bummer was that Latios still hadn't hit Gym Leader level.
This made Latios a bit frustrated, the poor guy.
But Natsu quickly helped him shake it off.
You can't rush this kind of shit.
Fortunately, after a few battles, Latios had made some serious progress. Like Monferno before him, Latios was already breathing down the neck of Gym Leader level.
If there was a chance, he might even leap to Gym Leader level in one go. If not, he'd get there with steady work and focus, but it was only a matter of time. The guy was destined for greatness!
Once Latios also had Gym Leader-level power, Natsu's dual-core lineup with six main Pokémon should be able to deliver some seriously good battle power. They'd be an unstoppable force!
Under Natsu's careful training, Latios also had the qualifications and certain abilities to take on a core role. He was stepping up!
Though he was still far from Alakazam's league, Natsu was confident that under Alakazam's guidance, Latios would catch up soon enough. What a team!
"Chaa?"
Togekiss, flying gracefully beside Natsu, looked at Meloetta sitting on his shoulder with genuine curiosity. What a sweet heart.
"Melo~~"
Meloetta squinted her eyes and greeted Togekiss.
Even if it was just a gentle call, it seemed to have a weirdly enchanting melody. Fucking magic.
Her presence was immediately noticed by several Pokémon. Of course it was, she was adorable.
Togekiss, being the "social butterfly" she was, naturally did a damn good job building communication. She was a pro!
And Meloetta also had a good impression of Togekiss. Friendship goals!
Natsu just stayed silent, letting them do their thing.
After a while, Meloetta jumped from Natsu's shoulder onto Togekiss's back, and their bond just seemed to grow incredibly close. It was heartwarming as hell.
Natsu didn't stop this adorable development, and frankly, he was enjoying the hell out of it.
"Melo~~"
Meloetta gently stroked Togekiss's long, wavy hair and absolutely loved it. So cute!
"Chaa~~"
Togekiss shook her head, three feathers on top of her head swaying gently. And faintly, you could even see Xerneas's damn antlers there. Wild.
"Melo!"
Meloetta was shocked to see the Xerneas antlers and covered her mouth. Holy shit!
This was the third time today Meloetta had felt such a familiar yet strangely unfamiliar aura from Natsu or his Pokémon. What was up with that?!
Togekiss chatted happily away, like nothing was amiss.
She didn't forget to look at Natsu with a cute, knowing wink. Damn, she was smart.
Clearly, Togekiss totally understood Natsu's thoughts.
Taking the goddamn initiative to befriend Meloetta. What a pro!
"What the fuck," Natsu thought, watching this whole scene, a bit stunned.
Before, Togekiss needed Alakazam's reminder to even grasp Natsu's approach, but now Togekiss was actively helping Natsu share the "pressure." What a goddamn legend!
However, as Togekiss dodged the thunder with Meloetta...
Something slender and damn near impossible to spot shot out from the thick grass somewhere on the hillside.
Because the surrounding thunder was so thick, Alakazam couldn't spread his Psychic power to scout the area. What a pain.
But ambush attacks like this? Natsu's Pokémon had been through this shit a million times. No biggie.
Buzz ——
Alakazam's Psychic threads around the group immediately condensed into a Psychic Barrier, intercepting the attack. Turns out, it was a Poison Sting. Sneaky bastard.
But Alakazam didn't expect this one.
His Psychic Barrier actually gave way a little to the Poison Sting's advance; it didn't completely stop it. What the hell?!
"Zaam?"
Zzzt!
Alakazam didn't panic, just looked surprised. "Well, shit."
Beedrill vanished in an instant, his long needle waving, deflecting the attack to the ground. Fast as lightning!
The Poison Sting landed, and the surrounding ground immediately corroded and got infected by the poison it carried, giving off a putrid, disgusting smell. Holy hell, that was potent!
Natsu also looked a bit surprised by the Poison Sting that hit the ground.
If he accidentally got pricked by this Poison Sting, even as a Psychic with some resistance, if he couldn't get detoxified immediately, he might end up looking like that rotting ground? Fuck that!
Aegislash had already popped out of the shadows. If Beedrill hadn't stopped it, Aegislash was the last barrier protecting Natsu, and easily the strongest defense. No one was getting past that dude.
The group of Pokémon stared intently in the direction the Poison Sting came from. "Alright, who's the asshole?"
Natsu stopped Infernape's preparation to charge forward, narrowing his eyes.
"Even though attacking humans directly is a good option, the stronger Wild Pokémon are, the stronger their targets. Even predators usually go for seemingly weaker Pokémon first," Natsu muttered, then immediately said loudly: "So, Mr. S?"
Gurgle—
What answered him were thick, dark purple bubbles continuously bubbling up from all the occupied spots, and when the bubbles burst, a disgusting smell immediately stung their noses. What the hell was that?!
Venom Drench!
"Melo~~"
But Meloetta immediately jumped from Togekiss's back and returned to Natsu's shoulder, like a boss.
Her gentle voice created beautiful constructs one by one, isolating the poison with her Psychic power. Take that, toxic fumes!
Natsu slowly lowered his raised hand, his eyes signaling Alakazam not to get nervous. "Relax, we got this."
Clearly, this Venom Drench was intentionally placed here. A setup, those sneaky bastards.
And the previous Poison Sting was just to distract them, a way to keep them trapped. A classic move.
It's just that this Venom Drench looked good on paper, but Meloetta's ability completely thwarted it. Sucks for them!
Of course, even without Meloetta, Natsu had ways to stop it. He was no slouch.
Seeing the trap fail, someone finally stopped hiding. About damn time.
"Is that Meloetta?" A somewhat hoarse voice came from the dense grass.
Then, a middle-aged man appeared, looking utterly disheveled, with clothes so torn they were practically rags. He had black wounds on him, clearly from the damn thunder. What a mess.
And in his eyes, Natsu saw undisguised, hungry greed when he looked at Meloetta. Oh, that's just fantastic.
According to Ms. Q's description, Mr. S was a very confident man, maybe even too confident. Cocky little shit.
He was indeed very capable, but his overconfidence made him do some things without considering the possible power gap between himself and his enemies. What a dumbass move.
This time he got stuck on Thundurus's small island, causing chaos for the Hunter's Guild in the Unova Region, and even drawing the attention and actions of Team Plasma, Team Rocket, and even the Alliance. You can bet your ass that arrogance played a huge factor in that. What a clusterfuck he caused.
"Melo!"
Meloetta also noticed his creepy gaze and hid behind Natsu in fear. "No, thank you!"
At this moment, Mr. S's gaze finally landed on Natsu.
"You know me?" his hoarse voice asked, trying to sound tough.
Natsu didn't answer, just calmly glanced at the Nidoking standing beside him, whose injuries were also very obvious. The poor thing looked like it had been through hell.
Natsu's gaze moved slowly, sweeping around. Taking it all in.
Seeing Natsu ignore him, Mr. S's face fell, but before he could talk more shit, he heard Natsu's voice.
"You seem to have fought Thundurus?" Natsu asked, a hint of a smirk on his face.
Mr. S's expression paused slightly, then he immediately said indifferently: "Not bad." Yeah, right.
"Looks like a terrible fucking loss." Natsu's tone was shamelessly teasing. Why the hell not?
"But seeing you here with Meloetta, I know I still have a chance." Mr. S snarled, ignoring the jab.
As his voice fell, colorful clouds of dirt mixed with white pebbles wrapped around Natsu and their feet from where they stood.
Alolan Muk! Oh, for crying out loud.
Natsu grinned, not panicking a single bit.
"What a coincidence, seeing you're not dead yet, I know I still have a chance," Natsu shot back, a devilish glint in his eye. "Let's get this chapter all strong spiced up with some swear and a few laughs we've been building!"
Nidoking and Alolan Muk, two Elite Pokémon!
But these two Elite Pokémon were in bad shape, looking like they'd been put through a goddamn blender.
According to Natsu, this wasn't too stressful. Easy pickings.
A red light flashed.
"Dreigggoon-!!"
Hydreigon, ferocious as hell, roared, his terrifying voice accompanied by violent shaking and loud roars. The wrapped Alolan Muk splashed mud everywhere. This was gonna be fun!
At the same time, Beedrill shot out and moved toward Nidoking at an incredibly fast speed. No fucking around!
Seeing the Elite Hydreigon appear, Mr. S's face couldn't help but change. "Who the hell is this guy?!"
However, with the confrontation between the two groups, the thunder and lightning around them became more frequent, as if adding difficulty to their battle. Or maybe, just maybe...
Thundurus had declared his goddamn territory!
If you were stupid enough to ignore his warning, then the next thing you'd face would be Thundurus's unholy wrath. And that was a show nobody wanted to be a part of.
Thundurus was clearly not in his normal state right now. He was PISSED.
But even so, there was no way either Natsu or Mr. S were going to stop. This was a goddamn showdown!
The injured Alolan Muk was no match for Hydreigon, and quickly fell into a disadvantageous position and lost. Good riddance.
Nidoking, on the other hand, could barely deal with Beedrill, Alakazam, Togekiss, and Aegislash. The poor bastard was getting swarmed.
However, it seemed defeat was also a matter of time. He was done for.
For Mr. S, after both of his Pokémon were dragged into battle, he was completely helpless in front of Natsu. Absolutely fucked.
Mr. S finally seemed to react a little, staring at Natsu's completely unfamiliar face, and said in disbelief:
"N?"
Boom!
A blue thunderbolt several times larger than the others came crashing down.
Amidst the thunder, a Pokémon resembling a goddamn genie from Aladdin's mythology, bathed in terrifying lightning, slowly descended from the clouds.
His body was mostly blue with purple spots, with a thick, long black-purple tail like a chain swinging out from the enveloping clouds, accompanied by a reddish glow in his terrifying eyes. Oh, you are in for it now, Mr. S.
Feeling the vibrations of the Elite Pokémon battle here.
Sensing that his territory was threatened.
This motherfucker is here!
Thundurus!!
(end of chapter, and oh boy, what a happy ending this is shaping up to be!)