Chapter 420: Snatching the Catch

Terapagos!

Huo La's heart jolted; the petite Pokemon before his eyes was unmistakably the Terapagos that Spinel would cross a hundred years to find.

Spinel suppressed the excitement in his heart, placed his steps extremely lightly, and slowly approached the Terapagos in the clear spring, fearing to startle it.

But at that moment, Chi Ri, who had been silently standing aside, suddenly hardened his gaze, his fingertips subtly tensed, and quietly reached his hand behind him.

At this moment everyone's attention was either drawn to the dazzling Tai Crystals on the cave wall or fixed on the Terapagos in the clear spring; no one noticed Chi Ri's subtle movement.

In that instant, Chi Ri abruptly produced an antiquated Pokeball and hurled it forcefully at the Terapagos—it was an Ancient Spirit Ball.

Just as the Ancient Spirit Ball was about to land on the Terapagos, a shadow shot out from the darkness of the cave entrance, struck the Pokeball precisely, and with a "Bang" sent it flying, rolling into a corner of the cave.

The sudden turn of events startled the Terapagos; it curled its body and immediately slipped back into the depths of the clear spring, vanishing.

At the same time, a figure slowly entered from the cave mouth: jet‑black fur speckled with golden rings, a pair of fiery red eyes shining astonishingly—it was a Moonlit Eevee.

As soon as it entered, it affectionately nudged Spinel's pant leg, its gaze warily fixed on Chi Ri.

Spinel lowered his head to glance at the Moonlit Eevee beside him, then lifted his eyes to Chi Ri, his tone flat yet edged with coldness: "Your preparation is thorough, even having a hundred‑year‑old Ancient Spirit Ball. It seems you intended to cut in, a plan made long ago, not a spur‑of‑the‑moment idea."

The current Pokeball System was developed under the leadership of Dr. Zheng Hui, and later gradually spread across the entire Pokemon World, making both storage and transmission of Pokemon much more convenient.

But precisely because of reliance on this system, many old, ancient, even Ancient Pokeballs require a new shell to be compatible if they are to continue being used.

Just like the Pokeballs from the Hisui Region he holds; to use them normally, the same must be done.

Of course there are exceptions: some ancient or Ancient Pokeballs already house extremely powerful Pokemon, whose strength can surpass system rules, allowing direct use without adaptation.

But now, a hundred years ago, this era lacked a Pokemon storage system; to capture Pokemon of this period, the best method is to use a Pokeball corresponding to that era—just like the Ancient Spirit Ball Chi Ri just used.

Chi Ri's face showed no ripple, as if the earlier cut‑in had never occurred, and his tone carried a feigned puzzlement: "How did you discover what I was about to do?"

Spinel snorted aloud, disdain nearly spilling from his eyes, having no intention of answering.

Chi Ri hadn't expected a reply; in an instant he grasped the crux of it.

Among their group, who isn't full of scheming and ulterior motives? Even when a deal appears settled on the surface, there has never been genuine trust; everyone harbors hidden agendas and watches the other warily.

"Since you've seen through it, you all stay here!" Chi Ri stripped away his disguise completely, his tone instantly as cold as ice, and he tossed a Pokeball.

A dazzling white flash erupted, and the massive body of Palkia instantly materialized, enveloped by an overwhelming Spatial Power that filled half the cavern, its fierce intimidation sweeping the entire area.

"Spacial Rend!" Chi Ri hesitated not a moment, issuing the attack command in a deep voice, his harshness unmistakable.

"Reflect!" Spinel reacted swiftly, almost in sync with Chi Ri's command, issuing a solemn order to the Moonlit Eevee beside him, his expression grave, daring not a hint of carelessness.

The fierce Spacial Rend, tearing through space, struck the Reflect wall with brutal force; a "Bang" resounded, and the Reflect wall shattered instantly.

Simultaneously, the trajectory of the Spacial Rend veered slightly, slamming into a nearby cave wall; the wall exploded, scattering countless embedded Tai Crystal shards across the floor.

Huo La watched the sudden battle erupt before his eyes, his heart racing to his throat; without a moment's thought, he grabbed the stunned Paipa, turned, and rushed out of the cave.

In such a cramped cavern, two Pokemon fighting head‑on, any stray hit would surely crush us both, burying us alive deep within.

The two of them forced their way out of the cave, quickly taking cover behind a large rock outside the entrance; leaning against the cold stone, they finally eased their breath, a cold sweat already beading on their backs.

Paipa, patting his chest to calm himself, glanced anxiously into the cave, hearing the continual rumble and dazzling flashes, and couldn't help muttering: "This fight came out of nowhere! One second we were talking properly, the next we were fighting—so scary!"

Huo La also let out a sigh, his tone full of irritation and sarcasm: "Damn it, none of these people are good; they're all full of dirty motives, they say fight and they fight, with no hesitation at all!"

Sarcasm aside, Huo La's gaze remained locked on the battle inside the cave, daring not a moment of slack.

He thought clearly: between Chi Ri and Spinel, whoever falls here will be beneficial for the future; if the two perish together, he'll save a lot of effort and time later.

As the fight continued, the already fragile cavern indeed collapsed with a thunderous crash, raising clouds of dust.

Palkia's massive form burst through the collapsing stones, soaring upward; Chi Ri clung steadily to its back, his icy gaze casting a glance downward.

At the same time, a sleek black‑gold figure sprang from the dust—it was Spinel's Moonlit Eevee, watching the airborne Palkia warily, ready to counter.

Huo La wondered inwardly: where is Spinel? Could he be buried under the collapsed stones?

But the next second, the piled rubble oddly began to levitate, shafts of faint light piercing the stones; then a figure slowly drifted out—it was Spinel!

Beside him was a light‑brown Pokemon with a large, round head.

"Great Cosmic Monster…" Huo La recognized the Pokemon at a glance, his heart startled.

Having freed himself from the rubble, Spinel's gaze drifted lightly over Huo La and Paipa, lingering not long before he, with the Great Cosmic Monster and the Moonlit Eevee, chased swiftly toward the direction Palkia had flown, clearly not intending to let Chi Ri go so easily.