Chapter 444: Decision

At the moment the Weather Ball collided with the Dragon Pulse, raging energy swept across the sea, raising waves several meters high; even the sky‑borne wind and rain were stirred into greater fury, and under flashing lightning and rolling thunder, the world fell into chaos.

Just as the aftershock of the energy collision had not yet dissipated, Lugia moved.

It beat its wings and rose, its pure white feathers brimming with massive energy, like a white bolt of lightning, charging straight toward Groudon;

At the same time, Huo La immediately controlled the Origin Form Groudon to meet it, Spacetime Energy surging around its body; the two legendary divine beasts, one on each side, bearing a world‑shattering aura, slammed into each other fiercely.

Huo La clutched Groudon's back tightly, his knuckles whitening from the strain, his body stretched rigidly upright.

In just a fleeting moment, a tremor as violent as an Earthquake rippled from Groudon's body through every limb and bone; for an instant, his internal organs were violently shaken by the powerful impact, his chest tightened, and he could barely breathe.

Huo La clenched his teeth so hard his tongue tasted of blood, yet he still stared fixedly at Lugia's silhouette, his gaze sharp and resolute.

Although he had never seen Lugia's stats, this single collision made it clear that the Sea God before him was far weaker than the Origin Form Groudon; even with home‑field advantage, the gap remained significant.

In that instant, Huo La's mind made a decision, a flash of resolve crossing his eyes.

"Groudon, Iron Hoof Beam!"

He made the exact same decision as Red.

The current situation was chaotic; the Three Legendary Birds were still locked in battle, Gilbert watched hungrily, and to seize total control, the best method was to capture Lugia.

As long as he could bring the Sea God under his command, he would become the most influential figure in the arena; whether facing Rocket Team, Liu Bo, or any other force, he would have absolute confidence.

As for any trouble later, Huo La had no hesitation—so long as Lugia was in his hands, every problem could be solved.

The moment Huo La made his decision, Groudon already understood the command; Spacetime Energy and attack energy erupted completely, coalescing through his whole body into a dazzling Iron Hoof Beam, its brilliance blinding, bearing a pressure that warped time and space, aimed steadily at Lugia.

Beside him, Gilbert saw Huo La's intentions clearly; a raging fury and resentment flared in his eyes, he gritted his teeth, ripped another Master Ball from his pack, clenched it tightly, and roared at Huo La, "You want to capture Lugia? I absolutely refuse!"

He had plotted for a long time, expending countless effort; how could he stand by and watch Lugia be snatched by Huo La? Even against the Origin Form Groudon, he would not give up.

"Zapdos, charge forward! At any cost, block Groudon, stop it from attacking Lugia!" Gilbert's eyes glowed crimson, his voice laced with madness and resolve, staring fixedly at the Iron Hoof Beam aimed at Lugia, ready to gamble everything.

Zapdos let out a high‑pitched screech, yet obeyed the order, flapped its wings to accelerate, bearing fierce lightning energy, and barreled toward Groudon, attempting to use its own body to block the Iron Hoof Beam that could severely damage Lugia.

"Madman!" Huo La shouted at the reckless Zapdos and Gilbert, his brows knit, muttering a low curse, his hand movements showing no intention of holding back.

If it were a naïve teenager in his teens, he might feel compassion and hesitate to forgo the strike, to avoid harming the innocent.

But he is not—though his shell appears youthful, inside lies decades, even centuries, of experience; the softness of youth has long faded, replaced by seasoned composure and decisiveness.

Since he has already seen the truth behind the world's current chaos, and understood, and accepted Ma Shu Mu's mission and responsibility to save the world, he can only move forward, making the decision that best serves the world's interests, allowing no hesitation or softness.

If one says that the few weeks he spent wandering with Spinel in the Explorer Team were a transition period where he shed his past, trying to adapt to this chaotic world—a buffer while he was still confused and hadn't figured out how to begin saving the world;

Then now, his interference and sabotage of Rocket Team, Gilbert, and Liu Bo's schemes is the strongest declaration he sends to this world:

He, Huo La, has returned, but he is no longer the 'child' who once dreamed of becoming Champion in the Pokemon World.

He will personally end this chaos, save this world on the brink of collapse, even if it means sacrificing others or risking his own life; he will not retreat!

Before his words finished, the Iron Hoof Beam gathered by Groudon roared out, its dazzling light piercing the storm, bearing a world‑shattering aura, hurtling straight at Lugia.

At that hair‑trigger moment, a massive purple figure suddenly sped in from the side, crashing into Zapdos like a bolt of lightning—it was Kyogre!

Bilan was clutching its wing tightly, his face full of urgency.

"Bang!" a deafening crash, Zapdos was knocked off balance by the sudden impact, and flew straight toward the distant sea.

Gilbert couldn't react in time; he fell off Zapdos's back, plummeting toward the raging sea, and the Master Ball in his hand slipped out, falling into the surf.

Meanwhile, the Iron Hoof Beam skimmed the edge of Kyogre and continued toward Lugia.

"Huo La!" Bilan turned his head, his gaze fixed on Huo La on Groudon's back, calling his name hurriedly, with no extra words, yet full of urging and urgency.

Huo La remained unmoved, his gaze still steadfast.

The Iron Hoof Beam reached Lugia in an instant; just as it was about to hit, a shimmering pink Light Screen suddenly materialized out of nowhere, firmly blocking Lugia.

"Boom—" the Iron Hoof Beam slammed into the Light Screen, shattering it instantly; the screen's buffering reduced its power, so even when it struck Lugia's body, it only knocked him off balance, causing no fatal damage.

Lugia steadied himself, letting out an angry screech, clearly fully enraged.

But Huo La showed no intention of holding back, his tone cold and resolute, issuing another command: "Groudon, Roar of Time!"

Groudon responded, Spacetime Energy surging wildly around him, a roar imbued with time‑warping power coalesced suddenly, more ferocious than the previous Iron Hoof Beam, and surged again toward Lugia, intent on fully subduing it.