Chapter 195: What Is This? It's Zapdos, the Lightning Bird!

"Laji."

Watching its trainer sit on the ground unwilling to move, disregarding all dignity, the Swampert sighed helplessly; after a moment's thought, it hoisted Luo Mu across its waist and leisurely continued walking down the mountain.

The Swampert's right arm muscles were solid and its strength steady, making the actual riding experience quite comfortable; although they were descending the mountain, Luo Mu felt not a single bump.

The Swampert's descent speed was far faster than Luo Mu carefully making his way down on foot; by around five in the afternoon, they had already entered the foothills area, and passing through the dense vegetation, one could see the endless coastline and another island covered in dark clouds.

Luo Mu, for the sake of easy distinction, had given names to all three unnamed islands.

The island he was on was called Volcano Island, the island over there filled with dark clouds and thunder was called Thundercloud Island, and the one on the other side was Snow Peak Island.

The legendary Pokémon residing on Thundercloud Island should be Zapdos, of Electric and Flying types, while the legendary Pokémon on the other side, Snow Peak Island, is Articuno, of Ice and Flying types.

Like Moltres, they are likely not the Lei Zhishen, Ice God, and Fire God whose very existence influences the world's climate; their strength is probably similar to that of Moltres.

After all, the expression on Moltres's face before it entered the magma was one implying that if it didn't have other matters to attend to, it would definitely teach those two guys a lesson.

"Laji?" (Cross the sea?)

Standing on solid ground, the Swampert set Luo Mu down and looked at him with an inquiring gaze.

Dragonite wasn't here, so the only way to reach the next island was by sea; fortunately, its swimming speed was very fast, and judging by the distance, it would only take ten-plus minutes to swim across.

Luo Mu had intended to say let's cross the sea, since he had left Cang Yan Ren Gui at the volcano crater to stand guard, preventing Articuno from coming to their door while he went to Thundercloud Island to challenge Zapdos.

But upon seeing the dark clouds on Thundercloud Island in the distance turn into pitch-black thunderclouds that began moving toward this Volcano Island, Luo Mu knew he didn't need to go find Zapdos, because the other party was already coming this way.

Judging by its trajectory, it was clearly flying straight toward the volcano crater; they had to intercept it.

Luo Mu narrowed his eyes and asked, "Swampert, compress the Hydro Pump's energy as much as possible to increase its range; you don't need to hurt Zapdos, just attract its attention, can you do that?"

The Swampert nodded slightly; although it would be somewhat strenuous, it was not unable to try.

Zapdos hid within the pitch-black thunderclouds; every time it flapped its wings, which were covered in sharp yellow feathers, a bursting crackle sounded within the thunderclouds, a noise roaring like thunder that brought a terrifying sense of oppression.

Seeing that it was getting closer and closer to the volcano crater, Zapdos had already planned to unleash a massive Thunder attack into the magma sea to give Moltres a huge scare, when suddenly, Zapdos's intuition screamed a warning, and under the influence of instinct, Zapdos suddenly turned sideways, changing its flight posture.

The instant after Zapdos changed its flight posture, a Hydro Pump shot straight up into the sky, piercing directly through the pitch-black cloud layer and soaring toward the heavens.

Zapdos first froze, then its face filled with disbelief.

Wait, isn't that idiot Moltres supposed to spit fire? When did it switch careers to spitting water?

Zapdos frowned tightly; or could this be an attack coming from the sea?

But regardless, since the other party had provoked them at their doorstep, the battle with Moltres could be put aside for now; it would be better to fight this appetizer first to limber up.

Let that ignorant ordinary Pokémon know what miserable fate awaits those who provoke it, the one endowed with "Heaven's Mandate"!

Zapdos manipulated the thunderclouds, splitting them in two; bright yellow feathers covered in electric current, its eyes filled with arrogance, just like Moltres had been back then.

Violent Lei Ting exploded under its summoning, the pitch-black thunderclouds completely covering the sky, bringing a silent and solemn atmosphere that filled the air with a deadly intent.

"Screech!"

The next instant, Zapdos let out a high-pitched cry, and lightning carrying power that seemed capable of destroying everything plummeted from the clouds, striking directly upon the Swampert, this "ignorant fool."

Intense Lei Ting continuously fell, turning the world into an ocean of Lei Ting; aquatic Pokémon in the waters near Volcano Island one after another dove underwater and refused to surface, fearing they might be unlucky enough to get struck by lightning.

Zapdos looked disdainfully at the Swampert enveloped in Lei Ting, its face full of contempt, and gracefully lowered its flight altitude, wanting to witness with its own eyes the miserable state of that rude intruder.

Just as it had descended a certain height, Luo Mu, who had hidden in advance, decisively ordered: "Ice Punch!!!"

The suddenly ringing voice made Zapdos freeze for a moment; the next instant, a pair of fists shrouded in an extreme aura of frost chill appeared in Zapdos's field of vision, getting closer and closer, and then—Bang!!!

Zapdos was directly punched into the ground by the Swampert, which had been waiting in the sea of lightning for a long time.

When Zapdos recovered from its state of dizziness and blurred vision, what it saw was the Swampert's mocking expression; afterward, this mocking expression became Zapdos's future psychological shadow.

The Swampert's heavy, powerful fists fell like raindrops; the island trembled slightly from its strikes, and Zapdos, fallen on the ground, was worse off than a Torchic, firmly suppressed by the Swampert and completely unable to get up.

The sound of fists hitting flesh continued for a full four minutes, each punch from the Swampert landing on Zapdos's body with the force of a siege hammer.

Finding it hard to believe that it had actually been beaten by an ordinary Pokémon for several minutes, Zapdos, overwhelmed by rage and compounded by its injuries, saw black before its eyes and completely fainted.

Perceiving that Zapdos had fainted, the Swampert instantly stopped its falling fists, the wind from the punches blowing the surrounding trees until they rustled.

"Is that it? This Zapdos seems even lamer than Moltres was back then."

Seeing the Swampert flip over and release the Zapdos it had been firmly suppressing, Luo Mu finally popped his head out, looking curiously at the Zapdos lying in the large pit.

Good heavens, so this is Zapdos seen in person; its feathers are indeed bristly and look very hard.

Luo Mu wanted to touch Zapdos's feathers to feel their texture, but the Swampert hurriedly stopped him, placing its own fist on Zapdos to demonstrate personally.

One could see that where Zapdos's feathers met the Swampert's fist, Lei Guang immediately lit up; that was the electrical power Zapdos usually stored within its feathers, and without its control, as long as one touched Zapdos, this electricity with nowhere else to go would be released.

"Goodness..."

Luo Mu withdrew his hand with a look of lingering fear and looked gratefully at the Swampert.

In the magma sea, sensing that the commotion outside was gradually diminishing, a hint of a smile appeared in Moltres's eyes.

It knew it; Luo Mu could definitely easily deal with those guys.

(End of Chapter)