Chapter 447: Explosion and Pursuit

The Master Ball that bore Liu Bo's lifelong obsession smashed unhesitatingly into Lugia's back, without any hindrance.

A dazzling violet flash erupted instantly, tightly enveloping Lugia's massive body; as the light flickered, Lugia's silhouette lingered only a moment before vanishing completely in midair— the Master Ball successfully captured the Sea God.

The crowd was still immersed in the sudden turn of events, not yet reacting, when Articuno flapped its wings and sped over, securely carrying Liu Bo.

Liu Bo snatched the Master Ball that had captured Lugia, clutching it tightly, a flash of wild joy and relief crossing his eyes, and barked, "Articuno, retreat at full speed!"

Articuno beat its wings to accelerate, enveloped in biting cold wind, racing toward the distant horizon, and in an instant became a tiny blue speck, about to vanish from sight.

"Stop him! He must not escape with Lugia!" Red's face changed, he shouted sternly, his tone full of urgency and resolve.

Just as Red's words fell, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from the direction of Ya Xi Ya Dao Dao.

It was an explosion fiercer than any previous collision, billowing thick smoke straight into the clouds, flames staining half the sky red; the blast's coverage and power far outstripped the disturbances Huo La and the others had caused before, the entire island shuddered violently, as if about to collapse.

Huo La snapped his head toward the island, eyes on the towering flames and smoke, brows knit, then turned again to the receding Articuno and Liu Bo, jaw clenched, and shouted at Red, "Red brother!"

Red instantly grasped Huo La's meaning, solemnly nodded, and said firmly, "I understand! You handle the island; I'll take care of Lugia!"

As the words fell, Red immediately tossed a Pokeball; a red flash streaked, and a robust, winged Charizard materialized beside Palkia, surrounded by scorching flames.

Red leapt, landing steadily on Charizard's back, and commanded in a deep voice, "Charizard, chase! Bring Lugia back!"

Charizard let out a soaring screech, flapped its massive wings, eyes fixed on the distant blue speck, thrusting forward, flames and fierce wind leaving a blazing trail in the sky.

The Three Legendary Bird Kings nearby saw this and immediately flapped their wings, intending to join the pursuit of Liu Bo, but Huo La intervened, "Zapdos King, Moltres King, Articuno King, please stay, we need you here."

He softened his tone, his expression sincere, and continued, "Please trust us; we will definitely rescue Lugia and bring it back. After all, Lugia has already recognized me, recognized our intention to quell the chaos."

The Three Legendary Bird Kings emitted a rapid chirp at each other, exchanged a glance, as if consulting.

Moments later, they hesitated no more; three figures sped toward Fire Island, Ice Island, and Thunder Island respectively—returning to their domains to soothe the frightened Pokemon caused by the chaos and guard the islands' stability.

Huo La's gaze swept quickly over the raging sea, and indeed Gilbert was already gone, leaving no trace.

He didn't linger in doubt; the island's explosion and Lugia's safety were more pressing, so he turned, found Bilan, and the two raced toward Ya Xi Ya Dao Dao, worry filling their hearts.

At this moment, far from the explosion's epicenter in a safe zone, the three members of Rocket Team stood there, each with a different expression.

Sird was a mess, dust and blood on his face, his grim stare fixed on the explosion's center, teeth chattering, his tone full of resentment and anger: "Is that it? We've plotted for so long, and it all goes down the drain, watching Liu Bo snatch Lugia right before our eyes?"

Ma Zhishi bared his muscular torso, his body covered in countless tiny wounds, some still oozing blood; his gaze heavy as he looked toward the explosion, where thick smoke churned and countless Pokemon scrambled through the ruins, fighting to extinguish flames and aid companions.

"Well, that's that." Fulin Duo stood aside, expression still calm, his body clean, a stark contrast to the disheveled Sird and Ma Zhishi, "The Secretary just reported that Banmu Laoda told us to return immediately; he already knows what's happening here, and the remaining matters will be handed to Bi Xia Si to handle."

Upon hearing the name Bi Xia Si, not only did Ma Zhishi's expression darken, but even the already grim Sird's face grew sourer, a barely perceptible hint of dread flashing in his eyes.

Bi Xia Si's methods are far more ruthless and his actions far more insane than those of the three of them.

"But… such a massive explosion—could Liu Bo have prepared it in advance?" Ma Zhishi frowned, opening with some puzzlement, his tone full of confusion, "How could he have the means to blow half an island in one go?"

Fulin Duo nodded lightly, his tone confident, "It's probably him. Besides that, no one else has the ability or the intention to set off such a large‑scale blast at this moment; it both disrupts the situation and creates an escape opportunity for him."

Meanwhile, a sewer lid at the explosion's center was slowly pried open, and three disheveled figures crawled out, coughing violently.

"Cough… cough cough…" Musashi leaned against a wall, hunched, coughing violently, his face covered in dust, hair a mess.

"Cough… cough cough cough…" Kojiro, also covered in dust, a stain at the corner of his mouth, coughed as if he could barely breathe.

"Cough… cough cough cough cough…" Meowth lay on the ground, paws over its mouth, tail dusted, coughing so hard it shook.

After catching his breath, Kojiro slumped on the ground, inhaling a whiff of gunpowder, a look of post‑disaster relief on his face, "Ah… another life saved, that really scared me!"

Musashi also lay on his back, staring at the gray sky, his tone full of complaint, "It's all Meowth's fault! If you hadn't been cheap and gone for that Vortex Reaction Core, we wouldn't have nearly died in this explosion!"

"Meow? How can it be all Meowth's fault?" Meowth instantly jumped up, fur bristling, retorting, "My paw never touched that core reactor; it exploded on its own! And from my experience, such a thing can't just blow up easily—someone must have tampered with it!"

Just as the three were about to argue again, a massive silhouette suddenly blocked them, its shadow enveloping all three.

The three froze, looked up, and saw a stout, leaf‑green Venusaur standing calmly before them, its gaze fairly gentle.

"Venusaur~~~?" Musashi and Kojiro exchanged a puzzled look.

Meowth stared at the Venusaur for a few seconds, the doubt in its eyes vanishing instantly, then a look of delight spread, and it shouted excitedly, "Meow! I know it! It's Huo La's Venusaur! It's Huo La's Pokemon!"