Chapter 61: Victory

"Bang!" a muffled blast erupted, and Pikachu was solidly struck in the chest by the slashing force, its body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the sand and raising a cloud of dust.

It struggled to lift its head, the electric sparks on its tail flickered twice, then went completely dark, and it fell still.

Even the Flying Mantis couldn't hold on—just as Pikachu was knocked back, the follow‑up dense lightning bolts caught up, several streams of electricity hammered it. The Flying Mantis's wings instantly lost power, its body fell rigidly from midair, crashing onto the sand, its limbs hanging limp.

The beach instantly fell into dead silence, only the sound of waves crashing against the rocks echoed.

Everyone stared at the two fallen Pokemon on the field, momentarily forgetting to speak.

Zheng Hui froze for three full seconds, then hurriedly raised the record board, cleared his throat, and loudly announced: "Pikachu has lost combat ability! Flying Mantis likewise lost combat ability! This round is a draw!"

He paused, then quickly cross‑checked the previous battle records, continuing: "Summarizing the four matches—Huo La won three, one was a draw, so Huo La wins the whole contest with a 3‑win‑1‑draw record!"

From a distance, Xiao Gang had already run over carrying a medical kit, entrusting the Flying Mantis to Xiao Gang; Huo La walked over to Ash. At that moment Ash was crouching on the ground, gently patting Pikachu's head, his face full of concern.

"Your Pikachu is strong," Huo La said softly, his tone sincere, "If I hadn't placed a bet, the outcome would have been hard to predict."

Ash lifted his head; though his eyes still held a hint of disappointment, he quickly broke into a bright smile and shook his head: "No, you and the Flying Mantis were stronger! But next time, I'll definitely win!"

"Alright, I'll be waiting," Huo La said with a smile, his gaze landing on the Pikachu still nudging his palm in Ash's arms, adding, "Your Pikachu's control over moves is amazing; the timing and range of Thunder are spot‑on—if we battle again, it might surprise me again."

The words made Ash's eyes light up instantly; he carefully lifted Pikachu, his tone full of pride: "Of course! Pikachu is my best partner! Once it recovers, we'll get stronger together!"

"By the way," Xiao Gang said as he finished packing the medical kit and walked over, holding two bottles of energy drink, handing them to the pair, "We just finished the battle; both Pokemon and people need to replenish energy. Huo La, your Flying Mantis, though electro‑injured, recovered faster than I expected; a day's rest should get it back to training."

Huo La took the drinks, nodded in thanks: "Thanks for your effort; without your nurturing, the Flying Mantis wouldn't have withstood that hit."

Xiao Xia and Lilian also came over; Xiao Xia, looking at the Pikachu in Ash's arms, softened her tone: "That really scared me just now; I thought the Flying Mantis would be struck dead by Thunder… But Huo La, you're way too daring, actually sending the Flying Mantis straight into the lightning!"

"It's more than a gamble," Huo La chuckled, explaining, "During regular training the Flying Mantis practiced dodging area attacks while moving at high speed, and its fore‑limb hardness can barely endure the edge of Thunder—I calculated that it could be hit while being slashed at Pikachu and only sustain a light wound."

"So you were prepared all along!" Lilian realized, "I thought you acted on impulse."

Zheng Hui also came over holding the record board, his face brimming with excitement: "That battle was spectacular! Especially the tactics in the final round; I need to organize them properly—maybe I could write a Pokemon Battle Tactics Handbook! By the way, Huo La, your Flying Mantis's speed and move control literally reshaped my understanding of Bug‑type Pokemon!"

Huo La gave a modest smile, saying little more— the Flying Mantis's strength comes half from innate talent and personal effort, half from the targeted training he and Xiao Gang provided, plus occasional "optimization suggestions" from the system, which naturally can't be detailed to outsiders.

While Huo La and the others chatted, three figures hid in a concealed crevice of the rock wall beneath the Lighthouse, using the reef for cover, silently watching the ground below.

Meow Meow set down the homemade simple telescope, pawed its chin, and said with a hint of sentiment, "No wonder Huo La the little brat wins those four matches without a doubt, meow~ especially the final move where the Flying Mantis hard‑blocked Thunder—what nerve!"

"It's more than a certainty; it's outright one‑sided suppression!" Musashi crossed her arms, voice full of awe, "Look at how he commands his Pokemon—more steady than the JuniorCaptains of the Rocket Team, hardly like a ten‑year‑old brat?"

Kojiro tightened his neck, eyes showing some worry, "Given Huo La the little brat's current strength, if we faced him, our few Pokemon… probably wouldn't survive more than three moves."

"Sigh…" the three sighed simultaneously, and the atmosphere dropped instantly.

Fortunately, Meow Meow quickly wagged her tail, perked up: "Never mind! Huo La the little brat is now on our Rocket Team, and our target isn't him; it's the other kid who just battled him—Ash's Pikachu!"

"Right!" Musashi's eyes lit up, she rushed to the telescope, recalling Pikachu's Thunder release, her voice now excited, "You all saw it, right? That Pikachu even knows Thunder! Ordinary Pikachu only knows Thunderbolt; mastering such a high‑level move is truly rare among rares!"

"Exactly!" Kojiro quickly echoed, "That shows we chose the right target! If we can present this Pikachu to Banmu Laoda, we'll surely get promotions and raises!"

"Alright! Then the plan to seize Pikachu goes ahead tonight!" Musashi clenched her fist, voice low, "After they fall asleep tonight, we'll slip into the Lighthouse and steal the Pikachu while they're not watching!"

"Wait, Musashi!" Kojiro suddenly recalled something, hurriedly grabbed her, "You forgot Huo La the little brat is also inside the Lighthouse, right? Given his relationship with Ash, if we steal the Pikachu and he discovers it, he'll definitely stop us!"

Musashi was stunned instantly, having been so caught up in excitement that she'd completely forgotten Huo La.

She furrowed her brow, thought for a while, then finally looked at Meow Meow: "…That's a hassle. Meow Meow, why don't you approach Huo La the little brat? See if you can keep him out of our plan?"

Meow Meow blinked hesitantly, "But Huo La the little brat seems to care a lot about Ash; if he learns we're stealing Ash's Pikachu, would he agree?"

"No choice, that's the only way right now!" Musashi patted Meow Meow's shoulder, "They just finished the battle, so they're definitely tired and hungry, and will most likely go rest. You seize this chance to slip in, talk to Huo La the little brat alone, tell him it's a Rocket Team mission, and have him turn a blind eye because we're on the same side!"

Kojiro also nodded, "If he refuses… we'll think of another way! If it truly fails, we'll have to give up this chance."

Meow Meow sighed, flicked her tail, "Alright, meow~ I'm going now! You stay here; if I don't return in half an hour, it means the talks fell through, and we'll retreat quickly!"

After speaking, it slipped cautiously out of the crevice in the rock wall, using the shadow on the beach, and silently crept toward the Lighthouse's back door.