Chapter 81

Huo La's gaze swept over the cabin doors and windows like a searchlight, his brain racing as he deduced the situation with every passing second.

Outside the window, the night was as dark as ink, but the sea was no longer calm; the sound of crashing waves was clearly audible even through the cabin walls.

The storm he remembered, one strong enough to capsize the ship, was already gathering strength nearby.

He suppressed the anxiety in his heart: the Team Rocket members in the banquet hall must be making their move now; it wouldn't be long before Ash commanded those Pikachu to release a Thunderbolt, and the moment it pierced the ship's roof, it would trigger the lightning gathered in the clouds, completely enveloping the Saint Tenu in a thunderstorm.

Their task now was not to win, but to hold out until that bolt of lightning struck.

"Is that all you can do, just hide?"

Chen Si's sneer pierced the tension in the cabin like an ice pick; he had clearly seen through their intent to stall for time, his eyes growing increasingly sinister. "Fearow, don't give them a chance to breathe! Use Drill Peck!"

Before the words had even faded, Fearow's wings beat violently, and it shot toward the cabin roof like an arrow. After circling for half a turn, its form suddenly contracted into a gray shadow, its sharp beak gleaming with a cold light as it spun at high speed, truly resembling a high-speed drill, and with a sharp whistle that tore through the air, it dove straight toward the most conspicuous Clefairy!

"Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf! Disrupt its rhythm!" Huo La's command was almost perfectly synchronized with Fearow's movement.

The bulb on Bulbasaur's back opened instantly, and countless sharp green leaf blades shot out like a rainstorm, precisely locking onto the spinning gray shadow.

However, Fearow had formed a strong barrier of airflow around its body due to its high-speed rotation; the leaf blades were shredded the moment they touched the barrier, falling as a sky full of leaf fragments, failing to shake its flight trajectory in the slightest.

"Clefairy, use Reflect quickly! You must hold it off!" There was an undisguisable anxiety in Bilan's voice.

She could clearly see Clefairy's round body trembling slightly, but there was no retreat now; the translucent Reflect barrier formed rapidly like thin ice, barely blocking the path in front of them.

Almost simultaneously, Fearow's spinning figure crashed into them with a sharp sound of tearing air—"Bang!" A muffled, thunderous sound shook the very air in the cabin, and the Reflect barrier was instantly covered in spiderweb-like cracks, its pale blue light flickering violently, as if it would shatter the next second.

Clefairy was jolted back two steps, its round body trembling slightly, yet it still held on desperately to the barrier that was on the verge of collapse.

Bilan's heart tightened at the sight, and just as she was about to cry out, she saw Huo La suddenly raise his hand: "Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip to wrap around the chandelier on the ceiling!"

Two thick vines shot out in response, precisely coiling around the swaying brass chandelier on the ceiling.

"Pull!" Huo La gave a low shout, and Bulbasaur pulled the vines with all its might; the chandelier instantly detached from its hook, crashing toward Fearow, which was preparing for a second strike, with its shattered glass shade.

"How annoying!" Chen Si frowned and waved his hand. "Fearow, dodge it and then use Air Cutter!"

Fearow nimbly dodged the falling chandelier, and with a beat of its wings, it shot out two cyan wind blades, heading straight for Bulbasaur, which had just retracted its vines.

"Clefairy, use Teleport to take Bulbasaur and dodge!" Bilan's command connected seamlessly; purple light suddenly appeared around Clefairy, and the next second, it had already appeared in the shadows by the cabin door with Bulbasaur, while the wind blades slashed into the floor where they had just been, splashing up wood chips.

"You can dodge once, but how many times can you dodge?" Chen Si's eyes were vicious. "Fearow, hover at low altitude and find an opportunity to use Drill Peck again!"

Fearow immediately lowered its altitude, its wings almost grazing the cabin roof, its sharp gaze scanning back and forth between Huo La and Bilan, looking for a flaw in their defense.

Huo La stared intently at the gray shadow, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the Poké Ball at his waist; he could clearly feel the ship swaying more and more violently, and the sound of the wind outside had become like the roar of a wild beast, the prelude to the storm becoming increasingly clear.

"What should we do? Clefairy can't hold on much longer." Bilan leaned close to Huo La, her voice extremely low and filled with a visible panic, lacking the calmness she had just shown when directing Clefairy to use Teleport to take Bulbasaur away.

"Soon." Huo La's voice remained steady, though his gaze never left Fearow. "I'm waiting for an opportunity."

He clearly remembered that the timing for Ash to command the Pikachu group to release their Thunderbolt was precisely when the storm was at its most intense and the ship was swaying the most violently, and now, only one final, crucial gust of wind was missing.

Chen Si clearly had no patience left to waste, a cruel curve appearing at the corner of his mouth: "Waiting for an opportunity? I think you're waiting for death! Fearow, Hyper Beam, finish them off!"

A blinding white light instantly ignited around Fearow, its wings pulled taut like sharp swords, and a powerful energy gathered within it, ready to be fired toward Huo La and Bilan at any moment.

Bilan turned pale with fright and was just about to call for Clefairy to use Teleport, but Huo La suddenly pressed down on her shoulder, his eyes fixed on the porthole: "Don't move! This is it!"

Outside the window, countless yellow-white lightning bolts converged and shot into the sky, followed immediately by the "crackle" of electric currents and successive exclamations.

A flash of brilliance appeared in Huo La's eyes: It's Pikachu's Thunderbolt! It's here!

As the yellow-white lightning flashed, that long-awaited gust of wind finally arrived, carrying the rainstorm with it!

The entire Saint Tenu seemed to be gripped by a giant hand, tilting violently to one side, and the tables and chairs in the cabin slid instantly, cups and plates shattering into pieces.

Huo La, Bilan, and Chen Si all lost their balance at the same time, falling to the floor with a "thud," and even Fearow, which had been poised to strike, was jolted, its wings tilting as it slammed into the cabin wall with a dull thud.

"Get up quickly!" Bilan struggled to push herself up, but just as her hand touched the cold floor, Huo La suddenly increased his force and pressed her back to the ground, his tone urgent and unquestionable: "Don't get up! Stay down!"

Before Bilan could react, a second gust of wind followed, and this time, it was accompanied by pale lightning striking down from the sky!

"Boom—!"

The thunderstorm, like a giant dragon breaking free from its shackles, slammed into the ship's roof with earth-shattering momentum. The entire Saint Tenu shuddered violently, and the air in the cabin seemed to stagnate.

The brass chandelier that had been pulled down by Bulbasaur earlier now headed straight toward Chen Si, crashing heavily onto him with a "clatter," the heavy metal shade pinning half his body firmly to the ground.

Even more hair-raising was the sudden "crack—" sound from the side of the ship, a sound so sharp and dull, like the steel bones of the giant ship being snapped in two, making one's scalp tingle and even causing one's breathing to stop.

"Cough—" Chen Si was struck by the chandelier and coughed up a mouthful of blood, dark red droplets splashing onto the floor and mixing with the scattered glass fragments.

He gripped the table leg beside him tightly, his knuckles turning white from the effort; the composure he had held when victory seemed certain had long since been torn apart by severe pain and panic, his face as pale as paper: "Damn it! This cursed weather!"

The wind and rain lashed against the porthole, and the ship swayed more and more violently.

The thunderstorm had disrupted his battle rhythm, and this sudden, heavy blow had left him severely injured; he no longer had even a shred of the dignity of a Team Rocket captain.

Huo La took advantage of the gap to pull Bilan, who was still lying on the floor, to her feet: "Retreat, run now, the ship is going to sink."

Huo La's voice was extremely low, yet carried an unquestionable resolve; the strength in his arm as he supported her was steady, and he led her half a step toward the cabin door.

His gaze swept over the fat captain who was still fast asleep on the helm, and then landed on the suitcase that Chen Si had just used his body to shield; Huo La immediately turned his head and ordered Bulbasaur: "Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip! Wake the captain up, then grab the suitcase, and let's go!"

Bulbasaur acted in response, its two thick vines like long snakes poised to strike, instantly shooting out.

One vine struck the fat captain's back with just the right amount of force—the sleeping captain let out a muffled groan, his eyelids twitching violently as he opened his eyes in a daze; before he could react, the other vine nimbly bypassed the scattered debris, steadily coiling around the handle of the suitcase, and with a gentle tug, dragged the case to Huo La's feet.

Chen Si, pinned by the chandelier, watched all this happen, his eyes turning red with rage, a low growl like a wild beast emitting from his throat; he struggled to push himself up, but the movement aggravated his wounds, causing him to cough up more blood, and he could only watch as Huo La bent down to pick up the suitcase and shield Bilan as they quickly exited the cabin door.

"Team Rocket will never let you go!" His roar was mixed with the wind and the groans of the ship, filled with resentment and unwillingness!

Huo La did not stop, only turning back to give him a cold glance.

At this moment, Chen Si was pinned in place by the heavy chandelier, and the ship was tilting at an increasingly steep angle; whether he could save himself was unknown.

He had no extra energy to spare, and carrying the suitcase while shielding Bilan, he quickly disappeared from the doorway of the crumbling captain's cabin.