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The compressed energy whipped the air into a frenzy, violent gusts howling across the lake. The sheer pressure was enough to make the air itself hum.
In the bird's beak, the small brown fish slowly rotated, now wrapped in a swirling vortex of blue energy.
A low rumble began to build softly at first, then rapidly intensified.
The strange bird's vacant green eyes suddenly sharpened.
[Ability Activated: Missile Barrage]
[Move Triggered: Spit Up]
BOOM!
The air cracked with a sonic boom, the shockwave rippling outward in visible waves.
This Pokémon, known in the Galar region as Cramorant, was infamous for swallowing anything of the right size. Its habit of gulping down random objects often left them lodged in its throat, forcing it to spit them back out.
Over countless generations, this quirk had evolved into a unique ability: Missile Barrage.
When triggered, Cramorant could launch whatever was in its mouth at incredible speed, the impact power boosted to terrifying levels.
It ignored substitutes, pierced most defenses, and most dangerously could combine with its natural moves like [Stockpile] and [Spit Up] for devastating results.
There was a catch: the "missile" could only be fired once per battle, since it required sothing to be in its beak. But once was usually more than enough.
Right now, the "missile" was no ordinary fish it was a [Barraskewda].
Native to Galar, Barraskewda was a predator built for speed. A sharp, spear-like head, a streamlined body, specialized scales to cut water resistance, and a propeller-like tail fin made it a near-unmatched hunter in open water. Only overeating could slow it down.
Now, this one was spinning inside a dense sheath of blue energy, accelerating until—
FWOOOSH!
It shot from Cramorant's beak like a living torpedo, a trailing plu of shimring blue light marking its path.
Trevor froze. In the blink of an eye, the "harmless" bird had unleashed a strike with power he had never imagined.
"Yanga, protect yourself!" he shouted but it was already too late.
The Barraskewda closed the distance in less than a heartbeat.
"Protect!"
A translucent white barrier shimred to life around Yanga—
—and shattered instantly on contact with the spiraling blue energy.
The briefest of pauses, 0.01 seconds, was all it bought. Yanga twisted desperately to the side.
CRAAASH!
The blue missile ripped past, trailing light across the sky like a cot.
THUD!
Yanga hit the ground hard. Dark-green blood spattered the dirt. Its left wing and three legs were gone, shredded beyond recognition.
Trevor's face twisted in horror.
"Yanga!!!"
He fumbled for the Poké Ball, returning his partner in a flash of red light. The ball's ergency stasis system might keep Yanga alive if he was fast enough. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel·fire
But the danger wasn't over.
Thick black mist crept across the battlefield, laced with crackling arcs of electricity.
A powerful magnetic field slamd down, pressing the Cramorant to the ground.
From within the haze ca a shrill cry. A spark of golden light flared, growing brighter until it burned like a miniature sun.
Kael floated above the ground, his body suffused with energy. He had watched the battle unfold from inside his Poké Ball through the translucent inner wall.
[Held Item: Thunder Stone]
[Status: Overloaded Power Output]
The Thunder Stone on his chest blazed with wild energy, flooding into his right arm. Pain stabbed through him like a thousand needles, but he didn't care.
This opponent was stronger than he had expected too strong to hold back. If he didn't go all out, he'd end up like Yanga.
He didn't know that the bird was now effectively harmless without its Barraskewda "missile." To Kael, it was still a lethal predator.
He raised his arm, lightning roaring at his command.
[Move Charging: Thunder Punch]
Electricity swirled violently around his fist, arcs snapping and hissing in the air. The light reflected off the lake's rippling surface as Kael leveled his gaze on the Cramorant.
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