CHAPTER 372: DRAGONSLAYER

"You can’t handle this guy, leave it to me," John said to Latios, who had been teleported to safety by Gardevoir.

The injured Latios was now covered in Gardevoir’s Life Dew, his strength recovering rapidly. He gazed at John with bright, clear red eyes, as if trying to read the human before him. However, he made no comment on John’s "request."

The Shadow Dragonite had turned around, black mist swirling in its scarlet vertical pupils as it searched for both John and Latios. Upon spotting them, it immediately prepared to attack.

Spreading the small wings on its back, the bulky body transformed into a dark meteor once again, shooting toward John’s position.

John reached out and threw a Premier Ball. "This will be your first real battle, let me see your current combat effectiveness!"

The white Premier Ball opened, and a large white cat leaped out.

Zeraora appeared mid-air, floating with thunder crackling across its body as an electric shield materialized around it. John could only interpret this lightning barrier as some kind of defensive Electric-type technique that Zeraora had learned and developed independently.

"Plasma Fists!"

"Raora!" Zeraora agreed, electrical current rioting in its eyes as fighting spirit blazed like fire!

Facing the charging Shadow Dragonite, Zeraora’s arms were immediately wrapped in white lightning. Surging plasma burst forth, faintly forming a pair of twisted white wings behind it.

In the next instant, white lightning and black meteor collided mid-air.

BOOM!

Like a comet’s impact with Earth, black and white clashed as darkness and light fought, energy friction running wild.

The battle’s outcome was decided within two seconds.

The Shadow Dragonite was driven into the ground. Where it fell, the impact collapsed everything within a kilometer radius. Spider web-like cracks spread outward as water surged from the fissures like fountains, all dancing with white sparks.

"Good power," John commented.

Zeraora had only recently become his Pokemon and hadn’t yet mastered advanced move techniques. However, John had given it the Orb of Thunder Item.

[Orb of Thunder: Doubles the power and range of Electric-type moves, with the power and range of the next Electric move doubling every minute that passes.]

Just doubling Electric move power was enough to increase Zeraora’s combat effectiveness several times over. Combined with the escalating power bonus, this Plasma Fists delivered four times the damage of a normal strike!

This was why, despite Shadow Dragonite’s Ice-type resistance giving it an advantage, John had Zeraora use Plasma Fists anyway.

Latios watched in amazement. The same Shadow Dragonite that had beaten him down was being suppressed head-on by this newcomer.

"DRAGONITE!!"

A guttural roar echoed as the Shadow Dragonite burst through the ground.

It didn’t attack immediately but bent its back, resting one hand on the ground while panting heavily. Withstanding a quadruple-powered Plasma Fists without losing consciousness was an enormous challenge, even for a Shadow Pokemon!

"It didn’t go down in one hit?" John was mildly surprised.

Shadow Pokemon simply used the corrupted power boost of Shadow moves, they didn’t gain actual type resistances. With Dragonite’s Dragon/Flying typing offering no resistance to Electric attacks, that Plasma Fists had delivered genuine quadruple damage.

Since one move hadn’t finished it, they’d try another.

"Rain Dance," John ordered Gardevoir.

When Gardevoir raised her hand, the already dark sky immediately began pouring heavy rain.

"Thunder!" This command was for Zeraora.

"RAORA!" Zeraora snarled.

BOOM!

Dark clouds in the sky rolled with white lightning.

Following Zeraora’s roar, white thunder descended from the storm clouds. Mighty and overwhelming, like celestial floodgates opening to pour down devastating force.

A white thunder waterfall hung suspended in the sky.

Shadow Pokemon became fighting machines due to their closed minds, but their instincts weren’t imprisoned, rather, their battle instincts became even sharper.

The Shadow Dragonite immediately sensed the threat from the lightning above. A black storm surged around its body as it dodged toward the distance.

But... sorry.

This was Thunder on a rainy day.

Used by Zeraora again, blessed by Divine Thunder’s enhancement.

BOOM...

The Shadow Dragonite attempting to flee was immediately engulfed by the white thunder waterfall.

ZZZZT!

The sound of electrical current filled the world. Anyone looking up now would see nothing but blinding lightning.

When the white thunder in the dark clouds finally dissipated, all that remained was scorched, blackened earth pierced through completely. In the center of this devastation, the Shadow Dragonite lay collapsed and defeated, black smoke still rising from its body.

It had definitely lost its ability to fight - a defeat notification appeared before John’s eyes.

[Defeated Dragonite (Shadow Pokemon) LV89, Zeraora gained 10,247 experience]

"As expected from a level 89 Pokemon, over 10,000 experience in one go. Very nice," John said, having Totem Salamence carry him down to the fallen Shadow Dragonite.

He pulled out a Premier Ball and threw it.

Although this was a Shadow Pokemon, a true Shadow Pokemon unlike his Shadow Aerodactyl, it might remain an emotionless fighting machine even after capture.

But... this was a LV89 Dragonite.

Even if he couldn’t cultivate a bond to make it truly his Pokemon, he could use it as a powerful "tool." Its combat effectiveness had overwhelmed a level 75 Latios, it would be tremendous help.

However, John didn’t expect the Premier Ball to bounce off the Dragonite, shooting red light but failing to capture it. A red glow around the Shadow Dragonite’s body resisted the Pokeball’s subjugation.

This indicated that the Shadow Dragonite already belonged to a trainer.

John’s eyes narrowed immediately. "The Shadow Dragonite has already been captured?"

"So this group of Shadow Pokemon is being deliberately controlled by someone?"