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Compared to the overwhelming tide at the beginning, the number of wild Flying-type Pokémon now breaking through the defensive lines of the three major Pokémon armies and reaching the airspace above Team Rocket's base had significantly dwindled.
However, this "dwindling" was only relative—there were still over a thousand wild Flying-type Pokémon circling the skies above the base.
As always, the principle remained: "Creation is difficult, but destruction is easy."
Even though only a thousand or so Flying-type Pokémon remained above the base, they were still Pokémon—working together, destroying something was far too easy for them.
Bursts of boom-boom-boom~~ echoed in succession as brief flashes of explosive energy flared outside Team Rocket's base.
A colorful variety of moves were being unleashed by these wild Pokémon. In no time, the outer walls of the base—reinforced multiple times—suffered extensive damage.
If this continued, it wouldn't be long before these thousand-plus Flying-types could completely tear down Team Rocket's base, which had been constructed on an artificial island.
Of course, this base was the only place all the Team Rocket members here could call home. Even though no one had asked them to help, not even newcomers like Sato, they still stepped forward without hesitation.
"Growlithe, use Flamethrower."
With Crobat guarding his flank, Sato took cover against a sturdy wall. Seizing this as a valuable training opportunity, he began commanding Growlithe to engage the fearless wild Flying-types around them.
Covered in blazing flames, Growlithe barked in response, opened its jaws, and released a giant column of fire that spread wide across the air.
Instantly, several Murkrow that didn't manage to dodge were caught in the pillar of fire. Accompanied by their painful cries, the unlucky birds plummeted from the sky, trailing black smoke as they fell.
But before Sato and Growlithe could mount their next attack, six Murkrow with glowing crimson eyes abruptly stopped attacking the nearby structures and instead locked onto Sato with killing intent.
The very next second, Sato's instincts flared with alarm.
The six Murkrow, all around level 30, moved in perfect sync. Their feathered black bodies ignited with blue flames as they beat their wings fiercely and launched a coordinated Brave Bird attack—each carrying a whopping 120 base power—rushing toward Sato from all directions.
Their speed under the boost of Brave Bird was terrifying.
In the blink of an eye, six blue streaks hurtled toward Sato, clearly intending to shred the seemingly vulnerable human to pieces.
"Crobat, Protect! Growlithe, use Flame Charge!"
Despite the deadly charge, Sato remained calm and issued precise orders without hesitation.
The moment his voice fell, Crobat shot forward from Sato's shoulder and used Protect, forming a bright green energy shield that enveloped both itself and Sato.
Moments later, thud-thud-thud~~! echoed as all six Brave Bird attacks slammed into the shield Crobat had created.
The impact was tremendous. As a Flying-type move and a STAB (same-type attack bonus) move for Murkrow, the sheer power of Brave Bird was immense. Though the green shield was solid, under the relentless assault of six Murkrow at once, it began to crack rapidly.
Within less than a second, the barrier was covered in spiderweb-like fractures, seemingly ready to shatter at any moment.
Fortunately, Crobat's Protect had bought just enough time for Growlithe.
Wreathed in flame, Growlithe leapt forward at an impossible angle, ramming into three of the attacking Murkrow and sending them flying.
As for the remaining three, two were instantly struck down by Crobat's Cross Poison, and the last one was kicked away by Sato himself—his enhanced combat boots activating the Mega Kick technique with tremendous force.
In the flash of an instant, the six attacking Murkrow were jointly defeated by Sato and his Pokémon.
But the battlefield outside Team Rocket's base was utter chaos. Just as Sato had shaken off one wave of danger, another loomed.
This time, the enemy was a Murkrow leader accompanied by sixteen underlings, and it was a formidable one at that—level 45 and clearly a mini-boss among wild Pokémon.
After watching his subordinates get beaten down by Sato's team, the leader Murkrow immediately abandoned his assault on the outer walls of the base and commanded his flock to charge straight toward Sato.
"…Shit."
Seeing that he was about to get ganged up on, Sato cursed under his breath. Without a second thought, he turned and sprinted toward a nearby steel door that had sustained heavy damage, with Growlithe and Crobat close behind.
The reason he'd chosen to fight in this area was mainly because of the emergency escape passage located here. It was a precaution—just in case something dangerous happened or if a certain important event occurred.
The steel door barely had any durability left. After a barrage of moves from Growlithe and Crobat, it crumpled into a pile of scrap metal, revealing a passage wide enough for three people to walk side by side.
Without hesitation, Sato dashed through the ruined doorway with Growlithe and Crobat and entered the passageway.
However, he didn't choose to run straight through. After covering some distance, he came to a stop.
The Murkrow leader and his flock didn't think twice. Seeing Sato and his Pokémon disappear into the passage, they immediately gave chase at full speed.
"Let's go, Growlithe. Use them to complete your final evolution. Hit them with the most powerful Flamethrower you've got."
Sato smiled as the Murkrow leader closed in. Once the enemies were within five meters, he tossed a crimson, crystal-like stone etched with mysterious runes toward Growlithe, whose eyes were full of fiery anticipation.
It was the mysterious mutated Fire Stone.
According to his system's scan, Growlithe had leveled up to 43 after defeating those earlier Murkrow—now the perfect time to evolve.
"Woof!!"
The moment the crystal touched Growlithe, pale white flames engulfed its body. It let out a loud bark as blinding white light burst forth.
Instantly, the temperature within the passage soared, and everything was bathed in the glow of evolution.
From within the white light, a massive white pillar of fire surged from Growlithe's mouth—its body rapidly growing and changing form.
The fire pillar expanded explosively the moment it left Growlithe's mouth, transforming into a scorching, pale wave of fire that filled the entire passage.
Caught in the narrow corridor with nowhere to escape, the Murkrow leader and his underlings were instantly engulfed in the flame wave. Agonized screams rang out—but they were abruptly cut off moments later.
Seconds passed. The pale fire and glow of evolution gradually faded.
Then, with a burst of speed, Sato shot out from the superheated corridor—riding atop a majestic, powerfully built Arcanine.