Chapter 109: Battle against Articuno!

Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy

---------------------------------

As soon as Liam emerged from the ice cave, he saw Lorelei standing on the back of her Lapras, desperately fleeing.

Above her, a sky-blue Articuno was relentlessly chasing after them, occasionally firing off Ice Beam attacks. Its eyes gleamed with mockery, as if it were a cat toying with a mouse, clearly not yet done playing.

"Hang in there, Lorelei! I'm coming to save you!" Liam shouted as he saw Lorelei in danger. While warning her to be careful, he also attempted to draw Articuno's attention.

Sure enough, upon hearing Liam's voice, Articuno halted its pursuit and turned to look at him, its gaze filled with disdain.

Lorelei, initially flustered, breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed Articuno had stopped chasing her.

However, before she could fully catch her breath, another Ice Beam shot toward her. Lapras frantically dodged the attack, causing Lorelei to cling tightly to its neck in fright.

Seeing that Articuno barely acknowledged him and continued targeting Lorelei, Liam's anger flared—not just his, but also that of Garchomp, Arbok, and Arcanine. Without waiting for his command, they attacked.

Two streams of Flamethrower and a Mud Bomb launched toward Articuno at high speed.

Articuno had been enjoying the chase, but suddenly sensing danger from its flank, it instinctively veered to the side, flawlessly dodging all three attacks.

Its expression darkened with anger as it let out a sharp cry, abandoning its pursuit of Lorelei and rapidly gathering an Ice Beam in its beak before charging straight at Liam.

Lorelei turned her head just in time to see Articuno targeting Liam, and a wave of concern flashed in her eyes.

"Scatter and evade! Arbok, do what we did before—find a place to build power for a Hyper Beam! Arcanine, use Sunny Day!"

Seeing that he had successfully drawn Articuno's attention, Liam immediately ordered his Pokémon to spread out.

"Cha!"

At his command, Arbok quickly slithered back into the ice cave, finding it an ideal place to prepare its next move.

"Arrooo!!"

Meanwhile, Arcanine let out a powerful howl as a red beam of light shot from its body, piercing through the thick clouds and reaching the sky.

Instantly, golden sunlight broke through the icy atmosphere, illuminating the frozen landscape and raising the temperature noticeably.

"Kyuuu!!"

The sunlight enveloped the rapidly approaching Articuno, causing it to let out a distressed cry. It had been gathering energy for an Ice Beam, but now, uncomfortable under the intense sunlight, it unleashed the attack.

"Stand your ground! Fire back with Flamethrower!"

"Roooar!"

"Arrooo!!"

Under the effects of Sunny Day, Fire-type moves were significantly strengthened, while Water-type moves weakened and the freezing effect of Ice-type moves disappeared.

Confident in this advantage, Liam ordered a direct counterattack.

With ferocious roars, Garchomp and Arcanine unleashed twin Flamethrowers. Under the blazing sun, the flames burned hotter and wilder, clashing fiercely against Articuno's Ice Beam.

The two attacks held their ground momentarily before Garchomp and Arcanine intensified their assault, slowly overwhelming the Ice Beam.

"Kyuuu!!"

Articuno, enraged at being overpowered, gathered even more Ice energy, nearly doubling the size of its Ice Beam.

The overpowering force shattered the Flamethrower and surged toward Liam like an unstoppable glacier.

"Extreme Speed! Dodge it!"

Liam slapped Arcanine's side as he shouted. With a burst of red light, Arcanine vanished in a blur, narrowly avoiding the attack. Garchomp, too, exploded into motion, dodging the icy blast with shocking agility.

"Arcanine! Trap Articuno with Heat Wave! Garchomp! Use Dragon Rush!"

Liam wasted no time in giving his next commands.

"Arrooo!!"

Arcanine, still moving at blinding speed, generated scorching winds around its body. As it ran, the heated air surged outward, engulfing Articuno.

"Rooooar!!"

Seeing Articuno trapped in Heat Wave, Garchomp propelled itself forward with a mighty leap, channeling Dragon energy around its body until it transformed into the shape of a fierce, flying dragon, diving straight at its foe.

Although Ice-type moves were super effective against Dragon-types, Dragon-type attacks weren't weakened against Ice-types. Confident in this, Garchomp pressed forward.

"Kyuuu!!"

Articuno, agitated by the surrounding heat, sensed the imminent danger and acted immediately. With a piercing cry, it spread its wings wide and summoned a Blizzard, freezing the air around it.

The scorching Heat Wave was extinguished in an instant. Seeing Articuno engulf itself in a swirling storm, Garchomp hesitated only for a split second before steeling itself.

A glint of determination flashed in its eyes as it poured even more energy into its attack and dived straight into the raging Blizzard.

"Garchomp!!"

Liam's heart pounded as he saw his Pokémon disappear into the snowstorm. Without hesitation, he urged Arcanine forward.

"Roooar!!"

But before Arcanine could take even a few steps, a thunderous dragon's roar erupted from the storm. A massive, glowing dragon shot out from the blizzard, gripping a struggling Articuno in its jaws.

With a deafening crash, the two Pokémon slammed into the frozen ground. Ice shards exploded into the air, and the surrounding ice cracked apart, leaving deep fractures along the canyon walls.

"Garchomp!"

Arcanine rushed forward as Liam slid off its back and ran toward the impact zone.

Just as he reached the edge of the crater, a powerful gust of wind knocked him off his feet. He barely had time to brace himself before he tumbled backward. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he looked up—

Standing at the edge of the crater was Articuno, battered and disheveled.

Its once-pristine ice-crystal feathers were tattered, and its ribbon-like tail was visibly shorter. Its piercing gaze burned with fury as it fixed its eyes on Liam, who was lying on the ground.

"Arrooo!!"

Arcanine immediately placed itself between Liam and Articuno, baring its fangs and growling.

Liam ignored the enraged Articuno and instead focused on the crater. Deep within, he saw a white figure lying still in the ice. At first, his breath hitched, but then he noticed the faint rise and fall of Garchomp's chest.

"Garchomp!"

His call echoed through the canyon. As he saw the slow, rhythmic breathing of his Pokémon, the tension in his chest eased slightly.

"Kyuuu!!"

Articuno, however, seethed with anger. This human had dared to command his Pokémon to injure it, and now, he wasn't even paying it any attention!

With another shriek, Articuno summoned a howling Blizzard. Liam looked up at the raging storm and let out a bitter laugh.

"Slowbro! Use Imprison!"

"Haaamaaa~~"

A firm yet elegant voice rang out. Lorelei, now atop her Lapras, had arrived unnoticed. Beside her, Slowbro raised both arms, radiating an earthy-gray energy that swiftly enveloped Articuno, sealing its moves.

"Kyuuu!!"

Articuno's Blizzard abruptly halted. Furious, it opened its beak to fire another Ice Beam, but before it could, a deep crimson light blasted out from the ice cave.

"Chaaa!"

At the critical moment, Arbok struck. A powerful Hyper Beam shot forward, slamming into Articuno and launching it into the sky. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared beyond the clouds.

Liam let out a long breath of relief, then scrambled down into the crater, immediately pouring a Max Revive down Garchomp's throat. As the Pokémon's body began glowing with healing energy, Liam collapsed onto the ice, exhausted but victorious.

He held up a broken Articuno feather, watching it glisten in the sunlight.

"Ah… I survived another day in this dangerous world…"