Chapter 63: High-Speed Chase

Lapras had obviously noticed Dragonite and Caleb on the sea's surface...

It let out a sharp cry, opening its mouth as a massive, spiraling water column rapidly formed before it.

That was… Max Geyser!

Watching the terrifying water column hurtling toward them, Caleb's expression changed.

He barked out a command at lightning speed: "Dodge it!"

The air was thick with moisture as a light drizzle began to fall.

Dragonite erupted with unprecedented speed, its wings flapping furiously as it shot through the air like a meteor, arcing in a parabola toward the shore with Caleb clinging to its back.

Caleb pressed himself flat against Dragonite, watching as the Max Geyser grazed past just overhead.

The distance was so close, that he could see the violent currents churning within the water column...

The next second, Dragonite put distance between them and the attack, making an emergency landing on the beach amidst the rain.

Caleb never dreamed he would ever get motion sickness from riding a Dragonite...

Bracing one hand on the ground and the other against his stomach, he tried to suppress the faint urge to vomit.

"Wuuu!"

Dragonite suddenly let out a sharp cry.

Caleb turned his head just in time to see a massive wave (triggered by the Max Geyser) rushing toward the shore at terrifying speed.

It was too late to do anything...

Dragonite's teal-green eyes narrowed, its expression urgent as its sturdy body moved without hesitation to shield Caleb. Even in the face of a ten-meter tsunami, there wasn't a trace of fear in its eyes.

Caleb opened his mouth, but before he could speak, an overwhelming force crashed down from above.

The surging currents swept him toward the forest, the roar of the water mixing with the sound of snapping trees and Gigantamax Lapras' distant cries, engulfing him from all directions.

Time seemed to stretch... whether seconds or minutes, he couldn't tell...

When the wave finally receded, the beach was left in ruins.

Caleb and Dragonite lay sprawled on the ground, soaked and covered in mud, and looking utterly disheveled.

Dragonite spat out a mouthful of seawater. Its body was covered in wounds, and its tail lay limp at its side. Its chest heaved violently, teeth clenched in pain... yet it still managed to crack open one eye to check if its trainer was alright.

Caleb was fine of course. He might have looked rough, but Dragonite had taken the brunt of the impact. Honestly, his heart ached at the sight.

With a soft sigh, he moved to Dragonite's side and placed his right hand over its injuries. The Viridian Power activated, and a green glow radiated from his palm.

Thanks to Pokémon's natural resilience, the wounds vanished at a visible pace.

Dragonite felt its strength returning and let out a goofy grin, emitting a soft, almost cooing sound: "Wuu…"

Caleb exhaled in relief, gently patting Dragonite's chubby paw. He couldn't be more grateful for having drawn the Viridian Power earlier...

Without this power, his situation would've been dire, especially considering this Instance had no Potions or Pokémon Centers...

'Bless Dragonite's godly luck! And bless that player, Tsukino Rei, for the gacha draw!'

As he thought this, Caleb turned his gaze back to the sea...

The Gigantamax Lapras had submerged, its massive form disappearing beneath the waves.

But before he could fully relax, another deafening roar erupted from the forest. The ground trembled as if something enormous was moving.

Dragonite immediately tensed, its eyes narrowing in the direction of the noise.

Caleb looked up, then saw two pale-white tusks looming in the air... Then, a colossal fur-covered quadrupedal Pokémon emerged from the darkness...

"Damn it! A Dynamaxed Mamoswine!" Having barely escaped the Gigantamax Lapras, Caleb and Dragonite just wanted to find somewhere safe to rest.

After exchanging a glance, Dragonite's wings twitched, ready to take off.

Caleb was about to climb on, when Drake's group suddenly came stumbling out of the dense forest in a panic.

Tristan spotted Caleb immediately. The memory of their earlier exchange flashed through his mind, and his expression turned sour.

Caleb raised an eyebrow, watching him with amusement.

Tristan flushed with anger, "What the hell are you looking at?!" he barked.

Caleb smirked but didn't respond, instead giving Dragonite a light pat.

Dragonite instantly understood, then flapped its wings to hover in the air, watching the group below engage in a Dynamax Raid Battle against the Mamoswine...

Seeing that Caleb wasn't leaving, nor offering any help, Tristan nearly choked on his fury.

"Focus!" Drake barked, commanding his Bisharp to use Metal Claw while shooting Tristan a glare.

Dynamax battles in reality were nothing like the games. In 'Pokémon Sword & Shield', trainers didn't have to worry about attacks hitting them... but here, a single Max Rockfall could crush a person instantly.

Not to mention, the sheer size of a Dynamax Pokémon was psychologically overwhelming...

Drake's group had been fighting a retreating battle from the start. Dynamax moves altered the weather in their range... and this Mamoswine loved spamming Max Rockfall, kicking up a sandstorm with every use.

Drake glanced back at the ocean. He had assumed the Mamoswine wouldn't chase them onto the beach, but it seemed dead set on hunting them down.

The visual effects of Dynamax moves were staggering...

With a roar, Mamoswine summoned a wall of massive boulders from the ground, sending them crashing toward the group.

Fortunately, Max Rockfall had a slow startup. The moment the rocks emerged, Drake's team scattered, dodging just in time.

The boulders shattered into dust upon impact, but the sandstorm only intensified.

The beach's weather shifted from rain to a raging sandstorm. Breathing became difficult... every gasp carried the risk of inhaling sharp grains.

Caleb decided this was no place to linger. Covering his nose, he prepared to leave, but not before using Scout at the Mamoswine.

[Dynamax Mamoswine: Lv. 70]

…

The sandstorm was now a genuine hazard to the trainers' safety...

Drake looked up at Caleb's retreating figure, his eyes darkening as he shouted, "We can't keep fighting! Fall back!"

With that, he bolted toward the forest, Tristan hot on his heels.

Walter rushed to Luna's side and beckoned, "Lulu, let's go!"

Luna ignored him, her gaze lingering on the direction Caleb had flown...

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