SWNOVELXO Chapter 68: CHAPTER 68
c68: Base Battle
Just as Chen Xiaoxiao and her squad landed in the Sky Forest near the suspected base deep inside the temporary Japanese trainers' underground facility…
"It's been more than three hours. Yamada-kun, Honda-kun, Mita-kun… Why haven't they reported back yet?" said a tense male trainer in a Team Rocket-aligned black coat. His hand unconsciously reached for his Poké Ball belt.
"Should we send someone to investigate?" another trainer asked, shifting anxiously near the security console.
"Ishida-kun, Ikuta-kun, you're worrying too much!" A third trainer, Maeda, laughed confidently while leaning back on a crate marked with the Rocket insignia. "You know Yamada-kun's strength he trained directly under Archer! I bet they'll be back soon with Latias and Latios in hand!"
The radio nearby gave off static, but no incoming signals.
Ishida and Ikuta didn't reply, but unease crept into their eyes. Something felt off.
Suddenly
BOOM!
A deafening explosion echoed through the structure!
Then, a shockwave tore through the entrance tunnel, bursting open the concealed stone gate.
The facility, built hastily into a cliff hollow, lacked solid reinforcements. Only about 60 meters from the outer gate was a staging hall, roughly 120 square meters in size used for dispatch and temporary holding.
Maeda, Ikuta, and Ishida had been seated at a monitoring station when it hit.
"Enemy attack! Take cover!" Maeda shouted, leaping to his feet.
BOOM!
The air trembled. Stone fragments and dust surged forward like a sandstorm. All three men tumbled back with a synchronized shout
"Aagh!" ×3
The shockwave hit the inner walls and rebounded, flinging them violently across the room, crashing into steel crates and equipment!
Groaning and bruised, they scrambled to their feet.
"Go! Nidoking! Nidoqueen!" Maeda bellowed.
"Out! Primeape, Poliwrath!" Ikuta commanded.
"Move! Toxicroak, Crobat!" Ishida followed.
Each trainer released their ace Pokémon, forming a battle line as they faced the now-exposed entrance.
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On the other side
Just as Latias's Dragon Pulse finished cracking the cliff face, Xiao Li directed his partner swiftly:
"Pidgeot, move! Use Gust!"
The Elite-class Pidgeot flapped its wings with fierce force, whipping up a windstorm to disperse the lingering dust and allow visibility.
Leng Hao, observing closely, noted the now-visible entrance—more than 3 meters wide and 4 meters high, designed specifically for Flying-type deployment and retrieval.
"Tch. Definitely a fly-in-out base… clever."
"Charge! Charizard, go! Xiao Wang, you stay back!"
Leng Hao soared forward on Charizard, issuing commands rapidly. The rest followed close behind.
Xiao Wang, on Aerodactyl, remained near the entrance on overwatch duty—assigned to intercept escapees or prevent outside reinforcements.
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Inside the base
The three Rocket-affiliated Japanese trainers struggled as the shockwave stirred a dust storm, blinding them even further.
"Agh! Crobat, use Defog!" Ishida ordered quickly.
Crobat let out a high-pitched screech and beat its wings rapidly, generating clear airflow that wiped the clouded battlefield clean.
But it was too late.
Through the dispersing haze, Chen Xiaoxiao's team had already breached the interior.
"Charizard—Flamethrower!" Leng Hao called out sharply.
Charizard's jaws parted, channeling a stream of concentrated fire toward the startled Rocket Pokémon.
"Aerodactyl—Sunny Day!" Xiao Wang's voice echoed from outside. The prehistoric Flying-type soared overhead, releasing a radiant light that intensified the sun above the battlefield.
The temperature surged. The sunlight amplified Charizard's Fire-type attacks under the Sunny Day effect especially with its Hidden Ability: Solar Power boosting its Special Attack even further!
"Pidgeot—Gust!" Xiao Li followed.
"Unfezant—Gust!" added Xiao Zhang.
Their combined wind attacks disrupted the enemy's movement, disorienting the Rocket Pokémon.
"Latias use Helping Hand on Charizard!" Chen Xiaoxiao commanded.
Though it was her first time fighting as a coordinated team, she reacted instantly, supporting their heavy-hitter. Latias glowed softly, channeling power toward Charizard.
Boosted by Sunny Day, Helping Hand, and Charcoal, Charizard's flames surged to a blazing white-blue inferno.
With a roar, it unleashed the enhanced Flamethrower, the searing heat lighting up the entire base interior racing straight toward the stunned Rocket Pokémon!
Flamethrower became even more devastating under the combined boosts of Sunny Day and Helping Hand!
Then—two powerful wind currents surged!
With wind fanning the fire, what began as a single-target attack turned into a wide-range battlefield sweep.
"Protect!" ×3
The three Japanese trainers instantly realized the enemy coordination was flawless and their target, Latias, was clearly involved.
That meant only one thing: Yamada, Honda, and Mita had failed.
Maybe even captured.
Otherwise, how could their secret location have been discovered?
Panic and suspicion set in, but there was no time to hesitate.
They could only shout Protect!
Which Pokémon used it wasn't clear but desperation was obvious.
The gulf between a disorganized field unit and a trained strike team had never been clearer.
Judgment!
BOOM!
The firestorm smashed into the Protect barriers with a thunderous blast, launching hot debris and smoke everywhere.
A thick dust cloud surged through the chamber, masking the field again.
"Pidgeot, Gust!" Xiao Li shouted.
"Unfezant, Gust!" echoed Xiao Zhang.
Both alternated Gusts skillfully not just to sweep dust at the Japanese side to further blind them, but also to keep their own side's vision clear.
This tactical maneuver allowed for both battlefield control and line-of-sight advantage.
Meanwhile, Leng Hao had already scanned the battlefield.
He accurately assessed the types on the enemy side most were weak to Ice-type moves.
Without hesitation, he threw a second Poké Ball.
"Go! Ninetales!"
A flash of light revealed Leng Hao's Ace Pokémon a majestic Alolan Ninetales, its fur shimmering like snow.
The moment Ninetales appeared, the harsh sunlight faded Sunny Day was overridden.
A flurry of sparkling snow began to fall inside the base.
The temperature dropped rapidly it was Hail, Ninetales' Snow Warning Ability taking effect.
"Ninetales, Blizzard now!"
Leng Hao pointed forward decisively.
Ninetales howled. A fierce Blizzard roared across the chamber, intensified by the alternating Gusts from Pidgeot and Unfezant.
The resulting windstorm turned the area into a frozen vortex ripping into the enemy ranks.
At the same time, Leng Hao signaled to Chen Xiaoxiao, indicating she should handle the flying Pokémon interfering with visibility.
The dust and snowstorm made it impossible for the Japanese trainers to see clearly.
All they could feel was the sudden, biting cold a clear sign of an oncoming high-power Ice-type attack.
"Spread out! Nidoking, Nidoqueen Rock Slide, form a shield!" Maeda-kun barked.
He knew that clumping together would get them wiped out. They had to break formation and defend individually.
"Primeape, Karate Chop! Poliwrath, use Scald to counter!" Ikuta-kun called, retreating to a support position.
"Toxicroak, use Sludge Bomb! Crobat, Defog!" Ishida-kun yelled, commanding Crobat to sweep the battlefield and restore vision.
But even with Defog, visibility remained poor. The Gusts from Xiao Li and Xiao Zhang constantly re-muddied the field with dust and Hail debris.
Despite their resistance, the Japanese trainers' Pokémon were still struck by multiple Blizzard waves.
The super-effective damage racked up especially on those weak to Ice.
Their coordination began to falter.
And it got worse.
If their Pokémon were vulnerable to Ice… then Chen Xiaoxiao's psychic-type Latias was their worst nightmare.
Because most of the enemy's remaining Pokémon—Poison- and Fighting-types were weak to Psychic!
Under Leng Hao's cue, Chen Xiaoxiao made her move.
"Latias go around and strike from the right! Use Psychic on Crobat!"
Latias swooped, trailing a psychic shimmer, her eyes glowing bright blue.
A massive wave of psychic force surged toward Crobat, slicing through the battlefield like a spear.
BOOM!
The level 65 Crobat still recovering from the Defog maneuver was blindsided.
The blast was devastating.
Crobat let out a shrill cry and was instantly knocked out—its body slammed into a support pillar before falling limp.
It fainted on the spot, leaving Ishida-kun stunned.
The shock wasn't just the power but the speed, precision, and coordination from the invading squad.
Every time a major skill hit, dust and debris filled the base again due to its cavern-style construction.
And with Crobat gone, the enemy had no more effective Defog users.
That meant one thing
The Japanese trainers had lost the ability to clearly see the battlefield.
And in a tactical battle like this… that was as good as checkmate.
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