"Pika-chu!!!"
A golden lightning bolt struck toward Katsuhisa.
A golden-yellow glow flickered in Katsuhisa's hand, and a rock shield appeared before him, blocking the lightning bolt.
An air explosion erupted around Katsuhisa. Supernatural pink-white light flashed in his eyes. As if a giant hand had grasped the entire air explosion and flung it back in the direction it had come from.
Just as the air explosion was about to reach Lugia, Lugia flapped its wings and canceled the move.
The air explosion, which had seemed so powerful, simply vanished into thin air. This was the divine mastery of one's own abilities.
But before Lugia could celebrate, the psychic shield that had enveloped the air explosion instantly transformed into a fist-like shape, then exerted force, colliding violently with Lugia's body.
Lugia was knocked back a considerable distance.
"Air Cutter!"
Red's words echoed in Lugia's mind, and Lugia immediately countered with several Air Cutters aimed at Katsuhisa's direction.
However, Katsuhisa had no time to defend himself, as he was completely overwhelmed by the scorching Sacred Fire.
Ho-Oh's attack on Katsuhisa occurred at that precise moment when the old power had faded and the new power had not yet emerged. It must be said that although this move seemed ordinary, in reality, being able to seize such a vulnerable moment was a testament to one's ability.
Such opportunities inevitably exist, but whether one can seize them depends on one's personal ability.
Clearly, Red's ability to seize opportunities was at its peak.
Within the mental communication network centered on Lugia, Red's calm and swift commands truly won over the two deities who had come to assist.
Katsuhisa wasn't going to just stand there and take it. He thrust his hands forward with all his might, sending a multi-elemental shockwave hurtling toward Red.
Red seized the opportunity to shout in his mind.
"Pika! Thunderbolt, lower body! Ho-Oh, Flamethrower to the side and rear! Lugia, Confusion to redirect the path!"
Golden lightning once again appeared, striking Katsuhisa's slightly unstable lower body. Ho-Oh's Flamethrower then attacked Katsuhisa's side rear.
Katsuhisa was about to dodge, but under the influence of Confusion, both attacks still struck him, and he endured the blow with a pained expression.
When facing Katsuhisa's attack, the Espeon and Lapras beside Red blocked Katsuhisa's next attack, but the aftereffects still affected Red.
The shockwave sent the two Pokémon staggering backward, and a trail of blood trickled from Red's lips. This move was very difficult to block. Although the Pokémon had blocked the move and even shielded him from the aftereffects as much as possible, the injuries he had sustained from previous aftereffects were finally triggered.
Red glared at Katsuhisa across from him with a stern and resolute expression, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit.
The Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Pikachu in front of him were all injured as well. Though it didn't affect their combat ability, their bodies had already shown obvious injuries.
However, even in such a disheveled state, Ho-Oh and Lugia were still mostly shocked.
Looking at the opponent, who was panting heavily, covered in injuries, drenched in sweat, and visibly weakened, and even showing numerous injuries from the previous attack... that's just insane, right?
You see, if this guy were to team up with two deities, he'd just end up getting wiped out as the boss.
But now, under Red's command, just the two of them, plus a Pikachu, have managed to achieve this much—it's downright insane.
But speaking of this Pikachu… this guy has already surpassed the realm of a demigod, hasn't he? It can now challenge a Level 1 deity for a period of time, and even those Level 1 deities with unfavorable attributes might end up at a disadvantage.
Lugia and Ho-Oh can also feel their own power limits growing, though their own increases probably aren't as extreme as this Pikachu's.
But aside from their energy levels—that is, their raw power—Red has taken their cooperative combat abilities to a whole new level.
No wonder humanity has developed to this extent. With such humans, one can only say that the existence of the human race truly holds great significance. Because they can elevate the combat power ceiling of Pokémon.
Rope looked at the injured Katsuhisa, and a smile finally curled at the corners of his mouth. To be honest, this smile was somewhat sinister. But at this moment, Red's sinister expression was the greatest kindness he could offer to Pikachu and the others.
It wasn't easy to achieve the current results. Since taking over the summoned creatures from Rope, he had been contemplating what tactics to adopt.
After devising several strategies, he finally settled on the current one.
The three complemented each other, allowing for flexible command.
After the actual battle, Red discovered that Katsuhisa could actually unleash another burst of power. However, fortunately, Ho-Oh and the others were slightly stronger than Red had anticipated, so they were able to withstand Katsuhisa's assault.
"Katsuhisa, surrender. Our conditions are roughly the same; you're not much stronger than us."
Red launched another psychological attack. But it was the truth—this lineup couldn't defeat Rope. However, holding off Katsuhisa was still achievable.
Katsuhisa said nothing, merely wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, then his body once again shone with a variety of colors.
Red clenched his teeth, preparing for battle.
Though the Pokémon were already extremely exhausted, if they showed any signs of fatigue now, death would be the only outcome.
After all, Rope had no intention of holding back against Katsuhisa. Therefore, Katsuhisa had no reason to spare Red's life out of fear of offending Rope.
Although the situation on the field remained deadlocked, Red was well aware that Pikachu was about to collapse.
Just as the two were preparing to enter the next round, Red noticed that the sky had once again erupted with a deafening roar.
It sounded as though the sky was about to split apart.
A burst of crimson-gold flames spread across the sky, connecting with the fiery clouds on the horizon, as if truly igniting the sky itself.
At the center of the fiery clouds, a purple-black sphere stood out prominently.
Like a reef in the sea, it remained steadfast against the surging flames.
"It seems… Rope has the upper hand after all…"
Red finally let out a joyful smile.
A heavy weight lifted from his heart. As long as Rope's side held the upper hand, their plan wouldn't go too far off track.
Katsuhisa stared intently at the purple-black sphere.
Its already formidable aura grew even stronger.
Red's smile froze on his face.