Gardevoir and Jolteon bypassed Annie from both sides. Neither paid any attention to the female thief who had no more Pokémon to use, instead charging straight for the device.
As properly trained Pokémon, they would not attack a human without a direct command.
The device before them seemed completely defenseless. However, just as the two Pokémon were about to reach it, the giant waterspout moved to block their path.
The waterspout had already caused irreparable damage within the cathedral. Countless stone slabs had cracked because of it, and the walls, pillars, and other structures had all been impacted to some degree.
The fact that the building had not yet collapsed was a testament to its sturdiness. It was likely that, as a city on an island, most of Alto Mare's buildings were designed to withstand wind and earthquakes from the start.
"Go around it!"
At Natsui's command, Gardevoir used Teleport to get past the waterspout, while Jolteon, with its incredible speed, zipped around it from the side.
But in the next second, two streams of water split off from the main waterspout, once again blocking their path and threatening to close in on them.
The two Pokémon attacked with their moves, but they faced the same problem as before. Even if the water in front of them was dispersed, a continuous supply of seawater flowed in to replenish it.
They had no choice but to retreat.
Natsui glanced at Ash and saw that he had also failed to rescue Latios. He thought quickly and then yelled to Ash, "Let's get out of here for now! If this keeps up, this place will collapse sooner or later!"
Although Ash was reluctant, he knew he couldn't save Latios on his own. He nodded and followed Natsui out of the cathedral.
Outside, the battle was already winding down. With the help of Natsui's three Pokémon, although it took some time, Erika had managed to defeat the fossil Pokémon without any major trouble.
Lorenzo and Bianca were hiding in a corner of the plaza. When they saw Natsui and Ash come out, they hurried over.
"How did it go? Did you rescue Latios!?"
Before Natsui could answer, the massive wooden door of the cathedral behind them was shattered with a loud boom. A giant waterspout burst out with immense force, destroying half the wall as it emerged.
Now they had their answer without needing a word.
"Don't just stand there, let's get away from here!"
Natsui snapped the two out of their daze and led them to the center of the plaza to regroup with Erika.
It was only now that he could see clearly. Countless small streams of water were surging from the canals in all directions, converging on the cathedral. It was these streams that were allowing the waterspout to grow ever larger.
"Natsui!"
Just then, Misty's voice came from behind them. They turned to see Misty's Pokémon pulling a wooden boat, with Misty and Brock standing on it.
The two jumped ashore and ran over. Seeing Lorenzo and Bianca, they let out a sigh of relief.
"Are you two okay?"
After splitting up with Natsui's group, they had found a gondola and had Corsola pull it through the waterways. Along the way, they had to destroy the iron hooks blocking their path and fight off several fossil Pokémon that attacked them. It had been an ordeal, which was why they had only just arrived.
"We're fine, but..." Bianca shook her head, looking worriedly toward the cathedral. "Latios and the Soul Dew are still in there!"
Because of the darkness, Misty and Brock had only just noticed the waterspout in the plaza. "Why is there a waterspout on land!?" Misty called out in shock. "And how did it get so big!?"
Natsui explained in a grave voice, "Those two created it using Latios and the Soul Dew. The waterspout is formed from seawater, so it's impossible to stop."
Erika frowned, having already grasped the key to the problem. "In that case, we have to find a way to cut the connection between them!"
"But..." Ash said, dejected. "I already tried. I couldn't break those iron rings..."
Hearing this, Misty realized the seriousness of the situation. "Then what should we do?" she asked, full of worry.
Natsui's eyes darted around. He saw Annie also walk out of the cathedral, and an idea sparked.
"Maybe... now is a good chance," he said quickly as the others looked at him. "Both the waterspout and the blonde woman have left that room. While it's empty, we can sneak up to the device and pull the silver-haired woman out of it!"
He then looked at Misty and Brock. "You two are the only ones they haven't seen. You're the best ones for the job!"
"I understand!"
Misty and Brock nodded. Knowing there was no time to waste, they ran to the side of the plaza and began to sneak toward the cathedral.
Perhaps out of a desperate desire to save Latios, Latias followed behind them, heading back into the cathedral together.
In the center of the plaza, the giant waterspout was growing larger and larger. Influenced by some mysterious power, the sky began to fill with dark clouds. A flash of lightning cut through the sky, and raindrops began to fall on their heads.
The rain fed the water, and the wind fed the storm.
The waterspout stirred the surrounding air like a small hurricane, blowing everything around. Anyone who didn't know what was happening would think it was just extreme weather. Only Natsui and his friends knew the true danger they were facing.
The sound of the wind and rain forced them to shout to be heard.
His clothes were soaked by the rain, but Natsui had no time to care. He yelled to Erika and Ash, "We have to break up this waterspout! We can't let it get any bigger!"
They both nodded. At their command, their respective Pokémon focused their firepower and unleashed their moves on the waterspout together.
Although they couldn't completely disperse it, the continuous attacks blasted many large holes in the waterspout. As water splashed everywhere, its size and volume began to shrink.
Even though it was being constantly replenished by seawater, its growth was being suppressed.
Ash's eyes lit up. "It's working!" he yelled.
Natsui nodded. Although he knew this wasn't a long-term solution, they had to buy time for Misty and Brock no matter what.
"Let's keep going!"
While the Pokémon were dodging the waterspout and weakening it, Misty and Brock had quietly reached a side window of the cathedral.
Luckily, they hadn't been spotted on their way. Seeing no movement inside, they exchanged a look and, together with Latias, jumped through the window.
------------------------
Support my projects and get immediate access to hundreds of chapters of Bleach, Naruto, Pokémon, and more! ✨ Key Benefit: Your favorite novels, with my quality, and always up-to-date.
Featured Novels (with hundreds of chapters available NOW!):
The Heroine Wants to Join My Harem (1050 caps)
Goddess Training Manual (800 caps)
I Have Caught a Pokémon (700 caps)
Bleach Getting Stronger (330 caps)
Naruto: Saving the Uchiha (300 caps)
And many more!
Why subscribe?
🔥 Immediate Access: Read my new chapters before anyone else.
📚 Huge Library: Access my complete catalog instantly.
⭐️ High Quality: Enjoy the novels with a professional and well-crafted text written by me.