On the frontline, Wattson's Pokémon were all tied down by Rhyperio, and those in hiding started attacking one after another. Leading the charge was a massive steel serpent.
Steelix.
Due to living long-term in underground high-pressure, high-temperature environments, this Pokémon had trained its body to be harder than any metal. Thus it charged at the forefront, enduring the vast majority of attacks.
By the time it charged from the mountainside to the base, the steel covering Steelix's entire body had already shattered. Almost no part of its body remained intact.
But its mission was complete, countless large Pokémon were now launching attacks at Raikou.
"Lucario, Bullet Punch!"
"Charizard, use Dragon Claw!"
"Ursaring, Thrash!"
The battlefield had already descended into utter chaos, various techniques flying everywhere. Though Wattson in the mountain's center desperately commanded his Pokémon to defend, he still couldn't avoid gaps.
Lightning flashed in Raikou's eyes. It roared furiously, its body surface covered in countless electric currents, counterattacking these audacious Pokémon attempting to slay a god with mortal strength.
Thunder surrounded Raikou. Accompanied by Thunderbolt's discharge, it spread outward, repelling countless Pokémon below Elite Four level.
Yet on the forefront, three Pokémon remained completely unaffected. Sensing the waves emanating from them, they ranked among the top tier even within the Elite Four level.
A Lucario, a Charizard, and an Ursaring.
Wattson on the side could only watch anxiously as Raikou fought one against three. All his own Pokémon were tied down, completely unable to break free and provide support.
"I wish it could strike you all down with one bolt of lightning!"
Wattson ground his teeth, letting out a furious roar.
But this didn't affect the three Pokémon's assault on Raikou in the slightest. Lucario rapidly advanced, completely unafraid of the overwhelming thunder it faced. Both arms gradually became covered in white light, emanating a piercing energy as Bullet Punch struck toward Raikou blow after blow.
Charizard wasn't as composed as Lucario. With its Flying-type, it still held some fear of lightning.
Its massive wings on its back flapped, flying into the air to avoid the electricity. Simultaneously, cyan energy covered both of its sharp claws, radiating the nobility unique to Dragon-types.
The Ursaring at the very front wasn't like the other two Pokémon who more or less dodged. It directly endured the Thunderbolt head-on, staggering and falling to the ground, electric arcs surfacing across its body.
Thunderbolt had actually triggered paralysis!
Ursaring lowered its head, the corner of its mouth actually showing a barely perceptible smile.
It instantly stood up, disregarding its injuries, madly beating its chest and stamping its feet. The aura on its body surface continuously increased.
The paralysis had triggered its Guts ability!
(Guts: If afflicted with a status condition, shows guts and increase Attack)
"Roooar!!"
Raikou barely managed to handle the three Pokémon's onslaught. Occasionally, other ranged techniques flew its way as well. It could only continuously release thunder.
Already injured, Raikou's stamina quickly bottomed out.
"Damn you all!"
Fury flashed across Wattson's face again, because he discovered these people had no intention of fighting to the death, they just wanted to tie him down.
And facts proved they'd succeeded.
Dozens of Pokémon surrounded him, mostly quasi-Elite Four level. Naturally Wattson didn't consider this level significant, but their sheer numbers were overwhelming.
Looking at Raikou struggling desperately, Wattson felt regret for the first time. Sometimes he wondered, if this Raikou wasn't the one from Bell Tower, if it wasn't part of Ho-Oh's guard, but just an ordinary Raikou, they'd already be partners.
As one of Ho-Oh's personal guard, one of the Pokémon revived at Bell Tower, the three Sacred Beasts substituted for the vanished Ho-Oh, continuing to oversee humanity while traveling throughout the world.
Though called three Sacred Beasts, much like the three Sacred Birds, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune weren't the only ones of their kind.
They also had their own clan members, just extremely few in number, and they didn't appear before humans.
Of course, these ordinary clan members weren't divine Pokémon. They were just legendary Pokémon and without divine authority.
Though they possessed divinity and were very much Legendary, without divinity, they weren't considered Sacred Beasts.
Only the strongest one in the entire clan could be called a Sacred Beast, obtaining the divine mandate.
This was precisely why Wattson felt regret. When he'd first encountered the injured Raikou, he'd also considered capturing it. But he'd happened to meet the one holding divine authority.
Wattson knew deity Pokémon couldn't be captured, because the authority each deity Pokémon held was intimately connected to the operational rules of this world.
Even lacking a single link could potentially trigger massive disasters, severe cases might even cause regional collapse.
So despite humanity's documented data already showing several Raikou appearances, humans never dared to capture them.
The reason this incident attracted so many people's attention was entirely because everyone believed an injured Raikou definitely wasn't the one possessing divinity.
Though Wattson had explained it multiple times, he simply couldn't dispel these people's doubts. After all, in their view, Wattson, as an Electric-type fanatic, attempting to hide something only made him more supsicious. They thought he was trying to monopolize a Raikou's strength for himself.
"Lord Ho-Oh... disappointed..."
"Humanity... greedy... sinful."
Suddenly, a broken, rough voice echoed over the battlefield..
This voice seemed to be coming from everyones hearts, not entering through their ears.
"Telepathy!"
Everyone was shocked this Raikou could use telepathy, but simultaneously, quite a few pondered thoughtfully about the meaning in those words.
After all, this involved Ho-Oh.
Wattson seized the opportunity while these people were thinking, exchanging a glance with Raikou. His heart also made a decision.
"ROOOAR!!!"
A roar resonated through the clouds. Thunder on Raikou's body suddenly erupted, endless lightning surging forth.
This lightning converged into a massive pillar, shooting straight toward the three opposing Pokémon.
Caught completely off guard by this sudden attack, all three Pokémon were sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the mountain wall with dull thuds.
Raikou raised its head and howled toward the sky, its roar like thunder, deafening. With its cry, an invisible pressure emanated from its body, spreading rapidly outward with Raikou as the center.
This pressure swept across the entire mountain forest like a violent gale, making all living things feel an indescribable terror.
This was the power of divinity!
"HOWL!!!!"
In the sky above, thunder rolled through layer upon layer of dark clouds, as if about to tear heaven and earth apart.
After mere seconds, the sky actually split open with a massive opening, like a ferocious giant beast opening its gaping maw.
Wattson's expression grew excited as he shouted loudly, "Everyone, channel your lightning into Raikou! Lend it your strength!"
His words had barely fallen when the five Elite Four-level Pokémon beside Wattson simultaneously activated techniques, continuously channeling their electrical power toward Raikou. Momentarily, five differently colored lightning bolts interwove in the air, forming a brilliantly colorful lightning chain that ultimately converged on Raikou.
Bathed in this powerful electrical force, the lightning on Raikou's body grew increasingly dazzling and brilliant. Its aura also continuously increased, becoming even more formidable.