pdf-ebookys Chapter 67 An old steed in its stall still aspires to gallop afar.
Chapter 67 An old steed in its stall still aspires to gallop afar.
"Return" is a common Normal-type move. When a Pokémon uses this move, it will attack its opponent with all its might for its trainer's sake. The higher the friendship level, the greater the power.
It's considered common because most Pokémon in the Pokédex can learn "Return." As long as the Pokémon using the move has a strong bond with its trainer, this Normal-type move can reliably unleash considerable power.
Furthermore, "Return" has a wide range of coverage and is highly sought after in high-level competitions between trainers. Especially for battle trainers who specialize in raising Normal-type Pokémon, "Return" is one of their essential signature moves.
Hugo remembered that Azure Eevee had used "Return," but that girl preferred to use other STAB moves like "Tackle" and "Quick Attack."
It's said that "Return" puts the Pokémon into a brief frenzy state, making it very difficult to change moves or make more precise commands in this state. Therefore, in battles, she prefers to let Eevee use Normal-type moves that are less powerful or have more side effects.
However, those quirks of top trainers aren't very relevant. For most trainers, "Return" is a well-known "hidden" god-tier move, boasting high accuracy, reliable power, and the ability to deal maximum damage to most types. It's a move that's famous even among novice trainers.
However, not all trainers can utilize "Repay" to its fullest potential.
Hugo, who was pinned down by a bunch of Pokémon, had never seen such a fierce and skillful "Repay" before.
The order was given by the apartment manager who had returned to the vicinity of the gate. This cunning old man, who also worked as a shady real estate agent, squinted as he surveyed the chaotic battle scene before his gaze settled on Hayok, who stood like a lone boat in front of the iron gate before a storm.
The old man did not react excessively; he simply lowered his head slightly, hiding his eyes in deeper shadows, and murmured commands.
The young people paid no attention to the little old man on the edge of the battlefield, but focused their attention firmly on the pesky Hayok.
However, the very next second after the apartment manager whispered the order, Hayok, who was far away, seemed to have a telepathic connection with him and activated his skill. He pushed off the ground with his hind legs, and his body, which was poised to strike, seemed to be enveloped in a white light that resembled an aura.
"Hayok, 'Repay the Favor'."
Suddenly, the old dog pounced forward, swatting away the pickpocket cat guarding the front. Then, with the lingering feeling of "repaying a debt of gratitude," Hayok continued his charge without losing momentum, his fierce aura forcefully driving the five-man group that was about to reach the iron gate back into the center of the room.
Seeing how powerful Hayok was when he jumped out, the suspects immediately resorted to their human wave tactics again. The six elves that were originally responsible for attacking the gate attacked the old dog at the same time. These elves still had foam left by dry powder fire extinguishers on their bodies, but their stamina and fighting power were not diminished.
Hayok didn't have Hugo's agility, and in an instant, the attacks that flashed with various colors hit Hayok, making his already mottled fur even duller.
Just then, a burst of water guns shot out, covering the entire area.
It turned out that the taller policeman had also arrived from the back door at that moment and joined up with his colleague who was using the Coconut Monkey. The one unleashing the skill was his subordinate, the Cold Water Monkey.
After unleashing "Water Gun," this frivolous monkey with its azure fur unleashed its powerful Ice-type move, "Blizzard." The splashing water and the sudden drop in temperature interacted, instantly causing a layer of cold frost to condense on the bodies of many Pokémon, significantly slowing their attack speed.
"The combo was excellent, but it didn't help the overall battle..." The detective, who was pretending to be dead, sighed. Although his appearance was unsightly, he had at least single-handedly held off five Pokémon. Forcing his way in would only lead to unexpected problems, so it was better to lie low and relax for now.
Hugo shifted his body, causing the restless black-eyed crocodile to fall off his shoulder again, and silently plotted in his mind—
The densely packed Pokémon along the roadside are not the focus of this operation. The real target is those young people. We must contain those six trainers in the apartment building to prevent these desperate individuals from scattering and causing greater harm to the city.
The young people were clearly aware of their purpose—they had obviously abandoned the elves and were only focused on escaping. The officers' flanking attack, while weakening the fugitives, did nothing to buy them time.
The apartment manager and Hayok, the pair, executed the plan perfectly, but the initiative was still in the hands of the young leader, and Hugo and his group were still unable to stop the other side's escape.
There was no sound of police sirens outside the door for a long time, which was understandable, because the police had already narrowed down the list of suspects to the six Pokémon held by the deceased, and had no idea that a group of treacherous criminals who had set up traps to assassinate their neighbors were living in the room downstairs! This apartment building was naturally not surrounded by police like the one at the Qibao Museum.
Hugo glanced at the clock behind the glass of the duty room in the distance. The detective, who had calculated the time, discovered an astonishing fact—the battle, which had felt incredibly long, had only been going on for less than four minutes!
In other words, Officer Azur Lane and her group had only traveled about halfway and were still on the fifteenth floor. Even slower were the elevators in the elevator lobby, which had been tampered with and were still slowly moving from floor to floor—it has to be said, this method was really despicable.
Having made his way to the vicinity of the gate with barely any presence, the building manager, who had successfully reunited with his partner Hayok, looked back at the apartment gate he was responsible for protecting with a touch of emotion.
Meanwhile, the shouting of the young people on the other side grew increasingly deafening—
"Old man, get out of the way and let us out! Do you want to die?"
“Hayok, roar! Get these foul-mouthed scum back inside!” the old man said calmly.
The part-time apartment manager, who also worked as a rental agent, calmly directed Hayok to dart left and right, making swift decisions based on the situation, blocking weak attacks and dodging unbearable assaults. He also repeatedly guided Hayok to seize opportunities to turn back and counterattack, slightly hindering the escapees' path towards the gate.
"His command skills are quite sophisticated. It seems the administrator was quite a skilled trainer in his youth." Hugo observed the battle from the ground. "Is the reason Hayok hasn't evolved because he's been using the 'Evolution Stone' throughout his competitive career to execute some kind of tactic?"
Suddenly, one of the young men broke away from the group and tried to escape to the gate via Hugo's relatively calm side.
But how could Hayok, blinded by rage, ignore such a thing? Before the old man could give the order, he leaped out and tackled the deserter.
However, this meant there was no one left to stop the surging Pokémon in front of the old man.
Inside the room, a dozen Pokémon—including a flying dove, a galloping York, and a sharp-eyed shrew—rushed toward the emaciated old man.
Faced with danger, the old man gave a nostalgic twitch of his lips, a confident yet strange smile spreading across his face. He slowly raised his right hand, as if making some kind of oath—
"A 'lightning-fast' attack, plus the bonus of 'repaying kindness'!"
In Hugo's view, Hayok used the rebound after his pounce to launch a beautiful counterattack, his fierce figure crashing down in the white light that enveloped him once again... No, that was no longer Hayok.
The Pokémon's form underwent a noticeable change; Hayok's size was expanding, its fur becoming thicker and longer. Enveloped in a dazzling blue light, the Pokémon that landed had transformed into a completely different creature—Hayok's evolved form, the Longhaired Dog.
Its light yellow, beard-like fur obscured its face, flowing backward like a scarf, while its body was covered by layers of fur, resembling a tank woven from fur.
The old dog seemed to have been given a second life. Its original thin and bony appearance was completely gone, and it evolved into a long-haired dog full of energy. The black pupils hidden behind its fur revealed a resolute expression, and its whiskers and hair flowed, exuding an aura of authority without anger.
Faced with the long-haired dog that seemed to have descended from the sky like a guardian deity, the group of Pokémon that had launched a reckless attack gradually stopped their advance. This was the effect of the ability "Intimidate"—the disoriented enemies were quickly defeated by "Repay".
The long-haired dog nodded quietly, ignoring its defeated opponents scattered on the ground, and slowly walked to its elderly master's side.
Gazing at his evolved partner, the old man remained silent, his face flushed crimson. He gripped the long-haired dog's broad fur and burst into a violent cough. Finally, he chuckled and uttered an ominous joke—
"Old partner, it seems you'll be the one to see me off when I leave this world."