He knows Pokémon better than me.

"Is the strongest creature in Mount Tenguan also a quasi-god-like creature with a greenish appearance, a Goodra?"

Ash looked at the map and saw that the native pseudo-legendary leader of Mt. Coronet was still just an unevolved Garchomp.

Therefore, the one labeled "most dangerous" became the sticky dragon carrying a silver snail shell.

In the realm of ordinary Pokémon, the strongest are either pseudo-legendary or starter Pokémon—which aligns with the thought processes of some novice trainers.

"The Azure Coast. Never mind, I'll go another time."

Ash was already back on Corviknight's back. He glanced at the night sky and shook his head.

Now hurry up and go to Lizhi Lake, take care of the last catfish king there, and then you can head home.

But isn't Lake of Azelf's habitat? It turns out other boss Pokémon also inhabit this lake.
Can Arknom tolerate this?

He and Azelf were once friends when they were traveling in the Sinnoh region.

If you could see Yukish at Lake Wisdom before, you should be able to see Blue Saint Mushroom at Lake Heartbeat now, right?
Riding the Corviknight, flying northeast, they soon came upon a wide lake with a small, raised island in the center.

That's probably where the Arknom's lair is located.

"Fly over there."

Ash was directing Corviknight to approach the island where it nested. Just as they were about to arrive, a roar suddenly came from below, accompanied by violent splashing of water.

A massive catfish king emerged from the lake, its flat head poking out and its two whiskers standing upright.

If you didn't look closely, you might mistake it for a Kyogre lying in the water!
Like a guardian of Azelf's lair, Kingkine's eyes were bloodshot, and as soon as Ash approached, its entire body emitted a ferocious red light that could be seen with the naked eye.

Wow!
Without a word, the boss, King Magikarp, rode a three-meter-high wave and charged towards Ash.

"Steelclaser, increase altitude!"

Ash quickly gave instructions, and Corviknight flapped its iron wings to avoid being affected by the surf.

Even though it's not as strong as Infernape or Torterra, the Magikarp in front of it is probably one of the strongest leader Pokémon.

Seeing that the height was not enough, the catfish king used the momentum of the waves to leap into the air when it reached the highest point.

Its wide beak opened, and the cold air quickly condensed into sharp icy teeth, which it snapped at the Steelraven.

Although they differ from Magikarp by only one word, their strengths are worlds apart.

"Is it that aggressive?!"

Ash was a little puzzled. Although the bosses he had encountered before would attack anyone who approached them, none of them were as desperate as this Magikarp.

However, by the end of the day, his Pokémon were all exhausted from training.
"Then I choose you, Pikachu!"

Ash waved his hand and ultimately chose to finish off the enemy with Pikachu!
"Pickup!"

Pikachu nodded; it had been secretly petting him all day, and now its hands were itching to do it too.

It immediately scrambled up from Corviknight's back, its small body too conspicuous to even bite, intending to swallow Pikachu whole, while Ice Fang continued to bite Corviknight.

Even the Electric-type moves that give Water-type Pokémon the biggest headache are completely ineffective against it.

"Pickup!"

Seeing that the other party didn't take him seriously at all, Pikachu pricked up its ears and showed an annoyed expression.

Perfect timing, let's try out the moves I just learned yesterday!

Just as it was about to be swallowed whole, Pikachu suddenly shone with a dazzling pink light. The light pierced the eyes of the catfish king like a sharp sword, causing the latter to feel uncomfortable and close its eyes, losing its sense of direction.

Bang bang!

The next moment, before it could even react, its cheek felt as if it had been struck by a heavy object, and the catfish king instantly plunged into the lake, splashing up countless water droplets.

"Pica~!"

Pikachu then landed triumphantly back on Corviknight's head, dissipating the silver light from its tail. "A combination attack of Dazzling Gleam and Iron Tail, huh?"

Xiao Zhi nodded happily.

If Pikachu's "Quick Attack + Thunderbolt" is a move that identifies a strong opponent, then for those who are slightly weaker, this combination of punches at the start of a match will instantly defeat them.

So now, the combination of "Magical Dazzle + Iron Tail" can kill even the strongest Pokémon on the first try, and slap the legendary Pokémon hard across the face!

The catfish king, enraged by the fall into the water, let out a long hiss towards the sky.

"Catfish—whoosh!!"

As night fell, a sudden downpour began around Lizhi Lake, turning the once tranquil lake surface into a noisy mess.

The next moment, King Catfish opened its mouth wide, and a thick jet of water shot straight into the air. With the help of the rain, the water cannon could even reach the height of Corviknight.

"Do you even understand weather tactics?"

Ash wiped the water off his face and transformed into another bird. His flight speed would likely decrease significantly after his feathers became wet.

But the Corviknight's steel feathers were completely impervious to water; raindrops dripped down the edges of its feathers without affecting its movements in the slightest.

"Gah!!"

The Steel-Armored Raven let out a loud cry, spread its wings, and easily dodged the water cannon.

Pikachu, perched on Corviknight's head, did not unleash an electric shock but instead raised its little hand.

Below, the boss, Catfish King, had its mouth half open, looking puzzled, wondering what the electric mouse was up to.

Could it be that he's trying to attract heavenly lightning to strike him?

That won't work either!

However, after waiting for a long time, neither the sky nor Pikachu itself changed.

Whoosh!

On the small island adjacent to the Catfish King's nest, countless supple vines suddenly sprouted from the shore, growing sideways and strangling towards it!

Secret technique: tie a knot in the grass!

"Hehe, my Pikachu knows Grass-type moves~!"

Xiao Zhi chuckled to himself, ignoring the fact that his clothes and body were soaked by the rain.

The more heavy the opponent is, the greater the damage from the "tying grass knot" move.

Kingkine is already a heavy-type Pokémon, and with the boss's current size, it's almost as big as Kyogre!

This also successfully maximized the power of the grass knot!
Da da da!
Countless vines wrapped around and bound the King Catfish tightly, even forcibly flipping the little Georuk over on the surface of the water, revealing its soft, pale yellow belly.

catfish

The attack, four times stronger than the original, caused the Catfish King to let out a miserable scream as its stamina plummeted.

"Is that the weakness? Let's settle this once and for all, Fierce Iron Tail!!"

Pikachu had already leaped off Corviknight, its steel tail pressing down on its body, accompanied by a special effect of the words "Powerful and Fierce" as it fell.

Clang!
Iron Tail delivered a powerful blow, striking the Catfish King squarely in its weakest point—its abdomen—causing its body to cave in.

The little Geyser was instantly slammed into the depths of the lake by this brutal force.

Gulu gulu!

A moment later, bubbles rose from another spot, and the catfish king surfaced belly-up, completely unable to fight. (End of Chapter)