A heavy, damp air hung in the air, as though all the moisture from the entire shallow-water zone had been drawn out and condensed into that tiny sphere.
"Whoosh!!"
Water Pulse shot violently from before Slowpoke, like a deep-sea bomb compressed to its limit. It carved a distorted blue trail through the air as it thundered toward Mightyena.
The air along its path was compressed into a deep hum, while droplets on the ground trembled faintly beneath the shockwave.
The moment Xinhai saw the enormous Water Pulse Slowpoke had gathered, his brows furrowed tightly. He shouted, "Mightyena, use Protect, now!"
Mightyena reacted swiftly. Energy surged through its body, and a pale green, translucent Barrier rapidly unfolded around it like an upturned bowl, sealing it tightly within.
"Boom!!!"
Water Pulse slammed solidly into the Protect Barrier, and the highly compressed Water-type energy violently erupted at the point of impact.
Dark blue water surged outward like floodwaters bursting through a dam, carrying an enormous impact as though an invisible giant hammer had smashed against the Barrier's surface.
The Protect Barrier shook violently. Cracks spread from the impact point in all directions, rapidly webbing across the entire Barrier—then, after lasting less than a second, it shattered completely with a crack.
The aftershock of Water Pulse passed through the broken Barrier like a heavy wall of water and slammed solidly into Mightyena.
"Awwooo!!"
Mightyena cried out in pain. Its black body was blasted backward by the tremendous force, flipping several times through the air before crashing heavily onto the muddy ground several meters away. It rolled another two and a half times before barely coming to a stop.
It struggled to rise from the mud and water. Its black fur was coated in sludge and damp stains, with several patches ruffled and tangled by