The Gyarados had clearly locked onto the five humans aboard the raft.
Gyarados possessed an extremely strong territorial instinct—any creature that trespassed into its domain would be met with its most ferocious assault.
Run, or fight?
Kael's mind raced. Out here on the open sea, a human-powered inflatable raft stood no chance of outrunning a Gyarados. Trying to flee would only end with the monster dragging them back from behind. In that case, it was better to bring it down head-on.
"Ash—let's do this together," Kael said quietly.
"No problem!"
When dealing with wild Pokémon—especially when there was no intention of capturing them—ganging up was perfectly acceptable.
Misty, still haunted by childhood trauma, had completely lost her composure at the sight of Gyarados. Brock's Pokémon were Rock-type and utterly useless in this environment. As for Miki, she didn't have any Pokémon at all—her combat strength was effectively zero.
"ROOOAAR!"
The Gyarados's violent nature finally erupted. With a furious roar, it swung its massive tail, sending a towering column of water crashing toward the intruders.
Aqua Tail!
Its signature move—when used in water, its power increased dramatically.
"Pikachu—Thunderbolt!"
"Lulu—Psybeam!"
Kael and Ash issued their commands at the same time.
Brilliant yellow lightning slammed into the water-wreathed tail. Electricity crackled violently on contact with the seawater, releasing a shrill hiss as steam billowed upward. The Gyarados recoiled in pain—Thunderbolt dealt no small amount of damage to a Water-type Pokémon.
At the same moment the tail withdrew, Lulu's Psybeam struck true, hitting the Gyarados square in the head.
The beast let out a series of agonized roars. But instead of retaliating, it suddenly twisted its massive jaws and bit down on its own scales.
Its steel-hard teeth clamped against armor-like scales with a deafening crack. A scale was torn free—ripped off by the Gyarados itself.
"ROOOAAR!!"
Its eyes turned bloodshot as it thrashed wildly in the sea. Waves surged in every direction, throwing the inflatable raft into chaos. Everyone aboard clung desperately to the edge handles just to keep from being flung into the water.
"What's wrong with it? Why is it attacking itself?" Ash shouted.
Kael wrapped an arm around Kirlia and gripped the raft with his other hand. "Lulu's Psybeam has a chance to inflict confusion. That Gyarados got unlucky—one hit was enough. But we need to finish this fast. Once it snaps out of it, that thing will go completely berserk."
Ash nodded grimly. The ocean had never been humanity's home field. A rampaging Gyarados out here was a nightmare beyond words.
"Pikachu—Thunderbolt!"
At Ash's command, Pikachu unleashed two consecutive Thunderbolts. Even with type advantage, Gyarados's enormous size and stamina allowed it to endure the first strike. But after taking the second head-on, it finally collapsed.
Black smoke drifted from its mouth. Its massive body listed to one side, eyes shutting as it fell motionless into the sea.
"That scared me to death…" Miki exhaled, patting her chest in relief. She hurried over to support Misty. "It's okay now, Misty. Kael and Ash beat it. You're safe."
Misty's eyes slowly refocused. The moment she saw the fallen Gyarados, she burst into tears. The shadow it had cast over her childhood was clearly deeper than anyone realized.
"There, there… it's okay," Miki soothed softly, rubbing her back. Crying it out was better—it meant the fear was finally being released.
"—DAMN IT, WATCH OUT!"
Kael practically roared. He hooked an arm around Ash's neck and slammed him down, knocking into Miki and the others as well. At that exact instant, an orange beam of light streaked overhead, slamming into the sea behind them.
The beam detonated on impact.
The shockwave flipped the inflatable raft completely over.
"…Hyper Beam."
Kael would never mistake that attack—the unmistakable orange glow, the devastating explosion. If he'd been even a second slower, that blast would have seriously injured everyone aboard… if not killed them outright.
They splashed into the water, hearts pounding in shock. Anyone would be rattled—Hyper Beam had just skimmed past their heads.
....
The surface of the sea began to swirl. One vortex after another formed—then a second Gyarados rose from the depths. Then a third. A fourth. A fifth.
Including the one they had just knocked unconscious, there were six in total.
The five newly arrived Gyarados formed a ring around the group, their already vicious eyes burning with fury.
A bead of cold sweat slid down Kael's forehead.
So this is what it means to stab a Gyarados nest…
My luck really couldn't be worse.
The leading Gyarados lowered its head and nudged the unconscious one. When it failed to respond, it threw its head back and let out an earth-shaking roar. The other four followed suit, their cries echoing across the sea.
"They… they look really angry," Ash said helpfully.
Kael gave a bitter smile.
Anyone with eyes could see that—but the real problem was what now?
This wasn't land.
This was the open ocean—Gyarados territory through and through.
Hurt one, and the whole family showed up.
Gyarados were a pack species.
That much was covered in Chapter Two of Pokémon Elementary School textbooks.
The five Gyarados didn't attack immediately. Instead, they circled Kael and the others slowly, heads held high, forming a tightening ring on the water's surface—silent, furious, and deadly.