Chapter 34: Who Said Groudon Can't Fly!
"Earthquakes are the conspiracy of Wayne Group. The Justice League are not good people. They imprisoned us to take our money!"
The people forcibly brought in by Superman and Flash are still cursing loudly. Those with a bit of brain consider them as 'nt' (not-thinking individuals) and avoid them.
However, anyone who has mingled in society knows the numerous industries Gotham has related to Wayne Group, including the bank where they store money. Why would Wayne Group steal money? It rightfully belongs to them.
Yet, they still affect the overall atmosphere of the shelter, causing a chaotic uproar and making people lose their sense of security, leading to further conflicts.
Alfred is responsible for the supply of goods, which can easily meet the weekly needs of thirty million people. However, there aren't actually that many people in the shelter, so it can be said that there is more than enough.
However, the distribution of supplies managed by the city government experiences issues like hoarding, repeated collections, and mismanagement. Coupled with the pouring rain outside, panic spreads even further, and the government is powerless.
Suddenly, the light bulbs in the shelter flicker and go out, plunging people into darkness. They feel the ground shaking and cling desperately to those around them.
The city's power distribution system has collapsed, but luckily, the shelter has its own built-in power supply. Soon, the electricity is restored, and Gotham citizens can see the outside scenes through the TV.
The sky changes, and in an instant, the wind and rain cease. The clear blue sky is radiant, and the sun shines brightly.
In contrast to the ethereal sky, the earth begins to shake violently. Modern skyscrapers, symbols of architecture, collapse one by one, raising a large amount of dust. The cement roads can't withstand the pressure from the shifting ground and break, forming raised areas.
Batman takes out his grappling hook and shoots it at the iron bars protruding from a building, using the momentum to swing to an open area.
Quinn doesn't have Batman's equipment, so he can only jump back and forth on the cracked ground, barely keeping up with Batman.
Batman pays no attention to Quinn. He takes out a remote-controlled Batarang from his utility belt and projects a model of Gotham's city structure. He zooms in on the red dot, which turns out to be Groudon on Indian hill.
Quinn's eyes widened. Why does this system feel familiar? He took out his Pokémon Navigator and compared it. The difference is stark.
Batman doesn't even look up. "When I was in the private clinic, I scanned the device and Manaphy. With visible samples, creating a replica is easy. The challenge lies in the fact that some materials are not available on Earth, so I had to use similar substitutes. In the end, I made this inferior version."
Quinn heard this and felt somewhat speechless. You call this an inferior version? It clearly looks even more "pro" than my Pro model!
Batman didn't deceive Quinn. What he replicated was indeed an inferior version – a radiation tower nearly three meters tall. Batman made a total of three of these towers, placing them around Gotham. The Batcomputer's display only showed information on the reflected waves; the remote-controlled Batarang's purpose was to act as a relay station.
"Computer, calculate the earthquake magnitude and scope."
[Epicenter magnitude 7.6, radiation area encompasses the entire Gotham, affecting parts of Metropolis as well.]
Seeing the it toppling skyscrapers, Batman's facial expression tightened. He now had a clear understanding of Groudon's destructive power and was planning how to counteract it.
"Are you sure he'll help us deal with the Atlanteans?"
"Absolutely certain."
Quinn patted Manaphy sleeping in his arms. Since Groudon had fully awakened, Manaphy's physical condition had become very unstable, like a violently fluctuating water ball.
"The title 'Earth Creator' isn't something Groudon came up with himself. It originated from a story told by humans from another world. Groudon once appeared before humans suffering from floods, evaporating water with intense light and heat, and saved them.
According to what Manaphy said, there's another legendary Pokémon corresponding to Groudon, named Kyogre, the creator of the oceans. Groudon and Gaiouka are inherently opposing forces and have had several deadly battles."
The bat pc showed the coastline gradually approaching the city.
"Locked in a container for a month, even attempting to control him, Groudon must be very angry. He needs a place to vent his rage.
And now there's someone trying to submerge land in the ocean right in front of him. The outcome is predictable."
As if confirming Quinn's words, Groudon's golden eyes gazed in the direction of the coastline. Countless rocks emitting a strange light gathered at his feet, lifting Groudon towards the shore.
Seeing this, Quinn's eyes almost popped out. Those are rocks formed from primal energy, right? This isn't the "can't fly" that he knows!
Batman wasn't surprised that Groudon could fly. He simply silently ruled out the strategic option of aerial harassment.
And with Groudon's movement, the epicenter was also changing. Everywhere he passed, intact buildings were left nowhere.
Quinn mourned for the Gotham citizens who hadn't finished paying their mortgages for three seconds.
By the seaside, the Atlantean assault weakened as those reliant on weather manipulation struggled. The intense sunlight significantly reduced the Atlanteans' activity time on land, providing the heroes with a chance to catch their breath.
"Element Woman, with me."
Spinning her staff rapidly, Zatanna chanted a reversed incantation. Ice magic and Element Woman's freezing rays merged, instantly freezing the surging sea and the soldiers within it.
"Phew, this can't go on like this."
Facing a chilling ice wall, Zatanna was sweating profusely. It wasn't her first time using ice magic, but the ice wall's effect was only to buy time. The Atlanteans' weapons could easily shatter it.
Cyborg brought all the reserve members of the Justice League to Gotham in one go, but it was still of no use. Atlantis still maintained a numerical advantage.
Hawkman and the others had also considered capturing the thief first, but Orm was a clever spellcaster. He realized there were individually powerful beings among humans. To ensure safety, he chose to stay behind the main army. Any hero attempting a decapitation strike would have to face enemies outnumbering them by a hundred.
Green Arrow Oliver shot three soldiers with one arrow, his hand reaching for more arrows in his quiver only to find it empty. He had used up all his arrows, and now more enemies were charging in with the tide. Green Arrow could only use his bow to smash their fishy heads.
Black Canary used soundwaves to cover her boyfriend's retreat, and Green Arrow spat out seawater that had splashed into his mouth. "This is Gotham, but why haven't I seen Batman yet?"
Cyborg explained over the channel, "Batman has his own plan."
"I don't care about his plan. Tell him to hurry up. If that beam hadn't dispelled the storm just now, we wouldn't have held on until now." Zatanna's throat was almost smoking; she had chanted more spells today than in the past month combined.
"And also, what's with this strange vibration? I sense some kind of furious power, similar to magic."
Driven by the curiosity of a spellcaster, Zatanna cast a levitation spell on herself, floating above the ground, where she saw a swath of collapsed buildings.
There was also the gradually approaching red figure.
Expressionless, Zatanna opened the communication.
She shouted at the top of her lungs, "Cyborg, open the Sonic Boom channel—right now!"
"What's happening?" Cyborg couldn't understand why Zatanna looked like the sky was falling.
While contacting Doctor Fate through her spell, Zatanna signaled other heroes to prepare for retreat. When they asked for the reason, Zatanna responded thus:
"A monster is coming from behind!"
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