Chapter Twenty-Eight: Asura

Heath watched the old man who had just left, full of suspicion. He was convinced the man must be Zorua in disguise, but since Zorua refused to admit it, Heath could not be certain—especially as there was no tail poking out from the old man's backside.

“I really can't figure it out...” Heath shook his head, thinking it must be because Zorua was extra cautious. Still, to hold out against his favorite sweet and sour ribs for so long was impressive, Heath admitted.

“Hey, human! Over here!” Just as Heath was about to turn home, watch some TV, and call it an early night, he heard a familiar voice.

Heath looked over his shoulder; there was nothing behind him. Yet the telepathic voice made him realize Zorua was indeed nearby.

“Where are you?” Heath scanned his surroundings in confusion. Watching anime had never given him this feeling, but facing Zorua’s illusions now, Heath truly felt their power.

“Behind you and to the right. Just walk over normally!” Zorua’s telepathic instructions continued. Heath obeyed, and soon spotted a green caterpillar on the ground.

This caterpillar blended perfectly with the grass; without careful observation, it would go unnoticed. Heath stared at it, convinced Zorua was masquerading as the caterpillar.

“So that person earlier really wasn’t you?” Heath reached out and poked the caterpillar. It felt soft, just as a real caterpillar should.

“Who told you this caterpillar was me?” As Heath’s eyes widened in surprise, another caterpillar fell from the tree, landing right in front of him.

Heath glanced at the new arrival, then back at the original caterpillar, withdrawing his hand in embarrassment. It seemed he’d misunderstood.

“That old man just now! He’s bad! He’s the one who caught me and brought me here!” The caterpillar trembled, looking adorably helpless, just like the previous one, seemingly cowed by the presence of Farfetch’d.

Yet Zorua’s telepathic voice rang on incessantly in Heath’s mind, and Heath couldn’t help but admire Zorua’s skills. The disguise was flawless.

Zorua’s words also made Heath wary. If the old man was the one who seized Zorua, then he must be Asura of Team Plasma.

Heath paused, struggling to recall which Pokémon Asura possessed. But since Asura was here, he was clearly after Zorua. Now...

“Leek!” As Heath pondered the situation, Farfetch’d, who had lingered beside him, suddenly lashed out with its leek. Something exploded behind Heath, and as he turned in confusion, he saw a Cofagrigus standing directly behind him.

“Cofagrigus!” Heath jumped in alarm. When had it arrived? How had it gotten so close?

“That’s it! That’s the troublesome one!” Zorua shrieked, and the caterpillar darted away at a speed it shouldn’t possess.

But Zorua soon stopped; Asura stood behind him, accompanied by a Xatu, grinning amiably.

“I was wondering why I couldn’t sense your telepathic waves all this time. Turns out you were waiting for me to leave, Zorua.” Asura chuckled, his attention solely on Zorua. Farfetch’d and Heath barely registered for him.

“What are you planning? Aren’t you just a traveler?” Heath braced himself against his thigh, watching Asura with vigilant eyes.

He was in a precarious situation, surrounded on all sides, but Heath wasn’t panicked.

Farfetch’d’s ability had proven effective, and Heath doubted Asura knew it had been modified. If he played his cards right, he could still turn the tide.

And Heath had other aces up his sleeve.

“Sorry, kid. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Asura, Zorua’s master. Come home, Zorua.” Asura smiled, though Cofagrigus and Xatu hardly looked friendly.

“I won’t go back! You despicable, shameless scoundrels!” Zorua twisted angrily, and another Cofagrigus materialized.

“Impressive, but futile.” Asura clapped his hands, then pressed something he’d taken out. Zorua’s body twisted and reverted to its true form.

“Farfetch’d! Tackle!” Heath glanced at Asura; the man clearly possessed something that could counter Zorua’s illusions.

Asura ignored Heath, watching Farfetch’d charge at Cofagrigus. But Tackle, a normal-type move, couldn’t affect the ghostly Cofagrigus.

A rookie—this was Asura’s assessment.

“Now!” Heath noticed Asura’s indifference and Cofagrigus’s sneer. He shouted urgently.

Suddenly, to Cofagrigus’s shock, Farfetch’d abandoned its Tackle mid-move. Its wings ignited with fire, and a blazing punch landed squarely on Cofagrigus’s face.

Caught completely off guard, with no defense, Cofagrigus took the Fire Punch head-on. The explosive fire-type energy scorched its face black. It howled in fury and unleashed a Psychic blast to envelop Farfetch’d.

But Farfetch’d seemed utterly unaffected, charging in for another Fire Punch right to Cofagrigus’s face.

“Cofagrigus, stop playing around. Use Dark Pulse!” Asura eyed Zorua, who was locked in battle with Xatu, frowning.

Cofagrigus responded, but in the very next second, its anguished cry echoed again. Asura turned in confusion, only to see Farfetch’d deliver yet another fiery blow to Cofagrigus’s face.

Though Farfetch’d’s Fire Punch wasn’t causing much damage, Cofagrigus’s once fearsome visage now looked almost comical.

Asura frowned. Had Dark Pulse failed to strike this young man’s Farfetch’d?

He began to reconsider his underestimation of Heath; the young man was craftier than he appeared. Still, seeing Zorua exhausted and spent, Asura was not worried. A little longer was all he needed.

“Heath! You!” Just as Asura felt certain of victory, a fiery figure dashed in from afar. His expression shifted, but before he could react, Jun Sha Feng, still in her regular clothes, arrived at the scene astride her Arcanine.

“Feng! This guy’s the villain!” Heath waved excitedly. At last, help had arrived.