Skyla and I watched in shock as Nidoking was hurled into the sky by Feraligatr's sheer strength. For a moment, I just stood there, frozen, my mind scrambling for a solution.
What do I do?
Both Aria and Oddy were in no condition for this fight. Oddy was barely conscious, poisoned and on the verge of fainting, while Aria didn't even seem like she was listening.
And then, there were these fuckers.
Two raging beasts stood before us. And above us? A flying Nidoking.
A cruel laugh cut through the battlefield.
"Now do you understand, kid? Playing the hero doesn't work in real life!" the masked man sneered. "Look where it got you! Golem—Smack Down! Kill these kids!"
Then, he turned to his partner. "And you—get their Pokémon! I don't know which lab they escaped from, but these freaks are adapted Pokémon too!"
He barked out his orders so quickly, back-to-back, that I barely had time to react. I bit my lip, forcing myself to think.
Nidoking won't listen to Skyla, and after that fall, there's no way he'll stay awake. Aria looks like she's coming back to her senses, but can she even fight in this state? Rotom might be able to handle Feraligatr, but Golem is immune to him—and one hit could take Rotom out completely!
My thoughts crumbled into chaos as Golem took a slow, heavy step forward. Its massive stone fist began to glow, growing stronger with each movement. My pulse pounded in my ears. I braced myself, ready to throw out a desperate order—
And then, I saw it.
A shadow against the sunlight.
Nidoking wasn't just falling—he was spinning. Twisting mid-air, his massive body coiled into a spiraling force of destruction. Dust and debris trailed behind him like a comet's tail. His momentum built like a drill cutting through the air, turning gravity itself into a weapon.
The masked men didn't notice.
But I did.
A smirk tugged at my lips. That's not a fall.
"That's an attack."
With a deafening boom, Nidoking crashed down like a meteor. His Iron Tail gleamed as it sliced through the air—
And then, impact.
The sheer force of the blow sent a shockwave rippling through the battlefield. The ground beneath us cracked, splintering into a web of destruction. Golem didn't just crack—it shattered. Its head crumbled into dust, and its body fractured into jagged, broken pieces before collapsing in on itself.
Silence.
For a moment, none of us moved. Skyla and I stood frozen, our breaths caught in our throats. Even the masked men were stunned, watching in horror as their Golem disintegrated before their eyes. One of them fell to his knees, staring in disbelief at the remains of his partner.
The dust slowly settled.
Nidoking stood before us, but his body swayed. His breath was ragged, his muscles trembling from exhaustion. Then, with a heavy thud, he collapsed.
Skyla's voice broke the silence.
"That… That's my first win!" she gasped, her shock giving way to laughter as she searched for Nidoking's Poké Ball.
I exhaled, my legs nearly giving out beneath me.
But we weren't safe yet.
A furious voice roared from across the battlefield.
"FERALIGATR—HYDRO PUMP! KILL THEM!"
My instincts kicked in a second before my brain did.
I threw myself to the ground just as the high-pressure blast of water tore through the dust cloud, slicing through trees like they were paper.
That could've killed me.
I didn't have time to process the thought. "Rotom—THUNDER!" I shouted.
Rotom buzzed with energy, its plasma body crackling as it charged up—
Then, with a deafening crack, a lightning bolt shot down.
And missed.
[It missed...] Rotom beeped, its voice almost apologetic.
I let out a frustrated breath giving up on Rotom, but then—movement caught my eye.
Aria.
She was still trembling with rage, but something in her eyes had shifted. She was aware now. She was listening.
I took my chance.
"ARIA!" I shouted.
She snapped toward me.
"Double Team! Make that lizard focus on you!"
She grinned—a sharp, wild grin—and her body flickered. Dozens of illusions burst out around her, surrounding Feraligatr from every direction.
Skyla watched in awe. I could tell—she was at least learning how to fight.
But I didn't have time to think about that. My mind raced again, searching for the next move—
And then, pain exploded in my jaw.
A punch.
I barely had time to register it before a second one came, knocking me back as a furious voice screamed in my ears.
"YOU DAMNED KID! YOU KILLED GOLEM!"
I barely caught myself, stumbling as the masked man loomed over me, his fists clenched with rage.
I gritted my teeth.
"You—" I kicked forward, catching him in the stomach and throwing him off balance. I used the moment to scramble back to my feet, raising my fists.
"Skyla!" I shouted, not taking my eyes off my attacker.
She hesitated.
"Go get Billy! Get help! I'll hold them off as long as I can!"
Her eyes widened. "But Alex—"
"I don't know how, but I'll manage!" I forced a grin, a wacky, reckless smile.
She still looked unsure.
Then—another attack. The man lunged again. I dodged, grabbed his wrist, and slammed him into the ground.
"GO!" I barked. "Rotom—protect Skyla but before you go use Thunder Wave!"
Rotom hesitated for only a second before covering itself with blue plasma then covering the Feraligatr with it. Then it floated after her while Skyla carried the kid in her arms. [Good luck, Alex!] it chirped before vanishing into the trees with Skyla.
And now—
I turned back.
Two furious men. One rampaging Feraligatr.
Against me.
A 23 year old in the body of a seventeen-year-old with shaking legs.
And a Ghost-type Ralts.
I exhaled, rolling my shoulders, feeling the adrenaline pump through my veins.
"Alright, then." I cracked my knuckles.
Feraligatr loomed behind the purple-masked mans, its massive frame towering over him like a living fortress. But even as it stood there, its thick, armored scales twitched from the lingering effects of Rotom's electricity. Sparks crackled faintly across its body, causing the beast to snarl in irritation.
Then, out of nowhere—laughter.
A cold, unsettling laugh broke the tense silence, sending a shiver down my spine.
I turned toward its source—the man who had been crying over his shattered Golem. But now, his sobs had twisted into something else. Something eerie.
Had he gone mad? Had his mind snapped under the pressure? Or was he just grasping at whatever fragile thread of sanity he had left?
Even his own partner seemed disturbed.
"You were crying a second ago," the other man scoffed, taking a cautious step back. "We were demolishing you. Then, for some damn reason, Destroyer—" he motioned toward the fallen Nidoking, "—started siding with you. But now he's gone. And you're all alone."
He suddenly let out a sharp breath, as if steadying himself, then reached for his mask.
"Did you really think you could defeat us?"
With a sudden, violent motion, he tore the mask from his face.
Beneath it, half his face was scorched, a web of twisted, burned flesh running from his cheekbone to his jaw. His lips curled into a sneer, making the scars stretch unnaturally.
"Look at the face of the man who's about to kill you."
For a moment, I just stared at him.
Then, I smirked.
"Do you really think I would've picked a fight if I didn't have a trump card?"
His sneer faltered.
Without another word, I lifted my hand and opened the red screen. To them, it must have looked like I was touching the air itself—interacting with something invisible.
"The hell is he doing?" the masked man muttered, his voice uncertain.
His scarred partner, however, didn't hesitate. His eye twitched with sudden fury. "He's gone mad!"
I ignored them, scrolling quickly through my inventory. Then, with a flick of my fingers, I selected an item. A soft glow surrounded Oddy's unconscious form, and within seconds, he stirred—his eyes fluttering open as the effects of the Revive brought him back to consciousness.
Half-healed. Not enough.
I quickly followed up, using a Super Potion and a handful of berries to fully restore Aria as well. The wounds on her body faded, her breathing steadied, and a fire reignited in her eyes.
They were back.
And my enemies were stunned.
The men stood frozen, watching in disbelief as Oddy slowly got to his feet, his injuries completely gone. Aria flexed her fingers, testing her strength—then clenched her fists, the raw energy radiating off her like a storm ready to break.
But the real shock came next.
Reaching into my inventory once more, I pulled out a steel tent pole of the tent—seemingly from thin air.
The two men visibly recoiled.
"What the hell?!"
I spun the metal pole in my hand, feeling its weight, then slammed its base into the ground with a sharp clang.
"Now," I said, tilting my head with a smirk, "do you guys feel ready?"
Aria let out a fierce battle cry, her voice echoing across the battlefield.
Oddy planted his feet firmly, his gaze sharp as he sprinted to my side.
"S-stay calm!" the man stammered, his voice shaking but trying to regain some semblance of control. "You've seen hundreds of psychic types in your life! He must be one of the kinds we haven't encountered yet. Don't worry—just that steel pole won't help him beat this Blue Lizard!"
His words dripped with smugness, and though every part of me wanted to deny him, I couldn't. His confidence wasn't unfounded. Yes, the pole might give me an edge against these men, but the Feraligatr... I couldn't deny that it was a force of nature. It was my favorite Johto starter, and yet, in this moment, it felt like it was the worst of the worst.
"You can't know until you try!" I shouted back, my voice laced with anyhing ı can find.
Without wasting another second, I sprinted forward, dragging the steel pole behind me. My mind raced with calculations and plans as I charged, trying to focus on the task at hand.
"Aria, it's paralyzed! Use Hex!" I commanded, not waiting for a response. The air around me crackled with the raw energy of the battle.
Aria's eyes glowed with a deep, purple light as she began chanting the move. Her voice vibrated the very air around us, weaving the mystical energy into a powerful hex aimed at the Feraligatr.
"Oddy, use Leech Seed to support!" I shouted, and Oddy, ever the agile fighter, leaped into action.
The man with the mask was ready to react, shouting, "Use Liquidation and cut them!" His voice was cold and commanding.
Feraligatr's massive arms glistened as they became engulfed in water, a blade of razor-sharp liquid forming around his fists. The creature dashed forward with terrifying speed, aiming to strike me down in a single blow.
But then
The paralysis, still gripping Feraligatr's body, slowed him down just enough. The beast's movements faltered, and for that one crucial moment, I saw my opening.
Without thinking, I slid underneath Feraligatr's enormous limbs, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike. The steel pole was in my hands, and with one swift motion, I swung it with all my might, slamming it into the chest of the masked man. The force knocked the wind out of him, leaving him gasping for breath.
And yet that wasn't enough for me.
I didn't stop. I spun on my heel, letting the momentum carry me as I shifted my focus to the other man—the one with the burned face...
Aria's hex continued to eat away at Feraligatr's strength, and Oddy leaped onto the massive creature, latching onto its side and embedding Leech Seeds deep into the scales. As Feraligatr roared in pain, Oddy took advantage, snapping his jaws and using Snarl directly at the lizard's ear, stunning it and making the beast's senses spin.
Now, the Feraligatr was disoriented, and I had just enough time to capitalize on it. Aria teleported behind Feraligatr, and with a powerful thrust of her psychic energy, she teleported the beast hurtling ten feet into the air together with herself.
While ı focused all my strength into my next attack.
With a sharp, explosive motion, I slammed my pole into the burned man's arm. The impact was brutal, and I could feel the air leave his lungs as his body crumpled from the sheer force. He staggered back, gasping for breath, his once-cocky demeanor shattered.
Without hesitation, I spun again, my feet planted firmly on the ground, and in one fluid motion, I swung the steel pole toward the other man's Chest.
(Please tell me what ı did right and what ı did wrong)