"Typhlosion!"
The boy rushed forward, panic evident as he checked on his fallen Pokémon.
"Relax, it's not dead. Just fainted. My Pidgey is more merciful than you," Aurelius said, stroking the small bird perched on his shoulder. He added with a smirk, "Right, Pidgey?"
"Pidgeee~!" chirped the Pokémon happily.
"How... How can your Pidgey use an attack like Hyper Beam?" The boy returned Typhlosion to its Poké Ball, glaring at Aurelius in disbelief.
"Why don't you guess?" Aurelius teased, crossing his arms.
"You!" The boy clenched his fists, anger bubbling beneath the surface.
"Save the tantrum," Aurelius cut in. "If you're done, transfer all your money to me and get lost. You lost the battle fair and square."
The boy hesitated, biting his lip. His Typhlosion was down, leaving only his Croconaw. He glanced over at his companions for help.
Their response was immediate. A Charizard and Venusaur were called out, their presence towering over the battlefield. The novice Trainers the trio had been bullying scattered, some staying back to watch the brewing clash.
"Think your Pidgey can handle the three of us?" the boy taunted, confidence renewed.
"Three-on-one?" Aurelius raised an eyebrow. Then, with a sharp grin, he added, "Perfect. Saves me the trouble of battling one at a time."
The tension thickened as the battle commenced.
On one side stood Aurelius and Pidgey, the little bird calm despite facing opponents far larger than itself. On the other side, the trio commanded their Pokémon—Croconaw snarling with bared teeth, Charizard flapping its massive wings, and Venusaur flexing its thick vines.
"Croconaw, Scary Face!" the boy barked.
Croconaw's expression twisted into a fearsome grimace as it lunged forward. But instead of trembling, Pidgey tilted its head and gave a long, mocking yawn.
"Pidgey used Taunt," Aurelius explained coolly.
The Croconaw roared in fury, charging ahead recklessly, ignoring its Trainer's attempts to call it back.
"Charizard, back it up with Flamethrower!" shouted one of the boy's companions.
"Venusaur, charge up SolarBeam!" ordered the third.
The battlefield erupted into chaos.
Aurelius raised his voice over the commotion. "Pidgey, Double Team!"
Pidgey's body shimmered as it split into three identical clones, each flying toward a different target.
"Croconaw, Water Gun!"
"Charizard, Flamethrower!"
Jets of water and flames shot through the air, dispelling two of the fake Pidgeys in an instant. The real Pidgey darted toward Venusaur.
"That's the real one! Venusaur, fire SolarBeam now!"
Venusaur unleashed a blinding beam of light, the sheer force of the attack seeming to swallow Pidgey whole.
The spectators gasped.
"It's over," muttered one of the bystanders.
"Your Pidgey is toast," the boy gloated. "Now, pay up!"
But Aurelius remained calm, snapping his fingers with an audible *clack*.
"What... what are you doing?" the boy asked, his confidence wavering.
In response, a loud screech echoed from above. Everyone's eyes shot skyward as Pidgey dove out of the clouds, a glowing black orb forming in its beak.
"Pidgey, Hyper Beam!" Aurelius commanded.
The black beam erupted, slamming into Venusaur with explosive force. Dust and smoke filled the battlefield as Venusaur let out a pained groan before collapsing.
When the dust settled, Venusaur lay motionless on the ground.
"No way... How did it avoid the SolarBeam?" the girl, Venusaur's Trainer, stammered.
"That wasn't my real Pidgey," Aurelius explained smugly. "It was a Substitute."
The trio's jaws dropped.
"Invisible and strategic, Pidgey was lying in wait above you the entire time. That little stunt with SolarBeam only hit a decoy."
"Substitute? It can use Substitute *too*?" the boy choked out, struggling to process what had happened.
"You might want to brush up on your strategy," Aurelius said, brushing dirt off his jacket. "Because right now, all I see are amateurs."
The battlefield fell silent as the three Trainers exchanged nervous glances, their remaining Pokémon hesitating as they faced the tiny yet seemingly invincible Pidgey.
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