"I'll crush you!"
The girl with the Venusaur roared in frustration, her fists clenched, ready to charge at Aurelius.
But before she could move, the boy beside her stepped in, grabbing her arm. "Stop! Recall Venusaur into its Poké Ball and take it to the Pokémon Center for treatment."
She hesitated, her anger momentarily fading as she obeyed, returning Venusaur to its ball. She turned to leave without a word.
"Hold it right there!" Aurelius's sharp voice cut through the tense air. He stepped forward, blocking her path. "What, you think you can just walk away without admitting defeat? If you try, I'll make sure your other Pokémon don't make it out of here in one piece. Test me if you dare."
His words froze her in place. Aurelius's stern expression turned into a sly grin. "Unless, of course, you admit defeat and transfer what's owed. Do that, and I might just let you go."
The trio exchanged uneasy glances, unsure whether to concede or keep fighting.
Finally, the boy in charge stepped forward, his voice calm but strained. "Don't let him scare you. Don't forget, Croconaw and Charizard are still in this fight. His Pidgey hasn't even evolved—it's just a tiny bird. There's no way it can keep using Hyper Beam like it's a casual move."
He forced a smirk. "Even if it manages another one, it'll be weaker than before. Charizard's Flamethrower will end this bird for good."
Despite his confident words, sweat glistened on his brow, and the others remained visibly uneasy.
"Croconaw, fall back! Charizard, take the lead!" he commanded.
The bulky Croconaw retreated, its fierce eyes watching for an opening. Charizard let out a roar, its massive wings flaring as it took to the sky.
"Charizard, get close and use Wing Attack!"
Charizard soared forward, wings glowing with energy as it dived at Pidgey.
Aurelius smirked, his voice calm. "Pidgey, Steel Wing."
With a shrill cry, Pidgey's wings gleamed with a metallic shine. It darted straight at Charizard, the two clashing mid-air with a deafening *clang*.
The crowd gasped in astonishment.
"It knows Steel Wing?!"
"What kind of Pidgey is this?!"
Despite its small size, Pidgey held its own against the massive Charizard, neither giving an inch.
The boy narrowed his eyes. "Charizard, use Smokescreen!"
Charizard roared, spewing thick black smoke that blanketed the battlefield, obscuring Pidgey from sight.
Aurelius scoffed. "Smokescreen against a flying Pokémon? That's your plan?" His eyes narrowed. "Pidgey, Tactic No. 1."
The mysterious command sent a ripple of unease through the trio.
"What's 'Tactic No. 1'?" one of them muttered nervously.
Before they could react, three identical Pidgeys shot out of the smoke, each charging a Hyper Beam.
"It's Double Team!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.
The boy shouted in desperation, "Charizard, Flamethrower! Hit them all!"
Charizard unleashed a powerful stream of fire, incinerating the first Pidgey instantly, then the second.
"Only one left! That must be the real one!"
"Finish it!"
Charizard launched another burst of flames at the final Pidgey, striking it dead-on. But instead of falling, it vanished.
"A decoy?!"
Before they could recover, a deafening roar came from within the smoke. A blinding beam of black energy shot out, slamming into Charizard with overwhelming force.
Charizard was hurled backward, crashing into a tree with a heavy *thud*. It lay motionless on the ground, unable to continue.
As the smoke cleared, Pidgey emerged, its eyes sharp and unyielding, its wings spread like a victorious warrior.
The only Pokémon left was Croconaw. It froze, staring at Pidgey in sheer terror before turning and running behind its trainer for safety.
"Do you still want to fight?" Aurelius's voice was cold, his eyes locked on them.
The trio stood silent, their pride shattered. Croconaw's trembling gave them their answer.
Aurelius smirked and strode forward. Pidgey landed gracefully on his shoulder, chirping softly.
"Master, how did I do?" Pidgey asked telepathically.
Aurelius stroked its head with pride. "Perfectly executed. Tactic No. 1 worked like a charm."
The plan had been set long before the final moments of the battle, and Aurelius had played his cards flawlessly. His dominance was undeniable.
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