New grudges and old resentments surged together as Spiritomb lunged at Julian and Celebi, its trailing black mist twisting into a sinister shadow.
The shadow zipped across the ground like a bolt of lightning, covering a hundred meters in the blink of an eye. It was almost upon Julian when Dragonite stepped forward just in time to intercept.
"Boom!"
The ghostly shadow struck Dragonite, forcing it back dozens of meters despite its Elite-level strength.
Fortunately, the time it bought allowed Julian to move to safety.
"Metagross! Alakazam!"
Without hesitation, Julian released Metagross and Alakazam, the latter being a Pokémon at the peak of the Elite tier.
Now, with Metagross, Alakazam, and Dragonite, the three Pokémon formed a circle around Spiritomb.
Spiritomb's sheer power left Julian with no choice but to resort to a three-on-one strategy. If his other Pokémon had been stronger, he wouldn't have hesitated to send them out as well.
"Hey, aren't you going to help?"
He glared at Celebi, who sat in his arms with a carefree expression, clearly unwilling to contribute despite its mid-Elite-level strength.
Celebi: "Aren't I just here to look cute?"
Seeing Celebi's big, dark-circled eyes staring innocently at him, Julian sighed. "Fine, you don't have to fight, but you're responsible for keeping me safe."
Given the potential devastation of the battle, Julian figured that having an Elite-level Celebi as his personal protector was a decent fallback plan.
Celebi: "Your life is in my capable hands."
Looking at Celebi's confident demeanor, Julian suddenly felt like he might have made a questionable decision.
Spiritomb, meanwhile, stared at the three Pokémon surrounding it. None of them exceeded the Elite tier, with the strongest merely at its peak. Its face twisted into a sneer.
Spiritomb: "I'll devour your souls first, then kill that human and Celebi."
The malevolent Pokémon's gaze lingered on the three Pokémon with greed, especially Metagross. Consuming their high-quality souls would significantly restore its power.
Julian, unfazed by its taunts, responded decisively.
"Metagross, Mega Evolve!"
A burst of dazzling rainbow light surrounded Metagross, transforming it into Mega Metagross. Its strength surged from level 70, on the cusp of Elite, to level 72, firmly within the Elite range.
After Mega Evolving, Metagross and Alakazam seemed to share an unspoken understanding. Both unleashed Psychic, their high intelligence synchronizing their efforts perfectly.
As Spiritomb was momentarily restrained by their combined Psychic attack, Dragonite charged forward, unleashing a devastating Dragon Pulse brimming with violent Dragon-type energy.
However, the moment of triumph was short-lived. Black mist erupted from Spiritomb's body, shattering the Psychic restraints in an instant.
Ten ghostly blue Will-O-Wisps appeared around Spiritomb, swirling ominously.
Three Will-O-Wisps intercepted Dragon Pulse, obliterating the attack in mid-air. Three more surged toward Mega Metagross, while the remaining four targeted Alakazam.
Alakazam and Mega Metagross reacted swiftly, teleporting away before the Will-O-Wisps could strike. Yet, the ghostly flames didn't dissipate. Instead, they veered toward Julian.
Alakazam reappeared instantly, erecting a series of Light Screens to block the approaching Will-O-Wisps. One by one, the barriers shattered under the relentless assault.
Meanwhile, Mega Metagross teleported behind Spiritomb, forming a crescent-shaped Psycho Cut with its claws. The attack landed squarely on Spiritomb, but the damage appeared minimal.
The pain from the Psycho Cut caused Spiritomb to lose control of its Will-O-Wisps, triggering an abrupt explosion.
Alakazam quickly used Light Screen again, shielding Julian from the blast's aftermath.
"Roar!"
Dragonite reentered the fray, its fist charged with crackling electricity. It aimed a devastating Thunder Punch straight at Spiritomb, intending to smash it flat.
Spiritomb's dark mist flared once more, condensing into a massive black arm that caught Dragonite's fist mid-swing. No matter how much force Dragonite exerted, it couldn't break free.
In the next moment, Dragonite's body was lifted up by the Black arm, and then smashed down.
Boom!!
The ground trembled violently as Dragonite was driven into the earth. Spiritomb didn't stop there. A Shadow Ball, inky black and swirling with the anguished screams of countless souls, began to form at its mouth.
In just a few short exchanges, the power displayed by this early-stage pseudo-champion Spiritomb rivaled that of a mid-stage pseudo-champion.
The Shadow Ball, imbued with eerie malevolence, carried the potential to inflict damage beyond the physical—perhaps even harming Dragonite's very soul.
"Alakazam, Metagross!"
Almost before he finished speaking, Alakazam and Mega Metagross closed in on Spiritomb from either side.
Alakazam unleashed a Psyshock, while Mega Metagross fired a powerful Flash Cannon.
To avoid being hit, Spiritomb would have to release Dragonite.
But this Spiritomb no longer followed conventional logic. Its black mist surged once more, swallowing both attacks.
At the same moment, the fully charged Shadow Ball struck Dragonite, sending its massive frame flying. Tendrils of black mist began seeping into Dragonite through its nose and mouth.
Julian didn't know exactly what the mist was, but it was definitely not a good thing.
Celebi in Julian's arms, gave him the answer.
Celebi: "It's trying to take control of Dragonite."
Dragonite, dazed and groggy, felt as though it were trapped in a dream. A sinister voice echoed in its mind:
'Kill the human. Kill the human'
Dragonite staggered to its feet, its eyes now clouded by a gray energy.
Celebi: "Not good—Dragonite's already under its control!"
Julian could feel the fluctuations in Dragonite's body. Something unseen was trying to suppress it, though Dragonite's Aura was fighting it fiercely.
So now Dragonite was just standing there, not doing anything.
'Kill him! Kill him!'
The voice echoed relentlessly in Dragonite's mind and the image of Julian grew larger and larger in its vision as the voice repeated:
'Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!'
"ROAR!!"
Dragonite: "Annoying!"
With a defiant roar, the massive reserves of Dragon energy it had absorbed from the Dragon Pool began to boil. The energy, long dormant and hidden within its body, now surged forth explosively.
The Dragon energy erupted in a wild torrent, shattering the black mist clinging to its body.
Spiritomb's attempt to control Dragonite was forcibly severed, the ghostly influence dissipating entirely.
Harnessing this unleashed power, Dragonite's body became enveloped in an emerald glow. It transformed into a colossal dragon, diving from the skies with ferocious momentum.
A huge sense of oppression descended from the air, the whole space became extremely heavy, and at the same time, the violent dragon energy filled the space.
The ground below Spiritomb continued to shatter under the pressure.
Shrill screeches erupted from the black mist surrounding Spiritomb, forming into a concentrated Dark Pulse.
The black wave clashed violently with Dragonite's Dragon Rush, but the dragon's attack tore through the dark wave, scattering it like dust.
In Spiritomb's eyes, Dragonite's body continued to enlarge, it surged more black mist in desperation, but Mega Metagross and Alakazam also attacked it at the same time.
*****
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