"Come out! Raboot!"
Outside the forest, the trainer in red realized the situation had taken a turn for the worse and hurriedly sent out his Pokémon.
A flash of red light revealed a Raboot, a sleek, rabbit-like Pokémon with gray, red, and black fur. Its drooping ears and red pupils gave it a cold, sharp gaze. The red and black fur on its body resembled a hoodie, covering its mouth, and a red spot marked the soles of its foot.
Raboot was built for speed, with explosive agility, exceptional jumping ability, and devastating kicking strength—one of the top Pokémon in these aspects.
For battles in the wild, where pursuit and ambush tactics often determined survival, it was the perfect choice.
"Raboot! Use Flame Charge! Kill that guy!"
Following its trainer's command, like a blazing torch, Raboot shot into the forest in the blink of an eye, illuminating the surroundings. Its sharp gaze locked onto Shiro, who was hiding behind a tree.
The enemy's target had always been Shiro.
In wild battles like these, attacking a trainer was far more effective than targeting their Pokémon. Without their trainer, a Pokémon with a deep bond would not only lose its commander but also suffer emotional distress.
Pokémon with weaker bonds, on the other hand, would often flee the moment their trainer died, scattering in all directions.
As such, killing the trainer was the fastest way to end a battle.
But only if one had the strength to do so.
"Corvisquire!"
At Shiro's shout, Corvisquire streaked through the air like a bolt of gray-white lightning, using Quick Attack to reach him in an instant. It grasped his shoulders with its talons and lifted him just as Raboot's fiery charge closed in.
The scorching flames barely grazed Shiro's high-top boots, leaving behind a faint scorch mark.
Raboot saw its target rising and quickly stopped using Flame Charge, halting its movement while looking up.
"Double Kick!" The trainer outside the forest shouted.
Upon hearing the command, Raboot stamped its feet and effortlessly jumped over ten meters. Flames erupted from its feet as it moved toward Shiro.
"Hmm?" In midair, Shiro glanced back and tapped Corvisquire's talons twice.
Corvisquire instantly folded its wings and began descending. Raboot's fiery Double Kick slashed through the air, leaving two dazzling trails of flame—but hit nothing.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield below, Rhyperior remained frozen in place, dazed. Across from it, Gastly's Night Shade also found its mark.
A tall man in a black t-shirt to the right was knocked to the ground, his back scorched black. The trainer of Steenee failed to react in time, and Gastly successfully struck him down.
"Nee-nee!"
Seeing its trainer fall, the furious Steenee, with thick green leaves swaying on either side of its head, chased Gastly while it blended into shadows of the surrounding trees.
"Rhyperior! Use Rock Blast! Target that Steenee!"
Shiro landed behind Rhyperior, in a position completely separated from the other Pokémon, a very safe spot.
As Rhyperior locked onto its target, it lowered its massive head as its rock-hard arms glowed with an earthy yellow light.
One after another, dark rocks, as tough as steel, blasted forward. They easily shattered the trees in their path, flying toward the mad Steenee.
"Raboot! Run!" The trainer in red outside the forest had already turned and was sprinting wildly.
Seeing its trainer retreat, Raboot abandoned its pursuit of Shiro. Upon landing, it leapt high into the air, attempting to escape the forest.
"Squiiire!"
But Corvisquire wasn't about to let that happen.
Without needing Shiro's command, it shot toward Raboot's landing point, Quick Attack boosting its speed. A sharp Peck struck the side of Raboot's neck, drawing a thin streak of blood.
Corvisquire flapped its wings and soared back into the air, while Raboot crashed to the ground.
Ignoring the fallen Pokémon, Corvisquire immediately rushed toward the fleeing trainer.
At the same time, Rhyperior's Rock Blast struck Steenee, which was still mid-pursuit of Gastly. The impact sent it crashing down, completely losing its ability to fight.
With most of the enemies taken down, Shiro swiftly stepped over the fallen trees, making his way to the two corpses to loot their belongings.
...
Near the edge of the Dynamax zone, the man in the red t-shirt pushed his exhausted legs forward, his muscles cramping. He didn't dare stop.
He didn't even have the courage to look back.
Corvisquire was closing in rapidly.
Hearing the rushing wind growing ever closer behind him, the man clenched his teeth and threw out three Poké Balls, shouting.
"Run! All of you, into the forest! Move it!"
The Poké Balls burst open. Two Thievul immediately ran in opposite directions, while the last Pokémon, a wounded Thwacky, remained still, too injured to flee.
Corvisquire ignored the escaping Pokémon. it knew its target was the human in front of him.
Moments later, Corvisquire caught up and struck the red t-shirt man down, killing him.
Gripping the lifeless body in its talons, Corvisquire turned and flew back into the forest.
...
Within the dense woods, Shiro meticulously sorted through his spoils.
This time, he acquired seven Pokémon, with all of them at least reaching intermediate level. In addition, he had collected roughly 200,000 Pokédollars in cash, three League cards, and a mix of Pokéblocks, berries, and various Pokémon items.
After quickly organizing everything, he stuffed it back into his backpack.
Suddenly, a deep rumbling echoed from the dense forest behind him—the unmistakable sound of collapsing rocks.
"What's going on?"
Shiro frowned, confused. Without hesitation, he ordered Corvisquire to fly into the air to observe, while he ran out of the forest. Rhyperior and Gastly followed closely at his side.
"ROARRRR!"
A deafening chorus of roars erupted, one after another.
Massive, gray-colored serpentine figures began rising, their thunderous cries reverberating through the night. Their colossal tails lashed out, toppling trees like twigs.
"The Onix woke up?" Shiro asked as Corvisquire swooped back down, nodding rapidly.
But Corvisquire didn't stop there—it frantically gestured with its wings, trying to communicate something more.
"You're saying there are a lot of people over there? And they're all wearing the same uniforms? They are surrounding an incredibly powerful Pokémon?"
Shiro barely pieced together the message. But what exactly was this "powerful Pokémon"? One thing was clear though—the situation ahead was dangerous.
Even just the dozen or so Gym-level Onix blocking the path were far beyond his ability to confront or bypass.
As Shiro weighed his options, a massive shadow slowly loomed over the darkened landscape.
It was a humanoid figure, rising from the depths of the forest.
"Gigantamax Machamp!" Shiro murmured in shock.
Even from the forest's edge, he could see it clearly. The Pokémon's colossal size made it impossible to miss. And then, realization hit him. The "Pokémon wall" he had seen earlier was Machamp's back.
The Pokémon had been lying down within the forest, its enormous body spanning across fallen trees like a living barrier.
The Onix had woken up for some unknown reason, gone into a frenzy, and in the process, they had inadvertently woken up Machamp as well.
...
At the heart of the forest, Gigantamax Machamp stood like an unstoppable titan.
With one of its mighty hands, it grabbed an Onix by the tail.
The Onix instinctively coiled its massive body around Machamp's arm, trying to restrain it. But Machamp simply swung it through the air.
A ten-meter-long Onix was hurled skyward, smashing into the ground with a devastating impact.
The force tore through the earth, sending splintered trees and scattered debris flying through the already devastated landscape.
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