Exploding into the base of Team Asuka , John and his Blaziken were attacked almost instantly.
A blast of water surged toward them.
"Flame Charge!" Blaziken sidestepped with ease, flames igniting along its limbs as it dashed forward, barreling straight into a cluster of enemy Pokémon. It moved like a meteor on fire, fearless and fast.
John remained behind, calm and collected. He tossed a Pokeball casually.
Wobbuffet emerged in a shimmer of red light, catching the water blast with a mirror-like glow. The energy built, then ricocheted back with double the force, turning the humble Water Gun into something more like a Hydro Pump. The stream slammed into a Kingler, blasting it backwards.
No more commands came from John. He didn't send out another Pokémon. This wasn't a team effort, it was Blaziken's show now.
With a double burst of Flame Charge and the boost from its Speed Boost ability, Blaziken rocketed around the battlefield. The Asuka grunts and their Pokémon didn't stand a chance. It was like watching a tornado of fire tear through a paper town. Pokémon were flung left and right, collapsing in groaning heaps. No trainer or Pokémon could stand against them.
Blaziken growled with satisfaction, raising its arms in triumph.
"Been holding that in for a while, huh?" John smirked. "Guess I haven't let you loose in a real fight for too long."
Then he looked up toward the stairs. A figure descended slowly, tall, grim, with a Houndoom at his side. John blinked.
That guy... he looked familiar.
He quickly remembered: one of the Asuka members from the fake archaeological team back in the Forest of Abundance. Small world.
"Grrrrr!" Houndoom growled viciously the moment it saw John.
"He remembers me," John muttered, eyes narrowing.
Thanks to the Soothe Bell hanging around his neck, John could hear Houndoom's emotions, its roar wasn't random. It meant something like, That's him! He's the one who stole the artifact back at the ruins!
John gritted his teeth. "So the scent I left behind really gave me away..." He hadn't expected that. Back then, it was his first time doing something like that. No real experience. And with the Pokémon in this world, the ways of tracking someone were damn effective.
Still, it wasn't a huge problem. All he had to do was eliminate the Houndoom.
"Blaziken, Double Kick!"
Blaziken shot forward like a red missile, flames trailing behind it.
"Return!" the trainer on the stairs yelled. "Pidgeot, Wing Attack!"
He swapped Houndoom with a flick of his left hand and tossed another Pokeball with his right. Pidgeot emerged with a cry, wings glowing white as it dove toward Blaziken.
But right before impact, Blaziken veered to the side. Its left foot crashed into the ground, cracking the floor, while its right leg whipped around in a flaming arc, Blaze Kick! The attack slammed into Pidgeot's flank.
It was like watching a soccer player land the perfect strike. Pidgeot was the ball, and the goal was the wall.
The wall shattered as Pidgeot crashed through it, leaving a gaping hole. The Pokémon investigator nearby tensed, then sighed in relief when he realized the bird was out cold.
"So strong..." muttered the Asuka grunt, eyes wide. His shoulders stiffened. That Pidgeot had been his ace, and it didn't even last five seconds. The sheer gap in power was terrifying.
'How the hell am I supposed to escape this?'
But John wasn't going to wait around.
Blaziken burst forward again. In a blink, it was in front of the trainer, foot drawn back for a fiery flying kick.
"Feraligatr, Water Jet! Block it!"
The grunt frantically tossed another Pokeball. With a roar, Feraligatr emerged, instantly shrouded in swirling water. It charged Blaziken, fearless and roaring.
The water crashed into the fire, but even as steam burst from the clash, Blaziken's momentum didn't stop. The flames fizzled, but the physical blow landed squarely.
Blaziken's strength wasn't just elemental, it was raw, muscle-bound power.
Feraligatr was launched across the room, smashing into the opposite wall. It didn't fall unconscious immediately, but its legs trembled. Then, as it tried to rise, Blaziken was already on it.
"Counter!" John barked, not at Blaziken, but at Wobbuffet.
Out of nowhere, a shadow darted toward him. A Weavile burst from a pile of debris, claws glowing with icy energy, it had been lying in wait this whole time. A sneak attack.
The claws slashed down, fast, precise, and laced with frost.
But Wobbuffet had been watching.
It stepped forward, hands on hips, and struck a ridiculous pose, like a defiant salute.
"Sothatsei!" it barked, tauntingly.
Weavile didn't flinch. It doubled down, slashing with all its strength.
The force of its attack rebounded instantly, Counter activated.
Weavile was launched like a cannonball, crashing through one shelf after another. The fifth one didn't break, it embedded the dark-type Pokémon into the wall.
It slid down, dazed. Out cold.
John folded his arms, surveying the battlefield. Debris everywhere. Holes in the walls. His enemies scattered and unconscious.