From the safety of the brush, Maki watched the clash with calculating eyes. She was memorizing every move, searching for a chink in Feng Che's armor.
Kimbo couldn't hold back; he's already engaged, she thought. According to the Jingten Cult's intel, Feng Che is shrouded in mystery. He definitely has more than six Pokémon, and he's a master apothecary and breeder. Beyond that, the trail goes cold.
She narrowed her eyes. It's not just us. The Sea Demon has issued a kill order through Team Aqua. This kid has managed to offend everyone. But Kimbo is being cautious—he hasn't committed his entire team yet. After seeing Ran's grisly end, he's likely testing the waters with a sacrificial Obstagoon rather than risking a total wipeout.
Then, a nagging question resurfaced in her mind—one she hadn't found an answer to even within the cult's inner circles: What exactly is this "Sky God" power? What is this "Demonic Qi" that can control Pokémon and devour their very souls?
She had spoken to those who accepted the infusion. They claimed to feel the presence of a deity and a surge of absolute power, but their personalities invariably warped into something monstrous.
Kimbo is terrified of using too much of it. The side effects must be devastating, Maki mused. Is there... a chance I could cooperate with Feng Che instead?
She didn't truly care about the success of this hunt. If she failed, she'd endure three days of Hellfire—a torture she had long since become numb to. Her only goal was finding her missing sister; she had no desire to be a puppet for the cult.
In the clearing, Obstagoon unhinged its jaw and let out a Snarl so bone-chilling that local Chatot fell unconscious from the trees.
"Alolan Ninetales, you're on offense! Sirfetch'd, focus on defense!" Feng Che commanded. "Ninetales, use Moonblast!"
Alolan Ninetales arched its back, its nine snowy tails fanning out. Ethereal Fairy energy coalesced into a radiant, miniature moon above its tail, glowing with a brilliant silver-white light.
As the "moon" ascended, the surrounding black mist began to dissolve.
Fairy-type moves suppress Demonic Qi? Feng Che's heart hammered. This confirms it—Demonic Qi is fundamentally similar to Dark-type energy. Wait... could all these 'Demonic Monsters' share a common Dark-type affinity? This was a revelation the games had never explicitly mentioned.
"Curse it! What is this light?!" Kimbo screamed. "The Qi in my body is reacting... it's trying to hide from that energy!"
Maki, still hidden, looked down at the skull-shaped "Malediction Mark" on the back of her hand. Under the moonlight, the mark hissed, emitting wisps of black smoke. A searing pain, like a red-hot iron, shot through her arm. It really is a hard counter, she gasped, gritting her teeth against the agony.
Even the Obstagoon, bathed in the silver light, looked distressed. It snarled and unleashed a torrent of Dark Pulse. Augmented by the Demonic Qi, the beam roared toward Ninetales like a black flood.
"Sirfetch'd, intercept! Aura Sphere!"
Sirfetch'd thrust its leek spear forward. A massive sphere of fighting energy formed at the tip and was hurled into the dark torrent.
BOOM!
A massive mushroom cloud of dust and energy erupted. The resulting shockwave tore ancient trees from the earth. Protected by Mewtwo's invisible barrier, Feng Che remained steady. Obstagoon crossed its arms, forming a dark shield to weather the gale.
Kimbo, however, had no protection. The blast caught him square-on, tossing him through the air. He tumbled several times before slamming into a giant trunk. He coughed up a thick spray of blood, his golden hair matted with leaves and dirt, his clothes reduced to rags.
Black Qi swirled around him, slowly knitting his broken body back together. When his face finally regained some color, it was twisted in terror. That Ninetales is a nightmare. I have to get this intel back to the High Priest!
He looked at his Obstagoon. Deprived of Kimbo's active commands, the beast was fighting on pure, savage instinct. It lunged at Ninetales, claws extended for a lethal strike.
"Ninetales, Dazzling Gleam! Sirfetch'd, move back!"
Ninetales erupted in a blinding flash of pink-white light. The Obstagoon shrieked, its eyes squeezed shut. Under the intensity of the Fairy energy, the Demonic Qi was forcibly purged from its body. Its aura plummeted instantly from the peak of Pseudo-King back to its base state.
He can't leave this forest, Feng Che thought, his gaze turning icy. If the Jingten Cult learns their ultimate weapon can be crushed by Fairy energy, they'll hunt me to the ends of the earth to eliminate the threat. Kimbo must die here.
Kimbo sensed the shift in the air. He's going to kill me. I'm too injured to fight... I have to escape. If I bring this news to Shaka, he'll protect me!
"Go, Grimmsnarl!"
Kimbo threw another ball, releasing the powerful Dark/Fairy type.
"Sirfetch'd, Aura Sphere! Ninetales, Moonblast!"
Under the combined assault, the weakened Obstagoon finally collapsed. Curiously, unlike Ran's Pokémon, it didn't turn to ash; it lay there, breathing shallowly.
Can Pokémon corrupted by Qi be saved? Feng Che wondered. "Go, Venusaur! Use Grassy Terrain on the Obstagoon. Ninetales, Sirfetch'd—don't let Kimbo get away! Target the Grimmsnarl!"
Panicking, Kimbo didn't even wait for the outcome. He released a Honchkrow, scrambled onto its back, and took to the sky, abandoned his Grimmsnarl and his wounded Obstagoon without a second thought.
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