The moment Tyson stepped forward, Silas understood that this was not the same as the other battles.
Most of the trainers who had challenged him today were trial participants, ambitious officers who wanted easy points or wished to test themselves against the man currently attracting attention on the forum. Some had decent pokemon. A few had shown flashes of competence. None of them, however, carried themselves with the weight of someone who had already survived years inside Team Rocket.
Tyson did.
He was not one of the people here to prove himself through the trial. He had come to the island as one of the senior forces assisting with the situation. That meant he was a veteran of the organization, someone who had already earned enough trust and strength to be deployed during a matter involving Mew's abode, the Luminary Court, and the highest layers of Team Rocket's command structure.
The two Fearow perched near him made that point even clearer.
Silas scanned them.
Fearow (M) — Level 67 (Suppressed to 54)
Ability: Keen Eyes
Potential: B+
Moves: Rank B Drill Run, Drill Peck, Hyper Beam, Protect, Heat Wave, Feather Dance, Mirror Move, Quick Attack, Roost; Rank C Tailwind, Sky Attack, Tri Attack, Ominous Wind
The result confirmed his suspicion immediately.
The island was suppressing Tyson's pokemon, yet even suppressed, the Fearow remained at level 54. Their natural level was 67. More importantly, their move set was terrifyingly complete. They possessed powerful flying attacks, ranged coverage, recovery, defensive tools, speed control, and even Heat Wave. They were not merely strong. They were polished weapons that had clearly seen countless battles.
Silas knew his pokemon had no hope against those birds.
Not now.
Perhaps Monferno under full Flame Aura could briefly threaten one of them if Tyson underestimated him. Perhaps Espeon could create an opening if Magic Bounce caught Tyson off guard. But in a direct battle, especially against two Fearow of this quality, Silas would be walking his pokemon into punishment without a meaningful chance of victory.
There was a difference between courage and stupidity.
Silas inclined his head slightly.
"Executive Tyson, while I am honored by your challenge, I know my limits. My pokemon are not yet a match for your Fearow, even if they've been suppressed."
The crowd stirred.
Some of the younger officers looked surprised. Others seemed disappointed. After Espeon's long winning streak, many had expected Silas to continue acting like an untouchable rising star. Refusing a challenge so openly was not something most ambitious Team Rocket members would do in public.
Tyson's expression shifted.
"The cockiness of today's youths," he said, though there was amusement in his tone. "Yet implies that you will eventually overcome me. Do you mean those words?"
Silas met his gaze evenly.
"I meant no disrespect, but I am very confident in my ability to grow my team. However, like I said, I know I am not your match currently."
For a brief moment, Tyson stared at him.
Then the large man began to clap.
His laughter boomed across the training arena, loud enough to silence the whispering crowd.
"Well said! Never back down from the future, but know where you stand in the present. These are the qualities of a true Rocket." Tyson grinned. "I will still battle you, but I will use members from my reserve team."
Silas relaxed slightly, though not completely.
High level trainers usually maintained more than one team. Their core team carried their reputation, but reserve teams had their own value.
They provided flexibility against different foes, allowed trainers to cultivate promising pokemon, and served as insurance in case disaster struck.
A strong trainer who lost half their main force could fall from power overnight if they had no backup. A trainer with a properly developed reserve team could recover far faster.
Tyson raised two pokeballs.
"Go, Honchkrow and Noctowl."
A dark, heavy-winged Honchkrow emerged first, its sharp eyes full of arrogance beneath its hat like crest.
Beside it appeared a Noctowl, calmer and more composed, its large eyes reflecting a quiet intelligence. Both took to the air with practiced ease.
Silas scanned them quickly.
Both were level 44.
Strong, but no longer impossible.
Excadrill and Vibrava could fight them. It would be difficult, especially because both opponents could fly, but that was exactly what made the battle valuable.
Vibrava needed experience fighting properly in the air. Excadrill needed to learn how to pressure flying opponents without relying solely on terrain control.
Against a veteran like Tyson, every weakness would be exposed. That could be a painful, but necessary lesson for both trainer and Pokémon.
Tyson folded his arms.
"I know you've built up a little reputation, but I think you should make the first move."
Silas nodded without argument. He had shown casual arrogance against ordinary challengers, but he would not act that way before an executive-l level veteran. Respect did not make him weak. Misplaced pride did.
"Excadrill, use Rock Slide, then Strength."
Excadrill gave a sharp cry and slammed his claws down.
The air above the arena distorted as large boulders formed and began plummeting toward the battlefield.
Against grounded opponents, Rock Slide could pressure entire zones. Against flying pokemon, its effectiveness depended on prediction and timing.
Tyson barely reacted.
"Both of you, dodge all those rocks while staying out of close range."
Honchkrow and Noctowl moved immediately.
Noctowl glided between falling boulders with smooth precision, adjusting its wings just enough to slip through each gap.
Honchkrow relied more on power and sudden bursts of speed. A few stones clipped it, but the impacts barely disrupted its flight.
Everyone present understood the basic issue.
Excadrill had terrifying power at close range, but his ranged options were not impressive. Flying types that refused to approach could often harass him safely unless he found a way to force them down.
Then the first falling boulder reached the ground.
Excadrill caught it.
His claws dug into the stone, and with a violent twist of Strength enhanced power, he crushed the boulder into a scatter of smaller fragments. Then he hurled the pebbles upward in a dense spray.
Honchkrow and Noctowl were suddenly pelted from below.
The crowd reacted with surprise as Excadrill repeated the motion, catching falling stones, crushing them into smaller projectiles, and flinging them into the air.
The individual impacts were weaker than a true Rock Slide, but the pattern was far harder to dodge.
It turned the battlefield into a storm of stone fragments, forcing the flying pokemon to give up some altitude and spend more effort avoiding damage.
Honchkrow toughed it out, feathers ruffling under the impacts. Noctowl avoided more cleanly, but even it had to alter its rhythm.
Tyson's eyes sharpened with interest.
"Not a bad strategy, but it needs work. You're basically using a weaker version of Smack Down, which is a common tactic against Flying types."
Silas smiled faintly.
"Don't speak too soon, sir. You don't know my strategy. I would hate for you to let your guard down and suffer for it."
The words were bold, but not mocking.
Tyson did not get angry. If anything, his expression became more serious.
"My turn now. Honchkrow, use Night Slash. Noctowl, use Air Slash. Rapid fire."
Honchkrow's wings darkened.
Dark energy coated the edges until they seemed like blackened blades. The bird folded its wings and dove, then snapped them open just enough to guide its descent toward Excadrill.
At the same time, Noctowl began firing crescent blades of compressed air in quick succession, forcing Vibrava to move.
"Excadrill, use Crush Claw. Vibrava, Quick Attack."
Excadrill braced himself and met Honchkrow head on. His claws glowed with harsh energy as he slashed upward, colliding with Honchkrow's Night Slash in a burst of dark sparks.
He lost the clash.
Honchkrow's momentum and precision carried through, landing a clean blow across Excadrill's body and forcing him back with a grunt.
Vibrava used Quick Attack to burst through the gaps between Air Slashes, closing on Noctowl with far greater speed than before.
"Now, Vibrava. Iron Tail."
Vibrava spun midair, his tail shining metallic silver as he whipped it toward Noctowl's side. Noctowl shifted at the last possible moment, avoiding the strike by a narrow margin. Its movements were controlled and economical, nothing wasted.
"Noctowl, use Twister."
Noctowl flapped its wings hard.
A spiraling column of wind formed around Vibrava, catching him before he could pull away. The dragon struggled as the rotating force battered his body from multiple directions. It wasn't devastating, but it disrupted his flight badly enough to expose him.
"Vibrava, stay calm and use Iron Tail to break free."
Tyson shook his head.
"It's far too late for that."
Noctowl dove into the Twister.
Energy wrapped around its body as it crashed directly into Vibrava. The impact drove Vibrava out of the air and sent him slamming into the ground with a heavy thud.
Silas' eyes narrowed.
Vibrava pushed himself up almost immediately, but the blow had clearly hurt. More importantly, it had angered him. His pride as a dragon had been bruised. Vibrava let out a fierce roar and launched himself back into the air, wings buzzing violently.
Silas noticed something.
Noctowl was flying lower now.
The combination attack had worked, but committing to it had cost Noctowl altitude. It was still airborne, but no longer safely out of Excadrill's reach. Silas sent the information to his pokemon through quick commands and practiced signals.
"Excadrill, use Crush Claw on Noctowl."
Tyson responded instantly.
"Honchkrow, combine Heat Wave and Air Cutter."
Honchkrow flapped its wings.
Several blades of wind formed in front of it, each coated in flickering flames. They spread outward and shot toward both Excadrill and Vibrava, creating a wide field of burning pressure.
Excadrill moved with surprising speed.
Rather than retreat, he sprinted toward Noctowl while weaving through the flaming blades.
Vibrava, understanding the plan, dipped low and angled his body at just the right moment.
Excadrill stepped onto Vibrava's back like a springboard.
Vibrava was thrust down by the jump as Excadrill launched itself.
Noctowl hadn't expected the grounded pokemon to reach it so abruptly. It tried to climb, but the delay cost it. Excadrill's Crush Claw struck fiercely, smashing Noctowl down into the battlefield.
Unfortunately, Vibrava paid the price.
————————————————————
There will be a bonus chapter this week to commemorate chapter 100. I appreciate the powerstones!!
Thanks for the continued support on my first fanfic!!
Moving forward, every 50 Power Stones, I will release a bonus chapter.
I will also be releasing bonus chapters for milestones. The next ones are 200k views and chapter 150.
Finally, I will be releasing 3 extra chapters once we reach 10 reviews. 5 star reviews are appreciated but not required, I want honest feedback so I can improve.
Once again, thanks for all the support and feedback!