Looking around the battlefield, Silas was satisfied with the result.
His Pokémon had performed well.
Without direct commands, they still moved as a cohesive unit, allowing him the freedom to insert himself into the battle wherever he saw fit.
When they functioned like this, Silas felt he could overcome any enemy.
He started to feel a little cocky.
"So I ask again, what was your purpose in attacking me? Was it worth it?"
"Do you think you've won? Let me show you what true power is."
The men each threw a small pitch-black sphere toward Staraptor and Sceptile.
The second the Pokémon swallowed them, they underwent a powerful transformation.
This was the knockoff Mega Evolution possessed by the Luminary Court.
Mega Staraptor's body became sleeker, with elongated wings and razor-sharp feather edges that looked built for cutting through the air. The crest atop its head now resembled a reaper's scythe.
Mega Sceptile grew taller and more imposing. Its leaf blades hardened, while its massive reinforced tail resembled a gigantic launcher tipped with a deadly point.
Mega Staraptor immediately vanished.
Using Quick Attack, it appeared directly in front of Swellow before slamming both crimson-glowing wings into Swellow's head.
Swellow plummeted straight toward the ground.
Silas instantly returned him to his Poké Ball before the impact could cause further injuries.
At the same time, Mega Sceptile slammed one arm into the earth.
The ground violently shook.
Massive vines erupted from every direction, attacking nearly all of Silas' Pokémon.
The battlefield instantly descended into complete chaos.
Compared to this attack, everything that had happened before seemed insignificant.
Espeon, Excadrill, Ursaring, and Vibrava were all knocked unconscious almost immediately.
Staraptor took full advantage of the confusion.
It repeatedly struck distracted Pokémon, knocking out Nidoking, Ursaring, and Corviknight before anyone could react.
Ursaring suffered especially serious injuries, but Silas couldn't afford to worry about that right now.
The power displayed by the Mega-Evolved Pokémon was ridiculous.
With a single move, Sceptile had completely reshaped the battlefield.
However, while rooted in place after using Frenzy Plant, the Seviper seized their opportunity.
They burst from underground and viciously struck with Poison Fang.
Staraptor attempted to protect Sceptile using Aerial Ace.
Infernape intercepted perfectly.
A Mega Kick flowed seamlessly into Acrobatics, driving Staraptor away before it could interfere.
The instant Sceptile regained its mobility, it unleashed Dragon Pulse, blasting away the approaching Seviper.
Those who still managed to close the distance were met with a barrage of Thunder Punches.
Meanwhile, the remaining non-Mega Pokémon stayed close to their trainers as bodyguards.
Silas had already attempted several times to eliminate the trainers directly, but their defensive formation left few openings.
Staraptor continued its rampage.
Vibrava bravely created a Sandstorm in an attempt to obscure its vision, but the effort proved futile.
Staraptor eventually overpowered him.
Just before the finishing Steel Wing landed, Silas recalled Vibrava into his Poké Ball.
After such relentless combat, however, the Mega-Evolved Pokémon were beginning to slow.
The greatest drawback of the Luminary Court's artificial Mega Evolution was its terrifying stamina consumption.
It burned through a Pokémon's energy nearly six times faster than normal and required a lengthy recovery period afterward before the user returned to normal.
"Staraptor, combine Quick Attack with Brave Bird!"
Staraptor exploded forward.
The combination created an unbelievably destructive attack.
"Infernape, Protect!"
Infernape infused a massive amount of aura into the barrier.
The reinforced Protect successfully repelled Mega Staraptor.
Taking advantage of the brief opening, Infernape unleashed his strongest physical attack.
Aura surged into Mega Kick.
The strike connected squarely with Staraptor's body, launching it straight through a nearby tree before it crashed violently onto the ground.
"Politoed, make sure it doesn't get up."
"Poliwrath, use Rain Dance."
Poliwrath leaped into the air before landing in a circular motion.
A pillar of blue energy shot skyward from the center.
"Jolteon, Thunder!"
The moment rain clouds formed, Jolteon retaliated.
Thunder descended immediately.
It struck Poliwrath just after Rain Dance had finished.
Poliwrath convulsed violently as electricity danced across his body.
Electabuzz rushed over and quickly removed the lingering electrical energy before Silas returned Poliwrath to his Poké Ball.
This battle was no longer going according to plan.
Even after revealing countless tricks and trump cards, the only true consolation was that none of his Pokémon had died.
Unlike the enemy.
Still, that could change at any moment.
Silas remained extremely cautious.
"I think your Pokémon are getting weaker as time goes by. It seems that peculiar power-up comes with a time limit. I wonder what happens when the power runs out."
Fear immediately flashed across the men's faces.
They couldn't understand how Silas knew the weakness behind their transformations.
Their involuntary reactions confirmed everything.
Silas smiled.
He had guessed correctly.
"Poliwrath. Infernape. Mega Shift. Target Mega Sceptile with Ice Punch and Mega Kick."
The instant both Pokémon accelerated, the earth trembled beneath their feet.
They appeared simultaneously in front of and behind Sceptile, forcing it to split its attention.
Poliwrath's Ice Punch landed first.
A split second later, Infernape's Mega Kick slammed directly into Sceptile's chest.
"Staraptor! Combine Brave Bird with Giga Impact! Kill them!"
An overwhelming amount of energy gathered around Mega Staraptor.
It entered a steep nosedive to build momentum before suddenly pulling into a ninety-degree turn aimed directly at Infernape and Poliwrath.
The sheer amount of energy contained within the attack was terrifying.
If it connected, both Fighting-types might die.
Infernape simply didn't possess enough remaining aura to block something of that magnitude alone.
"Both of you, combine your strength! Poliwrath, Liquidation with Dynamic Punch! Infernape, combine your aura with Mega Kick! Politoed, weaken the attack as much as possible with Psychic!"
Politoed desperately unleashed waves of Psychic power.
Staraptor ignored the invisible force battering its body and continued charging.
Fortunately, the constant barrage weakened it just enough.
The combined attacks from Infernape and Poliwrath collided head-on with the descending Staraptor.
The impact blasted Mega Staraptor backward once again.
"Infernape, Acrobatics!"
Staraptor remained on guard.
It didn't matter.
Infernape's Flying-type-infused kick crashed into Staraptor during a spinning backflip, driving it even farther away.
"Politoed! Poliwrath! Ice Beam!"
Both Ice Beams struck the same wing.
Ice rapidly spread across it, grounding Staraptor completely.
"Sceptile! Frenzy Plant again!"
Before Sceptile could complete the attack…
Frogadier emerged from the shadows.
"Ice Beam!"
The surprise attack struck cleanly.
With the quadruple type advantage, the freezing beam left Sceptile staggering in pain.
Infernape immediately followed with Acrobatics while Poliwrath charged in with Ice Punch.
Sceptile scattered Bullet Seed to repel Poliwrath, leaving him struggling to regain his footing.
Infernape's Acrobatics connected cleanly.
"Wrap this up with a Flame Aura-infused Close Combat!"
Pushing himself beyond his limits, Infernape activated Mega Shift.
He appeared beside Sceptile before unleashing a relentless barrage of punches and kicks.
Sceptile blocked many of them.
The assault never stopped.
"Sceptile, fight back with Dragon Claw!"
Dragon Claw tore viciously across Infernape.
A massive X-shaped wound appeared across his chest.
Even so, Infernape never stopped his Close Combat. He simply continued attacking through the pain.
Eventually, Sceptile's defenses broke.
One powerful kick launched it high into the air.
Infernape immediately followed.
His final kick smashed directly into Sceptile's head.
The Grass-type crashed heavily back to the ground.
Flames still burned across its body.
Combined with the poison coursing through its veins, it was only a matter of time before it collapsed.
"Infernape, Mach Punch!"
Sceptile reacted with astonishing reflexes.l using Leaf Blade.
Infernape immediately abandoned the attack.
Had he continued forward, he would have suffered devastating injuries.
Creating a foothold with aura beneath his feet, Infernape kicked off the air itself and retreated instantly.
Even then, the Leaf Blade still carved another deep slash across his chest.
The fresh wound crossed directly over the previous one.
Silas couldn't help but admire Infernape's resolve.
Despite the horrific injuries, he never showed the slightest weakness.
Silas immediately poured nearly all of his remaining aura into Infernape, slowing the bleeding while beginning the healing process.
"I see an injured dog is far more dangerous than a healthy one. That was quite the attack."
The opposing trainer's face twisted with fury. He already knew they were doomed.
At this point, he simply wanted to drag as many of Silas' Pokémon into the grave as possible.
Unfortunately for him, that opportunity had already passed.
Sceptile was both poisoned and burned. It could collapse at any second.
With those two status conditions working together, there was virtually no possibility of turning the battle around.
"Politoed! Poliwrath! Ice Beam! Infernape! Flame Aura Burst! Electabuzz! Psychic!"
The attacks surged toward the remaining enemies.
Then, a majestic roar echoed across the battlefield.
A graceful blue figure appeared directly in front of Silas' attacks.
Protect.
Every incoming attack vanished harmlessly against the shimmering barrier.
Perched atop the legendary beast was a hooded man.
He laughed softly before speaking.
"If we truly have to fight now, then so be it. However, I merely came to escort these young men home. If you attempt to stop me, I welcome the opportunity to test your strength."
Suicune — Level 54
Ability: Pressure
Potential: S
Moves: Rank A Hydro Pump, Rank A Calm Mind, Rank A Extreme Speed, Rank A Aurora Beam, Rank A Ice Beam, Rank A Icy Wind, Rank A Air Slash, Rank A Shadow Ball, Rank A Double Edge, Rank A Crunch, Rank A Iron Head, Rank A Mirror Coat, Rank A Rain Dance, Rank A Ice Fang, Rank A Tailwind, Rank A Snarl, Rank A Substitute, Rank BA Protect, Rank B Extrasensory, Rank B Avalanche
Silas silently watched as the hooded man gathered the injured trainers and their surviving Pokémon onto Suicune's back.
He made no move to stop them. Suicune's speed was absurd.
Even if they pursued, they had absolutely no chance of catching it in their current condition.
Any battle against Suicune would simply be futile.
Once the enemy disappeared into the distance, Silas finally released every Pokémon that had participated in the battle.
Tropius immediately covered the battlefield with Grassy Terrain while Silas distributed healing items and berries as quickly as possible.
This battle had been unbelievably fierce. The fact that none of his Pokémon had died was already a blessing.
Fortunately, roughly half of the injured Pokémon had suffered only superficial wounds that required little more than several nights of rest.
Ursaring, however, had not been so fortunate.
The smaller vines created by Sceptile's Frenzy Plant had pierced deep into his body.
Silas estimated that Ursaring would require at least a full week to recover completely.
He spent the entire night treating everyone's injuries before finally packing up camp.
They could no longer afford to remain there.
However, Silas still wanted to resolve Drapion's predicament.
"Hermes, is there anything in the System Shop I can use right now to save Drapion?"
"No. However, I thought of another solution involving the system itself. If you can endure the backlash, you should be able to draw those chains directly into your System Space."
Silas decided not to rush.
They remained camped until the following day, allowing both himself and the collective to recover their energy.
By the next morning, everyone had recovered almost completely.
Only Ursaring remained unable to fight.
Silas had Espeon teleport him directly into Drapion's hidden chamber.
"I've come to try and save you."
"Don't get my hopes up unless it's a real possibility."
Without another word, Silas reached toward the chains.
The instant his hand made contact, the overwhelming psychic backlash surged into his body once again.
This time, he endured it.
Using the combined power of the Collective's aura and psychic energy, Silas resisted with everything he had.
It was just enough.
With a tremendous effort, the entire chain structure disappeared and was drawn directly into his System Space.
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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 300k views and chapter 200.
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!