"Heh… these nobodies really think they can stop an Elite-level Pokémon? Hitmonlee, Fire Punch barrage!"
Facing the incoming wave of nets, Hirano showed no panic. Instead, a playful smile crept onto his face as he gave the command.
"Yea-bii shoo shoo shoo"
Hitmonlee nodded. Flames ignited around its fists as it unleashed a rapid barrage of punches.
Sizzle sizzle
In an instant, the vine nets were shredded, falling to the ground in burning fragments.
"Pidgeotto, use Gust!"
"Fearow, Mirror Move—copy Pidgeotto, then suppress Hitmonlee!"
"Pidgeotto, Gust again!"
Icarus and the others had already anticipated this. Their second wave of attacks launched immediately, using Flying-type Pokémon to stall.
Unfortunately, even counting Icarus's Pidgeotto, they only had three Flying-types.
Still, with Fearow's Mirror Move, the combined winds were strong enough to matter—at least in Icarus's eyes.
And with all that Poison Powder mixed in… they should get hit somehow, he thought.
But reality quickly crushed that hope.
Swish swish swish~
Hitmonlee moved effortlessly through the storm, barely affected.
"They've got some ideas… but no high-tier Pokémon. This level of wind means nothing to a Fighting-type," Hirano sneered.
Even if it had some effect, Hitmonlee could counter it with Agility. At most, the Flying-type energy would leave minor scratches—nothing its powerful body couldn't recover from.
"Ground team, prepare!" Brother Teng shouted, suppressing the fear in his eyes.
"Geodude, Stomp!"
"Graveler, Stomp!"
"Sandslash, Magnitude!"
"Donphan, Stomp!"
BOOM! BOOM!
The ground shook violently. The combined Ground-type assault felt like a real earthquake.
"Yea-bii~!"
Caught off guard, Hitmonlee stumbled slightly. The white glow of Agility faded—it had been broken out of its state.
That was only possible because it was injured. At full strength, this wouldn't have worked.
"It worked! Follow up—use interference Moves!" Brother Teng shouted.
"Poliwag, Whirlpool!"
"Tangela, bind it!"
"Weepinbell, do the same!"
"Beedrill, Poison Sting—spread it!"
"Sandslash, Sand Tomb!"
The battlefield erupted as everyone used their control Moves.
"Damn it! You think I'm weak?!" Hirano roared.
"Hitmonlee—Protect! Then charge through and eliminate Sandslash and Beedrill first!"
A green barrier instantly surrounded Hitmonlee.
Bang! Bang!
All attacks struck the barrier—but only made it tremble slightly.
"Keep Agility active—charge through!"
Icarus's expression darkened.
Of course it knows Protect… are fugitives this loaded now?!
He immediately ordered through the contract:
Stay back.
He'd already realized—Hitmonlee was targeting Brother Teng's team.
"Come out—Lickitung! Defense Curl—block it!" Brother Teng shouted.
BANG! BANG!
Two punches.
"Bei…?!"
Lickitung collapsed instantly.
It wasn't dead—but completely out of the fight.
Taking advantage of the brief delay—
"Attack!"
But the Protect barrier still held firm.
A moment later—
WHOOSH
Hitmonlee appeared directly in front of Beedrill.
"Double Team!" Brother Teng shouted through the contract.
Swish swish swish—
Three afterimages appeared—
—but the punch split mid-air.
BOOM!
Beedrill was struck head-on.
"Buzz—?!"
Its body turned charred black as it dropped.
"Beedrill!!!" Brother Teng cried out.
It was dead.
Icarus's eyes narrowed.
Too fragile… a direct Fire Punch was fatal.
He silently told Weepinbell to retreat further.
If that hits us, we're finished.
"Everyone engage! If I die, none of you escape!" Brother Teng roared.
"Primeape, charge!"
"Machoke, go!"
"Tauros, attack!"
The others had no choice—they joined the melee.
They all understood:
If Brother Teng fell alone, they would be wiped out one by one.
"Stay back," Icarus muttered calmly.
"Weepinbell—Seed Machine Gun."
"Pidgeotto—support with wind."
He wasn't being heroic. He was being smart.
"Poliwag, Water Pulse!"
"Geodude, Rock Blast!"
Xiao Ling and the others followed suit—providing ranged support.
One trainer clenched his teeth.
"These guys are just hiding!"
His companion sighed.
"They know Brother Teng. They're here for the minimum reward—just like us."
Still—
"That's still disgusting!" he snapped.
But he kept fighting.
Because this wasn't the time to argue.
CRACK—
Finally—
After waves of attacks—
Protect shattered.
But the cost was brutal.
Bodies lay scattered.
Several Pokémon were dead or incapacitated.
Only six remained able to fight:
The three Flying-types
Donphan
Weepinbell
Arbok
And not even two minutes had passed.
Hirano's eyes turned cold.
"Time to end this."
"Hitmonlee—Vacuum Wave!"
"Yea-bii~!"
Invisible force shot forward.
"Oh no—Vacuum Wave! Take cover!" someone shouted.
Panic spread instantly.
Unlike other attacks, Vacuum Wave couldn't be seen.
And for the Trainers—
that meant instant death if it hit.
They weren't Pokémon.
They wouldn't even realize it—
until it was too late.