Pokémon: Houndoom (Light Green)
Gender: Male
Level: 48
Type: Dark + Fire
Ability: Early Bird
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Fire Spin, Double-Edge, Fire Fang
Basic Moves: Inferno, Foul Play, Thunder Fang, Leer, Spark, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Tackle, Fire Fang, Feint Attack, Confuse Ray, Nasty Plot
Learnt Moves: Snatch, Snore, Metal Sound, Overheat
TM Moves: None
Aoki scanned the data of this Houndoom, and its strength was somewhat beyond his expectations.
It wasn't that this Houndoom was impossible to deal with, but Aoki remembered that when he had found the Mega Stone in his past life, he hadn't encountered any Pokémon above level 45.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that—Houndoom had already pounced. The priority was dealing with the opponent.
"Slowking, knock it back with Water Pulse, then use Miracle Eye!"
Following Aoki's command, Slowking immediately condensed a ball of water energy, slamming it into Houndoom's Inferno.
Thanks to the psychic energy coating the Water Pulse, it not only shattered the Inferno but also left residual energy in Houndoom's path, delaying its attack.
Then, Slowking successfully activated Miracle Eye.
Houndoom had sensed Slowking's presence immediately, but that was precisely why it had attacked recklessly—it believed Slowking couldn't harm it.
But it had never encountered Miracle Eye in the wild before.
"Slowking, hit it with continuous Psyshock!" Aoki ordered.
In an instant, over a dozen psychic energy balls materialized around Slowking.
Houndoom, still recovering from the Water Pulse, grew bolder when it saw no further water-based attacks and charged again—only to be met with Slowking's relentless Psyshock barrage.
Boom!
The attack halted Houndoom mid-rush, leaving it stunned.
What just happened?
But before it could react, Slowking had already gathered another psychic orb.
At this point, as long as no other Pokémon interfered, Slowking could maintain its assault indefinitely. Once Houndoom was immobilized—whether by paralysis, flinching, or confusion—it wouldn't be able to dodge.
"Roar!!!" Recovering from its daze, Houndoom howled skyward instead of dodging—it knew evasion was futile.
Aoki's expression darkened.
It's calling for backup.
Calling reinforcements after losing? That was cheap!
But it was too late to stop it. Mid-howl, Slowking's second Psyshock struck, knocking Houndoom down.
Slowking's current strength allowed it to defeat wild Pokémon of the same level—especially those with weaker talents and no formal training—in just two attacks.
As Houndoom collapsed, distant howls echoed in response. More were coming.
Houndoom were pack-oriented, unlike the solitary Arcanine. They moved like wolves, relying on numbers.
Aoki gripped a Poké Ball, bracing for battle.
But then he noticed Slowking's expression.
Since evolving from Slowpoke, Aoki had only seen this look once before—when Slowking had faced the Sharpedo swarm. Now, its eyes burned with battle lust.
Slowking had just reached level 49. Defeating this Houndoom had pushed it to the peak of the Elite tier.
With Slowking in top form, Aoki saw an opportunity. If it fought a little longer, it might break through to the Quasi-Champion tier.
Slowking had the foundation—all it needed was the right trigger.
Instead of waiting, Aoki decided to take the initiative.
If all the Houndoom gathered, they'd be overwhelmed. Better to thin their numbers first.
Aoki and Slowking sprinted toward the source of the howls, while the Houndoom rushed toward them.
They clashed with two more Houndoom, though these were weaker—around level 45.
Like the first, they underestimated Slowking's current power.
"Slowking, set up Trick Room, then use Teleport and Psyshock to outmaneuver them!" Aoki devised a plan instantly.
Play with them.
Slowking unleashed Trick Room, trapping both Houndoom in warped space.
Thanks to Miracle Eye's lingering effect, the dark-types couldn't escape.
Suddenly, the Houndoom found themselves moving sluggishly, while Slowking effortlessly charged another Psyshock.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Relentless psychic strikes felled one Houndoom before it could react.
The other, thinking it had an opening, lunged—only for Slowking to vanish with Teleport.
What awaited it was another Psyshock from behind.
With Trick Room active and no allies to worry about, Slowking became an untouchable artillery unit. Its heightened speed and rapid attacks made it a phantom turret.
This was Slowking's full potential unleashed.
After defeating the two Houndoom, Slowking's eyes gleamed brighter. Aoki saw something profound in them—wisdom hidden beneath simplicity.
True mastery appears as folly.
With another wave down, Aoki and Slowking raced toward the next group.
They were in a deadly game: the more Houndoom they defeated before the pack fully assembled, the better their odds in the coming battle.
Soon, chaos erupted across the valley.
The Houndoom tribe, rulers of this territory, faced their greatest challenge yet!
Every Pokémon was on edge.