"Use the fastest speed, Charmeleon, [Flare Blitz]! Frogadier, [Aerial Ace]!"
Eddie immediately ordered his two Pokémon to use their fastest moves. He needed to stop the opponent immediately, or things would become troublesome.
"Hurry up and stop them! Otherwise, we will really die!"
"I know! Koffing, use [Self-Destruct]!"
The team leader was frantic. The opponent clearly didn't want him to succeed, so he gave the order without hesitation. His teammates, equally desperate, commanded Koffing to use the devastating move that would harm both sides.
Though Koffing hesitated, he followed his Trainer's command, charging forward. Terrifying energy quickly gathered around him, and then...
"Bang!!!"
"How can you use [Self-Destruct] at level 17?! Did you let it practice and learn it normally? Are you sick?!"
"Charmeleon, Frogadier, stop attacking and retreat quickly!"
Eddie saw the level 17 Koffing about to use [Self-Destruct] and was furious.
He immediately commanded his Pokémon to retreat. The power and range of [Self-Destruct] were nothing to underestimate.
"Oh no, that guy must have been injected. Mew, will you take action later?"
At this point, Eddie looked regretful and turned to Mew behind him.
"Mew? Mew~~~"
Mew gave him an innocent look. Eddie, through Viridian's power, understood what Mew meant.
Mew said: "I take action? You want me, a child, to fight that terrible snake?"
Eddie: "······"
Eddie understood. Mew didn't want to intervene—likely due to the mission. If Eddie didn't handle it himself, the mission might not be completed.
Of course, these were just words Eddie used to comfort himself, because if he didn't, he was afraid he would swear.
"Hahahaha! Boy, although my Arbok is useless, you're finished too!"
The Rocket Team leader sneered. The Smokescreen that had covered the area from Koffing's [Self-Destruct] began to dissipate.
The Rocket Team's leader and the last member retreated, glaring at Eddie with intense hatred, as if he had killed a close relative.
"Arbok!!"
A little distance away, Arbok roared violently. Its body surged with power, growing larger and fiercer.
"Sure enough, it's the syringe that instantly boosts Pokémon strength. He used two. Let me see how much stronger it is."
Eddie's guess was confirmed when he saw Arbok's appearance. The syringe was a failed product created by the Rocket Team scientists working on a method to instantly boost a Pokémon's strength.
He wasn't sure of the exact principle, but he had encountered this in his previous life, when Rocket Team members used it in moments of desperation.
The syringe could rapidly increase a Pokémon's strength, but the side effects were significant. It would lead to severe aftereffects, like falling into a violent condition, and it would reduce the Pokémon's potential.
The reduction of potential was something no one wanted, which was why this product was considered a failure. But the Rocket Team still distributed it to their captains, clearly with a specific purpose in mind.
Eddie had seen this multiple times before. After using one syringe, the opponent's Pokémon would normally increase by 5 to 8 levels. But the opponent had just used two syringes.
Name: Arbok
Type: Poison
Ability: Shedding
Level: 35 (Advanced)
Potential: Advanced (formerly Peak)
"It was level 22 before, and now it's level 35 after using two syringes. A full 13 levels higher. This is troublesome. The level gap between my Pokémon and theirs is over 10."
Eddie looked at the information displayed on his Pokédex, realizing how serious the situation was. If the level gap between Arbok and Charmeleon was less than 10, he could still have the two Pokémon work together to defeat the opponent.
But now it probably wasn't possible, because once the level gap between the two sides exceeded 10, although the opponent could still be defeated through numbers, Eddie only had two Pokémon, so he didn't have the advantage in that regard.
He wasn't sure how many Pokémon it would take for others to overcome a 10-level gap, but he knew that he would need at least 3 or 4 Pokémon to cooperate, and that was only for dealing with Pokémon at the Advanced level.
At the Peak level and beyond, the "quantity defeats quality" strategy wouldn't work.
Of course, this assumed a one-on-one battle where the opponent only had one Pokémon out at a time.
"Boy, I just contacted the others, but no one responded. Looks like they've been taken out as well. I paid a huge price to deal with you today, and now I will kill you!
The captain of the Rocket Team seethed with hatred. The entire search team had nearly been wiped out trying to deal with this one kid. Now, only he and one other member remained.
And his Arbok had already been injected with the syringe, which had severe side effects. Arbok's strength was likely at its peak now, but it would be short-lived. That was a steep price to pay.
"Ha, kill me? Don't make me laugh.
I admit your Arbok is indeed stronger now, but that's only temporary!"
Eddie looked at Arbok, who had fallen into a violent rage, charging forward. His expression remained unchanged as he calmly raised a hand to Charmeleon and Frogadier.
Charmeleon and Frogadier immediately assumed their battle stances.
Though they knew they couldn't defeat the opponent, they stood firm in front of Eddie with unwavering determination and spirit.
"My good friends, don't worry, we'll win.
I didn't expect to use the trump card on the first day of the server opening, but it looks like I have no choice now."
Eddie smiled at Charmeleon and Frogadier, feeling proud of them.
Then, he offered them a confident smile to reassure them, while preparing to use his own trump card.
Soon, Arbok had charged in front of Eddie, but he still maintained a calm expression. A white light suddenly emanated from his body, extending outward through his outstretched hand.
The light rushed toward Charmeleon and Frogadier, entering their bodies in a split second.
"Ding! You have used the power of Viridian, and your Pokémon has temporarily upgraded!"
"Ding! Charmeleon has upgraded to Lv42!"
"Ding! Frogadier has upgraded to Lv41!"