"Charizard, use Flame Vortex! Pidgeot, assist with Tornado to clear out their attacks. Stottle, hit them with Hydro Pump! Pikachu, start Stockpile, and once Stottle's Hydro Pump connects, unleash Thunder at full power. Haunter, Beedrill—hang back for now. You'll finish them off once they're weak."
Robert stood confidently amid the chaos, issuing crisp commands as his team sprang into action.
Even though the enemies were numerous and some of them had reached the elite primary level, Robert wasn't the least bit worried. These Pokémon—Arboks, Golbats, and Gas Bombs—were strong, yes, but not strong enough to warrant his full attention. He intended to let Charizard and Pidgeot handle the incoming barrage while Pikachu and Stottle dealt with the bulk of the enemy Pokémon. Haunter and Beedrill were on standby, ready to clean up the stragglers.
"Gastly~"
"Hissss~"
Although they didn't entirely grasp the idea of "last-hitting," Haunter and Beedrill seemed to understand Robert's intent perfectly. They were free agents—hovering silently, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Charizard was the first to act. A swirling torrent of fire began building in its throat before erupting forward in a colossal blaze.
"Etchaaa!"
As the Flame Vortex tore through the air, Pidgeot soared above and began beating its wings rapidly. Ten giant tornadoes materialized in the sky, merging with the flame to create a devastating combo of wind and fire.
The synergy was perfect—flames fed by raging wind, a hellstorm of destruction surging toward the incoming wave of Poison-type attacks. Poison needles and globs of sludge were instantly reduced to ashes in the heat of the combined assault.
As the enemy's offensive crumbled, it was time for Pikachu and Stottle to move.
Stottle, with precise aim, fired a powerful Hydro Pump straight at a cluster of Arbok, Golbat, and Gas Bomb Pokémon, who were shielding Team Rocket's members. Water slammed into them with crushing force, knocking some of them off balance.
"Pika…CHU!!"
Pikachu leapt high, sparks dancing around its small frame. A massive bolt of lightning shot downward, striking the already-soaked enemies. Water and electricity—an unrelenting combo—sent surging pain through the enemy Pokémon. Arbok convulsed violently, Golbat screeched in agony, and several Gas Bombs burst into unconsciousness.
The current passed from one body to another like a chain reaction. One by one, the opposing Pokémon collapsed. In the end, only a handful of them remained standing, and even those were clearly on their last legs.
Robert turned his eyes to the battlefield, satisfied. "Song Yao could probably finish those off with a single move," he muttered, half to himself.
Then came the sound he loved the most—his system chiming in:
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating Arbok. You've gained 100 points."
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating Golbat. You've gained 70 points."
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating Gas Bomb. You've gained 80 points."
Points streamed in rapidly as enemy after enemy fell. After a quick mental calculation, Robert realized he had just earned 1,480 points by defeating five Arboks, six Golbats, and seven Gas Bombs.
"Not bad," Robert said with a grin. "I should start looking for villain organizations more often. A single fight nets more points than hours of hunting wild Pokémon."
As he admired the steady stream of point notifications on his virtual panel, the Team Rocket members watched in growing disbelief.
"What the—?!"
"No way… our combined attacks were neutralized?"
"And he took down almost all of our Pokémon in an instant?"
They gaped at Robert and his team, the arrogance draining from their faces.
"What? Surprised?" Robert smirked. "If that's the best you've got, then your Pokémon might as well lie down and become points."
The moment the last word left his mouth, Haunter and Beedrill sprang into action.
Beedrill moved like a blur, slicing through the air with its sharp stingers, while Haunter lobbed several Shadow Balls at the weakened enemies.
Bang!
Boom!
Crash!
One by one, the remaining enemies were struck down. Arboks were pierced. Golbats were knocked out of the air. The last few Gas Bombs exploded in plumes of smoke before crumpling to the ground.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating Arbok. You've gained 100 points."
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating Golbat. You've gained 70 points."
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating Gas Bomb. You've gained 80 points."
A new wave of points rolled in, and Robert couldn't help but chuckle again. At this rate, he could max out his stats by targeting Team Rocket bases alone.
"You bastard!" the Team Rocket Captain snarled. "You had your Pokémon attack while we were still talking. Do you have no sense of honor?!"
"Honor?" Robert raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Villain, do you hear yourself? You're literally part of a criminal organization. You think I owe you a fair fight?"
He scoffed. "This isn't some duel of gentlemen. We're enemies. And if you think I'm going to wait patiently while you make a move, you're dumber than you look."
The Rocket Captain's face twisted in rage. "Enough! Surround him! Don't let him escape. Exhaust his Pokémon if you have to—he won't leave here alive!"
"Roger that!" the other Rocket grunts responded in unison.
They quickly recalled their defeated Pokémon and sent out replacements, forming a tight circle around Robert and his team. Clearly, their plan was to trap him and wear down his Pokémon with sheer numbers.
Each grunt had at least three Pokémon, and the captain had four. On paper, it was a numbers game.
Their thinking was simple: even if Robert's Pokémon were stronger, they couldn't fight forever. Once they ran out of stamina, the Rockets would strike back and win by attrition.
But Robert only smiled.
"Trying to wear down Charizard and the others? Good plan… for someone without a cheat system."
What the Rockets didn't know was that Robert's strength came from more than his tactics or his Pokémon's raw power.
He had access to the System—a game-changer. As long as his team's energy dropped below a certain threshold, he could use the Elf Mall to fully restore their stamina, as if the battle had never happened.
The Rockets wanted a war of attrition?
Fine. He could play that game all day.
And unlike them, Robert wasn't going to wait for the next wave to hit first. He would strike first. He always struck first.
Because in this game?
He never played fair.
---