"Captain! This is bad! If this keeps up, all our Pokémon will be defeated!" one of the grunts shouted, his voice trembling.
The Team Rocket captain gritted his teeth. "Hold the line! Reinforcements are on the way! Just stall them—"
Before he could finish, a searing stream of fire whooshed past him, nearly singing his hair. Charizard had diverted from the Arbok and was now aiming directly at the human threat.
"Back off!" the captain yelled, ducking. "That trainer… he's not normal!"
They had underestimated Chihong.
From the start, the Team Rocket squad assumed this was just another overly ambitious young trainer meddling in their affairs. They hadn't expected a tactical mastermind leading a squad of elite Pokémon that worked together like a seasoned military unit.
Another explosion echoed as Haunter detonated a Koffing mid-air with a well-placed Shadow Ball. Poison gas spilled in all directions, but Pidgeot quickly dispersed it with a few strong gusts of wind. Beedrill sliced through the air with Drill Run, piercing through another Golbat with terrifying precision, and Squirtle slammed a Hydro Pump straight into two more.
Every second, the battlefield tilted more and more in Chihong's favor.
Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating Koffing. You have obtained 70 points.
Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating Golbat. You have obtained 80 points.
Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating Arbok. You have obtained 90 points.
The notifications kept coming, each one like a melodic chime to Chihong's ears.
He didn't even flinch anymore—his mind was in full control mode.
He wasn't just battling; he was orchestrating a performance.
"Pikachu, Electro Ball—target the center group!"
"Beedrill, push left with Twin Needle!"
"Charizard, Smokescreen! Then follow up with Dragon Claw!"
The battlefield shifted as his team obeyed without hesitation.
Pikachu charged up a bright yellow sphere, hurling it straight into a clustered formation of Koffing. The resulting explosion created a ripple effect that knocked multiple enemies unconscious at once.
Beedrill used the opening to flank left, its stingers gleaming as it unleashed Twin Needle at dizzying speed, striking two Golbat before they could even react.
Charizard unleashed a thick Smokescreen, blanketing the area in black fog before slashing out with glowing claws, its Dragon Claw tearing through the obscured targets with brutal precision.
Ding! Congratulations to the host for executing a combo attack. Bonus: 100 points.
Ding! Combo successful: Charizard + Beedrill + Pikachu. Team Coordination Level: A+. Additional Reward: 200 points.
The bonus messages were new, and they filled Chihong with even more adrenaline. Not only was he winning—he was doing it in style.
Meanwhile, the enemy formation completely collapsed.
The few surviving Pokémon from Team Rocket had retreated, and their trainers were trying to flee.
But Mathius made sure that wouldn't happen so easily.
He didn't even need to move.
He just took a step forward.
That alone sent chills down the spines of several grunts.
His presence was so overwhelming—like a sleeping beast that had just stirred.
"Don't move," Mathius warned in a low voice.
The grunts froze.
Sweat ran down their faces. One even dropped his Poké Ball in fear, the small sphere clattering to the ground and rolling to Chihong's feet.
"Looks like the party's over," Chihong muttered, adjusting his cap. "Pidgeot, herd the rest of the Golbat into that clearing. Haunter, you're on crowd control. Anyone tries to run, scare them back into the circle."
The Pokémon obeyed instantly.
Within minutes, the battlefield was silent except for the crackling of faint electrical sparks and the occasional groan from a fainted Koffing.
All of Team Rocket's Pokémon were either unconscious, paralyzed, or too terrified to move. The grunts were huddled together, guarded by Haunter and a very grumpy-looking Pikachu.
Chihong exhaled slowly.
The adrenaline was fading, replaced by the warm satisfaction of a job well done.
His eyes scanned the field, taking note of each of his team's performance. Charizard was a beast—no surprise there. Pidgeot's new Sky Attack was a game-changer. Beedrill was showing growth in both speed and coordination. Squirtle had held its own defensively. Pikachu's control of electricity was sharper than ever. And Haunter... Haunter had really embraced its ghostly trickery.
It was a good day.
A very good day.
And then the system chimed once more.
Ding! Congratulations to the host for achieving a flawless victory. Total Points Gained: 2630.
Ding! Hidden Achievement Unlocked: "Overwhelming Victory." Reward: Rare Candy x3, TM—Thunderbolt.
Chihong blinked.
That was unexpected.
"Thunderbolt, huh?" He glanced at Pikachu, who tilted its head curiously, sparks still dancing in its cheeks. "Guess we'll get you that upgrade soon."
Pikachu squeaked happily.
Chihong chuckled.
He looked over at Mathius. "What do you think?"
Mathius nodded, arms crossed. "Efficient. No wasted motion. Your control over the team is growing stronger."
"I was worried about syncing Beedrill and Squirtle," Chihong admitted. "But they're finally starting to find a rhythm."
"That's what training is for," Mathius replied, eyes scanning the remaining grunts. "These guys won't be much trouble anymore."
"Nope," Chihong agreed, walking toward the cowering Rocket captain. "But I have a few questions for you."
The captain stiffened.
Chihong crouched down, locking eyes with him. "You've got three seconds to tell me what your mission was. One lie, and Haunter will crawl into your shadow and give you nightmares for a week."
The man swallowed hard.
And then he broke.
"W-We were ordered to capture wild Kadabra for an experiment! Some kind of… mind-control chip. The scientists from the Mahogany lab… they said it could be used on any psychic-type Pokémon! We were just collecting test subjects!"
Chihong's face darkened.
Mind-control experiments? On psychic Pokémon?
That was low—even for Team Rocket.
He stood up. "Thanks for the confession."
The captain blinked. "Wait, that's it?"
Haunter floated in from behind, grinning widely. "Gastly~…"
The captain screamed.
Chihong turned back to his team.
"Let's pack it up. We've got what we came for, and then some."
Mathius gave a subtle nod. "I'll handle cleanup. You head to the rendezvous point."
Chihong nodded.
As his team regrouped, he smiled to himself.
He had come to the outskirts of this forest expecting a small skirmish and some easy experience for his team.
Instead, they'd taken down a fully armed Team Rocket squad, earned thousands of points, unlocked new rewards, and uncovered a lead on a dangerous experiment.
Not bad for an afternoon.
He looked up at the sky, where Pidgeot was circling overhead, sunlight glinting off its feathers.
"We're not done yet," Chihong whispered. "This is just the beginning."
And with that, he turned toward the horizon, his Pokémon flanking him with pride.
Victory wasn't just a goal.
It was a habit.
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