High in the sky, two nearly identical Pidgeot beat their wings, sharp eyes locked firmly onto one another.
However, by comparison, Silas's Pidgeot was visibly larger by an entire size.
"Hmph. For bird Pokémon, bigger isn't always better."
Falkner had naturally noticed this as well. Even with a darkened expression, he stubbornly refused to back down.
That statement wasn't wrong.
For bird Pokémon whose battlefield was the sky, a large body often became a burden. Smaller-bodied Pokémon possessed a natural advantage in agility.
Of course, that didn't apply to everything—size alone could not determine superiority.
It was much like basketball players. Point guards and centers differed greatly in height, yet their responsibilities were different, and so were the advantages they could bring to the court.
And there were always exceptional individuals whose talents surpassed the norm.
Silas chuckled softly and didn't respond directly.
"So, are we fighting or not?"
His tone carried the unmistakable air of teasing a child.
Falkner's face darkened further.
"Pidgeot, use Gust!"
He decisively issued his command.
Just as Walker had said earlier, only the victor had the right to speak. The loser's words were nothing more than excuses for inferiority.
Although Falkner hadn't attacked while Silas was switching Pokémon, in terms of initiative, the Pidgeot that had already been on the field clearly held the advantage.
Its broad wings beat powerfully, and violent winds surged forth.
"Then we'll do the same—Pidgeot, Gust!"
Facing Falkner's attack, Silas chose the most direct response: an identical counter.
In a battle between Pokémon of the same species, nothing demonstrated overwhelming superiority better than mirroring the opponent's move and winning outright.
Of course, most people wouldn't dare attempt this.
Failing to show off properly could easily lead to a humiliating defeat.
But Silas wasn't most people and his Pidgeot was nothing like the average one.
Even among Elite-level Pokémon, the gap in strength could be unmistakably clear.
"Pii—!"
The cries of the two birds echoed endlessly.
High above, two violent gales collided head-on.
Whoooosh!
The resulting blast of wind swept outward in all directions, forcing all three people present to squint instinctively.
"Looks like being bigger does have its advantages."
Silas smiled as he spoke.
After the collision, the Gust unleashed by Silas's Pidgeot clearly overpowered Falkner's.
Though it didn't deal direct damage, it shattered the opposing wind and pressed forward significantly.
"I'll give you that," Falkner said, his expression easing slightly.
"But close combat is a different story."
Seeing Silas seemingly agree with his earlier remark actually put him at ease.
Silas subconsciously adjusted his clothes.
Incredible, this guy's talent for misunderstanding is truly something.
That was not what he had meant at all.
"Pidgeot, Quick Attack!"
Falkner launched another offensive.
"Then we'll do the same. Quick Attack, let them see what a real gap in strength looks like."
Silas snapped his fingers as he issued the command.
He suddenly understood why so many people—especially villains—enjoyed showing off.
It felt amazing.
Looking at Falkner now felt like watching a child play around. Not only was he not angry he actually found it entertaining.
Even though Silas was technically younger.
Upon hearing their Trainers' commands, the two Pidgeot moved almost in perfect unison.
White light flashed across their bodies simultaneously, and in the blink of an eye, they merged into the clouds above.
If the three observers didn't possess eyesight far beyond that of ordinary people, they wouldn't have been able to track the two rapidly moving Pidgeot at all.
The two Trainers' expressions, however, couldn't have been more different.
Falkner's face shifted from dark, to pale, and then dark again.
Silas, on the other hand, remained smiling throughout, giving nothing away.
The reason Falkner's expression darkened again was simple.
Silas's Pidgeot executed Quick Attack noticeably faster than his own.
Silas had been the one reacting second—waiting for Falkner's command, then responding before issuing his own. That delay alone should have been at least a fraction of a second.
Yet despite that, Silas's Pidgeot completed its energy preparation for Quick Attack at the same time as Falkner's.
That meant one thing.
If Silas had issued the command first, Falkner's Pidgeot would have been struck and sent flying without any chance to retaliate.
Maybe he just trained activation speed…
In the end, damage output is what really decides the outcome—
That thought barely formed before being completely crushed.
"Pii—!"
A cry of pain rang out.
One Pidgeot tumbled downward.
Though it quickly stabilized itself with superb body control, the faint tremble in its wings revealed that it had taken considerable damage.
On the other side, the white light faded from the other Pidgeot, its wings still powerful and steady.
"Well done."
Silas smiled as he praised his longtime partner.
The victor was obvious.
His Pidgeot's Quick Attack, launched later yet arriving first, had cleanly crushed its opponent.
"Pii—!"
Pidgeot responded with a proud, piercing cry.
Never underestimate the confidence and pride of Pokémon like Pidgeot.
Their arrogance might not be as overt as Serperior's, but it was deeply rooted all the same.
As kings of their species, lacking such pride would disqualify them from being recognized as Pokémon with true regal presence.
"Now it's our turn to attack."
Silas looked at Falkner, completely ignoring the unwillingness and disbelief written across his face.
"Pidgeot, use Double Team."
With a broad wave of his hand, he initiated the battle mode he routinely used to overwhelm weaker opponents.
In an instant, the high sky was completely filled with Pidgeot.
So many appeared that even Falkner's own Pidgeot, mixed among them, could no longer tell whether it was facing Silas's real Pidgeot or merely one of its clones.
"Observe carefully."
Facing Double Team, a move that could practically be called a god-tier battle technique, Falkner could only instruct his Pidgeot to remain vigilant.
However, this was precisely where Pidgeot's strengths came into play.
Because most Pidgeot possess the Ability Keen Eye, they have an exceptionally sharp sense when it comes to distinguishing illusions from reality.
Although they can't identify every clone with absolute certainty, they can at least eliminate many of them through intuition.
Silas was naturally well aware of this, his own Pidgeot was equally adept in this regard.
"Next comes a dazzling Feather Dance!"
Seeing that Falkner's Pidgeot was defending cautiously without exposing many openings, Silas began laying out the next stage of his plan.
White feathers drifted down from the sky, falling thickly and obscuring all the Double Team clones while simultaneously robbing Falkner's Pidgeot of its vision.
"Pidgeot, use Heat Wave to destroy those feathers!"
Falkner immediately responded.
Double Team could be tolerated, actively breaking it risked exposing openings but Feather Dance was different.
There were plenty of ways to counter it without revealing weaknesses.
Scorching red air gradually formed as Falkner's Pidgeot beat its wings.
Silas had already anticipated that Falkner's Pidgeot would know Heat Wave. After all, even if Falkner's battle experience wasn't exceptional, he was still a Gym successor—his move pool wouldn't be lacking.
"But that's exactly what I wanted you to use."
A sharp glint flashed through Silas's eyes.
"Pidgeot, use Hurricane!"
"Pii—!"
A piercing cry rang out from all directions.
All the Pidgeot both clones and the real one began circling rapidly along fixed trajectories.
Yes—circling.
As a Flying-type ultimate move, Hurricane actually has two methods of execution.
The first is the most common: charging power through the wings and releasing it.
This method takes a long time to charge, and even after formation, the Hurricane is slightly unstable compared to the second method, particularly in terms of energy control.
Which brings us to the second method.
In the second method, the Flying-type Pokémon uses its own body as the catalyst for the Hurricane, fully merging itself into the wind as the move is executed.
The advantage of this method is that the opponent cannot disrupt the forming Hurricane from the outside through energy manipulation or wind interference.
There is only one way to stop it, a direct frontal clash.
Additionally, this method requires less charge time, since it uses the Pokémon's entire body rather than just its wings.
However, every advantage has its cost.
Before the Hurricane fully forms, while the Pokémon is using its full body to drive the storm, its own defenses drop to an extremely vulnerable level. At that point, the wind has not yet risen enough to resist external interference.
If attacked then, the Hurricane is very likely to be interrupted.
And once interrupted, what follows is usually a relentless barrage of attacks from the opponent.
Interrupting a high-level elemental move is not something easily recovered from.
Even after formation, the danger remains.
First, Hurricane is violent by nature, as its name implies. The raging wind is not something easily merged with.
Once the storm is unleashed, external Flying-type energy doesn't discriminate. Whether you're the user or not, being caught in it will still cause damage.
That can easily result in harming oneself instead of the opponent.
Second, Hurricane is executed at close range. If it hits, what follows is a direct, face-to-face clash.
For most Flying-type Pokémon, which are not suited for close combat, this is extremely unfavorable.
Many believe the essence of aerial combat lies in distance control, striking where you can reach your opponent while staying out of their range.
Because of that, most Trainers avoid the second method of Hurricane entirely.
But Silas thought differently.
In his view, distance control didn't necessarily mean staying out of reach.
Even if his attacks were merely average, as long as the opponent's were worse, it was enough.
Thus, the second method of Hurricane became an extremely effective offensive option.
Falkner's decision to use Heat Wave conveniently provided Silas with ample preparation time, without fear of interruption.
After all, Heat Wave requires sustained output and cannot be stopped instantly.
Before Falkner's eyes, although Feather Dance was completely consumed by Heat Wave and the sky cleared once more, an immensely violent Hurricane surged upward from the battlefield.
More than a dozen tornadoes connected sky and ground, roaring wildly.
Even the bright midday sky dimmed beneath their fury.
"It's in time."
Falkner made his judgment immediately.
Silas's Pidgeot had not yet fully completed Hurricane.
"Pidgeot, feel the flow of the wind and use Agility to dodge!"
A smile flickered across Falkner's lips.
Found your opening.
"Double Team may make it hard to tell which Hurricane is real, but for Pidgeot, that's hardly a problem!"
His confident words were fragmented by the roar of the storm, but Silas heard every word clearly.
Silas raised an eyebrow indifferently.
"Oh? Then why don't you try breaking it head-on, if you're capable?"
Silas's calm, unconcerned attitude only made Falkner angrier.
And to Falkner, Silas's words sounded like empty bravado.
I'm not an idiot. If I can dodge after sensing it, why wouldn't I?
He's clearly afraid his attack won't land.
Falkner felt smug.
He believed he had almost completely unraveled Silas's strategy this round, a very good sign.
After Hurricane, his Pidgeot should be locked in place for a while. That'll be my perfect chance to counterattack.
He had already begun planning the next phase in his mind.
"Pii—!"
A sudden, panicked cry rang out.
Startled, Falkner looked up.
His Pidgeot had been swept into the Hurricane.
"That's impossible!"
He shouted instinctively.
His Pidgeot had clearly sensed it earlier—how could it still be dragged in?
A sensing error like that would never occur with a near–Elite-level Pidgeot.
But Silas had no intention of explaining his battle technique.
If Falkner hadn't been momentarily distracted, he wouldn't have missed it.
Under the influence of the real Hurricane, the surrounding tornadoes gradually dissipated, leaving only a single, violently rotating vortex standing at the center of the battlefield.
Falkner's Pidgeot's agonized cries were swallowed by the roaring wind.
Moments later, the Hurricane dispersed.
A Pidgeot with severely disheveled feathers, eyes spinning, was flung outward by inertia—on the verge of being thrown clear of the tower.
If it fell and suffered secondary damage, things would get ugly.
Physical injuries were one thing, but the psychological blow was far worse.
A Pokémon known as a ruler of the skies being slammed down to the ground and injured was something it simply could not accept, even after losing the ability to battle.
Falkner fumbled as he pulled out his Poké Ball.
"Come back, Pidgeot!"
But perhaps because the defeat was too devastating, the red beam from the Poké Ball shot past Pidgeot without capturing it.
For a Trainer, this was an extremely rare and embarrassing mistake.
"Skarmory, bring it back."
The voice of a middle-aged man, clearly suppressing his anger, rang out.
....
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