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BZZZZZ!
A shrill, high-frequency wave pulsed from Noivern's massive green ears, shaking the very air.
Even Snorunt and Liepard flinched, their faces twisted in pain.
"Damn it!" Allen gritted his teeth, slamming a fist into the stone floor. That synchronized strike they'd pulled off just now had been their final gamble. And it hadn't even scratched Noir's smug expression.
Then, against all odds, he felt a vibration at his hip.
"…You?"
In moments of crisis, Trainers instinctively trusted the partner who had fought beside them the longest. And only a Pokémon forged by years of battle could instantly read its Trainer's intent.
That was why Allen had chosen Snorunt over Flaaffy earlier it wasn't about raw power, but absolute trust. Snorunt had understood the moment it was released, teaming flawlessly with Trevor's Liepard.
But their combined attack had simply lacked the punch to break through Noivern's defense.
Now, the black-and-yellow Poké Ball holding Flaaffy shook violently, as if its occupant was demanding to fight.
Allen hesitated. Noivern was clearly top-tier Elite its physical durability alone had shrugged off their best combo. Facing it head-on was suicide.
The Poké Ball shook harder.
"…I see," Allen murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You're not ready to give up, are you?"
His hand trembled as he pulled the ball free and hurled it high.
"Oh?" Noir arched an eyebrow, mocking. "More desperate flailing?"
The Poké Ball burst open with a BANG, releasing a swirl of black mist threaded with crackling yellow lightning.
BZZZT!
Noir's eyes lit up briefly at the dramatic entrance… then narrowed in derision when the fog cleared to reveal a Flaaffy.
"Hah!" Noir barked a laugh that echoed in the cavern. "Is Dark Star recruiting farm animals now? You're throwing a sheep at me? Pathetic."
Flaaffy ignored him, eyes locked on the looming Noivern. The oppressive aura pressed down like a mountain, but Flaaffy's breathing steadied. Calm. Focused.
Breathe.
The crystal orb on its tail flared with blinding blue light.
WHOOOM!
An immense magnetic field exploded outward, swallowing the entire cavern in an instant. The air vibrated with electric power as the field shattered every sound wave in its range.
Noivern's sonar, its greatest weapon, vanished into silence. The bat-dragon's ears twitched in confusion.
Electric sparks danced along Flaaffy's wool, condensing into a swirling sphere.
[Move: Electro Ball]
The glowing orb shot forward, growing larger as it absorbed raw static from the magnetic field. The sphere's speed skyrocketed until it became a yellow blur.
BOOM!
The Electro Ball slammed into Noivern's soft violet underbelly before it could react.
"FA-LA!" The dragon's scream was laced with pain as searing voltage and blistering heat scorched its fur.
Noir stumbled back, eyes wide. He had expected a weak, harmless Pokémon certainly not an attack with that kind of force. His mocking smile faded into a hard, calculating line.
At minimum, that Flaaffy's offensive power matched that of Noivern. That alone made it dangerous.
A slow, jagged laugh broke from his lips. "Interesting…" His gaze sharpened with predatory intent. "Very interesting. A Flaaffy like this will fetch a fine price on the black market."
Allen and Trevor forced themselves to their feet, the silence in the air confirming Flaaffy's suppression of Noivern's sonic waves.
"Snorunt, [Ice Shard]!"
"Liepard, [Pursuit]!"
Liepard lunged, forelegs wreathed in dark-brown energy, slicing through the air toward Noivern.
"Trash like you should learn your place," Noir snarled. "Noivern clear the field!"
"FA-LA!!"
Noivern's roar boomed with fury, still stung by the shame of being struck earlier. Its right claw ignited with blazing violet energy [Poison Jab] and it swung downward with brutal force.
CRACK!
The impact halted Liepard mid-leap, the shockwave lifting it off its paws. Pain flared along its forelimbs as it curled protectively in midair.
Then came the whip-crack sound of air being torn apart. Noivern's tail, long, black, and lined with raw power, lashed out like a whip.
WHAM!
Liepard's body slammed into the cavern wall in an explosion of dust and debris.
Meanwhile, Snorunt's [Ice Shard] finally formed, spinning through the air toward Noivern's unguarded back…
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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