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A small purple figure suddenly leapt out of the bushes, scattering countless shredded leaves into the air.
Max froze, his eyes widening in shock.
Whoosh—
Like a chain of cannons, multiple Shadow Balls erupted from Gengar's claws behind him, blasting straight toward the airborne figure.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
There was no chance to resist!
The corrosive ghostly energy, mixed with crushing impact, slammed into the purple figure and sent it flying mercilessly.
"Squeak—squeak!!"
The small body rolled across the ground, crying in pain.
Only then did Max finally recognize it. His severe expression twisted into something almost absurd.
"…A Rattata?"
The corners of his mouth tugged as he let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh.
Me, the captain of Dark Star's advance unit, actually startled by a mere Rattata?
His body instantly relaxed.
He stepped forward, intending to check on the whimpering Rattata sprawled on the ground—
But then he heard it.
Tick… tick…
A faint, rhythmic sound, like the turning of a clock, came from inside the Rattata's body.
"This is—"
Max froze mid-step, his face still carrying the faint ease from moments ago. But suddenly, his expression stiffened completely.
Time itself seemed to stop.
Soft white light began seeping from the Rattata's purple fur, shining quietly like liquid radiance.
Max's waist muscles tensed. He whipped his head around, as if shouting something at his team. Sweat beads flung from his forehead, glittering midair.
Behind him, Gengar's face twisted in horror, a translucent shield only half-formed in its claws, trying desperately to cover its trainer—
And then all of it was swallowed by the blinding white glow bursting from within the Rattata.
BOOM—!!
The dazzling radiance, like holy light from the heavens, erupted into a massive sphere beneath the dark clouds.
The scorching wave tore apart everything it touched, reducing it all to dust.
The earth quaked as a storm of dust and debris surged outward, carrying shredded branches and leaves on a violent gale.
At the epicenter, a giant crater yawned open, spiderweb cracks spreading across the ground.
The explosion's heat baked the soil at the center, fusing it into hardened, molten-red slag.
At the rim of the crater, a battered human figure lay sprawled in the dirt.
"Cough! Cough!"
Violent coughs tore from Max's throat. His entire body screamed with searing pain.
"Damn it—!!"
Thud!
His charred arm slammed into the ground, kicking up dirt.
He had been tricked.
That seemingly harmless Rattata had been carrying a Magma Team explosive inside its body.
The soldiers who had followed him… they were surely gone.
Even he would have died, if not for Gengar burning its very life to conjure one last desperate shield.
Now, his entire sixteen-man squad, along with their Pokémon—
Annihilated.
Max's trembling hands pressed against the ground as he tried to push himself upright.
Then—
Tap… tap…
Footsteps approached from behind, casual and unhurried.
A mocking voice, dripping with amusement, floated through the air.
"Well, well… isn't this Dark Star's mighty Captain Max?"
"What's wrong? Why are you crawling on the ground like a beaten dog?"
Veins bulged across Max's forehead. He clenched his jaw so hard his teeth threatened to shatter.
With a guttural roar, he forced his broken body upright.
His voice was hoarse, but brimming with killing intent:
"Sos!!"
"You bastard—I'll kill you!!"
In the shadows, Sos' reptilian eyes gleamed coldly.
"You?"
He sneered, casually tossing a Poké Ball.
"Toxicroak. Finish him."
The words dripped with ice, enough to freeze the air itself.
Croaak—
A warped croak echoed through the forest as a blue-and-red figure emerged.
Its smooth skin glistened with toxic sheen, deadly fluid oozing from its body. From its fingertips extended a long crimson claw, reeking of blood.
The frog's throat sac inflated and deflated, releasing that unnerving croak again and again.
Max's face twisted. He fought through the agony and reached for his belt—
But froze. His pupils shrank sharply.
They were gone.
His Poké Balls are gone.
He spun toward the crater behind him.
Only blackened ruin met his eyes.
"Shit!!"
He had lost them all in the blast.
Behind him, Toxicroak stalked forward with deliberate slowness.
Its orange eyes gleamed with sadistic amusement.
Like a cat playing with a mouse, it relished the desperation of its prey before death.
Toxic energy coiled around its clawed fingers, hissing like a venomous serpent.
Max's mind raced. Death loomed over him, whispering like a demon in the dark.
Then suddenly he remembered.
His hands shook as he tore open his shredded uniform.
"There… it should be here—"
He fumbled inside, until his fingers closed around something small.
At last, he pulled out a black pouch, its iron zipper clamped tight.
Inside was the one Pokémon he had borrowed from the organization's reserves, his last insurance.
He hadn't thought he'd need it. But now—
It was his only hope.
If he could just stall… just buy enough time… His allies must have seen the blast. Reinforcements would come.
"Oi, oi!"
"Max."
Sos' voice cut through his thoughts.
"You're not seriously expecting your men to come save you, are you?"
Max froze. His body trembled, rage flooding his blood.
He glared at Sos with eyes that could kill.
"Kehehe…"
Sos chuckled darkly.
"You really think Team Magma only sent me alone?"
"Relax. Your subordinates will be joining you soon."
His laugh was cruel, echoing like nails scraping stone.
Max felt the last of his strength drain away. His knees buckled, dropping him to the ground.
The black-and-yellow Poké Ball slipped from his fingers, rolling helplessly away.
Overhead, thunder cracked.
The deep clouds flashed with pale lightning, and a rumble shook the sky.
In that moment, as if startled by the thunder,
The Poké Ball suddenly split open with a sharp crack.
And from it—
The clouds thickened. Darkness spread across the sky.
The storm was about to break.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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