The first wave of League trainers and lab assistants moved outside to meet the attackers.
Silas followed with the second wave, heart pounding as he stepped into open ground, Chimchar, Elekid, and Tangrowth at his side.
The hostile force was massive.
Machops and Machokes formed the front lines. Gallades moved among them with frightening precision. Above, Scythers and Scizors dominated the airspace, wings shrieking as they maneuvered. Ghost-types—Ghastlys and Haunters—flickered in and out of visibility, drifting through the chaos like predators waiting for mistakes.
Silas activated his system scanner and frowned. Most of the unevolved Pokémon ranged from levels 15 to 30. The first-stage combatants sat between levels 30 and 50.
The aces had not shown themselves yet.
Elite Four members commanded Pokémon well beyond that threshold. If this was all the bikers had brought, there would be no reason for an attack this bold.
All at once, ten Scizors opened their pincers.
"Scizors–combine your Hyper Beams!"
Blinding columns of energy tore through the air toward the defenders. At the same time, Scythers slashed wildly, blades cutting the atmosphere itself as relentless Air Slashes screamed forward.
Before panic could take hold, the ground trembled. A massive steel serpent surged up in front of the auditorium.
"Steelix—Protect!"
An emerald barrier flared into existence, spanning the entire front of the building. Explosions rippled across its surface as beams and wind blades slammed into it again and again. The barrier shook a little—but did not break.
Silas exhaled sharply.
Steelix moved with shocking speed for something so large. He'd always admired Bruno's partner—not just for its raw power, but for how unnaturally fast it was, a result of brutal training and exceptional talent.
When the smoke cleared, bodies lay scattered across the grounds. The Protect barrier only blocked the attacks aimed directly at the auditorium. Several League security officers who were patrolling still endured the brunt of the attack. They were also young recruits, support staff, & first responders.
They never stood a chance.
Bruno's voice thundered across the field.
"Scatter! Don't let them pick us off in clusters. Engage carefully—this group is here to kill. If they want our blood, we take theirs."
Madam acted before anyone else could hesitate.
Her Arcanine lunged, jaws blazing as it tore into a grounded Scizor. Fire Fang snapped shut—and the Steel-type split apart, collapsing in two smoking halves.
The message was clear; Holding back meant dying.
Gary and Zane seemed to have acclimated as there was no hesitation in their eyes. Chimchar, Elekid, and Tangrowth watched the same realization dawn across the battlefield. They weren't killers. Even when confronting those Beedrill, it was retaliation, not slaughter.
Silas felt his hesitation. He was not used to this. In sanctioned battles, failure meant defeat. Here, it meant death. The certainty of survival he'd always relied on was gone, replaced by raw, suffocating risk. Fear tightened around his chest, freezing him in place.
Chimchar leapt onto his shoulder and grabbed his shirt, staring into his eyes. Silas didn't hear words—but he understood.
We must defend ourselves.
The battlefield exploded into motion.
Oak's assistants unleashed Tauros, Heracross, Marowak, and the Kanto starters in various stages of evolution. One Dragonair cut through the air like a living blade of light. League trainers surged forward with Sandslash, Rhydon, Hitmonchan, and Hitmonlee anchoring the advance.
Silas, Gary, and Zane formed a tight defensive circle. Their coordination was clumsy but their individual prowess made up for it.
Wartortle and Tangrowth provided support with Water Pulses and Energy Balls. Machop, Chimchar, & Elekid directly engaged anyone who came near. The lower-level attackers fell quickly, neutralized before they could regroup.
No one nearby had died yet. Despite that, Silas and the other kids were exhausted. Prolonged serious combat had a way of draining stamina, even the trainers giving commands.
Their pokemon were equally tired but still poised for battle. For a brief moment, it almost felt controlled.
Then the stalemate settled in.
Both sides bled resources. Pokémon fell unconscious. The air grew thick with smoke, heat, and lingering poison.
Madam broke the balance.
Her Arcanine vanished in a streak of flame and motion, Flare Blitz and Extreme Speed overlapping into a devastating assault. Scythers fell from the sky in burning arcs. Scizors were smashed apart and finished with merciless Fire Fangs.
Silas watched in grim awe. Arcanine was noble—but it was also ruthless.
The momentum shifted sharply in their favor.
Then a purple blur cut through the field.
"Crobat—Steel Wing." Several bikers were shredded in an instant. Koga stepped forward at last, calm and lethal. "Since you've come," he said evenly, "you might as well stay."
The Crobat beside him looked wrong—larger, wings sharper, movements unnaturally precise. One pair of wings carried it in long, silent glides while the smaller pair snapped sharply, correcting its path in midair. It moved like a ninja, slipping through the air with a dark grace.
"Koga," a voice called out playfully, "I didn't know you enjoyed bullying weaker opponents." Jaden emerged, releasing his Machamp.
It looked like a regular Machamp at first, but the darker, stone-like skin and those long, dripping claws told me it was something else entirely. Its red eyes and twisted grin felt less like confidence and more like pure menace, as if it was savoring the moment. Regular Machamp fought with discipline but this one felt like it fought because it enjoyed it.
"Machamp—Night Slash." The dark blade formed mid-swing.
"Crobat—Psychic Fangs." The Crobat darted past the slash, fangs glowing as it struck Machamp's shoulder. Machamp grunted—and grabbed Crobat with all four arms.
"Use Thunder Punch with all your arms. Then Fire Blast."
Electricity coursed through Crobat's body before flames detonated point-blank. It barely escaped. The duel escalated violently.
Crobat used Tailwind, then assaulted Machamp with Brave Bird & Acrobatics.
Machamp would occasionally land a Night Slash but Koga had the edge. Tailwind boosted Crobats speed to a level beyond Machamp but Jaden wasn't falling behind.
"If you were League," Koga said coldly, "we could have been allies."
"If you joined my gang," Jaden replied, glancing at his phone, "we still could."
He smirked. "Machamp—Venom Blade Dance."
"Gengar," Jaden added casually, "Use Shadow Ball, a big one." Jaden's shadow suddenly came to life with Gengar making its entrance.
The massive orb slammed into the auditorium. Multiple Pokémon layered Protect just in time, the shockwave rattling the structure.
Machamp went berserk. All 4 of its arms turned into purple blades as it entered a frenzy attacking anyone nearby. Terrified screams soon followed.
3 researchers were quickly cut down. 2 security officers tried to intervene but they were also cut down along with their pokemon.
Silas looked on with horror. He was beginning to realize just how powerless he truly was. At that moment, the rampaging Machamp set its eyes on Silas.
Tangrowth charged in front of Silas to stop it with the recently learned Protect.
Machamp's blade tore through the barrier but slowed it down enough to dodge but not completely. Tangrowth roared in pain as a few vines hit the ground, liquid oozing from it.
The next slash came toward Silas.
He froze. Tangrowth moved despite the pain. Using vine whip, Tangrowth quickly yanked him clear as the slash carved deep into Tangrowth's side. The wound was catastrophic,sap-like fluid spilling from its body before finally collapsing.
Machamp stepped back, its frenzied state gone.
Crobat slammed into it with Brave Bird. Jaden seemed unbothered as he checked his phone again. His smile widened into a wicked grin. .
"Gengar—Cover us with Flash. The rest of you, withdraw at once." Blinding light consumed the battlefield and when it faded, the bikers were gone.