After a few minutes of what felt like a one-sided beatdown, the tide began to shift.
The stunned trainers, finally snapping out of their daze, shook off the surprise and opened their wristbands. There was a quick flicker of panic as they scrambled through their selections, and then the Pokéballs started flying.
A girl with long black ponytail and a worn brown sweater under a white jacket stepped forward from the group, her voice cutting through the chaos like a whip.
"Everyone, snap out of it and start using your fire-types!" she yelled, her tone sharp and commanding.
She hurled a Pokéball into the air. With a burst of light and flame, a Charizard soared into the corridor, its wings brushing against the walls. More trainers followed her lead. A Magmortar, Ninetales, Rapidash, Flareon—all emerging in a flash of light and heat.
The temperature around us spiked fast, the air thickening under the sun-boosting effect of Ninetales' Drought ability. The corridor practically shimmered, the concrete radiating back the heat in waves.
"EVERYBODY USE FLAMETHROWER! CHARIZARD USEHEATWAVE!" voices shouted in unison as the air lit up with streaks of flame rushing toward us.
Khan didn't flinch. He tossed another Pokéball forward.
"Golduck! Use Surf!" he shouted.
The blue duck Pokémon materialized instantly, eyes glowing. With a sharp cry, it surged forward getting rid of the Drought with its own ability CloudNine. Water began swirling around its body in spirals before it unleashed a towering wave down the hallway. The massive tide crashed into the oncoming flames mid-air, and the corridor exploded into a cloud of steam, cloaking everything in a thick mist.
We could barely see more than a few feet ahead. The entire battlefield became a hazy blur of shadows and heat.
Then I heard the same girl shouting through the steam.
"Everybody Don't give up! We've got this! Everyone, send in your flying-types! We will use the steam to our advantage!"
Khan and I locked eyes. No words needed. We knew what was coming.
We each grabbed a new Pokéball and threw them forward.
From his end: "Kabutops, Rock Tomb!"
And from my side: "Raichu, Thunderbolt!"
Two bursts of red light. Kabutops hit the ground running, blades gleaming, while Raichu's cheeks sparked as it charged into the haze.
The stone-edged mist parted just slightly as Kabutops slashed forward—
Only to reveal something we didn't expect.
A massive Steelix reared its head from the fog, its body curling like a serpent of metal. And it wasn't alone.
Several other ground-types stood behind it—Golem, Rhyperior, Donphan—waiting in ambush.
"They were lying…" I muttered, my grip tightening on the next Pokéball.
After seeing all those Ground-types emerge from the mist, my heart dropped. At the front of the group stood the black-haired girl, the same one who had first rallied the others. She looked directly at us and smiled—a sharp, knowing smile that made the cold sweat drip down Khan's temple and mine.
She lifted her fist high into the air and shouted with all her might, "EARTHQUAKE!"
The ground trembled beneath us as the Pokémon obeyed—tails slammed down, legs stomped hard. Cracks split through the floor like lightning, and before we could even shout "Run!", the ground beneath Raichu and Kabutops gave out.
Both were swallowed by the quake, fainting on the spot.
We recalled them instantly, but the damage was done.
"Alex…" Khan's voice trembled, part excitement, part dread.
"Yeah?" I asked, just as tense as him.
"Do you remember what I said earlier?"
"Which one?"
"The one where I said if these guys were real trainers, we were fucked."
"Oh... yeah," I muttered, already knowing what was coming next.
He gave a crooked grin. "Looks like we're fucked."
Despite the pressure crushing down on us, we laughed. Just for a second. A laugh to ease the tension, to remind ourselves we were still standing.
Scizor, Scyther, and Golduck stood in front of us, just as stiff and alert as we were.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked, looking him dead in the eyes.
"You mean go all out?"
"Yeah. Send it. Everything we've got."
"What's there to lose, right?" I shrugged. "Either we win.. or we lose."
Khan grinned, eyes burning now. He reached for the last Pokéball resting on his belt, while I grabbed the four others still waiting on mine.
"Dragonite, use Dragon Dance! Scyther, Sword Dance! Golduck, Calm Mind!" Khan commanded as his final Pokémon joined the field.
I hurled my Pokéballs into the air, yelling over the chaos of the battlefield as red light flared across the corridor.
"Arcanine, use Howl—buff our attack! Poliwrath, get ready with Bulk up! Weepinbell, Sword Dance! Tyranitar, use Dragon Dance! Scizor, reactivate Tailwind—go, now!"
The corridor shook again, this time from our side. Wings flared, roars echoed, energy surged. The battlefield was crowded and wild.
On our side we had Scyther, Golduck, Dragonite, Arcanine, Scizor, Poliwrath, Weepinbell, Tyranitar.
But on their side the Pokémon started from Steelix to Charizard, Flareon, Magmortar, Donphan, Ninetales, Bellossom—and more, definetly way more than what we had.
The fire and heat swirled with steam. The ground cracked under massive weight. The wind from Tailwind howled behind us like a war cry.
While we started to set-up our Pokémon, the other side didn't stay still either. The girl with the black ponytail shouted once again, her voice rising above the chaos like a war horn.
"Don't let them get any more firepower! Some of you who can use Light Screen and Reflect, use them! The others will split into two groups—one group will attack them! The other group will set up their Pokémon by using Calm Mind, Swords Dance, whatever you guys have! And don't forget that we have the number advantage! Steelix, Charizard—Iron tail,Air Slash!" she barked, commanding everyone like a proud commander at the frontlines.
The winged orange beast and the massive steel serpent surged forward, tearing across the battlefield with raw force. Their teammates followed close behind like a charging wave, synchronized and unrelenting. At the back, shimmering screens began to shimmer into place—Light Screen and Reflect, dull glows of magical energy lowering both physical and special damage in half.
Farther back, I spotted Pokémon being cloaked in swirls of pink and black energy—probably the effects of Calm Mind and Nasty Plot. But before I could process that threat, the Steelix and Charizard had already closed the distance, now towering in front of us.
Khan was caught completely off guard by the sheer size of the Steelix, a drop of cold sweat trailing down his cheek as he smiled. I snapped back into control.
"Poliwrath, use Protect and win us a second!" I shouted.
Hexagonal energy shields appeared over Poliwrath's arms just in time, guarding him against the incoming Air Slash and a brutal Iron Tail. The attacks clashed against the barrier with a dull crackle and dispersed in sprays of air and sparks.
Not even a second later, Khan snapped out of his daze. His eyes locked onto Golduck, who was brimming with power from the Calm Mind it had just completed.
"Golduck—use Hydro Pump and get rid of that Charizard and Steelix!" he yelled.
The jewel at the top of Golduck's head gleamed faintly. With a smooth motion, Golduck gathered a swirling mass of water between its palms and fired it toward Charizard, who was already mid-flight and spewing flames at Poliwrath.
But just as the stream of water surged forward, a Bellossom leapt in front of Charizard. It tanked the full blast, its body steaming as it took the hit head-on with a serene smile, twirling its flower skirt in defiance. Khan bit his lip, frustrated.
"Scyther, get rid of that Bellossom with Dual Wingbeat! Golduck, don't let Scyther get hit by that Charizard and Steelix!" he ordered.
Scyther dashed forward in a blur of green, slicing at Bellossom with both wings. The hits landed hard—but Scyther visibly recoiled. A shimmering gray shield— Reflect—had softened the damage. The knockout didn't come.
I turned my attention to the back of the enemy lines. The support Pokémon back there—calm, patient, and dangerous—were quietly powering up. Meanwhile, the rest of our team was locked in desperate battle against the wave of Pokémon charging alongside Steelix and Charizard.
I let out a sharp whistle to signal Poliwrath, and he returned to my side. I crouched next to the blue Fighting-type, the one Pokémon we had who could tear through those screens with Brick Break. That was our only shot.
Poliwrath also had Bulk Up, Liquidation, and Protect. He was durable. But the screens weren't our only problem.
Those setup Pokémon in the back were becoming more dangerous by the second.
I started to think. We needed a way to break the screens and stop the powered-up Pokémon before they unleashed hell. Could Poliwrath just use Protect and slowly reach the backline? No... even if he made it, they'd just take him out and reset the screens. It wouldn't work. There had to be another way...
Then, suddenly—I opened my eyes wide.
A solution hit me like lightning. It was insane... but maybe it could work.
I ran toward Khan, Poliwrath following closely behind.
"Khan!" I shouted.
He was in the middle of barking another order, throwing his hand out to the side. "Scyther, use X-Scissor! Golduck, Hydro Pump protect Scyther from that Flamethrower!" His voice was ragged, his throat clearly strained from all the shouting.
He turned to look at me, eyes glowing with adrenaline and urgency. "What happened?" he asked.
"I've got an idea—one that can get rid of the screens, the screen-setters, and the powered-up Pokémon in the back," I said, grinning despite the chaos around us.
I gave a sharp whistle, and Arcanine bounded toward us, panting heavily, his breath ragged from the relentless fighting.
"The plan is…." I began, outlining it to Khan in rapid, urgent detail.
When I finished, I looked at him, searching his expression. "What do you think? Is it possible?"
Arcanine stood next to us now, chest heaving, eyes locked and ready. His fur was scorched in a few spots.
"It could work," Khan said, nodding slowly. "But you've got to get momentum with Extreme Speed first—then chain it into Flare Blitz. And than there is timing with Poliwrath,That timing is everything. If you get it wrong…"
He paused, then smiled.
"…but if you get it right, these guys will rip straight through their entire line."
He looked at Poliwrath and Arcanine—both ready from the very start.
"Okay then—Arcanine, use Extreme Speed and start gaining momentum!!" I shouted.
Arcanine let out a battle cry, his chest rising with a deep inhale as his fur bristled with anticipation. His entire body seemed to tense and expand for a moment—then, in the blink of an eye, he vanished.
One moment, he was standing beside us. The next, he became a streak of white-hot motion, a blur of pure speed that my eyes couldn't even follow. In one heartbeat, he was at the start of the underground path; in the next, he was dashing along one of the side corridors like a comet unleashed.
"NOW—FLARE BLITZ!!" I roared.
The blink of white light shifted—tinting orange, then red, then bursting into a trail of fire that scorched the ground beneath his paws. With every step, Arcanine left behind a burning path, a streak of flame tracing his wild arc through the corridor like a living explosion.
I stole a glance at the black-haired girl—the one barking orders like a seasoned commander. Her head whipped around as she tried to follow the fire-laced blur weaving through the shadows of the hallway, eyes wide, calculating what to do.
"Now—Poliwrath, use Protect and get ready to use Brick Break!" I yelled.
Hexagonal shields shimmered into existence, surrounding Poliwrath's body like armor. The green-tinted plates locked together, forming a protective shell around his frame.
"Steelix, use Earthquake stop that dog!!" she screamed in response.
Steelix reared back and slammed its iron tail into the concrete multiple times with a crash that echoed like thunder. The ground beneath us split and buckled, sending chunks of debris into the air. The earth quaked beneath our feet, making it harder for Arcanine to keep his blinding momentum. Cracks spiderwebbed across the battlefield, turning the once-straight path into uneven, treacherous terrain.
"They are/She is good," we all said at the same time without knowing.
I turned my eyes toward Tyranitar.
"Tyranitar, use Stone Edge! Make steps for Arcanine to move!" I called.
Tyranitar nodded and stomped hard with her right leg, slamming it into the fractured floor. With a grunt, she spat out a poor, fainted Furret she had used Crunch on moments earlier. Then, with a growl, spikes of jagged stone erupted from the ground like spears. In the corridor, they formed sharp platforms—perfect stepping stones for Arcanine to vault off.
After one final sweep of the battlefield, I knew it was time.
"Arcanine—use Crunch on Poliwrath!!" I shouted.
The girl on the other side flinched, visibly taken aback by my command. Attacking my own teammate? For a moment, even some of the opposing Trainers hesitated.
Arcanine skidded into position right in front of Poliwrath, his flames flickering in the reflection of the shield. They locked eyes for a brief second—no fear, just having fun—and then Arcanine bit down,firmly clamping Poliwrath in his jaws.
Poliwrath didn't resist. Instead, he kept his Protect active, shimmering green energy pulsing from his body and keeping him safe inside Arcanine's maw like a living warhead.
Then—one final dash.
Arcanine launched himself into the air, leaping off the stone spikes Tyranitar had created. With Poliwrath secured in his mouth and Flare Blitz roaring around his body, he surged forward in a brilliant blaze of speed and fire.
"NOW—POLIWRATH, USE BRICK BREAK! ARCANINE, USE EXTREME FLAME!!!" I screamed, thrusting my hand forward.
The orange blur collided with the protective screens.
CRACK!
The moment of impact was deafening. Poliwrath's fist glowed bright as it shattered the screens into glittering fragments of psychic energy. The barriers splintered and burst into the air like glass under a hammer.
But the orange light didn't stop there.
It tore through the Pokémon who had cast those screens, then straight into the ones behind them—the ones who had been quietly powering up with Calm Mind, Nasty Plot, Swords Dance, and whatever else they'd prepared.
They were swallowed whole by the firestorm.
The combined force of Arcanine's Extreme Speed and the explosive impact of Flare Blitz, fueled by momentum and intent as well as the Howls that Arcanine used to power us, it hit them like a cannonball.