The lone Pidgeotto soared above the forest floor, its mighty wings churning the air into a frenzied vortex. Each powerful flap sent gusts ripping through the canopy, causing trees and bushes to shudder as if recoiling from the sheer force. Its keen amber eyes burned with determination as they locked onto the glowing gaze of the colossal Rhydon—the rocky titan whose very presence reduced the ground and surrounding trees to dust. In response, Rhydon unleashed a deafening roar, "Rhiiooo!!!!!", shaking the earth with its primal fury.
From a distance, Kai and his newly bonded partner, Caiden, peered out from behind a copse of trees. Kai's crimson eyes narrowed as he murmured, "Damn, look at that Pidgeotto—it's so huge, almost as big as the Rhydon." Caiden echoed his sentiment with a quiet "Riuu~", his voice carrying both wonder and resolve.
Kai called out, "Hey, Gameboy." In response, an opaque screen materialized in midair, its pixelated text appearing with a familiar electronic hum:
"WHAT DO YOU NEED, HOST?"
Without shifting his gaze from the impending clash of titans, Kai replied, "Do you know how big that Pidgeotto is?" Instantly, the screen updated:
"EVALUATING PIDGEOTTO SIZE…
HEIGHT: 5 FEET; WINGSPAN: 12 FEET.
ABNORMAL SIZE DETECTED. GENETIC AND ANCESTRAL FACTORS LIKELY."
Kai murmured in agreement, "I thought the same thing. Anyway, can you assess the stats and battle moves of that Rhydon and the Pidgeotto?"
A new message flashed, its tone dripping with technical sarcasm:
"RECOMMENDATION: HOST, PLEASE UTILIZE YOUR OWN BRAIN. REMINDER: THIS SYSTEM DOES NOT FUNCTION AS A MANHWA/MANGA POWER AUGMENTATION INTERFACE."
Kai rolled his eyes as he groaned "Argh, fine, I forgot, okay?"
At that very moment, the battle erupted. The Pidgeotto launched a heavy Gust attack—its expansive wings beating with such force that nearby trees trembled and the ground itself seemed to ripple. The blast of wind was so powerful that even Kai and Caiden, observing from afar, felt its impact like a physical shove.
Unperturbed, the stony Rhydon countered with brutal efficiency. It gathered stones, rocks, and even uprooted tree trunks, hurling them in a savage barrage. Kai's crimson eyes squinted as he murmured, "Rock Throw?"
The screen promptly replied:
"AFFIRMATIVE."
Rocks, stones, and splintered branches hurtled toward the agile Pidgeotto. With graceful, calculated movements, the creature dodged every projectile, its lithe form dancing through the air with awe-inspiring precision.
Meanwhile, Caiden's cerulean eyes were fixed on the unfolding combat. His entire body tensed, adrenaline surging through him—a living testament to his innate fighting spirit despite being only hours into life. As he inched forward, a firm hand on his shoulder halted him. Kai's tone was calm yet commanding as he said, "Do not engage. For now, we'll only observe."
Caiden's eyes met Kai's with understanding. Nodding silently, he stepped back, his mind already processing the tactical nuances of the battle. Behind his youthful gaze, excitement mingled with determination as he absorbed every detail of the clash.
Kai's steady, analytical gaze roved over the scene. His face remained stoic even as calculations raced through his mind. The relentless exchange continued: Rhydon hurled stones and branches with unyielding force, while the nimble Pidgeotto weaved through the chaos, its evasion becoming increasingly difficult as it was slowly cornered beneath a narrowing canopy of trees.
Kai's brows furrowed as he noted the change. "The Pidgeotto's getting trapped…" he murmured. Its once-mighty gusts were now constrained, its flight path obstructed by the encroaching boughs overhead.
Seizing the opportunity, Rhydon surged forward with a low, guttural growl, "Rhooo!" Closing the gap in a heartbeat, it slammed its massive foot down. The impact shattered the earth like fragile glass as jagged rocky pillars burst forth from the ground—each spike towering over a human form. Kai's eyes sharpened, and he whispered, "I knew it."
The defenseless Pidgeotto, now cornered between the dense canopy and the advancing titan, let out a desperate, piercing shriek, "Pidgoooo!!!" The rocky spires pierced its body and wings with ruthless precision, and with a feeble cry of "Pidgo~," the magnificent bird collapsed, its eyes fluttering closed in resignation and collapsed on the ground, kicking up dust with a loud thud. It's feathers ruffled as it breathed weakly.
Kai murmured, his expression unchanged, "Stone Edge…" The screen quickly confirmed:
"AFFIRMATIVE."
Rhydon, triumphant in its brutal assault, roared again—a sound that shook the very earth as it advanced toward the fallen Pidgeotto. "Rhiiooo!!!"
Kai's eyes widened in alarm as he realized the relentless nature of the beast. "That bastard ain't gonna stop here. Time to step in for us, Caiden." Leaning close, he whispered urgent instructions into Caiden's ear before bellowing, "Now, Agility!!"
In an instant, Caiden assumed a focused stance. His cerulean eyes closed momentarily as a faint blue aura gathered around him. His breathing slowed into a calm rhythm, then exploded into rapid, controlled bursts. In a flash of motion too swift for the eye, Caiden vanished—leaving only a blur of motion as he surged toward Rhydon.
Kai's heart raced as he tried to track Caiden's movements, exclaiming, "What the—!!" Despite the blur, Rhydon managed to catch faint traces of his footsteps, its glowing eyes scanning the ground frantically for the elusive fighter. Kai's steady voice rang out, "Caiden, you know what I'm thinking. That Rhydon is too clever—don't get too close." Even though he couldn't see Caiden clearly, he felt his partner's presence, their bond transcending distance. They were inside each other's mind.
In response, Caiden's movements grew even more fluid. He blurred in and out of view, his figure appearing at multiple points as if performing an intricate dance of evasion. The rocky titan, despite its brute strength, struggled to pinpoint Caiden's location. Then, like a sudden burst of lightning, Caiden launched a barrage of untouching rapid thrusts, chops, and punches. The air around him shimmered with the distortion of compressed rings and arcs—a visual echo of his untouchable, blinding speed. His relentless attacks tore through the atmosphere like bullets, each strike a precise, calculated force hurtling toward Rhydon from every direction.
Kai's eyes remained transfixed, a wide, excited grin slowly spreading across his face as he muttered, "Damn…I never knew Agility+Vacuum Wave would look this cool!" But then, he snapped back to focus, as Gameboy's opaque screen prompted:
"CAUTION: CAIDEN'S STAMINA IS AT 50 PERCENT."
Kai's brows frowned, his crimson eyes darting back and forth from the battle to the screen and back to the battle, as he murmured, "We don't have much time."
As this realisation hit him which materialised as his recent words, he commanded, "Caiden, now!!"
At that moment, Caiden's dazzling display of afterimages halted abruptly. With a final burst, he closed the distance, surging forward toward the Rhydon. Yet the titan was far from idle; it whirled a massive claw, aiming a vicious swipe at Caiden. In a split second of genius, Caiden countered. With a blur of movement, he swung his arm with lightning speed, splashing a handful of gritty sand directly into Rhydon's eyes. The fine particles, propelled by his momentum, struck with brutal precision—enough to temporarily blind the beast, its eyes clenching shut in shock.
"Caiden! Don't dodge it! Counter and Force Palm on the chin!!" Kai's voice rang out as he tracked Rhydon's staggered movement.
In a final, breathtaking maneuver, Caiden extended one foot, planting it firmly against the Rhydon's swinging wrist—not to stop the motion, but to harness it. The impact generated a small shockwave, sending a burst of dust and debris into the air. Using his planted foot as a pivot, Caiden twisted his body sideways midair—like a gymnast suspended in slow motion. The Rhydon's claw whooshed past, missing him by mere centimeters, the sound slicing through the tension like a scream in the wind.
With his right arm drawn back, glowing faintly with concentrated aura, Caiden spun beside the titan's arm. In a single, split-second motion, his arm blurred as he thrust forward—delivering a precise Force Palm strike directly to Rhydon's chin. The impact exploded into a controlled shockwave, with rippling aftereffects of aura and searing heatwave tearing through the air.
The force of the blow sent Caiden hurtling backward as he landed heavily on the ground, dust billowing around him. Simultaneously, the light in Rhydon's eyes dimmed; its massive body stiffened as if struck by a powerful taser, and with an earth-shaking boom, it collapsed backward—crashing into the forest floor and sending pebbles and fragments of stone scattering like shrapnel.
The forest fell into a stunned silence, the only of a long sigh by Kai and the fading sounds of battle, echoing. In that moment, amid the swirling dust and shattered energy, the bond between trainer and Pokémon shone brighter than ever—a testament to their strength, strategy, and unyielding will in the face of titanic odds.
Kai burst out, sprinting toward Caiden. With a triumphant grin, he embraced his partner and pressed his cheek against Caiden's, exclaiming with pure excitement, "That was so cool!!!!" In response, Caiden's cerulean eyes lit up as he barked joyfully, "Riuuu~!"
As the adrenaline still pulsed through his veins, Kai released Caiden and raised his fist for a celebratory bump. "That was majestic. Big game to you, broski," he said, voice thick with pride and disbelief. Caiden returned the fist bump with a soft, enthusiastic bark, "Ryuu~!" Their eyes locked in a wordless exchange of triumph before both pivoted on their heels and turned toward the fallen form of a once-graceful bird Pokémon.
Kai's voice, steady yet laced with concern, broke the silence, "Shall we go and check it?" Caiden responded almost imperceptibly, "Ryuu…" With determined strides, the trainer and his Pokémon advanced toward the fainted Pidgeotto lying amid the scattered debris of battle.
But as they neared, Caiden's body tensed; his cerulean eyes widened as he abruptly pivoted, spotting movement—a chilling sight: the rocky titan Rhydon was slowly rising, just a few meters away. Its eyes burned with fury, its mouth twisted which looked like a wicked grin, and one massive leg lifting ominously to initiate another attack—the very same move that had snatched victory from the mighty Pidgeotto mere moments ago.
Following Caiden, Kai's crimson eyes widened, and a shudder of dread rippled through his lean frame as the ground trembled beneath him. He turned around to see the same sight as Caiden, and Caiden who leapt towards Rhydon to stop it. However, Kai knew in the back of his mind that it was too late.
"Nooo-!!!" he yelled, voice cracking with anxiety. In that split second—when Rhydon's monstrous foot was about to slam into the earth—a deep, resonant male voice bellowed from somewhere in the distance, "Hydro Pump!!!"
Almost simultaneously, a roar like that of a jet engine exploded through the air. A torrential blue-white beam of water crashed into Rhydon, slamming it backward several meters before it hit the ground with a bone-jarring impact. The force sent a cascade of pebbles and splintered wood scattering into the air.
Stunned, Caiden halted mid-air before landing with a controlled roll, while Kai, eyes darting with tension, cocked his head toward the source of the unknown male voice and roar of the violent blast of water that had just shattered the momentum of the rocky titan.
There, emerging from the haze of woods and bushes in a distance, Kai's darting crimson gaze fell upon a formidable figure—a Pokémon that resembled the armored sentinel table clock of his room. Its thick, jagged dark blue scales formed a rugged, impenetrable plating, while folds of rippling flesh outlined its powerful neck and joints. A massive shell, akin to a navy-grade titanium dome scarred by countless battles, some portions scorched to black, others etched by claw marks, shielded its body.
Its woody brown eyes gleamed with ferocity, like those of an S-grade predator, and its arms—bulky, plated, and layered with muscle like battering rams—brandished claws curving like obsidian blades. On each side, twin jet-nozzle appendages, thick as a man's thighs and rotating with the precision of turret guns, pumped out streams of water with relentless force, like a fire hydrant on steroids.
It was unmistakably a Blastoise.
Then, as if that weren't enough, Kai's eyes swept to the figure standing beside the imposing Pokémon. A tall figure emerged, radiating confidence through a cocky yet charismatic smile that lit up his sharply defined cheekbones. His youthful features revealed an age in the mid-to-late teens—a striking blend of emerging maturity and vibrant energy.
His tousled chestnut hair fell in wild, effortless waves—a testament to a life brimming with adventure—and his piercing hazel eyes sparkled with a mix of confidence and a little smugness.
Kai's crimson eyes widened in internal astonishment as he recognized the imposing figure. "Tha—that's Blue!!" he exclaimed internally, his heart pounding in his chest like a battle drum. Almost immediately, Blue's piercing hazel eyes darted towards Kai, and locked onto his crimson eyes, and with a smug, confident smirk that spoke of countless triumphs, Blue bellowed across the tumultuous field, "Thank me later, kid!!"
In that electrifying moment, the forest seemed to hold its breath. The unexpected arrival of Blue, the renowned trainer with a legendary reputation in the Pokémon world, brought the battlefield to a new crescendo.