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"Beat the small fry, and the big ones come running."
That phrase couldn't have described Sato's current situation any better. Spurred on by the commotion with the Psyduck group earlier, several Golduck in the area that had been foraging nearby now rushed over to support them.
Sato didn't mind this development at all. In fact, he was more annoyed at himself for not having done this earlier and wasting so much time.
"Figures. Hitting the small ones draws out the big ones. I should've done this from the start."
Seeing four Golduck closing in from all directions, Sato's expression lit up with excitement, though his mind was still slightly annoyed.
"Come out, Bellossom, Ursaring!"
"Gyarados, use Twister on the Golduck to your front-left. Block its path!"
"Bellossom, use Energy Ball on the one to the right. Take it down quickly!"
"Arcanine, use Extreme Speed to approach the Golduck in the lower-right, then follow up with Thunder Fang!"
"Ursaring, take on the Golduck to the lower-left. Use Fury Swipes to engage!"
Without delay, Sato leapt off Arcanine's back and moved to a safer position while releasing Bellossom and Ursaring. He issued the attack orders in rapid succession.
Among the four Golduck that had rushed in, the strongest one was the one Bellossom was facing—Level 46. The psychic energy radiating from it was also the most intense.
The second strongest was the one facing Arcanine, a Level 42 Golduck.
Third was Ursaring's opponent, a Golduck at Level 39.
The weakest among them was the one confronting Gyarados—just recently evolved, only Level 34. Gyarados, being of equal level, would easily handle it.
Upon receiving her command, Bellossom quickly began condensing a viridian Energy Ball in her hands, its power pulsing ominously. She hurled it at the Level 46 Golduck soaring through the air toward her from the top-right.
Less than half a second later, Bellossom had already formed another Energy Ball.
In just a few seconds, she fired off six Energy Balls, each surging with intense Grass-type energy, their angles so precise and tight that they all but sealed off the Golduck's ability to dodge.
But a Level 46 Golduck was no pushover. Its refined psychic power rivaled even that of pure Psychic-type Pokémon.
As the Energy Balls came at it, the Golduck's eyes flashed with a brilliant blue glow. Its right hand extended toward the projectiles, and a visible pulse of psychic energy burst outward, forming a shimmering blue mental net.
The next moment, all six Energy Balls froze in midair, completely wrapped in psychic energy.
"Gaaah!!"
With a loud cry, the Golduck flicked its right hand downward, and the Energy Balls—now under its control—shot straight back toward Bellossom at high speed.
This textbook use of Psychic Hold and Psychic Rebound, techniques favored by Psychic-type Pokémon, showcased the Golduck's exceptional psychic prowess.
But Bellossom, now at Level 44 and battle-hardened, didn't panic in the slightest.
In fact, she had begun dancing the moment she fired her last Energy Ball, completing a full Quiver Dance that sharply increased her speed.
With elegance and precision, she danced through the air, evading the rebounding Energy Balls with minimal movement, each of them missing her by the narrowest margins.
At the same time, countless viridian Magical Leaves materialized around her, enveloping her body like a shield.
Thanks to Sato's meticulous training, Bellossom had developed her own distinct combat style. Though she hadn't been using Quiver Dance and Swords Dance for long, she had already grasped their essence.
Especially Quiver Dance—she had studied the elegant dance of Shiny Beautifly and had gradually mastered the grace of its movements.
While dancing, her movements evoked the image of a butterfly flitting through the air—graceful, yet full of life.
After dodging all six rebounded Energy Balls, Bellossom manipulated the Magical Leaves surrounding her, shaping them into sharp arrows aimed directly at the Level 46 Golduck.
This time, she released far more Magical Leaves than she had Energy Balls—easily over two or three hundred.
With her near-masterful control of Grass-type energy, the leaves twisted into over a dozen serpentine streams that lunged at the Golduck from every angle, aiming to overwhelm it.
Faced with the onslaught, the Golduck's expression turned grim. It had just exerted considerable effort to repel Bellossom's initial attack, and now it was under heavy assault again.
The sheer number of Magical Leaves was too much—it couldn't control them all with its psychic powers alone. Many slipped through its mental net and bore down on it.
In the end, it was forced to resort to its emergency move—Protect—to survive Bellossom's brutal barrage.
On the other side, the red Shiny Gyarados, Arcanine, and Ursaring were all locked in intense battles with the remaining three Golduck. The ones fighting Gyarados and Ursaring were holding their ground decently, relying on their psychic abilities.
The Level 42 Golduck facing Arcanine wasn't as lucky. Arcanine, moving at blinding speeds thanks to Extreme Speed, caught it off guard from behind and bit down hard.
Thunder Fang, a move with type advantage, landed clean. The Golduck took massive damage, its body clamped tightly in Arcanine's jaws as further Thunder Fang strikes rained down.
Even so, it didn't go down easily. The Golduck summoned a massive burst of psychic energy and forced Arcanine's crackling jaws open, escaping by sheer force of will.
But before it could catch its breath, Arcanine once again appeared behind it with Extreme Speed, following up with a brutal Take Down.
The Level 42 Golduck was sent flying like a blue blur, smashing through two trees before finally skidding to a stop—completely unconscious.
Once it fell, the rest quickly followed like dominoes. The Level 34 Golduck battling Gyarados was swept up and slammed onto the bank by a powerful Aqua Tail, instantly losing its ability to fight.
As for the Level 39 Golduck that had been fighting Ursaring—once the latter, now at Level 45, landed a Scary Face and managed to get in close, it was struck down by a devastating combo of Hammer Arm and Fury Swipes.
Finally, the Level 46 Golduck, who had barely held on against Bellossom, now found itself surrounded by her allies.
Overwhelmed, it too was swiftly defeated.