Chapter 501: Well-Prepared
Arthur's sudden attack had startled Skarner, but it had also caught the Stitched Shadow Army completely off guard.
"What's going on?!"
"How dare they attack first?!"
"Have we been discovered?!"
The so-called military supply line blockade was, of course, complete nonsense. Their intention from the very beginning had been to ambush Arthur's group here. They just hadn't expected their plan to go awry so quickly. The man who had been knocked out had failed to recognize Arthur, which had allowed Arthur to catch them by surprise.
However, this didn't disrupt the Stitched Shadow Army's subsequent actions. "Move! Move now!" Since they had been discovered, there was no need to pretend to be gentlemen any longer.
BOOM!
With a tremendous roar, a colossal creature burst from the ground, its massive body flipping the jeep Arthur and Skarner had been driving. Onix! It was another Onix. In the desert, where burrowing was easy, an underground ambush was a stealthy and effective way to start a fight. It worked every time.
Fortunately, Skarner had already grabbed the Poké Ball Arthur had left behind and opened it.
"ROAR!"
Old Flame appeared, spread its wings, and snatched Skarner from the airborne jeep, preventing a fiery tragedy. Arthur had suspected a trap before he had even gotten out of the car.
"Mismagius, Protect! Specter, Mega Evolve! Old Flame, get the driver to the back!"
From the air, Skarner thought, I'm not a driver! At least, not just a driver!
But the series of gunshots and explosions that followed quickly made him reconsider. The enemy's firepower was incredibly fierce. The Stitched Shadow Army's performance this time was a world away from their first encounter with Arthur in the Star Brilliance Alliance. Back then, they had been on the verge of collapse, cornered by the Kubfu Alliance's regular forces. The death of their leader had shattered their morale, and they had been broken before the fight even began.
But now, this remnant of the Stitched Shadow Army had been reorganized by Dayna and was a completely new force. More importantly, behind this bold operation, they had a more reliable backer. Otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to act so brazenly in the desert, even going so far as to wipe out one of the Three Phantoms.
After Dayna took control, the group had quickly abandoned the principles and ideals that Specter had established, completely turning against the Kubfu Alliance. Now, their equipment was shockingly advanced. The heavy machine guns on their armored vehicles roared like thunder.
This made Skarner waver for a moment: Maybe just being a driver is a pretty good gig...
Fortunately, Arthur had anticipated this. With no cover in the open terrain, their only option was to have his Pokémon take turns using Protect to tank the damage. Mismagius was the first to float forward, creating a protective energy shield. At the same time, Arthur's other Pokémon burst from their Poké Balls.
The Krookodile Chieftain, meanwhile, was enraged by the sudden firefight. He didn't understand the logic of human conflict. But right now, anyone who stood in the way of him rescuing his heir was an enemy.
"ROAR!"
With a furious roar, the old crocodile unleashed its ultimate move from the start—Outrage! Although Krookodile wasn't a Dragon-type, it could still learn the powerful Dragon-type move. In its rage, the great crocodile saw red and charged toward the enemy line.
But halfway there, it was intercepted by two Hariyama. At first, the Krookodile Chieftain didn't believe it and tried to overpower them. But their massive, fan-like hands slapped it back several steps, leaving it stunned.
This wasn't entirely the Chieftain's fault. The enemy had come prepared. The brown energy swirling around the Hariyama was a clear sign that they had already buffed themselves, most likely with the Fighting-type move Bulk Up, which boosts attack and defense. And both of them had the Guts ability, which further increased their attack power when they were afflicted with a status condition. In a real battle, they didn't have to play by stadium rules. Both Pokémon were holding Flame Orbs to deliberately inflict a burn on themselves and trigger Guts.
They were perfectly prepared. Now even the Krookodile Chieftain, who didn't understand human language, understood: the enemy had come prepared. They had no honor!
The duration of buffing moves was limited, and maintaining a buffed state consumed extra stamina and energy. And using a Flame Orb to maintain a burn was a constant source of pain. There was no way they would have their Pokémon in such a state for a routine patrol. This was clearly a premeditated ambush.
Realizing this, the Krookodile Chieftain became even more enraged. You humans are even more shameless than I am!
"ROAR!" he roared even louder. But his feet were suddenly moving as slow as a snail's.
Arthur, who happened to glance over, was speechless. When it came to shamelessness, this species truly was in a league of its own.
But he had no time to deal with the slippery, honor-less crocodile. Someone on the other side was giving an order: "Houndoom, use Feint!"
Since the enemy was prepared, they naturally had a deep move pool. The Normal-type move Feint, a counter specifically designed to break through Protect.
"Everyone, get down! Old Flame, Fire Blast!"
But even if the enemy was well-prepared, the Arthur of today was not the same person he had been in the Star Brilliance Alliance. He was a completely different man. Back then, he had too few Pokémon and had to rely on himself, his sword, and his ghost. Now, he had far more cards to play.
When Arthur shouted the command, the fastest one to hit the deck was, surprisingly, the Krookodile Chieftain. Arthur didn't know whether to praise its battle instincts or despise its cowardice.
Old Flame, from the rear, unleashed a massive, character-shaped wall of fire that rolled toward the enemy.
"All Water-types, use Water Gun!"
Now it was the Stitched Shadow Army's turn to be on the defensive. Their battle line was too long, and they had to protect their vehicles and soldiers. While their Pokémon could use Protect to block the attack, the exploding flames could still engulf their vehicles and trainers. They had no choice but to summon a large number of Water-type Pokémon to extinguish the fire. The scene was reminiscent of a great ninja war, with one man breathing fire and forcing an entire army to counter with a barrage of water.
Even with the type advantage, it would take more than one or two Water-types to extinguish a blast of fire from Old Flame.
Arthur took the opportunity to get back on his feet and quickly retreat. The enemy had numbers, guns, and firepower. A strategic retreat was necessary.
But as he got up and habitually scanned the battlefield, his heart sank. Where's the Sandslash?!
He saw that Skarner had released his Gliscor and Mienshao in the rear. He wasn't as slippery as the Krookodile Chieftain and was ready to fight. But to Arthur's horror, the Sandslash was nowhere to be seen next to Skarner, who had just been rescued from the car.
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