In the distance, Denar—who had been commanding his Slaking to battle the Aerodactyl in the sky—suddenly turned pale as he noticed what was happening.
He hadn't expected that while his attention was elsewhere, his Honchkrow had taken a devastating blow from the enemy's Steelix!
It completely caught him off guard.He never imagined the opposing Trainer could be this strong—able to direct a Steelix to injure Honchkrow in such a short span of time.
"Slaking, go! Save Honchkrow!"
Panic rising in his voice, Denar abandoned the Aerodactyl fight and immediately ordered Slaking to charge in and rescue his fallen partner.
Honchkrow was his most important Pokémon—the one that had carried him through countless League ambushes and ensured his escapes. No matter what, he couldn't let it fall here!So he chose to send in Slaking to crush that Steelix.
That was the plan, anyway.But he had forgotten one very critical detail—
—Slaking's own opinion on the matter.
Upon hearing Denar's shout, the Slaking merely gave a lazy expression, yawned, and stayed sprawled on the ground. It gazed absently up at the Aerodactyl circling in the sky, unmoving—as if it hadn't even heard the command.
"Slaking!!"
Denar's voice cracked with anger. He hadn't expected his Slaking to ignore orders at a time like this. His face darkened as he barked again.
But Slaking didn't even glance his way.
There's a reason it's called the laziest Pokémon in the world—not just a nickname.According to the Pokédex, Slaking is an incredibly indolent species. When fruit ripens, they lie under trees in herds, mouths open, waiting for the fruit to fall directly in.
On ordinary days, they're too lazy even to roll over.
And Denar's Slaking was clearly in one of those moods.
Just as Denar opened his mouth to scold it again, the beast yawned once more, closed its eyes… and began to snore.
"Damn it!!"
Denar was furious to the point of fainting.
With no choice left, he gave up on Slaking.
"You're up—Aggron!"
His final Poké Ball burst open, revealing Aggron.
The moment he sent it out, Denar's expression flickered with a trace of regret.If he had any choice, he wouldn't be using this Aggron at all.
Because it wasn't truly his—it had been stolen recently from another Trainer.It hadn't been properly trained yet, and its obedience was uncertain.
Given a little more time, he could've ensured total loyalty. But right now? He was only eighty percent confident it would obey him—and only if things were going well.If he started to lose, there was a real chance the Aggron might turn on him.
Still, he had no other Pokémon left.
For this mission, he'd prepared five in total.Aside from Honchkrow and Slaking, the other three—Seviper, Ursaring, and Swellow—were locked in battle against the Aerodactyl in the sky and couldn't pull away.
That left only Aggron at his disposal.
"Aggron, use Headbutt!"
No time to hesitate. Denar shouted the command.
Aggron roared and charged forward, eyes flashing as it thundered toward Steelix. Seeing its obedience, Denar finally exhaled in relief. As long as it listened, there was still hope.
Across the field, Nozomi watched the charging Aggron and smirked faintly.
"Nowhere near Giovanni's Aggron."
Same species—but the difference was night and day. Giovanni's Aggron surpassed this one in power, presence, and sheer size.
"Steelix, finish it."
Leaving Steelix to handle Aggron on its own, Nozomi turned his gaze toward the ongoing aerial battle.
Aerodactyl wasn't looking good—it was getting surrounded.
Facing dozens of Pokémon at once, the ancient sky ruler no longer carried its usual overwhelming dominance. It could only circle through the clouds, relying on speed and agility to dodge the constant stream of attacks.
After a brief thought, Nozomi sent out three Ghost-type Pokémon—Misdreavus, Haunter, and Dusknoir.
They streaked out in three directions at once, surrounding the battlefield.
Before they even got close, three enormous Shadow Balls burst forth and slammed into the ground below, blasting several enemy Pokémon off their feet.
The sudden assault gave Aerodactyl a window to breathe. It seized the chance—snapping its jaws around a nearby Swellow that had been pestering it incessantly.
It had hated that bird for a while now—flitting close, taunting from every angle.
Enough was enough.
Swellow screamed as Aerodactyl's Crunch crushed its defenses. It tore free, flapping desperately to flee—but didn't make it far before Aerodactyl swooped down again and unleashed a Rock Slide.
Boulders rained down from the sky. For a Flying-type, the impact was catastrophic.Swellow crashed to the ground, fainting instantly.
With Swellow eliminated, Aerodactyl tucked its wings and dove straight into the swarm below.
The opposing Pokémon were too busy dealing with the Ghost trio to notice. Aerodactyl darted between them effortlessly, snatched up a Dewgong that had just fired an Ice Beam its way, and hurled it down from the sky.
Boom!
The Dewgong hit the ground with a heavy thud and lay still.
One after another, Aerodactyl repeated the brutal cycle—dive, snatch, throw.The hunters' Pokémon fell rapidly, their numbers dwindling.
Panic began to spread.
"Run!"
One hunter watched in horror as his Houndoom was seized, tossed into the air, and struck down by a retaliatory Aerial Ace.
Terror overtook him. Forgetting his comrades entirely, he recalled every remaining Pokémon, then hurled out his final Poké Ball.
Bang!
A Fearow burst forth, and at his shout, it swept him up and took to the sky, fleeing for its life.
"He ran for it?"
The others stared, hearts sinking.
The moment one fled, the fragile thread of trust between them snapped.
These so-called Pokémon hunters had only banded together temporarily under Denar's organization. Now, seeing one of their own desert, doubt and fear spread like wildfire across the group.
(End of Chapter)