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The moment the young boy shouted a warning to Delia, a shadow suddenly darted out from behind a nearby tree! A sharp claw sliced through the air, dark energy trailing in its wake, as it lunged straight for her!
"Rio!"
But the ambush failed—before the shadow could reach Delia, Riolu leapt forward, ready for it. Its paw, radiating a powerful aura, struck the attacker dead-on! A surge of energy erupted, sending the shadow flying into a nearby tree trunk with a loud thud!
"Meow..."
The shadow hit the ground and revealed its true form—a Meowth.
Having been struck by Riolu's Force Palm and then slammed into a tree, the Meowth let out a faint cry of protest before collapsing unconscious.
"Wow~ That little guy's amazing! It took down that sneaky Meowth in a single hit! And it's so cute~ Hey, big sis~ could you give it to me?"
As Meowth fell, a girlish voice rang out from behind a nearby tree. Moments later, a girl wearing a half-mask stepped out, her eyes glinting greedily as she stared at Riolu.
It was Sham—but Delia didn't know her.
"Hmph! I'm not giving up Riolu! Stop dreaming! You ambushed me out of nowhere—who even are you, and what are you doing here?!"
Delia was visibly angry—anyone would be after being attacked like that. She stood her ground and glared at the masked girl.
"She's the one who defeated us! Be careful! There's another one too... probably hiding somewhere waiting to strike again... those two cowards!"
The young boy who had been lying on the ground called out to Delia in warning, his tone seething with frustration from his earlier defeat.
"Ugh! Don't blame others for your lack of strength! Can't you see this big sister wasn't even scratched when she got ambushed? I really hate people like you who can't accept their losses!"
Sham rolled her eyes and mocked the fallen boy, her voice dripping with contempt.
"You...!"
The boy trembled with rage, but words failed him.
"Heehee~ getting you angry is the best~ Anyway, big sis, you really don't want to give me that little one? If you don't, I'll be so upset... and when I'm upset, I can do anything~"
Sham stuck out her tongue playfully, then turned her attention back to Delia, her tone shifting from childish to menacing as she smiled sweetly.
"I already told you—Riolu is my partner, and I'm not giving it to anyone. You can forget about it."
Delia's voice was firm, her refusal absolute.
"Heh, don't blame me then~ Meowth! Surround her!"
"Meow!Meow!"
At Sham's command, two more Meowth suddenly leapt down from the trees, circling Delia and darting in from both sides!
"Riolu! Use Aura Sphere!"
"Rio!"
Reacting instantly to the command, Riolu leapt in front of Delia. Two glowing Aura Spheres formed in its paws before shooting outward, blasting both Meowth backward!
However, since Riolu fired two Aura Spheres at once, their power was slightly reduced. The Meowth tumbled across the ground, but quickly scrambled back up, shaking off the attack.
"Wow! Incredible! Now I want it even more!"
Sham clapped her hands gleefully, her eyes sparkling with obsession as she watched Riolu fight.
"Attacking in ambush, ganging up on one person—you think that's something to be proud of? Fine then, I won't hold back either! Come out, CyndaCynda"
Delia realized this wasn't a proper Pokémon battle—it was a real fight. There was no reason to show mercy.
"Cyndaquil, use Flamethrower! Riolu! Use Aura Sphere!"
"Cynda!"
"Rio!"
A flash of light erupted as Cyndaquil appeared before Delia. At her command, it turned toward one Meowth—its back flames blazed high, and it unleashed a torrent of fire!
At the same time, Riolu gathered another Aura Sphere between its paws and hurled it toward the other Meowth!
"Block it, Houndour! Swinub, use Mud Bomb!"
"Grr!"
"Snort~!"
Just as the Flamethrower and Aura Sphere were about to land, another voice rang out from nearby. A Houndour leapt from the shadows, planting itself in front of the fire to block it completely. Meanwhile, a muddy projectile shot through the air—colliding with the Aura Sphere! The impact triggered an explosion, sending dust and dirt flying everywhere.
"Rooaarr!"
The Houndour that blocked the flames stood bathed in fire, yet showed no pain—if anything, it seemed to enjoy it. The flames were absorbed into its body, its fur glowing even darker and glossier than before.
"She's just one Trainer—did you really need to make such a mess, Sham? Looks like your skills still have a long way to go. When we get back, you'll be training hard."
A man wearing a matching mask stepped out of the brush, arms folded. Beside him stood another Houndour. His name was Kaz.
"Ugh, I was just playing with her! I can end this any time I want! Watch this! Come out, Slowpoke! Use Yawn!"
Annoyed by Kaz's scolding, Sham angrily tossed out another PokeBall. A Slowpoke emerged, its expression as blank as ever.
"Slow~"
At Sham's command, a pale light pulsed from Slowpoke's body, instantly enveloping Cyndaquil and Riolu. Both Pokémon froze mid-motion—their attacks faltered, and Cyndaquil could only sputter a puff of black smoke.
"Now, Meowth! Finish them off! Use Slash!"
"Meow! Meow!"
The two Meowth dashed forward again, their claws gleaming white as they leapt high into the air—this time, their target wasn't Riolu or Cyndaquil, but Delia herself!
As the Meowth closed in, Delia's Pokémon remained still, still trapped under Yawn's influence, staring blankly ahead.
But just as the Meowth were about to strike—
A sharp click sounded.
A burst of white light flashed beside Delia, and a small, blue-and-white Dratini appeared on her shoulder!
"Dratini! Use Twister!"
"Dra!!"
In an instant, Dratini whipped its tail, unleashing a furious Twister! The two Meowth were caught midair and flung helplessly into the vortex. The storm dissipated moments later—leaving the two Meowth tumbling to the ground, eyes swirling, both completely knocked out!