The Honchkrow had only just broken through to the elite tier, and the surge of power made it restless. For so long, Silas had kept it hidden as a trump card,even during the chaos at New Mauville, it never got the chance to fight. Now, finally unleashed, its fighting spirit burned intensely.
With a sharp cry, Honchkrow shot into the sky. A faint blue aura ignited across its feathers, and in the next instant, it dove down like a blazing comet.
"Boom!!"
"Sunflora, Protect!"
Rose's voice cracked as she shouted, completely abandoning her usual composed charm.
Two Sunflora raised shimmering barriers at the same time, but the moment Honchkrow's Brave Bird slammed into them, the shields shattered like glass. The impact sent both Pokémon crashing to the ground, completely knocked out.
As the smoke cleared, Rose's expression froze.
"How is that possible…?"
Her voice trembled slightly. Those Sunflora weren't weak yet they couldn't even withstand a single strike.
Then she felt it.The aura coming from Honchkrow.
"…Elite level."
Her eyes widened in disbelief. She hadn't sensed it earlier at all.Silas had deliberately kept its energy suppressed.
That single miscalculation had just cost her two key supports.Before she could recover, the battle on the other side had already reached its climax.
Sharpedo surged forward, its body wrapped in roaring currents. With Speed Boost stacking momentum, it lunged straight at Breloom.Its jaws glowed with icy energy.
"Crunch!"
The Ice Fang landed cleanly. Breloom let out a pained cry as frost spread across its body, its legs torn open by deep bite wounds. Ice crystals formed instantly, freezing muscle and slowing movement.
"Breloom, Stun Spore!"
In a last desperate move, golden powder scattered into the air.
Silas reacted instantly.
"Honchkrow,blow it away!"
A gust of wind swept across the battlefield, dispersing the spores before they could spread. At the same time, Umbreon stepped forward and absorbed a trace amount safely, preventing further contamination.
Within less than a minute, the situation had completely flipped.
Breloom collapsed.
Both Sunflora were down.
Only Pidgeot remained airborne, barely maintaining flight, while Venusaur was still absorbing the effects of the purple pill. But Silas wasn't relaxed. His team wasn't in perfect condition either.
Honchkrow had already been flying for hours during their escape. Maintaining Tailwind for the entire team, then launching a full-force Brave Bird,its stamina was dangerously low.
Even so, he still held the advantage.
"Crawdaunt, Swords Dance. Strengthen yourself."
"Sharpedo, Ice Beam,bring down Pidgeot."
"Honchkrow, fall back and recover."
Crawdaunt raised its claws, performing a fierce battle dance as its attack sharply increased.
Above, Sharpedo fired a chilling beam. The ice struck Pidgeot midair, freezing its wings. In seconds, the bird Pokémon turned into a block of ice and fell from the sky with a heavy crash.
At that moment Venusaur moved. The crimson mist around its body surged violently as it finally completed the drug's absorption. Its already massive frame expanded further, vines thickening, its aura climbing to an alarming level ,approaching the peak of elite strength.
"Umbreon, use Synchronize then inflict paralysis!"
A faint pulse spread out, and sparks flickered across Venusaur's body.
Paralysis.
Even with the fading sunlight effect boosting its Chlorophyll ability, its speed dropped noticeably.But Rose only laughed.
"Die! Venusaur,use Petal Dance! Pidgeot… no, forget it…!"
She bit her lip, then forced the command anyway.
Venusaur roared, releasing countless petals into the air. The lingering wind currents twisted them into a violent storm a familiar combination attack.
A petal tornado.
Silas' eyes narrowed.He had seen this before.
"We're ending this now."
He turned to Honchkrow.
"Use snatch take Crawdaunt's Swords Dance and Sharpedo's agility."
In an instant, energy surged into Honchkrow's body.
Attack boosted.
Speed boosted.
Combined with Tailwind and its naturally high offensive power, Honchkrow's aura skyrocketed.But Silas knew the cost.
This state couldn't last long.
"Brave Bird. Break through."
Honchkrow let out a piercing cry as blue flames engulfed its body. It transformed into a streak of light and shot straight into the petal storm.
For a moment, everything disappeared into chaos.
Then The petals ignited.
One after another, they burned away under the blue flames, disintegrating midair until nothing remained.
A single blue streak tore through the storm.
"Venusaur!!"
Rose screamed But it was too late.
Honchkrow slammed down.
"BOOM!!"
The ground trembled.When the dust settled, Venusaur lay motionless, its massive body collapsed under the impact.
Silence.
Complete silence filled the forest.
Rose stared blankly at the scene, her mind going empty. Even after taking the enhancement drug… even after pushing its power beyond its limits…It still wasn't enough.
Her last Pokémon was gone.
Now, she stood alone.
"No… no… please…"Her voice trembled as she stumbled backward. "Silas… spare me… I'll do anything. I can serve you, follow you… anything you want…"
Desperation replaced pride. She tore off her combat gear showing her naked mounds, trying to bargain for her life But Silas didn't move.
His expression didn't change.
"You're dangerous," he said calmly. "Leaving you alive is a mistake."
Her face turned pale.
"You can't kill me! Viper will come to kill you, I'M his woman– "
She never got to finish talking before A burst of energy shot forward.
In the next second Everything went silent.
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(End of chapter)