The little fox's piercing scream made both the thieving cat and Granbull flinch.
"Little fox, you're so noisy!"
Covering its ears in pain, the thieving cat glared at its teammate, who had been useless ever since Luke appeared. Forget asking the little fox to be helpful couldn't it at least avoid being a liability?
"But… but he's that human! The one, you know, the one with the boom, crash, bang!"
The little fox spread its paws, using onomatopoeic sounds to try and convey its meaning. Though abstract, both Granbull and the thieving cat understood exactly what it was saying they had seen Luke's power firsthand.
"We know! Didn't Granbull already say that?"
The thieving cat, ears still pressed tightly, had given up on reasoning with its teammate. Abandoning the little fox, useless in the fight, the cat pinned its hopes on Granbull, the one Pokémon capable of holding its own in battle.
"Granbull, do you think we fight or run?"
"…."
Granbull didn't answer. It stared intently at Luke, remaining vigilant, not daring to let down its guard for even a second.
"Granbull? Granbull?"
The thieving cat called again and again. Through persistence, it finally elicited a response.
"Do we have the Teleport Spoon?"
Granbull's voice was low, eyes never leaving Luke.
"A spoon? Yes, we do. You need it?"
As the cat instinctively reached behind itself to retrieve the spoon, Granbull suddenly raised its voice sharply, startling the cat mid-motion.
"Don't take it out!"
Fearful that the cat might naively expose their lifeline, Granbull had shouted before Luke could notice. As the only teammate to have faced Luke directly, Granbull knew better than anyone that this human could not be treated lightly.
Even though Granbull had repeatedly emphasized Luke's danger, the thieving cat and little fox still didn't fully understand what a thinking, speaking human with immense power represented.
As Granbull had anticipated, Luke had been listening to the trio's conversation the entire time. Though the alarm made Granbull's words hard to discern, Luke could infer their strategy through the cat's interjections.
In the Pokémon world, a "spoon" as a tool or weapon was rare. Aside from the Alakazam family, who always carried spoons after evolution, only Mewtwo in certain manga specials had wielded one.
Setting aside Mewtwo's use of the spoon as a long-handled weapon, the only other Pokémon likely to have it as a backup was the Alakazam line.
When Granbull had ambushed Luke earlier, he had wondered how it survived. Now, it made sense. This Granbull's confrontation with him was possible only because it had the spoon a device clearly meant for emergency teleportation.
Even though Luke didn't yet understand the spoon's mechanics or where it would send the Pokémon, he knew he couldn't afford to waste time wearing down these three in the narrow corridor.
While Luke was confident he wouldn't lose to these unevolved Pokémon, fighting in such a confined space was like trying to wield a spear in a cramped alley skill alone wouldn't be enough.
Taking advantage of Granbull's vigilance, Luke slammed a fist into the wall beside him.
Boom!
The sudden explosion drowned out the Human Center's alarms. Dust and flames obscured Luke's form, frightening the little fox into another shriek.
"Cough, cough! Quiet, little fox!"
The thieving cat, unprepared for Luke breaking through walls, brushed dust from its face and cautiously looked toward Granbull. Tentatively, it asked:
"Chase?"
"…Chase."
Granbull hesitated for a split second before choosing to pursue.
Outside the Human Center, Luke stepped onto the grass and immediately heard a distant roar. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw a massive stone statue spread its wings and fire a scorching laser at the ground.
The beam struck the earth, but no explosion occurred it seemed to be blocked. The giant statue retracted its wings and dove toward the ground.
Boom!
The statue's landing sent shockwaves that nearly knocked Luke over. From the same location, beams and explosions erupted repeatedly, evidence of a fierce ongoing battle.
Though it wasn't as devastating as in Pallet Town, the intensity of this skirmish far surpassed the earlier attacks. If the fighting continued unchecked, it might rival the noise of a real-world battlefield.
Strange. Was this world's League only for show?
Luke barely had time to wonder when the battle approached him. Turning to face the three Pokémon pursuing from the Human Center, he clenched his fists, flames roaring around him in anticipation.
"Burn, burn, burning! He… he's on fire!"
The little fox, dragged against its will from the center, shrieked yet again.
"Shut up!"
Even Granbull gritted its teeth at the fox this time. If the little fox weren't so skilled at minor theft, Granbull might have swapped teammates in frustration.
"…."
Scolded, the little fox tucked its tail and slunk behind the thieving cat. Its heart ached after all its effort gathering human Poké Balls, now left behind in the Human Center, it was being forced to fight a monster. Granbull had clearly promised to handle the battle.
Thinking of the sack full of human Poké Balls, the little fox's chest sank. Those were a fortune! If sold on the black market, three years' worth of food and drink would be secured.
"Remember, if things go wrong, destroy the spoon immediately."
Ignoring the fox, Granbull whispered to the thieving cat, the only Pokémon of any real combat ability in its team, then charged Luke. Before it reached him, several fireballs intercepted its path.
"?!"
Granbull narrowly dodged the incoming fireballs, astonished at Luke's long-range attack.
Luke ignored Granbull's surprise and continued suppressing the agile opponents with fireballs, planning how to defeat them without engaging in close combat.
Why fight up close when you can control them from afar?
Screech
Suddenly, an ear-piercing sound stabbed into Luke's ears. Sharper than nails on a chalkboard, it forced him to momentarily halt his attack.
Seizing the opportunity, Granbull advanced. The thieving cat drew back its claws from the floor, leaving scratches behind, and a faint, sly grin curved its lips.