Grey's POV
While we were all resting for the night, I suddenly felt the ground rumble beneath me. At first, I thought it was just another small tremor, but within seconds the shaking grew stronger. I immediately got out of my sleeping bag and rushed outside the tent to see what was happening.
The moment I stepped out, my eyes widened.
A large horde of Rock-type Pokémon was charging straight towards the camp.
Around me, other trainers who had been resting also came out of their tents with confused expressions that quickly turned serious. The League officials stationed around the campsite reacted even faster. They immediately began shouting orders, telling everyone to prepare for battle. Researchers hurriedly retreated behind the defensive line while the trainers and officials released their Pokémon.
This definitely wasn't a normal occurrence.
Without wasting another second, I threw three Poké Balls into the air.
"Exeggutor! Cloyster! Axew!"
All three of my Pokémon appeared beside me, immediately sensing the urgency of the situation. Since most of the incoming Pokémon were Rock-types, Exeggutor and Cloyster naturally had the type advantage, while Axew at least had Rock Smash to deal super-effective damage.
The battle erupted almost immediately.
Water-type attacks, Grass-type attacks, and Fighting-type moves flew across the battlefield as trainers desperately tried to stop the charging horde. I even noticed one of the Ace Trainers commanding a massive Blastoise, whose Hydro Pump carved straight through multiple Graveler and Geodude at once, sending them tumbling backwards.
For a few minutes it actually seemed like we were pushing the horde back.
Then everything changed.
A deafening roar echoed throughout Mt. Moon.
The ground shook once more, this time even harder than before, as the Pokémon responsible for leading the attack finally revealed itself.
A gigantic Golem slowly emerged from deeper within the cave.
No...
This wasn't just a Golem.
It was far larger than any normal one I had ever seen. Cracks covered its rocky body, its eyes were bloodshot, and it carried itself with an almost feral aggression. The sheer pressure it gave off was enough to make weaker Pokémon hesitate.
If I had to guess...
That thing probably possessed the Alpha Gene.
For some reason, it had completely lost control and was rampaging through Mt. Moon, dragging countless powerful Rock and Ground-types behind it.
Several Water-type Pokémon immediately attacked it from different directions, but the Alpha Golem barely reacted. It simply tanked the attacks before slamming both arms into the ground.
"GOLEM!!"
Hundreds of sharp rocks shot into the air before raining down as a massive Stone Edge, forcing everyone to scatter.
The Ace Trainers immediately changed tactics.
"Forget the Alpha! Focus on the Pokémon supporting it!"
"If we thin out the horde first, we'll have a chance!"
"Don't engage the Alpha unless you're ordered!"
Following their commands, everyone split up to intercept the stronger Pokémon accompanying the giant Golem.
Kabutops.
Sandslash.
Graveler.
Onix.
Rhydon.
Each one was powerful enough to cause serious damage if left alone.
Me and my team quickly moved towards a Rhydon that had broken through part of the defensive line.
The battle started immediately.
The Rhydon was unbelievably strong.
Every attack it launched carried tremendous force, and it wasn't just relying on raw power either. It had excellent battle instincts, constantly forcing my Pokémon into unfavorable positions.
Judging by its strength...
This thing was probably around seven-badge level. Maybe even eight.
And if one of the Alpha Golem's subordinates was already this terrifying...
Just how strong was that Alpha itself?
Why had something like that suddenly gone on a rampage?
I didn't have time to think any further.
"Stone Edge!"
The Rhydon slammed its foot into the ground before dozens of massive stone spikes shot towards us.
"Move!"
I barely managed to dive to one side as one of the rocks smashed into the ground where I had been standing moments earlier.
My Pokémon responded immediately.
Exeggutor spread his energy across the battlefield before using Grassy Terrain, covering the area in glowing grass that slowly began restoring our stamina and injuries.
At almost the same moment, Cloyster activated Shell Smash, sacrificing part of her defenses to drastically boost her offensive power.
Seeing Rhydon momentarily focused on the others, Axew charged in.
"Strength! Then Rock Smash!"
Axew roared as white energy surrounded his body. Using the momentum from Strength, he rushed forward before crossing both glowing fists together in a devastating Rock Smash.
The attack landed squarely on Rhydon's chest.
The giant Pokémon barely flinched.
Instead, it looked down at the tiny dragon almost mockingly before swinging one massive arm.
BAM!
Axew was smashed straight into the ground.
The impact created a small crater beneath him.
"Axew!"
Despite the hit, Axew stubbornly tried to get back up.
Unfortunately, Rhydon wasn't finished.
Almost as if it found amusement in bullying the much smaller Pokémon, it slowly lifted one enormous foot before bringing it crashing down towards Axew.
Axew desperately pushed both hands upward, trying to stop the massive leg from crushing him.
His arms shook violently.
He couldn't hold it.
For the first time since joining my team...
Exeggutor and Cloyster acted together without either of them waiting for my command.
Exeggutor's eyes glowed blue as Psychic immediately locked onto Rhydon, freezing the giant Pokémon just long enough to lift its foot away from Axew.
At that exact moment, Cloyster completed his Shell Smash.
"Icicle Spear!"
Dozens upon dozens of razor-sharp icicles blasted forward.
Even while being restrained by Psychic, Rhydon managed to raise both arms to block.
It didn't matter.
The Icicle Spears struck every exposed part of its body, exploding one after another until the giant Pokémon was blasted backwards, crashing into the cave wall before falling into a crater.
Axew was finally free.
The Rhydon slowly climbed back onto its feet.
Its entire body was covered in cuts and bruises from Cloyster's assault, but the beast simply roared louder than before.
It wasn't done.
Neither were my Pokémon.
Exeggutor immediately wrapped Psychic around Cloyster before levitating both of them into the air. Cloyster continued firing Icicle Spears from above while Exeggutor used Psychic to constantly disrupt Rhydon's movements, the two of them fighting together surprisingly well despite all the arguments they usually had.
I didn't waste any time.
I rushed over to Axew with a Potion already in my hand.
"Axew" I muttered while spraying the medicine over his injuries. "Are you ok , say something."
Axew slowly stood back up.
His body still ached from the beating, but his eyes weren't focused on me.
They were locked onto Exeggutor and Cloyster.
He watched as his two teammates fought side by side against an opponent far stronger than themselves.
Somewhere along the journey...
They had all grown and trained equally but.
Exeggutor had defeated Lapras.
Cloyster had become an offensive monster after mastering Shell Smash.
And now...
The two of them were holding off a Pokémon that had completely overwhelmed him.
For the first time...
Axew felt like he had fallen behind.
He wanted to fight.
He wanted to defeat that giant grey dinosaur.
He wanted to stand beside his teammates again instead of watching them from behind.
He wanted to catch up.
A deep roar escaped his throat.
"RAAAAAAHHHHH!!"
I turned around just in time to see his body erupt in brilliant white light.
My eyes widened in shock.
"Axew..."
"You're evolving!"
The brilliant white light surrounding Axew grew brighter and brighter until I had to shield my eyes. Inside the glow, its small body rapidly stretched taller, its limbs becoming stronger and more muscular. The tiny tusks on either side of its mouth extended into large crimson axe-like fangs, while the horn on its head sharpened and its claws lengthened into deadly weapons. Its scales darkened slightly, giving it a far more intimidating appearance than before. The light finally shattered into countless sparkling particles, revealing a proud Fraxure, who flexed his new claws before letting out a powerful roar that echoed throughout Mt. Moon, his crimson tusks gleaming under the cave lights.
Grey's POV
I was honestly ecstatic seeing Axew finally evolve after all this time. It had been with me since the very beginning of my journey, and after months of battles and training it had finally reached its next stage. But unlike me, Fraxure wasn't celebrating its evolution at all. Its eyes never left the Rhydon standing ahead of it.
The moment the evolution completed, Fraxure let out a powerful roar before immediately using Dragon Dance. Its body began moving with incredible speed, draconic energy surrounding it as both its strength and agility increased. Without wasting even a second, it charged straight towards Rhydon, intent on finishing the battle once and for all.
Using its newly evolved body, Fraxure accelerated much faster than before. Once it had built enough momentum, it leapt high into the air, both claws glowing as it combined Strength with Rock Smash, preparing another devastating cross strike.
Rhydon looked up at the approaching dragon and immediately reached down to grab a massive boulder for Rock Throw.
Unfortunately for it...
Exeggutor had been waiting.
"Exeggutor!"
The coconut Pokémon's eyes glowed blue as Psychic instantly restrained Rhydon, freezing its movements for just long enough.
That was all Fraxure needed.
"Now!"
"FRAX!"
With a roar, Fraxure brought both glowing arms crashing down in a massive cross-shaped Rock Smash.
BOOOOM!
Unlike before, this attack actually made Rhydon scream in pain. The evolved dragon's increased strength was immediately obvious, the impact forcing the giant Pokémon down onto one knee as cracks spread beneath its feet.
Cloyster wasn't about to waste such a perfect opening.
"Icicle Spear!"
Dozens of icy spears shot forward and slammed into the already staggering Rhydon. This time it couldn't even raise its arms properly to defend itself, allowing the barrage to strike across its chest, shoulders and legs, leaving it covered in fresh wounds.
Exeggutor wasn't about to let his partner have all the fun either.
"Giga Drain!"
Thick green vines wrapped around Rhydon before glowing with emerald light, rapidly draining away its stamina and life force. After enduring Rock Smash, Psychic, Icicle Spear and now Giga Drain, even this incredibly experienced Rhydon was barely able to remain standing.
It looked towards its Alpha Golem leader.
Only to see the giant Pokémon itself being overwhelmed by several powerful Water and Grass-types under the command of one of the Ace Trainers.
Realising the battle had already been lost...
Rhydon made the most tactical decision it had probably made in years.
It slammed both fists into the ground.
"Dig!"
The massive Pokémon disappeared underground almost instantly.
Then...
It proceeded to use one of the oldest and most effective techniques known to it since the Ancient Era.
Running Away.
"..."
I just blinked.
"...Fair enough."
Neither Fraxure nor the others chased after it. Rhydon had disappeared deeper into an unexplored section of Mt. Moon, and none of us had any intention of blindly running into unknown tunnels. Our objective had never been to hunt every wild Pokémon down; it had simply been to survive the attack and protect the camp.
On the other side of the battlefield, the Ace Trainer and the League officials finally managed to subdue the Alpha Golem after an exhausting battle. Once the massive Pokémon was weakened enough, the Ace Trainer threw a Poké Ball, successfully capturing it.
From the discussions around me, it seemed the capture was only temporary. The League intended to study why an Alpha Pokémon had suddenly become so feral before deciding what to do with it. While the Golem would undoubtedly be a terrifying addition to any team, that would only matter if it eventually acknowledged the trainer who had caught it.
With their leader gone, the remaining Rock-types quickly began retreating into the depths of Mt. Moon.
Some trainers managed to catch a few of the fleeing Pokémon.
Others simply let them escape back into the cave.
Either way...
The crisis had finally come to an end.
After helping clean up the battlefield and making sure everyone who had been injured received treatment, we slowly returned to the campsite. Nobody really had the energy to talk much after everything that had happened.
Just before everyone retired for the night again, one of the Pokémon Rangers addressed all the trainers.
"We'll be holding a debriefing tomorrow morning," he announced. "Everyone who participated in tonight's incident is requested to attend. We need statements from all witnesses regarding what happened."
Everyone, including me, nodded in agreement.
After a night like this...
I doubted anyone was going to forget what had happened inside Mt. Moon.
Author's Note: Next week there might be less chapters or none as well due to work.