"Return, Onix, Scyther!"
Red took out his Poké Balls and recalled the two Pokémon. The Scyther simply had no room to defeat Crobat when their strengths were similar. After all, in terms of type matchups, Scyther's proud Bug-type moves could only deal one-quarter damage to Crobat—purely a waste of stamina. As for the giant Onix, although it held a type advantage, its massive body made it slow, and the battlefield was too cramped, further hindering its movement. It simply couldn't properly engage Crobat in battle.
Another Air Slash came slicing through. Red reacted instantly, easily dodging Crobat's sneak attack. He then cast a dark look at Damon, who was grinning mischievously, and said coldly,
"You're really a despicable and cunning guy!"
"How could you say that about me, Red-kun~?" Damon teased. Toying with his opponent was one of his pleasures. Unfortunately, Red hadn't suffered a single scratch, which left Damon slightly disappointed. Still wearing a playful grin, Damon failed to notice the chill gradually spreading in Red's gaze.
"If you want to compete in speed, then I'll leave it to you—Pidgeot!"
Red hurled his Poké Ball, and a golden Pidgeot burst forth like a streak of lightning, charging fiercely toward Crobat.
"Wing Attack!" Damon ordered.
Crobat's wings glowed white as it clashed head-on with Pidgeot's Wing Attack. After several exchanges, Pidgeot was the first to show an opening and was forced to pull back, widening the distance from Crobat.
(Truth be told, Pidgeot's base stats in the first generation really are low—none of them surpass Crobat's. Only Mega Evolution boosts its Special Attack above Crobat's, and even then, it's just Special Attack…)
"Where's your starter Pokémon? I heard it's Beedrill, just like Giovanni-sama's. Why not send it out?" Damon asked curiously, stroking his chin. Yet Crobat seemed to receive some silent command and once again unleashed Air Slash toward Red.
Pidgeot immediately responded, firing off its own Air Slash to cancel out Crobat's attack.
"My, my, blocked again!" Damon shrugged helplessly. "Kid, do you know? In the world of adult Pokémon battles, being a trainer is actually quite dangerous. The philosophy I follow is simple—defeat the trainer, and their battling Pokémon will be unable to continue!"
The moment he finished speaking, Damon's eyes filled with killing intent. He drew the dagger hidden at his waist and viciously thrust it toward Red's face.
Pidgeot panicked, attempting to whisk Red away from danger, but Crobat, which had been observing carefully, seized the opportunity and struck with Cross Poison, hitting a vital spot. Fortunately, luck was on their side, and the poisoning effect did not trigger.
"Idiot!"
Red easily dodged Damon's attack and followed up with a powerful kick to Damon's abdomen. The force nearly made Damon foam at the mouth. He had never expected the boy before him to possess such terrifying strength—it almost knocked him unconscious.
"You fool. Worry about my safety when you're strong enough to defeat me!" Red said helplessly. He gently touched Pidgeot's wound and activated the Power of Viridian to heal it.
"Pidgeot~"
Embarrassed, Pidgeot nuzzled Red's cheek. It had panicked earlier and forgotten that even it couldn't beat Red—yet it had dared to lose focus on Crobat.
"So you really are an enemy acknowledged by Giovanni-sama!" Damon slowly rose to his feet. The grin faded from his face, replaced by a gloomy expression. He removed his glasses and crushed them in his hand. A bone-chilling killing aura surged from his blood-red eyes, synchronizing with Crobat above.
Killing Intent Domain!
Terrifying killing intent erupted from Damon and Crobat like raging waves, threatening to devour everything. Even Pidgeot trembled midair under the oppressive aura, giving Crobat the chance to land another Air Slash.
"A battle domain formed from killing intent? Looks like your hands are stained with plenty of blood…" Red said coldly. He lowered his cap, shadowing the right side of his face. Only his left eye remained visible—and it gradually turned crimson. "It was you who proposed experimenting on wild Pokémon lives for the Master Ball, wasn't it?!"
Battle Domain!
The original killing aura was swallowed by an even stronger presence. A crushing pressure burst from Red alone, overwhelming the synchronized Killing Intent Domain of Damon and Crobat.
"Impossible! You're a domain trainer too?! And one with the exceedingly rare Battle Domain?!" Damon cried in horror. He had never imagined that ten-year-old Red possessed his own domain—let alone one at the pinnacle.
"If trainer participation is part of adult battles, then I'm more than happy to oblige," Red said calmly. He slowly raised his left hand, gathering Aura abilities. A pure Aura Sphere formed effortlessly in his palm. The sight shattered Damon's composure. How could something so absurd happen? Since when could humans use Pokémon moves?!
"What kind of monster are you?!" Damon exclaimed in disbelief. If he took that Aura Sphere head-on, he would be bedridden for at least a week.
"Just a rookie trainer from Pallet Town…"
Before his words had fully settled, the pure Aura Sphere shot toward Damon. Crobat hurriedly used Wing Attack to intercept it for its trainer.
"Don't forget, I'm still here, you filthy bat!" Pidgeot boasted. Turning into a golden bolt, it darted behind Crobat and struck its vital point with a brilliant yet powerful Aerial Ace.
Seeing that Damon still had the strength to dodge, Red's playful side surfaced. He gathered even more Aura Spheres. Since Damon insisted trainers should fight too, Red didn't mind using his 'cheap' Aura abilities to 'happily' knock Damon unconscious.
(Damn it! What kind of freakish human is this?!)
Damon could no longer maintain his composure. None of this had been within his expectations. He had assumed Red was merely a gifted Pokémon trainer—nothing more than an ordinary boy. He thought he could defeat him through a direct attack. Instead, Red's abnormality far surpassed even his own Pokémon.
"Damon, why are you only dodging? Weren't you eager for a trainer-versus-trainer battle?" Red mocked, launching another Aura Sphere. Damon narrowly avoided one in terror; it pierced through the wall behind him, leaving a spiderweb-like crater.
"Gulp…" Damon swallowed hard. His killing aura had long since been drowned by fear. Crobat, influenced by its trainer's shaken state, struggled to fend off Pidgeot's relentless assault. In contrast, empowered by the Battle Domain, Pidgeot fought more fiercely with each passing moment, completely overturning the earlier stalemate.
"There's no way I'll admit defeat! I am a follower of Giovanni-sama!"
In fury, Damon slashed his own arm with his dagger. The pain forced him to regain clarity. As another Aura Sphere rushed toward him, he hurled the dagger to weaken its force, then activated the psychic protection gear on his wrist and barely endured the blast.
Composed once more, Damon unleashed the Killing Intent Domain again. Crobat, previously suppressed by Pidgeot, regained balance and returned to an even fight.
"So the Supreme Commander isn't some ordinary weakling after all!" Red remarked with slight surprise. He hadn't expected Damon to calm down so quickly and neutralize his Aura Sphere. Though the psychic gear helped, Damon's own strength was undeniable.
"Sorry, old friend. I let my guard down first," Damon said, gently touching Crobat's wound. Then he looked at Red with steady eyes. "Boy acknowledged by Giovanni-sama, let's have a truly splendid battle!"