"How is that possible? Just one Aura Sphere was enough to defeat my Electrode!"
Archer stared in shock at the Electrode that had plummeted from the sky, unable to believe it.
Aside from the unconscious Electrode lying on the ground with spiraled eyes, the only Pokémon left by Archer's side was a Houndoom whose stamina was rapidly fading.
Just as Blastoise was about to step forward, extending the cannons from its shell to properly deal with Houndoom, Venusaur beside it gently stopped it with a Vine Whip.
'That guy toyed with me using flames for quite a while earlier. It's about time I paid him back. Leave this one to me.'
With that, the flower on Venusaur's back launched massive seeds, unleashing Seed Bomb toward Houndoom.
"Houndoom, use Flamethrower!"
Naturally, Archer wouldn't let Venusaur succeed so easily and immediately gave the command.
Blazing flames burst from Houndoom's mouth, instantly burning the incoming Seed Bombs to ashes.
However, Venusaur showed no surprise at all. The seeds it spat out surged forward like shells, already switching into Bullet Seed.
Houndoom had never seen such a barrage before. Was this really Bullet Seed? This was clearly Seed Cannon!
Since when did Venusaur fire seeds as thick as shot puts? This was completely absurd.
Following Archer's command, Houndoom released flames once more, breaking through the Bullet Seed barrage.
Just as Houndoom prepared to rush forward and use Flame Charge on Venusaur, it suddenly felt the ground beneath its feet begin to tremble violently.
Venusaur had stomped the ground, and the sandy terrain ahead suddenly surged with natural power. Thorny vines as thick as giant trees burst from the earth, sprouting and growing at a visible speed, reaching a scale vast enough to cover the sky in mere moments.
Under the shocked gazes of Archer and Houndoom, the Frenzy Plant instantly seized Houndoom's body. Houndoom tried to use Flame Charge, hoping the flames covering its body would burn away the vines, but found that these thick thorns couldn't be destroyed by ordinary fire at all.
Moments later, before Archer's stunned eyes, the vines tore into Houndoom's body like chainsaws. Houndoom trembled, then collapsed weakly onto the ground. After casting one final heavy glance at Venusaur, its eyes slowly closed.
Seeing Houndoom faint, Archer let out a helpless sigh, tightly gripping the last Poké Ball in his hand, yet hesitating to release it.
Because he was still waiting for his only and most reliable bargaining chip.
"Looks like you've admitted defeat?" Red teased.
At Red's silent command, Venusaur and Blastoise beside him showed faint signs of moving.
Blastoise extended the cannons from its shell, aiming at Archer while gathering Aura abilities, preparing to launch Aura Sphere.
Two small Aura Spheres had already formed at the tips of Blastoise's cannons, yet Archer showed no sign of panic. He was certain that Red would never be cruel enough to kill him outright.
Just as the Aura Spheres were about to fire, Red suddenly spoke, stopping Blastoise.
Trusting Red completely, Blastoise decisively fired the two Aura Spheres into the sky, abandoning any intention to attack Archer.
Red's expression didn't relax in the slightest; instead, his brows furrowed with faint anger.
Because at that moment, a Persian suddenly appeared beside Archer. If it were merely an extra helper, Red wouldn't have been so cautious—but this Persian held something that could threaten him.
Facing Venusaur and Blastoise, Persian's playful expression immediately turned cautious, though it calmly licked its messy fur to steady its nerves.
"Is this all you're capable of—resorting to such despicable tricks?" Red said angrily, his gaze filled with concern as he looked at Pikachu, tightly clamped in Persian's jaws, and Ash, bound by its thick tail.
Though Ash's mind was hazy, he realized that his presence had dragged Red into trouble.
Feeling guilty, Ash lowered his head in silence.
Because Archer had captured Ash and Pikachu, the previously one-sided situation was completely reversed. With leverage over Red, Archer now appeared relaxed, utterly confident.
"State your conditions."
Suppressing his anger, Red spoke calmly.
In a situation like this, showing panic would only expose weakness to the enemy and lead to further defeat.
"You're very mature—so mature that I can't see you as just a ten-year-old boy. But precisely because of that, you're regarded by Giovanni as his only opponent—and not an enemy."
Archer spoke calmly, deliberately emphasizing the word "opponent," clearly unable to understand Giovanni's reasoning.
Still, Archer didn't push Red too far, knowing that provoking the seemingly calm beast before him would only backfire.
"My condition is simple—let me leave safely," Archer said lightly.
"Release my brother and Pikachu, and you'll leave unharmed," Red replied, his steady gaze fixed on Archer.
"I know you have psychic powers. Without absolute certainty, I won't give up my only bargaining chip."
Archer let out a faint mocking chuckle, ignoring Red's terms as he slowly retreated.
At that moment, Misty and Brock rushed over, panic written across their faces as they looked at Ash and Pikachu held hostage by Persian.
Both silently cursed their own weakness and ignorance, having been unable to stop Persian from capturing Ash and Pikachu.
None of their Pokémon could threaten Persian—instead, they had been turned into obstacles, hindering any rescue attempt.
The tension reached its peak. Though Red's steady advance caused a hint of unease in the retreating Archer, the sight of Ash and Pikachu in Persian's grasp restored his confidence, and a victor's smile appeared on his face.
"This is where we part, Mr. Red. No need to trouble yourself with seeing me off," Archer said calmly, tossing a Poké Ball. A well-developed Crobat appeared beside him.
At Archer's signal, Persian threw Ash and Pikachu away, then gathered a Shadow Ball in its mouth while the red gem on its forehead shone brilliantly.
Shadow Ball and Power Gem were unleashed simultaneously. To withstand this sudden attack, Blastoise reacted instantly, crossing its arms in front of itself as the shell on its forearms gleamed silver—using Iron Defense.
Seizing the opportunity, Archer grabbed onto Crobat's small wing and urged it to leave at once, quickly recalling all his Pokémon into their Poké Balls.
For the sake of absolute speed, Crobat had sacrificed its hind legs upon evolution, turning them into smaller wings—further showcasing its incredible mobility.
Red had intended to use his psychic powers to restrain Crobat, but by the time he reacted, Crobat had already carried Archer far beyond his sight, leaving behind only the traces of the fierce battle that had just taken place.