Decided to post a bonus chapter. Thanks for the recent support. I appreciate the comments and power stones!!
Espeon and Electabuzz immediately began stacking Calm Mind boosts.
A few minutes later, Silas could clearly make out the approaching Pokémon.
He would never forget it.
It was the same homicidal blue bird with cloud-like wings.
Altaria.
As it flew within scanning range, Silas immediately activated the System.
Altaria (M)— Level 71 (Suppressed to 54)
Ability: Cloud Nine
Potential: B+
Moves: Rank A Peck, Rank A Sky Attack, Rank A Growl, Rank A Astonish, Rank A Sing, Rank A Fury Attack, Rank A Safeguard, Rank A Mist, Rank A Take Down, Rank A Natural Gift, Rank A Mirror Move, Rank A Refresh, Rank A Dragon Breath, Rank A Cotton Guard, Rank A Dragon Dance, Rank A Moonblast, Rank A Perish Song, Rank B Haze, Rank B Hyper Voice, Rank B Play Rough, Rank B Tailwind, Rank B Roost, Rank B Agility, Rank B Flamethrower, Rank B Protect
Silas was stunned.
From what he knew, only Pokémon that entered the island above Level 54 would appear as suppressed.
Altaria was clearly a wild Pokémon, yet it possessed moves like Flamethrower and Protect that it couldn't naturally learn.
Perhaps it had once belonged to a trainer. That still didn't explain how it ended up here.
Silas didn't have time to dwell on the mystery. Altaria was already closing the distance.
As it approached, its body became enveloped in brilliant light. It was using its signature move, Sky Attack.
Silas' expression turned cold.
"Tropius, use Protect. Espeon, use Psychic to slow it down. Electabuzz, use Thunder to stun it. Poliwrath, use Ice Punch. Electabuzz and Espeon, time your attacks for the moment Altaria breaks through Protect."
Psychic communication allowed commands to be issued almost instantaneously.
Altaria charged forward with murderous intent.
Tropius immediately erected a shimmering green Protect barrier. Altaria smashed directly into it. Although Protect barely slowed the incoming attack, it created the opening Silas needed.
Espeon's immense psychic power immediately enveloped Altaria, locking it in place.
At the same moment, Electabuzz unleashed a devastating Thunder.
With 3 Calm Mind boosts amplifying its Special Attack, Thunder carried terrifying destructive power.
Even as a pseudo-advanced Pokémon, Electabuzz could still briefly stun an opponent an entire tier above him.
Unable to move while suffering continuous electrical damage, Altaria could do nothing as Poliwrath closed the distance.
Its Ice Punch landed squarely against Altaria's head.
Ice rapidly spread across the bird's body before it plummeted toward the forest below.
After suffering the combined damage from every attack and then falling from such a tremendous height the impact was bound to leave lasting injuries.
Without waiting for instructions, Tropius immediately dove after the falling Dragon-type.
Altaria disappeared into the tall grass below.
Fortunately, Tropius had already anticipated that possibility.
She unleashed a barrage of Air Slash attacks, cleanly mowing down the surrounding grass until Altaria's location was completely exposed.
The bird staggered to its feet, clearly dazed.
It had likely become accustomed to recklessly overwhelming weaker opponents with brute strength.
Against experienced enemies, however, such arrogance became a fatal mistake.
As soon as Tropius landed inside the clearing she had created, Poliwrath surged forward.
Without hesitation, it threw another Ice Punch.
Just before the attack connected, Altaria retaliated with Dragon Breath. The emerald stream of dragon energy blasted Poliwrath backward.
Although forced several steps away, Poliwrath remained standing while Altaria continued pouring more power into the attack.
At that exact moment, Espeon teleported Electabuzz behind Altaria.
Electabuzz immediately drove an Ice Punch into its back.
Altaria had been completely caught off guard.
Most Pokémon could instinctively sense nearby Teleport energy.
Neither Espeon nor Electabuzz naturally specialized in teleportation.
Silas knew this surprise would only work once.
Even though Altaria endured the Ice Punch head-on, the physical damage wasn't particularly severe.
That had never been the objective.
"Poliwrath, use Hypnosis!"
2 pink orbs formed within Poliwrath's hands before releasing strange pulsing waves toward Altaria.
As the waves washed over it, Silas immediately recognized the effect.
Altaria's movements slowed and its eyelids grew heavier. It was desperately resisting the urge to fall asleep.
"Now! Monferno, ignite your Aura and use Shadow Claw!"
A brilliant blue Aura suddenly erupted from the tall grass.
An instant later, a blue flash appeared directly in front of Altaria.
Monferno.
The moment they had landed, Silas had secretly ordered him to hide and wait for the perfect opportunity.
The ambush paid off perfectly.
Already weakened and fighting against Hypnosis, Altaria could do nothing to avoid the incoming strike.
Monferno slashed downward with ghostly energy coating his claws.
A massive X-shaped wound tore across Altaria's body.
Blood immediately stained its cotton-like feathers crimson.
For the first time Silas sensed a trace amount of fear.
Altaria frantically beat its wings in an attempt to escape.
It was already too late.
"You thought you could continue attacking me without consequence?"
Silas' voice became icy.
"You nearly killed Tropius last time. Now you'll pay the price. Go, Tropius!"
Tropius' rage had already reached its limit.
With multiple Dragon Dance boosts and Tailwind increasing her speed, she completely overwhelmed the critically injured Altaria.
Instinctively, an enormous surge of Dragon-type energy erupted around her as she charged forward with Steel Wing.
Silas immediately realized what had happened.
Outrage.
Driven by pure fury, Tropius had learned a new move and instinctively combined it with Steel Wing.
For the first time since the battle began, Altaria looked genuinely horrified.
Tropius relentlessly chased her through the air.
She slashed Altaria 3 consecutive times before crashing into her with overwhelming force.
The impact sent Altaria crashing back into the earth, carving out a massive crater.
Tropius immediately followed.
She repeatedly slammed her front legs into Altaria with relentless fury.
Altaria could barely defend itself.
As a final act of desperation, it unleashed Flamethrower point-blank.
Tropius ignored the flames entirely.
She didn't stop attacking until the power of Outrage finally burned itself out.
Silence.
Silas and every Pokémon present, stood speechless.
He had never witnessed this side of Tropius before.
Silas was convinced that if she had been only a few levels stronger…
Altaria would have died beneath that assault.
Completely exhausted, Tropius collapsed beside the defeated Dragon-type.
Without hesitation, Silas threw an Ultra Ball.
Click.
Altaria was captured.
He immediately sealed the Poké Ball, ensuring it could not release itself.
It had been an almost flawless victory.
The only Pokémon who had suffered meaningful injuries was Tropius.
The strain of Outrage combined with the point-blank Flamethrower had left burns across her body.
The attack still inflicted serious damage.
Outrage had merely allowed her to ignore the pain temporarily.
Silas immediately treated the burns before giving her fresh Berry Juice.
"Tropius, use Synthesis. Recover as much as you need. Let us know when you're ready to fly again."
Silas watched as sunlight gathered into her body before quietly allowing her to focus on healing.
He then walked over to Poliwrath.
Offering it Berry Juice, Silas carefully sprayed Hyper Potion over the area where Dragon Breath had struck its chest.
Poliwrath looked at him approvingly.
Its king had specifically instructed it to observe how Silas treated others once they were away from the tribe.
Some individuals only behaved kindly while powerful figures were watching.
Poliwrath was pleased to discover that Silas remained exactly the same.
That alone spoke volumes about his character.
The battle itself had also left a deep impression.
Watching Silas seamlessly transition from defense into a perfectly coordinated offensive was fascinating.
Every member of the team had fulfilled their role flawlessly.
As a warrior, Poliwrath naturally respected strength.
Tropius' overwhelming display had earned every ounce of its respect.
Angering that plant-dragon Pokémon would clearly be unwise.
Before today, Poliwrath had believed Silas' team possessed some strength but remained far too weak to threaten truly powerful opponents.
After witnessing this battle, however, its opinion completely changed.
Although Politoed and both royal guards would almost certainly defeat Silas' group, they would undoubtedly suffer heavy casualties in the process.
Monferno's brief appearance alone had displayed power comparable to Poliwrath's own.
There was little doubt that Silas still possessed additional trump cards.
The group remained in the clearing for another hour before Tropius finally signaled that she had recovered.
The sun still hung high overhead.
By continuously using Synthesis to recover stamina, Tropius maintained her maximum flying speed.
Another 4 hours passed and the sun had begun setting.
Connecting his psychic power with his Pokémon, Silas expanded his senses once again.
This time, he finally located his subordinates clearly. They were no more than an hour's flight away.
As soon as they entered communication range, Silas contacted Meowth and instructed the trio to head toward his location.
What he learned next filled him with horror.
Jessie, James, and Meowth were being pursued by trainers from the desert base.
Silas immediately began formulating a counterattack.
According to Meowth, there were 3 enemy trainers.
1 possessed advanced-class strength.
The remaining 2 were both near the peak of the pseudo-advanced tier.
This would be a difficult battle.
If they had been wild Pokémon of equivalent strength, Silas could have easily outmaneuvered them. Trainers were an entirely different matter.
Silas wished they were still near the tall grass clearing. That battlefield would've provided countless opportunities for ambushes.
A nearby forest could serve the same purpose. Unfortunately, Silas had never explored it.
Powerful unknown Pokémon might easily ruin any plan he devised.
At that moment, Frogadier emerged from Silas' shadow.
He confidently suggested using Toxic Spikes to weaken the enemy before silently assassinating several of their Pokémon.
In the games, Toxic Spikes was already a dangerous move.
In the real world, it was even deadlier.
Depending on the victim's constitution and poison affinity, the toxin could easily become fatal without immediate treatment.
During the chaos of battle, administering an antidote was far easier said than done.
After all, would an opponent politely wait while receiving treatment?
"You three, lead them directly toward my location. Keep running in this direction. Do not stop for any reason. Make sure they believe you're terrified."
Silas pushed his psychic power to its absolute limit as he communicated with the Rocket trio.
The pursuers were now only about 30 minutes behind them.
They had to prepare immediately.
Frogadier quickly spread numerous layers of Toxic Spikes throughout the area.
Although trees surrounded them, the forest itself was relatively sparse, leaving plenty of room for maneuvering.
Once enough traps had been prepared, Vibrava used Earth Power while Excadrill burrowed underground with Dig.
Together, they created a massive quicksand pit directly beneath the hidden poison traps.
Finally, Tropius covered the entire area with Grassy Terrain, completely concealing the ambush.
The preparation consumed valuable time.
Fortunately, they finished just before the Rocket trio arrived.
Silas recalled every Pokémon except Frogadier, who disappeared back into his shadow, and Excadrill, who remained hidden beneath the ground awaiting the perfect opportunity.
Silas suppressed his Aura, erased his presence, and concealed himself behind one of the forest's thickest trees.
Now that the Rocket trio was so close, maintaining psychic communication became much easier.
"Prepare to make one final fake stand. Keep running for another 3 minutes. We've hidden traps beneath the grass ahead. Don't worry about triggering them. I'll cover you."
Jessie, James, and Meowth executed the plan perfectly.
After clearing the hidden poison field and quicksand trap, they turned around and released all of their Pokémon.
Silas finally caught sight of the pursuing trainers. An intense killing intent instantly surged through him.
Leading the chase was the obese trainer who had publicly humiliated Jason outside the desert base.
He rode atop an enormous steel bird Pokémon that Silas didn't recognize.
The remaining 2 trainers were unfamiliar as well. They were twin women with short black hair. Each rode atop her own Skarmory.
A cold smile slowly spread across Silas' face.
"I truly am blessed. After taking my revenge on that damned Altaria, I get to crush this human Snorlax."
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Thanks for the continued support on my first fanfic!!
Moving forward, every 50 Power Stones, I will release a bonus chapter.
I will also be releasing bonus chapters for milestones. The next ones are 300k views and chapter 200.
Finally, I will be releasing 3 extra chapters once we reach 10 reviews. 5 star reviews are appreciated but not required, I want honest feedback so I can improve.
Once again, thanks for all the support and feedback!