Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

Seeing that his Yanmega was actually at a disadvantage, Youhun's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I may have underestimated you."

Youhun had received intel that Aoki's strength was only average among squadron leaders. However, his own power was that of a top squadron leader—just one step away from becoming a captain.

He had already applied for a Team Rocket captain position, and as long as he passed the assessment, he would be promoted.

Originally, dealing with Aoki was supposed to be a simple matter, but the strength of Aoki's Honchkrow was beyond his expectations.

This was clearly the power of a top squadron leader as well!

Youhun's expression darkened.

The unreliable intelligence had put him in a passive position.

Still, he believed the situation was under control. According to his sources, Honchkrow was Aoki's strongest Pokémon—able to suppress his Yanmega—but the rest of Aoki's team shouldn't be as strong.

With that confidence, Youhun took another Pokéball from his belt.

"Come on, Ariados!"

A Pokéball burst open, and an Ariados materialized onto the battlefield.

Aoki quickly activated his System to scan Ariados's data:

Pokémon: Ariados (Dark Green)

Gender: Male

Level: 39

Type: Bug/Poison

Ability: Sniper

Held Item: None

Egg Moves: Sonic Boom, Pursuit, Signal Beam

Basic Moves: Swords Dance, Focus Energy, Toxic Spikes, Fell Stinger, Bug Bite, Poison Sting, String Shot, Constrict, Absorb, Scary Face, Night Shade, Shadow Sneak, Leech Life, Sucker Punch, Spider Web, Agility

Learnt Moves: Giga Drain, Snore, Bug Bite, Bounce

TM Moves: Protect, Hidden Power (Water), Double Team, Poison Jab

Aoki analyzed the situation. This Ariados was strong, and Sniper was a rare and dangerous ability.

"Another Bug-type specialist?" Aoki frowned slightly.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Fighting two opponents at once would be difficult for Honchkrow, so Aoki reached for another Pokéball.

"Go, Sneasel!"

Against this Ariados, Slowking would have been the safest choice, but Aoki wanted to train his other Pokémon as well.

"Sneasel, use Agility, then launch an Icy Wind!"

The moment she emerged, Sneasel immediately followed Aoki's command.

She glided swiftly across the field, sending a chilling gust of wind toward Ariados.

"Ariados, Bounce to dodge, then use Swords Dance!" Youhun countered calmly.

No matter how well a Pokémon and trainer understood each other, there was always a slight delay between command and execution. He knew how to take advantage of those gaps.

Ariados leapt into the air, narrowly evading the Icy Wind, then spun in place as it descended—sharpening its attack power with Swords Dance.

With Sniper and a boosted critical hit, even Sneasel could be taken down in one strike.

Aoki frowned. He decided to stop holding back.

Tapping into his Psychic Powers, his eyes glowed red as he established telepathic communication with Honchkrow and Sneasel.

"Honchkrow, endure the next attack from Yanmega, then charge up Brave Bird and switch targets to Ariados!"

"Sneasel, don't let Ariados get close. Stay mobile, use Icy Wind to slow it down, then trap it with Icicle Crash—set up an opening for Honchkrow!"

The orders were issued instantly.

"The Yanmega, use Bug Bite after a Quick Attack on Honchkrow!"

"Ariados, after Swords Dance, use Sucker Punch on Sneasel!"

Youhun commanded his Pokémon to attack.

However, to his surprise, Aoki didn't react at all.

His eyes glowed red, giving off a strange aura, but he remained silent.

Youhun dismissed it. He knew Aoki's Psychic Powers were weak—he had never once used telepathy before.

Yanmega accelerated and shot toward Honchkrow, jaws ready to clamp down with Bug Bite.

Ariados lunged at Sneaesl with Sucker Punch, aiming to strike first.

But suddenly, everything shifted.

Sneasel saw Ariados rushing toward her but didn't retreat. Instead, she launched another Icy Wind, slowing it down even further.

And in the sky, Honchkrow hesitated in place—waiting for the perfect moment.

Just as Yanmega was about to land its attack, Honchkrow suddenly veered away and dived toward Ariados instead.

Yanmega was too fast—it had already committed to the attack.

Youhun grinned. Aoki had hesitated, and now Honchkrow would take a direct hit.

But just as the tide seemed to turn in his favor, the battlefield changed again.

Sneasel followed up with Icicle Crash, summoning four massive ice shards to block Ariados's escape routes.

Honchkrow, surrounded by a blue aura, suddenly surged forward with tremendous speed—Brave Bird fully charged.

The four ice pillars crashed down, and though Ariados tried to dodge, it found itself trapped in the frozen debris.

Yanmega's Bug Bite struck Honchkrow—but was blocked by a light green energy barrier.

Meanwhile, Honchkrow accelerated.

Youhun's expression shifted.

Brave Bird!

Ariados barely had time to react before a massive blue bird appeared in front of it.

BOOM!

The impact shattered the ice pillars and sent Ariados flying—slamming it into a distant tree.

A moment later, its body slumped to the ground.

Ariados had fainted.