NOVEL NEXT Chapter 114: Chapter 114: A Desperate Battle
On the frontlines, Machamp and Persian quickly used Shave to return to Ron's side. Feigning recovery in the beautiful grass terrain created by Bellossom, they were actually allowing Ron to replenish their stamina using his Fighting Aura.
Compared to the Crimson Flame Poaching Group and the Cold Night Poaching Group, the Gale Poaching Group was undoubtedly the strongest. Every member possessed Flying-type Pokémon and could coordinate seamlessly for joint attacks.
Even though the enemy did not seem to be attacking with full force, they still caused significant casualties to Moonshade Village.
Unlike the beast tides Ron had previously faced, this war was far more intense. Even with Kirlia aiding as a battlefield observer, commanding the defense, and continually using Fighting Aura, Ron still felt exhausted.
If even Ron was struggling, the plight of others could only be imagined.
Beneath the village walls, corpses of Pokémon lay scattered—most of them Heracross, though there were also numerous villagers among the dead.
Some bodies were so ravaged by stray attacks that not even complete remains were left behind.
Faced with these staggering losses, the villagers of Moonshade did not retreat. Instead, their determination intensified, driven by the desire to protect their loved ones behind them.
In contrast, the poachers, hardened by their dangerous profession, had long accepted the possibility of death. To them, as long as the reward was great enough, death was just another part of the job.
With such resolve on both sides, the battle had been relentless since it began.
Jovanni commanded his elite Heracross to lead the others in repeated counterattacks, but his gaze frequently shifted toward the rear of the Gale Poaching Group.
Despite the ongoing battle, their leader, Omar, had yet to appear.
This uncertainty left Jovanni hesitant to release his Charizard, a Pokémon with quasi-Elite Four strength. He feared that excessive stamina loss might leave Charizard unable to contend with Omar's own quasi-Elite Four Pokémon.
Blood spattered the ground as the lifeless body of a Farfetch'd plummeted from the sky.
A sharp Air Slash shot out from near the Farfetch'd's corpse, targeting Thomas.
Before it could strike, Heracross, now free to act again, intercepted and deflected the attack.
By Thomas's side remained only two Pokémon—one at mid-Elite rank, the other at entry-level Elite. The rest had perished earlier during an attack by the Cold Night Poaching Group.
Thomas was not alone in his struggles. Other villagers had also suffered heavy losses while waiting for the Heracross to recover.
"How surprising that you've held out this long. But with what's left of you, how much longer can you last?"
"Pidgeot, execute Air Slash Barrage!"
Despite failing to break Thomas's defenses earlier, Marko showed no signs of frustration.
In the previous assault, Pidgeot's mid-Elite strength had already severely weakened the defensive line.
Maintaining the same level of attack intensity, even with Heracross back in action, it seemed impossible to prevent the collapse of this line of defense.
In the forest, Wesson pressed his attack relentlessly. This left Blastoise vulnerable to a crucial mistake, which Hog seized upon without hesitation.
With two other poachers now free to assist, Blastoise was caught in a three-pronged assault. It was already battered and far from its earlier peak condition.
As crises unfolded on two fronts, Omar of the Gale Poaching Group finally made his move.
Seeing Omar approach the battlefield from atop the walls, Jovanni immediately released his Charizard. The fiery dragon's quasi-Elite Four aura served as a rallying cry, boosting the morale of Montshade's defenders.
"Quasi-Elite Four Charizard, huh? Too bad. Against me, that won't be enough!"
"Come forth, Crobat!"
Omar's voice echoed across the battlefield as a terrifying aura radiated outward. The oppressive energy of an Elite Four level Pokémon completely overshadowed Charizard's quasi-Elite Four presence.
It was as if a switch had been flipped; every action on the battlefield ground to a halt.
For any trainer, becoming an Elite Four level trainer was a dream that represented mastery and overwhelming power against any Pokémon below Elite Four level.
As for those above Elite Four level, the Champions, they were so rare and distant that most dared not even dream of reaching such heights.
"Crobat, Air Slash!"
Crobat's wings moved in a cross pattern, unleashing a massive cross-shaped blade of air that flew toward Charizard.
"Charizard, use Overheat!"
Despite knowing Crobat's Elite Four level strength, Jovanni had no choice but to order an attack.
Flames gathered and surged forth as a massive fire symbol to counter the air blades.
In the next instant, the cross-shaped slash cut through the Overheat, reducing the flames to harmless embers, before striking Charizard directly.
Charizard was sent hurtling back into the village wall, a deep cross-shaped wound on its chest bleeding profusely.
In a single strike, the gulf between Elite Four and quasi-Elite Four strength was laid bare.
"Crobat, finish it with Cross Poison!"
"Charizard, Protect quickly!"
Charizard struggled to its feet, summoning a green protective barrier to block the incoming attack.
For a brief moment, the barrier held, but both the Air Slash and Protect shattered simultaneously.
Before Jovanni or Charizard could react, Crobat was upon them. A devastating Cross Poison sent Charizard crashing to the ground, completely incapacitated.
Machamp and Persian returned to Ron's side, their expressions grim.
Recognizing the insurmountable gap between quasi-Elite Four and Elite Four strength, Ron knew that if Jovanni had no more aces up his sleeve, Moonshade Village was doomed.
Omar's smile grew as Charizard fell. His patience had paid off; he had deliberately concealed his true strength to crush not only Moonshade Village but also the other two poaching groups in one fell swoop.
Only by monopolizing the spoils could he justify the high risks of this operation. Sharing the rewards with the other groups simply wouldn't satisfy his ambition.
In the forest, Blastoise was struck once again by Magmortar's Blast Burn. Struggling to stand, it prepared for another desperate defense, only to see Magmortar's claws closing in rapidly.
At the very last moment, just as Blastoise was ready to retreat into its shell for a final stand, a lightning-fast figure appeared.
The sheer force of its presence froze Magmortar in its tracks. In the next instant, Magmortar was sent flying backward, blood splattering across the forest floor from where it landed.
Like a chain reaction, the Pokémon belonging to the poachers fell one after another, attacked relentlessly and annihilated without any chance to resist.
On Thomas's side, his Heracross plummeted from the sky, its carapace shattered and its condition not far from being entirely incapacitated.
Just as Thomas was preparing to command his remaining two Pokémon to continue their resistance, a shadow surged forward from behind him, knocking a Pidgeot out of the air with a single strike.
This series of rapid and unexpected events left both the Crimson Flame Poaching Group and the Cold Night Poaching Group stunned. Their once-overwhelming offensive came to a screeching halt, and they were swiftly thrown into a state of complete disarray.
-----
PLEASE SUPPORT ME ON PATREON!!!
Join here for advance chapters: patreon.com / madbot635