Saying Professor Oak's expression looked strange wasn't quite right. More precisely, his eyes glowed red, so brightly that even his sunglasses couldn't hide it.
"Professor Oak, what are you doing? Stop!" I ran toward him without a second thought.
"Roar!" Professor Oak let out a beastlike howl.
Professor Oak turned his attention to me, meaning I had at least accidentally saved the unconscious Professor Elm.
"Rock Blast!" The professor grabbed several Poké Balls from around the lab and hurled them at me. Rather than releasing red light, they shot through the air like bullets.
"PIKA! PI..." At the last possible moment, Pikachu leaped in front of me and blocked every Poké Ball...
"The professor... what did he just say?" Serena stood nearby, her face deathly pale with fright.
"Rock... Blast?" I was still shaken.
That was right. Professor Oak had attacked me using Poké Balls as rocks, and when I looked closely, I saw a Key Stone symbol on his chest...
"Go, Infernape! Stop the professor!" I certainly wasn't going to sit there and wait to die.
But there was a problem. How could we stop the professor without hurting him?
"Roar! Shadow Ball!" While Infernape and I hesitated, Professor Oak grabbed more Poké Balls and threw them at me. This time, they glowed purple, as though possessed by evil spirits.
"Look out, Ash!" Serena threw a Poké Ball.
"Braixen!" Braixen used Flamethrower, knocking the Poké Balls away.
"Kill... Ash!" Professor Oak muttered over and over.
At this point, there was no need to waste time guessing. Professor Oak was clearly being controlled or had lost awareness of what he was doing.
"Infernape, lure Professor Oak outside the lab!"
"Braixen, sorry for the trouble, but help Professor Elm up while you have the chance!"
If the battle continued inside the