"Lucario, use Metal Claw!"
Riley's voice rang out.
"Lucar!" Lucario flashed into a streak of blue light and charged straight at Onix.
A silvery metallic sheen spread over its claws as it raked them viciously across Onix's head.
Crack! Onix shuddered violently, then went flying backward!
"Aura Sphere!" Riley immediately followed up.
Whoosh!!!
An Aura Sphere shot out. This was a move Riolu could only master after evolving into Lucario.
Boom!!!
The Aura Sphere exploded, and Onix lost the ability to battle entirely, lying motionless on the ground.
"Bzzzt!" "Onix!"
Meanwhile, several other Onix and Magneton surrounded them. They surged in from every direction, forming a ring around the two men.
Two Steelix closed in from either side as well. Their bodies were covered in dark steel shells, and they were a size larger than the Onix.
"Miltank, I choose you!"
Yushu threw a Poké Ball.
Pop!
White light flashed, and Miltank landed firmly on the ground. It looked around at the crowd of wild Pokémon eyeing it menacingly. There was not a trace of fear in its eyes, only a hint of excitement.
Oh-ho! Another fight?
"Miltank, Defense Curl into Rollout!"
Yushu gave the command. He was growing increasingly proficient at directing battles.
"Mooo!!"
Miltank curled into a ball and rolled toward the nearest Onix like a pink cannonball!
Onix took one look. Oh, so instead of dodging, you're charging right at me? How am I supposed to stand for that?
It immediately gathered its strength, tensed its body, and launched itself forward.
Double-Edge!
Boom!!
The two collided, but it was Onix that went flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground and seeing stars.
Why is this cow so strong...?
It felt as helpless as charging in with super armor, only to have it shattered by a single hit.
The sight made the other wild Pokémon freeze for a moment.
They clearly had not expected this seemingly harmless pink dairy cow to possess such terrifying explosive power.
But the battle was not over yet.
"Bzzzt!"
The two Magneton in the rear finished charging, silver light shining around their bodies,
Flash Cannon!
Several silvery-white beams fired at once, crisscrossing as they shot toward Miltank.
"Rock Tomb!" Yushu ordered immediately.
"Moo!"
Miltank raised its front hooves and stomped hard on the ground.
The ground shook, and rocks rose from beneath it, forming a thick stone wall in front of Miltank.
Boom, boom, boom!
The Flash Cannons struck the rocks, blasting out a shower of rubble.
The stone wall shook violently, several cracks appearing across its surface, but it ultimately blocked the attack.
But just as smoke filled the air and obscured their vision, Riley's voice rang out:
"Lucario, Aura Sphere!"
"Lucar!"
Lucario brought its hands together and fired several Aura Spheres, blasting away all the Magneton that had just attacked.
"Steel!"
Seeing this, the two Steelix in the rear attacked simultaneously. One charged forward with Double-Edge, slamming fiercely into Miltank.
"Rock Tomb!"
Miltank summoned rocks again, but Steelix was clearly stronger. It smashed Rock Tomb to pieces and knocked Miltank back more than ten meters along with it.
Meanwhile, the other Steelix disappeared, leaving a pitch-black hole in the ground.
"Lucario, watch your feet!"
Riley had barely finished speaking when the ground beneath Lucario suddenly split open. The Steelix burst out from underground, opened its huge mouth, and fired a purple ray from its throat.
Dragon Breath!
"Lucario! Aura Sphere!"
Lucario reacted extremely quickly. A bone club made of energy materialized in its hands, and it swept it across with a backhand swing.
But it was facing a beam of energy. The bone club collided with Dragon Breath, the energy exploded, and the shock wave blasted Lucario backward.
Steelix pressed its advantage, immediately whipping an Iron Tail toward it.
With no time to dodge, Lucario could only hold the bone club across its body to block.
Clang!! The impact numbed Lucario's hands. Only by barely managing to brace its bone club against the ground did it steady itself!
"These two are pretty strong," Riley suggested. "Yushu, let's take one each."
"No problem!"
Yushu replied. These two Steelix were no weaker than they were, and they really would not be easy to take down one-on-one.
"Miltank, Defense Curl into Rollout!"
Miltank curled into a ball again and rolled toward one of the Steelix.
"Steel!"
Not to be outdone, Steelix charged forward to meet it.
Double-Edge!!
Boom!
The two collided, sending a shock wave spreading outward!
This time, Miltank did not come out ahead.
Steelix lived up to its name as a Steel-type Pokémon. In a contest of pure strength, Miltank was actually overpowered.
Its Rollout was forcibly stopped, and it tumbled backward several times before finally regaining its balance.
Steelix pressed its advantage, immediately whipping out an Iron Tail and knocking Miltank several steps back.
Just as Steelix thought it had gained the upper hand and prepared to press its advantage.
Miltank lowered its head and drank milk.
A white glow shone around Miltank's body, and its injuries healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The bruises left by Iron Tail faded, and its depleted stamina rapidly recovered as well.
Steelix froze.
Built-in supplies? You're fucking something else.
How am I supposed to fight this? After all that fighting, one gulp of milk tops you right back up. Isn't that cheating?
"Keep going, Defense Curl into Rollout!"
Once Miltank had recovered, Yushu ordered another combination.
"Mooo!" Miltank charged again.
"Steel!" It'll be the same no matter how many times you try! Steelix suppressed its confusion and charged forward again.
Double-Edge!
But just before the two collided, Yushu suddenly changed his command:
"Miltank, dodge!"
At the very instant before contact, Miltank turned at an unbelievable angle.
Its rolling trajectory suddenly changed, tracing an arc that brought it behind Steelix.
This was the result of Miltank's training over the past month.
Rather than a brute that could only roll in a straight line, it had learned to change direction while rolling at high speed, like a guided missile.
Steelix hit nothing, lost its balance, and staggered forward several steps.
It turned around angrily and charged at Miltank again.
Miltank dodged again, and Steelix missed once more.
After this happened several times in succession, Steelix began to grow irritated, its attacks becoming increasingly impatient.
Meanwhile, Miltank kept building up power.
When Rollout was used consecutively, its power doubled after each hit.
Although Miltank had not landed a hit, it had maintained its rolling state the entire time, accumulating kinetic energy.
After Steelix missed yet again, its movements were noticeably a beat slower. Repeated Double-Edges had consumed a great deal of stamina, leaving it breathing heavily.
Now!