Pokemon: Skybound

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"Crystal Onix, it's our turn to counterattack! Use Rock Slide!"

With a deep roar, Crystal Onix summoned a massive boulder in mid-air and hurled it toward Scyther.

At the last moment, Scyther relied on its superior speed to nimbly dodge the attack. At the same time, its twin scythes gleamed with an even sharper, colder light as it slashed once more at Crystal Onix's underside!

Unfortunately, just like before, the attack failed to break through Crystal Onix's defences, inflicting only minor damage!

The surrounding Scyther murmured among themselves. It wasn't just the scarred one none of them had expected their opponent to be this difficult to deal with!

Even though their new leader appeared to have the upper hand, they could all see the problem if it couldn't break through the opponent's defences, no amount of attacks would matter!

Seizing the moment when Scyther had once again closed the distance, Kai commanded, "Don't let it escape! Use Bind!"

Upon hearing the command, Crystal Onix swung its thick tail, attempting to coil around Scyther and restrain it with sheer force.

"Scyther!"

Realizing the danger, Scyther immediately used Double Team. In an instant, four identical copies of itself appeared in front of Crystal Onix.

Seeing this, Crystal Onix halted its tail mid-swing, glancing left and right in confusion. Unable to distinguish the real Scyther from the illusions, it stood frozen in place.

For now, even Kai couldn't see through the trick. However, there was a simple and effective way to deal with a small number of clones.

"Crystal Onix, don't be fooled by those clones take them all out! Use Rock Tomb!"

Crystal Onix seemed to agree with this approach. With another roar, it summoned several massive boulders that rained down from the sky, crushing every illusion in its path.

At the same time, the scattered rocks formed a natural barrier, blocking off all possible escape routes.

Boom!

Scyther had nowhere to run and was caught in the Rock Tomb attack, crashing heavily to the ground!

With Rock being super effective against both Flying and Bug types, the attack inflicted quadruple damage!

Scyther had attacked countless times, yet Crystal Onix remained unshaken. But with just one effective hit from Crystal Onix, Scyther was already gravely wounded.

This demonstrated just how crucial type matchups were and further proved that Kai's battle strategy was the correct one.

Scyther rolled a few times from the impact, its body now covered in dirt, looking utterly battered.

Kai didn't press the attack. Instead, he wanted to see if Scyther had anything left up its sleeve.

After a brief moment, Scyther shook its head to clear its vision, then struggled to its feet. Panting heavily, it leapt onto a rock and fixed its gaze on Crystal Onix. Slowly, it raised its scythes into an unusual stance.

That's Swords Dance…

Kai instantly recognized the move. It seemed Scyther had realized that its attacks weren't doing enough damage and was now using Swords Dance to increase its offensive power!

With swift and rhythmic movements, it performed what resembled a solemn dance. A faint golden aura began to surround its body.

With its attack power boosted Scyther's confidence soared. It charged at Crystal Onix once more.

However, this time, the battlefield was littered with rocks, forcing Scyther to leap from one to another to advance. This significantly slowed its movement.

Kai's gaze followed Scyther's movements as he calmly issued his next command. "Crystal Onix, use Stone Edge!"

Crystal Onix slammed its tail against the ground. A slight tremor followed before sharp stone spikes suddenly erupted from the earth, shooting straight toward Scyther.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A row of jagged stones burst from the ground, looking overwhelmingly powerful.

Scyther, however, charged straight toward the attack. Just as the spikes were about to make contact, it abruptly accelerated, using Quick Attack to evade the assault while simultaneously closing in on Crystal Onix!

The two Pokémon were now only inches apart. In the blink of an eye, Scyther unleashed an even fiercer slash, striking Crystal Onix directly!

Crystal Onix grunted, its massive body slightly swaying from the impact.

It seemed that with Swords Dance boosting its attack, Scyther's strikes were finally effective!

However, even with this power-up, the attack still didn't deal significant damage to Crystal Onix.

Before Scyther could even catch its breath, Kai's steady voice reached its ears.

"Crystal Onix, bind it!"

Scyther wanted to dodge, but the battlefield was already cluttered with stones of various sizes, limiting its mobility. Additionally, its stamina was running low, and it had just used Quick Attack, leaving it unable to muster another burst of speed.

Before it could react, Crystal Onix's thick tail wrapped around it tightly!

"You have nowhere to run now," Kai said. "Crystal Onix, finish it off!"

Crystal Onix tightened its grip, and Scyther struggled desperately. But Crystal Onix's immense strength made escape impossible. As the bind grew tighter, Scyther's eyes rolled back, and it nearly lost consciousness.

Seeing this, Crystal Onix lifted Scyther high into the air, then slammed it down onto a large rock.

Boom!

Scyther lay on the ground for a long time, motionless.

Just as Kai thought the battle was over and reached for a Poké Ball, Scyther unexpectedly forced itself to stand up again!

Oh?

Kai raised an eyebrow. To his surprise, even though Scyther had lost consciousness, its unyielding spirit still compelled its body to remain in a battle stance!

There was no doubt this Scyther was a true warrior!

However, at this point, Kai wasn't about to back down.

He tossed a Poké Ball at Scyther. A red light flashed, and the Poké Ball wobbled violently. But after a few seconds, Scyther broke free!

It failed…

Scyther remained in the same stance, unmoving, as if its sheer willpower alone kept it standing.

"Crystal Onix, give it one final blow!"

Following Kai's command, Crystal Onix swung its tail and unleashed an Iron Tail attack, striking Scyther squarely.

Wham!

Scyther was sent flying backwards, crashing onto the ground. This time, it did not get up.

Picking up the Poké Ball he had just thrown, Kai looked at the scarred Scyther for a long moment before gently tapping the Poké Ball against its forehead.

Strong warrior, become my partner!

A red light flashed once more, but this time, the Poké Ball only shook briefly before successfully capturing Scyther!

The surrounding Scyther erupted in protest, their expressions filled with anger as they seemed ready to charge forward to rescue their leader.

Sensing their intent, Crystal Onix immediately stepped in front of Kai, letting out a thunderous roar!

ROAR!

Standing beside his Pokémon, Kai half-closed his eyes, turning his gaze toward the group of Scyther.

Overwhelmed by the sheer presence of Kai and Crystal Onix, the Scyther instinctively took a step back, their resolve shaken. No longer daring to act recklessly, they hesitated.

Retracting his gaze, Kai picked up the Poké Ball, shook his head slightly, and turned to walk toward Sabrina alongside Crystal Onix.

Seeing her gentle smile, Kai grinned. "Thanks to you, I managed to catch a strong Pokémon this time. I really appreciate it. Now that everything's settled, it's time for us to leave."

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