Kay stayed completely still, hidden behind the thick wall of bushes, his eyes locked on his target.
As he watched from his hiding spot, he noticed that his target was now moving away from the spot where the last battle had ended.
Kay narrowed his eyes. He knew he had to be careful. He couldn't let his presence be known yet.
More importantly, he couldn't use Growlithe in this next fight unless absolutely necessary.
Since Player 27 had just defeated his target, he would be heading to the next game. If word spread that Kay had two Pokémons, the news would travel quickly.
And once other players knew, they would be ready for him. Kay didn't want to reveal that advantage as long as he could.
So, he followed his target silently, keeping a safe distance between them while moving from tree to tree, using the thick forest as his shield.
His steps were light, barely brushing the leaves beneath him. Time passed slowly, and Kay kept observing, always watching.
Then, suddenly, he noticed a flash of green slicing through the air up ahead. From behind a bush, Kay saw a wild Scyther attacking Player 27 and Cubone.
Scyther was fast, its bladed arms swinging like swords. It dove at Cubone with high speed, aiming to slash and overpower it. Cubone's trainer was quick to react, yelling for Cubone to dodge and fight back.
The battle between Cubone and Scyther was fierce. Scyther used Fury Cutter, slashing repeatedly at Cubone, trying to overwhelm it.
Cubone, however, defended smartly. It rolled, ducked, and used Bone Rush to knock Scyther back. Then, when Scyther leapt for a direct hit, Cubone disappeared beneath the ground using Dig, then struck from below, sending Scyther flying backward into a tree.
The wild Pokémon tried to recover with Agility, boosting its speed to dizzying levels, but Cubone had learned from earlier and launched a fast Bonemerang, hitting Scyther mid-air.
With one last strike from Thunder Punch, Scyther collapsed, defeated. Cubone stood victorious again, though this time with a few visible scratches. Still, it didn't look too hurt; just some minor injuries, nothing serious.
Kay, hidden deeper in the woods, watched the whole thing unfold. But what caught his attention most wasn't just Cubone's win; it was the way Cubone moved.
The powerful, sharp motions from earlier were gone. Kay smiled slightly.
'The buffs are gone. Now is the time,' Kay thought.
He turned to Eevee beside him and whispered, "Buddy, it's time." Eevee perked its ears and looked up at Kay, ready for action.
"Use Dig, but be fast. Cubone is a Ground-type, so it can sense underground vibrations."
Eevee nodded, then jumped into action, digging into the soft dirt beneath the trees with impressive speed and vanishing underground.
Kay then took out Growlithe's Pokéball. He pressed the button, and in a flash of red light, Growlithe appeared, growling softly with energy.
Kay waited for some moments, then said quickly, "Growlithe, use Ember toward the sky. Make it like fireworks; bright and distracting."
Growlithe didn't hesitate. It looked upward, drew a breath, and then gathered a ball of fire in its mouth.
With a low bark, it launched into the sky, where it exploded into a burst of red-orange flames, scattering sparks and lighting up the tree canopy for a moment.
As the bright distraction lit up the sky, Kay quickly returned Growlithe to its Pokéball and dashed away in the opposite direction, staying low and hidden among the trees.
He didn't want to be spotted. That Ember wasn't meant to hurt; it was meant to catch the attention of both the trainer and Cubone to prevent them from detecting Eevee, which was digging underground.
As expected, the distraction worked. Player 27 looked around quickly and snapped, "Cubone, stay alert! Use Swords Dance!"
Cubone stepped forward and began the technique, spinning its bone weapons and moving its body rhythmically to boost its attack power.
But Kay had predicted this exact moment. He had timed Growlithe's Ember to explode when Eevee was almost near Cubone's position.
As Cubone lifted its arms and began the dance, Eevee exploded out of the ground, right under Cubone's stomach.
Dirt flew into the air, and before Cubone could even react, Eevee slammed into it with full force.
The Dig attack hit cleanly, knocking Cubone backward and cutting its Swords Dance short. The Ground-type Pokémon staggered from the blow, its body skidding slightly across the ground.
Kay watched from the shadows, pleased. His plan had worked perfectly. Not only had Eevee landed a powerful hit, but it had also stopped Cubone from powering up using Swords Dance.
Kay knew after watching the previous battle that buffing moves could turn the tide of any fight; that's why it was necessary for him to prevent Cubone from buffing itself.
As soon as Eevee's attack landed and sent Cubone staggering, Kay knew it was the right moment to reveal himself.
Stepping out from the shadows of the forest, he walked forward with confidence, even though his heart was pounding.
The trees behind him rustled gently, and sunlight filtered through the leaves as he moved into the open clearing.
Player 27, who had been standing beside his Cubone, turned sharply at the sound of Kay's footsteps. He looked surprised to see a young man walking calmly from the trees after such a sudden and unexpected attack.
Before the other trainer could recover from his surprise, Kay gave his next command. "Eevee, use Double Team, then Wish!" he called out with steady determination. His voice echoed lightly in the quiet clearing.
Eevee obeyed immediately, creating multiple illusions of itself that darted around the field in every direction. Multiple identical Eevees appeared, all moving rapidly to confuse Cubone.
Player 27 snapped out of his daze and gave a sharp order of his own. "Cubone, Bonemerang, then Double Kick!"
Cubone responded at once, pulling its two bones from its back and hurling them into the air. They spun violently, slicing through the air with deadly accuracy.
The bones struck through the clones one by one, shattering them like fading light. Each copy of Eevee disappeared with a flash until only the real one remained.
At the very last second, the true Eevee leapt high into the air, narrowly avoiding the final spinning bone. As it did, it cast Wish, sending a glowing star soaring into the sky above them, leaving a sparkling trail behind it.
Cubone dashed forward, catching both of its bones as they returned. Without missing a beat, it charged at Eevee using Double Kick.
Both of its legs struck true, one after the other, hitting Eevee squarely in the chest. The Normal-type Pokémon cried out in pain, thrown backward by the force of the attack.
Fighting-type moves were super effective against it, and Kay could tell that Eevee was badly hurt.
"Again! Cubone, use Bone Rush!" Player 27 yelled.
Cubone didn't wait. It rushed toward the fallen Eevee, preparing to unleash another barrage of bone strikes.
Kay's mind raced. He could see that the situation was turning against him. Eevee was too injured to last much longer, and if Cubone kept attacking with both bones, there was no chance Eevee could match its speed or power.
Kay clenched his teeth while thinking of a way to get out of this hard situation.
See you in the next chapter...
Sorry for not sharing any chapters in the last week, I was busy. I had just passed the end-of-study project defense to obtain my engineering diploma.
Drop some Power Stones or reviews to congratulate me...