"So, do you guys believe in my luck?"
As soon as Maki spoke, his three Pokémon simultaneously shook their heads. Well… it wasn't that they didn't believe in him, but relying on luck all the time just didn't seem like a solid plan, right?
Yes, that was it! It wasn't a matter of distrust at all.
"Then do you have any better ideas?"
Before Maki even finished speaking, Cottonee floated down from the top of his head.
"Cotton~"
Cottonee let out a soft cry, gently swaying its body. A small tuft of cotton detached from it and landed on the ground, sticking firmly to the surface.
"Will this really work?"
"Cotton!" Cottonee patted Maki's shoulder with its tiny leaf, reassuring him with full confidence.
This was a technique it had only recently mastered—being able to sense the location of its own cotton within a certain range. As long as it dropped small tufts along the way, they could always find their way back without worrying about getting lost.
Moreover, the cotton it shed would remain adhered to the ground and wouldn't be blown away by the wind.
With Cottonee's assurance, Maki no longer hesitated and pressed forward into the depths of the ruins.
While he called it the "depths" of the ruins, in reality, Maki wasn't exactly sure where he was within the structure. He had no idea which direction he was heading, either. But since he was already here, he figured he might as well keep going.
"Grr!"
Midway through their journey, Charmeleon suddenly halted, letting out a low growl while staring intently at a spot ahead.
"Mawile, Cottonee—stay on guard."
Although Maki didn't know what Charmeleon had sensed, he instinctively trusted its judgment, prompting both Mawile and Cottonee to remain alert.
Mawile pressed close to Maki's side. Though it wasn't the fastest of his Pokémon, it was undoubtedly the strongest in terms of raw power. It was also the best suited for protecting him.
Charmeleon let out another growl toward the direction of the disturbance, but there was no response. Whatever was hiding there had no intention of revealing itself.
"Helping Hand—Flamethrower."
Maki didn't hesitate in the slightest. If something was indeed lurking there and still refused to show itself, then the odds were high that it wasn't friendly. Rather than waiting passively, it was better to strike first.
As Charmeleon unleashed its attack, a powerful bolt of Thunderbolt erupted from the shadows, colliding with the stream of fire mid-air.
Flames and electricity canceled each other out, and at last, the hidden Pokémon revealed itself.
Malamar!
It had the appearance of a squid but stood upright on two legs. Eight tentacle-like appendages flowed from its head like hair, while two massive, arm-like tentacles extended outward, their tips ending in razor-sharp, blade-like structures capable of slicing prey with ease.
Malamar hovered slightly above the ground, its head tentacles swaying ever so slightly.
The moment Maki laid eyes on the assailant, his expression darkened.
A Malamar—and not just any Malamar, but one at Ultra Ball tier!
Malamar had a notorious reputation. It specialized in using the patterns on its body to hypnotize opponents, and there were rumors that many of history's major disasters had their sinister influence behind them.
As a Psychic-type Pokémon, Malamar also possessed exceptionally high intelligence, making it one of the least favorable encounters for trainers in the wild.
It was, in every sense, a quintessential villainous Pokémon.
"Sunny Day!"
The moment Maki identified Malamar, he immediately gave Cottonee the command to set up Sunny Day.
If it had been any other Pokémon—even a Kadabra or an Alakazam—Maki might have hesitated. After all, the Pokémon could have simply been observing them out of curiosity rather than hostility.
But Malamar? No way. There was a 99% chance it had bad intentions.
Maki wasn't about to gamble on that 1% chance that this was a rare, kind-hearted Malamar.
Especially considering the power difference between their Pokémon. If Malamar managed to use Hypnosis, things would quickly spiral out of control.
There was no way he could allow Malamar to seize the initiative. He had to strike first.
Maki silently thanked himself for recently having Cottonee learn Sunny Day. Without it, even if all three of his Pokémon fought together, they might not have been able to handle this Malamar.
And there was another crucial issue—Malamar were known to live in groups.
If you saw one Malamar, chances were that several more were nearby.
He didn't know why only a single Malamar had appeared so far, but there was no guarantee that more wouldn't emerge at any moment.
A quick battle was the safest approach.
The effects of Sunny Day rapidly took hold, illuminating the ruins with an intense glow. Maki had no time to worry about the heat as he swiftly gave Charmeleon the next command:
"Helping Hand—Flamethrower!"
With Solar Power activating under the harsh sunlight, Charmeleon's Flamethrower reached its maximum potential. Combined with the boost from Sunny Day and Cottonee's Helping Hand, the sheer intensity of the attack was at its peak.
Malamar swung its massive tentacles forward, unleashing a barrage of Psycho Cut—dark purple blades of psychic energy slicing through the air to meet the incoming flames.
Unlike the earlier Thunderbolt, these Psycho Cuts were far stronger, being Malamar's specialty and a Same-Type Attack Bonus (STAB) move.
Yet, despite its power, Malamar had underestimated the sheer amplified strength of Charmeleon's attack.
The Psycho Cuts burned away as soon as they entered the fiery onslaught.
In the next moment, the scorching flames engulfed Malamar completely.
"Graaahh—!!"
A pained screech echoed through the ruins as Malamar writhed in agony, struggling to endure the intense heat.
"Mawile, get in there and help out."
Maki turned to his nearby Pokémon.
"Mawile!"
Mawile hesitated, visibly anxious. If it rushed into battle, no one would be left to guard Maki.
"This isn't the time to worry about that," Maki reassured. "If its allies show up, it won't matter if you're protecting me—we'll be outnumbered either way. We need to finish this quickly."
Mawile hesitated for only a moment longer before charging in.
While it was a few levels lower than Malamar, its Fairy/Steel typing gave it an undeniable advantage against Malamar's Dark/Psychic combination.
Even with the level gap, this was a fight it could win.
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