Pokemon: The Gameboy Effect-Chapter 275: Anti-Climatic

Bright lightning tore through the stormy sky, illuminating the battlefield below. The air crackled with electricity, and any fool daring enough to take flight was immediately struck down. Humans and Flying-type Pokemon alike were bombarded relentlessly.

"Flying in a thunderstorm? Now that's gutsy," John thought, watching the scene unfold. His mind flashed back to his battle against the retired Gym Leader Hank.

From the very start, John never expected Surf to be a one-hit knockout. Sure, it was powerful and had a massive area of effect, but it was slow compared to the speed of those trainers riding their Flying-types. It was a battlefield staple, but in open-air combat? Too easy to dodge.

So, John had set a trap, a whole sequence of moves leading up to this moment. First, he forced them to climb higher into the sky. Then, as soon as they were airborne and vulnerable, he unleashed the real game-changer: Thunder.

A storm without Thunder? Not on his watch.

Behind John, a formidable lineup of Pokemon stood ready: Aggron, Haunter, Tyranitar. Not a single Electric-type among them, yet it made no difference. His electric onslaught was already in motion.

Of course, the Asuka group could've tried to avoid it by using Dig. But that would've been humiliating for a squad known for dominating the skies. Not that it would have helped, John had already sent Garchomp underground to cut off any escape route.

"Go ahead, burrow into the earth. See what happens," he smirked.

Then, it all unfolded perfectly.

A blinding flash shot through the storm, piercing Greninja's watery defenses. A second later, a Noivern burst from the chaos, attempting to escape with a desperate Dragon Rush. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

John didn't move.

Within seconds, Noivern and its trainer, Eagle, were yanked backward by a blood-red tail, dragged mercilessly from the sky.

It was Gyarados.

Gyarados, his ace-in-the-hole, had been lying in wait. If Garchomp controlled the ground, then Gyarados owned the skies.

The Eagle struggled to hold onto his Pokemon, but Noivern had already blacked out. Unfortunately for him, Noivern was a Dragon-type, meaning Dragon Tail hit twice as hard. With the sheer force behind Tianluo's attack, the only Pokemon tough enough to withstand it would be something like Dialga.

"Braviary!" Eagle gasped, fumbling for another Pokeball.

But before he could react, a new presence materialized before him, Gardevoir.

Not just any Gardevoir.

Her elegant blue hair shimmered, her dark navy dress flowing like liquid night. Her piercing gaze locked onto Eagle, her presence commanding, almost otherworldly.

Mega Gardevoir.

Eagle's breath hitched, his mind scrambling for a plan, but it was already too late. His consciousness slipped away, his body collapsing as if being dragged into quicksand.

A moment later, Mega Gardevoir levitated his unconscious form and unceremoniously dropped him at John's feet.

John looked down, unimpressed. "This guy? This is the leader of the Asuka Team? I thought he was supposed to be as strong as a Gym Leader. That was... underwhelming."

Nearby, Zachary had just arrived, witnessing the entire exchange. His mouth hung open in disbelief. "John, you wanted to make an example of them, right? But they couldn't even handle it!"

John blinked innocently. "I thought I was going easy on them."

Zachary, Mira, and Hugh barely held back their laughter. "Easy?! You trapped them with a Surf ambush, electrocuted them mid-air, and then finished them off with Dragon Tail, what part of that was 'easy'?"

Pokemon had a natural defense mechanism. No matter how brutal the battle, they rarely died, at worst, they fainted until treated. Humans, however? Getting struck by Thunder in midair? If the shock didn't kill them, the fall would.

"Doesn't matter," Zachary shrugged. "They deserved it. We got the Eagle. That's what matters."

He stepped forward, checking the unconscious trainer. Yep, it was definitely him.

In the world of Pokemon Investigators, using Pokemon to neutralize criminals wasn't uncommon. As long as the main target was captured alive, the mission was a success.

Still, Zachary couldn't help but glance at John. This kid was something else. Most people hesitated the first time they took down enemies in the field, but John? He seemed completely unfazed.

John simply shrugged. "I didn't exactly see them die, so I can't say I feel bad about it. It's just another story to tell."

Zachary chuckled and spoke into his headset. "Mission complete. Let's wrap it up."

Silence.

Then, a flood of confused responses.

"Wait, what? I thought we were supposed to attack Eagle after softening him up? Why are we backing off?"

"Yeah, weren't we supposed to restrain him?"

Zachary sighed, rubbing his temples. "Change of plans. Everyone in the Asuka group is dead, except for the Eagle. We're retreating and heading to the nearest city for reinforcements."

A beat passed before everyone on the other end finally understood.

The team started assembling, but as they did, all eyes landed on John. The looks they gave him weren't normal, half admiration, half horror.

Especially Daisy. She stared at John as if he had transformed into an entirely different person overnight.

Sure, she knew he was a Gym Leader now. But she hadn't actually seen his battle against Hank. In her mind, he was still the same kid she had once escorted to the Dragon's Nest.

If it weren't for the date on her watch, she would've sworn years had passed instead of months.

John, of course, interpreted their reactions differently.

He folded his arms, nodding smugly. "Ah, I see. You guys are in awe."

Mira wordlessly handed him a small note. On it, one word was scribbled: Insane.

John grinned. "Exactly. I'm a Gym Leader, after all."

Mira handed him another note. "I was talking about your Mega Gardevoir."

John scoffed. "Well, she's strong because I trained her well."

With their objective complete, Zachary confiscated Eagle's Pokeballs, tying him up securely while a Psychic-type kept him in a hypnotic state. Once they were sure he wasn't waking up, the team set off.

But this was only the beginning.

The Asuka Team had been struck hard, but they weren't finished just yet.