Pokémon: Out of the Woods | A Galar, Unova & Sinnoh Fanfiction

Chapter 93: The King of Team Plasma

Jahzeel's Shadow Hydreigon followed Khalid all the way into the Energy Plant. Aegislash tried to fight. It was too weak. Hydreigon knocked it out in one hit. It moved much faster than Khalid could attempt to revive his Pokémon as it summoned the corruption of Draco Meteor, Shadow Meteor, to crush him. He could hardly move. He was exhausted and afraid. There had to be countless Shadow Pokémon in that tower. Their auras suffocated his senses until he felt nothing, not even a desire to save himself from certain death.

An Ultra Ball flew over his head. Hydreigon and its attack were sucked in. It shattered, but at least Khalid wasn't killed. Nathan clapped Joshua on the shoulder.

'You got it, bro!'

'I didn't snag the damn thing yet!'

Hydreigon's eyes turned from Khalid to its new opponents.

'Buzzwole!'

Nathan's Buzzwole leapt at it. It pummelled its heads and necks until it shrieked and flailed. Joshua threw another Ultra Ball. Khalid was vaguely aware of Tahirah releasing his Pokémon to heal them. Trip hauled him to his feet. Hydreigon broke free. Neptune's Mega Gardevoir sent it to sleep, but the racket of Triton and Jahzeel's battle below immediately woke it again. Trip's Jumpluff paralysed it instead.

'Knock the fucker out!' Zane yelled, 'Before it kills someone!'

'No!' Nathan insisted, 'Come on, Josh, bro! You can do it!'

'This isn't the time for Coaching!'

Joshua threw several more Ultra Balls. His aim wasn't the problem. Before it became a Shadow Pokémon, that Hydreigon was trained to a frightening level by a Trainer who terrified it into submission. It had been a Shadow Pokémon for over 10 years now. The purification gauges of even some of Ardos' Shadow Pokémon were chipped at over time – and other than the cloned birds, Volo's had been ready for purification for many years – but the gauges of the Pokémon in Jahzeel's care never budged a millimetre. It was no wonder Hydreigon was so bloodthirsty.

It was one less Pokémon for Triton to deal with, but that was of little comfort to him. Even after a Speed Boost, Shadow Rider Calyrex moved faster to knock out Blaziken in one hit with its corrupted version of Psyshock, Shadow Shock. Every time it knocked out a Pokémon, its Grim Neigh Ability spurred it on to heighten its power, which seemed even more intense now it was a Shadow Pokémon. Triton's Serperior went down. His Hydreigon did. Grimmsnarl was next. Every time, Calyrex got stronger. It was already faster than all of Triton's Pokémon, but it moved twice as fast as a Shadow Pokémon. His only hope of beating it was to snag it. Jahzeel smirked.

'I simply cannot wait to see your face at the moment you lose all hope.'

Triton threw an Ultra Ball. Calyrex broke free before it even hit the floor. Triton's Electivire went down. He threw another Ultra Ball. It barely even touched Calyrex. It shattered. Calyrex's signature Shadow move, Shadow Barrage, knocked out Triton's last Pokémon, Gastrodon, before it even made contact. The attack scarred the soul. At Calyrex's out-of-control level of power, Gastrodon would be scarred forever.

'Hm. I must say that I expected better from the World Champion, but I should have known that my grand preparations would be wasted on the son of a drunken football player.'

Triton didn't want to give Jahzeel what he wanted: the look of utter despair in the eyes of a true Harmonia. He couldn't help it. How could it be that Jahzeel couldn't defeat Volo, yet Khalid defeated Volo while Triton suffered the most humiliating loss of his life to Jahzeel?

'I have no interest in wiping out Harmonias when you can be used, like I've used Pluto so efficiently... though perhaps even that was a waste of time. This stolen Pokémon I had never even heard of is far more powerful than Zekrom. Not that any of that matters to you. Enjoy your thoughts while you can, for you will never think for yourself again! You are about to become Team Plasma's first Shadow Trainer! Calyrex! Shadow Barrage!'