c91: Metagross Is Attacked
Just after Solgaleo was blasted hundreds of meters away, the fight wasn't over.
Marshadow, not one to leave loose ends, pressed the advantage rapidly advancing toward Solgaleo, its fists glowing with swirling, life-draining energy.
"That's... Drain Punch!"
Chen Xiaoxiao's eyes widened in alarm, instantly recognizing the move from its distinct orange-green aura.
Solgaleo was clearly injured. If Marshadow landed that Drain Punch, it could potentially recover most of its lost HP and swing the fight back in its favor.
"Solgaleo! Use Protect, now!"
She issued the order swiftly, already scanning for the next opportunity.
Even Marshadow had to know that close combat with Solgaleo was risky.
Though Solgaleo was battered, it reacted with incredible speed. A translucent Protect barrier shimmered into place just as Marshadow's punch landed.
BOOM!
The ghostly fist slammed against the barrier, dispersing energy with a loud crackle.
Marshadow, momentarily stunned from the blocked hit, was wide open.
"Solgaleo! Zen Headbutt now!"
Capitalizing on the opening, Chen Xiaoxiao commanded her legendary lion with precision.
Fueled by pride and adrenaline, Solgaleo concentrated pure Psychic energy into its forehead, its metallic mane flaring as it charged.
The attack landed squarely. Marshadow's eyes widened in surprise too close to evade!
Reflexively, it raised both arms in defense.
WHAM!
The force of the Zen Headbutt sent tremors through Marshadow's body. Its arms went numb from the blow, and its entire form was flung backward through the air.
"Don't stop! Teleport and strike again!"
Solgaleo vanished in a glimmer of light only to reappear directly behind the airborne Marshadow.
A second Zen Headbutt was already charging.
BOOM!
A clean hit!
Marshadow, struck by two consecutive super-effective Psychic-type moves from a Champion-level legendary no less was overwhelmed.
It crashed back down like a comet, slamming into the ground and rolling to a stop.
"Gardevoir! Catch it don't let it hit the ground! Solgaleo, use Morning Sun and recover."
Chen Xiaoxiao moved with practiced calm. Her system interface confirmed it Marshadow had dropped below the combat threshold.
There was no need to hurt it further.
In a flash of Psychic light, Gardevoir blinked to the falling Marshadow, catching the unconscious Mythical Pokémon gently in midair with Psychic Hold.
Then, she teleported it back to Chen Xiaoxiao's side.
"Gardevoir, be gentle. Start healing it use Heal Pulse."
"(Leave it to me, Xiaoxiao.)"
At the same time, Solgaleo lifted its head to the night sky, glowing softly as it summoned a Morning Sun. Though nighttime reduced its effect, the cosmic energy still restored enough HP to stabilize him.
Then Solgaleo teleported to Chen Xiaoxiao's side, nuzzling her shoulder affectionately.
"Great job, Solgaleo. I'm sorry you got hurt."
Chen Xiaoxiao wrapped her arms around Solgaleo's massive head and stroked his furred mane gently.
When he'd been struck earlier, her heart had tightened she hated seeing her Pokémon in pain.
"Leo! (It's okay, Xiaoxiao! I really enjoyed this battle!)"
Solgaleo's tone was proud not angry. In fact, he looked refreshed from having such a rare fight.
With Gardevoir's Heal Pulse, enhanced by her Champion-level strength, Marshadow's body glowed as healing energy mended its wounds. Any Pokémon below Champion rank might have taken hours to recover from Solgaleo's attacks but Gardevoir's advanced healing did the job swiftly.
Soon, Marshadow stirred, letting out a soft grunt.
As it sat up, its memory returned and its gaze instantly locked onto the two bags of energy cubes in Chen Xiaoxiao's hand.
Its eyes sparkled.
Chen Xiaoxiao smiled.
"Greedy little guy. You want your reward?"
Marshadow's hands twitched with eagerness. It may have lost, but energy cubes were energy cubes.
"Fine, here you go! Two packs, just as promised!"
She handed over the two bags one filled with Ghost-type cubes, the other packed with Fighting-type supplements. Each bag contained 50 high-grade units. The materials alone had cost her hundreds of points through the system exchange.
If she'd lost the battle... that would've been an expensive donation.
Now, with the win secured, it was money well spent.
Marshadow took both bags excitedly holding the Ghost-type in its left hand, and the Fighting-type in its right and began munching down rapidly.
"Whoa, Marshadow! You're gonna get indigestion at that rate!"
Marshadow paused mid-chew, remembering that even last night it had gotten full after just a few bites.
Reluctantly, it packed the rest back into its bag and set it aside.
Chen Xiaoxiao, seeing its restraint, smiled again.
As the tension eased, the group sat down. With Solgaleo resting beside her, and Latias still in the space, Chen Xiaoxiao took the chance to converse casually with Marshadow hoping to strengthen their bond.
After a few moments of silence, she asked gently, "Marshadow, how long have you been living here?"
"(Hmm... a long time, I think.)"
Marshadow spoke softly, chewing slowly on another energy cube.
"You ever think of leaving? Exploring?"
The question made Marshadow blink.
It paused, then shook its head.
Chen Xiaoxiao felt a slight pang of disappointment.
Still, she pushed one more time.
"Would you like to travel with me instead? I've got lots of Pokémon, we go on adventures every day, and you'd never run out of energy cubes again."
The offer hung in the air.
Marshadow tilted its head, clearly tempted. But after a thoughtful pause, it looked around the dark woods and the flickering shadows.
It shook its head again gently this time.
This ghost town and its quiet Pokémon inhabitants were its home.
Chen Xiaoxiao nodded in understanding.
Capturing it would've been great... but sometimes friendship is enough.
Suddenly — BOOM!
A loud explosion rocked the distance faint, but distinct.
The ground quivered slightly underfoot.
Chen Xiaoxiao jumped to her feet, eyes sharp.
From the direction of the blast, a sick feeling bloomed in her chest. She recognized it instinctively.
"No way... don't tell me"
"(It's Metagross. He's under attack!)"
Gardevoir's voice cut in telepathically, filled with urgency.
Without hesitation, Chen Xiaoxiao snapped into action.
"Solgaleo, Latias return to the Pokémon space and rest. Gardevoir, with me we're going!"
She recalled Solgaleo, who gave one last look toward the forest, then entered his Poké Ball. Latias remained in the space, already recovering.
With a shimmer of pink light, Gardevoir teleported herself and Chen Xiaoxiao away in an instant heading toward the battlefield where Metagross, one of her most trusted Pokémon, was now fighting alone.
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