After Hydreigon and its trainer crashed to the ground, Scolipede wasted no time.
It planted its many legs firmly against the earth and violently ripped its horn free from Hydreigon's gut.
Blood immediately gushed from the open wound.
Hydreigon released a weak growl as its massive body twitched against the ground.
Its trainer stared at the wound in horror.
For the first time since the battle began, genuine fear appeared on the man's face.
Hydreigon had been the center of his team and unquestionably one of his strongest Pokémon. Seeing it reduced to this state made the reality of the situation finally sink in.
He was losing.
His eyes frantically searched the battlefield.
"Emboar, save me!"
However, when he looked over, his expression became even worse.
Emboar was currently being pushed back by the 2 burly Poliwrath. The 2 water types attacked without giving it any room to recover.
They switched between Close Combat, Hydro Pump, Brick Break, and Liquidation. Emboar was showing its power in this moment needing 2 pokemon with a type advantage to keep it in check.
Poliwrath alternated between overwhelming physical attacks and powerful Water type moves until Emboar could no longer withstand the punishment and collapsed in defeat.
The rest of the man's Pokémon weren't faring much better.
With Belly Drum maximizing the Poliwrath's physical strength and Swift Swim drastically increasing their speed under the rain, countering them had become nearly impossible.
The Court member's distraught mental state only made things worse.
He was no longer calmly coordinating his team.
Silas was methodically taking his team apart. A young trainer would normally make mistakes when they sensed victory but Silas and Andra calmly and carefully closed the net around the man's Pokémon while minimizing their own losses.
The man's strongest Pokémon had been critically injured and his other Pokémon were being overwhelmed.
Something inside him seemed to snap. The man stumbled toward Hydreigon.
Silas stared in surprise. He couldn't figure out what the man intended to do.
"You useless bastard! One attack put you in this sorry state. Pseudo legendary my ass."
Instead of trying to help his injured Pokémon, he began kicking Hydreigon directly in its fresh wound.
Again and again, the man viciously attacked his own Pokémon.
Silas stared at the scene in disbelief.
Even the defeated Emboar reacted.
The Fire type tried to rush toward its trainer despite its injuries, clearly intending to intervene.
Politoed immediately stepped into its path, refusing to allow Emboar through.
Silas almost felt bad for Hydreigon.
Through his psychic senses, he could practically feel the Pokémon's emotions.
Confusion, pain, and betrayal. The surprise own feels when betrayed by those closest to them is like none other. Once felt, a person or Pokémon is forever changed.
The same trainer it had fought beside was now attacking it while it lay critically wounded.
Silas believed there might have still been a chance to save Hydreigon.
Unfortunately, its trainer's actions pushed it past the breaking point.
Hydreigon's body suddenly began glowing with a fierce orange light.
Its remaining strength surged violently.
It was using Outrage as a final act of defiance to its traitorous trainer. The Pokémon forced itself upright despite the gaping wound in its stomach.
Its wings spread wide and with a roar filled with rage, Hydreigon rose into the air.
The man barely had enough time to look up when Hydreigon's main head lunged downward.
Its jaws clamped around the man's shoulder and then it ripped away a chunk of flesh from his upper body.
The Court member screamed and collapsed onto the ground as blood poured from the wound.
Judging by the amount of blood Silas could see, the man would most likely die.
Hydreigon didn't care anymore. Outrage had completely consumed its reason. The dragon roared and began attacking indiscriminately.
Friend or foe didn't matter in its current state.
Powerful attacks tore across the battlefield as Hydreigon lashed out at anything within reach.
Escavalier was caught in the rampage, Tauros too, and finally the injured Braviary wasn't spared either.
All 3 Pokémon died beneath Hydreigon's furious assault.
Silas watched carefully.
Hydreigon was suffering. Its movements were increasingly erratic, and blood still poured from the wound Scolipede had created.
There was no saving it now. Andra apparently reached the same conclusion.
"Scolipede."
The giant Bug type moved.
Its horn once again glowed with brilliant energy as it prepared Mega Horn.
Scolipede rushed forward and delivered one final attack. Hydreigon's remaining vitality faded and the dragon finally collapsed.
Its rampage was over.
Silas surveyed what remained of the original team.
Emboar, Bouffalant, Sawk, Volcarona, and Gliscor were still standing.
Their trainer was dying.
Several of their comrades were dead.
Despite having nobody left to command them, they were still hostile advanced tier Pokémon.
Silas and Andra couldn't afford to become careless simply because the trainer had fallen.
Both of them remained on guard, prepared for any tricks from newly "wild" pokemon.
Yet something strange happened.
None of the remaining Pokémon attacked, they simply stood there as if in a trance.
Some of them stared at the corpse of former leader Hydreigon. Others looked toward their dying trainer. The group seemed almost dazed.
Silas sensed very little hostility from them.
He quickly understood why.
They had just watched their trainer turn on Hydreigon while it lay injured.
Whatever loyalty existed between the team had been shattered in a matter of seconds.
Silas recognized an opportunity.
Rather than immediately attacking, he extended his psychic power toward the Pokémon.
"We don't have to fight."
Several heads turned toward him.
"I just want to talk and see if we can come to an agreement."
A deep voice suddenly boomed inside Silas' mind.
"You talk of peace after slaying my comrades. You have nerve, human."
Silas immediately recognized the speaker.
Emboar.
Silas remained completely calm.
"Emboar, we can fight if that's what you desire."
His voice became colder.
"We will systematically destroy you here if that's the path you choose."
Emboar frowned.
Silas wasn't bluffing.
The Fire type looked across the battlefield.
Silas and Andra still possessed numerous capable Pokémon. Some were still boosted as well.
Emboar's own group had already suffered tremendous losses.
If fighting resumed now, the numerical difference would eventually become overwhelming.
"Fine, I am willing to hear you out."
Emboar stared at Silas.
"What do you propose?"
"Serve me, and I will make you all stronger."
Emboar rejected the offer almost immediately.
"That is impossible. Despite his last moments, my trainer treated us well. To join his enemies would be a blatant betrayal."
Silas laughed.
"Hahahaha! Kind of like kicking an open wound, right?"
Emboar's expression became ugly.
Before it could respond, 2 Pokémon stepped away from the remaining group.
It was Volcarona and Bouffalant. They walked toward Silas' side.
"We are willing to follow you."
Silas raised an eyebrow.
Volcarona continued.
"We had no deep connection with that man. We only have 2 conditions."
Silas smiled in relief.
"Haha! Finally, someone sensible. What do you need?"
Volcarona answered first.
"First, we want to be trained seriously. I fear that joining your group, we will become bottom feeders and only receive scraps of resources."
Silas listened without interrupting.
"Secondly, you have to help me return to my old home in the Unova region."
Silas barely needed time to consider either request.
"Agreed."
Neither condition was unreasonable and Bouffalant had no additional request.
It simply wanted the same assurance that it would be taken seriously during training.
That was hardly a problem.
Silas trained every Pokémon under him with the intention of making them stronger.
He wasn't interested in collecting powerful Pokémon only to leave them sitting uselessly in Poké Balls.
More importantly, Silas had just obtained 2 peak pseudo elite Pokémon without spending anything.
That was an enormous gain.
Silas turned toward the remaining Pokémon.
"What about the rest of you?"
Emboar, Sawk, and Gliscor remained where they were.
Silas thought for a moment.
"Unfortunately, I cannot just leave you here."
He wasn't willing to allow several hostile advanced tier Pokémon to simply walk away after everything that had happened.
Silas raised 3 fingers.
"How about this? Serve me for 3 years, and I will set you free afterward with no conditions."
Emboar's eyes changed.
"Are you serious?"
For the first time since negotiations began, the Fire type showed genuine interest.
"Yes."
Silas nodded.
"But there will be a lot of combat, and you must follow instructions."
Emboar appeared to seriously consider the offer.
Before it could answer, Silas suddenly sensed movement.
Several figures appeared nearby.
Men dressed in Luminary Court attire materialized in front of the group.
Silas immediately sensed the shift in Emboar and its companions.
Their attention moved toward the newly arrived Court members.
The men looked around the battlefield.
Hydreigon lay dead while several other Pokémon corpses covered the area.Their fallen comrade was bleeding heavily on the ground.
Shock immediately appeared across their faces.
"How could he have been defeated so quickly while using his Hydreigon?"
Silas looked toward them.
"Because he was a fool."
His tone remained casual.
"So tell me, have you come to avenge your comrade?"
The men answered by reaching for their Poké Balls.
Each released 3 Pokémon.
2 Pangoro, Bisharp, Stoutland, Goodra, and a Pyroar.
Silas studied the new arrivals.
Then he glanced toward Volcarona and Bouffalant.
"So what will you do?"
Both Pokémon looked at him.
"Are you on my side or theirs?"
Volcarona answered first.
"I have made my decision and I stand with you."
Bouffalant stepped beside him as well.
"Me too."
Silas nodded.
"Good. We stand together from now on."
Both Pokémon turned around.
They now faced the Luminary Court members they had previously fought alongside.
One of the newly arrived men stared in disbelief.
"Ah, so that's how he died. Somehow this guy turned his Pokémon against their trainer."
Silas had no interest in explaining what actually happened. It wasn't his fault that their comrade was a terrible trainer and showed his true colors during his moment of desperation.
One's character had to be judged fairly and the man was found lacking. That wasn't Silas' fault.
"Andra, let's not waste any words with these guys."