"If you were fighting like this from the very start, I wouldn't have said that, you know," I muttered, half-smiling as I turned my gaze to the girl across the field. Then I called out to Khan."Hey—can you return your Golduck for a moment?"
Khan blinked. "Wait—why?" he asked, watching me with cautious curiosity.
"I want to try something. And this time…" I looked back at Tyranitar, the wind already beginning to shift around her. "This time Iknow it'll work."
Khan hesitated, clearly skeptical—but after a beat, he shrugged and recalled Golduck into its Pokéball without pressing further.
The girl on the other side narrowed her eyes. "What are they planning…?" she murmured, scanning the field, and then, clearly not willing to wait and find out, swung her arm forward.
"Muk, use Sludge Wave! Blastoise use Surf and make that wave stronger!!" She commanded, her voice slicing through the chaotic air like a blade.
My eyes locked onto hers through the haze, just for a second. Calm. Focused.
"Tyranitar!" I shouted. "There's nothing that can stop you now—use your ability!"
Tyranitar gave a sharp nod, then lowered herself, digging her feet into the ground. A sudden hiss broke through the tension as the vents along her back opened—and a swirling burst of sand erupted outward like a jet. The battlefield was instantly swallowed in a violent Sandstorm, the grains lashing across the field in endless spirals.
The wind howled.
The storm gave Tyranitar a glowing edge, her body tougher, denser—her Special Defense surging by fifty percent as Sand Stream took hold. Meanwhile, every other Pokémon on the field started taking slow but steady damage—one-sixteenth of their health, chipped away with each passing moment.
I raised my arm to shield my eyes from the onslaught, the sand biting at my skin like dry ice.
"Now use Stone Edge against that wave! Create a wall similar to the one you trapped Charizard with!!"
After a quick nod the ground exploded.
Sharp, jagged stones surged upward like spears, forming a jagged wall between us and the incoming sludge. The toxic wave slammed into the stone barricade with a wet, disgusting splash—only to be repelled backward, helped along by the furious sandstorm. The toxic water mixture didn't reach us. It crashed back toward the enemy line in a messy, chaotic tide.
"Hah! So that was your plan!!" Khan laughed, stepping back as he recalled both Scyther and Dragonite to protect them from the storm. His grin widened.
"Yeah," I called back through the wind. "Not something big but its still not bad, right?"
I squinted ahead, trying to make out what was happening behind the curtain of sand.
And then—a burst of water tore through the sandstorm and pierced the stone wall like a high-pressure drill in a desperate attemp to push the Wave back. The girl on the other side was yelling, her voice barely audible.
"Muk—Dig a underground safespot for us, now! Protect us from that wave!!"
She shouted the command as Muk slammed its slimy fists into the shattered concrete, digging deep with surprising force. Its gelatinous hands melted through dirt and rubble, the toxins in its body eating away at the ground like acid. Within moments, it had created a narrow tunnel—just enough space for her to slip through.
"Blastoise, seal the entrance with your shell! Muk, use Stockpile on the Sludge Wave!" she barked, already moving.
She dove into the freshly dug hole, vanishing from sight just as Blastoise turned and dropped itself over the gap like a living bunker. Seconds later, the sludge wave now fully amplified by the earlier Surf hit Muk dead-on.
Muk didn't flinch.
It opened its mouth wide, absorbing the toxic wave like a living vacuum. The vile liquid mixed into its body, making it swell grotesquely with every gulp. Its form pulsed and grew, bloating as it Stockpiled the attack, storing every ounce of sludge within itself.
I climbed up the jagged edge of the stone wall to get a better view. Muk had nearly doubled in size, standing just ahead of Blastoise like a sick, pulsing barrier.
"So… do we hit it now?" Khan asked from beside me, gripping Golduck's Pokéball as the sandstorm howled around us.
I hesitated. "I honestly don't know. I want to use Earthquake—but that girl's underground. It could hit her too, even if she's protected by moves with her wristband ı don't really think it will protect her from the walls that will fall on her."
Khan flopped onto the edge of the wall with a sigh. "And why the hell did she even dig a hole? Doesn't she know the wristbands block most move effects?"
"Maybe she doesn't," I muttered. "I wouldn't have known either if you hadn't smacked me with that Flame Burst back there."
He chuckled under his breath. "You're welcome."
We sat in silence for a few seconds, watching Muk continue to bloat with every toxic drop. Then Khan suddenly perked up. "This time ı have an idea!"
I narrowed my eyes. "You're not gonna screw us over again, are you?"
"Trust me this time." He snatched the Pokéball I was about to steal from him and threw it alongside two others.
"Scyther, use Dual Wingbeat! Golduck—clear the sandstorm with Cloud Nine! Dragonite, Extreme Speed and then Thunder Punch that Muk!" he commanded, all at once.
The sandstorm began to thin as Golduck emerged, his presence cutting through the swirling winds like a calm breeze. As visibility returned, Muk came into full view—now monstrous, pulsating with the sludge it had consumed. Its mouth twitched. Its entire body was trembling from within.
"Be careful," I warned, rising to my feet again. "Its defenses are sky-high now. If it uses Spit Up with all that Stockpile stored… it could one-shot everything."
That got Khan's attention. He tightened his stance, face going serious as he barked at his team to stay sharp.
Tyranitar stomped up beside me, battle-ready. I pointed to the growing threat.
"Stay close. Be ready to use Stone Edge—either to defend or to strike."
She nodded and slammed her right foot into the ground, ready to summon rocks at a moment's notice.
Scyther was first to reach the bloated Muk, spinning mid-air to gain speed. Its wings shimmered as it struck with Dual Wingbeat, slicing into Muk's gooey mass. Then, Dragonite blurred across the field in a streak of light, slamming into Muk with the force of Extreme Speed before following up with a powerful Thunder Punch.
Still… Muk didn't counter.
It stood its ground—absorbing the blows, sluggish and silent, waiting for a command that hadn't come.
Its trainer was still buried beneath the earth… waiting for the Sludge Wave to end.
After what felt like a relentless beating, Muk finally collapsed with a gurgling groan, its bloated form deflating slightly as it hit the ground and dissolved into unconsciousness letting some of the Sludge burb out from its mouth.
We climbed down from the stone wall we had taken cover behind, our steps cautious as we approached the Blastoise that still sat like a silent sentinel over the entrance to the tunnel.
"So… are we gonna fight now? After dealing with her?" Khan asked, brushing the dust from his jacket. "Or are we done?"
I looked around at the corridor we had just battled through. It was wrecked. The ceiling was cracked and sagging in places, with vines from Weepinbell still hanging from the rafters like jungle roots. The floor was shattered, scorched, and soaked. A few fainted Pokémon were still stuck awkwardly in the debris.
"Nah," I said, exhaling. "I'd call it here. And seriously—do you really think I have a chance with just one Tyranitar left against three half healthy Pokémon?"
Khan opened his wristband and scrolled through his win count. "But I really need a few more wins! I'm at 39 wins now."
I smirked and flopped down beside the Blastoise, knocking idly on its shell. "Then I guess I am going to win. I'm sitting at 44 wins."
He groaned and dropped beside me with a dramatic sigh. "Unless we find some random pokémon lying around in the rubble, I'm doomed. That's what you're telling me?"
"Pretty much, yeah," I said with a shrug before looking to the top. "But we can share it....Of course if you want!" ı said as Khan's blue eyes gazed over me for a second. "Of course ı would want it!" He shouted.
I gave another absent tap on Blastoise's shell out of boredom, and Khan's eyes lit up just as a muffled voice called out from beneath it.
"Who is it?"
Khan stifled a giggle, puffing up proudly before answering in a mock-deep voice. "Nobody! This is nobody!"
Another tired voice came back, her tone dry. "Then could nobody please fuck off?"
He grinned mischievously. "Of course… but in exchange, nobody would like to ask for....for?" He paused, leaned toward me and whispered, "What should we ask for?"
I gave him a side glance and a grin. "You're really gonna blackmail her?"
"Obviously."
I leaned back, hands behind my head. "Fine. Ask her for money."
He snapped his fingers. "Perfect."
Then, out loud: "Can you give nobody a hundred thousand Pokédollars?"
A long silence followed.
Then came her reply, full of irritated exhaustion:
"Blastoise. Use Hydro Pump."
"OH SHI—!" we both shouted in unison, scrambling to our feet like our lives depended on it by reflexs.
"Tyranitar!" I yelled.
"Dragonite!!" Khan bellowed.
Both Pokémon sprang into action instantly. With a twin roar, they tackled Blastoise from both sides, slamming it back down before it could even raise its cannons. The force of the attack cracked part of its shell and knocked it out cold.
The Pokéball on her belt glowed red and pulled Blastoise back into safety just as her hand appeared at the edge of the tunnel. She climbed out, dirt-covered and breathing hard. She dusted herself off, glanced around at the ruins we left behind, and then stared at the two of us with a annoyed look.
Silence fell like a heavy curtain.
"….."
"….."
"….."
No one said anything for a good ten seconds.
Then Khan finally broke it with a small wave.
"Hi?" he said, voice innocent, sheepish grin on full display.