Chapter 196: Ace In The Hole
The tide of the chaotic skirmish within the Bug Gym's grounds had initially favored Sachiko's attacking force, leveraging the element of surprise. But the Gym Leader, recovering from the initial shock, had rallied his apprentices.
His Heracross landed a powerful blow, sending several of the attackers' Pokémon reeling and momentarily halting the assault. A roar went up from the apprentices, buoyed by the sudden reversal. The Gym Leader barked orders, urging them to press the advantage, to eliminate the intruders.
Sigh, Xiu observed silently from the shadows, noting the wavering morale among some of the confiscated Pokémon used by Sachiko's team. They weren't loyal, merely weapons of opportunity.
And upon facing coordinated resistance, their instinct was to flee. Casualties mounted quickly under the Gym Leader's counterattack. This is the critical point. Time for the real play.
"You dare trespass here?!" the Gym Leader bellowed, emboldened, pointing a shaking finger towards the shadowed area where Sachiko likely commanded her forces. "I don't care who sent you! None of you leave tonight!"
He thrust his hand forward. "Go! Finish them!"
As his words echoed, a fiery explosion erupted atop a nearby auxiliary building, stark against the night sky. Before anyone could fully register it, a blazing figure leaped down. Mid-air, the flames surrounding it intensified explosively, propelling it downwards like a crimson meteor. It crashed towards the Gym Leader's Heracross with blinding speed.
There it is.
The impact was instantaneous and devastating. Heracross, caught completely off guard, was flung backward, landing in a crumpled heap, its body smoking and charred.
As the initial burst of flames subsided, the figure stood revealed amidst the lingering embers. It was humanoid, yet avian, with an eagle-like head, sharp beak, and piercing eyes.
White feathers covered its upper body and head, culminating in a distinctive V-shaped red crest. Its arms ended in three-taloned claws, faint bandage-like textures visible on its forearms. Its lower body was clad in thick, fiery red feathers fading to orange-yellow at the shins, resembling loose trousers. Its powerful legs ended in equally formidable taloned feet.
But the most striking feature was the jets of flame erupting from its wrists and ankles.
A Blaziken. One of the Hoenn region starters. Xiu watched, impressed. Others might have just seen the blur of fire, but he'd tracked its descent – the explosive jump, the mid-air acceleration fueled by its own fire, and the devastating kick that took Heracross out of the fight in a single blow.
This Pokémon is leagues above anything else here. The raw power radiating from it instantly smothered the apprentices' burgeoning confidence. The battlefield dynamic flipped once more.
Sachiko seized the moment, her voice cutting through the sudden silence, directing her team. Poké Balls were recalled and fresh ones thrown, replacing the downed Pokémon, bolstering their numbers again. The relentless pressure resumed.
Blaziken didn't pause. Igniting its limbs again, it blurred into motion, targeting the Gym Leader's other main Pokémon – a large, menacing Beedrill buzzing defensively near its trainer.
Seeing the battle firmly under Sachiko's control, Xiu melted back into the deeper shadows. While they keep him busy… He signaled Abra, who had been hovering silently nearby, cloaked by the dim light and psychic suggestion. Circling around the main building, Xiu located the side room the Gym Leader had emerged from earlier.
A quick gesture, and Abra's eyes glowed faintly. A subtle psychic pulse expanded, mapping the room's interior in seconds. There. It pinpointed a hidden panel behind a dusty bookcase. Abra's telekinesis clicked the latch mechanism, and the panel swung inward, revealing a small, dark compartment.
Inside, stacks of high-denomination Poké Dollars lay neatly bundled. Easiest money of my life... Xiu felt no compunction. He opened his spatial backpack,[1] and Abra levitated the thick stacks of cash, funneling them directly into the bag's aperture.
His search continued within the cramped space. A ledger lay beneath the cash – a list of names. Over fifty individuals. Trainees, likely. Potential recruits or assets. Beside it were two unmarked micro-cassette tapes. Insurance? Blackmail material? Useful either way. Rounding out the hidden cache were several evolution stones and what looked like rare crafting materials. Xiu swept everything into the backpack without scrutiny. Sort through it later.
The sounds of battle outside were diminishing, shifting from fierce clashes to shouts and cries of panic. Less than a minute. Time to go.
Abra resealed the hidden compartment. A quick psychic scan confirmed no obvious traces left behind. Xiu slipped out through a side window, circling back towards the front courtyard just as the final act played out.
As predicted, the Gym Leader's Beedrill, despite its speed and stingers, was no match for Blaziken's sheer power and type advantage. It lay twitching on the ground, smoke rising from its broken wings. Deprived of his main defenders and facing the terrifying Blaziken, the Gym Leader's remaining apprentices broke their ranks entirely. Panic set in.
The Gym Leader desperately tried to shout orders, to form a defensive line, but Blaziken cut off his retreat, jets of flame erupting from its fists, forcing him back.
Stepping out from the shadows, Xiu pitched his voice low and harsh, mimicking the tone of a ruthless enforcer. "Surround them! Leave no escape!"
His command, seemingly directed at Sachiko's forces, was the final straw for the apprentices. The first one bolted, and the rest scattered like frightened Rattata.
The Gym Leader saw his chance. "Hold it back!" he screamed at his already defeated Beedrill, then turned and sprinted back towards the room Xiu had just exited.
A moment later, a strangled cry of rage and despair echoed from within the building. The Gym Leader burst back out, face pale with fury and terror, realizing his stash was gone. He didn't even glance at his downed Pokémon and simply ran, blindly seeking escape into the darkness beyond the gym compound.
Sachiko gestured wordlessly. Blaziken dispatched the struggling Beedrill with a final fiery punch, then shot after the fleeing Gym Leader, not aiming to kill— only to create space.
The remaining apprentices, trapped by Sachiko's coordinated team, were quickly rounded up, disarmed, and forced to kneel in rows, trembling.
Xiu stepped forward, surveying the captured youths. These weren't casual students; the intel suggested they were the leader's core group, deeply involved in his illicit activities. Loose ends. He turned to one of Sachiko's disguised subordinates. "Dispose of them," he ordered, his voice devoid of emotion. "Cleanly."
A necessary cruelty. The false flag needs to be convincing. Dead men tell no tales, and frightened rats need to believe their pursuers are utterly ruthless. Besides, this Gym Leader wasn't just corrupt; he was scum, preying on the community despite being under the League's banner. They chose their side.
Wails and pleas briefly filled the air before being abruptly silenced. Xiu turned and followed the path Sachiko and the fleeing leader had taken, Abra floating silently beside him.
The chase didn't last long. Human speed, even amplified by desperation, was no match for Blaziken's explosive power. The Gym Leader desperately threw out a couple of low-level Pokémon – a Rattata, a Weedle – futile attempts to block his pursuer.
Blaziken swatted them aside contemptuously, continuing to channel the man, forcing him away from dense buildings and towards a more open, predetermined area. Just like flushing prey.
Finally, in a small, deserted plaza, the Gym Leader stumbled to a halt, gasping for breath. He looked around wildly, finding no cover, no escape route. He spun around, facing the imposing silhouette of Blaziken and the shadowed figure directing it – Sachiko.
"Who… who are you people?!" he screamed, voice cracking with fear and outrage. "Why are you doing this?! Don't you know who I am? I'm a Gym Leader! Sanctioned by the Pokémon League!"
[1] guys if pokeballs exist in this world, surely spatial backpacks do.