Absol vs Hisuian Zoroark

"Old man, what are you doing here?" Allen asked, holding the torch in front of him.

The old man, bound by his hands and feet, trembled violently. His teeth chattered, and if nothing changed soon, he'd freeze to death right there.

'This kid!' The old man's mouth twitched in frustration.

The only one who could help him now was the kid with the torch. His eyes flashed with a dangerous gleam, but before he could act, Absol's piercing red eyes glared, silently warning him to reconsider.

With no other choice, the old man, still shivering, answered, "We received information about an unidentified Pokémon here, so we started searching... but we didn't expect to find... this tomb."

"What about the Pokémon egg? I heard you found a Pokémon egg here?" Allen asked, pressing further.

The old man gritted his teeth. "Kid, I've already answered one of your questions. Shouldn't you bring the torch a little closer? It's freezing out here."

Allen nodded, shifting the torch closer to warm the man a little. "Now tell me about the egg... and the Pokémon. What kind of Pokémon were you trying to find here?"

"Unidentified, kid. Unidentified!" the old man emphasized. "Probably just a Pokémon from another region that's never been seen before. Still, it's worth searching for, considering how much of Mount Coroney remains unexplored."

Allen nodded. "You—"

Before he could finish, another loud BANG echoed through the cave, sending a shiver down his spine.

Both he and the old man instinctively turned toward the source of the noise, their eyes widening. Slowly, they looked back at each other.

"That!" the old man gasped, his voice filled with panic. "Kid, untie me and get me out of here—whatever it is, we need to leave! Now!"

Allen narrowed his eyes, curiosity flickering in them. "Was it the Pokémon that knocked you out?"

The old man shook his head violently, his breath ragged. "I don't know… but whatever that thing is, it's evil! We can't stay here—hurry up and untie me before it finds us!"

Allen frowned at this, just as he was about to say something to the old man, he suddenly felt a cold, bone-chilling presence creeping up behind him.

His heart skipped a beat, and his instincts screamed at him to turn around—but when he did, there was nothing.

He continued to look at Absol, who growled menacingly, its gaze fixed on something in the darkness. The intensity of its glare made it clear that it was facing an enemy it despised.

"Wait, the fight... so fast?" Allen thought, his mind racing

Only then did he realize—the distant bangs from earlier had faded away. There were only two possibilities: the damn diggers or the Pokémon the old man had mentioned.

Silence hung thick in the air.

The old man, now trembling with fear, let out a desperate cry. "Kid! I told you—it's here! We're dead if we don't move, now!"

Before Allen could react, Absol's eyes flashed with a sharp, dangerous gleam. With a sudden, fierce growl, Absol stepped in front of him, summoning a glowing green barrier that surrounded it.

Since Absol stood in front of him, Allen didn't take the full brunt of the attack. The malicious wind only hit him slightly, causing some strain, but it wasn't overwhelming. He could feel something being drained from him, a cold, sucking sensation.

Allen turned around, his brow furrowed in confusion. The old man wasn't so lucky. Without Absol's protection and with his legs bound, he spasmed violently before collapsing unconscious.

His heart raced as he instinctively stepped back, but his curiosity got the best of him. "Froslass? A ghost Pokémon?"

No matter what—whether in movies, games, or anime—Pokémon were often depicted as cute, handsome, or beautiful, so it was difficult for him to associate a Pokémon with something so gruesome and horrifying.

He craned his neck to the left and was instantly struck with shock by what he saw.

There was no Pokémon that looked like this.

He could barely make out a hunched, humanoid form. It wasn't sleek—far from it. The creature was bloated, heavy, and its belly resembled that of a pregnant woman. It had the appearance of an old woman, yet it sprinted faster than a cheetah.

The creature surged toward them, its anger evident. It moved with terrifying speed, leaving afterimages in its wake. It ran like the wind, and wherever it passed, it let out a shrill, ear-piercing scream.

"ABSOL!!!" Allen yelled, panic rising in his chest.

Just as Allen screamed, a scythe-like flash of light appeared from behind the creature, striking it with incredible force. The creature let out a sharp, pained shriek as it was sent flying, crashing into the wall with a deafening thud.

"THAT'S ABSOL TWO!!!"

It was the Absol that had been with Caitlin earlier, the one who had been injured.

After delivering a powerful Night Slash to the creature, Absol leaped and landed in front of Allen, quickly checking to see if its partner was injured.

Seeing that the Absol with Allen was unharmed, it sighed in relief.

Allen, however, took a moment to snap out of it, still shivering from the mysterious encounter. But once he saw Absol attack the creature, he suddenly realized.

"Illusion!" he shouted, his eyes widening in realization.

Then he saw it clearly.

The humanoid creature's image became distorted, blurring before it collapsed, revealing its true form. It maintained the same stance but barely resembled what he had seen moments ago.

This new form, rather than being grotesque and horrifying, was more intimidating but cool.

The creature was ghostly in appearance, with disheveled light gray fur and an enlarged mane writhing in all directions. Its ghoulishly hunched stance was unsettling, with pin-prick red pupils in its yellow eyes. Pale, rib-like markings ran down its sides, and swollen, fleshy red welts decorated its arms and legs.

Everything about its design screamed frostbite, sickness, and starvation. It was a chilling sight, one that made Allen give five stars to whoever designed this Pokémon—though, unfortunately, it now meant he was in grave danger.

"Hisuian Zoroark! No wonder... it was the illusion!" Allen muttered under his breath.

Hearing Allen's shout, the Hisuian Zoroark let out a hiss, mistaking it for a challenge. The very essence of death seemed to permeate its core, protecting it from being hurt too easily. It retaliated with a Night Slash of its own.

No, it was not Night Slash, as the claws came from its own shadow—a sharp claw made from darkness.

"That's Shadow Claw!" Allen instantly recognized it and barely dodged, feeling the cold rush of the dark blade narrowly miss him.

'Shit, you can use Shadow Claw like that too?!'

Originally, he thought the Shadow Claw was sent from the shadow, like a ranged attack, which seemed completely different from the description in the wiki.

Only after five seconds did he realize that the Hisuian Zoroark didn't send the Shadow Claw from the shadow, but instead, its incredible speed made it appear as though the attack came from nowhere—right in front of him!

The Hisuian Zoroark was faster than he expected. In Smogon, Hisuian Zoroark is a fantastic special wallbreaker and cleaner, utilizing its power and near-unresisted STAB combination to fire off devastating attacks whenever it enters the field. This is all thanks to its great Special Attack, good Speed, and incredible moveset.

Only by experiencing it firsthand did Allen truly understand what "good Speed" and an "incredible moveset" really meant.

Both of Zoroark's arms became surrounded by a black aura with a purple outline. The aura then took the form of claws, which is when Allen realized the Shadow Claw wasn't over.

"Absol, Taunt!"

The Absol's fur bristled, and with a burst of energy, it sent a gust of wind toward the Hisuian Zoroark, causing it to momentarily pause, irritated by the challenge after challenge.

'Which one first?'

It hesitated, unsure whether to strike the strange cat or focus on the kid.

Suddenly, a shadow darted out of the corner of Allen's eye. His eyes widened, then lit up with excitement, recognizing that the other Absol had disappeared and was waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Allen quickly put a finger to his lips. 'Don't know if you've noticed yet, but stay... stay quiet...'

He readied himself, preparing for what was to come.

Just as the Hisuian Zoroark seemed to make its choice and was ready to pounce on him, Allen shouted, "Now!"

Absol lunged in with a quick Night Slash from behind, its claws glowing with sharp, dark energy as it slashed at the Hisuian Zoroark's side.

The Hisuian Zoroark let out a shriek of pain, but before it could recover, another Absol struck. With a snarl, it used Bite, sinking its sharp teeth into the Zoroark's leg, pulling hard and attempting to tear through the creature's flesh.

How would Hisuian Zoroark react without fighting back?

Its mind raced, analyzing the two Absol that attacked again and again. But then, its eyes locked onto the Absol that had previously injured it. A scar was visible, a mark of the battle, and its fur was matted with blood.

Hisuian Zoroark's eyes gleamed with a dangerous glint, and Allen immediately recognized the warning signs.

The Hisuian Zoroark hissed in fury and spun around, trying to shake off Absol, but Absol was relentless, refusing to let go. 'Since you won't let go, don't blame me,' it seemed to warn.

Fueled by rage and agility, the Pokémon spun in mid-air, its body a blur of shadow and speed. With a precise, powerful movement, it delivered a spinning kick directly to Absol's side, landing a brutal blow right on its injured flank.

"HISSSS~!!!"

Absol let out a pained hiss as it was sent tumbling backward, the kick landing precisely on the previous wound. But Hisuian Zoroark wasn't done yet.

With its eyes locked on the wounded Absol, its gaze filled with cold fury, it seemed to shift into a more menacing stance. Hisuian Zoroark darted forward, its body blurring in the shadows, moving with terrifying speed.

It wasn't just aiming to strike—it was targeting Absol's injury, the vulnerable spot that had already been torn open by the previous attacks.

Its claws extended, glowing with dark energy, but thankfully, the Absol One managed to knock it off course, sending Hisuian Zoroark tumbling and causing it to scream hatefully.

The injured Absol fainted, and Allen frowned. 'This Hisuian Zoroark could even know where Absol's weakest spot was and strike exactly at the injury. Could it really make such a calculated move?'

Allen looked toward the remaining Absol, still standing, and then back to the Hisuian Zoroark.

"The typing is right. We can win this!" he muttered to himself, gaining confidence.

Unlike Hisuian Zoroark, which was panting heavily, Absol stood tall, calm and collected, though Allen could feel the burning rage within it—rage for its fallen partner. The tension in the air was thick, as if both Pokémon were ready to unleash their fury on each other.

The two Pokémon squared off, and for a moment, the arena fell silent, each preparing for their next move. Hisuian Zoroark shot forward with a burst of speed, hurling a Shadow Ball at Absol, but Absol effortlessly sidestepped, evading the attack with a swift, graceful movement.

Absol retaliated with a Night Slash, its claws glowing with dark energy as it slashed at Hisuian Zoroark's side. The strike landed with a sickening thud, but Hisuian Zoroark quickly countered, using Shadow Sneak in an attempt to strike from the shadows.

"Don't dodge! Use Night Slash again!" Allen shouted, urging Absol to stop evading and engage with Zoroark head-on.

The Night Slash landed, leaving a slight wound on Zoroark. It paused for a moment, gasping for air, trying to steady itself. But Allen wouldn't allow it to rest. Noticing Zoroark's movement, Allen acted swiftly.

With a sudden motion, Zoroark grabbed a nearby stone, raising it as if to throw it, attempting to create an intimidating display.

"Knock off and then bite!" 

Absol, quick and precise, lunged forward, knocking the stone out of Hisuian Zoroark's hand with a swift slap of its paw. The stone flew through the air and landed with a sharp clatter.

Without hesitation, Absol followed up with a vicious bite, its jaws snapping around Zoroark's leg. But Zoroark had already learned its lesson. It knew it couldn't win in direct combat against this white cat, so it decided to change tactics.

Instead of continuing to fight Absol, Zoroark focused on the one giving the commands.

Zoroark leapt backward just in time to avoid Absol's bite, then lowered its stance, gathering momentum before launching itself forward like a bullet. It shot directly at Allen, who was still rubbing his chin, deep in thought.

Allen was shocked.

And Absol was also hurtling toward him in a wild, desperate rush.

SWOSH!

The claws seemed to slow down, as if time had momentarily frozen—just like in one of those dramatic scenes from a movie. Absol was mid-dash, but Hisuian Zoroark was grinning menacingly at Allen.

In a surge of panic, Allen instinctively reached into his pocket.

He grabbed a Pokéball—the one he had picked earlier from the crates. Without thinking, he threw it toward Hisuian Zoroark. The Pokémon's eyes widened in shock, but by the time it realized what was happening, it was too late.

The Pokéball struck Hisuian Zoroark, and with a sudden flash of red light, it was pulled inside. The Pokémon struggled briefly, but it was no use.

The ball wobbled once...

Then twice...

Then thrice. Finally, with a click, it shut.

"..."

Allen stood there, staring at the Pokéball in disbelief, his mouth agape.