Chapter 265: Running through the enemy

Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof

-----------------

Sato swept his gaze over the six Magma Team members before him, instantly assessing their general strength.

Apart from the squad leader, whose Pokémon—a Mightyena and a Camerupt—were at level 30, the rest of the team had only one Pokémon each that had reached level 30 at most.

Mightyena, Numel, Camerupt, Zubat and Golbat were the Magma Team's usual staples. As expected, the Pokémon wielded by these Magma Team members fell largely within these types.

Each of the six Magma Team members had a Mightyena, and most of them possessed the Intimidate ability. As the battle commenced, the six Mightyena unleashed deafening howls, activating their intimidating presence.

Unfortunately for them, intimidation only works on those who harbor fear.

Having recently broken through a Poochyena pack's siege and endured the relentless pursuit of the Mightyena, Sato and his team, both trainers and Pokémon alike, were unshaken by such tactics. 

The Mightyena's attempt at intimidation was entirely ignored, causing their momentum to falter.

As the strongest member of his team, Sato took charge, immediately releasing his Swampert and shiny Pelipper. 

Commanding his five Pokémon, he launched an assault on the squad leader and two of his subordinates, taking on three opponents at once.

Hanks, Maya, and Luke quickly picked one of the remaining Magma Team members each. Sato had already taken the brunt of the pressure upon himself. If they couldn't handle a one-on-one battle, it would be downright humiliating.

"Arrogant fools! Mightyena, Shadow Ball! Camerupt, Lava Plume!"

"Mightyena, Take Down! Golbat, Shadow Ball!"

"Numel, Flamethrower! Graveler, Rock Slide!"

The squad leader and his two subordinates, all trainers around 25 years old, were incensed at the audacity of this young trainer who thought he could handle them alone. 

They immediately commanded their Pokémon to counterattack with renewed vigor.

However, they soon realized the formidable enemy they were facing. 

Swampert charged forward like a storm, delivering a devastating Ice Punch that sent a hapless Mightyena flying into the air like a baseball struck for a home run. 

Its fate—where it landed and whether it survived—was left unknown.

After dispatching the Mightyena, Swampert moved like a tiger through the enemy ranks. Dodging a Shadow Ball from another Mightyena, it tanked a Flamethrower from Camerupt head-on and retaliated with a powerful Hammer Arm to the face.

The resounding impact reverberated through the battlefield, shaking everyone to their core. The Camerupt, massive as it was, was blasted back several meters, leaving deep grooves in the ground and knocking over trees before collapsing, defeated.

In under ten seconds, two Pokémon were felled by Swampert's overwhelming strength alone.

Victorious and emanating an intimidating aura, it instilled fear in the remaining four Pokémon.

Only the squad leader's Mightyena managed to hold its ground. The other three Pokémon, paralyzed by fear, stood frozen in place.

Seizing the opportunity, Sato's other Pokémon sprang into action. His Golbat engaged the male Magma grunt's Golbat, landing a decisive Steel Wing before finishing the fight with a flurry of Air Cutter strikes.

Growlithe faced off against the squad leader's Mightyena. Despite being smaller, both were level 31. With its blazing Flame Charge enhancing its speed and strength, Growlithe overcame Mightyena's close-combat tactics, steadily gaining the upper hand and ultimately defeating it.

Shiny Pelipper used a single Hydro Pump to overwhelm the female Magma grunt's Numel, while Bellossom dispatched the Graveler with a precise Energy Ball.

Within minutes, the squad leader and his two subordinates' strongest Pokémon were defeated. Witnessing this, the three Magma grunts battling Hanks, Maya, and Luke turned pale and tried to flee.

But with their leader demonstrating such dominance, Hanks and the others, now brimming with morale, weren't about to let the grunts escape. They commanded their Pokémon to intercept them with renewed determination.

This wasn't a formal Pokémon battle—it was survival. 

After defeating the trio, Sato knocked them unconscious and directed his Pokémon to assist Hanks's group. Like a storm sweeping through, the remaining Magma grunts were swiftly subdued.

"Hmph. You're strong, kid, but defying Team Magma is a death sentence. You're finished. You'll end up on a pyre, your body and soul burned to ash. And your companions will meet the same fate," the squad leader spat venomously even after being tied up, his loyalty to Team Magma unshaken.

His threat earned nothing but contempt. Sato's eyes gleamed coldly as he kicked the squad leader hard in the face, sending him sprawling several meters away and knocking out a few teeth.

"Fucking pig, you dare threaten me? Who the fuck do you think you are? I couldn't care less about Team Magma. Cross me, and I won't hesitate to delete you. Since you seem to like pain so much, let me oblige you," Sato said icily, drawing a gleaming hunting knife.

The chilling killing intent and malice emanating from Sato made everyone present tremble. The Magma grunts, who had entertained similar thoughts of resistance, were now gripped by abject terror, their heads lowered submissively.

The squad leader soon paid the price for running his mouth. 

With a swift motion of the knife, Sato severed three fingers from the squad leaders right hand.

The man's blood-curdling scream was abruptly silenced as Sato knocked him unconscious with the knife handle.

"Luke, release your Tauros. This place isn't safe. We're leaving immediately. Release their Pokémon, knock them out, and take them back to White River Village for interrogation," Sato ordered, putting away the knife.

Hanks, Maya, and Luke, now fully convinced of Sato's ruthlessness, obeyed without question.

They rode the Tauros, dragging the six bound Magma members on makeshift sleds, swiftly making their way back. 

For now, the road was clear.

Not long after, six Magma Team members riding Swellow arrived from the south.

Upon reaching the site, all they found was a desolate battlefield strewn with wreckage and three severed fingers.