Chapter 168: Battle Against Crobat

A Sudden Attack

Ash's eyes widened in alarm.

Instinctively, he grabbed Mei's wrist and pulled her back.

At the same time, Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder, sparks crackling from its red cheeks, ready to attack.

Across from them, Charmeleon growled, its claws tightening as its tail flame flared aggressively.

But before they could react—

A shadow swooped down from above at blinding speed.

Crobat had vanished.

In the next instant, it reappeared directly in front of Charmeleon, a twisted smirk on its sharp-jawed face.

Its dual wings glowed with Flying-type energy, the air humming with power—

Then, with a brutal downward slash, Crobat slammed into Charmeleon with astonishing force!

A Devastating Blow

"BOOM!"

Charmeleon was sent flying backward like a ragdoll.

It smashed through the office wall, crashing into the dark corridor outside—

And kept going.

It slammed into another wall, creating a deep crater, spiderweb cracks forming across the surface from the impact.

"CHAR!!"

Charmeleon howled in agony before collapsing onto the cold ground, its body twitching in pain.

Ash's breath caught in his throat.

That one attack had nearly knocked Charmeleon out completely.

How…?

Before he could even process what had happened—

"BOOM!"

Another shockwave rippled through the room.

Ash's heart stopped.

This time, it was Pikachu.

Crobat had struck again—this time from behind, slamming Pikachu into the wall just like Charmeleon.

The electric Pokémon let out a choked cry before collapsing next to Charmeleon, barely conscious.

A One-Sided Battle

Ash's stomach twisted.

Both Charmeleon and Pikachu had been defeated in an instant.

He couldn't even see how Crobat moved.

It was too fast.

"Oh?"

Petrel tilted his head, smirking as he watched Ash's reaction.

"That's a surprise," he mused. "Your Pokémon actually withstood a hit from my Crobat? I wasn't expecting that."

There was no sarcasm in his voice—just genuine curiosity.

Even though Crobat had barely used its full strength, its sheer speed and power were still overwhelming.

Ash gritted his teeth, sweat forming on his brow.

His fingers tightened around a Poké Ball in his hand—

Pidgeotto's Poké Ball.

He had planned to use Pidgeotto as a surprise attacker, but...

The battle ended before it even began.

Silver's Realization

Across the room, Ryan Silver remained frozen, his expression grim.

He had heard rumors about the strength of Team Rocket's Four Generals, but seeing it firsthand…

Was something else entirely.

Ash's Pokémon—powerful and well-trained—had been completely outmatched in mere seconds.

"Petrel is supposed to be the weakest of the four generals," Silver thought, his eyes narrowing.

And yet, if he was this strong…

"Has Team Rocket truly grown this powerful?"

A Desperate Decision

Silver's expression darkened.

If Team Rocket had already reached this level, then there was no way he could let them get their hands on the Master Ball project.

Even if it meant destroying the data himself.

His right hand moved slightly beneath his desk—

Toward a hidden button.

A failsafe.

A command to erase every piece of data related to the Master Ball.

It was his last resort.

Caught in the Act

"Yo, yo, yo… old man, what do you think you're doing?"

Silver froze.

Petrel's voice was mocking, yet sharp.

Silver barely had time to react before—

SWOOSH.

Crobat materialized beside him.

Its wings flared out, blocking Silver's hand from reaching the button.

Silver's eyes widened slightly.

Petrel grinned, walking toward the desk with an almost lazy stride.

He glanced beneath the desk and immediately spotted the hidden button.

"Ahh… I see."

He chuckled.

"This is some kind of emergency shutdown, right?"

Silver said nothing, but the tension in his shoulders gave everything away.

Petrel's grin widened.

"You were gonna erase all the data, huh?"

With a sharp yank, he pulled Silver away from the desk, keeping him at arm's length.

"You know," Petrel continued, smirking, "you really should work on your poker face."

Ash's Opportunity

At the doorway, Ash watched carefully.

The moment Petrel grabbed Silver's collar, a thought flashed through his mind.

"This is my chance."

He moved instantly.

With a flick of his wrist, he threw a Poké Ball into the air.

"Pidgeotto—GO!"

The ball burst open in a flash of white light.

To Be Continued…