Chapter 255: Defeated

As Lucario's Aura shielded everyone from the Elite-tier Pidgeot's oppressive aura, the color finally returned to the faces of everyone except Julian.

Taylor looked up at the Pidgeot circling above with lingering fear. That overwhelming pressure moments ago had made her feel as if she was about to die on the spot.

She couldn't understand it. The Pidgeot hadn't done anything, and its ability wasn't Intimidate. So why had they all felt such an instinctive, bone-deep fear?

Most humans, including trainers, had never encountered a Elite-tier Pokémon in person.

For them, knowledge of Elite-tier Pokémon typically came from books or videos. Opportunities to face such powerful Pokémon directly were exceedingly rare.

"Dan!!"

The captain's voice was filled with grief and rage. One of his men had just been killed by the Pidgeot, with not even a body left behind—it had been eaten.

It wasn't uncommon for wild Pokémon to eat humans. The Trainer Association constantly warned people to avoid venturing into the wild without sufficient strength, as it was all too easy to become prey for wild Pokémon.

Chase's face was deathly pale. Watching someone die right before her eyes, especially in such a brutal manner, had left her deeply shaken. For a young woman, the fact that she hadn't fainted outright was already impressive.

"Raichu, Thunderbolt!"

The captain sent out his Raichu, determined to avenge his fallen teammate.

Though Raichu wasn't in the best condition, it could still manage a Thunderbolt.

Golden lightning streaked toward the Pidgeot in the sky.

Pidgeot's eyes flashed with ridicule. With a powerful flap of its wings, it generated a gust of wind that dispersed the Thunderbolt entirely.

"Raichu-"

"It's an Elite Pokémon. Don't waste your efforts"

Julian interjected, stopping the captain.

Raichu wasn't even at the peak of pseudo-Elite. How could it possibly stand a chance against an Elite-tier Pokémon like Pidgeot?

Such a futile battle would only drain Raichu's already limited energy, and it wasn't even capable of landing a hit on the Pidgeot. All it would achieve was making everyone even angrier.

Julian's words made the surrounding group turn pale.

"Elite-tier… Julian, did you say this Pidgeot is Elite-tier?"

Taylor asked in disbelief, for once not referring to him as "King Julian."

The others had similar expressions of shock.

After all, even pseudo-Elite Pokémon were considered exceptional to them, let alone Elite-tier.

There were only about 500 Elite-tier trainers in the entire country of Drakoria. Most trainers would go their whole lives without meeting even one.

Wild Elite-tier Pokémon were even rarer, as rare as phoenix feathers.

Now, they had encountered an Elite Pidgeot. Whether this was incredible luck or misfortune was anyone's guess.

"Piiii!~"

The Pidgeot's sharp eyes locked onto Lucario.

It was Lucario that had blocked its oppressive aura.

But in the next second, the Pidgeot shifted its gaze to Julian. It could sense that Lucario cared for the human standing by its side.

That human must be its trainer.

Elite-tier Pokémon possessed intelligence rivaling that of humans.

Having encountered many human trainers in its life, the Pidgeot was well aware that the quickest way to win a battle against a trained Pokémon was to eliminate their trainer directly.

"Piii!~"

With a piercing cry, Pidgeot folded its wings and dove straight down, this time aiming directly for Julian.

"Aura Sphere!"

Julian's eyes narrowed slightly. This Pidgeot was bolder than he had anticipated. Even after killing someone, it didn't retreat but instead chose to launch another attack.

Did it see them all as mere prey?

Lucario quickly formed a glowing blue sphere of energy between its hands.

Aura Sphere was a move that never missed. The energy shot straight toward the Pidgeot. However, just before impact, Pidgeot spread its wings wide, instantly slowing its dive.

With a series of swift wingbeats, it narrowly evaded the Aura Sphere, which skimmed past its body.

The Pidgeot continued its dive, seemingly unaware that the Aura Sphere behind it had begun to curve back around.

What happened next surprised Julian. Pidgeot's dive speed was so incredible that the Aura Sphere couldn't keep up.

Lucario: (?o?)

This was a bit awkward.

"Piii!~"

As the distance closed rapidly, Pidgeot could already envision its talons piercing through the human's skull.

"Luca!~"

Lucario leapt upward with Extreme Speed, matching the Pidgeot's descent.

Pidgeot suddenly saw its vision darken. By the time it realized what was in front of it, Lucario's Focus Punch had already connected with its face.

The impact disrupted the dive, and the trailing Aura Sphere caught up, crashing into Pidgeot's body in a brilliant explosion.

For most Pokémon at Lucario's level, these two consecutive strikes would have been enough to take them down.

However, Pidgeot was a mid-to-late Elite-tier Pokémon. Despite having already been through a battle before arriving here, it managed to withstand Lucario's attacks without being defeated.

Its flight became unsteady, feathers scattering in the air as it struggled to maintain altitude.

Realizing that Lucario was stronger than it had anticipated, Pidgeot soared several hundred meters higher into the sky, well beyond Lucario's immediate reach.

Lucario stood silently by Julian's side, its gaze fixed on the distant figure of the Pidgeot. At such a height, unless the Pidgeot chose to descend, it would be nearly impossible for Lucario to land another hit.

"Lucario actually held off an Elite-tier Pokémon! I thought only Metagross could pull off something like that"

Taylor exclaimed, her mouth agape as she stared at the impressive canine.

"Mr. Julian, please avenge Dan"

The captain said angrily, his voice trembling with emotion.

Pidgeot in the sky had now decided to retreat. It was already in poor condition, and the Lucario below posed a significant threat.

Despite its hatred for humans, it dared not continue troubling Julian and the others.

"Not good, it's trying to leave!"

Seeing the Pidgeot no longer circling and instead heading off in a specific direction, the captain grew anxious.

"Metagross!"

With a flash of white light, the silvery steel figure of Metagross appeared before the group. In the next instant, it vanished.

Pidgeot had already killed someone, and judging by its behavior, it wasn't the first time. It clearly harbored deep hatred for humans. Letting it escape would be dangerous. Once it recovered, countless people could fall victim to its power in the future.

As a Flying-type Pokémon, its speed was formidable. If it truly wanted to escape, catching it without matching its speed would be nearly impossible.

Metagross used Teleport, appearing directly in front of the fleeing Pidgeot.

"Meta!~"

A dazzling Meteor Mash lit up the sky, its radiance like the finest silk glimmering in the sunlight.

Pidgeot, still wondering where this foe had suddenly appeared from, was struck squarely on the head by the powerful blow.

Dazed and disoriented, Pidgeot plummeted toward the ground, its vision spinning.

Its descent trajectory was dangerously close to the train below. A crash could cause significant casualties.

In an instant, Metagross teleported again, reappearing in front of the falling Pidgeot. Its sharp claws clamped around the bird's neck, piercing deep into its flesh.