Inside the hollow, the atmosphere grew tense. Kay's voice echoed against the wooden walls as he shouted, "Eevee, Growlithe, stay ready!"
His tone was sharp and urgent. He glanced at Growlithe and added, "Especially you, Growlithe. You've got the advantage here. Most of them are Bug and Grass-types; Ember will burn through them."
Growlithe barked in response, eyes burning with fighting spirit, proud of its newly acquired strength. It puffed up its chest and wagged its tail as flames flickered slightly at the corners of its mouth.
It wasn't just eager to fight; it was desperate to prove its value to Kay and Eevee, especially after breaking through into the Superior Steel stage.
The first wave of enemies entered the hollow: three Sewaddle followed by two Swadloon.
The narrow space made the situation even more dangerous. The Bug Pokémons' eyes glowed with aggression, and as they crawled in, they began shooting silk threads to block escape routes.
Kay's system quickly scanned them, and the strongest among the group barely reached the Intermediate Steel stage, which showed that the situation wasn't too dangerous, but not weak enough to ignore either.
Kay didn't hesitate. "Eevee, Helping Hand, give Growlithe the boost it needs!" Eevee's body shimmered with a soft light as it sent waves of encouragement and support to its teammate.
Growlithe, energized by the boost, stepped forward with a roar and unleashed Ember. Bright orange flames burst from its mouth, washing over the invading Bug-types.
The fire devoured the silk threads instantly and set the dry leaves on the floor aflame for a few seconds before dying out.
The Sewaddle screamed briefly before collapsing one by one, their fragile bodies unable to endure the heat.
Swadloon tried to defend itself by spinning a protective cocoon, but another blast of Ember burst it open, sending it flying backward into the wooden wall with a thud.
Within seconds, the entire wave was defeated. Kay was impressed. The difference in Growlithe's power was undeniable.
But he didn't lower his guard. Instead, he stared at the hollow's entrance, waiting for the next move. He wanted to see how smart these Pokémons were, whether they would regroup or act blindly.
Moments later, another group appeared, just like the first. Kay frowned. "The same formation? They're not learning," he muttered to himself.
This lack of strategy told him two important things: these Pokémons were no more intelligent than normal dungeon Pokémons, and none of them belonged to a higher stage.
Pokémon from the Gold stage and above were typically smarter, capable of forming tactics or even leading other Pokémons, but this group charged forward mindlessly.
The fight repeated itself. Eevee provided another Helping Hand, and Growlithe unleashed multiple Ember attacks, controlling the battlefield with precise blasts.
The hollow's walls trembled slightly as the flames struck again and again. Burnt leaves lay scattered on the ground, and the smell of scorched silk filled the air.
By the time they had faced a total of four waves, both of Kay's Pokémons were visibly exhausted.
Eevee was panting heavily, its fur damp with sweat, while Growlithe sat down for a moment, struggling to catch its breath.
Kay approached them and gave each a pat on the head. "You did great," he said calmly, though his mind was racing.
He could feel the danger wasn't over. More could be on the way, and his team's stamina was almost gone.
He knew that early-stage Pokémons had limited endurance. Their stamina reserves couldn't handle prolonged battles like this, especially when facing multiple waves in a row.
They needed rest. They needed healing. But most importantly, they needed to get out of that hollow before the situation got worse.
Kay's mind kicked into high gear as he started thinking of a way to escape safely without putting his team at greater risk.
While Kay was thinking, another group of Pokémons appeared again from the entrance of the hollow.
This time wasn't the same formation, but among the group was a Leavanny with its intimidating presence.
As Kay saw Leavanny entering the hollow, he immediately checked its status:
---
Leavanny
Potential: Deep White
Stage: Inferior Bronze
Moveset: String Shot, Razor Leaf, Struggle Bug, Slash, Sunny Day
---
Leavanny stepped forward, tall and intimidating compared to the smaller Pokémons Kay and his team had faced before.
Its sharp arms gleamed in the faint light of the hollow, and its eyes locked onto Eevee with fierce intent.
Kay took a deep breath and stayed calm. He knew this battle would be the most difficult one yet.
Growlithe was panting heavily beside him, its flames flickering with less intensity, showing clear signs of exhaustion. That's why Kay had no choice but to rely mainly on Eevee now.
"Eevee, use Wish!" Kay commanded firmly.
Eevee raised its head, and a soft light shimmered around it as it used Wish, preparing a future healing.
Kay knew that Eevee might get hurt badly in this battle, and having some healing later could be the difference between winning and losing.
As the battle began, Leavanny launched itself forward with surprising speed, lifting its arm for a Slash attack. Kay reacted quickly. "Eevee, Sand Attack!"
Eevee kicked sand straight into Leavanny's eyes, forcing it to stop its attack and stumble back, scratching at its face. This gave Eevee a moment to catch its breath.
"Now, Toxic!" Kay shouted.
Purple energy gathered in Eevee's mouth, and with a sharp cry, it launched the poisonous move right at the stumbling Leavanny.
The toxic substance hit perfectly, and Leavanny was poisoned. Black spots appeared on its leaf-covered body, and it hissed in pain. But even poisoned, Leavanny didn't slow down.
With anger, Leavanny summoned a storm of leaves and launched a powerful Razor Leaf toward Eevee.
Eevee tried to dodge, but some sharp leaves struck it across the side, sending it rolling back.
Kay winced as he saw blood on Eevee's fur; it was a direct hit. But before Leavanny could follow up, Eevee sprang back to its feet.
"Double Team!" Kay called.
Eevee split into several copies, all dancing and darting around Leavanny, making it hard to focus on the real one.
The poisonous effect was starting to show on Leavanny, who now looked slightly slower and weaker.
Leavanny let out a frustrated cry and used Struggle Bug. It slammed the ground in a rage, releasing a shockwave of bug-type energy.
Many clones disappeared instantly. The real Eevee barely dodged the strike by leaping sideways at the last second.
The attack crashed into the hollow wall, breaking through it completely. Rocks tumbled down, and Kay stared at the damage with wide eyes.
'That move… It's way too strong for this level; its mastery level of Struggle Bug must be very high. If Eevee gets hit, it might be over.' Kay thought.
"Eevee, keep moving! Quick Attack!"
Using its speed, Eevee blurred forward, slamming into Leavanny's chest. Leavanny staggered and tried to catch Eevee in a Slash, but only managed to cut through another illusion.
The poison was weakening it more and more. But Leavanny wasn't done yet; it raised its arms and shot out a thick String Shot.
Eevee dodged the sticky web just in time, and Kay noticed that the webs stuck heavily to the ground, slowing everything they touched.
But luckily, on the other side of the hollow, Growlithe was still holding off the group of smaller bug Pokémons.
Its Ember attacks lit up the space, and many of the stray webs that reached Eevee's side of the battlefield were burned away.
Without Growlithe's indirect support, the field might have turned into a trap of webs and strings that would stop Eevee from dodging.
Kay clenched his fists. 'Just a little more...'
"Eevee, use Quick Attack again! Aim for the legs!"
Eevee rushed in once more, this time going low. It hit Leavanny's legs, causing it to fall forward with a loud thud.
Then Eevee jumped back just in time as Leavanny slammed the ground with another desperate Struggle Bug.
The poison continued to eat away at its health. It was breathing heavily now, swaying as it stood back up.
Kay knew this was the final moment.
"Finish it, Eevee! Use Bite!"
With a final cry, Eevee charged, leapt into the air, and slammed its teeth, charged with Dark-type energy, into Leavanny's chest.
The Bug-type Pokémon staggered backward, dropped to its knees, and then finally collapsed. It was unconscious.
The hollow fell silent except for the distant sounds of Growlithe finishing off the last of the Swadloons.
Kay ran forward and caught Eevee before it fell. It was shaking and tired, but still had enough energy to smile.
"You did amazing," Kay said softly, gently petting its fur.
At that moment, a soft light began to glow around Eevee; it was the Wish activating, slowly healing its injuries. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.
See you in the next chapter...
Drop some Power Stones, and reviews...
If you have a remark about the story, you can leave it in the comments.