Kay slowly lifted his head, his vision still spinning from the force of the Hyper Beam. That's when he noticed that Mr. Mime wasn't moving.
Its body stood stiff, almost frozen in place. Kay quickly realized that it was the side effects of Hyper Beam. This was his chance to escape.
Without wasting another second, Kay pushed himself off the ground, wincing as he moved.
He knew Mr. Mime could use Teleport, which meant it could appear right in front of him at any moment.
But Kay hoped that if he could get far enough away from this area, Mr. Mime might no longer see him as an intruder and leave him alone.
As soon as he put his weight on his left arm, a sharp, burning pain shot through it. Kay gasped and looked down.
His hand was bent at an unnatural angle, broken from the earlier fall. A wave of nausea hit him, but there was no time to stop.
Gritting his teeth, Kay cursed under his breath, ignored the throbbing pain, and started running.
He glanced over his shoulder again, and his heart sank. Mr. Mime was moving again.
Kay turned his head forward, desperately searching for somewhere to hide. That's when he spotted the dark mouth of the cave he saw earlier, just a short distance away.
Now, it was his only hope. Without thinking, he sprinted toward it, praying for a miracle.
He was only a few steps from the cave entrance when he heard Eevee's panicked cry behind him. "Eevwee! Eevwee!"
Kay twisted his neck to look, and there it was. Mr. Mime stood only a few meters away, its eerie smile unchanged as it appeared behind him, no doubt using Teleport.
Kay knew he couldn't outrun it now. But Eevee and Growlithe didn't hesitate. They both leapt between Kay and Mr. Mime, determined to protect their trainer.
Mr. Mime didn't waste any time; it formed another Shadow Ball, the dark swirling energy pulsing in its hands.
Eevee immediately unleashed a storm of glowing stars with Swift, while Growlithe exhaled a burst of flame with Ember.
The two attacks collided with the Shadow Ball, but the Shadow Ball's power was far greater.
With a deep hum, the Shadow Ball tore through the combined assault, still heading directly for Kay.
Kay froze. He had no time to dodge.
Then, in a blur of brown fur, Eevee threw itself into the path of the attack. The Shadow Ball hit it directly, exploding with a dull thud and sending Eevee flying.
The small Pokémon tumbled across the ground before landing heavily in front of Kay.
In the games, Normal-types were immune to Ghost-type moves like Shadow Ball. But this was the real world, and reality was far harsher.
While the hit was weaker than it would have been against another type, the impact still caused severe damage.
Eevee's body was covered in bruises and cuts, and blood seeped from several wounds. Its breathing was shallow.
Kay's legs gave out. He fell to his knees, scooping Eevee into his lap. His vision blurred, not from injury, but from the crushing realization that they couldn't win. Not here. Not against this opponent.
Growlithe stood its ground between Kay and Mr. Mime, growling low. Kay looked at his loyal Pokémon, his voice breaking.
"…Return." He raised the Pokéball and recalled Growlithe in a flash of red light. Now it was just him, Eevee, and the towering Psychic-type in front of them.
Mr. Mime's expression didn't change as it began gathering dark energy again. Another Shadow Ball swirled to life between its palms.
Kay clutched Eevee tighter and shut his eyes. If this was the end, he wanted to at least protect Eevee until the last moment.
But then, something happened.
From behind him, deep inside the cave, a chilling wave of psychic energy washed over the area.
It wasn't just strong, it was suffocating, filled with an unspoken warning. Kay's breath caught in his throat, his entire body shivering under the oppressive aura.
Mr. Mime froze. Its hands stopped moving. The Shadow Ball vanished into thin air. Then, for the first time, Kay saw fear in the Pokémon's eyes.
Slowly, Mr. Mime turned its head toward the cave entrance above the hill. Without a sound, it disappeared, vanishing instantly with Teleport.
Kay blinked in confusion, his mind struggling to process what had happened. Then, with a growing sense of dread, he turned his head toward the cave behind him.
Standing in the shadows was a sleek, elegant Pokémon with lavender fur that shimmered faintly in the dim light.
A long, slender tail curved behind it, and a jewel-like gem glowed on its forehead. Its eyes, sharp, intelligent, and unsettlingly calm, were locked directly on Kay.
It was an Espeon.
Kay's stomach tightened. He realized he had just escaped one threat, only to stumble into the presence of an even greater one, as the Espeon looked stronger than the Mr. Mime.
Still, the overwhelming psychic pressure that had filled the air moments ago faded, replaced by a quieter, calmer energy.
Espeon walked forward slowly, each step silent yet purposeful. Its gaze shifted down to the battered Eevee in Kay's arms.
The purple Pokémon stopped just in front of them, its face unreadable. Kay held his breath, his heart pounding.
Then, without warning, Espeon leaned forward, not toward Kay, but toward Eevee. It sniffed the injured Pokémon gently, its nose twitching as if assessing the damage.
After a moment, Espeon turned away and began walking back toward the darkness of the cave.
But just before disappearing inside, it stopped at the entrance and looked over its shoulder.
Its tail flicked, and it made a deliberate motion, pointing at Kay as if telling him to follow.
Kay stared, stunned. He didn't know if this was an invitation or a trap. But with Espeon's strength, Kay knew that he didn't want to trap him.
Kay carefully stepped into the cave, holding Eevee tightly in his arms. Eevee was now breathing weakly, but it was still awake.
The Espeon that had saved them walked ahead, its tail swaying gracefully from side to side, not once looking back to check if Kay was following.
Kay did not question it; something about the Espeon's presence made him feel strangely safe.
The moment Kay passed the entrance, he realized the cave was far bigger than it had looked from the outside.
The roof was high above his head, and the walls stretched wide to both sides. The air was cooler inside, carrying the faint smell of moss and something sweet, almost like flowers.
The deeper he looked, the darker it became, until he could only make out a faint pink glow far ahead; a single tiny dot deep in the shadows. He didn't know what it was, but it seemed to be calling his eyes toward it.
Kay's attention was drawn away when he noticed movement. All around, scattered across the smooth stone floor, were Pokémons.
Dozens of Eevees lounged in the shadows, their large eyes glinting in the dim light. Some sat curled up together, others rested alone.
Among them were a few more Espeons, their sleek forms blending with the darkness except for the faint shine of the gems on their foreheads.
Every single one of them was now staring at him. Kay could feel their gaze like a weight pressing against his chest, but none of them moved to stop him.
He kept following the first Espeon deeper inside, trying not to stumble in the uneven light.
Eventually, the Espeon stopped in the middle of the cave and turned to face him. Kay froze as well, unsure if he should take another step.
All the other Espeons and Eevees seemed to be watching closely now, as if waiting to see what would happen next.
Without warning, the Espeon's eyes began to glow a bright, deep blue. A shimmering light surrounded Eevee, and Kay felt the small Pokémon being gently lifted from his arms.
He didn't resist because he knew this was Telekinesis, and more importantly, he felt no harm or aggression from Espeon.
Eevee also didn't struggle; instead, it relaxed in the floating light as if trusting the Psychic-type Pokémon completely.
Eevee drifted through the air and was placed softly on the ground beside Espeon. Then, a warm pink energy began to glow around Espeon's body, and Kay recognized the move immediately: Heal Pulse.
The gentle light spread over Eevee like a blanket, and Kay could almost feel its warmth from where he stood.
Slowly, the cuts on Eevee's fur closed. The dirt and blood faded away. The trembling in its body stopped. Within moments, it was as if the battle with Mr. Mime had never happened.
Kay couldn't hide his amazement. He had seen Pokémons heal before, but never this quickly, and never with such complete recovery.
Eevee stood up on steady legs, its tail swishing with energy again. It stepped closer to Espeon and began speaking in soft cries, "Eevwee… Eevwee…" Kay could tell it was trying to explain something important.
Espeon listened silently, its expression calm and unreadable. Then, it suddenly turned its eyes toward Kay.
The pink glow returned to its body, but this time the warm light spread toward him. Kay felt the warmth wash over his skin, sinking deeper into his muscles and bones.
The dull aches from his earlier fall faded. The cuts on his arms closed without a trace. And finally, the throbbing pain in his hand disappeared completely. He flexed his fingers and realized with shock that his broken hand was now fully healed.
See you in the next chapter...
Drop some Power Stones...