"I don't even need to give it commands. The Tobi-Kadachi knows exactly what to do."
"After all, it has survived in the wild for years and has a wealth of combat experience. This just proves it: for me, subduing weak monsters is a waste of time. It's far better to capture powerful ones. I don't need to specifically train their combat instincts at all. In the wild, nearly every monster is a master of combat. Those who aren't good at fighting have long been eliminated by cruel nature. The ones that survive are the battle-hardened elites."
Zhang Tian looked at the Tobi-Kadachi, which had single-handedly won the battle, and sighed in admiration.
"Well done, Tobi-Kadachi." Zhang Tian rode the Great Izuchi over, gave it a thumbs-up, and praised it.
The Tobi-Kadachi and the Tetranadon had similar ecological standings and were roughly equal in strength. If the Tobi-Kadachi hadn't been Pokémonized, it would have been a difficult fight, likely ending in a draw or a pyrrhic victory at best.
"Hiss," the Tobi-Kadachi nodded happily.
"Hmph," the Great Izuchi snorted, clearly feeling that the Tobi-Kadachi had stolen all the glory.
"The hunt is a success," Zhang Tian said cheerfully.
"Pidgeo!"
Suddenly, the Pidgeotto on his shoulder let out a piercing cry.
"An enemy! Behind us!" Hearing the alarm, Zhang Tian whipped his head around.
"SKREEE!" On a high cliff in the distance, a crimson monster appeared. It looked like a cross between a bat and an ape, with a body length of 9 meters and a height of about 3.7 meters. It was a Blood Orange Bishaten.
The Blood Orange Bishaten is a subspecies of the Bishaten, with an ecological standing on par with a Rathian a full tier higher than the Tobi-Kadachi.
Blood Orange Bishaten
Level: 47 (Gym Leader Tier)
"Should I run?" Zhang Tian's brow furrowed. The Bishaten was Gym Leader tier, while he and his Pokémon were only elite-tier. In terms of raw power, they were outmatched.
"If I run, I'll have to leave the Tetranadon corpse behind. It's too heavy. While the Tobi-Kadachi and Great Izuchi could move it, it would slow them down too much. We'd never escape, and the Bishaten is fast."
"As for traversing back to the Pokémon world... better not. Utsushi is probably nearby. He sees me as the hope for the village, so he'd never let me go on a hunt alone. He must be following me, protecting me in secret. I can't expose my traversal ability just yet, not unless my life is in immediate danger."
"The Tobi-Kadachi, Pidgeotto, Great Izuchi, Arzuros, and I are all elite-tier. Five against one, we might have a chance against the Bishaten. With the Tobi-Kadachi's speed, our odds are decent. So, we fight. We can always run if things go south. Worst case, I'll traverse back then."
Having made his decision, he threw out a Poké Ball. "Arzuros, use Bulk Up! Pidgeotto, use Agility!"
"Skree! Skree!" As Zhang Tian gave his orders, the Bishaten let out a bizarre cry, leaped down from the cliff, and charged toward them. Even though it was outnumbered, it showed no fear. It had seen and eaten Tobi-Kadachi, Great Izuchi, and Arzuros before. In its eyes, they were nothing but food. While it preferred nuts, it was an omnivore and wouldn't turn down meat. As for Zhang Tian and Pidgeotto, they were so small that the Bishaten barely registered them, likely lumping them in with small fry like Izuchi and Wroggi.
"Go!" Zhang Tian rode the Great Izuchi forward, meeting the charge.
Fwish!
A blur of lightning, the Tobi-Kadachi shot past them and appeared in front of the Bishaten in an instant. Its speed was so immense that even the Gym Leader-tier Bishaten couldn't compare.
SLASH!
The Tobi-Kadachi swiped its claws at the Bishaten's eyes. The monster, caught off guard, only had time to jerk its head to the right.
Squelch!
The Tobi-Kadachi's right claw gouged out the Bishaten's left eye. The Bishaten had been too arrogant. If it hadn't underestimated its opponent, the Tobi-Kadachi never would have landed such a devastating blow.
"SKREEE!"
Howling in pain, the Bishaten dropped into a low crouch. Balancing on its right hand in a breakdance-like motion, it whipped its massive tail around, aiming for the Tobi-Kadachi. The monster moved like a street dancer, supporting its body with its arms while its tail became a weapon.
The Tobi-Kadachi leaped up, dodging the tail swipe, and positioned itself above the Bishaten's head.
Flying Tail Slam!
CRACK!
Its mace-like tail slammed down on the Bishaten.
Thud!
The Bishaten's body shuddered from the impact, but that was all. The attack drew blood, but caused no bone injuries. The Tobi-Kadachi's strength was simply too low. If it had been at the same tier, that blow would have likely knocked the Bishaten out.
"SKREEE!" Enraged, the Bishaten did a handstand and swung its tail again. The Tobi-Kadachi used the force of the blow to launch itself into the air, once again evading the attack.
"SKREEE!" The Bishaten looked up at the airborne Tobi-Kadachi, then balanced itself on its tail and opened its mouth, spitting a fireball.
Swoosh! The Tobi-Kadachi glided away from the flames, landing on a nearby cliff face where it clung upside down.
Just as the Bishaten was about to give chase, Zhang Tian's shout echoed through the area. "Eat this! Flash Bomb!"
A Flash Bomb arced through the air, landing directly in front of the Bishaten.
FLASH!
A dazzling golden light erupted, blinding the monster.
"SKREEE!" The Bishaten collapsed, clutching its remaining eye in agony.
"Hiss!"
The moment it fell, the Tobi-Kadachi moved. It pounced, landing in front of the writhing monster.
RIP!
"Claw Swipe!"
It used its unique skill, its electrified right claw slicing into the pouch on the Bishaten's abdomen. This pouch, similar to a kangaroo's, was where the Bishaten stored its food giant, volatile pinecones. Clearly, the Tobi-Kadachi was familiar with this monster and had seen it use the pinecones as weapons.
The pouch was torn open, and the giant pinecones spilled onto the ground. The Tobi-Kadachi snatched one, then soared a hundred meters into the air. When it reached the apex of its flight, it hurled the pinecone down at the pile below.
KABOOM!
The impact triggered a massive explosion, which in turn detonated the rest of the pinecones.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Like a chain reaction of explosive barrels, the pinecones erupted in a fiery cloud, engulfing the helpless Blood Orange Bishaten.