Naturally, a Shiny Pidgeot that had only just evolved couldn't possibly defeat a Pidgeot that had ruled the tribe for many years.
After only one exchange, the golden Pidgeot was already at a disadvantage.
That said, its performance was still extremely impressive—especially its speed. Even though it had evolved not long ago, it was already slightly faster than the veteran leader. Unfortunately, speed alone wasn't enough. Its attack power and battle experience clearly lagged behind.
Both sides clashed head-on with Wing Attack.
With just a single collision, the Shiny Pidgeot was sent flying back, feathers scattering as blood seeped from its wounds. Meanwhile, the tribe leader barely suffered any damage at all. The gap between them was obvious.
Yet despite being injured, the golden Pidgeot steadied itself midair, gritted through the pain, and prepared to charge again.
Seeing this, Su Yu narrowed his eyes. After a moment of thought, he stepped forward—Beedrill and Butterfree following closely behind him.
The sudden movement caught the attention of the Pidgey tribe.
"Bi—!!"
The Pidgeot leader immediately let out a sharp cry, signaling the surrounding Pidgey to calm down. The flock hesitated, then settled.
The leader's gaze finally landed on Su Yu.
And then… it froze.
"…Bi?"
Why does this human feel familiar?
Su Yu also paused, startled.
"You've seen me before?" he asked slowly. "I live in the orphanage down the mountain."
At those words, the memories slammed back into the Pidgeot leader's mind.
A long time ago—when it was still young—it had been ambushed by a human child. Rocks. A net. A crude Poké Ball that shattered almost instantly. The kid had tried to capture it… and failed miserably. In the end, the child had been beaten black and blue before crawling away.
The Pidgeot stared at Su Yu again.
…It was him.
The same kid.
"Bi—!!"
The Pidgeot leader screeched and swooped down aggressively.
Su Yu's face darkened.
"…You're the one who knocked me unconscious when I was a kid?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Su Yu's Psychic power surged uncontrollably.
The air grew heavy.
Pikachu, sensing danger, instantly leapt off Su Yu's shoulder.
"Pika?!"
Why is the master suddenly so scary?!
All the Pokémon present instinctively recoiled. The pressure radiating from Su Yu felt less like a human—and more like some terrifying Psychic beast.
Even the Pidgeot leader stiffened.
Su Yu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his emotions.
"Tch… you really dug up some bad memories."
He exhaled slowly, then turned his gaze toward the injured golden Pidgeot still hovering nearby.
"That shiny one," Su Yu said calmly, though his eyes burned."Do you want to beat it?"
The Shiny Pidgeot blinked, confused.
"…Bi?"
Su Yu nodded. "Yeah. I'm talking to you."
"From now on, follow my commands," he continued flatly."Otherwise, you won't stand a chance of winning."
As he spoke, a thread of Psychic pressure pressed down directly on the golden Pidgeot.
This wasn't a request.
It was a threat.
The Shiny Pidgeot trembled.
It wanted to resist—but the fear was overwhelming.
In the end, it stiffly nodded.
Yes. Yes. I'll listen. Please don't kill me.
Satisfied, Su Yu shifted his attention back to the tribe leader.
"Come on," he said. "Let's settle this."
"If you lose, you listen to me from now on."
Old grudges. New grudges.
Today, Su Yu planned to erase all of it.
The Pidgeot leader glanced at Su Yu, then at the Shiny Pidgeot.
If Su Yu were fighting personally, it might have hesitated.
But commanding someone else?
That was nothing to be afraid of.
"Bi—!"
With a sharp cry, the Pidgeot leader rose into the air.
The golden Pidgeot silently moved to Su Yu's side.
Beedrill, Butterfree, Pikachu, and the surrounding Pidgey all pulled back, giving the battlefield space.
Su Yu raised his hand.
"Begin."
"Tailwind."
"Then—Agility."
The Shiny Pidgeot hesitated for only a fraction of a second before obeying.
A powerful wind surged behind it.
Its speed skyrocketed.
Then Agility activated.
In an instant, the golden Pidgeot turned into a streak of light.
"Bi—!"
Speed was power.
Before the leader could even react, it was slammed head-on and sent flying backward.
The Shiny Pidgeot's eyes lit up.
So this is how it's done?!
Su Yu's voice rang out again, sharp and merciless.
"Why are you stopping?!"
"Don't hesitate—finish it!"
"Air Slash!"
Snapping back to its senses, the Shiny Pidgeot flapped its wings violently. Blades of compressed air tore through the sky, screaming toward the Pidgeot leader below.
The leader reacted at last.
With a powerful beat of its wings, it summoned a fierce updraft, using the recoil to retreat and regain altitude.
The Air Slash cut through empty air.
The attack missed.
But Su Yu's lips curved upward.
The fight… had only just begun.