Blastoise's massive body hit the ground with a heavy thud, blood pouring from the deep slash across its abdomen and spreading through the dirt beneath it.
In only a few seconds, Machamp and Blastoise had both fallen, their dead eyes still frozen in fear.
"SLAK-KING!"
Slaking roared as icy blue light flared around its fist.
Ice Punch.
This modified Slaking had actually mastered all three elemental punches. Aaron had to admit, that was impressive.
His lips curled slightly as fighting spirit burned in his eyes.
"Let's see just how strong I am now."
He extended his armored fist, and power surged out from inside his body, wrapping around it in pulsing waves. Every bit of force gathered there, compressed into a single, simple punch.
"My own fist technique... Steel Fist!"
Aaron swung straight at Slaking's massive hand.
His fist was much smaller, but the momentum behind it was overwhelming. The punch looked almost plain, stripped of anything flashy, but that stillness only made the power inside it feel more dangerous.
The two fists collided.
BOOOOM!
The impact tore through the forest.
The ground caved in beneath them, forming a deep crater as cracks spread outward in every direction. Wind roared across the battlefield, snapping trees in half and sending debris flying. Aotum was thrown several meters back and barely managed to catch a tree, clinging to it as the shockwave rushed past him. If he had missed, the blast might have sent him tumbling all the way back to Ransei.
Then a miserable roar came from the center of the explosion.
Aotum's expression changed.
That was Slaking.
A cold unease crawled up his spine. Sweat rolled down his forehead as he tightened his grip on the tree, staring into the smoke.
The wind finally tore the dust apart.
Inside the crater, Aaron and Slaking stood facing each other.
Aaron remained wrapped in that blazing aura, completely untouched. Not even dust clung to him.
Slaking, however, had lost its right arm and nearly half its body. Exposed wires, torn flesh, and broken machinery hung from the wound, sparks spitting from its armor as blood poured nonstop.
The red light in its mechanical eyes flickered once.
Then again.
Then it went out.
Slaking was dead.
A single punch had blown half its body apart.
Aaron slowly lowered his fist.
"It's over."
He flapped his wings and descended in front of Aotum.
The man stared at him, stunned.
"No... how is that possible?"
"How could my Slaking lose?"
"I don't believe—"
SMACK!
Aaron slapped him across the face before he could finish. Aotum was sent flying, several teeth spinning out of his mouth as he rolled across the ground and screamed in pain.
"You're too loud."
Aaron looked down at him coldly.
"And I'm not interested in explaining anything to you."
The golden aura faded first. Then the Battle Core Form dispersed, returning him to his normal appearance.
He walked over to Aotum.
"First, I'm finishing the mission."
CRACK!
"AAAAAAH!"
Aaron stomped down between Aotum's legs, and the scream that followed tore through the forest.
He looked at him with a cold smile.
"Enjoy what's left of your future."
Then he knocked Aotum unconscious, grabbed him by the collar, and jumped onto Charizard's back.
"Let's go, Charizard. We're heading back."
"GRAAAH!"
...
By the time Aaron returned, Greninja and the others had already wiped out the entire Pokémon army.
Not a single one remained.
The forest below was covered with Pokémon corpses. Blood soaked into the ground, and the thick, nauseating smell of death hung in the air.
High above, Jian sat on Pidgeot's back, looking down at the aftermath with a complicated expression.
Pity flashed in his eyes, quickly swallowed by anger.
"These Ransei bastards deserve to rot," he muttered through clenched teeth. "They used this many Pokémon for experiments..."
"They're not even human."
The sound of aircraft came from the distance.
Jian turned and saw more than a dozen military aircraft cutting through the sky at high speed before landing in the open ground near what remained of the Corestone facility.
He guided Pidgeot down as soldiers stepped out one after another.
The man leading them looked around fifty, with slightly graying hair and the uniform of a lieutenant general.
Talon.
Commander of the First Ranger Corps, a special unit of the Grit City Police.
Jian jumped down from Pidgeot's back and saluted.
"Lieutenant General Talon."
Talon nodded, then swept his gaze across the corpses scattered through the forest.
"Jian, did your team do this?"
"What about Aotum? Did you capture him?"
Jian's expression turned awkward.
"I'm not that capable."
He glanced toward the battlefield.
"Aaron's Pokémon handled the army."
"Aaron?"
Something cold flashed deep in Talon's eyes when he heard the name, but it vanished almost instantly.
"Where is he now?"
"He went after Aotum," Jian replied.
A dragon's roar rang out from the sky before Talon could ask anything else.
A crimson figure was flying in from the distance.
Jian looked up and smiled.
"Speak of the devil."
Talon followed his gaze, watching the figure approach.
A strange look passed through his eyes.
No one could tell what he was thinking.
...