With Excadrill using Vibrava as a platform, he could not fully avoid Honchkrow's flaming Air Cutter.
Several burning wind blades struck his body, forcing him to hiss in pain as scorch marks appeared along his wings and side.
Tyson did not give them room to recover.
"Honchkrow, use double Night Slash. Noctowl, use Air Slash."
Honchkrow immediately dove again, both wings shining with dark energy this time.
Noctowl shook itself, rose from the ground with difficulty, and fired Air Slashes toward Vibrava to keep him occupied.
"Vibrava, dodge using Quick Attack. Excadrill, meet Honchkrow head-on with Strength."
Vibrava burst sideways, avoiding the first Air Slash, then dipped under the second and twisted around the third. His aerial control was improving under pressure, but Noctowl's accuracy forced him to remain defensive.
Below, Excadrill planted his feet.
Honchkrow slammed into him with both Night Slash-coated wings. The force pushed Excadrill backward several feet, carving tracks into the arena floor, but he did not let go.
His claws closed around Honchkrow's wings, Strength reinforcing his grip until the bird could no longer beat them freely.
Silas' eyes sharpened.
Now Honchkrow couldn't maneuver.
"Checkmate. Excadrill, use Rock Slide."
Massive stones formed above Honchkrow and began falling.
Unable to break free quickly enough, Honchkrow was bombarded. One boulder struck its back, another clipped its side, and a third smashed down near enough to send stone fragments across its body. Honchkrow cried out but continued struggling fiercely.
Noctowl dodged every falling rock, its movements still precise despite the damage from Crush Claw.
Tyson's voice cut through the noise.
"Noctowl, combine Heat Wave and Air Slash."
The attack formed faster than before.
A thick blade of wind, coated with roaring flames, tore across the battlefield and crashed into Excadrill.
The explosion engulfed him, forcing him to release Honchkrow as fire and compressed air blasted over his body.
Silas reacted immediately.
"Vibrava, use Sandstorm."
Vibrava beat his wings fiercely.
Sand erupted across the battlefield, swirling faster and faster until the arena was wrapped in a condensed sand tornado. Visibility dropped significantly.
Honchkrow and Noctowl both took a few moments to acclimate, their vision disrupted and their wings buffeted by the gritty current.
Excadrill used that time to rise.
He was battered and breathing hard, but he still had plenty of fight left.
"Excadrill, use Drill Run. Vibrava, Steel Wing and Iron Tail together."
Excadrill spun forward, claws extended as his body became a blur.
He reappeared only when the attack struck Honchkrow hard, the drilling force smashing into the dark bird's body and knocking it toward the ground.
Honchkrow nearly hit the floor, but steadied itself at the last second with a furious flap of its wings.
At the same time, Vibrava pressed Noctowl.
Steel Wing clipped one side. Iron Tail followed from the opposite direction. Noctowl endured both attacks and remained airborne, but the calm in its eyes had finally begun to crack.
Tyson nodded slightly.
"Noctowl, use Hurricane."
Noctowl spread its wings wide.
The wind it generated was far stronger than before. It swirled outward in expanding layers, catching the sandstorm and tearing it apart. Within seconds, the battlefield cleared, Silas' concealment removed by superior wind control.
"Now Noctowl, use Tailwind. Honchkrow, use Superpower."
Noctowl released another wave of wind, but this one did not behave like a normal attack. It flowed around Tyson's pokemon, wrapping them in living currents that increased their speed and supported their movements.
Honchkrow dove toward Excadrill.
Its body glowed with maroon energy as Superpower surged through it. Excadrill prepared to dodge, reading the first line of approach.
Honchkrow's speed doubled under Noctowl's support move. With its explosive increase in speed, it threw off Excadrill's timing to dodge.
The collision was deafening.
Honchkrow smashed into him with tremendous force, and the shockwave kicked up dust across the arena. A moment later, Honchkrow shot out of the cloud and climbed back into the air, wings beating heavily but proudly.
When the dust cleared, Excadrill lay unconscious in a dented section of ground.
At nearly the same moment, Vibrava mounted a fierce offensive against Noctowl. Anger and determination pushed him forward as he slipped past another Air Slash and slammed Iron Tail into Noctowl's body, knocking it down toward the arena floor.
For a heartbeat, it looked like Vibrava might equalize the fight.
Tyson's voice remained steady.
"I see your pokemon have much fighting spirit, but this ends here. Honchkrow, Icy Wind. Noctowl, amplify it with Hurricane."
Silas' expression tightened.
"Vibrava, break it with Iron Tail."
Vibrava tried his best.
He roared and dove into the forming winds, tail shining with metallic force. But Honchkrow's Icy Wind spread cold through the air, while Noctowl's Hurricane expanded and strengthened it.
The two wind attacks complemented each other perfectly, becoming a freezing vortex that swallowed Vibrava before he could reach the source.
Iron Tail cut through a few layers but it wasn't enough.
The combined attack trapped him, battered him, and stripped away his momentum. Frost gathered along his wings.
His flight faltered, and after several seconds of struggling, Vibrava fell out of the sky unconscious.
Silas exhaled slowly.
He returned both pokemon to their pokeballs so they could rest properly.
The arena had gone quieter than before.
The crowd had witnessed Silas crush twelve challengers with Espeon, then watched Tyson dismantle his double battle team without using his main Fearow.
The gap between a rising Elite Officer and a true veteran had been shown clearly.
Tyson walked across the battlefield and stopped in front of Silas.
"You battled well. Your strategies were deceptive and effective. To push me into taking the battle seriously, I already recognize your strength as a legitimate Elite Officer of Team Rocket."
Silas heard the praise, but his mind was still on the battle.
He was not sulking because he lost. Losing to Tyson was expected. What bothered him was the feeling that victory had not been completely impossible.
Honchkrow and Noctowl were strong, but not beyond reach. With better preparation, sharper calls, and improved move coverage, Excadrill and Vibrava might have forced a different outcome.
That meant the true loser had been him.
Tyson seemed to notice the direction of his thoughts.
"Don't worry, I won't be taking your Trial Points. Use them to get stronger. Cheer up, kid!"
Tyson grinned at Silas. Usually the young recruits are just bloodthirsty idiots that bring themselves an early death more times than not so meeting Silas was refreshing for Tyson.
As such, he wouldn't kick him while he was down. The organization was cutthroat however the higher ups wouldn't abuse talented newcomers.
Giovanni and the admins frown upon that kind of blatant cowardice.
He slapped him on the shoulder hard enough to jolt him out of his deep thought.
Silas blinked, then regained his composure.
His thoughts settled into order.
First, Vibrava needed more effective physical moves.
His current tools were useful, but too many of them were basic or situational. In serious battles, that could become a liability despite his ferocity and potential.
He needed a reliable, powerful offensive move that could threaten opponents even when brute persistence was not enough.
Second, Excadrill needed a dangerous projectile option. His creativity with Rock Slide and Strength had been impressive.
Although Silas was proud that Excadrill had developed such a method himself, Tyson had been right.
It was still a rough imitation of Smack Down, and against skilled flying opponents, it lacked decisive power.
Silas briefly wished Excadrill could learn Fire Blast. That would have been perfect. Hyper Beam might also work, but its recovery drawback made it something to consider carefully rather than rush into.
He needed something that Excadrill could launch regularly without too many drawbacks.
Even if it's simply to defend against other special attacks.
Most importantly, Silas himself needed this loss.
After a dozen victories in a row, he had begun developing an ego. It was subtle, but it had been there.
The thought that his team had reached pseudo advanced level, the confidence from Espeon's streak, the growing reputation around his name, all of it had begun to settle into his mind like armor.
Tyson had cracked that armor before it became a weakness.
Allowing that blind confidence to fester would have been a detriment to his overall growth.
Perhaps that was why he had stepped forward. Perhaps it was only coincidence.
Silas would likely never know.
He looked up at Tyson and inclined his head.
"I learned a lot from our battle. Thank you for going easy on me."
Tyson laughed again.
"Hahahahaha! You are a funny one."
He said a few more words of encouragement before turning and walking away, the two Fearow still watching everything with sharp, predatory eyes.
Silas watched him go.
Team Rocket was an interesting organization. It fostered true camaraderie in some places and false friendship in others.
It created bonds through shared danger, but it also produced betrayal, ambition, and quiet knives hidden behind smiles. People like Tyson were difficult to judge at a glance.
From one perspective, Tyson might someday try to eliminate Silas to avoid dealing with a future rival.
From another, he might be a genuine senior member of Team Rocket despite his known bloodthirsty nature.
Silas could not decide yet.
For now, he would take it one day at a time. Only time would reveal what kind of person Tyson truly was.
————————————————————
Thanks for the continued support on my first fanfic!!
Moving forward, every 50 Power Stones, I will release a bonus chapter.
I will also be releasing bonus chapters for milestones. The next ones are 100k views and chapter 100.
Finally, I will be releasing 3 extra chapters once we reach 10 reviews. 5 star reviews are appreciated but not required, I want honest feedback so I can improve.
Once again, thanks for all the support and feedback!