As Lucario's Aura shielded everyone from the Elite-tier Pidgeot's oppressive aura, the color finally returo the faces of everyone except Julian.

  Taylor looked up at the Pidgeot cirg above with lingering fear. That overwhelming pressure moments ago had made her feel as if she was about to die on the spot.

  She couldn't uand it. The Pidgeot hadn't done anything, and its ability wasn't Intimidate. So why had they all felt su instinctive, bone-deep fear?

  Most humans, including trainers, had never entered a Elite-tier Pokémon in person.

  For them, knowledge of Elite-tier Pokémon typically came from books or videos. Opportuo face such powerful Pokémon directly were exceedingly rare.

  "Dan!!"

  The captain's voice was filled with grief and rage. One of his men had just been killed by the Pidgeot, with not even a body left behind—it had beeen.

  It wasn't unon for wild Pokémon to eat humans. The Trainer Association stantly warned people to avoid venturing into the wild without suffit strength, as it was all too easy to bee prey for wild Pokémon.

  Chase's face was deathly pale. Watg someone die right before her eyes, especially in such a brutal manner, had left her deeply shaken. For a young woman, the fact that she hadn't fainted ht was already impressive.

  "Raichu, Thunderbolt!"

  The captai out his Raichu, determio avenge his fallen teammate.

  Though Raichu wasn't in the best dition, it could still mahunderbolt.

  Golden lightning streaked toward the Pidgeot in the sky.

  Pidgeot's eyes fshed with ridicule. With a powerful fp of its wings, it geed a gust of wind that dispersed the Thunderbolt entirely.

  "Raichu-"

  "It's ae Pokémon. Don't waste your efforts"

  Julian interjected, stopping the captain.

  Raichu wasn't even at the peak of pseudo-Elite. How could it possibly stand a ce against ae-tier Pokémon like Pidgeot?

  Such a futile battle would only drain Raichu's already limited energy, and it wasn't even capable of nding a hit on the Pidgeot. All it would achieve was making everyone even angrier.

  Julian's words made the surrounding group turn pale.

  "Elite-tier… Julian, did you say this Pidgeot is Elite-tier?"

  Taylor asked in disbelief, for o referring to him as "King Julian."

  The others had simir expressions of shock.

  After all, even pseudo-Elite Pokémon were sidered exceptional to them, let aloe-tier.

  There were only about 500 Elite-tier trainers iire try of Drakoria. Most trainers would go their whole lives without meeting even one.

  Wild Elite-tier Pokémon were even rarer, as rare as phoenix feathers.

  Now, they had entered ae Pidgeot. Whether this was incredible luisfortune was anyone's guess.

  "Piiii!~"

  The Pidgeot's sharp eyes locked onto Lucario.

  It was Lucario that had blocked its oppressive aura.

  But in the sed, the Pidgeot shifted its gaze to Julian. It could sehat Lucario cared for the human standing by its side.

  That human must be its trainer.

  Elite-tier Pokémon possessed intelligence rivaling that of humans.

  Having entered many human trainers in its life, the Pidgeot was well aware that the quickest way to win a battle against a trained Pokémon was to elimiheir trainer directly.

  "Piii!~"

  With a pierg cry, Pidgeot folded its wings and dove straight down, this time aiming directly for Julian.

  "Aura Sphere!"

  Julian's eyes narrowed slightly. This Pidgeot was bolder than he had anticipated. Even after killing someo didn't retreat but instead chose to unother attack.

  Did it see them all as mere prey?

  Lucario quickly formed a glowing blue sphere of energy between its hands.

  Aura Sphere was a move that never missed. The energy shot straight toward the Pidgeot. However, just before impact, Pidgeot spread its wings wide, instantly slowing its dive.

  With a series of swift wis, it narrowly evaded the Aura Sphere, which skimmed past its body.

  The Pidgeot tis dive, seemingly unaware that the Aura Sphere behind it had begun to curve back around.

  What happened surprised Julian. Pidgeot's dive speed was so incredible that the Aura Sphere couldn't keep up.

  Lucario: (?o?)

  This was a bit awkward.

  "Piii!~"

  As the distance closed rapidly, Pidgeot could already envision its talons pierg through the human's skull.

  "Luca!~"

  Lucario leapt upward with Extreme Speed, matg the Pidgeot's dest.

  Pidgeot suddenly saw its vision darken. By the time it realized what was in front of it, Lucario's Focus Punbsp;had already ected with its face.

  The impact disrupted the dive, and the trailing Aura Sphere caught up, crashing into Pidgeot's body in a brilliant explosion.

  For most Pokémon at Lucario's level, these two secutive strikes would have been enough to take them down.

  However, Pidgeot was a mid-to-te Elite-tier Pokémoe having already been through a battle before arriving here, it mao withstand Lucario's attacks without beied.

  Its flight became unsteady, feathers scattering in the air as it struggled to maintain altitude.

  Realizing that Lucario was strohan it had anticipated, Pidgeot soared several hundred meters higher into the sky, well beyond Lucario's immediate reach.

  Lucario stood silently by Julian's side, its gaze fixed on the distant figure of the Pidgeot. At such a height, uhe Pidgeot chose to desd, it would be nearly impossible for Lucario to nd another hit.

  "Lucario actually held off ae-tier Pokémon! I thought only Metagross could pull off something like that"

  Taylor excimed, her mouth agape as she stared at the impressive e.

  "Mr. Julian, please avenge Dan"

  The captain said angrily, his voice trembling with emotion.

  Pidgeot in the sky had now decided to retreat. It was already in poor dition, and the Lucario below posed a signifit threat.

  Despite its hatred for humans, it dared not tiroubling Julian and the others.

  "Not good, it's trying to leave!"

  Seeing the Pidgeot no longer cirg and instead heading off in a specific dire, the captain grew anxious.

  "Metagross!"

  With a fsh of white light, the silvery steel figure of Metagross appeared before the group. In the instant, it vanished.

  Pidgeot had already killed someone, and judging by its behavior, it wasn't the first time. It clearly harbored deep hatred for humans. Letting it escape would be dangerous. O recovered, tless people could fall victim to its power iure.

  As a Flying-type Pokémon, its speed was formidable. If it truly wao escape, catg it without matg its speed would be nearly impossible.

  Metagross used Teleport, appearing directly in front of the fleeing Pidgeot.

  "Meta!~"

  A dazzlieor Mash lit up the sky, its radiance like the fi silk glimmering in the sunlight.

  Pidgeot, still w where this foe had suddenly appeared from, was struck squarely on the head by the powerful blow.

  Dazed and disoriented, Pidgeot plummeted toward the ground, its vision spinning.

  Its dest trajectory was dangerously close to the train below. A crash could cause signifit casualties.

  In an instant, Metagross teleported again, reappearing in front of the falling Pidgeot. Its sharp cws cmped around the bird's neck, pierg deep into its flesh.