The sea wind howled over the designated battlefield, carrying salt, ozone, and the faint scent of something burnt.
Lt. Surge stood atop the cold, disc-shaped body of his Magnezone, steady as bedrock.
Arms folded across his chest.
Classic "strong guy" pose.
As for how he was staying that steady? Easy—he had metal plates in his boots.
Magnezone's magnetism locked him in place.
Under his bright blond hair, his eyes were sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the monstrous Tentacruel towering like a living tsunami in front of him.
He could win.
But this wasn't going to be easy.
Why was it that League Trainers' standard party size was six?
Because when a human stood as their species' representative against a Pokémon Overlord, six was the number of partners they were allowed to call.
It was an old tradition.
A ritual from the days when humans and Overlords fought for territory.
Over time, it had fossilized into a rule.
What happens if you exceed that?
Nothing immediate.
But you're violating the old terms—and you lose the gods' recognition.
If humans get to break the cap and swarm with more than six…
Then the Pokémon side gets to go even bigger.
Why six–on–one instead of one–on–one?
Because humans were almost always fighting a Pokémon Overlord on the other side.
And Overlords weren't normal Pokémon.
They were either creatures that had lived for gods–knew–how–long…
Or ones who'd been granted power directly from a Legendary Pokémon.
Each with their own brand of weirdness.
"Formation, spread out!"
Surge's bellow cut through the storm.
"Electrode, all around—Charge up!"
"Magnezone, keep us mobile on hover!"
…Him yelling was mostly habit, though.
In reality, he was issuing orders directly via brainwave to his Pokémon.
The Magnezone under his feet and the electromagnetic field around his body hooked them all into a single network.
Magnezone's job was not only to fly and shield him—it was also acting as a relay, sharing commands instantly.
Meanwhile, the Electrode?
Right now, they were just batteries.
"Troooode!"
"Troooode!"
Four red–and–white Electrode snapped into motion, perfectly drilled.
They floated into a neat diamond formation around Surge, like a personal escort squad.
Their glossy surfaces crackled as golden electricity leapt across them.
Charge kicked in at full power, sucking up ambient electrical energy and compressing it into volatile reserves.
Arcs of lightning jumped between the four, linking them into a growing electromagnetic grid. The air around them wavered with the heat and pressure.
At the same time—
Magnezone's three eyes glowed a cold blue.
Its metal body hummed with a deep, bass vibration, powerful magnetism keeping both it and its Trainer aloft as they sliced through the air.
Despite its bulky appearance, its movements were unnervingly nimble, weaving through the space between the giant Tentacruel's thrashing tentacles.
"Raichu!" Surge's arm swung like a cleaving axe. "Electromagnetic Hover! Close combat! Aim for its eyes and the gem on its head!"
He was shouting so loud you could hear him over everything.
Even if he didn't need to.
That was presence.
Some Trainers liked to stay silent, relying on mental commands alone to avoid tipping their hand—or even calling out fake commands to mislead their opponent.
Surge had no interest in that.
He preferred to stand tall and announce exactly what he was going to do—
Then beat you in the face with it.
"Rai——CHU!!!"
Surge's ace Raichu let out a battle cry that boiled with fighting spirit.
Its compact body exploded with strength that belied its size.
But instead of sprinting forward, it slammed its feet down and detonated a ring of electromagnetic pulses around itself.
Electromagnetic Hover lifted it from the ground, and suddenly it was gliding just above the surface, an orange blur slicing forward faster than any runner.
This was why Surge evolved his Pikachu so early.
His signature style centered around Raichu mastering Electromagnetic Hover.
Running on four legs? Outdated.
Why not just surf the electromagnetic field?
It was faster, could make literal right–angle turns, and hit like a truck.
The downside was the strain it put on the body.
And Raichu's body was simply tougher than Pikachu's.
That was why Surge liked to evolve his Pikachu early.
That was his path. His way.
"ROOOOAR!!!"
The giant Tentacruel's bellow shook the air.
Pain. Rage. And fury at being harried by such a small creature.
It had been weak once. Then it had been pumped full of more power than it could really control.
That was why it was only a pseudo-Overlord.
It couldn't fight with the same mastery as a true Overlord.
Its dozens of massive tentacles—each one like an oversized battering ram—whipped through the air, churning sea and sky alike.
Two of the thickest tentacles crashed in from left and right, aiming to squash the charging Raichu flat like a bug.
Another tentacle, its underside lined with suckers and toxic spines, shot straight for Surge and Magnezone, shrieking through the air.
"Hmph." Surge snorted, not a hint of fear on his face.
Beneath him, Magnezone responded in an instant.
With a precise sideways burst of magnetic thrust, it slid just out of range.
The tentacle's slimy toxin-coated tip passed so close it nearly brushed Surge's pant leg—but he didn't spare it a glance.
His full attention was on Raichu.
"Now!"
"Fast drop!"
"Quick Attack into Iron Tail!"
Through the shared network, Surge could see more than Raichu could from its own perspective.
And Raichu trusted him completely.
Their teamwork had long since fused into instinct.
Just as the two giant tentacles clapped together—
Raichu's electromagnetic field spiked again.
Its body dipped, dropping sharply, slipping through the tiny gap between the converging strikes with hair–thin clearance.
Its speed flared even higher.
Quick Attack.
Raichu became a beam of light, streaking directly toward Tentacruel's massive head.
Its tail arced up high, gleaming with cold metallic light—
Iron Tail, swung like a warhammer, carrying not just muscular force but the full momentum of Electromagnetic Hover behind it.
It smashed down at one of those huge, blood-red eyes.
BOOM!!!
The impact echoed dull and deep.
The Tentacruel recoiled, howling in pain and fury, its head jerking back. The struck eye didn't shatter, but cracks spiderwebbed across it, and the entire organ spasmed with injury.
Raichu didn't try to overextend.
The moment the hit landed, it pivoted, electromagnetic field flipping vector, zipping away in a sharp curve before more tentacles could converge.
It reset at mid range, ready for another charge.
Surge rode Magnezone's constant evasive maneuvers with a feral grin pulling at his lips.
"That's it! Just like that! Bleed it dry!"
His voice boomed through the charged air.
Around him, the four Electrode blazed brighter and brighter, like four miniature suns.
They poured power into the electromagnetic grid, feeding this uneven clash between human and giant beast with strategy and stolen electricity.
Wireless, remote charging.
Less efficient than direct contact—
But much harder to interrupt.
Dragged out long enough, this war of attrition would only end one way.
Surge would win.
And he still wasn't anywhere close to going all out.
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