Huge stones came sweeping through the air one after another, and across their tops a streak of earth-yellow ran at speed. It was the Sandslash.
Off the last stone it pushed with both legs and sprang, put its strength into both arms and struck hard, and the blow landed on the Onix.
"Rraah, rraah—"
Paying no heed to its cry of pain, the Sandslash used the advantage of its own size, and its nimble speed with it, to go round the Onix and come at it from another corner, opening its attack.
"Swift."
The Sandslash carried straight on and leapt right in front of the Onix, and then one star-like Swift after another appeared all at once, crackling and popping, striking the Onix in the face.
Coming down at its waist, it brought out Fury Cutter again and cut and cut across it.
The Sandslash's condition rose higher and higher; the Onix's, on the other hand, sank lower and lower, and the scales of the fight tipped by degrees.
On the other side, Zoroark had made headway against the Nidoking as well.
The Suicune that Zoroark had become had the upper hand now; wave upon wave of water had formed a whirl that had the Nidoking trapped inside it, and a cold spread through the air and froze that whole stretch over.
And then, within the ice, a streak of fire-red brightness appeared.
Zoroark had changed again, and Entei was on the field, streaming flame filling the whole place, meeting what the spreading cold had left behind and forming some reaction nobody could name; water and fire came together, and something terrible was gathering.
At the centre of that storm of power the Nidoking naturally felt it, and used the last of its strength to put a guard on itself, a Protect shield going up to meet the storm that was coming.
"Boom—"
A deafening explosion sounded, and even Vance's side of it felt the reach; the dust it threw up blocked the view, and even at that distance there was a sense of being torn.
When the noise had died away Zoroark was back in its own shape and breathing hard. It had won that fight, but not at all easily, and it had been a hard piece of work; at least it was over.
The Nidoking's eyes were spinning in circles too, and it lay in the wreckage with its senses gone.
On that side, the fight was over.
Zoroark looked across at the ground where the Sandslash was. That was nearly done as well.
The last Swift had struck the Onix full on the forehead, Headbutt, Rock Slide and the rest came one after another, and the huge Onix was out of answers now; it could not deal with a Sandslash that quick.
Just as the Onix had one breath left in it, Vance called the Sandslash off.
"Come back, Sandslash. There's no need to go on."
"Ssh?"
The Sandslash was puzzled, but obediently stopped attacking and came to Vance's side.
Vance came and stood in front of the Onix and took out a Poké Ball.
"You're too weak. You can't even beat this Sandslash with me directing it, and it isn't even one of my Pokémon yet."
"Rraah, rraah—"
Indignation came over the Onix's face. This was too much — killing a man and then cutting his heart out as well; it had already lost, and here it was being insulted.
Not his Pokémon? Who would believe that, watching how it had performed. It advanced and retreated with judgement, its timing exactly right, and between the two of them an order was acted on the moment it came; they worked together very well.
And now he said it was not his Pokémon. Who did he think he was fooling?
It, an Onix, had wits about it; a pair of discerning eyes had already seen through the whole thing.
This human really was cunning — meaning to use this to knock its confidence out of it.
That was it, no doubt of it. Just so.
Cunning man. Did he imagine that a plan like this was beyond an Onix to see through?
He thought far too little of it.
Its build was huge, and so was its head; it was cleverer than others of its kind.
A performance as simple as that could not deceive it at all.
"Rraah, rraah—"
The Onix bared its teeth in a grin and tossed its head away scornfully.
"Hm?? What's this thing up to?"
Vance was not quite sure what to make of it. Why should it do that?
"You don't believe me??"
"Rraah, rraah—"
The Onix's attitude was clear enough. It did not believe him.
"Because my main Pokémon aren't as weak as that. Right, enough talk. I mean to catch you, so give me your view on it. If you agree, I'll give you a job with board and lodging found. If you don't agree, I'll find you a job with board and lodging found as well."
"Rraah, rraah—"
The Onix fell to thinking. What did this human mean by that? Did he mean to let it go??
Clever as it was, for the moment it could not follow.
Er — no, wrong, the subject had been pulled away. Changing the subject, was it? A simple trick.
Still, the man did have ability; that much it granted him, and there was a presence about him that it liked.
All the same, it ought to show a little of its own worth. Even if it was to be caught, it would be caught with dignity.
After all, that Sandslash was not so very much stronger than it. This time it had beaten it; next time was another matter.
And this time there had been him directing it. Being beaten — thinking it over, that was not so hard to accept.
The Onix showed neither willingness nor unwillingness.
Seeing it hold that pose, Vance understood.
"What I said is true. My main Pokémon is not the Sandslash."
With that he swept a hand across the Pokémon at his belt, and then Gyarados, Aerodactyl, Zweilous and the rest came out of their Poké Balls together and ringed it round, kindly smiles all over their faces.
The terrible presences on them declared the terrible strength that was theirs.
And the Sandslash was the same; the sudden appearance of Gyarados and the others gave it a great fright.
Who would have thought it — besides the Aerodactyl there were this many powerful Pokémon, and the least sense of their presences told it these were things it could not fight.
And at the same time it counted itself lucky that it had not tried any tricks earlier, or run off or anything of that kind.
With this many terrifying creatures, any one of them coming out alone could have pinned it to the ground and pounded it.
Thinking of it, the Sandslash gave a shudder, the fear coming after the fact, and as it raised its head it caught an approving look from Gyarados.
The Sandslash stiffly pulled out a smile in answer. This big fellow felt dreadfully frightening, as though it could swallow it in one bite.
"I understand. Coming at once."
The Onix's expression changed, and it tapped the Poké Ball lightly with its tail and went into it at tremendous speed.
"Clunk—"
The capture was a success, the movement smooth and flowing, without the least resistance in it.
Plainly this Onix had an eye for a situation; it was one of those who know which way the wind blows.
"And you, Sandslash. You seem good enough to me. Come along with me and see some different country."
A Poké Ball appeared in front of the Sandslash, and Vance said it clearly.
He had come meaning to catch the giant Onix, and that was accomplished now, so he might as well bundle this Sandslash up with it.
By its performance, it was material worth shaping.
"Ssh-ssh—"
After a few seconds' hesitation the Sandslash went forward and opened the Poké Ball, and turned into a streak of red light and went in.