Chapter 24: The Ferocious Giant Bird in the Sky

  "Watch out!"

  Faced with those colossal talons, Riolu's fur instantly bristled as he leapt toward Takuma, tackling him away in a rapid roll. Machoke and Poliwhirl also dove to the sides, narrowly evading the strike.

  Missing its initial target, this massive avian Pokémon spread its mighty wings. A violent gust tore through the treetop hideout, ripping the structure apart.

  "Agh!"

  With the treehouse destroyed, Riolu and Takuma tumbled to the ground, nding hard.

  "That's a Pidgeot—ruler of the skies!" Despite the pain from the fall, Takuma couldn't help but excim at the sight of this imposing bird Pokémon.

  Pidgeot is the final evolution of Pidgey (and Pidgeotto). Compared to Pidgeotto, Pidgeot is noticeably rger. Its stout wings are covered with brown feathers, and three prominent plumes—red on each side and yellow in the center—flow back from its crest. Its sharp beak and talons convey raw power; its crimson eyes and broad, powerful wings exude a regal aura.

  And this particur Pidgeot, clearly a leader, was bigger than most. It hovered in midair, fpping its wings to gaze down menacingly at Riolu's group.

  "Guess our noise was too loud, and it drew Pidgeot here…"

  Riolu's eyes darted around anxiously. He recalled how battling that one frenzied Pidgeotto was already tough enough, and this one seemed far stronger.

  Muttering under his breath, Riolu opened his Pokédex for a quick gnce:

  ---

  [Pokédex]

  Encounter Progress: 33/50

  Battle Progress: 17/25

  [Real-time Analysis]

  Pokémon: Leader Pidgeot (Frenzied) (Female)

  Level: 36

  Type: Normal + Flying

  Ability: Keen Eye (Accuracy isn't reduced by status changes)

  Leader: Sky's Nest (Leading the Flying-types of the nest; the flock gains increased movement speed while present)

  Moves:

  Quick Attack (Lv.4)

  Agility (Lv.4)

  Twister (Lv.3)

  Steel Wing (Lv.3)

  Sand Attack (Lv.2)

  Feather Dance (Lv.2)

  Fly (Lv.1)

  ---

  Level 36—the same as Squirtle's leader. It was one of the two highest-level Pokémon Riolu had encountered!

  Though it had fewer moves than Squirtle's leader, each move was high-level and covered different ranges and uses—Quick Attack, Twister, Steel Wing, Fly, plus Sand Attack, Feather Dance, and Agility for utility. At full strength, it might even match Squirtle's leader in a fair fight.

  More importantly, Pidgeot could fly. So long as it stayed out of reach in the air, and they cked any move capable of striking Flying-types effectively, they would be forced to watch it dominate the skies.

  "Watch out—this Pidgeot is just like Snorx was—'Frenzied!'" Catching sight of that "(Frenzied)" tag from the Pokédex, Riolu shouted a warning to Machoke and Poliwhirl.

  Perhaps agitated by Riolu's cry, the frenzied Pidgeot's eyes fshed with hostility as scarlet energy fred around its body, surging like fmes in a raging bze. It dove down in a fsh of light, Quick Attack crackling all around it. The speed was so blistering that its menacing silhouette streaked through the air as if leaving afterimages.

  "Why me?!"

  Seeing the Pidgeot barreling toward him, Riolu felt panic rising. He shoved Takuma aside.

  "Detect!"

  Reflexively, he activated Detect. Time seemed to slow, letting him see every detail: the wind ruffling Pidgeot's crimson crest, the angle of its wings—right where it would strike. Riolu attempted to pivot aside, pnning to spring backward with his left foot.

  Time resumed.

  "Agh!"

  He managed only half his maneuver. A storm of wind bdes whipped past, sshing dozens of shallow cuts across Riolu's body. He tumbled with a yelp.

  Detect simply let him perceive the attack's path more clearly, but Quick Attack was far too swift. Riolu's body couldn't fully keep up.

  Riolu nded hard on the ground, blood trickling from his mouth.

  "Thank goodness it wasn't a direct hit… or I'd be done for…" Dazed and reeling, he coughed up blood. If that blow had struck him head-on, Riolu feared he would have already met Giratina in the afterlife.

  "Hey!"

  Machoke, armed to see Riolu spitting blood, gnced over in concern—but had no time to aid him. Fresh from its partial strike, Pidgeot wheeled around, focusing its burning energy on Machoke next.

  "Hah! Brick Break!"

  Machoke set his stance, drawing his left fist to his waist while raising his right hand overhead like a chopping bde. As Pidgeot shot in, Machoke's right hand fred with potent Fighting-type energy. The instant Pidgeot closed, Machoke struck down, his chopping hand smming with explosive force.

  Boom!

  Crimson fury from Pidgeot cshed with the bold, brownish-red aura of Machoke's Brick Break, stirring a shockwave that made leaves and dust swirl like a small whirlwind. Scarlet frenzied energy and Machoke's fighting aura collided in a violent struggle.

  The ground beneath Machoke's feet split from the recoil.

  "Water Gun!"

  Poliwhirl fired a forceful jet of water from the side, striking Pidgeot and making it stagger slightly. A fleeting opening—Machoke seized the moment, stepping forward and sshing his chopping hand downward with full strength.

  Smash!

  But it struck empty air. Pidgeot deftly twisted away, flipping upward to reenter the sky. Its eyes gleamed murderously as it fpped its wings, conjuring two roaring Twisters. The whirling tornadoes lunged toward Machoke like ravenous beasts.

  Still off-bance from his finishing move, Machoke couldn't evade in time. The Twister howled around him, kicking up debris. Broken branches and stones shed at him with stinging ferocity before the Twister spat him out from above, smming him to the ground with a heavy thud.

  Two of the three Pokémon had fallen in the blink of an eye!

  With Riolu and Machoke down, Pidgeot turned its hungry gaze upon Poliwhirl—still the st one standing. Though nearly mindless with rage, it remembered the sting of that Water Gun.

  Poliwhirl's face was grim as he locked eyes with Pidgeot.

  Riolu, critically wounded, felt dizzy. A corner of his mind frantically searched for a way out: If Poliwhirl loses, we're finished… Pidgeot can fly and easily outrun us. Unless…

  We have no chance of outrunning it. On nd, it'd catch us in seconds. Could we burrow underground? Wait, that skill… but first I need strength to use it…

  And for strength, I need HP. Using an Oran Berry takes too long. I only have…

  His mind opened the system screen, scanning his Bag. His gaze fell on two purple spray bottles. Summoning them on reflex, he shakily offered them to Takuma.

  "Takuma… take these sprays… use them on me and Machoke… hurry…"

  Takuma, startled, excimed, "What is this—some store-bought potion? Riolu, how do you have these? Where did you get them? Is this some advanced technology or Psychic power…?"

  Riolu resisted the urge to snap at him. This was no time for endless questions!

  Luckily, Takuma grasped the urgency, quickly removing the spray caps and applying the potions to both Riolu and Machoke. The chilled, healing mist from the bottles sparkled over them.

  Riolu felt his health rising from a critical "5/45" up to "25/45." Enough vigor returned that his vision cleared, and some of the pain receded.

  "Man, Potions are a lifesaver," Riolu muttered, gncing at the three remaining bottles in his Bag.

  He recalled how the system had rewarded him with five Potion sprays for completing a milestone in "battle progress." Ever since discovering the Water Stones previously from "encounter progress," Riolu realized that increasing those progress bars yielded special items. He'd pestered many Sunrise Valley Pokémon for friendly matches, raising both "encounter" and "battle" progress.

  And now, thanks to these Potions, Riolu was back on his feet.

  "Alright… time for Pn B."