POKEMON : STARTING WITH FLASH METAGROSS

In just a split second, Cubone brazenly rushed at Lilligant and struck Meowth with his massive bone club without hesitation.

Meowth's trainer, who hadn't planned any strategy or resisted the process, almost yelled in shock. What did he mean by saying he was going to handle Lilligant? He hadn't said anything!

As he was sneaking around and preparing for something, Cubone suddenly dragged him into the melee.

Such a big bone club, and it hit immediately!

"Meowth, dodge!"

"Meow!"

Meowth nimbly evaded the initial swing of the Bone Boomerang. It was about to retaliate when its trainer's urgent shout rang out nearby.

"State!"

Meowth was struck hard on the head, collapsing with a dazed expression.

Didn't I already dodge?

On the other side, Harumi had instinctively commanded Lilligant to block the Magical Leaf. Thanks to her quadruple resistance, the Magical Leaf didn't leave so much as a scratch on her.

"Lilligant, use Psychic!"

"Hey~~~"

Lilligant's eyes glowed blue as her telekinetic power seized Roselia from afar. Under the type disadvantage, Roselia winced in pain from the psychic assault.

The melee appeared to divide the six combatants into three pairs, each locked in battle yet wary of fully committing to the fight before them.

Until…

"Cubone, Rock Throw!"

With a shout, an energy-charged rock soared across the battlefield.

Tranquill's trainer tensed, knowing their Pokémon was uniquely vulnerable to rock attacks.

Bang!

The attack connected—not with Tranquill, but with Roselia, Lilligant's opponent!

Rax turned to glance at Qingmei, who met his gaze.

She smiled slightly.

"We agreed on an alliance," she said.

Qingmei was momentarily stunned, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush, but she quickly nodded in agreement.

"Turtwig, Bite!"

Caizhong's voice rang out, and Turtwig seized the opportunity, leaping to bite Tranquill's wing. The bird spiraled downward, defeated.

Rax and Qingmei locked eyes again, silently coordinating, and launched a combined assault on Roselia, swiftly knocking it out of the match.

Now, only Cubone, Lilligant, and Caizhong's Turtwig remained in the arena.

Rax and Qingmei's temporary alliance was clear.

Caizhong protested internally. Weren't we supposed to have a free-for-all? Why are you two suddenly teaming up?

Qingmei seemed to read Rax's intentions, smiling slyly.

"I'll attack; you assist," Rax suggested with a confident smirk.

"Cubone, Bone Boomerang!"

Cubone hurled its bone club with precision, rushing toward Turtwig.

Turtwig deftly dodged the attack, retaliating with Razor Leaf that sliced the incoming bone cleanly before continuing toward Cubone.

"Lilligant, Psychic!"

Harumi expertly commanded Lilligant to halt the Razor Leaf mid-air, demonstrating her finesse as a support trainer.

Rax nodded approvingly. Bolstered by her assistance, he confidently commanded Cubone.

"Cubone, Bone Boomerang!"

The bone club spun toward Turtwig again, but Caizhong remained unfazed.

"Turtwig, Leech Seed!"

As Turtwig evaded the boomerang, it released a glowing seed that struck Lilligant. Parasitic vines quickly ensnared her, draining her energy.

Simultaneously, the Bone Boomerang landed its second hit on Turtwig, but the Leech Seed began to heal its wounds.

The battle continued in a chaotic tug-of-war, with Cubone and Lilligant struggling to maintain the upper hand against Turtwig's resilience and Caizhong's tactical prowess.

Eventually, Cubone's Stomp staggered Turtwig just long enough for Rax and Qingmei to launch a coordinated takedown.

"Cubone, Rock Throw!"

"Lilligant, Psychic!"

The combined attacks overwhelmed Turtwig, leaving it slumped on the ground.

Turtwig, defeated!

Now, only Cubone and Lilligant remained.

An uneasy silence settled over the battlefield as the temporary allies turned to face each other.

Rax assessed his panting Cubone before raising his hand with a smile.

"Referee, I forfeit."

Qingmei blinked, surprised, before chuckling softly.

"I give up, too!"

With that, the referee announced the match's end amidst applause from the audience.

The melee had finally concluded, but Rax couldn't help but wonder what lay ahead in this strange new town.