Redirection

Within an underground cave, a large group of children followed a boy and another girl at their back as they made their way towards the exit.

Alan and Misty had already saved all the children and pokemon. The pokemon were already sent to Viridian City PokeCentre; now, it was time to ensure the children were safely escorted back to their homes.

[Alan]

[What is it?] he asked as he answered the call from Misty. They were using their Pokedex to communicate since they were not too close.

[I just received a call from Derek, he and Stain met up with Riya's group, and they found the first Advanced rank trainer. They are fighting him as we speak, but according to him, the second Advanced rank trainer might be coming for us...]

[No need for 'might,' he is here already] said Alan as he paused his steps and the children came to a stop as well.

Misty, who heard Alan's words, followed by him suddenly stopping right before the exit, knowing the trouble had come there way sooner than they expected, grabbed her Gyarados's Pokeball. At the same time, her Starmie was also ready to fight.

"Some rats have entered our base, and the boss has instructed us to take care of them," said a man as he walked towards them from the only entry and exit of the cave that was accessible in this part of the cave.

"Give up, or I wi..."

His words had not ended, but Alan had already drawn out his swords and charged towards him, but the man dodged his attacks and took out his sword before swinging it towards Alan.

Alan had no time to waste with words, nor did he have the right to not use swords in front of an opponent who was at least similar to him in strength if not stronger.

But his opponent was not an amateur like the rest of the grunts he faced so far. It was apparent by seeing how easily the man dodged Alan's attacks while also counterattacking with his own.

"Take the kids and leave."

Alan knew this was going to be a tough fight. He had not yet used his complete set of skills and aura, but his opponent similarly held back; each was probing the other.

"No, Derek and rest will soon..."

Alan did not say anything but gave a stern look towards Misty. Unlike his usual face, which was friendly and full of smiles, big or small, it was cold. His eyes showed a tinge of purple and blue while slowly turning red.

Even the kids supporting their superhero from behind were shocked at Alan's expression.

"No second thoughts or says," he spoke while fighting his opponent. He barely dodged a sword swing to his neck with a duck before slashing his own upwards, "pokemon are safe; so, we have to make sure children are too. Take them to the meeting point set by the league and make sure they are out of the forest safe and sound. I will hold him here."

Misty bit her lower lip before she finally made up her mind.

"Follow me," she directed the kids, and before they could even voice any complaints, another stern look from her shut them up. They were as naive as they were, even though they knew this was not the time they could disagree with her.

"Hehehe, do you think you can leave just like this? I Baran am not someone you can look down..."

But his words were once again cut short when a sword almost cut his neck off his shoulders. Though he dodged, a small cut on his neck was now bleeding.

"And are you looking down on me?" asked Alan while tilting his head at him, his cold eyes glowing vibrant red as they stared into the man's soul.

Barak had a chill up his spine.

'What kind of freak is he?'

Misty and Starmie led the kids out while Alan kept Barak busy, ensuring the kids were not in harm's way.

"Tsk, cheeky brats."

Barak jumped back and pulled out a Pokeball before he hurriedly threw it into the air.

"Nido, use Earthquake to stop those brats."

[Nidoqueen

Type: Poison/Ground

Level: 35

Potential: Green

Stage: Advanced Stage (Low)]

Nidoqueen had just appeared, but she heard her trainer's words and immediately looked at Misty and the group, which had already left the cave and were making their way towards the forest.

She roared and gathered Ground-type energy around her claws and smashed them into the ground towards the kids and Misty.

The kids were scared at the large Nidoqueen behind them and the now trembling ground that made them fall.

The ground was bring split open, and the crack was making its way towards them. The shouts and cries of the kids once again rang in the forest before the underground cave.

Misty released Gyarados and was about to ask her Blood Bond to deal with Earthquake, but a different voice reached her ears.

"Focus on escaping."

It was none other than Alan standing before Misty's group and the crack that was increasing as it came towards them.

"Don't turn back..."

Everyone looked at the young boy as he stood before the devastating Earthquake. But before the crack could even reach him, he flared up in a blue aura and punched the ground with all his strengths.

Unlike how Earthquake was forming a crack, the fist destroyed the whole ground in front of Alan, breaking it into pieces and stopping the crack made by Earthquake from going any further.

"...I told you that I will stop him here and that included his pokemon as well."

He spoke in a plain tone, his fist still at the ground; his actions and strength had dumbfounded everyone present.

'J-just how strong is he?' thought Misty while the kids were in awe at the strength Alan had shown. But Misty regained her thoughts soon after, and with the help of her pokemon, she led the kids towards a safe zone.

Alan looked at Barak, who had a dissatisfied face and spoke in an amused tone.

"Now that the kids are gone, let's start the real fight."

He grabbed a Pokeball on his waist, and the next moment, Shin appeared before them.

[Kubfu.

Type: Fighting.

Level: 28

Potential: Deep Violet.

Stage: Intermediate Stage (Peak)

Blood Bond: None.

Ability: Inner Focus.

Innate Skill: Close Combat (I).

Moves: Leer, Rock Smash (B), Endure (B), Focus Energy (B), Bulk Up (B), Aerial Ace, Scary Face, Headbutt, Brick Break, Detect.

IM: None.

TM: Protect (B), Mega Punch (B), Fire Punch (B), Thunder Punch (B), Quick Attack (B), Agility (B)]

"Power-Up." Alan immediately gave instructions to Shin while the duo walked towards their opponents simultaneously.

This was not a pokemon battle, and Alan did not intend to make it one. This was a life and death battle in which only one of them would come out alive after the fight was over.

An aura surrounded them both.

The duo stretched their arms and necks as they approached their opponent, and when they were some distance away, they both pushed off the ground, launching at Barak and his Nidoqueen.

Barak had been in many battles, his pokemon had died, but he would train a new one every time. It was rare to find a Blood Bond among Team Rocket members since most were killed off in different missions. But he was one of those rare few who had trained a non Blood Bond pokemon to such a level.

But even after all his fighting experience, he rarely saw a trainer join a fight—especially someone as young as Alan.

"Nido, use Mega Punch."

By the time Barak was done giving orders to his Nidoqueen, both Alan and Shin were upon them. Without even any orders Shin met Nidoqueen's attack with his Mega Punch.

Barak was some safe distance behind his pokemon and expecting an attack from Alan. He was surprised when he saw Alan pass his pokemon but immediately turned around and kicked towards Nidoqueen's face.

The sudden attack on her face made the giant pokemon stunned, but she ignored it since it was from a weak human—a mistake.

Despite being a few levels lower than his opponent, Shin did not get pushed back in that confrontation. However, the Nidoqueen, who had not considered Alan a threat, was blasted off to a side after receiving a kick right into her face. Though he was human, Alan was not weak in physical strength.

He trained Shin in hand-to-hand combat and never asked Shin to hold himself back. Yet, the poor wushu pokemon had never beaten his master.

'What kind of freaks are those two? And what pokemon is that?' wondered Barak as he looked at the duo.

Kubfu was a Mystical and also a part of Legendary Pokemon.

Even though many people had at least seen a few pictures of other legendary pokemon on Pokenet, never had there been an appearance of a Urshifu. Hence, the appearance of an unknown pokemon, which he knew nothing about, made Barak even more nervous than he already was after Alan kicked his Nidoqueen flying.

'I need to go all out.'

With that thought in his mind, Barak took out another Pokeball and threw it into the air.

"Nidoking, use Take Down."

[Nidoking

Type: Poison/Ground

Level: 35

Potential: Green

Stage: Advanced Stage (Low)]

Right after his words, another pokemon similar to Nidoqueen but different in a few aspects appeared before Alan and Shin. He glared at Alan and Shin for hurting his mate and charged towards them with an intent to kill.

By now, the Nidoqueen had stood back on her feet. Her face was filled with anger after she was kicked in the face. Barak decided to use that anger and asked Nidoqueen to follow right after her mate.

"Nidoqueen, use Take Down as well."

The angry Nidoqueen did not think twice and ran towards her opponents as Normal-type energy started gathering towards her.

Barak watched as the two giant pokemon stomped towards their target, while Alan and Shin just stood there beside each other, doing nothing.

After his Blood Bond died on a dangerous mission, he had received the eggs of these two pokemon as a reward from Team Rocket. He raised these pokemon to Advanced rank and their potential, from Deep Yellow to Green.

'Hmm...'

Alan looked at the two pokemon charging towards them and thought for a possible solution.

'Maybe it would work?' he thought while looking at Shin, who was standing beside him, unafraid of the pair.

Having made up his mind, Alan spoke to Shin in a calm tone, "Shin, redirect."

They both closed their eyes and focused on the Aura within them. Alan had been teaching Shin martial arts for the past week within the Viridian Forest and during this week there had been few changes within Shin.

Unlike the 'Shin' who wanted to punch everything head-on, the more battles he fought, he learnt more about himself and what he wanted to be.

Do I want to punch things?

Hell Yeah!

But do I want to just punch things?

When he thought about the second question during his training, he knew for himself that he wanted to do more than 'just punch' things. But he did not know what that 'more' was.

This was where Alan came in as his trainer or master as Shin called him starting that day.

Alan did not teach Shin any martial arts at first but just sparred him full a whole day non-stop. He could of course give Shin an answer to his questions but that would make Shin dependent on him whenever he was in a pickle, taking away his ability to think for himself.

Instead of giving him the fish, he decided to teach him how to fish.

After they were done with their sparring, Shin had come to a shallow understanding of what he wanted his fighting style to be about. Yes, Alan's style of fighting had influenced his decision a little bit but it was also something he wanted, but there was also more.

The duo ignored the approaching Nido's and bent their knees a little, taking a horse stance. They raised their hands in front of them and blue Aura started enveloping their hands, then arms and soon their whole body.

"A-aura user?" exclaimed Barak as he looked at Alan.

True everyone could learn Aura since it was present in all beings but those who could not be found so easily, heck it was rare to see an aura user even after you have lived your whole life. At least for common populace.

Misty was not surprised with Alan's Aura since she had seen a few other due to her father's connections but it was different for Barak.

'I am screwed.' He thought to himself, but he was not afraid...yet.

As the Aura wrapped and coiled around both Alan and Shin, they waited for both the Nido pair to get close to them.

*Roar* *Roar*

Just as the pair were on them, the still master and disciple duo moved. Alan towards his right facing the Nidoking, and Shin to the left side facing Nidoqueen.

Right when the pair were about to hit them with Take Down, they dragged there feet in circular pattern on the ground while waving their hands along the body of pokemon they were facing.

Before the Nido's could even registered what happened Alan and Shin were standing behind them while the Nido's were now facing each other and soon crashed, taking the full brunt of each others Take Down.

This was something Alan had taught Shin, to redirect an attack towards a different direction by using the power behind the attack to his own advantage. Instead of facing the Nido pair head-on, they had 'redirected' them to each other and used their attacks against each other.

This, however, was not the end.

Alan and Shin, in one single motion, placed their hands on the back of their now disheveled opponents before they spoke at the same time.

"Aura Burst."

[Aura Burst]

The channeled the Aura they had been gathering to their hands and blasted it into the bodies of the two pokemon, destroying them inside out.

*Boom*

A wave of dense Aura passed through the Nido pair and they shrieked at the pain that followed right after. This however was not enough to take them down but Alan and Shin were not done either.

They gathered more Aura while their opponents were screaming in pain and before they could calm down, they sent out another burst of Aura into their bodies.

*Boom*

[Ding: Pokedex Notification.

Shin has successfully learnt an Improvised Move: Aura Burst]