Chapter 115: The War Begins, Aggron

After five days of waiting, Yang Yan realized that part of the Aggron tribe wasn't going to leave, so he had no choice but to face them in battle.

Before the war started, Yang Yan had already assigned tasks to all his Pokémon.

His main focus would be on commanding Starmie, hoping to defeat one of the Aggrons quickly. Only by doing this could he have any chance of victory.

"Aggron, let's fight!" Yang Yan shouted.

The Aggron tribe heard his call and turned their attention toward him.

Without any further words, the two sides launched into an all-out battle.

"Starmie, start with Water Cannon!"

At the same time as Starmie attacked, Kleavor had already rushed toward another Aggron. Its mission was to hold off that Aggron for as long as possible.

Meanwhile, the Lairons and Arons began to close in on Yang Yan's group. Since they weren't trained by a human, their long-range attack options were limited, and they were Pokémon that excelled in physical combat.

Close combat was their forte.

But Yang Yan wasn't about to let them approach so easily.

After several days of training, his Pokémon already knew what to do.

Butterfree's Tailwind and gust, the Shadow Balls from sableye, nincada, and Meditite, Ponyta's Flame Charge, and Treecko's Energy Ball—all these attacks were launched simultaneously, right alongside Starmie's Water Cannon.

However, Aggron wasn't fazed. It raised its steel-plated arms, and with a powerful sweep, the energy of its Metal Claw tore through the Water Cannon, completely neutralizing it.

The other Lairons and Arons halted as well, preparing their own Metal Claws to counter Yang Yan's team's incoming attacks.

Yang Yan was stunned for a moment, not expecting the Water Cannon to be deflected so easily. But he quickly composed himself. After all, he was still getting used to battling against Pokémon of this high level, and he had mistakenly relied on strategies suited for lower-level encounters.

Aggron, experienced in battle, immediately took advantage of the situation. Its metallic body produced a harsh, grating sound as it rubbed its steel plating together.

It was using Metal Sound! A move that sharply lowers the Special Defense of opponents.

The metallic screech wasn't just directed at Starmie; all of Yang Yan's Pokémon were affected. The difference in strength was simply too large, making it impossible to block the move effectively.

"Starmie, Cosmic Power!"

Although Cosmic Power couldn't entirely negate the effects of Metal Sound, Aggron wasn't a Pokémon that relied on Special Attacks for damage, so Yang Yan wasn't too worried.

"Surf! Let them see your strength, Starmie!"

Yang Yan had avoided using Surf earlier because he feared it might affect Kleavor. But now that Kleavor had lured the other Aggron away, he no longer had to hold back.

The wide-ranging Surf attack engulfed not only the Aggron but also a few of the approaching Lairons and Arons.

Aggron roared, seemingly frustrated, and slammed its massive hands into the ground.

Suddenly, rocks surged up from beneath the earth, racing forward and surpassing the Lairons and Arons. They formed a towering barrier, blocking the oncoming wave.

The Surf attack, which reached nearly three meters high, was stopped cold!

Yang Yan, along with his Pokémon, was in shock. The move Aggron had just used was Rock Tomb, but its scale was far beyond anything they had encountered before. The height difference between Treecko's usual Rock Tomb and Aggron's version was like comparing a child to an adult.

"Can I really defeat Aggron with this kind of power?" Yang Yan found himself doubting for a moment.

But Aggron wasn't done. It began charging forward, its massive legs pounding the ground, gaining speed.

It was aiming for a close-range strike!

If Aggron got within range, with its sheer size and power, it could defeat Starmie in one hit.

Although the Surf was blocked, the Rock Tomb was also destroyed, leaving debris and water vapor filling the air.

When Yang Yan regained focus, Aggron's hulking figure was already closing in, its steel horns glowing as it prepared to use Iron Head.

"Starmie, quickly use Psychic to lift yourself and gain distance!"

Even though there was only a slight difference in base stats between Starmie and Aggron, Starmie's strength lay in its speed and Special Attack. However, that advantage only mattered at a distance. In close combat, Aggron had the upper hand.

"Starmie, use Psychic!"

Though Psychic-type moves only deal half damage to Steel-types like Aggron, they still do more than Water-type moves, which would be completely blocked. Aggron's Special Defense wasn't as strong as its Physical Defense, so this was Yang Yan's best bet.

Sure enough, Aggron visibly recoiled, shaking its head as if it had been rattled.

But it quickly recovered. Realizing that Starmie was out of reach, Aggron switched to a long-range attack.

It opened its massive maw, charging up energy. The power of its Hyper Beam began to swell, aimed directly at Starmie.

"Starmie, use Protect!"

The sheer speed and range of Hyper Beam made it impossible to dodge completely, so Yang Yan ordered Starmie to block it.

A shimmering green shield formed in front of Starmie, successfully absorbing the force of the devastating attack.

"Now, use Psychic again while it's recovering!"

Yang Yan needed to stall Aggron long enough to create an opening for a decisive Water Cannon strike.

Meanwhile, the Lairons and Arons had fully engaged Yang Yan's other Pokémon.

Butterfree's Tailwind constantly boosted its teammates, while Gengar danced around the battlefield, alternating between Shadow Claw and Phantom Force.

Treecko zipped through the fray with Quick Attack, planting Leech Seed and using Mega Drain to sustain itself in a guerrilla-style combat.

Ponyta was cloaked in flames, charging into battle with Flame Charge and Headbutt.

However, the standout performance came from Meditite. Specializing in fighting-type moves, it was able to land effective blows against the Steel-types. With its flurry of rapid strikes, no Aron could withstand its relentless assault.

Despite being small and seemingly unassuming, Meditite proved to be a powerhouse on the battlefield, outshining its peers with its raw combat prowess!