Chapter 16

Starting off, Vioarr applied Leer on all six targets. Because Leer was also maxed-out, instead of doing the standard -1 stage defense debuff, his leer actually lowered a pokemon's defense and special defense by 2 whole stages!

Taking turns attacking each other? Never! Why should I let my opponent hit my little brother when we can just completely demolish them! Take note that this was the real world. Instead of like the games, anime, and manga where trainer's each took turns using their pokemon's abilities, in this world, it was strictly about which trainer was faster and better at issuing commands.

Applying another two stack of Leer, all six Beldums' and Metagross's defense and special defense was lowered as much as possible. It was finally time to start the real battle, but Metagross still wasn't a foe to underestimate! Lowered defense and special defense aside, Metagross was still a pokemon in league with the likes of Tyranitar and Dragonite! A real pseudo pokemon! Before Vioarr could cast Confusion, Metagross started flashing in an array of rainbow lights!

"Huh!? What now!? Don't tell me Metagross has another evolution in this world!" Jax was completely stricken with fear that this world might not be anything like the anime series, games, and mangas he enjoyed so much from his hospital bed in the previous life.

"Brother, I don't think it's an evolution. It looks different from what I just went through earlier! Plus, the light is coming from an orb around Metagross's leg!"

"An orb? Wait! No way! How could I have completely forgotten! It's a mega-." But before Jax could continue, he was thrown off by the powerful blast that occurred as Metagross finished whatever it was doing.

Metagross now had all four legs facing forward instead of having them down by its side with a horn coming out of its chin and spikes on its side! Even the giant X on its face took on a more golden sheen.

"I don't believe it! Metagross actually mega-evolved without a Key Stone!?"

"We can worry about that later! Right now, I don't think I can handle five Beldums let alone a mega-evolved Metagross! We need to run as soon as possible!"

"Sorry, you're right. I was distracted by this ridiculous situation. Why do we always come across these weird situations on a normal hunt! I swear, if I find out that it was Kami-sama messing with me, I'll tear out his beard the next time I see him!" (Sorry, Jax, it's just me. Take it as story progression.)

The duo noticing that they had no hope of winning this turned tail and ran. Now that Vioarr had evolved, it also grew to an unusually big size. A normal Nidorino would stand at around 0.9 meters but Vioarr was already 1.3 meters tall!

"Brother! Hop on my back, you're too slow! Who has short and stubby legs now?"

"Zip it! Now's not the time for jokes!" Hopping onto Vioarr's back, Jax sat as comfortably as he could between the spikes on his back. "I swear if something pokes me in the butt, I'm never letting you out of your ball ever again!"

"You just said now's not the time for jokes!"

The duo was still making light banter not knowing how dire the situation was. Metagross was thoroughly enraged that its prey was joking and laughing right before it, so Metagross prepared a Flash Cannon. After a short charge time, Metagross let loose the Flash Cannon in the duo's direction.

BOOM!

Flying overhead, a streak of dark grey flashed past the duo! The two finally stopped joking around and ran with all their might. As Vioarr just got done evolving up and then immediately entered battle against six foes, his energy reserves were dying down.

"We can't run forever, Brother! I don't have much energy left after evolving and fighting those guys. Plus, you've put on a couple pounds."

"It's all muscle! Muscle weighs more than fat! Tsk! Those guys behind us are blocking the entrance back into Thora Forest, we can only run further into the Great Beyond. My mom told me about a cave she and my dad rested in when they were here. Let's head towards there."

Hearing their plan, the Metagross prepared a maxed-out Agility. As it was maxed-out, Agility could raise a pokemon's speed up to the maximum amount of six stages! With a burst in speed, the Metagross left behind the slow Beldums and sped towards its next two meal.

"Ahhh! Its gaining on us! Think of something, Brother, or we'll become oil to that tank!"

"Vioarr, fire a Confusion towards the Metagross, we can only pray that we're lucky! It should still have Leer applied to it so Confusion will have an easier time penetrating its defense!"

Firing off random Confusions towards the Metagross and hoping one would hit, the two kept their momentum. After a five-minute chase of Vioarr firing Confusions and Metagross replying with its own Flash Cannon, a stray Confusion finally hit the Metagross. By luck, the 50 percent chance to cause confuse on Metagross showed up. With stars above its head, the walking tank turned around and attacked its own children!

Fearing for their lives, the Beldums had no other choice but to use their own Flash Cannons to offset the onslaught of their respected parent.

As the six were busy fighting each other, the two ran deeper into the Great Beyond. Why didn't they just keep firing Confusions to keep the Metagross in an endless cycle of stars? Because the Metagross fired a Hyper Beam earlier! That's a move it doesn't learn until at least level 82. The only reason it didn't spam that move was because there was a charge time and a delay after it was used once. Also, because the colossus was confused, it would attack anything within sight.

Using the Beldums as scapegoats, the duo finally ran to somewhere Jax thought might be what his mother was describing. While telling Jax the story about his father, Doria mentioned that they found shelter in a cave. Rather than a cave, it was more like a hole in the ground as the Great Beyond was a barren, flat land that dipped latter on into a giant canyon. The only way to spot the hole was by two towering rock structures that formed into a shape that had a striking resemblance to a certain non-dragon dragon.

"There! The Charizard statue looks exactly like how my mother described it! If we're lucky, the shelter she and my daddy hid in should still be around." Jax was still atop Vioarr and craned his neck left and right to see if he could spot the hole.

"I don't see anything in this wastrel of flat land! I don't think it's here anymoreee! As Vioarr was talking, he suddenly fell through a crack in the land causing the duo to tumble down into complete darkness.

POOF!

The duo landed onto a hard rock floor that had a certain level of moist to it. Adjusting their sight to the darkness, they slowly took in their surrounds. Jagged rock walls? Check. Hard, moist floor? Check. Any way to escape? Nope. Are our heroes doomed to starve and die in this hole?