A Solution

Axel then explained Venusaur's new move, 'Leech Whip,' which could cure the seriously injured Pokémon. To activate it, Venusaur had to implant a seed in one of the Pokémon and use its vines to heal the others.

"So, we would need some King rank Pokémon to capture and heal them to escape. That's a good plan. But where can we find these King rank Pokémon? We're trapped here. Once we're outside, that damn Alakazam would instantly notice us," said Adam.

"To achieve that, we only need one pseudo-champion rank Pokémon for a full recovery," replied Axel.

"How do we do that?" asked Adam.

"Don't worry, I've come prepared," said Axel, throwing a master ball that released Machamp. It was a King rank Machamp that Axel had captured earlier, taking advantage of its minor injuries and capturing it.

As Machamp emerged, it let out a mighty roar.

"MACHAMP!"

"Restrain him," Axel commanded.

The Champion-ranked Venusaur used 'Vine Whip,' immobilizing Machamp. Despite its injuries, Venusaur could still battle against a King rank Pokémon.

Venusaur then used 'Leech Whip' to heal Tyranitar, which had three severe wounds on its stomach, revealing the lining of its bones.

Slowly but steadily, the wounds began to close, and after ten minutes, they had completely healed. Axel instructed Gogoat to use 'Milk Drink' and heal both Tyranitar and Machamp. He then recalled Machamp into its Pokéball.

Although Machamp had been partially healed by 'Milk Drink,' Venusaur couldn't use 'Leech Whip' on it again, as it would die. Axel didn't want to kill a King rank Pokémon at that moment.

"Axel, I must say, you're full of surprises," said Adam, patting Axel's back. Adam had been a mentor figure to Axel, and he was proud of Axel's growth.

"Thanks, Elder Adam. Let's rest for a while until Tyranitar is battle-ready. Then we'll capture some King rank Pokémon and repeat the process."

Axel also informed them about Alakazam's ability to mass teleport. This time, only Axel and Adam would venture into the field, as the other Pokémon were injured or too weak.

Alakazam used its psychic powers to locate King rank Pokémon. After five minutes, it found one, and they teleported to their destination.

The chosen King rank Pokémon was Slowbro. The battle ended quickly as Tyranitar used an unfamiliar move that shot a wave of dark energy, confusing and frightening Slowbro. Alakazam used mass teleportation to transport Slowbro to the underground base.

Venusaur resumed its healing duties.

---

Ding!

Venusaur's Leech Whip has leveled up to 41

---

Its moves were also leveling up. Venusaur proved to be very reliable when it came to healing. Axel solved the problem of capturing Slowbro, which wasn't contained in a Pokéball, by catching it.

They repeated the process, and by the end of the day, aside from Tyranitar, ten King rank Pokémon were ready to battle.

They hadn't healed Angela's three pseudo-champion rank Pokémon yet. Angela's Venusaur was the only one capable of disrupting Alakazam's psychic sense in the underground. So, they couldn't leave until all of them were healed. Angela refused to leave her Pokémon's side, as it was injured and couldn't come until they planned to escape. Axel assured Angela that he would heal her Pokémon last, to which she agreed. She understood the bigger picture.

"Tomorrow, all of our Pokémon will be healed. Then we can escape fromthis goddamn place," Rox said. He hadn't seen his daughter in over two weeks and wanted to let her know he was safe.

"No, we shouldn't make any movements tomorrow. The pseudo-champion ranked Pokémon must be aware of our actions. I don't want to take any risks," Angela advised.

She had a point. Axel also wanted to leave this place, but he didn't want to risk it. He had already planned how they would escape. In addition to Alakazam and Xatu, there were two other Xatu and a Hypno, all in the King rank category. He intended to use these Pokémon to assist Alakazam in mass teleporting them beyond the red crack, and then they would teleport to the Venu family area.

After discussing the plan, everyone agreed. The four psychic Pokémon began training for mass teleportation. Now Axel had nothing to do but wait for another day.

###

After five days, all the King-ranked Pokémon had been healed. So far, there hadn't been any accidents. Now, only one pseudo-champion rank Pokémon of Angela's remained to be healed.

Axel had also attempted to heal the champion rank Venusaur, but his Venusaur wasn't powerful enough to completely heal it. The difference in ranks was too high, and the move 'Leech Whip' was only at level 45 now.

Serena may have been right. It would take months for Venusaur to be battle-ready. However, it was in a better state than before.

"We just have to do this one final time, and then we'll be done," Adam said with relief. They were in much better condition than before. There was still no guarantee that all of them would survive, but it was better than nothing.

Little did they know that this final challenge would be much harder than anticipated.