Kay and his team stood outside the cave, listening to the furious roars of the Aerodactyls.
There was no turning back now. The opponent team was trapped inside, facing certain death.
But Kay wasn't so sure. He knew that if the leader of the Aerodactyls wasn't there, even though the chances were low, the opponent team could still have a small hope of escaping. After all, an Aerodactyl herd wasn't usually that large.
Inside the cave, the leader of the opponent team and his members moved cautiously. They were on high alert, checking their surroundings carefully to confirm if the information they had from Kay was true.
After walking for some time, they neared the end of the rocky tunnel and saw a vast open area ahead. From a distance, they could spot several Aerodactyls resting on the ground.
The leader immediately raised his hand, signaling his team to stop. He turned to them and whispered, "It seems the information was correct. This cave is a nest of Aerodactyls. Move quietly and avoid making any noise."
Just as he finished speaking, a sudden rush of footsteps echoed behind them, coming from the entrance of the cave.
The team turned around and saw the two members who had been guarding the cave entrance running toward them in a panic.
The leader's heart sank, he knew something was wrong.
The two men were panting heavily, struggling to explain what had happened. Their words came out in broken gasps, making it hard for the rest of the team to understand them.
A sharp sound echoed through the cave before the leader could fully grasp the situation.
Boom!
A powerful explosion erupted from the entrance, shaking the entire cave. Dust and small rocks rained down from the ceiling.
Then, out of the darkness, a sudden burst of bright stars shot toward them; it was a Swift!
The glowing stars struck Spearow directly. Swift don't miss the target; that's why Kay had used it.
Before the team could react, another sound filled the cave; a deep, guttural roar.
The leader and his team turned their heads slowly. Their worst nightmare had come true. The loud explosion had awakened the Aerodactyls.
The resting Pokemons screeched in anger, their crimson eyes glowing in the dim cave light. They flapped their wings aggressively, preparing to attack.
Then, amid the chorus of roars, one stood out. It was deeper, stronger, and more terrifying.
Even though they were far from the source, the sheer force of the roar was nearly deafening.
Their bodies trembled as they heard it, the leader was the only one who understood what this strong roar meant.
Then he turned to the other members with a serious expression and shouted, "Run to the entrance! Try to clear a way for us to escape. I'm sure the entrance has been blocked. I'll stay here and hold them off for as long as I can."
His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
The team hesitated for a moment, unwilling to leave their leader behind, but before they could protest, he shouted, "GO!".
With no choice, they turned and ran toward the entrance leaving the leader behind.
The remaining members of the opponent team sprinted toward the cave entrance, only to find their worst fears confirmed; massive boulders and rocks completely blocked it.
Without wasting time, they commanded their Pokemons to attack the rock wall, trying to break through.
But even after several powerful hits, it was clear that breaking out would take time which they didn't have.
Before they could see any noticeable progress, the sound of beating wings echoed behind them.
The Aerodactyls had arrived. The trainers turned to see a swarm of furious Aerodactyls charging toward them.
They knew immediately that their leader couldn't hold them back any longer.
"We need to split up!" one of them shouted. "Two of us attack the rock wall, and the other two hold off the Aerodactyls!"
They followed the plan without hesitation, fighting back with all their strength. The two trainers at the entrance focused on destroying the rock wall, while the other two battled the incoming Pokemons.
But as time passed, it became clear that the Aerodactyls were too many.
"We need more power to fight them off!" one trainer yelled. "One of us has to stop attacking the rock wall and help hold them back!"
They adjusted their plan. Now, only one trainer kept attacking the rock wall while the other three defended.
For a while, they held their ground well, knocking out several Aerodactyls and pushing them back.
But then, everything changed.
A powerful, deep roar filled the cave, shaking the ground beneath them.
A new Aerodactyl appeared; one larger than the others. Its presence alone sent shivers down their spines and intimidated their Pokemons.
One trainer quickly pulled out his Pokedex and scanned it. His face turned pale as he read the results.
He turned to his teammates and whispered, "Guys… that's an Inferior Bronze stage Aerodactyl. It seemed the only Bronze stage Pokemon on this island was inside this cave."
The team froze.
Outside the cave, Kay and his teammates remained hidden. They knew that at any moment, the Aerodactyls would break free, and they had to be ready.
They had already decided on their plan: Stay alert and wait. The moment they spotted the Aerodactyl with the red mark, they would launch a full attack and capture it.
Once they had it, they would escape into the forest. Huge Flying-type Pokemons like Aerodactyls had difficulty navigating through dense trees, so they wouldn't be able to chase them effectively.
Then, they heard it.
Boom!
A powerful attack slammed into the rock wall from the inside.
Another attack followed.
Then another.
For a while, the attacks kept coming without breaking through.
But then—
CRASH!
A massive explosion shattered the entrance, sending debris flying in all directions.
The first Pokemon to emerge was the largest Aerodactyl of them all; the leader of the herd.
Kay's eyes widened. 'It's here'.
One by one, more Aerodactyls followed, flying out of the cave and disappearing into the night sky.
Kay observed them carefully. There were fewer than before, which meant the opponent team had put up a serious fight.
Then, just as Kay expected, another Aerodactyl appeared this one with a red mark on its body.
It was injured, its right wing barely flapping. It struggled to stay in the air.
Kay gave the signal.
"Now!"
Eevee, Ponyta, and Sandshrew launched their combined attack at the injured Aerodactyl.
Before it could react, Kay threw a special Pokeball given to them by the masked man.
This Pokeball wasn't like the ones used by normal trainers. Instead of the usual red top, its upper half was completely black.
The Pokeball struck the injured Aerodactyl, releasing a burst of red light that wrapped around the massive creature.
In an instant, the powerful Pokemon was pulled inside the sphere, which dropped to the ground with a soft thud.
Kay watched, his heart pounding, as the Pokeball trembled violently, shaking from side to side.
Then, with a final click, the Pokeball stopped moving. A strange mix of relief, excitement, and disbelief washed over him.
As he stared at the Pokeball resting on the ground, a childhood memory flashed through his mind.
He remembered sitting in front of a screen, watching Ash Ketchum throw Pokeballs at wild Pokemon, capturing them in thrilling battles.
Now, he had done the same thing but not in a game, not in a story, but in reality. For the first time, he truly felt like a Pokemon trainer.
A robotic voice interrupted his thoughts coming from the Pokeball.
"Target captured. First game completed."
Kay exchanged glances with his teammates. It was dawn now, they had made it this far, but the game wasn't over yet. If they wanted to win, they had to stay alive until the time limit was up.
Before they could celebrate their small victory, a deafening roar echoed across the mountain. Kay turned his head sharply and felt a chill run down his spine.
The leader of the Aerodactyls was furious.
Having already lost many members of its herd, it could not tolerate losing another, especially not to humans.
Its wings flared wide, and with a single powerful flap, it sent a gust of wind so strong that it nearly knocked them off their feet. The rage in its eyes was unmistakable. It wasn't just angry, it wanted revenge.
See you in the next chapter...
Drop some Power Stones.