Kay watched the battle carefully and noticed that Machop was doing very well. Its Fighting-type moves were super effective against Rhyhorn, the Rock-type Pokemon. With every hit, Rhyhorn struggled more and more to fight back.
Since the battle was going smoothly, the team decided not to interfere. They stood back and let Machop finish the fight.
As Kay observed, he noticed something that confirmed his suspicion; Machop was fighting alone, while two trainers stood behind watching.
The opponent team must have really killed Pidgey. What they ate the day before was really the meat of Pidgey they killed.
After two intense minutes, Machop delivered a powerful Cross Chop, hitting Rhyhorn with full force.
The Rock-type Pokemon let out a deep growl before collapsing onto the ground and fainting.
With the battle over, Machop's trainer turned toward the team and smiled. "Glad to see you again," he said.
Then, he looked at them seriously and asked, "What happened with the game? Did you catch the Pokemon?"
The trainer with the number 5 on his chest stepped forward and answered while showing the black Pokeball, "Yes, we caught the Aerodactyl, and we decided to call for another Pokemon."
He stopped for an instant like recalling something then he continued, "But before that, we found a dead man while coming here. Was it you who killed him?"
Before they could respond, Kay interrupted, "I saw you last night tied up in the enemy's camp. How did you manage to escape?"
The trainer with the number 33 on his chest took a deep breath and explained while looking toward Kay, "When you stayed behind, we decided to attack the enemy's camp. We thought that if anything went wrong, you would be behind us and could help. But we didn't expect that they had a Zubat, which quickly spotted us."
The woman on the team nodded and said, "So that's how they caught you?"
The trainer continued, "Yes, they also attacked our Pokemon and took them away. But while we were captured, a wild Geodude suddenly attacked their camp. In the moment of chaos, Machop managed to escape from them."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Unfortunately, before Machop could save us, they attacked it. I had no choice but to tell Machop to run and hide in the forest. But, as revenge… they killed Pidgey."
His voice became weaker at the last part as he glanced toward the young trainer who had lost his Pokemon.
The team fell silent. Now it was clear that Kay's suspicions were right. The opponent team had indeed killed their teammate's Pokemon.
A heavy feeling spread among them. Before, some of them had doubts about whether they were being too harsh by killing the enemy trainers. But now, after hearing what they had done, it felt like justice had been served.
The team members slowly approached the young trainer who had lost his Pidgey.
They tried to comfort him, offering him words of support. They even mentioned that Sandshrew's trainer had lost his Pokemon as well.
Then the man with number 33 on his chest continued, "Then when I noticed that the guard began yawning, showing that he was drowsy I instructed Machop with a sign from my hand to attack him and to untie us"
Then he stopped for a moment before saying, "When we managed to escape under my instructions it was easy to beat Zubat, then we killed it along with his trainer"
After the team had regrouped, they decided to move carefully around their area. They wanted to search for the Onix while avoiding any possible dangers.
Staying in one place for too long felt too risky, and at this point, they just wanted to finish the game without any more losses.
They walked slowly through the forest, staying alert for any threats. However, before they could find the Onix, the 24-hour time limit for the first game ended. The moment the time was up, a bright light flashed in front of them.
Alakazam suddenly appeared. Next to it was the masked man wearing the Marowak mask.
The man glanced at them and spoke in a calm but chilling voice. "It seems that you're all in one place. That will make my job easier."
Before the team could react, Alakazam raised its spoons, and in a flash of energy, the entire team was teleported. Within seconds, they found themselves back at the base where they had first woken up.
The teleportation made everyone dizzy. Some of them stumbled, struggling to keep their balance.
Kay felt his stomach turn, and for a moment, he thought he was going to vomit. But as he looked up and saw the large crowd of players watching them, he forced himself to hold it in.
Then, the masked man turned to Alakazam and said, "Let's teleport back to bring the other team."
Before Alakazam could act, the trainer who owned Onix with a serious expression said, "There's no reason to go back to bring the other team; they are all dead."
The masked man simply stared at him, his voice cold and emotionless as he responded, "We will see about that."
Then, the masked man and Alakazam disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the team standing in stunned silence.
A few minutes later, another bright light filled the hall. As the glow faded, Alakazam reappeared, this time with two figures beside it.
Kay's team froze. Their eyes widened, and their breath caught in their throats. Their jaws nearly hit the floor when they saw the other man standing near Alakazam.
Standing next to the masked man was the leader of the opponent team.
Kay's mind raced. This should have been impossible. The entire opponent team had been trapped inside the cave with the Aerodactyls.
The only exception was the man they had found slaughtered earlier. There was no way anyone had survived… right?
Before they could fully process the situation, the masked man's voice rang out in the hall.
"The result of this match is a tie."
For a moment, silence hung in the air. Then, Kay and his teammates erupted in confusion, looking at each other as if trying to confirm they had all heard the same thing.
Onix's trainer was the first to break, stepping forward with his fists clenched. "This is cheating! We caught the Pokemon! How did the game end in a tie? This is our victory!"
The masked man turned his head slightly, his expression hidden but his tone colder than ever. "Didn't you ask for another Pokemon after catching the first one?"
Onix's trainer stiffened. His anger drained, replaced by shock. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened slightly as the realization dawned on him.
The last surviving member of the opponent team… had caught the second Pokemon. They had unknowingly played themselves.
Kay exhaled sharply, feeling frustration bubble in his chest. He didn't know that his proposition would snatch the victory from them.
Ignoring the visible frustration of the team, the masked man turned away. He focused on the remaining players.
"Next two teams, step forward, it's time for your match. You will now be teleported to the island."
***
Back in the cave…
When Kay's team had sealed the cave entrance, their opponents found themselves trapped in complete darkness, the echoes of screeching Aerodactyls bouncing off the stone walls.
Panic set in immediately. With no other choice, they made a desperate decision: their leader would stay behind to "hold off" the Aerodactyls while the rest of the team worked on an escape route.
But the leader had never planned to fight. Instead, the moment his teammates turned away, he silently recalled his Vulpix and crept into a narrow crevice in the cave wall, pressing himself against the stone.
Then… he waited.
The Aerodactyls descended on his teammates in a frenzy, attacking with merciless precision.
Their screeches mixed with the screams of his so-called allies. But the leader remained still, hidden, heart pounding against his ribs.
He didn't flinch. He didn't try to help.
'It was their fault for trusting me in a tournament like this.'
From the moment he saw the Aerodactyl leader, he knew there was no escaping as a team. But alone, he had a chance.
So he waited.
And when the chaos settled and the Aerodactyls had left to search for another cave, and only silence remained he finally emerged.
Carefully stepping over the remains of his former allies, he made his way toward the cave's exit.
As he reached the cave's entrance, the forest stretched before him. He was free.
He went far from the direction where Aerodactyls' roars were coming; they could be heard from a distance.
As he walked alone, exhausted and covered in dust, he stumbled upon a massive Onix slithering through the woods.
He noticed that this Onix had a weird red mark on his tail, so he understood that the other team had asked for another Pokemon.
After an intense battle, he caught the Onix, seizing his victory.
See you in the next chapter...
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