Chapter 8:
At this moment, Yulong Jie also calmed down, though the fire burning deep inside him still flickered, urging him to join the fight, to battle, to continue walking the edge of life and death. The battles he had witnessed earlier were nothing like the playful Pokémon battles he remembered from childhood. These were real life-and-death struggles, where the enemy overwhelmed them with sheer numbers and superior terrain. There was no turn-based exchange of moves here—just an endless, frantic flight with barely any room for counterattack.
"I still have a Kangaskhan and my strongest Charizard, in addition to Rapidash, Arcanine, and Magmortar. This is my best team. But the enemy probably numbers over a hundred. If each one has an average of two Pokémon, that means nearly three hundred Pokémon, and most of them have a type advantage over me. Six versus three hundred wouldn't be an issue in the open, but in this confined space, it's a different story."
Blaine gave a wry smile as he assessed the situation. "…Hmm? Why's it suddenly getting so hot? Oh no!"
Blaine shouted in alarm. In an instant, he lunged and pushed Yulong Jie to the ground just as the ice wall at the entrance turned bright red. Intense flames poured into the safe room, and the tiny room was soon engulfed in fiery light. A single breath filled their lungs with superheated air, making it feel as though they were swallowing countless steel needles, causing their lungs to burn as if they were about to rupture.
"Rapidash, Arcanine, Flash Fire!"
In the nick of time, Blaine gritted his teeth and gave the command. The flames filling the room were sucked into Rapidash and Arcanine's bodies, as if drawn in by a whale gulping water.
The three of them stood up, groaning, their bodies covered in burns, their throats dry, coughing uncontrollably.
"The enemy switched to Fire-type Pokémon—they must have planned this from the start. I fear we've fallen into a trap… This method of meticulously calculating every move is something I've seen before. It has to be the work of Team Rocket's elusive leader."
Blaine was breathing heavily. Although he was a Fire-type Gym Leader and one of the best at commanding Fire-type Pokémon, he was still human, and that didn't make him immune to fire!
"I'm afraid that's not all, Blaine," Yulong Jie said as he lifted his head, looking at the ceiling. "It seems they've also shut off the air filtration system from outside. Blaine, you're an expert in fire, and now they're using Fire-type Pokémon too. In a room this small, we'll soon run out of oxygen and suffocate."
Blaine quickly looked up and noticed that all the ventilation openings had been sealed. His face turned pale.
Before they could react, Team Rocket's Pokémon launched another volley of flames. Blaine's Pokémon had no choice but to respond in kind, and with each fiery exchange, the oxygen in the room rapidly decreased.
Even though the flames themselves were a form of energy, the extreme heat was burning through the remaining air, making it harder to breathe.
At that moment, Blaine turned sharply toward Yulong Jie. Professor Oak, as if sensing what was coming, immediately stepped in front of Yulong Jie, shielding him. "…You can't do this, Blaine! The genetic modifications haven't been fully stabilized yet. If you proceed, Yulong Jie could die!"
"Oak… I've already prepared for the worst. I made arrangements for this moment. Can you trust me?"
Blaine removed his sunglasses and locked eyes with Professor Oak. The two old men stood in silence, the atmosphere between them heavy and tense.
Yulong Jie understood what was happening from their brief exchange. He clenched his fists, feeling an odd mixture of excitement and fear, causing his heart to race. The thrill of a battlefield where lives are on the line, where life and death hang in the balance, with everything wagered in a desperate fight—that feeling was exhilarating!
Gripping Professor Oak's arm, Yulong Jie spoke, emphasizing every word, "…I understand what Blaine wants to do, and I'm willing to go through with it. Besides, if I don't, all three of us are going to die here, right?"
"But…"
Professor Oak turned toward Yulong Jie. The kind old man looked conflicted, but seeing the resolve—and the barely concealed excitement—in Yulong Jie's eyes, he slowly nodded. "…Alright. Blaine, I hope you're telling the truth—that you've found a way to fix the issue with the incomplete genetic modifications."