Chapter 22: 22. Childhood Trauma
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Naturally, a newly evolved Shiny Pidgeot couldn't defeat the Eagle who had long been the leader.
After just one clash, Shiny Pidgeot was at a disadvantage.
Still, Shiny Pidgeot's performance was impressive—especially its speed.
Even though it had only recently evolved, its speed was already slightly faster than the leader's.
However, its attack power wasn't yet as strong as the opponent's.
Both used Wing Attack.
With just one impact, Shiny Pidgeot was immediately injured, while the leader remained unharmed.
This showed just how large the gap was.
Although Shiny Pidgeot was hurt more than the leader, it endured and prepared to attack again.
Watching all of this, Evan thought for a moment before stepping forward with Beedrill and Butterfree behind him.
Hearing the noise, several Pidgey turned to look.
When they saw humans and a Beedrill, they grew restless.
"Pidgeot!"
The leader of the Pidgey called out to the Pidgey behind it.
At its command, the Pidgey finally calmed down.
"Pidgeot!"
The chief Pidgeot looked at Evan, Beedrill, and Butterfree.
Its gaze then fell on Evan, with a peculiar look in its eyes.
"Pidgeot?"
Have I seen you somewhere before?
Hearing this, Evan looked away from Shiny and was taken aback.
"Have you seen me?"
"I'm from the orphanage nearby."
At these words, the Pidgeot suddenly remembered.
When it was young, someone had tried to trick it.
They had knocked it out with rocks, trapped it in a net, and even tried to catch it with a Poké Ball.
But the Poké Ball was a cheap fake, and Pidgeot escaped easily.
Recalling its childhood experience, Pidgeot's eyes turned curious.
Wasn't this the same kid from back then?
The one who tried to catch it, only to get chased off.
"Pidgeot!"
Pidgeot cried out, then flew down toward Evan.
Listening to it, Evan's face filled with confusion.
"Are you the same Pidgeot…that I accidentally knocked out when I was a kid?"
As he realized this, Evan's face suddenly darkened.
The psychic energy around him began to ripple faintly, hinting at an impending surge.
Pikachu, perched on Evan's shoulder, sensed this shift and quickly scampered off.
"Pika! Pika!"
What's going on? Why does he always startle Pokémon like this? Pikachu was baffled, not understanding why Evan was suddenly so tense.
In fact, Evan had simply remembered an embarrassing incident from his childhood. The sudden surge of mental energy startled every Pokémon around him.
This is terrifying, they thought. Could Evan actually be something other than human? Some kind of super-powerful creature?
Even the Pidgeot leader was left speechless.
"You really reminded me of some bad memories," Evan muttered.
Taking a deep breath, Evan calmed himself and cast a stern look at the Pidgeot. He still vividly recalled the day this Pidgeot had given him a solid beating. He'd sported bruises for days afterward and had been laughed at by the other kids at the orphanage.
The memory still made Evan fume, especially since his psychic powers were not yet fully developed back then. If they had been, he thought, no one at the orphanage would've gotten away unscathed.
Now, looking at the Pidgeot, Evan's irritation bubbled up again.
"You over there with the shiny feathers," he called out. "Want to give it another go?"
The gleaming Pidgeot looked at him in confusion.
"Pidgeot?"
Are you talking to me?
Evan nodded. "Yes, I'm talking to you. From now on, follow my commands. If you don't, beating it will be nearly impossible. Understand?"
As he said this, Evan added a bit of psychic pressure to his words, and Pidgeot felt it immediately. The weight was undeniable.
Are you… threatening me? Pidgeot thought, intimidated.
Reluctantly, it nodded stiffly.
All right, fine. Whatever you say, I'll listen.
Seeing that Pidgeot had agreed, Evan turned to the leader of the flock.
"Now, how about we settle this with a proper battle?"
"If you lose, you'll follow my commands from now on," Evan declared.
With the stakes clear, it was time to settle both old and new scores with this Pidgeot leader. Evan recalled his childhood frustrations—today, he would finally set things right!
Instead of battling himself, Evan directed Shiny to fight for him. The leader Pidgeot eyed both Evan and the Shiny Pidgeot . Seeing that Evan wouldn't personally intervene, the Pidgeot leader readily agreed. If Evan were fighting directly, it might hesitate. But directing another Pokémon? No problem.
"Pidgeot!" With a challenging cry, the leader took to the sky, ready for the showdown. Shiny Pidgeot quietly positioned itself near Evan, and the two sides prepared for battle.
Pikachu, Beedrill, Butterfree, and other Pokémon gathered at a distance, watching intently.
"Alright," Evan said, breaking the silence. "Let's get started."
"Use Tailwind! Then follow up with Agility to charge forward!"
Hearing the command, Shiny Pidgeot hesitated for only a split second before responding. With a surge of energy, it summoned Tailwind, boosting its speed twofold, then bolted forward using Agility. It became a streak of light, hurtling toward the leader Pidgeot.
"Pidgeot!"
The sheer speed packed incredible force. Shiny Pidgeot struck the leader Pidgeot directly, sending it flying backward before it could react.
Shiny Pidgeot's eyes sparkled with newfound respect for Evan. On its own, it would've charged recklessly, but Evan's commands brought out its full potential.
"Why are you standing there?" Evan's voice rang out. "Keep up the pressure! Finish it with Air Slash!"
Shiny Pidgeot snapped back to attention. Wasting no time, it rapidly flapped its wings, sending white Air Slash blades toward the recovering leader.
By now, the leader Pidgeot had regained its senses. With a powerful flap, it created a gust that pushed it backward, allowing it to dodge and regain altitude. Shiny Pidgeot's Air Slash missed its target entirely.
The fight was far from over.