More than once, Cain had imagined how powerful Tony's psychic power would be, even comparing it to the strongest he had ever seen, Sabrina. But allowing a Pokémon at the limit of the first threshold to cross into the second required an amount of psychic power that Cain could not even conceive of.
Seen this way, Tony was probably far more terrifying than Sabrina.
Unfortunately, such a powerful psychic had a mind that was a little... unbalanced. Perhaps that was what they meant by saying that no one is perfect: everyone has flaws.
Cain knew well that he himself was a pessimist. In many situations, that saved his life, but in others it could become a burden and even the final push into the abyss.
"Tony! What the hell are you doing again?" Marcus roared as he finally reacted. That one of his subordinates had been attacked like that, without his approval, was a complete lack of respect.
Houndoom leapt forward and positioned itself in front of the fallen Number Four, baring its fangs at Alakazam.
As Marcus's Pokémon, Houndoom knew Alakazam very well. The two were old rivals, and thanks to its Dark type, Houndoom had a certain advantage.
But Alakazam in that state did not fear it in the slightest. Its eyes burst into a multicolored glow, it used the move Miracle Eye without hesitation, and without wasting time, bent its spoons. Three silver Psycho Cut blades appeared out of nowhere in front of it, tearing through the air and striking Houndoom in an instant.
That was an attack launched by an Alakazam that had surpassed the second threshold of the Champion level. Even being Dark-type, after the use of Miracle Eye, Houndoom could not avoid it.
Moreover, Houndoom had no psychic amplification and was not Mega Evolved. Defending against that attack would not be easy.
Even so, Houndoom showed no fear at all. Dense, dark waves of Dark-type energy gathered in its fur. The move Dark Pulse was ready!
There was no time for further consideration. Two high-level figures entered combat directly.
The move Psycho Cut and the move Dark Pulse collided in midair. Two opposing energies exploded violently, raising an enormous cloud of dust.
Visibility was blocked, although everyone was psychic and, thanks to their perception, they could vaguely distinguish what was happening.
Another Pokémon appeared beside Houndoom, and it was precisely its presence that barely managed to block the three psychic blades.
It was a Pokémon that looked like a mixture of an octopus and a squid.
Malamar!
Many people might not recognize it, but Cain, with his vast experience, identified it immediately.
Malamar possesses an extremely peculiar type combination: Dark and Psychic, a very marked elemental contradiction.
The Dark type is immune to the Psychic type, and yet both coexist within the same Pokémon. By comparison, other contradictory combinations do not reach that extreme.
For example, Ludicolo, which is Water and Grass type: Grass beats Water, but it does not reach the level of immunity.
In contrast, Malamar can use Psychic-type moves while being immune to them. Truly frustrating.
That was why Marcus showed good judgment in his choice of Pokémon. It was not strange that, even with some disadvantage in raw strength, he could confront Tony's Alakazam.
Pokémon: Malamar (Purple)
Gender: Male
Level: 88
Type: Dark + Psychic
Ability: Infiltrator
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Simple Beam, Power Split, Destiny Bond, Guard Swap
Basic Moves: Reversal, Tackle, Peck, Constrict, Swagger, Psywave, Topsy-Turvy, Hypnosis, Psybeam, Switcheroo, Payback, Pluck, Psycho Cut, Slash, Night Slash, Superpower
Learned Moves: Snore, Foul Play, Knock Off, Bind, Telekinesis, Block, Throat Chop, Spite, Ally Switch, Snatch
TM Moves: Psyshock, Calm Mind, Toxic, Taunt, Protect, Light Screen, Thunderbolt, Psychic, Reflect, Flamethrower, Trick Room
Although Malamar did not stand out as much as Alakazam or Houndoom, it was undoubtedly one of Marcus's main Pokémon.
Just its type combination alone was already unbearable, and with the ability Infiltrator—capable of ignoring barriers and substitutes—it was the natural enemy of Alakazam, which relied heavily on those defensive techniques.
After analyzing its data, Cain could not help thinking that Marcus had captured Malamar precisely to counter Alakazam, or perhaps Tony's other Pokémon.
Moreover, being a psychic as well, Marcus could overlay his own psychic power onto Malamar, making full use of its talent. Although the amplification would not be as brutal as Tony's, it was still a considerable boost.
Just as he expected, upon seeing the two Pokémon blocking his path—especially Malamar with its arrogant attitude—Tony's face darkened even more.
But Tony did not back down. With a flick of his wrist, two more Poké Balls appeared in his hand, about to be thrown.
If Tony released two more Pokémon, that meant one thing: the madman was going to fight seriously.
Marcus's head began to ache. He knew Tony's character all too well. Once he lost control, no one could stop him except the bishop, and moreover, he was the kind of person who, in battle, would not hesitate to attack even himself.
Who would want to fight someone like that? Only an idiot.
Even so, Marcus could not retreat. He had already decided to protect Number Four, and taking a step back now would be seen as cowardice. If he could not protect his subordinates, who would want to follow him?
Although Number Four was now the main suspect, as long as there was no definitive confirmation, Marcus was obliged to protect him. That was precisely how to win people's hearts.
For that reason, the more the situation developed this way, the less he could withdraw. But, to be honest, he truly did not want to face Tony, that lunatic. Fighting him shortened one's life... and one could even die of sheer anger.
At that moment, Marcus was trapped in a dilemma. The little inclination he still felt toward Number Four had already been crushed in his mind dozens of times. If it were not for him, he would not be in such an awkward situation right now.
"Tony, that's enough!" Marcus roared, unable to restrain himself any longer.
Hearing this, Tony not only did not stop, but the smile on his face became even more twisted and terrifying, giving the impression of a madman walking down the street with a sign saying "step aside if you don't want to die."
