"Hermione, boost Litleo's power—and have Pichu paralyze them!"
Once Ron calmed down, he surprisingly became… reliable.
"He actually knows how to use status moves now, huh?" Even Charles Gold found himself impressed. Ron's current state wasn't bad at all—his commands were quick and well thought out.
The only problem was that Pokémon couldn't remain in an enhanced state for long; that kind of strain took a toll on their bodies. Ponyta's speed had soared thanks to the stat boost, but it wouldn't be long before exhaustion set in.
They had to end this battle quickly.
"Boost Litleo's stats... I've got it—Litleo, use Work Up!" Hermione shouted. She had clearly grasped Ron's plan.
"We'll buy you some time!"
Harry and Wood exchanged glances; they'd figured out part of it too.
Unlike other subjects, the Pokémon Mastery Class was one they all paid close attention to.
"Stupefy!"
"Protego!"
Wands raised, Harry and Wood held off the relentless attacks from the surrounding Houndour, shielding Litleo's buildup time. Meanwhile, Hermione cast Wingardium Leviosa, sending Pichu soaring toward the galloping Ponyta.
"Pichu, ride Ponyta! Then use Nuzzle!"
"Pichu!" The little Pokémon spun midair and landed neatly atop Ponyta's head—the flames licking its mane didn't harm it in the slightest.
Sparks erupted from Pichu's cheeks, merging with Ponyta's fiery mane.
Flames wreathed in golden lightning roared forward, charging straight into the encircling pack of Houndour. The crackling current spread like wildfire, paralyzing the enemy ranks in an instant!
Debuff your enemies first.That was a tactic Ron had picked up from Hermione's previous battle against the troll. Now it was up to their main attacker—Litleo.
The lion cub lowered its head and let out a sharp growl. Orange-red energy flared at its paws.
Work Up — its Attack and Special Attack sharply rose!
After two boosts, Litleo's power surged dramatically. Determination gleamed in its eyes as it stepped forward and roared with all its might.
The roar rolled across the field like thunder. The Houndour froze mid-step, overcome with fear, unable to move an inch.
"That's Roar, huh? It lowered their Attack and Special Attack... though Houndoom doesn't seem affected." Charles recognized the move instantly.
In real life, Litleo's Roar couldn't intimidate a creature as powerful as Houndoom. The games allowed even low-level Pokémon to affect Legendaries for balance reasons—but reality was far less forgiving.
With its boosted strength, Litleo barreled forward and delivered a crushing Headbutt—the same move that had once felled a troll.
But this time, its power was on a whole new level.
The paralyzed Houndour couldn't dodge; Litleo's charge sent them flying in every direction. One by one, they fell unconscious.
Harry and Wood fought valiantly as well—their teamwork taking down several more Houndour.
Now, only one enemy remained.
The last, and strongest—Houndoom.
The group turned to face it, eyes grim. Houndoom snarled, the fury in its gaze unmistakable after seeing its entire pack defeated.
It lowered its body into an attack stance, lips curling back to reveal sharp fangs as a low, guttural growl rumbled through the air.
The hard-won momentum froze instantly. They all knew—Houndoom was the real threat.
"Hermione, when will the Professor get here?"
Harry didn't dare look away from the beast. Even a moment's distraction might be fatal; Houndoom looked like a monster straight out of hell, and one burst of its infernal fire could reduce him to ash.
"I—I don't know!" Hermione cried.
"Looks like we'll have to try again," Ron muttered. He planned to have Ponyta and Pichu strike first to induce paralysis on Houndoom.
But Houndoom was far stronger—there was no guarantee it would work.
"Can you pull it off?" Harry asked worriedly.
"In chess, sometimes you have to make sacrifices," Ron replied steadily. "Don't worry—if it fails, we can recall them in time."
"Alright."
"I'll cover you!" Wood added firmly.
"Ponyta—go!"
At Ron's command, Ponyta dashed forward with Pichu clinging to its mane. Houndoom, however, matched its speed with ease.
Seeing the reckless charge, it didn't hesitate—its jaws opened wide as it unleashed a blast of Flamethrower!
That move was one only Houndoom of level fifty or above could normally learn. But some gifted Pokémon could master techniques early by observing others.
This Houndoom, clearly, was one of those prodigies.
"Don't let that attack land!" Wood shouted. He swung his wand—but instead of a shield spell, he aimed straight at Houndoom's feet.
"Bombarda!"
The ground beneath Houndoom exploded. Losing its footing, the beast nearly toppled over, and its Flamethrower missed its mark entirely—instead, the fiery torrent veered toward Charles.
Charles flicked his wand casually, deflecting the flames aside. Rather than being annoyed, he looked at Wood with newfound respect.
In the wizarding world, most offensive spells rarely exceeded the power of a "base 60" move in Pokémon terms—hardly enough to faze a strong opponent like Houndoom.
But Wood had been clever—targeting its footing instead of the body, buying a crucial opening.
Though Houndoom quickly regained balance, by then Ponyta and Pichu had already closed the distance.
Harry and the others tensed up. Whether they could weaken Houndoom and raise their odds of victory would depend entirely on this moment.
"Please, let it work...!" Ron clenched his fists.
Ponyta was nearly at point-blank range now—just one more stride and it could make contact!
"We did it—!"
He nearly leapt for joy—
—but reality was never that kind.
Just as success seemed certain, Houndoom let out a thunderous roar.
"Awooooo!"
The shockwave of its cry struck Pichu full-force, flinging it into the air. The little Pokémon vanished in a flash of red light, recalled automatically to Hermione's side.
In its place—Litleo, guided as if by an unseen force, suddenly appeared before Houndoom!
At that same instant, Ponyta crashed headlong into the beast with a blazing Flame Charge!
A burst of light and fire engulfed them both—then faded.
Ponyta's flames flickered out completely.
Houndoom hadn't budged an inch. Beneath its sleek black fur, hellfire glowed red-hot.
(End of Chapter)