Over a hundred Murkrow soared into the sky, swirling above the forest, casting a shadow that blotted out the sun. The sky over the Forest of Shadows grew even darker.
Needless to say, upon encountering intruders in their territory, the Murkrow launched their attack without hesitation!
"Umbreon, Protect! Weavile, Blizzard!"
It was only a matter of time before they were discovered. Sneaking in had simply been a way to scout for a potential target in advance.
With a flash of blue light, Weavile burst out from its Poké Ball, unleashing a powerful Blizzard that tore through the Murkrow formation!
Some of the weaker Murkrow were instantly frozen and rendered unable to battle!
Meanwhile, Umbreon and Kirlia stayed close to their respective Trainers, focused solely on protection.
"Ice Punch! Keep attacking!"
Weavile showed no fear even when facing hundreds of Murkrow, diving straight into the densest cluster and unleashing a flurry of high-speed, ruthless strikes!
Though the Murkrow were reasonably strong overall, Weavile -at Peak Elite level with powerful offensive capabilities- was effectively one-shotting them!
Within minutes, more than half of the Murkrow flock was taken down, while Weavile remained unharmed, only suffering some energy drain!
Suddenly, a singular cry cut through the chaotic screeching of the flock. The moment it rang out, all the Murkrow withdrew, no longer engaging Weavile.
From the distance, a single Murkrow, clearly the leader, began rapidly approaching.
As it circled above them, Sato finally realized just how massive its body was!
Ordinary Murkrow were classified as small bird Pokémon, with an average height of just half a meter. Even Honchkrow rarely exceeded a meter in height, with wingspans under two meters.
But this Murkrow? Its wingspan alone was three full meters! Regular Murkrow looked like children standing next to a bodybuilder!
What thrilled Sato even more was the emotional feedback he received from afar. Its Dark-type potential... was Elite Four level!
Just as Sato was getting excited, the enormous Murkrow struck first! With a powerful flap of its wings, a scorching gale blasted toward them!
There was no dodging the descending wave of hot air. Weavile obeyed immediately, raising a protective shield to block the Heat Wave!
"Jump up, Ice Punch!"
Using the surrounding trees as springboards, Weavile quickly closed the distance between itself and the giant Murkrow. But the opponent clearly knew how dangerous Weavile was at close range.
Beating its wings hard, it immediately pulled away from both Weavile and the nearby trees.
The dense forest worked against the Murkrow's mobility. It couldn't escape the forest easily due to the obstructing branches, limiting its movement significantly.
Then, another Heat Wave followed!
"Weavile, Ice Shard!"
Ice Shard launched second but hit first, punching through the scorching wind and striking the Murkrow. While its power had been mostly sapped, it was enough to interrupt the Heat Wave.
"Weavile, use the trees, Agility!"
After two consecutive Heat Waves, Sato began to notice something. Murkrow, while attacking aggressively, was also doing its best not to damage the environment around it.
After all, this was their home. And if Heat Wave was used carelessly, it could easily start a wildfire!
If Weavile hadn't been so dominant, and an Ice-type at that, the Murkrow likely wouldn't have resorted to using Heat Wave!
Sure enough, after Weavile darted through the forest several times, the giant Murkrow made a few motions to flap its wings... only to hold back each time.
Part of it was that Weavile, moving at high speed, was difficult to hit. But more than that, Murkrow was clearly concerned about something!
Weavile continued closing the distance using the dense trees, while Murkrow's Air Cutter and Shadow Ball attacks couldn't land a hit at all!
On the other hand, Weavile's Ice Shard kept striking the giant Murkrow consistently, one or two hits at a time, piling up to significant damage.
The enormous size granted the Murkrow stronger stamina and defense, but it also sacrificed the agility and flexibility of its smaller kin.
Once Heat Wave was neutralized, it was only a matter of time before Murkrow fell!
Suddenly, the giant Murkrow seemed to make a decision. With a piercing cry, it rose high into the air and every Murkrow began moving!
They were retreating! A full retreat!
The uninjured Murkrow began dragging their wounded comrades, and even some Pokémon Eggs, away from the area without hesitation, flying deeper into the Forest of Shadows!
The giant Murkrow no longer cared about environmental damage. One Heat Wave after another blasted out recklessly, overpowering Weavile and pinning it in place!
And in that moment, the Murkrow flock had regrouped and were swiftly leaving the battlefield in perfect formation!
At the same time, the fires began to spread rapidly.
In just a matter of seconds, the entire situation had spiraled into something seemingly irreversible!
Sato was awed by the giant Murkrow's resolve to risk everything, and even more moved by its refusal to leave a single companion behind. It reminded him of that Politoed he had once encountered.
Among ordinary Pokémon, there would always be a few exceptionally rare individuals. Shiny Pokémon were one kind -like the 'golden' Cacturne-.
But Totem Pokémon were even rarer. They weren't born that way, but rather rose to this level by becoming respected rulers of a territory.
Once they ruled effectively enough to earn the genuine loyalty of the Pokémon around them, a rare transformation would occur... they would ascend to become Totem Pokémon!¹
This wasn't evolution, but something even more mysterious and more powerful!
Their bodies would grow several times larger than others of their kind, and in addition to that: longer lifespans, greater potential, enhanced strength, and increased leadership ability.
And when surrounded by loyal allies, their power could even grow further, amplified by the collective will of the group!
Just like the Murkrow before him. Its command was instantly obeyed without hesitation.
When Sato realized it was a Totem Pokémon, he gave up any thoughts of capturing it.
Because, based on everything he had ever seen or heard, only one person had ever succeeded in capturing a Toten Pokémon... Kanto's youngest dual-type Elite Four member for Water and Ice: Lorelei.
Her Totem Pokémon was the Politoed that had commanded the water-types during the incident in Goldenrod City.
And the reason she had been able to bond with it... was because Lorelei had grown up in the Sevii Islands of Kanto, living closely with Pokémon since childhood.
She had somehow become a rare human acknowledged by a Totem Pokémon as a leader herself.
Sato shook his head. A Murkrow with Elite Four-level potential stood right in front of him, but he couldn't take it.
He was incredibly frustrated, but there was nothing he could do.
Right now, something else mattered more... putting out the fire!
"Weavile, Blizzard! Sharpedo, Surf!"