In the town, everyone thought it was going to be another normal day. People were opening their hot springs, and others were walking around making plans.
One man who had traveled all the way to Lavaridge Town finally got into the water to relax, but after a moment the water started feeling cooler, and cooler… and cooler, until he couldn't take it and had to jump out, "What the heck?! The water is cold!"
It wasn't just that one hot spring. All across the town, hot springs started going cold. Not just the hot springs, spas and even the geothermal power generator started slowing down. Houses began to lose power. One by one, everything in town was shutting off.
Lavaridge Town's entire culture relied on the volcanoes. Without them, almost nothing in the town was going right.
Meanwhile, as people were running out of their houses, on top of a building an Absol sat and watched everything. It narrowed its eyes and looked up toward the mountain. Then it jumped, heading for the peak.
—
Team Aqua and Team Magma grunts clashed across the mountainside, Pokémon cries overlapping as attacks detonated against the mountain.
"Golbat, [Air Cutter]!"
"Numel, [Ember]!"
"Carvanha, bite down, [Crunch]!"
Grunts were firing off attacks at random, hoping they hit something. One side would overpower the other for a moment, only for things to swing back again. They were evenly matched, and by that, they were both evenly pathetic.
A Magma grunt was sent flying as a Sharpedo barreled through, only to be intercepted by a Mightyena snapping at its fins. Nearby, a pair of Aqua grunts coordinated: Pelipper whipped up wind while a Sealeo slammed into the ground, freezing it slick beneath Magma boots.
"Hold the line!" an Aqua grunt yelled, "Don't let them push uphill!"
"Push back!" a Magma grunt screamed in reply, "Mt. Chimney is ours!"
As they kept fighting, down below Brock stood with May and Max behind him, but Ash was nowhere to be seen.
"So… remind me again why this is a good idea…" Max muttered.
"Relax. We used to fight grunts like this in Kanto and Johto all the time. You get used to it," Brock said as he hid behind a rock, holding a Poké Ball in his hand.
"That's not comforting! Why are we putting ourselves in danger because of this? Max doesn't even have a Pokémon," May exclaimed.
"You know you guys didn't have to come. You could've stayed in the cart," Brock replied.
"You want us dangling all the way up there? No way!" May said frantically, pointing to where the gondola was hanging.
"And are we sure letting Ash and Flannery go off on their own was a good idea?" Max asked.
"Hey, Ash may be the most unserious and troll-y person I've ever met, but when things need to get done, he's never let us down."
As he said that, an explosion went off behind them from the grunts fighting. Brock didn't look surprised, he just glanced at his wrist as if checking an imaginary watch, "Yeah, it's about time."
May and Max were still confused. In case you thought there was some plan they were in on, no. Ash and Brock had just shared a look earlier. They both smirked, and Ash had gotten them out of the gondola before taking Flannery and flying off on his Aerodactyl.
He smiled at Brock and May, then pulled out another Poké Ball and ran out from his hiding spot, sliding across the mountain and throwing both Poké Balls, "Take care of it!"
From the balls emerged Brock's Steelix and his Tyranitar. They slammed into the ground, and Brock's entrance immediately drew everyone's attention.
Steelix dug straight into the ground, while Tyranitar stomped its foot into the rocks, using [Stone Edge].
All around them, shards of stone began shooting out of the ground one after another, rising into walls that separated the battlefield and trapped the grunts inside stone cages.
When the grunts realized what was happening, they turned to rush Brock, but the stone walls had already cut them off from their Pokémon. With the grunts trapped, Steelix burst up inside the stone cages and, with a single tail swipe, sent them flying and knocked them out. Their Pokémon struggled, but couldn't break free from the stone prisons.
Brock stretched his shoulder as he looked back at a shocked May and Max. He smirked, "What, did you think Ash was the only strong one? I'm still a former Gym Leader, you know."
He turned back toward the mountain, where more grunts were still fighting. Brock took off his jacket and tied it around his waist, "Well, we've got more to do. It's been a while since I got to go all out."
—
On the other side of the mountain, Amber and Tabitha were still circling each other amid the broken stone left behind by their battle.
Amber's Pelipper had already been knocked out, and he had sent out a Gorebyss. Tabitha still had his Camerupt out, but this time he threw out a Darmanitan as well.
Tabitha noticed that Amber was focusing more on dodging than attacking. His eyes narrowed.
"…You're dragging this out."
Amber didn't answer right away. He wiped ash from his cheek with the back of his glove, breathing a little heavier than he liked, "Funny," he said at last, "What was your first guess?" he added mockingly.
That only made Tabitha angrier, "Darmanitan, [Flare Blitz]!"
Darmanitan roared and slammed its fists together before charging at Amber and Gorebyss.
Amber raised his arm, "Gorebyss, [Hydro Pump]!"
Gorebyss fired a powerful blast of water straight at the fire-type. Darmanitan ran headfirst into it, the flames on its body extinguishing as steam filled this side of the mountain. Still, Darmanitan pushed through, but the weakened attack meant that when it slammed into Gorebyss, the damage wasn't nearly as strong as Tabitha had hoped.
Amber was about to issue another command when he suddenly heard something through his communicator from one of the grunts. He looked behind him and saw the steam from the volcano stop.
That's when he realized their plan had worked.
"Well, looks like we win," Amber said, turning back to Tabitha, who was also staring up at the now-smokeless volcano, "I'll be ending this. I need to meet up with my team."
"The hell you will!" Tabitha shouted, "Darmanitan, [Hammer Arm]!"
Darmanitan charged forward, its fist glowing red as it swung down toward Amber and Gorebyss.
"Gorebyss, [Psychic], on the ground!" Amber commanded.
Gorebyss glowed, and so did the ground beneath Darmanitan. The stone cracked apart, giving way as Darmanitan fell through. The fractures spread, causing the section where Tabitha stood to crack as well, until it finally broke off, and he went falling down after it.
"Dang you! I'll get you back for this, you ba—!" Tabitha screamed as he fell down the mountain.
Amber sighed, looking down at Tabitha as he rolled away. He glanced at his team, that battle had taken a lot out of him. He and Tabitha had been more or less evenly matched, and he didn't like that. Shaking his head for now, he spoke into his communicator.
"Grunts, prepare to mobilize. Find Matt's location, then regroup back at base."
He looked up and sighed again, realizing he'd have to climb the mountain by hand since his Pelipper was knocked out, and so was most of his team.
—
Shelly and Courtney slid down the slope, boots scraping, hands clawing for anything they could grab to stop themselves from falling. They managed to halt their descent on a lower ledge.
Camerupt dug its feet into the stone, and Sharpedo snapped its jaws.
Shelly skidded to a stop first, bracing herself against a jagged outcrop, "Hah! What a mess!" she barked, snapping her gaze up at Courtney, "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to knock people off mountains?!"
Courtney rose more slowly, ash drifting around her like snow. She brushed a fleck of dust from her sleeve.
"…Variables escalating."
"…Acceptable."
Camerupt stomped forward.
Shelly clicked her tongue, "Tch! Still standing, huh? Fine! Sharpedo, get back here!"
Sharpedo surged from the steam, water spiraling violently around its teeth.
Shelly grinned wide, "That's my girl! Now, let's see how you like this!" She thrust her arm forward, "Sharpedo, [Waterfall]!"
Sharpedo launched upward, water roaring beneath it as it slammed down toward Camerupt.
Courtney murmured, "…Intercept, Camerupt, [Lava Plume]."
A blast of molten heat erupted upward, colliding with the falling Waterfall attack. Steam exploded outward, obscuring everything in a blinding white cloud.
Shelly staggered back, coughing, "Hah, still hiding behind the steam?! You Magma types really don't have any imagination!"
Courtney's eyes glinted through the mist, "…Irrelevant."
She raised another Poké Ball, "…Deploying secondary unit."
The ball snapped open, releasing a Slugma.
The molten Pokémon slithered onto the cooling rock, instantly reheating the ground beneath it and undoing Sharpedo's advantage step by step.
Shelly's grin faltered, just a little, "Hah… you're serious, huh?" she muttered, then laughed, "Good! That's how it should be!"
She leaned forward, eyes blazing, "Sharpedo, don't let up! [Waterfall] again!"
Sharpedo lunged, unleashing another crashing wave of water. Camerupt stepped in front of Slugma, shielding it from the attack and tanking through the blow.
Courtney tilted her head
"…Phase change noted"
"…Interesting♪"
Shelly snarled, "You're enjoying this?!"
"…Yes."
Before Shelly could respond, she felt the volcano rumble and heard Cozmo scream, "I did it!"
Shelly smiled, "Ha! Looks like you lose, you emotionless freak."
She turned her head slightly, eyes lifting toward the summit. The heat beneath her boots thinned. Camerupt snorted, its magma dimming to a sluggish glow.
"…Environmental anomaly confirmed," Courtney murmured, "…Temperature decline accelerating."
"Jeez, I can't get a rise out of you. Well then, just get lost." Shelly spun on her heel, "Sharpedo, [Aqua Jet]! Straight down!"
Sharpedo was coated in water and dashed forward, slamming into the ground in front of Courtney and her Pokémon. Cracks spiderwebbed instantly through the stone.
The ledge collapsed. Courtney and Camerupt dropped hard onto a lower shelf, rock exploding around them as they slid several meters before stopping. Slugma splattered, barely reforming as it clung to a stone wall.
Shelly walked to the edge and looked down, "Sharpedo, again! [Waterfall]! Aim between us!"
The torrent crashed down between the two admins, carving a deep trench through the mountainside. The impact tore another section of rock loose, this one directly beneath Courtney.
Courtney fell backward, sliding fast, boots scraping uselessly as she plunged down the slope. Camerupt roared, digging its claws in and barely stopping itself from following.
Courtney caught herself at the last second, fingers biting into a jagged outcrop. She hung there, ash drifting past her face, but she didn't look particularly scared, her expression didn't change.
Shelly leaned over the edge above, hands on her knees, "Hah! Look at you!" she called down, "Guess all that analyzing didn't tell you the ground was about to give out!"
Courtney looked up at her, expression unreadable, "…Misjudgment acknowledged."
Shelly straightened, already turning away, "Climb back up if you want!" she shot over her shoulder, "I've got a professor to save and a meteorite to steal!"
She snapped her fingers sharply, "Sharpedo, let's move!"
Sharpedo surged up beside her as Shelly sprinted uphill. Since they were only a level lower, it didn't take long for her to reach the top, where Professor Cozmo was waiting, already packing up the Meteorite.
Shelly put on her fake expression again as she clapped, "Wow, the power of the Meteorite is amazing."
"T-thanks, but we need to get out of here fast!" Cozmo said, wrapping the meteorite in a blanket.
"Please, let me carry it for you. You need to conserve your strength. Let's go, Amber should meet us halfway," Shelly said as she slowly reached out to grab the meteorite, when suddenly—
"Grovyle, [Leaf Blade]!"
"Combusken, [Blaze Kick]!"
From the side, a Grovyle and a Combusken dashed past Shelly's Sharpedo, striking the shark at the same time and sending it crashing against a stone.
Then, from the sky, two bolts of [Thunderbolt] shot down, blasting Sharpedo again.
Shelly spun around just as an Aerodactyl swooped in. Two figures leapt down, Ash and Flannery. Ash handed Flannery his Combusken to use for the time being, until she got her Pokémon back. Vee and Pikachu sat proudly atop Aerodactyl's head.
Speaking of which, when they landed, Flannery's eyes locked onto a very familiar Poké Ball belt sitting on the railing. Her Pokémon.
Shelly followed her gaze, then smiled sweetly, stepping just slightly in front of Cozmo, "Ah-ah. Careful now, dear. Those are… important equipment."
Ash landed beside Flannery. Grovyle dropped lightly to the ground with his arms folded, while Combusken straightened at Flannery's side.
Ash cracked his knuckles, "Yeah, no. We're not doing the 'villain monologue while stealing stuff' thing today. Besides, I'm not sure you'd want another beatdown, Matt sure didn't."
Shelly's eyes widened slightly as she realized why Matt hadn't answered his communicator. This kid had probably already knocked him out.
"You again…" she narrowed her eyes.
"It's-a me," Ash said with a grin, tilting his head, "Whatcha gonna do about it?"
Grovyle stepped forward, arms crossed, leaf blades glinting faintly. He didn't say a word, just stared Shelly down like she'd already lost and was wasting his time.
Combusken rolled one shoulder, flames licking lazily around his ankles as he glanced at Shelly, then at Flannery, then back at Shelly.
Shelly snarled and snapped her arm out, "Sharpedo, [Crunch]!"
Sharpedo lunged toward them before Flannery could make a move for her Poké Balls.
"Grovyle." Ash snapped his fingers.
Grovyle vanished in a blur of green, slamming a [Leaf Blade] into Sharpedo's snout from the side, knocking it clean off course and sending it skidding across the metal platform.
Ash rolled his shoulders, "You know, for someone who talks big, you sure run into a lot of kids ruining your day."
Shelly's eye twitched, "Don't get cocky! Sharpedo, get back here!"
Sharpedo hauled itself up and lunged again, jaws snapping.
"Combusken!" Flannery called.
Combusken stepped forward instantly, flames flaring brighter around his legs. He didn't wait for the full command, he just moved, spinning and sending a [Blaze Kick] straight into Sharpedo's side. The impact rang out as Sharpedo flew back, slamming hard into a railing with a cry.
Ash blinked, "…Huh." He narrowed his eyes at Combusken, "So… you listened to her normally."
Even Pikachu, Vee, Aerodactyl, and Grovyle all looked at Combusken like he was weird.
Combusken looked away, acting like he didn't know what Ash was talking about. Instead, he dashed off, appearing by the railing behind Shelly where Flannery's Poké Balls were. He vaulted over before Shelly could stop him and landed next to Flannery, handing her belt back.
"Oh, thank you!" Flannery said quickly, picking up her Poké Balls and fastening the belt back on.
Shelly clicked her tongue, but then her communicator crackled to life. She listened for a moment before sighing, "Looks like I have to cut things short. Sorry, but I can't waste my time on you kids. Sharpedo, [Secret Power]!"
Sharpedo's mouth opened, blasting out a burst of white light, but it wasn't aimed at Ash or Flannery. It struck the ground instead. Shelly threw an arm around Professor Cozmo as they were engulfed in the light.
Ash whistled as Aerodactyl flapped its wings hard, trying to blow whatever was happening away, but when the light faded, they were gone.
"Wait, what?!" Flannery blurted, looking around frantically, "Where did they go?!"
"Looks like they ran," Ash said, narrowing his eyes. Then he glanced at the giant machine still pulsing as it continued to cool the volcano.
Flannery turned toward it, "They got away… and the machine's still running. If this keeps up—"
"—Mt. Chimney's gonna stop being a volcano, yeah, I can tell," Ash finished, already moving. He glanced back at her.
He pointed a thumb over his shoulder toward the winding paths leading down the mountain, "Flannery, I need you here."
"Huh?" She blinked, "Ash—"
"Try to turn it off, or better yet, try to heat the volcano back up. I'm going after them. You saw they were holding onto something, that thing must be important. If it is, we might be able to use it to reverse whatever they did," Ash said as he jumped onto Aerodactyl. He returned Grovyle and Combusken and had Pikachu and Vee hide in his bag.
He knew full well they had the Meteorite, and he wanted it. He wasn't technically lying to Flannery, but if he didn't get it back for some reason, he had another way to revive the volcano. Still, he wasn't about to say that when he could get what he wanted along the way.
Flannery looked back and forth a few times, then nodded, "Okay. I'll do my best. Just stay safe."
"Always am." Ash saluted as Aerodactyl lifted off, carrying him away.
Flannery watched him go, then shook her head and slapped her cheeks, "Okay, I can do this. For everyone!"
She sent out the team she'd brought with her, Torkoal, Camerupt, Magcargo, and Ninetales, and pointed toward the volcano.
"Everyone, [Flamethrower]!" Flannery called out.
All five Pokémon turned toward the lava and began blasting fire directly into the volcano.
"Come on! We're gonna fire this volcano back up!" Flannery yelled. She refused to let this end here. Without the volcano, Lavaridge Town was finished, and she didn't want to think about that. She kept her eyes on her Pokémon, "We need to rekindle the fire!"
Then she heard footsteps behind her.
When Flannery turned, she saw Team Magma's Courtney approaching slowly, "Trying to revive the volcano… not a bad idea…"
It's important to note that Flannery didn't know about Team Magma. She had only just learned about Team Aqua after being kidnapped, and during the flight here she'd been focused solely on reaching the mountain as fast as possible and getting her Pokémon back. She hadn't noticed the red-uniformed figures flooding the mountain to fight Team Aqua, and even if she had, she would've assumed they were on her side.
Courtney glanced from Flannery to the machine, "Team Aqua…" Then back to Flannery, "…You need help…"
Flannery flinched slightly at how casually she said it, but shook the feeling off, "Who are you? Are you with Team Aqua? Did you help them do this?"
"No…" Courtney replied simply, "We… don't want this. We also want the volcano to be saved… so I suppose you could say we're on the same side…"
"…On the same side?" Flannery repeated, eyeing the girl who looked completely unfazed.
Courtney tilted her head slightly, "…This outcome was not desired. I wish to fix it."
She glanced at the machine, its warning lights now pulsing a dull, sickly blue instead of amber, "…Volcanic shutdown probability: increasing."
Flannery swallowed and turned back toward Mt. Chimney's mouth. The lava level had visibly dropped. The glow was fading, replaced by dark, cooling rock.
"That thing's killing the mountain," Flannery said, clenching her fists, "If you're really on my side, help me turn this thing off."
"…Agreed."
Courtney stepped closer to the controls, her eyes flicking over the readings faster than Flannery could follow, "…Energy siphon linked to meteorite resonance…Direct removal insufficient…Forced overload required."
Flannery blinked, "Uh, could you maybe say that in a way that doesn't sound terrifying?"
Courtney paused, "…We must break it."
Flannery snorted despite herself, "I can do that!"
She spun toward her Pokémon, "Alright, new plan! Keep pouring the heat in, but be ready to hit that machine when I say so!"
Her Pokémon all cried out in agreement.
Courtney watched them with interest, "…Impressive thermal output… You are… compatible."
Flannery shot her a look, "You always talk like that?"
"…Yes," Courtney said. She walked forward and threw out several Poké Balls, releasing a Camerupt, a Charizard, and a Pyroar♂.
"Everyone, join in…" Courtney commanded as her Pokémon began blasting fire into the volcano as well.
Flannery blinked, "Uh… okay. I guess you really are on my side."
She slapped her cheeks, took a deep breath, and grinned, "ALRIGHT LET'S DO THIS!"
—
{At the base of Mt. Chimney}
Shelly emerged from the mountain path first, boots crunching over ash, with Cozmo close behind, hugging the meteorite tightly as he looked around. Shelly looked irritated more than anything else.
Amber was already there, leaning against a rock formation near one of Team Aqua's temporary staging points. A couple of Aqua grunts were packing up gear nearby, moving with hurried efficiency.
Shelly spotted him and clicked her tongue, "Well? Don't tell me you lost your side of the mountain too."
Amber snorted weakly, "Define 'lost.'"
She stopped in front of him, arms crossed, "Talk."
Amber straightened slightly, "Grunts found Matt."
Shelly frowned, "Where?"
"Down one of the eastern paths. He was unconscious. Bruised pretty badly. Looked like he'd been hit hard and fast." Amber sighed, "We sent him back to base already. He'll live."
Shelly sighed, rubbing her temple, "Remember that kid we ran into when we tried to kidnap Mr. Stone? He showed up, got in our way, but we shook him."
Cozmo looked around nervously, "Um, should we—"
Amber raised a hand, "Don't worry, Professor Cozmo. I promise you, we will all protect you," he said, trying to calm the professor.
But that wasn't the only reason he spoke up. He might not have known much, but he had seen Shelly actively attack the Gym Leader Flannery, and that was starting to raise questions.
Shelly interrupted him before he could say more, "Let's get out of here. We did what we needed to do, so let's just—"
A thud interrupted her.
Both admins froze.
Another sound followed, boots hitting dirt. Then another.
Amber's eyes snapped toward the ridge above them, "Shelly—"
Too late.
A figure in a Team Magma cloak dropped down from the rocks, landing between them in a low crouch. The red hood obscured their face.
The figure snapped their fingers, "Arcanine, [Flare Blitz]!"
A massive shape exploded forward in a torrent of flame.
"Sharpedo, move!" Shelly barked, yanking Cozmo's blanket-wrapped case out of the way as Sharpedo dove aside. The fire attack scorched the ground where they'd been standing, but after all the damage Sharpedo had taken, the shark finally collapsed, knocked out.
Amber stumbled back, "What the hell—?!"
The cloaked figure straightened.
Behind them, a Ralts teleported onto a rock. Next to her, a Corphish appeared, already dripping water across the ash.
Shelly's grin returned, sharp and dangerous, "Oh?" she laughed, "You Magma types really don't know when to stay down!"
The figure tilted their head slightly, "Ralts, [Confusion]. Corphish, [Bubble Beam]."
Ralts's body glowed as she unleashed a psychic force. At the same time, Corphish fired a [Bubble Beam], the water combining with the psychic energy.
"Scatter!" Amber shouted.
The bubbles detonated against the rock, cracking it as the [Confusion] surged toward Shelly and Cozmo, but Amber threw himself sideways, dragging Cozmo down as the wave tore through the space where they'd been standing.
Shelly clicked her tongue sharply, "Tch, bold move!" She reached for her belt and threw out a Jellicent and a Liepard.
Amber followed suit, releasing his last two Pokémon: a Ninjask and a Gorebyss.
Shelly recovered first, snapping her arm out, "Jellicent, [Water Pulse]! Liepard, [Night Slash]!"
Jellicent's attack surged forward in a spiraling burst of water, while Liepard's claws glowed purple as it dashed in.
The cloaked Magma figure didn't flinch, "Arcanine, [Flame Wheel]!"
The fire-type spun, flames roaring outward as it plowed straight through the [Water Pulse], evaporating the water on impact. When Liepard's slash connected, it barely slowed Arcanine at all, the fire Pokémon powering through and slamming into Liepard's chest.
Liepard was sent crashing back into a random grunt and knocked out. Amber swore under his breath, then looked up, "Ninjask [X-Scissor]!"
Ninjask screeched forward, blades crossing as it slashed toward the cloaked Magma grunt.
He snapped his fingers, "Ralts [Teleport]."
Ralts glowed, and in an instant the trainer vanished from that spot, reappearing atop another rock.
Ninjask struck the ground where he had been, leaving itself open. Corphish surged in from the side with a [Crabhammer].
Corphish slammed its claw into Ninjask so hard the stone beneath them cracked, knocking the Bug-type out in a single hit.
Shelly clicked her tongue, eyes sharp, "You've got coordination for a grunt," she said coolly, staring at the cloaked figure, "Who are you supposed to be?"
The Magma-cloaked trainer didn't answer. Instead, he lifted one hand slightly, "Ralts [Calm Mind]."
Ralts began meditating on his shoulder, glowing light purple as she stacked [Calm Mind] after [Calm Mind].
Shelly's grin thinned, "Oh, I don't like that."
Amber snapped, "Gorebyss, [Hydro Pump]!"
Gorebyss reared back and unleashed a roaring torrent of water straight at the cloaked trainer and Ralts.
"Arcanine, [Extreme Speed]."
Arcanine dashed in, grabbed the trainer and Ralts, and bolted away before the blast could reach them.
"Now, [Thunderbolt]," the trainer snapped, flicking his finger.
Ralts raised her head, charging electricity between her hands before firing the bolt.
Shelly shouted, "Stop that lightning, [Hydro Pump]!"
"You do the same!" Amber added.
Jellicent and Gorebyss both tilted back and fired two massive blasts of water with everything they had. Despite the type disadvantage, and Ralts still being in her first form, she had boosted herself to +3, leaving the clash more or less evenly matched.
Amber's jaw tightened. He was about to call for the nearby grunts to help when he heard the sound of a scuffle. Looking behind him, he saw all of the grunts' Pokémon getting knocked out by a Houndoom
That's when the trainer snapped his fingers, "Sorry, but I'm not letting you win. Corphish, now!"
From the rocks, Corphish charged out and leapt into the air, its claw glowing blue. It slammed down like a hammer, cracking the stone. From the fissures, water burst upward as it used [Waterfall]
As the water surged around it, Corphish began to glow and grow larger, evolving into Crawdaunt. With its newfound power, it redirected the water, blasting it straight into Jellicent and Gorebyss.
The two Pokémon were slammed by the torrent. The attack wasn't meant to knock them out, or even seriously hurt them, just to interrupt their assault and slow them down.
And that's exactly what it did.
Ralts doubled her effort and began to glow. Her small body elongated as she twirled in the air, growing taller, evolving into Kirlia. With the power boost, her lightning began to overpower the Water-types, and the [Thunderbolt] cut straight through the water to strike them directly.
All the while, a Taillow poked its head out from a nearby tree and snuck up behind Professor Cozmo. It dropped something from its beak into Cozmo's bag, then flapped its wings and latched its talons onto the Meteorite, stealing it and flying straight to the cloaked trainer.
The admins and Cozmo noticed too late. The [Thunderbolt] slammed into their Pokémon, and water plus electricity is no bueno, sending both Water-types crashing back.
Amber and Shelly were about to start shouting demands for the meteorite's return, along with threats of what would happen if it wasn't, but the trainer had no intention of listening. The moment the Meteorite touched his hand and his Pokémon regrouped beside him, Kirlia glowed and teleported them all away.
Shelly and Amber were left standing there. They looked around, searching for the Houndoom or the Crawdaunt, but standing where they had been was a Hypno, which promptly teleported away as well.
Shelly stomped her foot, "Damn it!"
Amber was already pulling out his communicator, "Leader Archie, status report: Matt is unconscious. Shelly and I are heavily injured, and Team Magma has stolen the Meteorite, but at least we succeeded in cooling Mt. Chimney."
As for who the cloaked figure really was, well, it was kind of obvious.
It was Ash.
He'd stolen a Team Magma grunt's cloak and used it so that when he took the Meteorite, Team Aqua would blame Magma, and Team Magma would still think Team Aqua had it.
And as for what came next?
Well… it was about time he fixed this whole mess.