A few days later, at the Pokemon League camp established deep within the caverns of Meteor Falls, a critical force had been assembled. Bringing their total number to eight individuals, each possessing power at the Elite Four level or higher.
Drake had gathered everyone for a concise strategic meeting. The consensus was unanimous: they could no longer afford to delay their offensive. Further inaction would only grant Team Magma and Team Aqua more time to pursue their mysterious goals and, equally worrying, would allow the external Hunter's Guild more opportunities to consolidate its position. After a prolonged period of quiet, the Hunter's Guild, an organization that traditionally prioritized profit and neutrality, had lulled many into a false sense of security regarding their activities. When the Guild finally began to move in earnest, the sheer scale of its strength was revealed to be terrifying. It was estimated that even the nefarious Team Rocket had grown wary and no longer fully trusted their Guild allies. Resolving the situation at Meteor Falls as quickly as possible was paramount, as it would then free up resources to deal decisively with the Hunter's Guild.
Consequently, the League's operational mandates became significantly more aggressive, with a sharp increase in missions dedicated to gathering in-depth intelligence from behind enemy lines. Today marked the fourth day since the League's push into Meteor Falls, and Aoki was operating alone, leading his Pokemon team deep into the treacherous tunnels. His objective was twofold: to complete long-range reconnaissance and to clear the area of hostile wild Pokemon. Due to the prolonged cleansing operations, one now had to venture to a considerable depth before encountering any wild Pokemon, and those that remained were all of a relatively high level, posing a serious threat to most Trainers.
What would be a daunting task for others, however, was not particularly difficult for Aoki. "Shelgon, use Dragon Pulse!" he commanded. "Seadra, use Brine!" Over the past few days, Aoki had focused his training on Shelgon and Seadra, having them battle in tandem. The two Pokemon were developing rapidly. With guidance from Aoki's Kommo-o, Shelgon was accumulating power and experience at a rate that far exceeded his Pupitar's progress before its evolution. Seadra, having recently evolved from Horsea, was finally beginning to demonstrate respectable combat prowess. The level of understanding and cooperative synergy between the two Pokemon was increasing daily. With a little more time and experience, Aoki considered that Seadra would likely be ready to evolve.
Boom--
Just after Shelgon and Seadra successfully defeated several Graveler they had encountered in the tunnel, a tremendous roar suddenly echoed through the caverns, followed by a distinct tremor that shook the ground. Small rocks dislodged from the tunnel ceiling above, but they were swiftly halted and held in place by Aoki's psychic powers before they could cause any harm. He frowned deeply. Logically, at this depth, he should not have encountered any patrols from Team Magma or Team Aqua, nor should there be any wild Pokemon powerful enough to cause such a disturbance.
Extending his psychic senses to their limit, he pinpointed the epicenter of the vibration. He promptly returned Shelgon and Seadra to their Poké Balls, summoned his Drapion, and directed the large Pokemon to carry him at full speed towards the tunnel from which the tremor had originated. It was not too far from his designated search sector. According to the mission parameters and area maps, there should have been several other League squads operating in that vicinity.
Guiding Drapion with a mental map of the surrounding tunnels firmly in his mind, Aoki arrived near the source of the commotion within five minutes. His psychic perception spread out, and he immediately ascertained the situation. It was indeed caused by League members, but not through their own volition. Two League squads, comprising eight Trainers in total—including two Captains of near-Elite Four caliber and six seasoned Elite-level Trainers—had been ambushed by a combined force from Team Magma and Team Aqua.
The League teams capable of operating at this depth were the elite of the elite, their personnel configuration far superior to that of ordinary Trainers. Unlike greenhouse-raised League officials, these individuals were part of the League's regular military force and frequently undertook dangerous missions; their combat skills were in no way inferior to the officers of underground organizations like Team Rocket. At this moment, the tunnel was littered with rubble and bore the clear scars of a recent explosion, indicating the League members had been ambushed with planted bombs, which explained the roaring sound Aoki had heard.
The current condition of the eight League members was dire. Three had already lost consciousness and were being slowly dragged away by three of their comrades. Several of their Pokemon lay motionless on the ground, it was unclear whether they had simply fainted or had already perished. The two Captains had obvious bloodstains smeared across their faces, yet they continued to resolutely command their remaining Pokemon, fighting a desperate rearguard action as they slowly retreated. The other supporting members, while aiding their unconscious teammates, also directed their own Pokemon in the battle.
They were facing a total of eight adversaries from Team Magma and Team Aqua, also operating in a squad formation. Crucially, their captains were not merely near-Elite Four level, but held power equivalent to a full Elite Four member. All their squad members hovered at the near-Elite level, making their overall strength significantly greater than that of the League squads. The successful bomb ambush had only exacerbated this disparity in power. That the League Trainers had managed to hold on this long was a testament to their exceptional combat skills and tenacity. Yet, after five brutal minutes of fighting, they were nearing their absolute limit, and every remaining Pokemon was covered in severe injuries.
"Captain, let's finish them off quickly. It won't be good if others come," a female member of Team Aqua urged her captain, a note of anxiety in her voice.
Her captain, Kevin, found the reasoning sound. It was best to resolve the situation swiftly to avoid complications.
"Captain McCree, let's take care of them quickly, or things will get worse," Captain Kevin suggested to the Team Magma captain.
But Captain McCree of Team Magma merely smirked arrogantly. "Captain Kevin, don't worry. The leader ordered us to clean up these Alliance investigation teams to prevent them from overreaching. I estimate everyone in this area is about this strong. This is a perfect opportunity to attract more groups of fools and wipe them all out at once!" He gestured contemptuously towards the battered League members. "Elite members of the alliance? Pah!" He spat in their direction.
"Hahaha!! Yes! Captain McCree is right! Let's teach these Alliance members a lesson for daring to be so arrogant..."
"Yeah! Haha! Let's teach them a lesson!"
"..."
The Team Magma members echoed his sentiment, further inflating McCree's arrogance. He shot Kevin a look that was filled with smug superiority and a silent challenge: Are you scared?
Captain Kevin of Team Aqua frowned deeply but did not voice any further objections. He had to admit, McCree's words held a certain brutal logic; he was simply being cautious by nature. He couldn't afford to show weakness in front of the Team Magma members and tarnish Team Aqua's reputation, making them seem cowardly. Nevertheless, he subtly increased the tempo of his commands, pressing the attack. Under the renewed and coordinated assault, the two League captains found it even more difficult to hold their defensive line.
All of this was laid bare to Aoki through his psychic perception. His face darkened immediately, a cold anger settling in his eyes.
Boom!!!
On Aoki's mental command, his Drapion unleashed a powerful attack, blasting a massive hole through the rock wall that separated the two tunnels. The solid rock face dissolved into a cloud of dust and debris.
"Who's there?!" McCree and Kevin shouted in unison, whirling around to face the new threat.
Through the settling dust, a human figure atop a large Pokemon became visible. A cold, clear voice cut through the cavern from the newly created opening. "Bullying the weak and feeling smug about it? Let me see what you're capable of!"
With that, Aoki, standing firmly on the back of his Drapion, hurled several Poké Balls into the chamber in a swift, practiced motion.
"Tyranitar!!!"
"Aggron!!!"
"Swampert!!!"
"Blaziken!!!"
"Florges!!!"
His Tyranitar, Aggron, Swampert, Blaziken, and Florges materialized simultaneously on the battlefield, joining the Drapion at Aoki's feet, making a total of six powerful Pokemon now facing the combined teams of Magma and Aqua.
"Lord Aoki!"
"Lord Aoki!"
"grown ups..."
Upon recognizing the figure who emerged from the dust, the two League Captains and the members who were still conscious immediately felt a surge of overwhelming relief and hope, their faces breaking into expressions of joyous recognition at the arrival of such formidable reinforcement.