None of the four Team Rocket members expected Miyamoto's side to be the first to collapse.
Though their ambush had failed and they were now surrounded, with both Twin Empresses present, Team Rocket never imagined they would lose.
But reality struck them hard!
The tide was turning, and with each of them being strategically separated, it was clear their opponents had deliberately prevented any chance of the four escaping together.
A Vaporeon replaced Pidgeot's position to face off against Sato's Tyranitar. The cost of this substitution was Alolan Ninetales taking a direct hit from a brutal Stone Edge.
Even with Water and Ice supporting each other, Miyamoto was only barely able to withstand Sato's relentless assault.
But… barely was all it was.
A few minutes later, Kaiser, who had relied on Dark Balls to forcibly boost his Pokémon's power, also began to falter. Even his right arm had been slashed open, blood flowing freely.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sato glanced at Kaiser's opponent, Abe. He hadn't expected this quiet Trainer to be so competent.
Still, the fall of Violet City had mainly been due to ambushes and being outnumbered.
Abe was surely filled with fury; no wonder he was fighting so desperately to defeat Kaiser.
Meanwhile, Richie was clearly struggling against Ariana.
The strength of Psychic-types was that -until countered- they often seemed impossible to deal with.
Richie specialized in Grass- and Poison-types. It was no surprise that he was at a disadvantage in this matchup, though he could still hold out for a while longer.
As for this "Madame Boss…" her strength was beyond question. She fully deserved her role as Deputy Leader of Team Rocket and the founder of the entire organization.
The first forced to switch out Pokémon was actually Lance!
Sato frowned. This drawn-out battle had gone on for far too long. The longer it lasted, the more unpredictable it became!
With that thought, he stopped hesitating and silently activated his special ability under the cover of night.
[Dark Energy: Energy Amplification.]
Dark auras surged simultaneously from Houndoom and Tyranitar, nearly invisible in the darkness.
But to the keen senses of the other Pokémon, it was obvious. Tyranitar and Houndoom were getting stronger by the second!
After knocking back Richie's Venusaur and Venomoth again, Ariana immediately turned toward Sato's side.
She felt both unfamiliar and strangely familiar with this power. Years ago, Ariana had suffered a crushing defeat at Sato's hands because of it.
"MIYAMOTO, BE CAREFUL! Your opponent has a special ability that can cause his Pokémon to power up instantly!"
Ariana shouted loudly, her voice carrying across the battlefield. Miyamoto heard it too and immediately became far more alert.
"I forgot about the Psychic one…" Sato muttered, then stopped hiding it altogether. The Dark Energy within him began leaking out in full view.
Houndoom and Tyranitar grew stronger by the second. Even a half-released Dark Pulse suddenly swelled in size.
The Ice Beam it clashed with was overpowered instantly. Alolan Ninetales took another heavy hit, clearly on the verge of collapse.
"ANEKE!"
Miyamoto shouted desperately, then quickly sent out an Ampharos. Alolan Ninetales, unable to hold on, finally fell.
Hearing Miyamoto's cry, Madame Boss furrowed her brow. But Lance, standing opposite her, was now going all out with reckless aggression.
The next moment, as the Deputy Leader of Team Rocket, she made her decision. A cold glint flashed in her eyes as she gave the order without hesitation.
"Weezing… EXPLOSION!"
"WHAT THE F…?!"
Lance snapped out of his offensive frenzy in an instant, cursing while retreating at full speed.
And Weezing's Explosion seemed to be the cue for everything else.
Ariana, risking a face full of Poison Powder from Venusaur, forcefully used Teleport.
Kaiser flat-out abandoned the Pokémon still fighting on his behalf, grabbed the nearby Xatu, and vanished with a single Teleport.
Miyamoto, who had been flustered just moments ago, suddenly changed expressions. She sneered arrogantly at Sato, then promptly recalled her Ampharos and Vaporeon without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Houndoom and Tyranitar were frozen in place, startled by the Weezing swelling ominously nearby.
"Tch! Should've brought a Quagsire… damn it."
Grumbling, Lance landed beside Sato, glaring up at the rapidly expanding and contracting Weezing that looked ready to blow but just wouldn't.
An Elite Four-level Weezing using Explosion… no one would dare try to take that head-on!
Sato said nothing, silently watching as the four Team Rocket members regrouped and once again stood opposite them.
"YOU'RE TWO SLIPPERY BRATS… Fine, Team Rocket will admit defeat this time.
But so what if you get Violet City back in this state? Hn. Next time, we'll pick a different playground."
The Deputy Leader of Team Rocket sneered, recalling the still-unexploded Weezing. Her arrogance made everyone on Sato's side want to tear her apart on the spot.
But before Sato or the others could respond, the Team Rocket group had already joined hands and, with the combined effort of Ariana and her Psychic-type Pokémon, vanished with a mass Teleport.
"DAMMIT! These underground rats are getting way too cocky!"
Abe snarled. He had been on the verge of defeating Kaiser, but the man had shamelessly abandoned his Pokémon just to buy time to escape. It shattered every principle Abe believed in.
Lance and Richie were equally bitter. Neither of them had the upper hand in their fights, and now all they felt was frustrated defeat.
Only Sato stood silently, eyes fixed on the Team Rocket group that had vanished with the Teleport.
"Escape? Heh…"
He let out a soft chuckle. And in the next moment, the four Team Rocket members reappeared one hundred meters away, completely stunned to find Sato's group still within sight.
"A-Ariana… WHAT'S WRONG?!"
Miyamoto's shocked voice rang out. When Kaiser and Madame Boss turned to look, they saw Ariana collapsed in Miyamoto's arms, pale-faced, with blood trickling from the corners of her eyes and nose.
"Sigh… didn't learn your lesson, huh? Already forgot how Alakazam lost its arm?"
Sato shook his head, then contacted Gengar through synchronized resonance.
{Shrink the Spatial Barrier. Trap them}
In a towering tree a hundred meters away, Gengar sat cross-legged, golden eyes glowing brightly in the night.
Centered on Gengar, a transparent ring of Spatial Barrier began rapidly shrinking.
By now, the four Team Rocket members realized something was terribly wrong…
They had become too reliant on Ariana's Teleport.
Or rather. They already knew Sato had strange powers that could block teleportation, but because their ambush had been so rushed, they hadn't made proper preparations.
Regardless, Team Rocket had walked straight into disaster this time!
"Weezing. I really need you now."
Even now, the Deputy Leader remained composed. She gently patted the Weezing at her side.
Weezing rolled its eyes at her with a carefree, almost sarcastic look.