The skies above the base burned with chaos.
Enemy plane drones streaked through the air in erratic formations, trading fire with swarms of Rhea's quadcopter drones. Smaller machines weaved between bursts of gunfire like angry hornets, spitting bullets into the mechanical invaders.
Among them, living shadows darted and struck. Golbats screamed through the air, wings beating furiously as they chased enemy drones. Honchkrows glided with cold precision, commanding their Murkow into the battlefield from above, while Mandibuzz circled patiently before plunging into the fray, tearing at metal hulls with brutal efficiency.
Explosions lit the sky as machines and Pokémon alike fell, trailing smoke in spirals toward the ground.
Below, the backyard of the base was a melee of desperate combat. Waves of collared, mutated, and cybernetic Pokémon poured through the ruined wall, only to meet the defenders head-on. At the center of the chaos, a Champion ranked Lucario moved like a blue blur, Aura-enhanced strikes shattering metal limbs, cracking armor, and sending enemies crashing into their own.
Beyond the eastern wall, 2 massive airships smoked from gun ports, landing gear, and open cargo and hangar bay doors. Inside, Alex and his Pokémon fought their way through, dismantling systems, fighting panicking soldiers, and preparing to bring the vessels down from within.
Meanwhile, an army of robots and soldiers pushed forward through the base's turret's relentless fire, falling one by one. Their ranks thinned as they advanced toward the main hub, determined to storm it and leave destruction in their wake.
"The skies are relatively clear, and there aren't any incoming bombardments," Mika noted. "I think it's time we join the fight outside."
"Good point," Lyra agreed. "It won't look good if we just sit here and turtle up. Besides, we work better in the open anyway."
She grabbed the radio and broadcasted over the bounty hunters' channel. "Sitting around waiting for them to approach is boring. Let's go greet them outside and show them we're not pushovers."
"RAAA!" The cheer echoed across the main hub as the bounty hunters surged toward the nearest exits.
Once they made it outside, they released their Pokémon, drew their guns, and moved in formation. Melee fighters took the front lines, ranged and special attackers fell back, and the trainers stayed at the rear with their weapons raised, aimed at their destination.
They spilled out from every corner of the building, converging on the eastern side, their numbers swelling as they joined together. When one group met another, their formations merged, widening the line. Eventually, a concave formation stretched from the base's walls out into the open grounds, and the army advanced as a single, disciplined line.
Thanks to the turrets' onslaught as the enemy forces charged, the bounty hunters only had to contend with roughly even numbers, about 2,000 to 3,000 on each side. There were only around 300 bounty hunters, but each had between 6 and 10 Pokémon in line. The robot army, which had started with 5,000, had been devastated by the turret fire, roughly halving their numbers.
Once both sides met just outside Rhea's factory, which was on the verge of being infiltrated, they opened fire. Energy blasts collided, bullets zipped through the air, and casualties quickly began to mount.
On the enemy's side, they had no Protect barriers and relied on their machines for cover. Unfortunately for them, a few well-placed Pokémon moves were enough to destroy those defenses, leaving soldiers exposed and vulnerable to return fire.
The bounty hunters, in contrast, maintained a clear and perfectly coordinated Protect rotation, a level of precision that would have made Alex proud. Gunfire and energy blasts tore across the battlefield, defenses holding where possible, but both sides inevitably suffered roughly equal losses.
Fortunately for the bounty hunters, they only needed to recall their Pokémon when they fainted, saving their lives. The same couldn't be said for their enemies. The soldiers were ordinary humans, and when they fell, they died.
"They have powerful energy blasts that can deflect our area-of-effect attacks. Their soldiers are also armed with Feint and Phantom Force rounds," one of the bounty hunters reported. "Exchanging fire out here is costing us. We need to charge in and start a chaotic melee, but their formations are too tight. We need a line breaker."
"Looks like it's our turn," Lyra said, a predatory smile crossing her face as she watched the battle from behind the bounty hunters' line, mounted on her Mightyena pair with Mika beside her.
"I just wish Sable were here," Mika said, shaking her head as she released her Nidoking and Nidoqueen. "She would have wiped these guys out in no time."
"We're both close to Champion rank," Lyra said. "It won't be long before we're strong enough to pull it off ourselves."
Nidoking and Nidoqueen used Dig, burrowing underground toward the center of the enemy formation with Lyra and Mika following behind them, their Pokémon ready for release. They tunneled forward until they felt they were deep within the enemy ranks before completing the move and bursting to the surface.
They erupted from the earth in the middle of the robot army's formation, unleashing chaos that was immediately followed by a devastating pair of Elite ranked Earthquakes.
The center of the formation exploded, disrupting the enemy lines and filling the air with blinding dust.
From the cloud emerged Lyra and Mika's Pokémon, all 40 of them rampaging with Elite ranked might as they charged east into the enemy army.
It was the perfect opportunity to turn a relatively even fight into a decisive advantage.
"Charge!" the bounty hunters roared, rushing in with their Pokémon to strike at any stumbling robot or soldier caught in the chaos.
The tide turned as they surged forward, cutting down a third of the robot army before weaving through the remainder with the relentless force of a tidal wave sweeping across the coastline.
At that same moment, the airship's hangar bay doors exploded. They no longer released drones to hold back the base's aerial forces. Within moments the remaining enemy drones were finished off, leaving Rhea's drones, the Golbat, the Honchkrow, and the Mandibuzz free to continue their harassment.
Like falling dominoes, the aerial forces joined with the surging bounty hunters and crashed down onto the struggling mass of the enemy's rampaging Pokémon. The base's Pokémon saw the sudden arrival of reinforcements and the collapse of their enemies. They roared and redoubled their efforts to wipe out the remaining attackers.
It took a few more minutes, but eventually every intruder inside the base was wiped out, leaving only the pair of airships parked outside. The three groups converged and rushed toward them, eager to finish the fight.
Then a group suddenly disembarked from each of the airships' cargo doors.
It was Alex and his Pokémon, along with Raticate, Kommo-o, Lucario, and Grim's groups, exiting the airships they had just finished clearing.
Alex stepped forward and looked proudly at his defenders. He raised his fist and shouted.
"Victory!"
His cry was answered immediately. The bounty hunters cheered, the Pokémon roared, and the drones buzzed in triumph after defending their home.
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After the battle, the bounty hunters and Pokémon enjoyed a rare treat.
The bounty hunters were given imported wine from the Sevii Islands that Alex had been saving, along with enough Champion ranked meat to fill both their bellies and those of their Pokémon. The base's resident Pokémon received Champion ranked meat as well as a reward for their efforts in defending the base.
Meanwhile, Metagross and Rotom worked overtime to clean up the aftermath. They directed drones to collect debris and corpses, sort the remains, assess the damage to the base, and tow the two airships that Alex and his Pokémon had cleared closer to Rhea's laboratory.
They also sent out drones to evaluate the damage to the other three airships that had crashed in the mountain range between Cerulean Cave and the base. Their estimates suggested that the first crash site had likely been relatively empty and was already being swarmed by the danger zone's Pokémon.
The second airship was probably still occupied, with survivors doing their best to hold out.
The third was most likely nothing but ruins. The massive explosion that followed its crash had likely left no survivors.
"We lost nearly 300 Pokémon," Nyx reported. "Neither the aerial Pokémon nor the nest had Poké Balls to protect them, so casualties were high during the engagement. Most of the losses came from the nest, which was overwhelmed by sheer numbers. It was only thanks to the Elites in the nest and Lucario that the casualties didn't climb even higher."
"The bounty hunters suffered no casualties," she continued. "About a third of them only needed Potions to recover, while roughly two dozen required surgery for serious internal injuries. Nothing Talia couldn't handle on her own."
"As for our total losses, they're somewhere in the range of 20 million credits. The Champion and Elite ranked walls need repairs. There is plenty of glass to replace, and the turrets on the east side of the base were nearly wiped out. Overall, the cost is low compared to the estimated gains from the two airships you managed to preserve."
"So," Alex said, leaning back in his chair, "apart from the significant losses from the nest, we have gained more than we have lost."
"Yes."
"Alright. First, ask the nest if they want dedicated Poké Balls to ensure they can be saved in the next battle. Have the walls and all the damage repaired and pay a premium. I want them looking brand new. Lastly, I want those turrets upgraded."
"You got it, boss," Rhea said with excitement. ""I'll make sure our defenses are so airtight that even if they bombard us with a hundred airships, nothing will be able to touch us."
"Spare no expense," Alex said with a nod, then turned back to Nyx. "What does the League have to say?"
"They want an update," Nyx answered.
"Ha…" Alex sighed. "Of course they do. I just hope all they ask for are the schematics and not the entire airship. I have plans for those puppies."
Alex then called up Lance to provide his update. After all, he had a duty as a trainer to follow their orders.
"Ah, Mr. Wattson. Good of you to finally spare us a moment of your time," Lance said as the hologram expanded to include the Elite Four and all the Gym Leaders of both Johto and Kanto. "Now, why don't you explain why you attacked a fleet of merchant vessels heading for Johto."
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