"Zekrom, Fusion Bolt!"
N issued his command in a low, steady voice.
"ROOAAR!!"
With a deep, resonant dragon's cry, Zekrom's entire body erupted with crackling lightning. Wrapped in thunder, it charged toward the colossal Dragonite with overwhelming force.
The massive Dragonite didn't hesitate. It gathered draconic energy, shaping it into a fearsome aura before lunging toward Zekrom.
Dragon Rush!
Dragon Rush and Fusion Bolt collided violently above the sea's surface. Under the terrifying pressure, the ocean beneath them was blasted wide open, forming a temporary vacuum zone where seawater completely dispersed.
But the stalemate didn't last long.
With a sudden burst of strength from Zekrom, the colossal Dragonite's Dragon Rush was forcefully suppressed.
BOOM!!
Zekrom's electrified body slammed heavily into Dragonite's chest, and a surge of vicious thunder instantly flooded across the dragon's massive frame.
Dragonite's expression twisted in pain. Though Dragon-type Pokémon resist Electric-type attacks, Dragonite's Flying typing is weak to Electric, leaving it with no resistance to Electric-type moves at all.
And Zekrom's Fusion Bolt was unquestionably devastating!
"Thunder!"
As Dragonite was knocked out of the sky, N seized the chance and pressed the attack.
BOOM!!
A massive bolt of lightning fell straight down, striking the Dragonite the moment its body plunged into the sea.
The entire ocean lit up golden, turned into a glowing sea of thunder—almost like a pool of living lightning.
A Thunder attack of this magnitude was a heavy blow even to the mighty Dragonite.
"Dragon Claw!"
Watching from afar, Lance's face darkened. As he feared, his gigantic Dragonite was nearly at its limit.
Zekrom was, after all, a high-tier Legendary Pokémon. Even though it had taken a direct hit from Shadow Lugia's Aeroblast before the battle started, that was still only a single heavy strike. Its legendary physiology ensured that its combat strength remained frighteningly high.
And in terms of raw individual power, Zekrom outclassed every Pokémon Lance currently possessed.
His giant Dragonite was indeed powerful—but forcing it to hold off Zekrom alone long enough for help to arrive was simply unrealistic.
And Lance couldn't fully focus on Dragonite either—not with the battlefield this chaotic.
Now, Zekrom had finally inflicted a grievous wound.
"ROAR!!"
Mega Garchomp burst forward in a high-speed assault, its twin blood-red scythes gleaming with lethal energy as they slashed toward Zinnia's Mega Salamence.
"Dragon Rush!"
Zinnia's eyes sharpened.
She had just narrowly dodged Dragonite's Draco Meteor earlier—there was no way she could dodge again!
Mega Salamence's blood-red wings swept outward, and a massive draconic aura took shape in an instant.
"You think something like that is enough to stop it?"
Lance's eyes turned icy.
Mega Garchomp's dual scythes cleaved downward. Dragon Claw and Dragon Rush collided, explosive power rippling out.
But in the very next moment—
Mega Salamence was sent flying, brutally crushed by Mega Garchomp's overwhelming strength.
Lance's Mega Garchomp hit too hard.
But just then—a flash of icy blue shot across the battlefield.
It struck Mega Garchomp's left side squarely, frost instantly spreading across its scales. The powerful Ice Beam made its face contort with pain.
Lance's expression chilled as his gaze shifted to the ground.
Mega Blastoise.
That Ice Beam was from it.
Damn it!
"At this rate, I really will lose… Do I need to retreat?"
Lance's face flickered between light and shadow. His opponents had too many Pokémon, too much pressure. If this continued, the ones who would fall were his Pokémon—just like Giovanni had fallen under coordinated, overwhelming attacks.
"Blizzard!"
Suddenly, a cold magnetic voice rang across the battlefield.
A fierce storm of swirling ice and snow swept out—not toward Pokémon, but directly at Red, Blue, and the others themselves!
"Gardevoir!"
Caitlin instantly called out.
Gardevoir flashed forward to shield the group, raising its arms as psychic blue light shone in its eyes.
Barrier!
A shimmering multicolored shield formed, completely halting the raging Blizzard.
"This Ice-type move…"
Red frowned slightly. He recognized this particular Blizzard.
"Heh… Lance, how pathetic you look."
A grim, raspy laugh sounded.
Agatha leaning on her cane—slowly approached. At her side walked a cold-faced Lorelei and a silent, imposing Bruno.
With Lance included, all former Indigo Elite Four members were now fully assembled.
"This just got troublesome," Blue muttered, narrowing his eyes as he halted his attack.
One Lance alone was already difficult to handle.
But now the remaining former Elite Four members had joined as well.
This was about to become a full-scale team battle.
"Hmph! The monster you summoned has already gone berserk."
Lance shot the three of them a grim glance, his expression still tense.
Using Agatha's method to summon Shadow Lugia… and it took only a few days before the creature lost control entirely.
"Legendary Pokémon are still Legendary Pokémon. I suppose this is our miscalculation. Using outside force to control one was never going to last."
Agatha looked up at the Shadow Lugia clashing with the Ice Dragon Kyurem in the sky. Even with her wrinkled face, a hint of helplessness showed.
She truly hadn't expected Shadow Lugia to lose control so soon. It was a major blow to her plans.
But what could she do?
It was Shadow Lugia—a Pokémon no one could communicate with. Even Lance, with the Viridian power, couldn't reach it.
There would never be a scenario where Shadow Lugia recognized Lance.
"Whatever. Let it rampage if it wants. That monster shouldn't exist anyway."
Lance exhaled slowly, regaining his composure. Shadow Lugia's power was magnificent, yes, but a creature overflowing with negative emotion… was not something Lance particularly desired.
Especially when meaningful communication was almost impossible.
He had seen power beyond Champions. After witnessing that, and after Shadow Lugia's rampage, he now placed more hope in his own growth.
If he could take that step, if he could surpass the Champion level then even without a Legendary Pokémon, his dream could still be reached.
As for Shadow Lugia… that mess could be left for his cousin, Lucas. Lance knew Kyurem had already been captured by him.
Lucas loved legendary Pokémon anyway.
"For now…"
Lance's gaze shifted toward N and his companions.
A cruel smile curled at his lips.
They enjoyed ganging up on him earlier, didn't they? Now that his allies were here—
It was their turn.
"Lance, don't go any further down this wrong path. If you stop now, you can still return as Indigo's hero."
N inhaled sharply and spoke with conviction.
Though Lance had caused trouble in secret, the Pokémon League had concealed the truth well. To the public, Lance was still the shining, righteous Dragon Master.
If Lance would stop chasing Lieutenant Surge and acknowledge his wrongdoings, he could still return to the world as the beloved Champion he once was.
"Wrong? What a joke. What did I do wrong?"
Lance laughed coldly.
All he wanted was to eliminate those who harmed Pokémon, those who destroyed nature, those corrupted by greed.
How was that wrong?
"There are many ways to pursue justice—not through extremism like yours."
Red's quiet voice pierced the air like a blade. His red eyes, hidden under his cap, locked onto Lance with clarity and firmness.
"Wiping out everything in your path doesn't create beauty. It creates chaos. Champion Lance… you've gone astray. Come back."
"We need the righteous, heroic Lance of the past—not the terrorist standing before us!"
Terrorist?
Lance's face twitched violently, twisting with an emotion too dense to contain. His fists clenched so tightly they creaked, knuckles turning white.
He only wanted to eliminate evil.
Yet to these juniors, he had become… a terrorist?
"What do you know? How much do you understand about the Team Rocket's sins?"
Lance forced himself to breathe deeply, pushing down the storm inside him. His voice grew colder, his blood-red eyes dim with shadow.
When he left Indigo Plateau, he had already made his resolve. Even if the world called him darkness, he would walk forward without hesitation.
Because his justice demanded it.
Evil was evil.
Evil had to be cleansed.
Yet now, hearing these words from the juniors he once admired… his heart twisted unbearably.
He had done nothing wrong.
He refused to accept it.
"Yes. Team Rocket was evil. We see them that way, too."
Red's eyes remained bright, clear, almost painfully pure as he stared directly into Lance's.
"But that does not give you the right to harm the innocent or destroy people's homes."
"Look at this place properly."
Red lifted his arm and pointed toward Vermilion City.
The battlefield wasn't inside the city, but it was still the coastline of Vermilion. Several attacks had spilled over.
Especially the deep, gouging trench carved straight through the city's layout—left behind by Shadow Lugia's sweeping Aeroblast.
Silent, lifeless wreckage. Scorched smoke. Shattered streets. Remnants of buildings, broken and collapsed.
"Maybe some people are bad. But most in this world are good, innocent, and simply want to live their lives."
"But Champion Lance, you destroyed their homes. You destroyed their happiness!"
For once, Red was not the quiet, taciturn boy. His words flowed with clarity and weight.
"To eliminate evil… sacrifices are necessary," Lance said coldly, believing every word.
"Yes. Maybe. But if destroying one villain means destroying the happiness of dozens—or hundreds—of innocent people… is that really worth it?"
"There were better ways. If—"
"Enough!"
Lance cut him off sharply, unwilling to hear another word.
There it was again.
Naive ideals. A child's optimism.
But for some reason… Lance felt unbearably frustrated—chaotically, maddeningly agitated.
He had always believed his justice was correct. Righteous. Necessary.
So why, now, did these words unsettle him so much?
"Those are nothing but naive dreams. If everything worked the way you claim, Team Rocket would never have been destroyed!"
"Why not? As long as you're willing to put in the effort, you can definitely do it!" N countered immediately.
Lance's chest rose and fell sharply as he stared at Red and N.
Then suddenly—he laughed.
A cold, furious laugh brimming with anger he refused to show.
"Good, good, good, this is truly the funniest joke I've ever heard. You've successfully made me laugh."
He smiled, but the violence beneath that smile grew more and more terrifying.
"You talk a good game, but if you think it's good, then give it a try!"
If he was wrong—then let them show him.
"Children who smell of milk should learn this—this world is far crueler than you imagine."
"Today, let me, your senior, teach you a lesson!"
With a vicious grin, Lance made his declaration.
"Dragonair! Dual Dragon Draco Meteor!"
"DRAAAA!!"
Two Dragonairs raised their heads high. From above, a massive orb filled with starlike draconic energy formed, then burst into countless spinning draconic meteors.
Beautiful, brilliant, and terrifying—Draco Meteors rained from the sky.
"Be careful, this is no joke."
Blue shot a glance at Red, who had fallen silent again. Red's earlier outburst had shocked even him.
But of course, as Red's closest companion, he stood resolutely on Red's side.
Lance's Pokémon were not at full strength—they had taken a beating from all being ganged up on before.
But this battle wasn't like before. Earlier, they fought only Lance.
Now?
Blue looked toward Agatha, Lorelei, and Bruno.
These three were not easy opponents either.
"Leave Lance to me. His team is hurt. Zekrom can handle them. You guys defeat Agatha and the others quickly, then support me," N said firmly.
Even weakened, Lance was still the strongest enemy among the four.
And only someone with a Legendary Pokémon like N could handle him alone.
"Ah, don't worry. As Blue always says—we current Elite Four won't lose to the former ones."
Caitlin smiled with graceful aristocratic poise.
The former generation was already in the past.
They would not lose to those who came before.
(End of Chapter)