BOOM!
BOOM!
Two deafening thunderclaps.
As expected, the attacks from Jolteon and Ampharos failed to hit their target.
The speed was far too high, and the distance as well; predicting correctly required an absurd level of calculation, something that clearly exceeded both Pokémon.
From atop Mega Salamence's back, Cain both heard and clearly saw the two bolts strike very close to him.
Those lightning strikes, launched by Champion-level Electric-type Pokémon, would have meant instant death if they had hit.
And he, as a trainer riding Salamence, would have had no chance of surviving.
Fortunately, Cain had absolute confidence in Salamence's current state.
Not only was it incredibly fast, but its focus was absolute. Salamence did not even need to dodge—it knew the attacks would not hit. It was a prediction born from having grown accustomed to that extreme speed.
Cain and Salamence were maintaining the Mega Evolution, so their wills were synchronized. Cain could feel Salamence's thoughts, and Salamence perfectly understood Cain's intentions.
The more critical the moment, the colder Cain became, and Salamence was no different in that regard.
Thus, they completely ignored the enemy attacks and charged straight toward the spatial device. Two Poké Balls had already appeared in Cain's hand.
With just that first wave of attacks, the man in yellow understood that a second attempt would likely also fail, and that if he tried a third, the enemy would have already destroyed the device and escaped.
He had only one chance left. He could not waste it.
"His target is the device! Come and help me protect it!" the man in yellow shouted to Will.
Will frowned. That commanding tone was quite unpleasant to him.
However, the other was stronger than he was, and moreover, he was probably right.
Although the spatial blockade was almost destroyed, there was still a little left to complete the objective. At that moment, the device had to be protected at all costs.
Having made his decision, Will positioned himself beside the device, summoned his Pokémon, and protected them with psychic powers, leaving the counterattack to the man in yellow.
The latter's face tensed; his eyes were fixed on Mega Salamence, and his psychic power had it completely locked on.
"Now! Jolteon! Ampharos!" he ordered mentally, connecting his telepathy with both Pokémon.
The two Pokémon were already prepared. The electricity they had accumulated over time erupted with even greater power than before, launching enormous bolts of lightning along Mega Salamence's flight path.
As long as Salamence did not turn, it would undoubtedly fall under this offensive.
But it was not only the enemy watching that trajectory: Cain's psychic power was also paying close attention at all times.
Upon detecting that the offensive had begun and that Will was occupied protecting the device, Cain knew his plan had worked.
"Salamence!" he exclaimed mentally.
Understanding the order, Mega Salamence violently twisted its body in midair. Its maximum speed plummeted instantly. It was a terrible burden on its body, but there was no time to think about that.
If they kept advancing, Cain and Salamence could die right there.
Moreover, Cain's true objective had always been to rescue Phoebe first.
Salamence's crimson wings beat furiously against the airflow, creating a brutal current that lifted sand and stones from the ground. Even ancient trees were violently shaken; the force of the wind could be compared to that of a typhoon of over ten degrees.
The positions previously calculated by Jolteon and Ampharos were completely invalidated.
Although due to inertia Salamence still slid several meters downward as it braked, it managed to correct in time. The two electrical discharges exploded less than three meters beneath its feet. To be safe, the enemy had used an area attack.
At Salamence's previous speed, those three meters would have been nothing.
But thanks to braking in time, they managed to avoid it.
Salamence's speed dropped drastically, and the enemy no longer had any immediate means to stop it. At a much lower speed, Salamence descended beside Phoebe, who lay bound on the ground.
With a quick snap of its jaws, it tore apart the vines restraining her. Cain immediately leapt down from its back.
He landed beside Phoebe and helped her slowly to her feet. She, her eyes full of tears, finally broke down.
From the moment she had noticed the change in the man in yellow's actions, Phoebe knew that someone had come to rescue her. But her feelings were complex: she knew the two enemies were extremely strong, and that a single person might not be able to handle them.
She had seen Salamence approach like a bolt of lightning, seen it aim at the spatial device, and seen it perform a limit-breaking turn in the face of a devastating attack—something that made her skin crawl.
In that instant, her heart had almost leapt out of her chest.
But when Cain appeared in front of her, tears poured out uncontrollably. All the fear and anguish that had built up burst forth at once.
There was nothing more moving than, when a person believes they are about to die, a savior suddenly appearing before them.
At that moment, Phoebe felt exactly that. She clung to Cain's neck and burst into inconsolable sobs.
With one hand, Cain gently patted her back. With the other, he threw two Poké Balls, summoning Tyranitar and Aggron. Two massive Pokémon stood like guardians in front of Cain and Phoebe.
As he comforted her, Cain's face was covered in icy coldness. It was easy to imagine the mental torment Phoebe had endured—someone like her, bound, not knowing what would be done to her. It was suffering that few people could withstand.
Before Cain arrived, Phoebe had endured everything in silence, without collapsing. Only when she saw him come to rescue her did she finally find an outlet to release her pain.
"Calm down, it's all over now. I'll avenge you," Cain said softly, giving her a light pat on the head.
Phoebe sobbed, her nose red and her eyes filled with tears.
But thanks to those words, she managed to calm down quickly. After all, she was a powerful trainer who had lived through countless trials; even when she was captured, she had already prepared herself to die. She never imagined that Cain would save her in the end.
At that moment, Mega Salamence finally canceled the Mega Evolution and lay down on the ground, breathing heavily. This time it was completely exhausted; it had surpassed all its limits. It could barely move its wings.
It was then that Phoebe, her tears already dried, realized that Cain's Salamence was different from usual. When she saw it revert from the Mega Evolution, she was completely stunned.
(End of chapter)