Valeria, piloting the Fantasticar, watches from above as Ms. Marvel and Squirrel Girl handle the Moloid onslaught with practiced ease. Eevee and Emolga, their respective partners, fight alongside them, a whirlwind of fur and sparks. Valeria recognizes them instantly from the news feeds and her own hero-observational databases.
"Hey, Ms. Marvel! Squirrel Girl!" Valeria calls out, her voice amplified by the Fantasticar's external speakers. "Glad you could help out!"
Kamala, mid-embiggen, pauses and waves, Eevee chirping beside her. "Valeria! Didn't expect to see you guys here!"
Doreen, perched on a hastily constructed barricade of overturned bins, grins. "Hey, Valeria! Looks like we're all on the same page today, huh? Tippy-Toe here says your little metal buddy is pretty tough!"
Valeria smiles, patting Beldum gently. "Beldum's got a lot of power for its size. And Eevee's looking good, Kamala. That Quick Attack is super fast."
"Thanks!" Kamala beams, her fist returning to normal size. "Eevee's still learning, but it's got a great heart. And Emolga's totally zipping around!"
"Emolga's a natural!" Doreen chimes in, giving her Pokémon a cheerful scratch behind the ears. "He's got some serious spark. And Tippy-Toe is the brains of this operation, of course."
Franklin, crammed into the co-pilot seat beside Valeria, fidgets. He watches the three girls and their Pokémon chat, a strange mix of awe and awkwardness bubbling within him. He's never quite sure how to join conversations that involve… this. His own Ralts, sensing his unease, floats near his shoulder, its red horns glowing softly. Ralts nudges Franklin's hand gently with its head, a silent offering of support.
"Yeah, it's... uh... cool how they work together," Franklin mumbles, looking down at Ralts. He strokes Ralts's smooth, helmet-like head.
Valeria notices Franklin's discomfort. "Franklin's got Ralts," she adds, gesturing to the small Psychic/Fairy-type Pokémon. "Ralts is really sensitive to emotions. It's a great partner for sensing things."
Ralts lets out a soft, telepathic hum, a gentle wave of calm washing over Franklin. He offers a small smile to Ralts, grateful for the silent reassurance.
Mole Man, perched atop his monstrous mount, scowls at the Fantasticar. He feels his grand entrance, his magnificent beast, is being completely ignored.
"Hey! Over here!" he bellows, his voice cracking with indignation. "Don't you see me? I'm the one causing the city-wide panic!"
His words are lost in the general din of the Moloids' frantic scuttling and the heroes' calls to their Pokémon. Valeria, focused on Beldum's training, barely glances his way. Ms. Marvel and Squirrel Girl are too busy dealing with the immediate Moloid threat.
"Nobody's ignoring you, pal," Squirrel Girl calls back, flipping a Moloid over with a swift kick. "We're just dealing with your… army."
"Army?" Mole Man sputters, his face turning a shade redder than his tunic. "This is just the welcoming committee! Moloids! More of you! Show them the real power of the underground!"
With a deafening rumble, the ground cracks open around Mole Man's beast. A fresh wave of Moloids, bigger and more numerous than the first, surges forth. They swarm the streets, a tide of scaly, reptilian bodies overwhelming the heroes' current positions.
"Attack!" Mole Man screams, pointing a trembling finger at the Fantasticar and the other heroes. "Bury them all!"
The sheer number of Moloids is staggering. They surge forward, a living carpet of snapping jaws and clawed limbs. Ms. Marvel's embiggened fists punch through the ranks, but more take their place. Squirrel Girl directs her own squirrel army, a flurry of tiny teeth and claws against the larger creatures. Beldum stands firm beside Valeria, ready to defend them. Ralts, sensing Franklin's anxiety, glows reassuringly.
Franklin watches, his eyes wide. He's never seen anything like it.
"Whoa," Franklin whispers, clutching Ralts. "That's a lot of… gross little guys."
Valeria glances at the unfolding chaos, her brow furrowed. "This is more than just a nuisance," she mutters, scanning the horde with her watch. "Their numbers are overwhelming. We need a more strategic approach."
Mole Man laughs from his perch, a sound like grinding stones. "You can't stop me! The Earth itself bows to Mole Man!" He doesn't notice that his own colossal beast is beginning to sway precariously as the Moloids swarm around its legs.
A sudden gust of wind, followed by the unmistakable whoosh of starbolts, announces the arrival of the Teen Titans. Starfire descends from the sky, a fiery comet trailing Togepi in its Poké Ball, while Raven materializes with a soft shimmer of dark energy, Misdreavus floating protectively nearby. Cyborg and Beast Boy land with a sonic boom and a thud respectively, Whismur and Rockruff already at their sides. Robin, ever the strategist, drops from above, Pawniard already deployed.
"Looks like we're not the only ones cleaning up this mess!" Beast Boy shouts, already transforming into a rhino to charge into the Moloid ranks.
"Booyah! Titans Go!" Cyborg roars, his arm cannon glowing as he unleashes a volley of sonic blasts. Whismur, nestled on his shoulder, lets out a surprisingly powerful Echoed Voice, adding to the sonic barrage.
Starfire lands gracefully, Togepi already in her arms. "Fear not, citizens! The Teen Titans are here to help!" Her starbolts incinerate Moloids with cheerful efficiency. Raven, a stoic figure in her cloak, telekinetically dispatches creatures, Misdreavus phasing through solid forms to disrupt them.
Valeria watches the Titans' coordinated assault, a wave of relief washing over her. She spots Robin, his movements precise and lethal as Pawniard darts around his feet, striking with razor-sharp claws. A silent acknowledgment passes between them—a shared understanding of focused intensity amidst the chaos. She knows he'll handle his part of the fight with ruthless efficiency.
"Titans!" Valeria calls out, her voice cutting through the din. "Glad you could make it! That Mole Man's got some serious backup."
Robin's gaze briefly flicks towards Valeria, a barely perceptible nod of recognition. He doesn't break stride, but there's a subtle shift in his posture, an almost imperceptible acknowledgment of her presence. He and Pawniard move in perfect sync, a whirlwind of calculated strikes that leaves a trail of fainted Moloids in their wake. The Titans, with their Pokémon partners, form a formidable front, turning the tide against Mole Man's subterranean horde.
Mole Man's face contorts with rage, his diminutive form practically vibrating with fury. He's been ignored, underestimated, and now, utterly thwarted by a gaggle of kids and their… pets.
"You think you've won?" he shrieks, his voice a pathetic squeak against the roar of the battle. "You insignificant surface dwellers! You haven't seen anything yet!"
He raises his staff, its tip glowing with an ominous red light. The ground beneath everyone's feet begins to tremble violently. Cracks spiderweb across the pavement, and the Moloids scatter as the earth itself seems to groan in protest.
"Tremors! More tremors!" Mole Man bellows, his voice thick with a triumphant madness. "Show them the true power of Subterranea!"
With a sound like mountains grinding together, a colossal shape bursts from the earth. It's Giganto, a creature of immense size and terrifying scale, its body a hulking mass of rock and muscle. It dwarfs the Moloids, a walking mountain of pure destruction. Its roar shakes the very foundations of the city, a primal sound that drowns out all other noise. Giganto's presence is overwhelming, a stark reminder of the raw, untamed forces lurking beneath the surface.
The heroes freeze, their previous momentum halted by the sudden appearance of this monstrous behemoth. Starfire's starbolts falter mid-flight, Raven's shadow constructs dissipate, and even Cyborg's cannon retracts slightly in stunned disbelief. Valeria, her Beldum bristling defensively, stares up at the behemoth, a flicker of unease crossing her usually confident face. Franklin's Ralts huddles close, its horns dimming slightly in the face of such raw, primal power.
Mole Man, perched precariously on Giganto's shoulder, cackles with glee. "Now this is a spectacle! Tremble before Giganto, you fools!"
Giganto stomps a foot, sending a shockwave that throws several Moloids off balance. The sheer scale of the creature is an entirely new threat, one that shifts the entire dynamic of the battle.
***
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