Whispers spread through the Grand Atrium like ripples across still water.
"Those uniforms... they don't look like captain staff."
"And that symbol... isn't that...?"
A young trainer near the front suddenly blurted it out, his voice shaking.
"That's Team Rocket!"
The words struck the crowd like lightning. Panic erupted instantly. People turned in every direction, trying to understand what was happening. Some clutched their bags while others pulled their children close.
Several trainers reached for their belts, only to freeze when they remembered their Poké Balls were gone.
Near the entrances, several crew members suddenly smiled. The smiles were not friendly. One of them slowly removed his white crew jacket and tossed it aside, revealing a black uniform with a bright red R on the chest.
Around the atrium, more "crew members" did the same. Jackets fell to the floor one after another as dark uniforms appeared beneath them.
Team Rocket.
Passengers gasped as the truth became clear.
Near every entrance, large Pokémon stood guard, watching the crowd with cold focus.
Then movement came from above.
Viper raised one hand calmly. Her cold gaze swept across the crowd like a predator watching trapped prey.
"Gengar."
Her Gengar floated forward beside her, its grin stretching unnaturally wide as it looked down at the frightened passengers.
"Confuse Ray."
Gengar's eyes flared purple. A twisting ray of ghostly energy rippled outward, scattering through the crowd like broken mirrors.
People staggered as the energy passed through them. Several passengers grabbed their heads while others blinked rapidly, their vision spinning as if the entire room had tilted sideways.
"What... what's happening?"
"I... I can't think straight..."
An older man near the railing lost his balance and grabbed the wall to steady himself. A woman quickly pulled her child closer as the boy swayed unsteadily beside her.
The panic did not disappear, but it slowed and became disorganized. Dizzy voices replaced the earlier screaming, and the crowd stopped pushing toward the exits.
Perfect.
That was the moment I had been waiting for.
Earlier, before Viper and Nova arrived, I had quietly spoken with several trainers in the crowd. Only the ones who looked experienced enough to fight.
I told them the plan.
When the moment came, we would strike together.
Now the moment had arrived.
Kirlia, whom I had quietly released earlier, stood close beside me in the crowd, tucked near my side. Her red eyes glowed faintly with psychic light.
"Kirlia," I whispered.
She nodded.
The energy from Gengar's attack reached us, but Kirlia raised her hands quickly. A soft pulse of pink psychic energy spread around our small group and the dizziness faded instantly.
At the same time, Kirlia's psychic power reached out across the atrium.
Dozens of Poké Balls stacked near one of the entrances silently lifted into the air.
The Rocket grunts guarding that entrance had been focused on the balcony after their captain and vice captain appeared. None of them noticed the movement behind them.
When one of them finally glanced back, he froze.
"What the..."
Too late.
The Poké Balls vanished in flashes of light.
Across the atrium they began reappearing beside trainers. Some rolled across the floor while others dropped straight into waiting hands.
For a moment, nobody understood what had happened.
That was the signal.
"Let's go," I said.
Two flashes of white light burst beside me as I released my team. Meowscarada landed gracefully on the floor, her eyes already scanning the battlefield.
Lopunny appeared beside her with her ears raised high, watching the Rocket guards carefully.
"Meowscarada."
She did not wait for the rest of the order.
"Flower Trick!"
The glowing flower projectile shot forward and exploded against a Rocket guard near the entrance. The grunt was thrown backward as his Pokémon stumbled from the sudden hit.
For a brief moment the entire atrium froze.
Then everything exploded into motion.
Trainers rushed forward through the crowd as flashes of light burst across the atrium while Pokémon were released. An Arcanine roared near the stairs, a Raichu crackled with electricity beside its trainer, and even a massive Gyarados appeared among the crowd, towering above the battlefield.
Within seconds the Grand Atrium had turned into chaos.
Rocket grunts shouted from the balcony as the fight spread below.
"That kid started the fight!" one of them yelled, pointing directly at me.
Above us, Viper's calm expression slowly hardened as she followed the direction of the grunt's finger.
Beside her, Nova leaned forward.
Her eyes locked onto me.
"Ryan."
"He is ruining the plan again," she said coldly.
Viper followed her gaze. Her eyes instantly recognized the small psychic Pokémon beside me.
For a moment she said nothing.
Then she smiled.
"The thief."
The boy who stole her Pokémon.
Nova's voice turned sharp.
"Enough. Forget the others. Capture that kid."
Viper stepped onto the railing.
The next second she jumped down into the atrium.
Several Rocket grunts immediately rushed after her.
Below, the battle had already become impossible to control.
"Nyaaa!"
Meowscarada leapt across a fallen table just as a Golbat swooped down toward her.
She twisted in midair and flicked her wrist, scattering a burst of razor-sharp leaves upward.
The leaves sliced through the air, forcing the flying Pokémon to shriek and veer away as it struggled to regain balance.
Nearby, Lopunny stepped in front of a charging Raticate that had been rushing toward a group of civilians.
She planted one foot, then sprang forward with explosive speed.
Her kick struck the Raticate squarely and sent it skidding across the floor as the crowd scattered out of the way.
Around us the battlefield kept growing louder.
"Raichu, Thunderbolt!"
A bolt of electricity cracked across the room, forcing several Rocket Pokémon back.
"Arcanine, Flamethrower!"
A stream of fire swept across the atrium, pushing a group of Rocket grunts away from the stairs.
Some passengers ran for the exits while others dragged injured people away from the fighting.
Tables overturned. Glass shattered. Trainers shouted orders across the atrium.
I couldn't stay in one place. The moment Rocket noticed me, standing still would only get us surrounded.
I picked Kirlia up and pushed through the crowd.
"Kirlia, keep it up," I said as we ran.
She nodded quickly in my arms.
Psychic light flashed from her body again as another group of Poké Balls vanished from somewhere else on the ship.
Moments later they appeared beside different people across the battlefield.
More flashes of light appeared across the room.
People grabbed the Poké Balls without hesitation.
Another wave of Pokémon joined the fight.
Behind us, Rocket grunts suddenly forced their way through the chaos.
"There he is!"
"The kid with the Kirlia!"
"Don't let him escape!"