"Don't come any closer!"
That was probably exactly what Ethan Wolfe was thinking at that moment.
Just minutes ago, he had been flying high above the clouds, relaxed and carefree, with Celadon City already visible in the distance. If nothing went wrong, he would soon be eating a hot meal, resting comfortably, his escort mission nearly complete.
Then—just a brief lapse in attention.
A storm of blinding attacks erupted from all directions.
The sky itself seemed to collapse.
Ethan was blasted straight out of the air.
Luckily, he wasn't killed on impact. His body hit the ground hard, vision spinning, ears ringing, thoughts lagging behind reality. Before he could even push himself upright, three figures stepped into his blurred field of view.
Three men.
Staring at him like predators sizing up prey.
That made things much worse.
The battlefield around them was already chaos. Explosions echoed nonstop, Pokémon roared, and energy attacks crossed the air like fireworks. Leon's squad had just happened to encounter this fallen trainer—and there was no reason to let such an opportunity slip.
"ROAAAR—!"
All three of them released their Pokémon at once and charged forward.
But the moment Ethan saw what they had sent out, his expression changed.
Shock—then contempt.
Pure, unmistakable contempt.
With a sharp motion, Ethan flung three Poké Balls into the air.
Three high-level Pokémon materialised, their auras heavy and oppressive.
"I thought I'd run into real fighters," Ethan Wolfe sneered as he climbed to his feet, dusting himself off. "Turns out it's just three nobodies."
Before anyone could respond—
BOOM!
A thunderous shockwave rippled through the sky as several terrifying presences descended nearby. Ethan's smug expression vanished instantly. While keeping Leon's group in his peripheral vision, he quickly scanned the battlefield.
"I'll take two," Leon said calmly. "You handle one."
Gyarados and Vigoroth moved in perfect sync, intercepting Typhlosion and Scizor. The remaining Magneton was left to Ryan and Noah.
Leon had already assessed the situation:
Typhlosion – Level 38
Scizor – Level 35
Magneton – Level 31
The weakest target went to Ryan and Noah. As long as they focused on delaying it, they could hold.
"Ah… right. We'll manage," Ryan muttered, forcing confidence into his voice.
He was just an ordinary guy—being thrown into a fight above his weight class. Thankfully, with Noah backing him up and six Pokémon between them, survival was possible.
"ROAR—!"
Gyarados opened its jaws and unleashed a Hydro Pump, blasting a nearby Crobat out of the sky. A Honchkrow from another squad followed up with Aerial Ace, finishing it cleanly.
"Nice timing!" a burly ally shouted.
Leon gave a brief nod. "Anytime."
This wasn't a battlefield for honourable duels. It was chaos—many versus many. Helping allies when possible was simply common sense.
"So you're ignoring me?" Ethan snarled. "Fine then. Scizor—X-Scissor!"
Scizor vanished in a blur, reappearing in front of Gyarados almost instantly. Its blades crossed, forming a massive X-shaped slash that crashed downward.
"This is exactly what I was waiting for."
Leon showed no hint of panic.
Water surged violently around Gyarados, spiralling into a powerful whirlpool, trapping both Pokémon inside.
"Break through!" Ethan barked. "Scizor—now! Typhlosion, Magneton—support!"
"Heh. Magneton, you're not going anywhere."
Ryan let out a sharp laugh as he and Noah closed in, their Pokémon locking Magneton down with relentless pressure.
They didn't need to win.
They just needed time.
Typhlosion's flames erupted, compressing into a blazing Flame Wheel that charged straight ahead.
Vigoroth's eyes snapped open.
Its muscles tightened, lightning crackling along its arms. Channeling every ounce of strength, it slammed its fists into the rolling inferno.
BOOM!
Fire scattered in all directions.
Vigoroth was forced back several steps, carving deep trenches into the ground—but the charge stopped.
In the next instant, it sprang sideways, appearing at Typhlosion's flank. Two brutal punches sent the Fire-type crashing into a tree.
Before Typhlosion could recover—
A Thunder Punch smashed into its jaw, followed by a crushing blow to the abdomen.
Typhlosion collapsed once more.
"Typhlosion—Flame Wheel! Spin!"
Fire engulfed its body, forcing Vigoroth to disengage.
At the same time, the whirlpool shattered. Ice fragments exploded outward as Scizor was hurled back, heavily injured. Gyarados wasn't unscathed—blood streamed from a deep gash along its scales.
"How the hell is someone like this in Team Rocket…?"
Ethan Wolfe's face darkened.
After only a few exchanges, he understood the truth.
This trainer was exceptional.His Pokémon were trained to a frightening degree.In a direct confrontation, Ethan was losing ground.
"Boss! We can't hold much longer!"
Ryan shouted as his Beedrill was struck by an electric attack and dropped unconscious.
"Finish Scizor. Now."
Leon didn't speak aloud. The command flowed through mental link alone.
Gyarados — Hyper Beam.Vigoroth — Thunderbolt.
The attacks landed almost simultaneously.
Ethan didn't even have time to react.
Scizor was eliminated instantly.
Still, Ethan didn't panic. His mind worked fast.
"Typhlosion—Hyper Beam! Target Gyarados!""Magneton—Rapid Movement! Flash Cannon, same target!"
Magneton broke free, turning its cannons toward Gyarados.
Two devastating beams tore through the air.
Vigoroth moved without hesitation.
It placed itself directly in front of Gyarados, energy surging violently as it used Protect. A translucent barrier formed just in time, colliding head-on with both attacks.
"…So this is what the boss meant by a partner…"
Gyarados felt something stir in its chest.
Something unfamiliar.
Emotion.
Its body finished recovering from recoil. Its eyes burned crimson as Outrage activated.
BOOM!
As the barrier cracked, Gyarados surged forward.
"Buddy—I'm here."
A roaring Hydro Pump ripped across the battlefield, smashing Typhlosion aside.
The pressure vanished.
Magneton's attack faltered.
For the first time—
The tide had truly turned.