The submarine crews took no chances.
The vessels descended nearly 2,000 feet beneath the ocean's surface, far below the range of conventional radar scans. Hidden in the darkness of the deep sea, the support squads waited patiently.
Now all they could do was wait. The mission had already begun.
Silas sat quietly inside the submarine, his excitement growing with every passing minute. His hands occasionally trembled despite his efforts to remain calm.
Facing powerful league trainers in real combat was a tremendous opportunity for growth.
Eventually the SS Anne reached its designated location.
The massive cruise ship had first docked at Vermillion Port to load passengers before beginning its voyage into the Emerald Sea.
Now it floated proudly atop the ocean. The trap was set.
The submarines remained hidden beneath the waves.
Everyone waited another 30 minutes.
Guests settled in. They engaged in lively conversations as their drinks flowed. Nobody aboard suspected what was about to happen.
In the submarine, a message came through.
"The guests have been engaged."
Immediately the submarines began ascending.
The support teams finally moved. The journey to the surface took roughly 10 minutes.
When they emerged from the water, Silas immediately released Tropius.
The large grass dragon spread her leafy wings and took to the sky.
Nearby, Rex released Aerodactyl. The ancient pokemon let out a powerful roar before climbing into the air.
Dan released a massive Gyarados.
Meanwhile Raiga and Pierce mounted Sharpedo.
Unlike the aerial teams, Dan intended to remain underwater using Gyarados as support.
Everything had been planned carefully beforehand. They all knew their roles.
Tropius beat her wings several times and rapidly gained altitude.
The higher they climbed, the more vast the ocean below appeared.
Silas spread a thin layer of psychic energy outward.
At the same time, he subtly extended his aura senses. The battlefield slowly unfolded before him.
Rex had positioned himself some distance away but maintained a similar altitude.
The support teams spread out while maintaining communication.
A voice sounded through the earpiece.
"Can everyone hear me?"
The equipment was functioning perfectly.
Silas smiled. Team Rocket truly spared no expense when it came to operational efficiency.
"Yes."
"The earpieces are working fine."
"We hold this position until the mission is over. Nobody gets by us."
Dan's voice sounded calm and professional.
Everyone quickly agreed. They all wanted to perform well so they could earn merit.
The channel fell silent.
For nearly 20 minutes nothing happened. The ocean stretched endlessly beneath them. The wind rushed past their faces.
Then suddenly the communications erupted.
"Erika of Celadon Gym is here!"
"Some trainer with a powerful Pikachu is decimating our ranks!"
"Her Tangrowth and that Pikachu are ruining everything!"
Several people cursed simultaneously. Silas immediately paid attention.
Erika.
That wasn't surprising. The gym leader was powerful.
The mention of Pikachu, however, immediately triggered alarms in Silas' mind.
There weren't many Pikachu capable of causing problems for an operation of this scale.
A calm feminine voice quickly cut through the panic.
Ariana.
"Squads searching for loot in the cargo area, abandon the search mission. Support the battle against Erika immediately."
Several responses followed.
"Yes ma'am."
"Understood."
"Moving now."
Silas couldn't help but admire the decision.
There was no hesitation. Ariana instantly recognized the greater threat and adjusted the mission accordingly.
That kind of flexibility wasn't common. Many commanders became trapped by their original plans. Ariana wasn't one of them.
She adapted well under pressure.
It was no wonder she was considered one of Team Rocket's finest tacticians.
For the first time since hearing an Elite Four member would be present, Silas felt genuine confidence in Ariana's chances.
Someone like her wouldn't enter battle unprepared. The entire operation depended upon her. She undoubtedly had contingency plans.
The communication network continued proving invaluable.
There were separate channels for squad coordination and a shared command channel for important updates. This allows information to move instantly.
Situational awareness was a main factor in the outcomes of operations like this.
Silas decided to contribute.
When he heard about the Pikachu trainer, he immediately relayed everything he knew without exposing anything about himself.
Ash Ketchum was dangerous, far more dangerous than most people realized.
Silas wasn't trying to save Team Rocket. He was trying to improve his own standing.
Providing useful intelligence made him appear competent. The kind of officer people remembered.
A sudden transmission interrupted his thoughts.
"I've made first contact."
It was Rex.
At the same moment, Silas noticed movement below. A Gyarados surfaced and beside it was a Crawdaunt carrying another trainer.
Before Silas could react, a new voice sounded directly ahead.
"You don't have time to pay attention to others."
A man riding a Pidgeot blocked their path.
The large bird pokemon was impressive. Its broad wings cut through the air effortlessly while its flowing red and yellow crest trailed beautifully behind it.
The trainer wasted no time.
"Pidgeot, Air Slash."
A blade of flying energy streaked forward.
"Tropius, Air Slash."
Tropius immediately responded.
The two attacks collided. The resulting explosion scattered wind in every direction.
Silas instantly recognized the difference.
Pidgeot possessed greater raw power but that wasn't everything.
"Andra, hold onto me."
She blinked.
"What do you think you're—"
Silas didn't wait. He grabbed her and jumped.
"Tropius, Cut."
The grass dragon disappeared. One moment she was beside them. The next she appeared directly next to Pidgeot.
A green blur flashed through the air as the sound of cutting flesh rang out.
The attack slashed Pidgeot's chest. The trainer stared in shock. Unfortunately for him, he knew nothing about Tropius.
For days Silas had focused heavily on Dragon Dance training. Tropius could now stack the move multiple times before combat.
Combined with Tailwind, her speed became frightening. The level 39 Pidgeot never had a chance.
Silas maintained himself and Andra in midair using psychic energy.
The sensation of hovering in place was a strange experience.
"Tropius, Razor Leaf."
Dozens of razor-sharp leaves shot forward.
The boosted attack tore through Pidgeot.
The trainer suffered several cuts as well.
Both pokemon and trainer tumbled helplessly toward the ocean.
Without assistance, death was likely.
Hermes immediately updated him.
"1 pokemon in the 30-39 range killed."
"60 BP awarded."
"Current total: 3,505 BP."
Silas nodded.
"I just eliminated a League trainer. They fell nearby. Can someone secure the bodies?"
"Already ahead of you."
Dan sounded amused.
"We locked the pokeballs too and we finished our opponents."
Silas smiled.
Efficiency, that's what made Team Rocket dangerous. Everyone contributed.
Tropius swooped beneath Silas and Andra.
The pair landed smoothly upon her back.
Without delay they headed toward Rex. The battle there was still ongoing.
An Ace Trainer rode atop a Pidgeot while commanding a Flygon.
Rex was doing something similar.
Fearow carried him through the air while Aerodactyl handled the battle.
Neither side held a clear advantage.
Flygon and Aerodactyl exchanged attacks repeatedly.
Then Tropius arrived and Razor Leaf struck from Flygon's blind spot.
The dragon type winced in pain. That single moment proved decisive.
"Aerodactyl, Dragon Claw!"
Aerodactyl surged forward. Glowing draconic energy enveloped its claws.
The attack smashed directly into Flygon.
The dragon spiraled downward toward the ocean. Before it could recover, 2 Sharpedo launched from the water.
Their jaws glowed icy blue as they used Ice Fang.
Flygon disappeared beneath a storm of attacks. Moments later it surfaced lifeless.
The battle ended instantly. Silas was impressed at the efficiency. The coordination was excellent. Everyone understood their roles.
Everyone capitalized on openings. The operation was proceeding perfectly.
Or so he thought.
The opposing trainer didn't seem angry. He wasn't frightened or even concerned.
Instead, he smiled, a dangerous smile filled with malice. The man slowly reached for another pokeball.
"Since you killed one of mine, I'll kill all of yours."
A chill ran through Silas' body. He could feel the powerful blood lust. This man meant every word.
The trainer released his pokemon. The sky seemed to darken as a massive blue imposing dragon emerged.
Salamence.
The pressure hit instantly.
Silas scanned it.
Salamence (M) — Level 69
Ability: Intimidate
Potential: A-
Moves: Rank A Fly, Rank A Dragon Rush, Rank A Flamethrower, Rank A Dragon Dance, Rank A Wing Attack, Rank A Dragon Claw, Rank B Earthquake, Rank B Dragon Breath, Rank B Draco Meteor, Rank B Roost, Rank B Iron Defense, Rank B Protect, Rank B Zen Headbutt, Rank B Crunch, Rank B Thunder Fang, Rank B Fire Fang, Rank B Steel Wing, Rank B Hydro Pump, Rank B Defense Curl, Rank B Hyper Voice, Rank B Rock Slide, Rank B Wish, Rank B Roar, Rank B Shadow Claw, Rank B Hone Claws, Rank B Dragon Pulse, Rank B Aerial Ace
Level 69, a peak pseudo Elite pseudo legendary pokemon. The gap was absurd.
The dragon's ability activated immediately inducing fear, pure primal fear. Even experienced pokemon struggled against it.
Lower level pokemon could completely lose the will to fight. Silas felt Tropius tense beneath him. Nearby, Aerodactyl became noticeably uneasy.
Even Dan's group below wasn't immune. The pressure was overwhelming but then something strange happened.
The trainer paused. He tilted his head slightly like he was listening to someone.
"Right now?"
A brief pause.
"I get it, I get it. I'm on my way."
Silas frowned.
Someone had contacted him. The trainer slowly looked around at everyone before he smiled ominously.
"You're lucky. Flygon was my weakest pokemon. He was in training."
The statement made everyone's stomach drop.
"I must take my leave unfortunately but I can't just let you off completely."
The trainer pointed.
"Salamence, Draco Meteor."
Silas' blood ran cold. He understood the kind of power that move could unleash.
A brilliant blue sphere formed above Salamence.
The attack launched skyward. The sphere split apart high above.
Nearly 20 glowing meteors appeared. The terrifying aspect was that each one locked onto a target, Pokémon and humans alike.
"Survive this and consider the blood debt temporarily resolved."
Then the man vanished along with his Pidgeot and Salamence.
Nobody had any time to think.
"PROTECT!"
Every pokemon reacted instantly. Green barriers appeared around them as the meteors descended on them.
Silas drew upon everything and tried to push himself to the limit.
He gathered psychic energy and aura but the impact came quickly.
BOOM! BOOM!
The sky exploded and the ocean erupted. The force resembled artillery bombardment.
Even with Protect absorbing much of the damage, the resulting shockwaves were monstrous.
Silas felt himself thrown violently as pain exploded throughout his body. Then there was darkness and for a brief moment, everything went black.
When awareness returned, he found himself floating in the ocean.
Agony consumed him. His left arm was broken, his left leg was shattered, and his ribs had fractured.
Breathing hurt, moving was impossible, just existing was a painful struggle.
Around him floated the others. They were all similarly injured and suffering.
Everyone had survived. Protect had saved them. Targeting multiple opponents had weakened the individual meteors.
Most importantly, Salamence hadn't personally ensured the kills. Had he done so, none of them would have survived.
The realization sent chills down Silas' spine.
That was the power of a peak pseudo Elite pokemon. Even holding back, it nearly wiped out 6 trained Rocket officers.
Silas immediately contacted Ariana. A trainer with a level 69 Salamence was heading her way. She needed to know.
Everyone floated together. They were in sad states and exhausted but they were alive, that alone felt miraculous.
Then voices sounded overhead.
"6 people huddled together out here?"
"You've got to be part of the group attacking the ship."
Another voice laughed.
"Yeah. We saw Jared's Salamence leaving."
"They must have been his targets."
Silas slowly looked upward.
His heart sank. More enemies had arrived.
Under normal circumstances, that would be manageable but with broken bones and fatigued pokemon?
Neither victory nor escape would come easily.