A powerful Hydro Pump blasted toward the sky, forcing the Aerodactyl using Stone Edge to retreat.
In the air, Skarmory and Altaria chased each other like supersonic jets, leaving shockwaves in their wake.
Meanwhile, Butterfree and Froslass exchanged attacks relentlessly, showing no concern for the toxic spores and ice shards that were wreaking havoc on the forest, causing destruction that would take a long time to repair.
In another aerial battle, Pidgeot and Ariana's Honchkrow clashed fiercely, their Air Slash attacks swirling like a raging storm. Countless trees were uprooted, shredded into splinters midair.
Even among wild Pokémon, there was an unspoken rule: "Warriors fight warriors, generals fight generals." The power gap between Alpha-level Pokémon and lower-ranked ones was too vast—mere numbers couldn't make up for it.
On the ground, an Leader-level Nidoqueen had already crushed multiple Rock Crushers and transport machinery underfoot. Fortunately, Ariana's Pokémon held the line, preventing it from destroying the tunnel boring machine.
Still, the damage was staggering. The financial loss from the ruined equipment had already climbed to tens of millions.
Suddenly, a violent tremor rocked the earth. Cracks split open the ground, making it impossible for humans and Pokémon alike to maintain their footing.
At the same time, pillars of earthy energy erupted from below, toppling people and heavy machinery alike.
This was the power of Earthquake and Earth Power.
"There's another Leader-level Pokémon underground?!" Ariana's eyes widened in shock.
In a situation like this, hidden enemies were the most dangerous ones.
"Golem, use Earthquake!" Ariana shouted.
"Gooool!" Golem roared, its massive body launching into the air before crashing back down, sending powerful shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.
The already unstable ground convulsed once more, but this time, there were two epicenters—one below and one above—clashing violently.
The sheer force of the collision caused the very air to tremble. The simultaneous use of wide-range attacks by two Leader-level Pokémon was too much—most of the wild Pokémon couldn't handle the pressure. Their blood circulation became erratic, and one after another, they collapsed, unconscious.
Fortunately, the tremors didn't last long. When the dust settled, Golem emerged victorious.
A deep crack in the earth split open, and from within, a Dugtrio with dark brown bodies surfaced. Its posture was weak, but its aura remained overwhelmingly powerful.
It was undoubtedly the Leader-level Pokémon that had been lurking underground.
For Pokémon dwelling beneath the earth, an Earthquake was far more devastating than for those on the surface.
As the shaking subsided, those wild Pokémon that had remained conscious stopped attacking. The red glow in their eyes faded, and their previous frenzy gave way to confusion as they took in the wreckage around them.
With the wild Pokémon no longer hostile, Team Rocket and the Syndicate also ceased their counterattacks.
After all, they were here to excavate the ruins, not to slaughter Pokémon.
Dolores glanced sideways at the overturned truck—the one that had been emitting the sonic waves driving the Pokémon mad. The device on top was clearly broken.
But that didn't matter. Her goal had already been accomplished.
High above, the Leader-level Pidgeot, Butterfree, Skarmory, and Aerodactyl also stopped mid-battle, bewildered by the memory of their sudden loss of control.
Each of them bore fresh wounds—the result of battling Dolores' Pokémon.
And within those wounds, an insidious force had already begun its silent work.
The Veronica Virus.
It had infiltrated their bodies, its corruption spreading in secret.
The Leader-level Pokémon, regaining their senses, didn't linger. One by one, they took their leave.
This wasn't their territory. The battle had cost too many lives, and they were wounded. There was no reason to continue a meaningless fight against these humans.
Besides, these humans had firearms and Pokémon just as strong as they were. Even if they continued fighting, the outcome wouldn't be favorable.
"Looks like it's over…" Chakk wiped the sweat from his brow, sighing at the devastated machinery—only about one-tenth remained operational.
The financial losses were already bad enough, but now, the excavation would take even longer…
Ariana's expression was grim. The mission hadn't even officially started, yet the losses were catastrophic—far beyond her expectations.
Still, seeing that the Syndicate had suffered just as much made her feel slightly better.
She quickly organized the remaining personnel into three groups:
One team to treat the wounded.
One team to repair the damaged equipment.
One team to resume excavation.
The longer they stayed here, the greater the risk.
Who knew when the wild Pokémon would go berserk again?
The faster they finished, the better.
As Ariana's commands brought the camp back into motion, Dolores smiled faintly.
Team Rocket had been severely weakened.
Most of them were injured.
Once they entered the ruins, finishing them off would be easy.
...
A few rangers stood at the forest outpost, keeping a watchful eye on the fierce battle unfolding deep within the dense woods.
They all knew that several leader-tier wild Pokémon inhabited this forest. Occasionally, these powerful creatures would clash over territory disputes or other matters, but their fights were usually restrained—they rarely unleashed their full strength recklessly.
But today was different. It seemed as if all the leader-tier Pokémon had gathered for an all-out brawl, with no regard for restraint.
Earlier, the rangers had already noticed an unusual restlessness among their own Pokémon. Even the wild Pokémon in the forest had begun converging toward the deeper parts.
According to protocol, they were supposed to investigate such disturbances. However, with their Pokémon displaying unease, venturing in blindly was far too dangerous. So, they chose to hold their ground and observe.
But now, with the escalating chaos, it had become impossible to ignore.
After a brief discussion, they decided to report the situation to headquarters and request an Elite Four-level trainer to investigate and handle the matter.
...
After finishing dinner with Rosa, Lucius politely declined the beauty's invitation for further engagement.
After all, his focus was entirely on remotely sensing the ruins.
He was well aware that Dolores had been luring leader-tier wild Pokémon into battle, using the chaos to infect them while also weakening Team Rocket. But he made no effort to stop her.
Whether or not Team Rocket was weakened didn't matter to him. Ariana and her limited forces were of little consequence. However, if he could use this opportunity to infect a few more leader-tier wild Pokémon, that would be a worthwhile gain.
Now, everything depended on what lay beneath those ruins and how much of a boon it could bring to the Hive.
The night passed uneventfully. Early the next morning, Lucius received a message from Dietmar.
Surge, the Vermilion City Gym Leader, had invited him to visit the gym.
Lucius immediately understood Surge's intentions. If this were the original Volkner, he would have already sought out Surge for a rematch in the past few days.
But Lucius had no interest in such trivial matters.
Initially, he considered having Dietmar decline the invitation. However, given that Volkner was planning to compete for a spot as one of Kanto's Elite Four, this challenge would be a good opportunity to gain exposure.
And now was the perfect time to make his presence known…
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