"Rhyperior!"
The massive Rhyperior raised its thick arms, the holes in its palms glowing as it rapidly compressed chunks of rock into a massive boulder. With a thunderous roar, it launched the Rock Wrecker forward.
"Rillaboom, block it!" Summer commanded.
"Boom!"
Rillaboom slammed both drumsticks against its wooden drum, the deep, rhythmic beats echoing through the battlefield. In an instant, thick, gnarled roots burst from the ground, forming a massive wooden barrier.
The Rock Wrecker struck the wall with a resounding crash, splintering the surface but failing to break through. As the energy dissipated, the shattered stone crumbled to dust.
"What the hell is this move...? Is this Celebi's power too?!" Jaxon's expression darkened. He couldn't understand what was happening, but he didn't have time to dwell on it.
"Screw it! Hippowdon, kick up a Sandstorm!"
"Garchomp, Krookodile—Dig and close the distance!"
As the massive recoil from Rock Wrecker left Rhyperior momentarily immobile, Hippowdon spat out a swirling vortex of sand, attempting to cloak the battlefield in a raging storm.
Meanwhile, Garchomp and Krookodile burrowed into the ground, vanishing beneath the battlefield.
"Dig? So, you still don't understand Rillaboom's power, huh?" Summer's eyes gleamed as he met Rillaboom's gaze.
Rillaboom grinned—he knew exactly what to do.
Jaxon's confidence wavered for a brief moment. What was that supposed to mean? Underground, his Pokémon had the advantage. No matter how strong Rillaboom was, it couldn't hit what it couldn't see.
But—
BOOM.
The drums echoed once more.
The ground trembled violently—not from an Earthquake, but from thick wooden stakes bursting from beneath the soil. Two massive spears of wood shot up from the ground, forcing Garchomp and Krookodile to surface mid-approach.
"Graaah!"
"Krrraah!"
Garchomp swung its razor-sharp wings, slicing through one of the wooden stakes, while Krookodile snapped its powerful jaws, shattering the other.
Jaxon scowled. "Tch… The power is less concentrated when it spreads like that…"
His gaze flickered toward the tank.
But that was the plan.
Jaxon had been distracted—which meant that the real threat had disappeared.
"Damn tree roots… That damned drum… It's all tied to that sound!" His frustration boiled over as he finally realized the pattern. Rillaboom's drumming wasn't just for show—it commanded the battlefield itself.
He clenched his fists as the sandstorm finally took hold, hoping to turn the tide in his favor. But then—
Where the hell did that tiny masked Pokémon go?!
"Damn it! I should have burned this forest down from the start!" Jaxon's rage flared. Even with four Pokémon, he was being pushed back by a mere two.
His mind raced. There was no point wasting time here—his mission was Celebi.
Making a split-second decision, he recalled Garchomp, leaped onto its back, and kicked off the ground.
"Garchomp, get us airborne!"
With a roar, the Dragon Pokémon launched itself into the sky like a fighter jet, carrying Jaxon with it.
He wasn't going to waste any more time—he'd leave his remaining Pokémon behind to stall the Ranger while he captured Celebi himself.
But—
Summer had already seen through him.
He slotted a Z-Crystal into his bracelet, its golden glow flickering.
"So, Ogerpon's distraction worked? In that case…"
Just as he prepared to unleash the full power of Z-Moves, the ground erupted violently beneath his feet.
BOOOOM.
A shockwave tore through the battlefield as three Earthquakes hit simultaneously.
"Rhyperior!"
"Krookodile!"
"Hippowdon!"
The devastating tremors shattered the terrain, sending trees collapsing, rocks splitting, and debris flying.
Even with Grassy Terrain dampening the seismic energy, the sheer force of three simultaneous Earthquakes was overwhelming.
The tremors raced toward Summer and Rillaboom—
But Summer's expression remained calm.
"Ogerpon—Tectonic Rage!"
Without hesitation, he activated his Z-Move.
Rillaboom nodded, instantly understanding the plan.
Ogerpon, perched above, absorbed the surging Z-energy.
She leaped into the air, her tiny body glowing with radiant golden light.
Below, Rillaboom locked eyes with Summer, and in a single motion, he lowered his drumsticks behind his back.
With a powerful push, Summer stepped onto Rillaboom's arm—
And the massive ape launched him skyward.
As Summer ascended, Ogerpon followed suit, her Z-energy-enhanced body colliding with the floating stones around her.
Jaxon, still airborne, was too focused on dodging the flying debris to notice—
Until it was too late.
He looked up.
And froze.
The sky had turned black.
A monstrous rock formation, larger than anything he'd ever seen, loomed above him—
A gigantic meteor of earth and stone, ready to crash down like judgment itself.
"Oh, shit."
He knew exactly what it was.
Z-Move—Tectonic Rage.
His teeth clenched in fury.
"Goddamn Alolan bullshit!"
He knew what would happen if that hit. He and Garchomp would be crushed.
"Garchomp—DRACO METEOR!"
Garchomp tilted its head back, gathering a surge of dragon energy, hurling a barrage of glowing meteors toward the falling mass of rock.
Explosion after explosion erupted across the surface—
But when the dust cleared—
The meteor was still falling.
Garchomp was exhausted—it didn't have the energy left to escape.
And then—
Jaxon felt his grip loosen.
"W-what?!"
His hand slipped.
He was falling.
"Rhyperior! Hippowdon! Dig! Krookodile, CATCH ME!"
"Garchomp, use Draco Meteor!"
Garchomp opened its jaws, gathering an overwhelming surge of draconic energy. A barrage of deep purple meteors rained down, crashing against the massive falling boulder. Explosions erupted, sending dust and debris flying in all directions.
But as the smoke cleared, the meteor remained intact, with only a few shallow craters marking its surface.
"Garchomp, again!"
Jaxon's command was sharp, but he knew—Garchomp was running out of strength. Even so, the dragon Pokémon roared defiantly, gathering energy for another round of meteors.
The sky trembled as another wave of explosions hammered the rock, yet it still did not break.
Garchomp was exhausted, its body heavy with fatigue, but before it could attempt another attack, it suddenly sensed something off—
Jaxon had let go.
It turned its head in shock.
Jaxon was falling.
"Rhyperior! Hippowdon! Dig! Krookodile, catch me!"
In a last-ditch effort, Jaxon commanded his remaining Pokémon to dig an escape tunnel, while Krookodile leaped toward him, ready to intercept his fall.
As Jaxon plummeted, Krookodile caught him mid-air—
And with all its remaining strength, hurled him toward the tunnel entrance.
"Krookodile, you idiot!"
Jaxon barely had time to curse as he landed inside the dug-out escape route.
Krookodile, however, remained outside, staring up at the descending meteor.
It knew—there was no time to escape.
With a defiant roar, Krookodile charged forward, raising its fists.
"I'll stop this damn rock myself!"
And then—
BOOOOOM.
The meteor struck the ground with a devastating impact, burying both Garchomp and Krookodile beneath it.
Jaxon gasped for breath, blood dripping from his mouth, his body battered from the fall.
He clenched his fists.
Damn that ranger.
Damn this cursed forest.
They had won.
Standing atop the shattered remains of the meteor, Summer exhaled, finally lowering his arms.
"Is that the bond you share with your Pokémon?" He muttered, shaking his head. "But how many Pokémon and people have suffered because of you?"
He narrowed his eyes toward the tunnel where Jaxon had escaped.
"Don't think hiding underground will save you."
Summer reached for his Z-Ring, swapping out the Rock Z-Crystal for a Ground Z-Crystal.
He turned toward Rillaboom, who met his gaze and nodded.
With one final step, Summer raised his arms and began the ancient Z-Dance.
"Feel the wrath of Sunset Forest itself—Tectonic Rage!"
"Boom!"
Rillaboom slammed its fists into the earth, sending shockwaves rippling through the ground.
Deep beneath the surface, Jaxon barely had time to react. A blinding golden light burst through the cracks in the tunnel walls.
His eyes widened in horror.
"How the hell is this guy using Z-Moves back-to-back?! Is he even human?!"
The ground erupted.
Jaxon was thrown into the air, his vision spinning as his body tumbled toward the surface.
As he struggled to regain control, he saw Hippowdon shifting the sand to protect him.
"Hippowdon!" Jaxon coughed, then shouted to Rhyperior— "Use the air compression in your hands to launch me out of here!"
"Ryyyyoorrrr!!"
With a thunderous roar, Rhyperior fired a burst of compressed air, launching Jaxon skyward.
At the same time—
Rillaboom erupted from the ground, fists glowing with golden energy.
"Boom!"
Hippowdon took the full force of the attack.
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield, and as the dust settled, Hippowdon lay motionless, unconscious.
Jaxon landed on the cracked earth, staggering to his feet. He glared at Summer, rage and desperation flickering in his eyes.
"**Damn you! You damned ranger! One by one, you've taken everything from me—**my Pokémon, my power—how dare you?!"
Summer stared at him coldly.
"I thought, for a moment, that maybe you understood. That maybe your Pokémon's sacrifice had meant something to you. But in the end, you just see them as tools, don't you?"
Jaxon snarled.
"Of course they're tools! That's why Giovanni stood at the top! Because he knew how to wield them! They exist to serve! To fight! To obey! They should be honored to die for me!"
Summer's expression darkened.
"And that's why he lost."
"That's why Team Rocket was destroyed."
Jaxon froze.
Summer continued, his voice unwavering.
"I bet the one who defeated him was a trainer who treated their Pokémon as true partners, not disposable pawns."
Jaxon's breath hitched.
Then—
His expression twisted in pure fury.
He ripped off his helmet, throwing it to the ground.
His face was contorted with rage, veins bulging at his temples.
"You! You don't know anything about Giovanni! Don't you dare talk as if you understand him!!"
Summer narrowed his eyes.
"And you do? You don't even know where he is. You're just another lost fool chasing a ghost."
Jaxon's body shook with uncontrollable fury.
"Shut up! Shut the hell up!!!"
"Rillaboom, Ogerpon—end this."
Summer didn't hesitate.
Jaxon, panting heavily, reached into a hidden compartment in his sleeve—
And pulled out a small, dull-purple pill.
Summer's eyes sharpened.
"A Team Rocket experiment, huh?"
Jaxon grinned madly.
"That's right. A little something left over from the Mewtwo Project. A drug that forces Pokémon to surpass their limits."
"The side effects? Madness. Blind rage. Shortened lifespan. But I don't care."
His eyes gleamed with insanity as he shoved the pill toward Rhyperior's mouth.
But—
Rhyperior didn't take it.
The massive Pokémon raised its hand, stopping Jaxon.
Then, slowly—it shook its head.
Jaxon's grin froze.
"You... you're disobeying me?"
His voice cracked, disbelief filling his expression.
"I raised you! I trained you! I made you strong! You think surrendering will save you?! You're just a tool! You exist to serve me!"
Rhyperior closed its eyes.
It had made its decision.
Jaxon's breath grew ragged.
"Fine. I'll take it myself."
Jaxon suddenly thrust out his other hand, shoving the pill tightly clenched in his palm into his mouth. In an instant, his heartbeat accelerated, heat surged through his veins, and an overwhelming force flooded his body.
The terrifying power coursing through him allowed Jaxon to break free from Rhyperior's grip. His eyes turned bloodshot, his face twisted with madness.
"Power! I'll kill you all—HAHAHAHA!"
Summer watched him calmly. Jaxon threw his arms wide, laughing maniacally—
Until he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The crimson splattered across his chest as his body stiffened. Then, with a pained gasp, he collapsed backward, his breathing ragged.
"Giovanni... I... ugh..."
His words never finished. His vision faded into darkness.
Rhyperior, who had been restraining him moments before, looked down at its fallen trainer. Sadness filled its gaze as it slowly stepped forward, placing itself between Jaxon and Summer.
Summer sighed. "He really doesn't deserve your loyalty... Rillaboom, finish it."
Rillaboom took a single powerful leap, landing before Rhyperior. Its fist, massive as a tree trunk, slammed into Rhyperior's chest.
With a final, resigned sigh, Rhyperior's head drooped, its body toppling forward with a loud thud.
Summer exhaled, feeling the exhaustion from using back-to-back Z-Moves finally catching up to him.
"That should settle it... Huh? Hatterene?"
A voice echoed in his earpiece—Hatterene's telepathic report.
"Mm-hmm... All three commanders have been taken down? Good. How many of Team Rocket's men are left in Sunset Forest? ...Twenty or so? Got it."
"Wait—what? The Team Rocket airship was hijacked... by Oranguru?!"
Summer looked up, spotting the massive ship hovering in the sky.
"That thing knows how to fly a damn airship?!"
"...Whatever. The remaining grunts should be easy enough. Send out the Pokémon that still have energy to take care of them."
"As for the wounded—I'll leave them to you and Milotic. Thanks for the hard work."
Just then, a familiar voice called out.
"Summer—what the hell is going on?"
Piers approached, carrying an unconscious Team Rocket grunt slung over his shoulder. His face was a mix of confusion and disbelief.
"Why the hell is Team Rocket attacking Sunset Forest? Actually, forget that—what the hell did you just do?"
Summer sighed.
"...I'll explain everything later. But first, we still have some stragglers to deal with."
Piers glanced at him, then at the scattered bodies of defeated Rocket members. He smirked, tossing the grunt onto the ground with a careless shrug.
"Fine, fine. Looks like you just had a hell of a fight, huh? Take a break—I'll mop up whatever's left of those bastards."
Stretching lazily, he turned toward the forest, waving over his shoulder as he walked off.
"This guy? I'll just leave him here."
Summer took a deep breath, rubbing his temples as he muttered to himself—
"Well... no way we're keeping this whole mess under wraps anymore. Guess that means..."
He turned toward the heart of the forest, a resigned look on his face.
"Sorry, Celebi. Looks like I'll need your help after all."
(End of Chapter)