Both Team Magma and Team Aqua had dispatched two of their top agents this time.
In addition to Himura and Izumi, two other operatives—whose strength was nearing Champion-level—had arrived.
At this moment, they had already positioned themselves to block the entrance of the ancient tree's hollow.
Inside the tree, Drake was seen holding off the three strongest opponents, while Aoki and his two companions prepared to make their move.
As for the two Elite Four-level trainers blocking the cave entrance, the trio wasn't overly concerned.
If they forced their way through, they should be able to break past without much trouble.
Aoki took the lead, riding a Flygon as he descended rapidly, mimicking Drake's earlier maneuver.
"Who are you?" shouted one of the Team Magma operatives stationed at the cave entrance.
Close behind Aoki, Phoebe and Steven followed, riding Aerodactyl as they charged toward the opening.
Aoki hurled two Poké Balls, summoning Drapion and Slowking.
Steven and Phoebe also released their Pokémon.
A Shiny Metagross, Aggron, Haunter, and Banette materialized in front of them.
Six Champion-level Pokémon appeared all at once, leaving their opponents momentarily stunned.
Without hesitation, Aoki and his allies commanded their Pokémon to push forward into the tree hollow.
Their objective was to reach the inside of the tree—engaging in battle was secondary.
The two remaining operatives, though high-ranking, were not as strong as Himura or Izumi. Some of their primary Pokémon hadn't even reached Champion level. There was no way they could stop Aoki's group.
"Slowking, use Psychic! Drapion, Pin Missile! Clear a path!" Aoki ordered.
Leaping off Flygon's back, he recalled it into its Poké Ball.
"Metagross, Meteor Mash! Aggron, Iron Head—charge through!" Steven commanded his Pokémon as he landed.
Compared to Aoki's Drapion and Slowking, Steven's Metagross and Aggron were better suited for a frontal assault.
Metagross used its psychic abilities to enhance its own mobility as well as Aggron's, similar to how Aoki coordinated Slowking's teamwork.
The three trainers moved in tight formation.
Phoebe's two Ghost-types, Haunter and Banette, flanked them, providing close protection.
Aoki's Slowking and Drapion covered the left side, while Steven's Metagross and Aggron took the right.
Forming a compact wedge, they surged into the cave.
The enemy's Pokémon barely managed any meaningful resistance under the combined assault of Slowking and Metagross.
BANG—
BANG—
Drapion and Aggron pushed forward with overwhelming force.
The two opposing operatives wore grim expressions. They hadn't expected the League to send three more Champion-level trainers after Drake had already been stalled.
Their mission was to guard the tree hollow—whatever lay inside was the Hunter Guild's concern.
"Push harder!" Aoki shouted.
He spotted reinforcements rushing toward the other battlefield.
"Let's go!" Steven echoed.
The three trainers advanced, their Pokémon following closely.
"Haunter, Banette, use Shadow Ball to clear the way!" Phoebe added her support.
They still had Pokémon in reserve, so even if the enemy tried to ambush them, they had countermeasures ready.
Aggron led the charge, shrugging off enemy attacks as Slowking and Metagross's psychic barriers absorbed the damage.
BOOM! BOOM!
The cave echoed with the sounds of battle.
Finally, after weathering a barrage of attacks, the trio breached the entrance.
"We're in—what now?" Phoebe asked.
Though they had made it inside, they couldn't afford to linger—pursuers would be right behind them.
Outside, Aoki caught a glimpse of Mitchell's furious expression.
Clearly, he hadn't anticipated that Drake was merely a distraction.
"Slowking, set up a Psychic barrier!" Aoki ordered immediately.
"Metagross, do the same," Steven commanded.
The two Psychic-types erected a shimmering barrier at the cave's entrance.
"That should buy us some time. Let's move deeper in," Aoki said.
"Right!" Steven and Phoebe agreed.
The three pressed forward into the hollow.
Now, they could finally take in their surroundings.
Though it appeared to be an ordinary tree hollow, the walls emitted an eerie green glow, illuminating the interior.
The hollow had no branching paths—only a single tunnel leading downward.
BOOM—
Less than thirty seconds after they entered, the dual Psychic barriers shattered.
The Team Magma and Team Aqua operatives stormed in after them.
Outside, on the tree's platform, Drake had shifted the battlefield.
Earlier, it had been three against one—now, Drake was the one trying to stall them.
The situation had reversed.
The three opponents had more Pokémon at their disposal, making it difficult for Drake to hold them all back.
If they coordinated properly, they could spare a few Pokémon to chase Aoki's group.
But the question was—did they trust each other enough to do so?
"Give it everything you've got!" Mitchell snarled at Himura and Izumi, his expression dark.
Though the two operatives appeared focused, they weren't fighting at full strength.
"President Mitchell, what was our agreement again?" Himura asked, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
Izumi also glanced at Mitchell but continued half-heartedly directing his Pokémon.
Mitchell's face twisted in anger.
Himura and Izumi's message was clear—if they weren't compensated further, they wouldn't fight seriously.
"Damn opportunists!" Mitchell seethed internally.
But he had no choice. This was a critical moment—if they withdrew, everything would fall apart.
He retrieved two crystals from his storage—one blue, one red.
The red crystal bore an "Ω" symbol, while the blue one was similarly marked.
Tossing the crystals to Himura and Izumi, Mitchell watched as their expressions shifted to satisfaction.
Now that they had what they wanted, they redoubled their efforts against Drake.
Neither had an exit strategy yet—Mitchell was likely the only one who did—so they couldn't afford to let up.
Drake suddenly found himself under heavier pressure as Mitchell sent two of his Pokémon into the tree hollow.
"Eliminate them!" he ordered.
A Sceptile and a Breloom nodded before darting inside.