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In a split second, as Carracosta began its desperate gamble with Protect, Mega Sceptile's devastating attack was already upon it.
The constantly vibrating ground cracked rapidly beneath the seismic assault, and a geyser of energy erupted directly toward Carracosta's position.
As the attack closed in on its target, Eddie and Carracosta displayed completely different expressions.
Eddie wore a look of supreme confidence, certain that regardless of whether Carracosta could avoid this particular attack, he would ultimately claim victory.
Carracosta, meanwhile, showed fierce determination, as if willing to stake everything on this single moment.
With both combatants displaying such contrasting emotions, Earthquake struck Carracosta in the next instant.
The attack was devastating, seemingly designed to end the battle with one decisive blow.
However, it appeared that wouldn't be the case...
Carracosta was indeed hit, its entire body launched into the air by the tremendous impact of the Earthquake.
But it remained unharmed, protected by a translucent defensive barrier surrounding its form.
This was Protect in action.
Carracosta had made the right gamble and successfully activated the defensive move.
It suffered no damage whatsoever from the Earthquake. The reason it had been thrown airborne was simply due to the kinetic force of the impact against its protective shield.
Carracosta was elated at this turn of events. Knowing it had survived unscathed, it could now begin its counterattack.
While still airborne, it curled its body into a ball and began spinning rapidly.
Yes, it was using Rollout once again.
But this time, the move wasn't intended for offense—it was for rapid repositioning.
Since it couldn't fly, remaining stationary in the air would make it an easy target.
By continuing to roll, it could regroup upon landing and resume its battle with Mega Sceptile.
However, Carracosta had made a critical miscalculation.
Its mistake lay in assuming that Mega Sceptile would be celebrating after using Earthquake, believing the battle was won.
But Mega Sceptile wasn't celebrating—or rather, Eddie wasn't allowing such complacency.
As Carracosta prepared to curl up and execute its rolling maneuver in mid-air, Mega Sceptile was already positioned directly in front of it.
Indeed, at the precise moment Carracosta had been launched skyward, Mega Sceptile had used Agility to instantly close the distance.
"Ha! The moment you chose to go purely defensive, this battle was already decided," Eddie declared with a knowing smile.
"Mega Sceptile, deliver the finishing blow."
Eddie gave the final command to Mega Sceptile, which was now positioned perfectly in front of the helpless Carracosta.
"Scep-tile!" Mega Sceptile responded with a fierce cry as absolutely terrifying energy erupted from its body.
As the energy built to a crescendo, numerous massive tree trunks burst forth from the surrounding cave floor in an instant.
This was Frenzy Plant—the ultimate Grass-type technique.
Compared to when the Elite-level Venusaur had used this move earlier, the Gym Leader-class Mega Sceptile's version was far more impressive.
Not only were there significantly more sturdy tree trunks than Venusaur had produced, but the raw power emanating from each one was substantially greater.
With Carracosta's face frozen in absolute terror, dozens of massive tree trunks began their relentless assault.
The attack was systematic and thorough.
Several trunks wrapped around Carracosta like restraints, while the remaining wooden pillars proceeded to pummel the helpless turtle Pokémon with devastating force.
Carracosta's agonized cries echoed throughout the cave as it endured the merciless beating.
After more than ten seconds of this overwhelming assault, the attack finally concluded, and the tree trunks released their grip on Carracosta.
The ancient Pokémon plummeted straight down from its aerial position and immediately lost consciousness upon impact.
Actually, it had likely lost consciousness much earlier—the sounds it had made during the latter part of the beating were probably just involuntary responses from its battered body.
Ding! Gardevoir gained experience! Level increased by 4, now at Level 46!
Ding! Venusaur gained experience! Level increased by 3, now at Level 46!
Ding! Blastoise gained experience! Level increased by 3, now at Level 46!
The experience points from defeating a level 50 Carracosta were substantial, though still insufficient to advance Eddie's Gym Leader-level Pokémon to the next tier.
However, Venusaur and Blastoise had each gained three levels, while Gardevoir had advanced an impressive four levels.
These three Pokémon were now only four levels away from reaching Gym Leader status themselves.
Observing the unconscious Carracosta after its decisive defeat, Eddie retrieved a specialized Poké Ball with blue as its primary color and distinctive black stripes.
Net Ball: A specialized capture device that excels at catching Water-type and Bug-type Pokémon.
Note: If the target possesses Water-type, Bug-type, or both, the capture rate increases by 3.5 times.
"You were the boss of this place, after all. It wouldn't be very stylish to use the same type of Poké Ball as those other four. This Net Ball suits you better," Eddie remarked as he tossed the specialized sphere toward Carracosta.
The Net Ball smoothly absorbed Carracosta without resistance. Since the turtle Pokémon was unconscious and the Net Ball provided a significant capture bonus for Water-types, the process was remarkably easy.
"With that, I've successfully captured all the Fossil Pokémon in this location," Eddie stated with satisfaction as he retrieved the Net Ball and stored it in his spatial bag.
"However, those two troublemakers never showed up, even after all that commotion."
Throughout the entire battle, Eddie had remained vigilant for any sign of Butch and Cassidy.
Yet even now, with all the Fossil Pokémon captured and the battle concluded, neither Team Rocket operative had appeared.
"It seems I may have been played for a fool. They probably never entered this cave at all," Eddie concluded, finally grasping the reality of the situation.
Eddie had correctly deduced that the duo wasn't present, but without knowledge of their true objectives, he could only assume they had simply been trying to waste his time.
Rumble~~~~
Suddenly, the entire cave began shaking violently.
"Was our battle too intense? This place is starting to collapse," Eddie observed with concern.
Setting aside Blastoise and Gardevoir's attacks, both Venusaur and Mega Sceptile had used environment-altering moves like Frenzy Plant.
Mega Sceptile had also employed Earthquake before unleashing Frenzy Plant. Under such devastating assault, it was perfectly natural for the already unstable cave structure to begin collapsing.
Eddie immediately recalled all his Pokémon into their Poké Balls, then mounted Charizard and flew directly out of the rapidly deteriorating cavern.
As he emerged from the cave entrance, he spotted the excavation team he had rescued earlier, all watching him with expressions of concern and relief.
"Hero! Are you alright? What happened down there? Where are those two terrorists?" someone who appeared to be the team leader called out to Eddie.
"I'm fine. The cave below has completely collapsed. As for those two terrorists, they escaped long ago," Eddie replied with a brief explanation.
He ignored the continued shouting from the people below and departed immediately.
His business here was finished. Now he was heading to the Safari Zone near Fuchsia City.
There was supposedly a Dratini there, and Eddie was determined to capture it.
As for Cassidy and Butch, he didn't have time to waste searching for such insignificant pests.
They had succeeded in deceiving him this time. The next time they met, Eddie was already planning to give them a very unpleasant surprise.
However, what Eddie didn't realize was that their next encounter would happen much sooner than he expected.