With the help of many Pokémon, the rescue operation at Lake Verity progressed rapidly. The Water-type Pokémon were escaping quickly through the tributaries, and everything was becoming more organized.
On the other side, however, the three giant Gastrodon continued absorbing Shellos and regular Gastrodon, growing even larger than when first seen.
By the time the rescue was halfway through, all the Shellos and Gastrodon on the scene had vanished… completely merged into the giant Gastrodon.
Originally around ten meters tall, the giant Gastrodon had now grown to a full thirty meters, more than double its original size.
At the same time, the Hyper Beams unleashed by the Gastrodon were also getting stronger.
At first, Tyranitar and the others could barely manage to counter the beams with their own moves. Now, if a Hyper Beam was aimed at a location without Pokémon, they didn't even bother trying to intercept it.
For those more dangerous beams, they could only use move collisions to detonate them mid-air, minimizing damage.
The six Ace Pokémon on the field worked in pairs to deal with each giant Gastrodon, but could only barely reduce their destructive power.
As for defeating them… that wasn't even a consideration.
Fortunately, the three giant Gastrodon lacked any real intelligence and didn't perceive Tyranitar and the others as provocations.
They seemed to be acting on a single impulse: to discharge the energy accumulated inside their bodies.
And precisely because of that, Tyranitar and the others still had a chance to hold on. Otherwise, even they wouldn't have been able to last.
---
The rescue continued. Tyranitar and the rest kept intercepting Hyper Beams, while the giant Gastrodon showed no signs of stopping.
Everyone was caught in a prolonged stalemate. When stamina ran out, they relied on mental strength. When that too ran dry, they pressed on with pure willpower.
"AWOOOOOO~"
A wolf's howl rang out, piercing through the noisy chaos. Sato turned toward the familiar sound.
"Houndoom!"
It hadn't undergone any "breakthrough battles", yet Houndoom had somehow lvlup to Ace level on its own, leaving Sato genuinely stunned.
He had previously learned that Joseph's Gogoat had advanced due to years of nurturing by Viridian Power.
But as for Houndoom… other than the boost to its Dark-type potential from years of exposure to [Dark Energy: Blood Nourishment], there didn't seem to be anything else unusual.
Still, Houndoom's breakthrough came with a clear benefit… leadership among Pokémon was always built on strength.
Now that Houndoom had reached Low Ace level, there were hardly any wild Pokémon present that were stronger than it. And soon, Sato and the others noticed that the entire rescue operation was becoming far more coordinated!
Houndoom didn't recklessly run off to help Tyranitar and the others fend off the giant Gastrodon. Instead, it called over a wild Tropius and leapt onto its back.
Riding Tropius, Houndoom soared above Lake Verity, occasionally barking out orders toward various areas.
Amazingly, the wild Pokémon began instinctively following Houndoom's commands, reorganizing themselves, adjusting pairings, and optimizing their rescue efforts.
In truth, even if Houndoom had joined Zoroark's group, it would've only helped them hold out a little longer, nothing game-changing.
…But now, by taking over as the rescue coordinator and doubling the overall efficiency, Houndoom's contribution had far exceeded what it could've offered in direct combat.
Sato looked at Houndoom, now fully grown and standing two meters tall, and recalled its natural leadership instincts. A suspicion gradually formed in his heart.
'Maybe… maybe in the future, Houndoom truly had a chance to become a Totem Pokémon.'
After all, a Pokémon with the Totem "template" would no longer be limited by its innate potential. As long as the territory it ruled expanded, it would only grow stronger!
Murkrow, though not small in size and still growing, had never shown such excellent commanding ability like Houndoom had.
Usually, when leading just a dozen or so Murkrow companions, it was already utterly absorbed in the thrill of it; but that was still far from being a true Totem Pokémon.
'I originally hoped Murkrow would take over from its mother and become the new Totem of the Forest of Shadows… but now…' Sato stared at Houndoom, lost in thought.
With Houndoom's support, everyone began to see a sliver of hope that this might end well. They all mustered every last ounce of strength they had left; if they had to endure, they would endure!
The scene shifted back to Joseph. Having exhausted himself using Viridian Power, he was too weak to assist and could only lean wearily against a tree, watching everyone else work tirelessly.
But none of the wild Pokémon around him underestimate Joseph. In fact, most of them held deep affection toward him.
Yet Joseph paid no attention to their curious gazes. His eyes were fixed on the nearest giant Gastrodon.
It seemed… compared to before, this giant Gastrodon had gotten just a liiittle bit smaller.
'Yes! It really had shrunk!'
Joseph's mind raced. Remembering the way the giant Gastrodon had indiscriminately merged with others, a bold theory that neared the truth began to form in his heart.
Just then, Houndoom -riding on Tropius- arrived nearby. Joseph weakly waved at it, and Houndoom immediately approached.
"Go tell Sato, the giant Gastrodon might be a mass of pure energy. Hyper Beam is just how it releases that energy. Once it's depleted, the Gastrodon will no longer be a threat!"
Joseph said it all in one breath. Seeing Houndoom blink cleverly and then nod seriously, he knew: it understood.
"I knew you were the smartest~ Go on!" Joseph smiled as he patted Houndoom's head.
Houndoom didn't leave right away.
"I'm fine. Just need a little rest. Now go, they need you more than I do." Joseph shook his head and gently pushed Houndoom away.
Houndoom didn't insist further. There were still many places that needed coordination, and now a message to deliver.
'So much to do…'
On one side, Joseph had discovered a potential "path to victory". On the other, Mark had run into serious trouble.
Lucario, trying to protect a group of Vibrava that had appeared out of nowhere, took a direct hit from a giant Gastrodon's Hyper Beam and was gravely injured.
"Weavile, Blizzard! Arbok, Gunk Shot! Togekiss, Aura Sphere! Orb-Orb, Psychic!"
When power was lacking, quantity had to make up for it.
As all the Pokémon worked together to preemptively detonate another Hyper Beam in midair, Mark wiped the dirt from his face and turned toward Lucario, now lying behind them, receiving treatment from Joseph's Gallade.