"Gallade, how's Lucario doing?" Mark couldn't help but worry and ran over to ask.
Gallade had just finished using Heal Pulse, then used Confusion to bring Lucario to rest under a large tree. Only then did it nod slightly at Mark.
"Vib~"
The Vibrava quickly flew over, looking anxiously at their savior, clearly wanting to help but not knowing how.
Mark didn't have a great impression of these Vibrava. After all, Lucario had been injured so severely trying to save them.
But Mark could only stay here for a short while before running back to join Weavile and the others.
After all, with Lucario suddenly collapsing, his team had become the weakest link. If Sato hadn't lent him Weavile in advance, he wouldn't have lasted until now.
Moreover, because Togekiss and the others had been sent to fight, the rescue operation on Mark's side had become the slowest.
Without a strong Pokémon to lead and organize, the rescue efforts were chaotic and highly inefficient.
Thankfully, Houndoom finally arrived at Mark's location. After quickly taking over the command duties, the pressure on Mark visibly eased.
"Houndoom, thanks a lot~" Mark waved at Houndoom, his uneasiness slightly calmed.
…But seeing Weavile and the others panting heavily, Mark's heart tensed again, their condition was far from good.
"Awoooo!"
At that moment, Houndoom howled again, and the nearby rescue teams suddenly stirred. A dozen fully evolved Pokémon rushed out and voluntarily joined the team blocking Hyper Beams.
"Staraptor, Tangrowth, Gliscor, Luxray…" Mark listed their names one by one, and his uneasiness finally dissipated.
'With these Pokémon helping, so what if you're a giant Gastrodon? I, Mark, am not scared of you in the slightest.'
Whooooosh…
BOOOOOOOM!
A Hyper Beam whooshed past Mark, blowing up the tree to his right and ripping it out by the roots.
"…"
Startled, Mark's legs gave out and he scrambled behind Arbok for cover.
"Okay okay! You're the boss, alright!"
Once Houndoom finished organizing Mark's rescue team, it directed Tropius to fly along the shoreline.
The area where Sato and the others were located was where the giant Gastrodon rampage was most intense.
And since the dam had been destroyed, it had also become a major escape route for the Water-type Pokémon.
However, there were still many tributaries that the trio couldn't manage alone. Houndoom flew along the shore precisely to scout and coordinate those areas to boost efficiency.
---
Time passed quietly. When the first rays of morning light shone over Lake Verity, the three of them finally realized… it was already the next morning.
Looking again at the now-calm Lake Verity, they finally let out a long sigh.
'It seemed… maybe… probably… it was over?'
Later on, once Lucario regained consciousness, it ignored its injuries and rejoined the fight to intercept Hyper Beams.
Joseph also stood up again, working with Meganium to treat the injured Pokémon.
And Sato's Skorupi, in the end, actually came out of its Poké Ball on its own. Though it didn't have the power to help counter the Hyper Beams, it could still cheer on from the side.
Houndoom's throat had gone hoarse, and its mount had changed from Tropius to Skarmory.
Since Tropius couldn't recover through photosynthesis during the night, it had been swapped out after exhausting all its stamina.
Meanwhile, the most threatening giant Gastrodon, after releasing a massive amount of energy through Hyper Beam, had now shrunk to under ten meters, and its danger level had significantly decreased.
However, before they could even catch their breath, they saw the three giant Gastrodon suddenly stop using Hyper Beam and… all began crawling into Lake Verity.
Sato and the others tensed up again, unsure of what the giant Gastrodon were planning next.
Wouldn't it have been better if they just shrank away until they disappeared? Why were they acting up again?
But even if they were only ten meters tall now, Sato and the others still had no way to stop their movements. They could only watch helplessly as the Gastrodon swam toward the center of the lake.
Watching the three Pokémon approaching, the now regrouped trio exchanged glances, a terrible sense of foreboding rising in their hearts once more.
Could it be… the three were going to fuse again?
Sato let out a quiet sigh, his right hand silently grasping a familiar yet unfamiliar feather.
If things truly spiraled out of control, then to prevent the situation from getting worse , Sato didn't mind resorting to certain special measures…
Suddenly, the trio's eyes widened in shock as they watched the giant Gastrodon start attacking each other.
This development… seemed a bit off.
The Gastrodon were no longer limited to just using Hyper Beam. They started using Hydro Pump, Mud Shot, Body Slam, Muddy Water…
Compared to before, their movements were still a bit sluggish, but they were clearly making reactive and evasive moves.
"Boss, Joseph, do you think… they've regained their senses?" Mark asked dumbly.
Sato and Joseph exchanged glances but didn't refute him.
The battle between the three giant Gastrodon was intense, like a true life-or-death fight.
Lake Verity, which had only just calmed down, began to churn once more. Waves surged and crashed against the shore, scaring away the nearby Pokémon that had still lingered there.
Soon, one of the Gastrodon was surrounded and attacked by the other two. Caught off guard, it was quickly pushed into a massive disadvantage.
The other two seized the momentum and relentlessly attacked the weakened opponent.
In no time at all, the downed Gastrodon was smashed into Lake Verity. Even then, the remaining two showed no signs of stopping, continuing to bombard it with a barrage of moves.
Suddenly, a pink light burst forth. Looking closely, they realized it came from the fallen giant Gastrodon.
From within the glow, one normal-sized Gastrodon after another was separated and quickly dove into the water, vanishing from sight.
The remaining pink light then split into two and entered the bodies of the other two giant Gastrodon.
Then, those two resumed their frenzied fight, as if determined to crown a final victor.
"The Gastrodon that just separated out… those were the real ones," Joseph suddenly said.
Sato nodded slightly in understanding, and Mark followed with a clueless nod of his own.
Just as Mark was about to quietly ask Joseph again, Sato suddenly turned to look at him!
"Wh-what is it, Boss…" Mark stammered under the gaze, panicking a bit. He couldn't recall doing anything wrong lately.
"It's your turn to play a role," Sato said seriously.
"Uh… B-Boss, w-what… role?"
"Let them… destroy each other!"
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