Alex was expecting a fight right as they entered the gates of the base, but he didn't expect a literal firing squad already formed up as they entered, so he was understandably shocked by how prepared they were.
"Open fire!" Gravik commanded as a deluge of bullets rained down on Steelix, whose head had breached the base.
Alex reacted quickly and immediately opened fire on Steelix with the Stormline set to Ally Mode.
Steelix forced his way through the gap despite the incoming attacks, literally tanking thousands of rounds from the front and the back. His health transitioned from almost dying to full health and back again, causing severe physical damage to his body. At this rate, even with full health, the strain would completely knock him out in less than a minute of continuous assault.
Fortunately, he didn't have to hold out for long, as he had cleared enough space for the rest of Alex's team to pass through the gap in the gate behind him.
Gardevoir, upon seeing their opponents for this battle, didn't hesitate to issue orders. The attack team, consisting of Raticate, Arcanine, Kommo-o, Togekiss, Dusknoir, Ceruledge, Tsareena, and Zoroark, charged out of the flanks, evading bullets shot at them with ease and greatly reducing the burden on Steelix.
Their speed was so significant compared to a human's ability to track them that they could easily dodge bullets with plenty of space to spare. They followed the bounds of the circular base all the way to the flanks and back of the formation, ready to sow chaos into their firing lines.
The defense team hid behind Steelix while pushing the steel snake forward, using him as a fortification to gain more space to work with. Their objective was to get to the center of the battlefield and ensure they had the area they needed to affect the surroundings.
Altaria neutralized weather effects with Cloud Nine, Alcremie negated Taunts and similar effects with Aromatic Veil, and Weezing neutralized abilities with Neutralizing Gas. Clawitzer, Forretress, Frosmoth, Hydreigon, the Maushold, and Espeon, meanwhile, provided support where they could.
Gravik, upon seeing their opponent's advance, started getting nervous when the Steelix at the forefront refused to die despite the amount of ammunition being spent on it. So, he decided to finally take action.
"Snorlax, Hammer Arm!"
The Snorlax rushed forward at impossible speed with a single step, ignoring the minuscule damage it was taking from the bullets aimed at Steelix, and immediately used Hammer Arm at point-blank range.
Before it could land its attack, however, Gardevoir intercepted Gravik's command and quickly informed Alex to retrieve Steelix or his death was guaranteed. Up until now, Steelix had only been taking minimal damage from each attack, but a maxed-out Hammer Arm would likely outright kill him in one blow because there was a greater chance his health was slightly below 100% when it hit, negating his Sturdy ability.
Alex quickly retrieved Steelix as suggested, causing the Hammer Arm to miss completely.
With its target gone, Snorlax simply stood there, waiting for further orders, while Alex swept Stormline left to right, passing over his defensive team who were covering him, ensuring their health was kept topped up as they were bombarded with sparse shots from the firing line.
"Earthquake," Gravik commanded. Since the obstacle was gone, he should cause as much destruction as possible.
Fortunately, Gardevoir intercepted that as well by commanding Alcremie and the Maushold to use Encore on Snorlax. She even used the move herself, in favor of setting up her signature Psychic Terrain and Expanding Force.
Alcremie and the Maushold used Encore with Priority +1, bombarding the Snorlax with praise that locked in Hammer Arm. At the same time, Gardevoir's own Encore with Effect Up +1 reinforced it, ensuring Snorlax would be locked in for the full duration.
Snorlax's target for the Hammer Arm was Forretress, who was at the front of the defensive team's formation. In a single step, it closed the gap and landed a Hammer Arm on Forretress's Protect shield, which was boosted with Effect Up +1, preventing the knockback from the difference in rank.
Upon the second use, Frosmoth landed on Forretress and used its own Protect with Effect Up +1, as the pair alternated to ensure they were protected continuously.
Meanwhile, the others on the defensive team were spamming area-of-effect attacks that prevented the majority of the hundreds of bullets from coming anywhere near them. Clawitzer caused massive tidal waves with Surf on the left flank, while Hydreigon did the same for the right flank. Altaria used Dazzling Gleam aiming at the top to prevent any thrown grenades from reaching them. Weezing fired off Toxic on the static Snorlax, trying to eat away at its health with each Hammer Arm it used.
Finally, Espeon had finished setting up Psychic Terrain on the center portion of the firing squad, roughly a third of all their assailants, including Gravik. She then signaled Gardevoir that their preparations were ready.
Together, Gardevoir and Espeon launched a massive combined Expanding Force, pushing everything back while causing chaos on the enemy's side. Unfortunately, a few of their Pokémon used Wide Guard to negate the massive attack, effectively preventing any damage to the firing line.
But it did manage to give them the time, and more importantly, the distraction needed to begin the attack team's assault.
On the left flank, Arcanine blitzed in with Extreme Speed, causing chaos, while Raticate followed along with precise Quick Attacks that finished off those who managed to survive. They caused massive casualties as they barreled their way through the formation.
Tsareena ran into the groups the pair missed and used Petal Blizzard to finish off swathes of enemies, while Zoroark followed right behind her, targeting those she missed with Shadow Ball. The pair were doing a good job cleaning up after the dynamic duo.
On the right flank, Kommo-o used Aerial Ace on the center of the formation, then followed up with Clanging Scales, wiping out a massive number of enemies. Togekiss flew alongside, bombarding Kommo-o with Wish to keep him alive while occasionally letting out Dazzling Gleams that took out plenty of enemies on her own. Together, they devastated the area, completely drowning out the firing squad.
Dusknoir and Ceruledge skirted the outskirts of the formation to finish off those that the massive attacks had missed. All the pair ever used was Phantom Force, specifically targeting those being protected with shields, ensuring progress was being made.
Alex eased off the trigger, satisfied as the enemy's firing formation crumbled in disarray. Without missing a beat, he toggled the Stormline to its alternate setting, Enemy Mode, the weapon humming with a shift in energy.
He sidestepped, boots crunching over the gate's debris, and angled toward the hammering Snorlax, who remained blissfully unaware of the incoming threat, too fixated on the shiny Protect barrier flashing between Forretress and Frosmoth. One would brace behind the shield, the other pulling back just long enough to let it flicker back to life again.
With a steady breath, Alex squeezed the trigger.
The Stormline answered with an electric whine, unleashing a volley of shimmering energy beams, each streaking forward in a rainbow arc that lit up the battlefield as they raced straight for Snorlax, dealing significant damage by the second.
Gravik panicked upon seeing that weapon. He understood now how that damn Steelix could possibly survive. There was a gun capable of doing as much damage as a thousand-man firing squad.
He had to have it, but first he had to save his incompetent Snorlax. He quickly swiped his Poké Ball, retrieving his champion that was seconds away from getting killed. Fortunately, even with such a weapon, a Champion ranked Pokémon could not be underestimated.
Unfortunately, Gravik had forgotten that Snorlax was tanking a very powerful weapon, so predictably, Alex changed targets from the significantly threatening Snorlax to the weaker firing squad at the center of the formation that managed to remain undisturbed.
Gravik released the rest of his team to finally help, or more accurately, cause some chaos. He couldn't afford to lose Snorlax, his champion, but he could certainly afford to lose his less significant Pokémon.
With a flash, Obstagoon, Tyranitar, Bisharp, Ursaluna, and Hydreigon were released. They were all still Elite ranked, but they were just a step away from reaching Champion rank. All five were clearly stronger than even Alex's Hydreigon, but they were outnumbered and outgunned, so they would serve as distractions at best.
Gravik understood this as well, and so he retreated with Obstagoon and Bisharp at his side, while Tyranitar, Ursaluna, and Hydreigon charged ahead.
He wasn't planning on sticking around. When even a Champion and an army couldn't stop his opponent, a tactical retreat, just like in Kanto, was the obvious choice. Perhaps the Dark Cave would allow him to hide out. Worst-case scenario, he could always go back to the base in Olivine City.
Alex, meanwhile, was ready to face the incoming rampaging behemoths. He swiped the Stormline left and right, peppering the firing squad while his Pokémon stepped forward to intercept the three Elites. That was until he heard Gravik give one last order.
"Earthquake!"
-----
Support me on Patreon
patreon/babywrath