Meanwhile,
"Meteor Mash!"
Taking advantage of the brief opening when Houndoom dodged Gallade's Brick Break, Caitlin immediately gave her command to Metagross in a sharp, decisive tone.
Metagross accelerated with astonishing speed, its massive body moving with unexpected agility as it closed the distance toward Houndoom. Its giant metallic claws gleamed with a blinding steel light, tearing through the air with force before slamming down heavily toward Houndoom.
From the trajectory of the Meteor Mash, radiant streaks of light scattered like falling meteors across the battlefield.
"Crobat, use Air Slash!"
Archer's expression shifted, his features tightening as he quickly barked an order to his Crobat.
Strictly speaking, Meteor Mash would not inflict much damage on Houndoom due to type matchups, but the sheer force behind that blow was absolutely no laughing matter. Even a resisted strike carried weight enough to cause serious trouble.
In terms of attributes, Steel was weak to Fire, Psychic was immune to Dark; Metagross was, in every sense, countered completely by Houndoom.
Although Archer's overall strength as a trainer was inferior to Caitlin's, with such an advantageous matchup, his Houndoom still had more than enough power to suppress Metagross head-on.
But this was not a fair official match within the orderly confines of a tournament. This was no regulated one-versus-one battle.
Crobat beat its two pairs of wings furiously, whipping up a violent gale. Slicing blades of compressed air formed instantly and shot like lightning toward Metagross.
Yet Metagross paid the Air Slash absolutely no attention. It did not even flinch. Its enormous claw smashed mercilessly down onto Houndoom's abdomen.
Houndoom was struck squarely by the Meteor Mash. A pained howl burst from its throat as its body was sent flying through the air before crashing heavily into the ground.
"Psychic!"
Caitlin gave her next command without pause.
Gallade's eyes glowed a deep, rich blue, and it instantly turned its sharp gaze skyward toward Crobat.
Crobat's body was suddenly enveloped in that same blue aura, its movements constrained by the invisible force of the Psychic attack.
"Crobat, use Toxic!"
Archer's eyes grew dark and venomous. His voice carried rage and humiliation. He had been pushed too far—this was intolerable!
Crobat abandoned any further struggle and instead spewed a torrent of thick, dark-purple venom from its mouth, the toxic liquid spraying toward Gallade in a deadly stream.
Gallade narrowly evaded, and Caitlin's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
Toxic was a move of extreme danger—poison that grew stronger with every passing moment. It was absolutely not something that Gallade could allow itself to be hit by.
Still, it was somewhat regrettable…
Meanwhile, Houndoom slowly pulled itself upright once more. Although that Meteor Mash had struck with great force, Houndoom's natural resistance to Steel-type moves meant the damage was far less than it might have been otherwise.
"Impressive indeed… worthy of being a Rocket Executive. You really are troublesome to deal with."
Caitlin shook her head gently. At present she still held the advantage, but to completely seal her victory would require more time.
That was fine. She was in no hurry.
The corners of her lips curved into a faint, elegant smile—beautiful and serene. In truth, it was Archer who ought to be growing anxious, not her.
She had come to this battle not because she cared deeply about whether Team Rocket or the League prevailed here. No, her purpose was to hone her own strength. The outcome of the broader conflict mattered little to her.
Archer, on the other hand, did not have the luxury of time.
-------------------
In the central battlefield…
"Fusion Flare!" Lucas commanded Reshiram without hesitation.
Reshiram's dragon's roar rang clear and melodious through the stormy skies. A colossal crimson fireball ignited before its form, then hurtled down toward the pair of Dragonair entwined together.
"Dual Dragon Pulse!"
The two Dragonair coiled tightly around one another, their serpentine bodies glowing as they channeled their energy in unison. A massive beam of dragon energy surged forth to clash with the Fusion Flare head-on.
The two attacks collided violently. Though Fusion Flare visibly had the advantage, the two Dragon Pulse was abruptly detonated by the Dragonair themselves. The resulting explosion disrupted the fireball's stability, and Reshiram's attack likewise burst apart.
The fierce shockwaves rippled outward in expanding waves.
Under his blood-red, rain-drenched hair, Lance's face remained calm yet taut. His brow furrowed deeply as he racked his mind for a way to topple Reshiram.
Up to this point in the battle, he had remained at a disadvantage. This was a situation Lance simply could not tolerate.
And yet, he was forced to admit—Reshiram's power was overwhelming. On top of that, Lucas's commands were precise and well-timed. Every strategy Lance tried was countered with ruthless efficiency. The battle was slipping further and further out of his grasp.
"Damn it… but that dragon still hasn't been trained properly…"
Lance's eyes flickered with uncertainty. He had recently captured a very powerful dragon, but its training was incomplete.
Should he use it now?
"Dragon Rush!"
Rain plastered Lance's red hair against his face. His eyes, cold and shadowed like those of a demon, glared with unyielding fury.
He found it nearly impossible to accept—how could his Dragonite truly be weaker than Lucas's dragon? As for that recently captured Pokémon…
In the end, Lance decided not to send it out. It had not yet been trained fully and had no chance of matching Reshiram.
His Dragonite, already bearing numerous wounds upon its body, let out a fierce roar. Dark, draconic energy surged once again around it, shaping into the form of a fearsome dragon as it launched itself in a headlong rush toward Reshiram.
"Still unwilling to give up?" Lucas sighed softly at the sight. "Flare Blitz!"
Reshiram's voice sang out, and searing flames rapidly engulfed its body, transforming into an intense blue inferno as it hurled itself directly at Dragonite.
Flare Blitz—the devastating Fire-type move also known as Flame Charge or Explosive Blaze—was one of the strongest physical attacks of its kind.
Dragon Rush and Flare Blitz collided with brutal force midair. Fire and draconic energy battered one another ceaselessly, shockwaves rippling outward in devastating waves.
Soon enough, with Reshiram pushing harder, both Pokémon were blasted apart by the impact.
"Fusion Flare!"
Lucas's voice echoed in Reshiram's mind.
Reshiram's tail-turbine blazed, and a massive sphere of fire coalesced before it, then launched straight at Dragonite.
"Dragonite!"
Lance's face twisted. Disaster was about to strike again.
Even in a contest of brute force, Dragonite was no longer able to keep up. Had it truly come to this?
Lance's eyes wavered with disbelief. Was the power of a Legendary Dragon truly this overwhelming?
All this time, Lucas's shiny Dragonair had done nothing but shield him, never joining the fight. Meanwhile, Lance's Dragonite had been suppressed again and again. Even with occasional support from the Dual Dragon Techniques of his two Dragonair, the tide of battle remained unchanged.
Dragonite spotted the incoming Fusion Flare. Heat washed over it in waves. Gritting its teeth, it forced out a Dragon Pulse in defiance.
But such a meager beam could never hope to block Fusion Flare.
The colossal fireball swallowed the Dragon Pulse whole before crashing directly into Dragonite.
BOOM!
A massive explosion of flames lit up the sky. Dragonite's body, smoking and charred, plummeted helplessly to the ground with a heavy crash.
"Cousin," Lucas smiled faintly, his voice carrying both amusement and satisfaction, "it seems that in today's battle, I am the victor."
Lance's eyes snapped toward him, locking onto Lucas with a burning intensity. His voice, low and hoarse, rumbled from his chest.
"I… have not lost yet!"
He could not accept it.
Even knowing his opponent commanded a Legendary Dragon, his pride rebelled against reality. The thought of conceding was unbearable.
"Still struggling?" Lucas shrugged lightly. "Cousin, the power of a legendary is not so easily opposed. I thought by now you would understand that."
"Yes, the legendary dragons are strong," Lance admitted grimly, "and your Reshiram's strength has indeed impressed me… but my dragons have not been defeated!"
"And you… have not yet won!"
Lucas exhaled softly. He had believed Lance to be a man capable of taking both victory and defeat with dignity, but clearly his cousin's pride was far too rigid to accept the truth gracefully.
Even so, Lance would not yield. His gaze shifted briefly to Reshiram, smoldering with defiance.
"The Legendary Dragon… I too shall have one!"
Clenching his fists tightly, Lance's heart swelled with conviction. If Lucas could obtain Reshiram, then why couldn't he acquire its counterpart?
He would scour the League's archives, study every ancient record and secret text. He was not inferior to Lucas in any way.
Unova possessed not just the White Dragon of Truth, but also the Black Dragon of Ideals.
He, Lance, the Dragon Master, the man who fought for a world where Pokémon could live in true happiness—his ideals were genuine and unwavering. Surely such ideals would earn the Black Dragon's recognition.
Lucas had the White Dragon. Then Lance, too, deserved the Black Dragon!
…What he did not know, of course, was that the Black Dragon already had a master.
"Now then, cousin," Lucas's smile widened teasingly. "Since you've already lost, why not take your people and leave?"
"Silence! I have not lost!"
"Your Dragonite was practically roasted alive by my Reshiram. With only those two Dragonair left, do you truly think you can still fight?"
At that, Lance's face darkened to a near-black.
"Team Rocket… I will never show them mercy!"
His voice was cold and sharp as steel. Hatred toward the criminal syndicate burned in his heart. Even if Lucas was his own cousin, if he was aligned with Rocket, then Lance would not forgive him.
Originally, before the battle, he had thought only to defeat Lucas, to bring his cousin back to the righteous path under his guidance.
But now…
Even if Dragonite had fallen, he would not admit defeat. He still had his Dragonairs!
Letting Lucas walk away freely? Impossible. Absolutely impossible!
"Very well then," Lucas replied with a shake of his head, his tone light but mocking. "If you insist on punishment, then I shall continue to deliver it."
----------------------------
Meanwhile, in a narrow alley elsewhere in the city, Team Rocket and League forces clashed fiercely.
"Heh… as expected, Team Rocket still depends on me—Ariana!"
Her Vileplume's Petal Dance sent another Machoke crashing to the ground. Ariana's shadowed face broke into a smug smile of satisfaction.
Unlike the other battlefronts, her area had not been assigned any particularly powerful League trainers. That meant her escape route was all but clear.
She would soon retreat successfully.
And once she handed over the genetic data to Giovanni, she would be hailed as the greatest contributor of all.
Archer? Just a fool.
"Perfect. The time has come."
After scanning her surroundings and seeing no immediate threats, Ariana hurried toward the exit of the alley.
But just as she moved—
A sudden burst of searing flames roared toward her.
Flamethrower!
"Vileplume, Protect!"
(End of Chapter)