The battle in Rusturf Tunnel raged on, chaos echoing through the cavernous halls. Trainers shouted, Pokémon roared, and the clash of attacks lit the stone walls in flashes of fire and water.
Silas kept to the edge of the melee, commanding with cold precision. His Crawdaunt snapped its serrated pincers, forcing back a foe, while Murkrow wheeled overhead, scattering dust and embers with each beat of its wings. Eevee crouched close, her fur bristling, eyes sharp and wary.
Then a sneering voice cut through the din.
"Tch. Didn't expect you'd also have a Crawdaunt."
Silas turned. A man in blue uniform stood before him, the crest of Team Aqua stitched on his shoulder. At his side, another Crawdaunt stomped forward, pincers gleaming.
The man's eyes lingered mockingly on Silas's partner's claws. "So small claws. Must mean it's pretty weak."
Silas's gaze didn't waver. He simply raised a hand.
"Crawdaunt-Razor Shell."
The enemy grunt smirked, snapping his fingers. "Head-on, then! Show him the power of your pincers!"
Both Crawdaunt lunged, water energy spiraling around their claws. The air itself hissed as razor-sharp blades of water manifested.
CRASH!
The two attacks collided midair, exploding in spray. Silas's Crawdaunt, larger and heavier despite slimmer claws, pressed forward, forcing the opponent back.
The Aqua grunt's smirk faltered.
Before he could recover, Silas released another ball.
With a burst of light, his Sharpedo appeared, fins slicing the air.
"Sharpedo-Aqua Jet. Keep moving."
"Sharrr!"
The jet shark blurred like blue lightning, darting through the battlefield, disrupting enemy formations, striking and vanishing before they could react.
Silas turned sharply to his other partners.
"Murkrow. Eevee. Stay close. Use Protect on my signal."
Both gave sharp cries.
"Kraa!"
"Vee!"
Silas knew better than anyone that these weren't League trainers. Team Aqua and Team Magma fought like killers. They didn't need to break a Pokémon. They only had to kill the trainer.
And all around, the hastily conscripted civilians proved it.
Their Geodudes, Machops, and Graveler-Pokémon better suited for mining than combat–crumbled under the ruthless assault. Screams rose as a Mightyena lunged, dragging a trainer down in a spray of blood. His head rolled across the dirt.
Panic tore through the temporary force. Some trainers broke entirely, recalling their Pokémon and fleeing blindly through the melee.
Silas's jaw tightened. He gave no mercy.
"Crawdaunt. Finish it. Aqua Jet-now."
Water wrapped around the red-armored predator, flaring into a lance of light. The enemy Crawdaunt shrieked-
BOOOM!
and slammed into the stone wall, crumpling unconscious.
The Aqua grunt cursed, rounding on his supposed Magma allies. "Dammit! Don't just stand there looking like idiots-look at his Sharpedo! It's tearing through like lightning!"
But the Magma grunt barely glanced at him, eyes fixed deeper into the tunnel. Clearly, their mission mattered more than their comrade's survival.
Silas frowned. His own side was faltering. Even with his kills, the lines buckled. Too many had died. Too many had fled. He weighed his options, considering retreat
and then the world erupted in fire.
FWOOSH!!!
A tide of blazing orange flame swept across the enemy ranks, rolling like a living inferno. Aqua and Magma grunts screamed as fire consumed them, their Pokémon collapsing. Those too slow to Protect were reduced to charred remains, bones cracking in the heat
From the treeline beyond the tunnel mouth came the source-dozens of Arcanine, manes blazing like suns, their unified howl shaking the ground.
"AWOOOOOOO!"
At their head stood a commanding figure in uniform, her blue hair flashing under her cap. Her voice thundered through a megaphone:
"Fellow trainers! The League's reinforcements have arrived! Hold the line-victory is with in our reach!"
Officer Jenny.
Silas's lips quirked faintly. 'At last they are here. I was starting to wonder if they'd be as slow as reinforcements in my old world.'
All around, morale surged. The ragged conscripts rallied, summoning their last reserves, sending Pokémon charging with desperate cries.
Meanwhile, on the upper ridge, the true battle raged. Roxanne, Gym Leader of Rustboro, stood astride her towering Steelix, eyes blazing. At her command, her Pokémon hurled earth-shaking attacks at the leaders of the dark organization.
Facing her were Homura of Magma and Izumi of Aqua, their Pokémon spewing fire and water in devastating waves.
But even they looked unsettled when Roxanne raised her hand.
"Probopass use Magnet Bomb!"
WHOOOOSH!
The hovering giant launched a storm of steel orbs, each glowing with magnetic force. They slammed into Camerupt, dragging it back into the battlefield despite its trainer's frantic recall attempt.
"Damn these League dogs!" Homura snarled, his massive frame shaking with fury. He climbed onto his Mightyena's back, face twisted as his Camerupt was forced away.
Beside him, Izumi's calm voice cut sharply. "The data collection is complete. Our mission is done. Retreat-now."
Homura's jaw clenched, hatred burning in his eyes. Still, he knew she was right. With Jenny's police, Roxanne's power, and League elites surely en route, staying meant death.
But as he prepared to flee, he spat venomous command. "Let's Leave them a parting gift. Mightyena Use Dark Pulse! Kill them all!"
The black wave surged outward-straight at Silas, Jenny, and the gathered trainers.
<><><><><><>
(End of chapter)