"Lapras, use Ice Beam!"
A dazzling blue beam shot toward Hunter J's Salamence.
Salamence snarled, beating its wings hard as it dodged the freezing ray, then countered with a scorching burst of Flamethrower.
At the same time, the Ariados beside it spat a stream of sticky silk, trying to ensnare Lapras.
But Lapras wasn't so easily trapped—after all, this was Lorelei's main Pokémon.
Even if its movement on land was slower than in the water, that didn't mean it was helpless.
"Lapras, use Hydro Pump!"
A torrent of water blasted forward, shredding through the approaching web and slamming it back toward Salamence in midair.
Hiss—!
Under the impact of the Hydro Pump, Salamence's flames were doused in an instant. The surging water and the rebounding web struck its body together, tangling around it. Salamence lost its balance and plummeted to the ground, smashing a crater into the rocky floor.
"Don't let up—Lapras, keep the pressure on!"
Lorelei's eyes flashed coldly as she gestured sharply toward her Jynx.
Just as Jynx prepared to unleash Psychic on the downed Salamence, Xatu's eyes gleamed blue. A shimmering Light Screen instantly appeared before Salamence, deflecting Jynx's psychic energy.
The attack dissipated harmlessly.
Meanwhile, Ariados opened its mouth again, firing a volley of Poison Stings straight at Lapras.
The battle raged fiercely, attacks flashing back and forth like lightning.
Although Lorelei held the upper hand, Hunter J continuously relied on her numerical advantage to counter.
Lorelei's strikes couldn't quite break through J's layered defense, and J's numerous Pokémon steadily pushed Lorelei back, pressing her on all sides.
After more than ten minutes of intense stalemate, Lorelei—outnumbered—finally slipped.
Hunter J's sharp eyes caught it immediately. She snapped her fingers toward Ariados.
Ariados lunged forward, spitting a flurry of venomous needles, while Drapion charged alongside it in perfect sync.
Lapras suddenly found itself cornered.
"Jynx!" Lorelei called desperately.
If Jynx could block either Ariados or Drapion's strike, Lapras might still recover.
But Hunter J had anticipated this.
Before Jynx could move, Salamence and Xatu swooped down together, locking Jynx into a furious midair brawl. She was pinned down, unable to assist.
Without support, Lapras could only fend for itself. It swerved to dodge Drapion's Cross Poison, turning its armored back toward Ariados's needles.
But there were too many. Even with all its strength, Lapras couldn't avoid them all.
The venom sank in—Lapras's skin shimmered with a faint purple glow. It looked, for a moment, like a Shiny Lapras.
"Lapras!" Lorelei cried out.
"The great Ice-type Elite Lorelei—so this is all you've got?" Hunter J's lips curled in a cold sneer. Victory gleamed in her eyes.
Once Lorelei fell, Articuno would be hers.
She couldn't help feeling a flash of gratitude toward that man, Nozomi—if he hadn't crushed Team Rocket's operations, she never would've reached Kanto this easily.
Just as her confidence swelled and Lorelei's hope waned, a thunderous explosion echoed from above.
BOOM!
The ceiling of the Seafoam Island cavern blew open, rubble and dust raining down.
Sunlight poured through the massive breach, illuminating the battlefield.
A figure descended from the heavens, astride a Dragonite, its wings backlit by the blazing sun.
The man hovered there, back to the light—radiant, unapproachable, almost divine.
"Wh—what is that…?"
Hunter J squinted upward, her face tightening. That silhouette gave her a terrible sense of foreboding. In all of Kanto, only a handful of Trainers commanded Dragonite—and only two were famous enough to make her nervous.
Dark clouds drifted over the sun. The light dimmed.
Everyone in the cave could now see the newcomer's face clearly.
"Mr. Nozomi!?"
"Nozomi!?"
Two opposing cries broke out at once—one of astonished relief, the other of dread.
For the League Trainers, Nozomi's arrival was nothing short of salvation. With him on their side, victory over these despicable poachers was all but guaranteed.
For the Hunters, it was a nightmare come true.
Two entire Pokémon Hunter teams had already been destroyed by Nozomi's hand. To them, he was more than a powerful foe—he was the harbinger of their destruction.
Hunter J's face darkened.
She was certain Nozomi hadn't been on Seafoam Islands earlier. Someone must have tipped him off.
Her eyes flicked to Lorelei, who now looked utterly relieved.
"So it was you who called him…" she muttered bitterly.
But realizing it now was meaningless. The real problem was how to survive.
She could handle Lorelei alone—but Nozomi, the man rumored to have defeated Giovanni himself… that was another story.
As J's mind raced, the battle's chaos intensified.
From the depths of the cavern, Articuno suddenly let out a piercing cry—it had sensed a new intruder flying above its territory.
"SKREEEEAAAH!"
Its wings blazed with frost. With a swirl of glittering ice, Articuno shot upward like a frozen comet—straight toward Nozomi.
Hunter J's eyes lit up.
Articuno was a headache even for her, but now that it was targeting Nozomi…
She didn't expect Articuno to defeat him, but if it could wear down his Pokémon first, her odds of winning would soar.
A sly smile crossed her face.
"All units—finish off the League Trainers now!" she ordered sharply.
Before Articuno took down Nozomi, they would crush Lorelei's forces and prepare to face the real threat head-on.
(End of Chapter)