"Eichi!"
Sato arrived at Eichi's side, protected by Charizard, Electabuzz, and several other Pokémon.
"Sato, Kelly, Konan," Eichi greeted.
Sato smiled when he saw Eichi, and Eichi returned the gesture as the two shared a knowing look.
"Everyone is here," Eichi noted.
At that moment, the entire group emerged. Miss Joylin scanned the surroundings. When the Team Rocket members outside saw Miss Joylin leading the students out, they immediately began to flee. They had originally planned to use Eichi and the others as leverage to force the police to let them go, but now that their hostages were gone, they had no choice but to run.
The scene was pure chaos, with Pokémon battles breaking out everywhere.
Moves were being unleashed in every direction. Explosions and destruction occurred at every turn, and rocks shattered into pieces.
Flames engulfed the buildings, sending grayish-black smoke billowing into the sky as dust clouds shrouded the area. Not far away, several minecarts had been destroyed, spilling white iron ore across the ground.
"Everyone, hurry to a safe place and hide. I need to go help the police," Miss Joylin told Eichi and the others.
"Aggron, protect them and take them to safety," she commanded.
"Roar!"
Aggron nodded, signaling its understanding.
"Don't worry, Teacher. We'll be fine. You stay safe too," Eichi said firmly to Miss Joylin.
"I will," Miss Joylin replied with a nod.
"Follow me, I'll lead you to safety," Sato told the group.
Eichi and the others nodded, following Sato away from the heat of the battle.
After they left, Miss Joylin spoke to the Arcanine beneath her, "Let's go!"
"Tyranitar, Rhyperior, let's go help Director Yoshijima!"
During their escape, they were occasionally caught in the aftershocks of other battles. Fortunately, Aggron used its powerful body to block those stray attacks.
Sato led them to an area where many mine workers had already gathered. They were sitting on the ground resting, some of them injured, with several police officers guarding the perimeter.
Once they reached the spot, Aggron stopped and closed its eyes to rest.
"Thank you for your hard work, Aggron. Seriously, thank you," Eichi said, patting Aggron's hard hide.
Hearing this, Tetsu and the others ran over to offer their thanks as well.
"Thank you, Aggron!"
"Thanks a lot!"
"Aggron, you're so cool!"
"I want an Aggron too."
"So this is what an Aggron looks like."
Though its eyes remained closed, Eichi could sense that Aggron was in a good mood.
"Eichi, which region is Aggron from? I've never seen one before. It's so strong and cool," Tetsu asked curiously.
"Aggron is from the Hoenn region. It evolves from Lairon, and its first form is Aron," Eichi explained.
"It's a Steel and Rock-type Pokémon that feeds on ore. That white iron ore over there is one of its favorite foods. They are quite rare and hard to find."
"The teachers will probably cover all this next semester," Eichi added.
Tetsu nodded. I really want one! Just then, a worker in a suit approached Eichi with a few others. "Young man, thank you so much for saving us. Truly, thank you."
"It's nothing. I'm just glad everyone is safe," Eichi replied with a smile.
After finally seeing them off, Eichi looked toward the distant battle.
Thanks to his Bug Force, Eichi's vision was exceptional. He could see everything clearly within a hundred-meter radius. This was even without activating his Eye of the Bug Emperor; once that was active, his vision could extend to two hundred meters.
Battles were still raging everywhere, though the crowds had thinned. Many Team Rocket members had begun fleeing into the forest, while others had already been apprehended.
The most intense fighting was taking place in a corner of the cave. Director Yoshijima was riding a Pidgeot, battling a Team Rocket member mounted on an Aerodactyl.
This Team Rocket member appeared to be an Executive. To see three Executives gathered in one place suggested that Team Rocket placed immense value on this white iron ore mine.
Suddenly, a roar echoed as a Pokémon below let out a furious cry. It belonged to that Executive.
It had been struck by a Hyper Beam from the newly arrived Tyranitar. A blinding light erupted, looking like a miniature sun exploding.
The Ursaring let out a piercing scream before collapsing to the ground. Miss Joylin had arrived.
Before her arrival, Director Yoshijima had been locked in a stalemate, but her presence immediately tilted the scales in their favor.
The single horn on Rhyperior's head began to spin violently with a loud hum as it charged toward a Nidoking.
That Elite-rank Nidoking was sent flying into a small hill by the impact from the equal-rank Rhyperior.
Bang! Bang!
Rocks tumbled down as the Nidoking let out a heart-wrenching shriek and collapsed, unable to get back up.
Miss Joylin's Tyranitar and Rhyperior were incredibly fierce. In just a few moments, the Executive had already lost two Pokémon.
"Director Yoshijima, I'm here to help!" Miss Joylin shouted as she arrived on her Arcanine.
"Perfect timing, Miss Joylin! Let's capture this guy together!" Director Yoshijima replied.
"Right!" Miss Joylin agreed.
The two then began to command their Pokémon to surround the Executive's remaining team.
The Executive's face darkened, realizing the situation was dire. "Retreat! Everyone retreat!" he bellowed.
After shouting the order, he tried to recall his Pokémon, but they had all been struck down. Seeing this, he abandoned his other Pokémon and attempted to flee on his Aerodactyl.
However, Director Yoshijima desperately blocked his path. Suddenly, a frantic roar erupted from inside the cave.
A Fearow came flying out of the cavern. Eichi was startled—it was another Executive.
Following closely behind was Director Yanagi. The Fearow fled madly ahead while a Flygon chased after it with everything it had.
So, what exactly had happened? Going back five minutes into the cave hall...
After seeing Miss Joylin lead Eichi and the others out, Hiraoka knew they had lost their leverage. Furthermore, they had collected enough white iron ore. He had already planned to leave tonight even if the police hadn't arrived.
Now, his only thought was retreat. He and Director Yanagi had known each other for a long time. Years ago, their strength had been roughly equal, but after not seeing each other for several years, he found he could no longer keep up. He was reaching his limit.
Once the decision was made, he didn't hesitate. He pulled out his Poké Balls and recalled four of his Pokémon.
"Forretress, Self-Destruct!"