Steven Stone!?
Inside the alley, Kashiwagi felt a wave of vertigo. He never expected the Hoenn Regional Champion to show up in Pyrite Town, let alone jump in to help them fight Team Cipher.
Was this a Deus ex Machina?
Regardless of what it was, Kashiwagi was ecstatic. He had been on the verge of a tactical retreat, and suddenly, a Champion had dropped from the sky to even the odds. Steven's Mega Metagross was a powerhouse capable of trading blows with Primal Kyogre—dealing with a bunch of Cipher goons would be like a walk in the park.
"Continue the withdrawal! Don't get distracted! Get the injured Pokémon and personnel out now! Move!"
Kashiwagi didn't lose his head. He sprinted out with Mawile to buy time for his comrades. He turned to Takeshi. "Go! Bring the people from the second defensive line! No more hiding! Launch the total counter-offensive! Do it now!"
"On it!" Takeshi snapped out of his daze and dashed off with his two Pokémon.
Kashiwagi followed close behind. Mawile, catching a Shadow Pokémon charging from the corner of its eye, whipped its massive jaw around like a sledgehammer, sending the attacker flying with a resounding thwack.
"Thanks!" Kashiwagi gave Mawile a thumbs-up and roared toward his Steelix, which had finally stopped its sandstorm: "Dig to your heart's content! I give you permission to tear this ground apart!"
A miniaturized Chansey darted through the chaos, sliding under the exhausted Steelix to use Heal Pulse. Feeling the surge of energy and hearing Kashiwagi's command, Steelix's eyes lit up. Its lower body coiled and surged; with a roar, its four horizontal steel ridges began to spin as it dived into the earth.
BOOM! It erupted from the ground seconds later, smashing through the Shadow Pokémon pursuing the retreating rebels and creating terrifying craters in the street.
Finally, Kashiwagi found Aggron in the middle of the fray. It was covering a group of retreating Pokémon. Seeing its trainer approach, it let out a fierce "GRON!"
"How are you holding up?" Kashiwagi checked its condition. Fortunately, Shadow Pokémon didn't use standard technical moves, meaning Aggron hadn't been hit by Ground or Fighting-type attacks. It was holding its own, though its stamina was clearly flagging.
Aggron gave its trainer a jagged, predatory grin and held up a claw: I can keep going.
"Good. Let's go!"
Kashiwagi leaped onto Aggron's back while Mawile stood atop its head. Mawile used Baton Pass, transferring its Iron Defense and Magnet Rise buffs directly to Aggron.
"Charge! Use Double-Edge! Let them taste that Rock Head!"
"ROAR—!!"
Aggron surged forward like an unstoppable freight train. Anything in its path—Cipher grunts or Shadow Pokémon—was tossed aside like ragdolls. Chansey, seeing the charge, sprinted forward with surprising agility, managing to grab onto Aggron's tail just as it reached a speed the Shadow Pokémon couldn't match.
"Lucky!" Chansey shouted, throwing up a Light Screen to deflect incoming projectiles. Aggron whipped its tail, tossing Chansey safely into Kashiwagi's arms.
"You're here too!" Kashiwagi laughed, patting Chansey's head. He looked at the carnage around them and the lunging Shadow Pokémon. "Perfect. It started with the four of us, and it ends with the four of us! It's time to blow the horn for the counter-attack! CHARGE—!!"
His voice mingled with Aggron's roar, echoing thunderously through the streets.
Hearing him, N stepped out from his hiding place. He looked at the Shadow Pokémon with profound pity, then raised his right hand toward the horizon.
"To protect our new home... ADVANCE—!!"
Behind N, an ocean of Pokémon—those he had liberated from the Underdome—poured out like a tidal wave.
Steven Stone, who was busy swatting away groups of Shadow Pokémon, heard their shouts. He saw Aggron with Kashiwagi on its back and N leading the charge of liberated Pokémon. A wide, genuine laugh escaped him.
"Hahaha! That's the spirit!"
Suddenly, the sky above erupted in a burst of light. Countless meteor-like spheres of energy rained down—not on them, but on the Cipher reinforcement positions elsewhere in the town.
"Looks like the Captain has made his entrance as well. Excellent!" Steven's smile didn't fade; he hadn't had a battle this exhilarating in a long time.
Even though his opponents were mere thugs, what truly excited him were the people fighting alongside him. Even without words, even though they were strangers, he could see it in their eyes.
The most heart-stirring battle in the world is when humans and Pokémon collaborate, moving toward a single goal with everything they have. When they give their all to protect something precious, a unique value and brilliance blooms.
To Steven, this was better than finding a rare gemstone hidden in a rock face. No... this was the most precious diamond of all—exactly what a stone collector like him cherished most!
"I suppose I should put in a little more effort too!" Steven reached into his pocket and tossed his remaining Poké Balls high into the air. In an instant, his Champion-level team emerged, roaring as they fell upon the Cipher ranks.
-----
The Underdome
Wes and his team finished securing the captured Cipher grunts. After N led the liberated Pokémon toward the surface, Wes tried to radio Kashiwagi, but got no response.
"Something happened on the surface. It's our turn to move!" Wes looked at the Agate Village trainers, who nodded in agreement.
But just as they were about to head up, they received a secure transmission from Ryuka: "It's time! Come to my position to switch gear. I'm sending you the coordinates!"
"Switch gear? What about Kashiwagi?"
"Kashiwagi has help! Just get over here! Every second counts!"
Wes and the others arrived at the designated location to find Yamamino, who had returned with an entire convoy of trucks.
"What are these!?"
"Reinforcements from Devon Corp", Yamamino said with a beaming smile. Before he could urge them to change into their new gear, a terrifying roar echoed in the distance. Thick beams of dark-purple energy cut through the sky, and where they touched the ground, pillars of fire erupted.
Then, one by one, Gyarados and Dragonite took to the skies from the outskirts.
Wes was stunned.
"Ah, those are the Dragon Tamers brought by Elite Four Drake," Yamamino's smile grew even more intense. "They're here to help—and apparently to find 'lost descendants' of theirs in this region. Come on, we don't have time to waste."
Wes and the others finally nodded, their faces alight with newfound hope.