Without even being able to put up a decent resistance, it was smashed alive and forcefully into the ground, until not even a complete corpse could be found.
"..."
"..."
All the Magma Team members present, including that Squad Leader, were completely petrified.
Their mouths hung open, their eyes wide and round, as they stared blankly at the pile of rocks that was still seeping dark red blood; their minds were a complete blank.
That was the Squad Leader's ace!
A Camerupt that could unleash powerful strength even in the rain!
Just like that... gone?
By a single move... Rock Slide?
How is this possible! What kind of monster is this!
Krokorok shook the mud off its claws and gave a disdainful snort.
The power of the Life Orb made it slightly weary, but the thrill of consecutive victories and the boost in strength kept its fighting spirit high.
It turned its head, scanning the remaining humans with its crimson eyes, as if choosing its next toy.
Swept by its gaze, several Magma Team members shuddered in fear, their legs giving way as they collapsed into the muddy water, lacking even the strength to stand up.
Just then, the despairing Squad Leader suddenly caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye.
At the end of the distant curtain of rain, on the edge of the blurry forest, several swaying figures appeared!
It was the Magma Team uniform!
They were rushing over here quickly!
The Squad Leader whipped his head around, staring fixedly in that direction, as if to sear those figures onto his retinas.
He recognized them; those were the other two teams responsible for patrolling this area!
They were less than three hundred meters away!
And by the looks of it, they had clearly noticed the sounds of battle here and were providing support at full speed!
Saved!
A surge of ecstasy shot from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, instantly dispelling all the fear in the Squad Leader's heart.
"Haha..."
He couldn't help but laugh; his laughter grew louder and more frenzied, filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and the malice of impending revenge.
At the same time, Ariel also noticed the movement in the distance.
His vision far exceeded that of ordinary people; even in this kind of weather, he could clearly see the two Magma Team squads arriving.
He frowned slightly.
Two squads meant at least six more enemies and more than six Pokémon.
Although with Weavile and Krokorok's current state, dealing with them wouldn't be difficult, this place was too close to the Weather Institute.
If he were delayed and the main force in the institute heard the news and rushed over, that would be real trouble.
There was no need to waste time with a bunch of small fry here.
"Let's go."
Ariel gestured to Weavile and Krokorok and turned to leave.
Meanwhile, the Squad Leader was still immersed in the ecstasy of approaching reinforcements, completely failing to notice Ariel's movements.
He only felt his spine stiffen again, his confidence restored.
He whipped around, pointing his finger in Ariel's direction, a twisted and hideous grin on his face as he bellowed:
"Haha! You're finished! Our reinforcements are here! You're surrounded! You won't escape today even if you had wings! Just wait to be captured and fed to Lord Groudon!"
His voice echoed in the rain, full of the arrogance of a petty man who had gotten his way.
However, the panicked expression he had anticipated from the opponent did not appear.
The only response was the "pitter-patter" of rain and the "whooshing" of the wind through the forest.
The smile on the Squad Leader's face froze.
He took two steps forward and looked closely.
Hmm?
Where is he?
The young man who had been standing there just a moment ago, along with those two nightmare-inducing Pokémon, had... just vanished into thin air.
Leaving behind only the muddy ground, several cold corpses of Mightyena, and the rocky grave burying the Camerupt.
In the air, there seemed to be a faint, lingering scent of... electric arcs?
The Squad Leader's mouth was still shaped in a wide laugh, but the expression on his face had completely frozen.
"Where... where did he go?"
The Squad Leader, leading a few defeated soldiers, fled back to the Weather Institute in a sorry state.
Inside the institute, the white walls that originally belonged to the League researchers were now covered in messy graffiti by the Magma Team.
The air was thick with the moisture of rain, the smell of sweat, and the burnt scent of overloaded machinery, all mixed together in a nauseating way.
A few idle members leaned against the corners yawning; seeing the Squad Leader's group all drenched, they cast several gloating looks.
The Squad Leader ignored them; his mind was now entirely occupied with how to explain things to his superiors.
Just as he turned a corner in the corridor, he froze.
Ahead, a tall figure stood facing a massive Weather Control Device, his crimson uniform particularly striking in the dim light.
The person just stood there silently, but the pressure around him was terrifyingly low.
It's Lord Tabitha!
The Squad Leader's heart skipped a beat.
Tabitha seemed to hear the movement behind him and slowly turned around.
There wasn't much expression on his face, but the suppressed rage in his eyes was like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.
Ever since that mysterious ore at Mt. Chimney was snatched away right under his nose by a kid named Ariel, Tabitha had been like this.
The cold shoulder from his superior Tabitha, the mockery of his colleagues, the vanishing of his promotion—each and every incident had turned into deep-seated hatred, seared into his heart.
"What happened? Why are you in such a sorry state?"
Tabitha's voice was flat, revealing no emotion.
But to the Squad Leader, this plain greeting sounded like immense concern.
He instantly felt that Lord Tabitha still valued him! Otherwise, why would he take the initiative to care about a lowly Squad Leader like himself?
A surge of blood rushed to his head, a mix of survival instinct and a desire to show off forming a peculiar confidence.
He took a step forward, puffed out his chest, and squeezed out what he thought was a proper smile.
"Reporting to my Lord! I have one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. I wonder which one you would like to hear first?