Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

Last December Double Drop!

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Matori's reinforcements may have given Team Rocket a temporary boost.

But, no matter how much they regroup, it's hard to hold ground when your teammates are reckless.

With Carr stirring up trouble on one side and Sachi harboring ulterior motives on the other, the slim advantage Team Rocket had regained was instantly lost.

Lorelei continued to pursue Carr, using her Lapras and Jynx to keep him on the run.

Lance's Dragonite shattered the magical leaves Matori had summoned to block its way with a single Fire Punch.

Orm took advantage of the opening, directing his Shuckle army to press forward.

"Dragonite, Dragon Pulse!" Lance commanded.

"Rooooaaar!"

Dragonite took a deep breath and unleashed a Dragon Pulse towards the swarm of Shuckles.

Orm patted the Shuckle on his shoulder and gave the command, "Dig, then Withdraw!"

In an instant, the Shuckles burrowed underground, pulling into their shells.

Dragon Pulse blasted over the ground, tearing it apart.

However, as the attack was absorbed by the layers of soil, its impact was drastically reduced, barely scratching the Shuckles' durable shells.

Poking their heads out of the ground, they appeared almost unscathed.

Orm ordered, "Toxic!"

When it comes to a tanky Pokémon like Shuckle, poisoning the opponent is always the ideal tactic.

Lance directed Dragonite to evade.

From Orm's movements, Lance noticed a peculiar detail. Each time Orm issued a command, he had to tap the Shuckle on his head.

"So he's using that Shuckle on his shoulder to command the others?"

It made sense. Human abilities have limits—it's nearly impossible to command so many Pokémon with perfect coordination alone.

However, despite realizing this, Lance had no intention of bypassing the Shuckles to directly attack Orm.

"Too much hassle. Dragonite, get airborne!"

Seeing the horde of Shuckles closing in again, Dragonite scrunched up its adorable face and, following Lance's orders, flapped its wings and soared skyward.

Vanishing into the heavens.

"What is he planning...?" Orm muttered, puzzled.

Before he could fully process Lance's strategy, the sky erupted in a series of sonic booms.

A streak of yellow flashed, moving even faster than the shockwaves.

Dragonite descended like a meteor from above!

"Mega Punch!"

Boom!

In a breathtaking dive, Dragonite struck the ground at the center of the Shuckle swarm with a mighty punch.

As it plummeted, the impact unleashed a shockwave that ripped apart the earth in a wide radius.

The Shuckles hiding underground were exposed to the open air.

"Now's the chance! Charizard, Flamethrower!"

With a swift motion, Charizard swept its tail to fend off a Banette, slightly tilted its head, then unleashed a fierce jet of flame.

The Shuckles, still dazed from Dragonite's powerful blow, barely had time to withdraw into their shells before being hit directly by the Flamethrower.

The flames scorched the battlefield.

Even with Shuckle's impressive defenses, Charizard's strength was several levels beyond theirs.

Those unable to withdraw quickly enough lost the ability to fight in seconds.

"Shuckle! Curse it all!"

Orm's face contorted with anguish. Unlike Carr, he viewed his Shuckles as family.

Seeing so many of them injured was genuinely painful for him.

The other Team Rocket members were also witnessing this scene.

Though they couldn't match an Elite Four in strength, the elite Team Rocket members could still gauge the tide of battle.

With more than half of Orm's Shuckles out of commission and the rest severely injured, relying on them to stall Dragonite was no longer feasible.

Realizing this, the League Trainers were reinvigorated, their morale soaring.

The shift in momentum was obvious; Team Rocket's ranks began to crumble under the pressure.

"The Sevii Islands Division is finished..."

Every Team Rocket member present understood this grim reality, and Matori did too.

For those who had lost their fighting spirit, staying any longer would only lead to being gradually overwhelmed by the League's forces.

Matori was a decisive leader.

Or perhaps, for the sake of not allowing the entire Sevii Islands Division to be decimated under her command, she had to be.

Just as she gritted her teeth, prepared to sacrifice a portion of her team to cover the escape of the officers carrying Rocket's secrets—

Whoosh!

A distant roar cut through the air.

A figure riding on a Dragapult appeared on the horizon, rapidly closing the distance.

In the gleeful gazes of Matori and her allies, Dragapult accelerated, coming ever closer.

"He's here!"

Even Carr, who despised Luo Yan, couldn't help but crack a smile.

Lance also noticed the arrival. He looked at the Dragapult, initially frowning, then smirking.

"The Tech Hunter..."

He'd never met this "Tech Hunter" in person.

But the Tech Hunter's raid on the St. Anne within Kanto's waters, where he'd stolen a large stockpile of Mega Stones, was a direct insult to the Kanto League.

It had even affected Lance's promotion to Champion.

In a way, they had a score to settle.

So... if he could capture this figure, the achievement would undoubtedly bolster his standing as Champion!

Both to settle the grudge and to reap the rewards, Lance wasted no words and signaled Dragonite with a swift command, "Ice Punch!"

Dragonite, having developed an instinctive bond with Lance after so many years, instantly understood his intentions.

Its claws clenched, cold energy enveloping its fist as it swooped forward to strike Dragapult.

Simultaneously, Lance gestured towards his Aerodactyl.

It locked eyes on Dragapult, baring sharp fangs, ready to lunge should Dragapult evade Dragonite's punch.

And if that happened, it would grab hold, delivering a devastating blow to Dragapult.

Lance felt confident in his preparations; even if Dragapult avoided Aerodactyl's attack, he was ready with follow-up tactics to keep control of the battle.

However, events didn't unfold as he expected.

In his line of sight, Dragapult showed no sign of dodging.

It soared straight toward Dragonite's fist!

"What's happening?"

"Is he planning to sacrifice himself?"

"No way! Seriously?"

The observing trainers could hardly comprehend the Tech Hunter's reasoning.

That's an Ice Punch!

And from Lance's Dragonite, no less.

Doesn't he know his Dragon-type Dragapult could be one-shotted?

While confusion filled the onlookers' faces—

Luo Yan, from behind his mask, let a small smile slip, subtly pressing the Master Ball in his hand.

In an instant, a red-and-blue figure appeared.

Its banded arms crossed in front of it, as a Reflective Barrier shimmered, metal glinting across its body like a steel wall shielding Dragapult from the oncoming Ice Punch.

Thud!

The cold-tinged fist struck the Reflective Barrier, penetrating it and colliding with the steel-like defense.

Ice began to form.

Bang!

The red-and-blue figure braced, taking the full force of Dragonite's Ice Punch without flinching!

Its unfeeling gaze sent chills down the spines of every witness.

"What kind of Pokémon... is this?!"

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