Outside Geosenge Town, in the mountains.
Wikstrom stood at one side, with four Pokémon by his side.
Probopass, Klefki, Metagross, and Klinklang, together with Wikstrom, erased all traces of their presence using the Stealth Rock created by Probopass. Only when the enemy appeared did Wikstrom give the order to act.
In the next moment, based on the information they had studied beforehand, Probopass, Klefki, Metagross and Klinklang used their electromagnetic powers to interfere with most of the airship's functions. At the same time, countless Poké Balls began to fall, while a massive gravity field, jointly unleashed by Probopass, Metagross, and Klinklang, pressed down and the airship immediately sank rapidly.
While the strong lift of the airship and the gravity of the three Pokémon clashed with each other, Klefki moved.
Pink waves emanated from its body, transforming into countless chains that shot straight into the sky. Dozens of Fairy Locks merged into a single shackle, firmly adhering to the airship through electromagnetic force, further restricting its movements.
"Next comes the harvest."
Wikstrom casually tossed a Poké Ball, and in an instant, a red Pokémon appeared.
…
"Damn it, what's going on?!"
On the airship, the poachers turned pale as they watched a row of systems losing control. Furious, they pounded the buttons with their fists.
"Boss, the airship is out of control. At this rate it's going to sink!"
A blue-haired female Trainer stared at the middle-aged man in front, gritting her teeth: "We must retreat. This time, the League set us up."
The middle-aged leader glanced at the situation below through the display screen and said, "It's also possible we were set up by Boss Giovanni."
"This airship's configuration is known only to Team Rocket. For the enemy to perfectly block our attacks, defenses, self-destruction and escape functions, the chances are far too small. When did the League develop such technology?"
After voicing this suspicion, the leader of the poacher gang ground his teeth in anger. He had once been a security officer at a Team Rocket's research base. To pursue his ambitions, he had lain low for twenty years. When he first joined Team Rocket, he had great ambitions and gave his loyalty, but the previous boss of Team Rocket stubbornly refused to give him any chance to realize them. That was when his discontent slowly began to grow.
The moment the airship's functions were disabled, he immediately suspected that Team Rocket had leaked their data to the League. Only that could explain why the blockade against them had proceeded so smoothly. Otherwise, with ordinary means alone, it would have been impossible to stop their airship.
Moreover, only Team Rocket had the influence to negotiate with the League. As one of the world's top Trainers, and simultaneously a core executive of Silph Co.—the global commercial powerhouse that leads Pokémon-world manufacturing technology and produces the majority of equipment used by Trainers—Giovanni's status means the League, even knowing he is the true boss behind Team Rocket, dares not move against him lightly. As the underground organization with the largest armed forces, if the League fails to handle Team Rocket properly, it could plunge an entire region into turmoil.
Giovanni's methods gave him immense power in both business and the underworld, all while retaining the legal identity of a Gym Leader. The poacher gang's leader had to admit: Giovanni was the most terrifying man he had ever met. He feared that if he remained in Team Rocket, he would never rise to prominence. And so, in the end, he resolved to defect.
"That man is far more terrifying than anyone can imagine. Sooner or later, Silph Co. and the League will be played in the palm of his hand. Working with Giovanni is nothing less than asking a tiger for its skin." As he spoke, the leader of the poacher gang looked at the airship's systems, which were steadily deteriorating, and his expression changed: "Give the order to abandon the airship. We'll leave using the escape pods. Regroup at the Kalos Z17 base, avoid engaging the Kalos League at all costs if you can escape."
"Yes, Boss!"
With the order given, the middle-aged leader's face looked weary. Ever since breaking away from Team Rocket, he had received two warrants for his arrest, so he had been moving carefully the whole time. He never expected that in the end, it would be the collusion between the League and Team Rocket that would ultimately drive them into this desperate situation.
…
Beneath the sky.
Countless Trainers looked at the Poké Balls falling everywhere, unable to tell which ones were their own. The place became even more chaotic.
While Officer Jenny organized the crowd to remain calm, she looked up at the massive airship that was restrained by Fairy Lock, gravity field, and electromagnetic force, and let out a deep breath.
Soon, a change occurred. The airship, which was being pulled down by the combined forces of three powers, opened all its escape passages, and countless escape pods scattered away in every direction. But, restricted by the gravity field and electromagnetic force, the poachers still faced significant constraints during their escape, even though these forces were not primarily targeting them.
This restriction provided the special task force an excellent chance to counterattack. Among them, one figure was the most active.
A young man dressed in white ceremonial robes, smiling calmly, stood with an Alolan Ninetales at his side. As Ninetales swung its tails, countless ice mirrors appeared in the air.
"Ninetales, Dazzling Gleam."
With that command, endless beams of light shot out, reflected and accelerated through the mirrors, turning into a storm of indiscriminate light beams that mercilessly swept over the fleeing poachers. With just his and Ninetales's strength, they restricted over half of the poachers, a scene that stunned the special task force agents watching below.
"Senior Wikstrom, I'll be taking the credit for this one."
The Elite Four candidate, Blue, laughed toward the armored Wikstrom, who stood steadily atop his Metagross through electromagnetic force and Confusion, and beside him, there was a red figure in the sky.
"Don't let them escape."
At this moment, the poacher gang could no longer care about anything else. All at once, they threw out their Poké Balls, prepared to abandon their Pokémon if necessary just to escape the League's grasp.
If captured, what awaited them was permanent imprisonment. Compared to that, even the slightest chance of escape was worth seizing.
"Give up your struggle. You're nothing more than a rabble." Wikstrom shouted, as Scizor turned into a crimson blur, darting swiftly through the rain of light beams. With Bullet Punch, it smashed apart one escape pod after another, moving so fast that onlookers could only see flashes of light.
Wikstrom and Blue together completely suppressed the poacher gang. The special task force on the ground, unable to intervene in the battle, instead became caretakers for the Trainers, working with Officer Jenny to maintain order and monitor the battle to prevent anyone from slipping away.
Moments later, the poacher gang was nearly annihilated. The special task force rushed over, binding the fallen poachers, while Wikstrom's steel-type Pokémon, working together, dragged the massive airship down from the sky, sealing it completely.
At the same time, however, a special task force agent ran over in a panic to report to Wikstrom and Blue: "After counting heads, we found two missing. They must have stayed inside the airship at the start, then used the chaos to slip away."
"Don't worry. I've already sealed this entire area. Except for Ninetales, all my Pokémon are stationed around the perimeter," Blue replied.
Just then, a Scyther flew over and relayed two pieces of information to Blue. His expression changed as he said, "One poacher was captured trying to flee deeper into the mountains, but another used a special device to slip past my Pokémon's blockade and is fleeing towards Geosenge Town."
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