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The Flamethrower attack itself wouldn't have caused significant damage to Magmar under normal circumstances, but after being reflected and amplified by Houndoom's Counter technique, its power had doubled considerably. Even Blaine's experienced Fire-type was forced to retreat under the overwhelming pressure of its own redirected flames.
At that precise moment, Arbok's tail, gleaming with the metallic sheen of Iron Tail, struck toward Wartortle with deadly precision. Green watched this development unfold with steely determination in her eyes, her mind racing to formulate a counterattack.
"Wartortle, use Bite!"
After successfully deflecting the previous Sludge Bomb attack, Green immediately issued her next command. Upon hearing its trainer's voice, Wartortle's spinning motion came to an abrupt halt. Its limbs and head emerged from the protective shell as it lunged forward, clamping its powerful jaws around Arbok's metallic tail.
The collision of opposing forces created a momentary stalemate. Wartortle's bite grip held firm against Arbok's Iron Tail, successfully neutralizing the immediate threat and preventing what could have been a devastating blow.
"Use Slam!" Ariana, observing this defensive maneuver, wasn't about to let the opportunity slip away and immediately shouted her follow-up command to Arbok.
Upon receiving the order, Arbok immediately shifted its offensive strategy. The serpent Pokémon lifted Wartortle's entire body into the air using its powerful tail, then brought the Turtle Pokémon crashing down against the rocky cave floor with tremendous force.
The incredible impact sent shockwaves through Wartortle's body, causing visible pain, but the determined Pokémon refused to release its grip on Arbok's tail.
"Again!" Seeing that Wartortle still maintained its stubborn hold, Ariana commanded another assault. Arbok raised its tail once more, lifting Wartortle high above the ground in preparation for another devastating slam.
"Wartortle, let go!" Green had no choice but to order her Pokémon to release its grip before sustaining even more severe injuries.
However, even after Wartortle had released its bite, the momentum from Arbok's movement sent it flying through the air. Recognizing the dangerous situation, Green quickly grabbed another Poké Ball from her belt.
"Ivysaur, use Vine Whip to catch Wartortle!" The Seed Pokémon materialized from its Poké Ball and immediately extended its vines, creating a safety net that successfully caught the airborne Wartortle before it could crash into the cave walls.
"Weezing, use Hyper Beam!"
Petrel seized this moment of distraction to launch a devastating attack directly toward Green's position. Compared to battling Blaine, the Team Rocket executives clearly recognized that the experienced gym leader posed a greater threat, so they focused their combined assault on the seemingly more vulnerable trainer.
"Rapidash, use Fire Spin!"
Blaine detected their tactical shift and immediately moved to protect Green with everything he had. Drawing another Poké Ball, he released his majestic Rapidash, which appeared in a burst of flames and immediately began generating a spiraling tornado of fire.
The flaming vortex intercepted the destructive Hyper Beam that was racing toward Green's location. The two powerful attacks collided in mid-air, creating a spectacular display of opposing energies.
The collision produced an earth-shaking explosion that filled the entire cave with thick, choking smoke and sent powerful shockwaves rippling in all directions.
Green's Ivysaur and the recently rescued Wartortle managed to brace themselves against the intense airflow generated by the explosive impact.
Through the swirling smoke, another Weezing suddenly emerged like a specter, rushing directly toward the position where Wartortle and Ivysaur were recovering from the previous assault.
Green's expression shifted with alarm as she recognized the incoming threat, while Petrel's face twisted into a cruel sneer of anticipation from his elevated position.
"Weezing, use Explosion!"
The Poison Gas Pokémon let out a haunting cry upon receiving the command. Its spherical body began to emit an increasingly brilliant light as it prepared for its ultimate sacrificial attack, but Green found herself caught completely off-guard by this ruthless tactic.
"Look out!" Blaine shouted his warning, but his words came too late to make any difference.
BANG! BOOM!
The devastating explosion erupted with incredible force, and Green instinctively stepped backward. Despite maintaining some distance from the blast epicenter, she could still feel the tremendous power washing over her in waves of heat and pressure.
However, Ivysaur and Wartortle bore the full brunt of the explosion's destructive force. Both Pokémon were hurled through the air by the tremendous blast, their bodies tumbling helplessly before crashing to the ground. As the smoke and debris began to settle, a massive crater marked the spot where the explosion had occurred.
The sacrificial Weezing lay motionless at the bottom of the crater, completely unconscious and unable to continue battling.
Green's Ivysaur and Wartortle had also collapsed on the rocky ground nearby. This same devastating tactic had been used against Ash during a previous encounter. While Ash had possessed the experience and quick thinking necessary to defend against such an attack, Green had been unprepared for Team Rocket's complete lack of honor in battle.
Blaine silently reproached himself for forgetting to warn Green that these criminals had no moral boundaries when it came to achieving their objectives. Green quickly regained her composure and rushed toward her fallen Pokémon.
"Ivysaur! Wartortle!"
She called out to them anxiously, kneeling beside their still forms.
"Ivysaur, use Synthesis! Wartortle, return!"
Ivysaur's condition appeared significantly better than Wartortle's - the Seed Pokémon remained conscious despite its injuries. However, Wartortle had sustained serious damage from the explosion, forcing Green to recall it to its Poké Ball for safety.
Upon hearing its trainer's command, Ivysaur raised its head with determination. The flower bulb on its back began to emit a gentle green glow, and healing light enveloped its entire body. The visible injuries began to slowly mend themselves, though Synthesis could only provide partial recovery rather than complete restoration of its strength.
"How remarkably resilient!" Petrel frowned with irritation as he observed this recovery. He retrieved his own Poké Ball and recalled his unconscious Weezing without ceremony, cursing internally at having lost one of his Pokémon in the exchange.
"It doesn't matter - we've already accomplished our primary objective anyway!"
Archer's voice cut through the tension as he directed everyone's attention skyward. Above them, a Team Rocket helicopter hovered with a mechanical cable extending downward, connected to a specialized containment device on the cavern floor.
Both Green and Blaine immediately realized something was terribly wrong. They watched in horror as the cable began retracting slowly upward, lifting a transparent containment sphere that held the legendary Moltres prisoner. The magnificent Fire-type appeared completely drained of strength, unable to resist its capture as it was gradually pulled toward the waiting aircraft.
"Moltres!" Green's expression transformed with shock and dismay. She had been so focused on the immediate battle that she had failed to notice Team Rocket's true plan unfolding nearby. The cable was retracting rapidly now, and Moltres would soon be completely secured within the helicopter.
"We won't let you succeed!"
Blaine prepared to launch a counterattack, but at that critical moment, countless dark silhouettes began descending from the sky above. The entire airspace became filled with overwhelming numbers of flying Pokémon, causing both Blaine and Green's expressions to change dramatically.
Numerous Zubat swarmed through the air in a coordinated assault, while below them, Petrel's remaining Weezing, Archer's Houndoom, and Ariana's Arbok formed an impenetrable circle around the two defenders and their Pokémon.
Additional Team Rocket members had arrived as reinforcements, each bringing their own complement of Pokémon. As standard members of the criminal organization, virtually every grunt possessed several Zubat among their team. When released simultaneously, their combined numbers created an absolutely overwhelming aerial blockade.
"Damn it!" Green clenched her fists unconsciously as she surveyed the hopeless situation, her mind desperately searching for any possible strategy to overcome such overwhelming odds.
"Pikachu! Pika Papow!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out across the cavern, cutting through the chaos like a beacon of hope. High above in the sky, everyone could see a yellow figure plummeting downward, with crackling electricity surrounding its small form. As onlookers gazed upward, brilliant lightning filled their vision with dazzling intensity.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Dark storm clouds gathered rapidly overhead, and powerful lightning bolts began striking down from the heavens. The massive electrical assault directly targeted the overwhelming swarm of Zubat that had been dominating the airspace above the battlefield.
The descending lightning strikes then began converging toward a central point, forming what appeared to be an enormous cage of pure electrical energy. The attack came so suddenly and with such devastating effect that Archer quickly signaled for Houndoom to retreat to safety.
However, both Petrel and Ariana reacted a split second too slowly to the rapidly changing situation. As the lightning bolts converged toward the center of the formation, they condensed into an incredibly thick column of pure electrical energy. Both Petrel's Weezing and Ariana's Arbok found themselves trapped within the thunderous pillar of power.
The amazing beam of concentrated electricity stretched from the cavern floor all the way up to the storm clouds above. From outside the volcano, it would appear as though lightning itself was erupting directly from the mountain's peak, announcing the arrival of a powerful new combatant to the battlefield.