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Ariana's plan was sound at least in theory.
Kai's Pokémon had spread out to block every escape route, leaving him at a distance from most of them. No one would be able to intervene in time.
And Tyranitar's Hyper Beam… its destructive power was unquestionable. If it landed, Kai wouldn't just be injured he'd be vaporized.
What Ariana didn't know was that there was a reason only one Pokémon stayed by his side: his Gengar.
The Hyper Beam lanced toward him, the air itself warping from the searing energy.
Kai stood his ground, showing no fear.
Ariana's lips curled into a cruel grin. 'Overconfident fool… You won't even have time to regret it.'
The beam roared closer, close enough for Kai to feel the heat against his face.
He wanted to dodge, but Hyper Beam was far too wide and fast for a human to evade.
In the split second before impact, Gengar appeared in front of him, cackling darkly. A Shadow Ball swirled into existence between its claws, then shot forward to meet the Hyper Beam head-on.
BOOM!
The collision exploded in a blinding flash. The shockwave ripped across the battlefield, kicking up dust and forcing Ariana to shield her face.
When the light faded, Kai was still standing completely unharmed.
Gengar had absorbed the blast's full force, shielding him from harm.
Ariana's eyes widened. "Impossible…"
Hyper Beam could pulverize boulders, melt steel, level buildings, and yet a single Shadow Ball had canceled it out. That wasn't just skill; it was absurd.
The explosion's echo seemed to guide the police to their location. Sirens wailed closer until several patrol cars skidded to a halt at the edge of the lot.
Looker and Erika stepped out first. Before they could even take in the scene, two flashes of red light signaled Kai recalling a pair of his Pokémon.
Looker jogged over, relief washing over his face. "Still in one piece, I see."
Erika moved to Kai's side, scanning him from head to toe. "You're not hurt?"
Kai smiled. "I'll live. If anyone should be worried, it's those two." He nodded toward Ariana and Archer.
The lot swarmed with officers, their Pokémon replacing Kai's team in the encirclement. His own Pokémon withdrew at his signal, mission complete.
Looker turned to the Team Rocket executives. "Give it up. You're surrounded, and there's nowhere left to run."
But Ariana and Archer weren't the surrendering type. They called out orders, and their remaining Pokémon fought on. Still, against the sheer numbers and skill of the police's squad, even Tyranitar began to falter.
Crobat and Kabutops went down.
Lickitung and Vileplume collapsed soon after.
At last, Sneasel and Persian were subdued, and the fight was over.
Officers rushed in, clamping handcuffs onto both executives.
Kai exhaled slowly. It was done.
Without their Pokémon, no matter their rank, Rocket operatives were just ordinary people.
With Archer, Ariana, and Proton already behind bars, Team Rocket's power had been dealt another crushing blow. Giovanni remained at large, but with his command structure shattered, the days of Rocket ambushes seemed finally over.
The officers loaded the captured executives into the patrol cars. Looker issued a few quick instructions, then returned to Kai.
"Kai, I can't thank you enough for today."
Kai waved him off. With their friendship, formalities felt unnecessary.
Looker glanced at Erika, cleared his throat, and put an arm around Kai's shoulder to lead him aside.
"Just some friendly advice," he murmured. "Erika's a great woman, but so is Sabrina. Don't try to juggle both or you might end up with neither."
Kai nearly choked. "I'll… keep that in mind."
But in truth, he didn't have an answer. Letting go of Erika was out of the question, yet accepting her feelings meant figuring out what to do about Sabrina.
And that was a battle even he didn't know how to win.
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