Tabitha and Courtney felt a bitter taste in their mouths, a stark realization of their precarious situation. But they couldn't retreat now, not when they had come so far. It wasn't solely about what would happen to the unconscious Team Magma and Team Aqua members lying behind them if they fell back. It was just that if they retreated now, all the ground they had painstakingly covered would be lost again, a devastating setback. Every minute they delayed, the danger to the overall mission and their teams increased exponentially, a heavy weight on their shoulders.
Bang, bang—
The two lost two more of their Pokémon, the recoil from the faints jarring their bodies. For them, the impact was already significant, a severe blow to their fighting capabilities. They were definitely going to war with the League later, and if all their Pokémon lost their combat capability, then they wouldn't even be able to protect themselves, let alone fight effectively in the coming battles. Who knew if they would end up in the hands of the League or be seized by the executives behind them who had long coveted their positions, a political danger as real as the physical one. The thought of retreating resurfaced, more tempting now than before.
However, just as they were about to take out their Poké Balls and recall their remaining Pokémon, two authoritative voices sounded from behind them, cutting through the din of battle. Hearing these two voices, their hands paused, and they immediately felt a little relieved, a surge of hope returning.
"Mightyena, use Foul Play! Camerupt, use Flamethrower! Crobat, use Air Slash!" Maxie commanded, his voice sharp and clear.
"Sharpedo, use Ice Fang! Crawdaunt, use Crabhammer! Walrein, use Aurora Beam!" Archie roared, his voice booming through the cavern.
Maxie and Archie rushed forward, each commanding three Pokémon. They had finally made it to the front from the rear, pushing through their own ranks to confront the threat head-on. They had originally thought it would be a simple surprise attack, reaching the cave before the League could react, and then as long as they held the position, with the League's usual cautiousness, they would never dare to force a breakthrough at the cost of huge losses. Sending Tabitha and Courtney with the vanguard was already a cautious decision made by Maxie, a testament to his strategic mind. Otherwise, given Archie's more impulsive personality, a head-on charge would definitely have been his first and only choice.
But they hadn't expected such an unexpected and powerful situation to arise. Seeing the unknown Pokémon that was so effectively suppressing Tabitha and Courtney, with their keen eyesight, they naturally recognized Kommo-o's immense strength. It was Champion-level! And not just newly Champion-level! Its power was palpable. None of their own Pokémon were individually stronger than Kommo-o. They could only rely on the advantage of numbers to barely push Kommo-o back little by little, a slow and arduous process.
Kommo-o also felt a bit uncomfortable, pressured by the coordinated assault. There was nothing he could do; although the opponents were individually weaker than him, they had a significant numerical advantage, and their coordination under the Trainers' commands was excellent. This was where wild Pokémon, even powerful ones, were often at a disadvantage when fighting Pokémon with experienced Trainers directing their every move. Although Kommo-o had been captured by Aoki, he had not received any formal training from him, or rather, Aoki's current ability was not yet sufficient to train him and improve his strength to its fullest potential. Without that dedicated training, he couldn't fully understand complex battle strategies, and there was no one to command him in this battle. Fortunately, Kommo-o's own strength was very strong, and his combat awareness had been honed in countless wild battles. Aoki's command might not even be able to fully utilize his raw power and instinct.
However, Maxie and Archie's expressions were a bit grim as they assessed the scene. They hadn't even started fighting the main League force yet, and they had already suffered such significant losses to their vanguard. And when they saw that there were only two opponents holding them back, and they were both young men, Maxie and Archie's expressions became even uglier, a mix of anger and embarrassment. They had thought they had encountered seasoned veterans like Steven, who had been blocking them, but they hadn't expected it to be just two young fellows, and familiar ones at that. Although they were relying on a Champion-level Pokémon, it was still very embarrassing for the two team leaders to be held at bay.
"Leave them behind," Maxie said in a low, dangerous voice. He remembered exactly who the two were: Aoki and Steven, whose potential he had always been wary of and saw as a future threat.
Archie narrowed his eyes, immediately understanding Maxie's meaning. Although attacking young people didn't quite fit his boisterous personality, he was not a person with much of a moral bottom line to begin with, especially when the success of his ambitions was on the line.
Tabitha and Courtney immediately understood the unspoken order and were about to redirect their remaining Pokémon to attack Aoki and Steven directly, bypassing the powerful Kommo-o.
"Roar!!!"
Kommo-o was enraged by this tactic. He had been completely ignored! He tilted his head back and spat out a deep yellow energy ball high into the air. Upon reaching its apex, it immediately scattered, transforming into numerous meteor-like fireballs that rained down upon the battlefield!
Draco Meteor!
Tabitha and Courtney, who had just been about to attack, immediately changed their expressions, their eyes widening in alarm. They retreated again, forced to focus on defense, their commands shifting to protect their Pokémon from the devastating shower of draconic energy.
However, this counterattack made them realize that Kommo-o was fiercely trying to protect Aoki and Steven, making them hesitant to fight all out without considering the guardian dragon. They could only retreat and fight slowly, a war of attrition they couldn't afford!
But it was enough. Such a large, combined force of Team Magma and Team Aqua was being effectively held back by just two people, Aoki and Steven, and their single, powerful Pokémon.
As Aoki and Steven slowly retreated, using Kommo-o's immense power to strategically hold back the enemy, Steven and the others, who had received the message, were already on their way, rushing to their aid. Bringing a large force, however, made their overall speed much slower, a necessary trade-off for having sufficient backup.
Fortunately, on the way, they encountered the scouts who had been sent away by Slowking and learned the crucial information left by Aoki and Steven from them.
"Nonsense!" Steven's expression was grim, his jaw tight with concern for his friend and the situation.
But he still turned to Phoebe and said, "Phoebe, you lead the main force forward. I'll go ahead!" His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Phoebe also knew the extreme seriousness of the situation and nodded without speaking, her usual playful demeanor gone, replaced by a look of steely determination.
"I'll go too," Norman, who was beside them, also said, stepping forward. His experience and strength would be invaluable.
Steven glanced at him and didn't refuse; Norman's proven strength was obvious to all and a welcome addition to the rescue effort.
Roxanne and Wallace, who had received urgent orders, did not rush directly to the alarm location but instead returned to rendezvous with the League's main force. They now played a very important role in the League's forces, each leading a certain number of troops. They no longer shouted about going together as they had at first, driven by pure impulse. Although they were deeply anxious, they had to be responsible for their subordinates and bear the command responsibilities they needed to bear. This newfound composure was how they finally looked like true strong individuals and leaders.
Steven summoned his powerful Salamence and, along with Norman, rushed towards Aoki's last known position at top speed, the wind whipping past them.
Although Kommo-o was incredibly strong, he was ultimately just one Pokémon, and he had to protect the stationary Aoki and Steven, making him somewhat hesitant and uncomfortable in battle, unable to unleash his full, devastating offensive potential.
"Kommo-o, let's retreat!" Aoki suddenly shouted to his Pokémon, making a strategic decision.
"Roar!!!" Kommo-o roared angrily, somewhat unwilling to give ground, but he still quickly disengaged and retreated according to Aoki's command, falling back to their position.
"What's wrong?" Steven asked as he retreated alongside Aoki, his eyes scanning the advancing enemy forces.
Aoki's mouth curved upwards into a slight, knowing smile, "Reinforcements are here."
Hearing this, Steven's eyes lit up with relief and renewed vigor. They finally arrived!
"Later, the League might not have an immediate advantage in high-end combat power against both teams. Tabitha and Courtney's strength has been severely depleted from fighting Kommo-o. How about you and I each take one of them on and help the Elite Four members share the pressure?" Aoki proposed, already planning their next move.
Steven pondered for a second, his gaze settling on the two Team Magma admins, and said, "I choose the man!" Although they were all enemies, if Steven had to choose, he would definitely choose to face the male admin, a straightforward decision.
Aoki didn't argue with the choice, simply nodding, "Okay!" He would take on Courtney then.
The two trainers retreated to the tunnel entrance, and behind it was the relative safety of the larger cave system. Just then, Steven and Norman rushed out from the League's side of the tunnel, their arrival timely and decisive. They saw Aoki and Steven retreating to the very edge of the tunnel, holding the line. Their expressions immediately relaxed upon seeing the two were still standing. It was good that they were fine. As long as they were unharmed, any other losses could be recovered in time. But the next scene, seeing the massive combined force of Team Magma and Team Aqua held back by this small group, left them somewhat dumbfounded.