Deep within a certain cave in Mt. Coronet, Heatran stared mockingly at the "crowd" that had suddenly barged in.
Just as Cyn-chan had predicted, humans really did love fighting among themselves.
They had all come for him, and yet here he was, still standing unharmed, while they had already started attacking one another.
But wasn't that just underestimating his strength…?
The more Heatran thought about it, the more annoyed he became. He really wanted to unleash a Magma Storm… but the next moment, Cyn-chan's repeated reminders surfaced in his mind.
'Forget it. Better listen to Cyn-chan. I'll just watch the show!' Heatran, who had just risen up, instantly slumped back down, then began using Metal Sound all on his own.
The so-called strange radio waves said to be connected to Regigigas were actually just Heatran's Metal Sound…
Because Heatran, as a Legendary Pokémon born of flame, was extremely rare and poorly understood by humans, the underground forces had taken the bait.
And now, with the three major criminal factions watching Heatran use Metal Sound again -producing those very signals they had been obsessing over- it was like being slapped in the face!
After another round of mutual ridicule, driven by a few scheming individuals, the three factions once again broke out into chaotic fighting.
Eventually, after at least half of each side's combat force had been worn down… the factions suddenly realized…
Heatran was gone!
Even without Regigigas, Heatran was still a Legendary Pokémon. If they couldn't get the big prize, they weren't about to give up the small one too!
But after digging through every inch of the area and finding no trace of Heatran, they were forced to cool down.
Looking at the few forces they had left, the three factions began to sense that something wasn't right.
They knew the Sinnoh League had already set up an ambush at the base of the mountain, but compared to the temptation of the Legendary Pokémon Regigigas, they had chosen to take the risk.
But now? Forget Regigigas. Heatran had vanished too…
This reeked of a setup!
The three factions might be enemies among themselves, but the League was their shared enemy.
Now the League was trying to take them all down in one swoop, clearly not treating them as a real threat.
Battle was inevitable!
If the three factions broke out together, their losses could be kept to a minimum.
But cooperation…
Was never going to happen!
In fact, they all instinctively chose different directions to break through; each determined not to give the others a chance for a backstab.
---◓---
Elsewhere, Sato and his team had already been lying in wait behind the soldiers for nearly half an hour, but still hadn't received any updates.
The communications officer had been maintaining contact with the other assault units. The moment any breakout from the underground forces was detected, they would immediately close in. No questions asked!
If the enemy split up, they would split their offense.
If the enemy grouped up, they would surround them and crush them like a gyoza filling!
No one knew how long they had waited, but at last, the Vespiquen on standby began to stir. It immediately transmitted a message to its Trainer.
"Captain, report! The Hunter Guild is charging in our direction! Their breakout point is 1.2 kilometers to the west. Concentrated assault!"
"Hurry! Announce the breakout point and call for reinforcements! Get everyone nearby moving ASAP!"
"YES, SIR!"
"Leader Sato, looks like we're the unlucky ones. The Hunter Guild picked a concentrated breakout, so we must delay them until reinforcements arrive!"
"Don't worry. Leave it to me."
"Then I'm counting on you!" Clarke nodded at Sato with full sincerity, then immediately sent out a Staraptor.
In the next moment, aside from the communications officer still transmitting the distress signal, everyone else sent out their Flying-type Pokémon and rushed off at full speed toward the breakout point.
Sato also mounted Hydreigon. Once he confirmed the location of the breakout, he didn't wait for Clarke and the others, instead, he commanded Hydreigon to fly at maximum speed, racing ahead to gain precious seconds.
Clarke and the other soldiers watched Sato's figure quickly vanish into the distance. For some reason, a sense of reassurance settled in their hearts.
With someone that strong leading the charge… they just might make it in time.
---◓---
Sato stared silently for one second at the bodies of the two fallen soldiers before taking off again in pursuit of the criminals.
Mt. Coronet was too vast. The defensive line had stretched too thin. Against a concentrated breakout like this, one or two soldiers couldn't possibly stop them.
Their only mission was to send out the distress signal before dying, so the League forces could form a surround at the fastest speed possible.
Only then would their sacrifice not be in vain!
The lingering scent of the killers on the soldiers' bodies was far too obvious. Following the trail, Hydreigon quickly located the main Hunter Guild force fleeing ahead!
"Middy, Draco Meteor."
"DREEEEI!"
Without a shred of mercy, Sato immediately ordered Middy to launch a full-power move.
The erupting meteor shower was dazzling… and deadly!
As the flaming meteors rained down from the sky, most members of the Hunter Guild looked up with terror and despair in their eyes.
"Probopass, Rock Tomb!"
A cold voice rang out from the panicked crowd, and massive boulders rose from the ground, blocking the sky and forming a giant rock fortress in an instant!
Boom! Boom! Boom…
The rock fortress covered almost the entire Hunter Guild, shielding all but a few who ran too fast or too slow. The rest were safely protected.
Draco Meteor kept falling. The rock fortress shook violently under the bombardment, but no matter how many meteors struck it, the structure held.
However, this gave Sato the opportunity to arrive right in front of the Hunter Guild. He frowned as he stared at the stone barrier before him.
"Krookodile, Sand Tomb."
A flash of red light, and the thug-like Krookodile appeared in front of Sato. Without a word, it cast Sand Tomb over the entire rock fortress.
The solid earth turned into flowing sand. The foundation of the rock fortress destabilized, finally beginning to collapse under the pressure.
But it was then tilted outward under the control of Probopass, causing collateral damage.
At that moment, Sato finally locked eyes with the commander of the Hunter Guild.
"Hunter… Q!"
Long black hair, a stern expression, and a custom combat uniform that accentuated Hunter Q's explosive figure perfectly.
"Shadownight Gym Leader, Yuga Sato!"
Hunter Q also instantly recognized Sato's identity. Beneath her visor, her brows furrowed.
The Hunter Guild didn't operate solely in Sinnoh, it was just more developed here.
Their clients were spread across the globe, and so was the Hunter Guild's reach.
When it came to global intel networks, the Hunters Guild was no less capable than the underground titan Team Rocket.
"Probopass, Magnet Bomb!"
"Lefty, Fire Blast. Righty, Dragon Pulse. Krookodile, Earthquake!"
Both sides knew exactly what the other wanted. There was nothing more to say…
Time to battle!