Alex made a split-second decision when he chose to scatter his Pokémon rather than fight it out in a defensive bombardment that would have eventually allowed them to win the fight.
The problem was how Stormline would be used during the battle. Using it to tear into the ambushers' defensive line would have eventually won them the battle. But Stormline would have to fight through the chaotic energy being released their way, neutralizing most of the bullets' stored energy in the clash.
This would prolong the battle, waste ammunition, and expose his own Pokémon to the enemy's Feint and Phantom Force rounds. A lucky shot could take out a Protect shield, leaving those it protected open to the enemies' concentrated fire. With their numbers, all it would take was a second of exposure for his Pokémon to immediately faint, or worse, die.
In the end, he chose a chaotic melee instead, opening with a devastating attack that would give them a significant advantage.
He ordered his Pokémon to scatter while commanding Espeon to flank the enemy's defensive formation.
Once Alex landed on Steelix, he gave Gardevoir's Pokéball to Sable for healing, took out Stormline with his right hand, and set it to defensive mode.
Next, he took out a white pistol used for healing with his injured left hand and ordered Steelix to charge through the bombardment, using it as cover to get close.
He started firing Heal Pulse, buffs, and Aromatherapy rounds at Steelix using Stormline to help it survive the significant damage coming their way. This prevented Steelix from fainting despite the chaotic energy. Even when the attacks were strong enough to take him down in one shot, Sturdy prevented immediate death, giving Steelix time to heal.
Steelix burst through the cloud of energy at full health and rammed right into the ambushers' defensive formation. His attack didn't deal any damage or push them back given their similar ranks, but it allowed Alex to get close.
Using his pistol, he fired Heal Pulse rounds at Steelix to help him survive the subsequent attacks, then he switched Stormline's setting to offensive mode.
Atop Steelix's head, he opened fire on the ambushers' formation, ripping their Protect shields apart. A line of bullets swiped wildly from side to side, bathing the ambushers in Feint and Phantom Force rounds in turn.
This gave the scattered Pokémon time to circle around and begin a flanking maneuver. They aimed to overwhelm the ambushers, who were either taken out by Stormline's high rate of fire or scattered for cover. A chaotic melee started that was completely to the ambushers' disadvantage.
Arcanine and Raticate charged ahead, targeting a Machoke that rushed into battle once the melee began. It led with a series of attacks using Close Combat, but Raticate used Protect while Arcanine used Play Rough, dealing significant damage.
Having failed its initial attack, Machoke tried again, but this time Arcanine intercepted it with Protect while Raticate attacked with Pluck. This chain of localized Protect and counterattacks continued until Machoke was ultimately taken down by the pair.
And they weren't the only ones using it. The same strategy was repeated by each pair of Alex's Pokémon, ensuring that even in a chaotic melee, they had the upper hand in a battle that maximized both defense and offense.
Some Pokémon had to contend with multiple opponents or a trainer targeting them with guns, but Espeon was mindful of the matchups and made sure those pairs delayed with area-of-effect attacks instead. This fended off attacks, buying time for those with easier matchups to defeat their opponents before regrouping and overwhelming the enemy.
In no time, the ambushers' Pokémon started dropping one after another while their trainers retreated, firing wildly into the crowd. The shots would hit some of Alex's Pokémon, but so long as they weren't being bombarded while using Protect, the damage was largely negligible.
"Alex!" Sable shouted once she got off Steelix and finished reviving Gardevoir. "More reinforcements have landed on the island. There's only one of them and they have a full team as well."
"Do we have time to escape with Teleport?" he asked.
"It's too late."
"Espeon! Gather the team and begin healing. We've got a second wave coming. Work with Gardevoir once she's back on her feet. You did great out there, girl. Good job!"
Espeon preened at the compliment before gathering Alex's Pokémon and preventing them from chasing too far. Then they started healing and stacking more buffs that had worn off during the fight.
Alex suddenly detected their new enemy. It was the aura of a Champion ranked trainer accompanied by six Champion ranked Pokémon.
"Full Champion team!" Alex shouted.
His Pokémon quickly reorganized into six teams. One consisted of Raticate, Arcanine, and Clawitzer; another of Forretress, Zoroark, and Frosmoth. A third team was made up of Kommo-o, Togekiss, and Hydreigon, while the fourth included Dusknoir, Ceruledge, and Espeon. Steelix was the exception, remaining partnered directly with Alex. The rest of the squad clustered at the center of the formation, with Sable and her Pokémon in the middle, serving as the battlefield setters and main bombardment unit.
This was a strategy Alex developed to fight off Champion ranked teams that divided and conquered the enemy. Each team would take charge of defending against a Champion by themselves while ensuring they stayed close to the defensive formation to receive damage support and battlefield ability suppression.
As for Steelix and himself, so long as he had Stormline, he didn't have to worry about anything.
The Champion arrived with the trainers who had escaped the battle. He was a towering, broad-shouldered, muscular figure, the kind of man who had weathered countless battles and always came out on top.
"What's the holdup?" he asked his lackeys.
"He's got this weird gun that fires faster than all of ours combined. Plus, his team is actually well-trained."
"Useless pieces of shit!" he roared. "Fine, I'll do it myself. Just keep shooting when you get the chance."
He signaled with his hand and sent out his Bug type specialized team: Venomoth, Ariados, Heracross, Scizor, Orbeetle, and Golisopod.
Five of them charged forward while Venomoth remained by his side. Heracross darted for Steelix, Scizor for Forretress, Orbeetle for Kommo-o, Golisopod for Arcanine, and Ariados for Dusknoir.
This left the main team in the center uncontested until he reached for his bag and pulled out Poké Ball after Poké Ball. One after another burst open in quick flashes, and more than fifty Bug type Pokémon appeared. All of them were Elite or Expert ranked, their wings buzzing and mandibles clicking as they crowded together in a loose, uneven formation.
In response to the new wave of attackers, Alex's individual groups retreated to the flanks of the main team while drawing the Champions in with them. This gave them the space to fight while avoiding being overwhelmed by the new wave of Pokémon.
The released Pokémon huddled into a disorganized defensive formation before starting their bombardment. Alex's own Pokémon began their bombardment as well, but they clearly weren't winning the engagement, as there were simply too many on the enemy's side.
A fortunate side effect of this battle was that the trainers with guns couldn't contribute to the fight meaningfully while remaining beside the Champion. This was because the clash of special attacks being thrown back and forth was too powerful, drowning out any bullets that tried to pass by on their way to Alex's main team.
As for the Champion ranked battles off to the side, Alex's team was unequivocally winning in one-sided fashion. His team composition ensured that for every blocked attack from the enemy, two counterattacks followed in response. Even when the Champions used Feint to break through the shields, they were still being overwhelmed and would inevitably lose.
The tide of the battle was still up in the air, but Alex's opponent found it highly in his favor. His Champions could take care of themselves, while his swarm distracted his opponent from entering into a chaotic melee. His confidence stemmed from the fact that he didn't particularly care about most of his Pokémon, which allowed him to give his next order without remorse.
"Target Steelix and use Psychic Noise."
The Venomoth at his side sent out a command that rippled through the swarm of 50 Bug type Pokémon battling Alex's main team. In unison, they redirected their attacks away from the formation's center and toward the flank, where Heracross was engaged with Steelix.
The bombardment staggered Steelix just as it prepared to counter Heracross with a Rock Slide. Alex's Heal Pulses kept it standing through the assault, but then Venomoth unleashed Psychic Noise directed at Steelix, cutting off its ability to recover.
Overwhelmed by the sudden bombardment, Steelix collapsed, throwing Alex off from the sudden loss of resistance. Its massive body hit the ground with a thunderous crash, sending dust and stones into the air. Sparks flew as lingering attacks scraped against its metallic body, and the battlefield filled with the acrid scent of ozone and smoke.
Alex's hands shot out instinctively, snatching Steelix's Poké Ball mid-fall, and tried to return him, but he was too late.
Steelix had died from the assault.
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