At this critical moment, the only ones who could step forward were Cynthia and Caitlin.
"Can you get us out of here?"
Cynthia confirmed once more, but received a negative response from Caitlin.
"No, this thing's oppressive force is too strong. To take you and them away together, I'd need at least a minute to prepare. But that's completely impossible!"
Cynthia's brow was already deeply furrowed. Facing such a powerful existence, since there was no possibility of escape, the only option was to go all out and fight with everything they had!
Even if the opponent was a legendary Pokémon, she couldn't just surrender without a fight!
Her gaze sharpened as she immediately gestured and commanded!
"Milotic, Hydro Pump! Glaceon, Ice Beam!"
Cynthia's command echoed through the ruin's hall. Milotic's elegant body arched as a high-pressure water column shot from its mouth. Simultaneously, the gem on Glaceon's forehead blazed with cold light, an ice-blue energy beam cutting through the air—two attacks with the greatest type advantage against Rock-types struck Regirock simultaneously!
Not only that, but the massive water flow from Hydro Pump and the Ice Beam created perfect coordination!
Water vapor and ice crystals exploded across the Rock Titan's body. The Ice Beam's ultra-low temperature instantly transformed the water flow into solid ice crystals, covering Regirock's upper body joints and sealing its entire upper torso in ice!
Glaceon's mastery over Ice-type energy was astonishing. In this frigid air, the entire hall's temperature plummeted sharply, and Regirock's massive form seemed to enter a completely motionless state under the ice crystal constraints, unable to move even an inch.
"Miss Cynthia is truly the strongest!!"
"We're saved!"
Seeing this scene, several impatient archaeological team members even began cheering.
However, Cynthia's furrowed brow remained unchanged. She knew that for a legendary Pokémon, such constraints meant absolutely nothing!
Faced with such a massive power gap, there was really only one thing she could do now—buy as much retreat time as possible for everyone!
Cynthia immediately turned around without hesitation and shouted to the archaeological research team:
"Everyone, evacuate immediately! That's an order!"
But as soon as her words fell, before anyone could react, an abnormal scene occurred!
The water flow that had erupted from Milotic's mouth, which should have caused severe super-effective damage, was being absorbed by the rock patterns on Regirock's surface. The frost spreading toward the lower part of its body instantly vaporized upon contact with the orange core on its chest.
Feeling the continuously strengthening aura emanating from Regirock's body, Cynthia's pupils contracted sharply as she suddenly realized something.
"No good! Glaceon, Milotic, stop now!"
But it was already too late!
BOOM!!
With a violent roar, Regirock's core suddenly blazed with blinding light, erupting with terrifying power. The ice crystals covering its body instantly shattered into fragments all over the ground.
It crossed its arms, and the absorbed Water-type energy actually shot out from countless pores across its surface, transforming into high-pressure water blades that cut through the air, sweeping densely across the entire hall!!
These water blades were incomparably more fierce than the Hydro Pump that Milotic had unleashed!
Under this sudden attack, Milotic bore the brunt, struck by water blades with several times the power, crying out as it crashed into the wall. In a cloud of dust, it collapsed directly, instantly losing its battle capability!
However, Regirock's movements didn't stop. Its massive body suddenly trembled, and dense ice crystals accompanied by mist erupted again from its joints, freezing all the remaining water vapor in the air into brilliant ice crystals, causing the temperature across the entire battlefield to drop dramatically!
Cynthia's pupils contracted violently. She quickly recalled the severely injured Milotic, having realized a massive problem.
Not only was Regirock's strength so formidable that it could ignore type advantages, but it could directly absorb all of her Pokémon's attacks and return them with double the force!
Could this thing... even still be considered a Pokémon?!
On the other side, Caitlin's attacks encountered the same dilemma.
Her Sigilyph and Reuniclus simultaneously launched Psychic attacks, invisible psychic waves surging toward Regirock like a tide. However, those energies were absorbed completely upon contact with the Rock Titan, like water drops falling into a desert.
"All power is being drained," Caitlin pressed her temples, her face deathly pale.
She suddenly realized something and shouted to Cynthia: "It's absorbing all forms of special energy! Including psychic power!"
As if confirming her judgment, Regirock's chest core suddenly turned toward the direction from which the psychic attack had come, reflecting back a visible mental force wave!
Sigilyph let out a piercing screech, its feathers exploding as it fell like a kite with a broken string. Reuniclus directly fell unconscious, crashing heavily from the air.
"Roserade, Energy Ball! Garchomp, Dragon Breath!" Cynthia tried again, unwilling to give up.
The emerald energy ball and pale blue dragon's breath intertwined as they struck their target, but were once again greedily absorbed and disappeared into Regirock!
This time it thrust both arms into the ground, and the entire ruin began shaking violently—it had actually used the Dragon-type move "Outrage" that it shouldn't possibly know, with power many times greater than normal!
"RUMBLE—"
Countless energy pillars blazing with brilliant brown light erupted from the ground. Garchomp barely avoided them with its flight ability, but Roserade was pierced through the flower calyx by a suddenly sprouting stone spike, letting out a pained cry as it collapsed to its knees!
Cynthia's heart felt like it was being violently squeezed. She tremblingly recalled the severely injured Roserade, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
This was the power of a legendary Pokémon—undefeatable, insurmountable!
Caitlin floated to Cynthia's side, her pink hair plastered to her cheeks with sweat, speaking gravely:
"The stronger our special attacks, the more terrifying it becomes. Not only that, it's still absorbing my psychic power!"
She could feel that her telekinetic power had weakened to an unknown fraction of its peak strength, making it difficult even to attack Regirock!
Cynthia quickly surveyed the battlefield—her Glaceon, Gastrodon, and Spiritomb still retained fighting capability, while Caitlin's Metagross, Gothitelle, and Alakazam could barely continue battling. A bold idea formed in her mind.
"Since special attacks are ineffective, we'll use pure physical attacks!" she lowered her voice. "Your Metagross, my Garchomp, plus any others that can use physical moves—"
Caitlin immediately understood. Though her Psychic-type Pokémon weren't skilled at physical attacks, there were no other options now!
"Gothitelle's 'Pound' and Alakazam's 'Psycho Cut' aren't particularly powerful, but they're pure physical moves!"
The two quickly reached consensus. Cynthia suddenly raised her voice: "Glaceon, Blizzard for cover! Gastrodon, Mud Shot to obscure its vision!"
Frost and mud erupted simultaneously, temporarily blocking Regirock's view. Caitlin seized the opportunity to activate telepathy, directly transmitting the tactical plan into each Pokémon's consciousness. Six Pokémon quickly spread out, approaching the Rock Titan from different angles.
"Now!"
With Cynthia's command, Garchomp's Dragon Claw, Metagross's Meteor Mash, and Alakazam's Psycho Cut simultaneously struck Regirock's back. Gothitelle's Pound and Spiritomb's Sucker Punch targeted its knees, while Gastrodon, though not skilled at offense, exerted all its strength to ram the Rock Titan's ankle with its entire body.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
In a series of dull impacts, Regirock let out its first pained groaning. Fine cracks appeared in its rocky body, especially where Garchomp's Dragon Claw had struck—several fragments had already broken off!
It really was effective!
Caitlin's eyes immediately lit up.
But her joy lasted less than three seconds before turning to despair—Regirock's orange core suddenly turned dark red, the fallen fragments floating up and reattaching to its body.
More terrifyingly, patterns across its entire body began glowing as energy scattered throughout the ruin's air seemed to converge toward it.
"This thing can even regenerate..."
Caitlin's face was already deathly pale as she couldn't help but murmur.
Regirock raised both arms above its head. Seven red beams shot from its core, forming a massive ancient rune on the hall's ceiling. The entire ruin began shaking violently as countless crystals detached from the ceiling, reorganizing in mid-air into sharp rock spears! Dense clusters, hundreds upon thousands!
"Protect everyone!" Cynthia shouted with all her might.
Caitlin understood, exhausting her last psychic power to erect a barrier. A pale purple light screen barely enveloped everyone.
The next second, hundreds of rock spears poured down like a torrential rain. Each spear striking the barrier caused violent tremors. Blood seeped from the corner of Caitlin's mouth, her legs shaking continuously, yet she maintained the light screen unbroken.
"Hold on!" Cynthia roared, releasing all her Pokémon to assist in defense. Glaceon used Freeze Beam to solidify falling rocks, Gastrodon sprayed mud to slow the spears' speed, while Spiritomb wove shadows into a second defensive line. But the most lethal attack came from the ground—Regirock stomped heavily, and the entire hall's floor suddenly liquefied, transforming into churning crimson lava.
"Ahh—!" One archaeological team member accidentally stepped into the lava zone, his boots instantly bursting into flames. Garchomp quickly grabbed him, but the man's foot was already severely burned, erupting in heart-wrenching screams.
Cynthia made a split-second decision: "Abandon defense! Attack its core with everything!"
Garchomp soared again despite its injuries, crossing its claws in an X-shape and unleashing Dragon Claw with all its strength. Metagross's four iron arms simultaneously gleamed with metallic luster, launching Bullet Punch at beyond-limit speed. Even Spiritomb, unskilled in close combat, spun forward with Take Down!
Three physical attacks simultaneously struck the orange core on Regirock's chest. "CRACK"—a clear sound as the core's surface finally showed an obvious fissure.
Regirock released an ear-splitting roar that shook the entire ruin with its sound waves.
But its counterattack came faster—the core suddenly burst with blinding light, a ring-shaped shockwave expanding outward with it as the center. Garchomp was directly hit in the abdomen, flying out like a kite with a broken string!
Metagross's metal shell cracked inch by inch as it crashed to the ground.
Spiritomb's keystone developed web-like cracks, nearly shattering completely.
"No!"
Watching each of her Pokémon fall into critical condition, Cynthia's heart felt like it was being torn apart. She whipped her head toward Caitlin—their situation was no better. Gothitelle and Alakazam had already collapsed, with only Metagross barely standing, but clearly at its limit.
More terrifyingly, though the crowd had begun evacuating under her command, in this vast space, the countless stone spears that had fallen from above had created debris that almost completely blocked their escape route!
Regirock approached with earth-shaking steps, the crack in its chest slowly healing.
Cynthia tremblingly recalled her severely injured Pokémon. The current situation seemed to have reached complete deadlock.
Indeed, no matter what, humans still couldn't contend with these legendary beings?
Caitlin struggled to crawl to Cynthia's side. Her psychic powers were nearly exhausted after that defense, but there was no fear in her expression—only acceptance.
"Cynthia... I never thought we'd face something like this together."
But Cynthia suddenly stood and came before her, forcing a deep brown berry into Caitlin's mouth.
Caitlin's eyes widened in shock. She recognized this—it was a type of berry called Liberation Berry that only grew on Mount Coronet. Each one was priceless, capable of instantly restoring a Champion-level Psychic-type Pokémon to full strength and peak condition!
(T/n: berry is og)
And naturally, such a thing could also restore her psychic powers!
"Take them and go." Cynthia's voice was terrifyingly calm. "Save whoever you can. Leave now."
"You—"
Feeling power continuously flowing into her body, Caitlin opened her mouth, but her remaining words were cut off by Cynthia.
"If you don't take them, we'll all die here!"
"Your telekinesis is useless—it can absorb all energy attacks, but physical impacts can still cause some effect."
"My Garchomp is the only one still able to fight. So I'll cover the rear and buy you thirty seconds!"
Caitlin wanted to argue, but Regirock's chest had already condensed a blinding light orb—Hyper Beam was about to fire at them!
In this moment, time seemed frozen. Caitlin saw flames of determination burning in Cynthia's golden pupils as she walked toward the distant Regirock alongside Garchomp!
In that instant, she fully understood and nodded heavily.
"Come back alive," Caitlin gritted her teeth as brilliant pink radiance erupted from her body.
"Otherwise when I get back, I'll make sure your statue disappears from Sinnoh Plaza!"