Muk and Weezing glared murderously. Even with Rage Fist amped to the gills, Annihilape—freshly evolved—could only hold them off for now.
"Hahaha, that's the backbone you were counting on?"
Petrel rubbed his brow, cackling when he saw Annihilape being pressed back. "If that's all you've got, I'll just take you down first!"
Killing intent flashed in his eyes. "Do it!"
The moment the words left his mouth—
Weezing's body erupted with a gloomy black gleam; a purple-black orb congealed before it, brimming with obscene Ghost-type power!
"Annihilape, meet it with Rage Fist. Breloom—go straight for Petrel with Mach Punch!"
Grey stayed cool.
When you're outgunned, panic is how you lose.
So—get creative.
"Annih—!"
Muscles bunched along Annihilape's arms; ghostly light crawled over them as it snapped off two punches in rapid succession.
A blast of spectral power spilled out; two savage fist-shadows tore ahead one after the other!
BOOM!!
At the instant the moves collided, heavy black radiance flooded the room, blotting out everyone's vision!
And just before sight vanished, Weezing saw Rage Fist cancel its shot—then it tightened its guard, and eerie light pooled in front of it again!
Except…
That other Rage Fist was screaming straight at Petrel!
Sirens rang in Petrel's skull—danger, with a capital D.
From different angles, Breloom and that fist were closing on him at once.
Dodging would only mark his position.
So—
"Muk, block them!"
Petrel snorted coldly.
Muk stretched tall, a perfect shield in front of Petrel.
In raw muscle, Petrel felt covered.
Unless Lorelei got back in time—no exceptions!
"Tch. Can't drag this any longer…"
Thinking of Lorelei, Petrel swept the room and fixed on the corridor to the deck.
If he could get outside, then bail on a Flying-type—
Even with Lorelei around, nobody was bagging him.
KRATHOOM!
With Breloom deliberately pacing itself, Rage Fist landed first, slamming into Muk.
Ghostly light detonated—you could feel the anger inside that hit.
Even Petrel wavered under the wash of it.
Reason buckled under the surge; he couldn't read cleanly for a heartbeat.
"Muuuk…"
Muk staggered back step after step, gouging the floor.
It shook itself—and a hard white glare flashed in front of it!
Breloom's rush was there, nearly nose to nose!
A cold smile slanted across Petrel's mouth.
With that difference in power, you dare get in Muk's face? Arrogance.
He'd make Grey pay for it.
"Muk, Gunk Shot!"
"zZ..."
Only snoring answered him.
"???"
Petrel's pupils blew wide.
In a few seconds flat, Muk had fallen asleep?!
The culprit, naturally—
Breloom, using Mach Punch's mobility to weave in and out at will.
"Bre—loom~"
The cap atop its head pulsed; a soft hiss of green powder pattered down.
"Spore?!"
Bad news. Petrel yanked a ball up to recall Muk and toss the next one.
But Breloom had other plans.
White light blazed at its knuckles; its whole body blurred into an afterimage.
It reappeared in Petrel's face, fist hammering forward!
Except the expected bone-on-bone thud never came.
Breloom found itself nose-to-nose with… another Breloom.
[Pokémon: Ditto]
[Type: Normal]
[Level: 50]
[Ability: Imposter]
[Move: Transform]
"Whew… almost ate it in a gutter…" Petrel's heart pounded as he felt for the nearest path to the deck, slipping through the gloom.
Everything about Grey was sly. Trick stacked on trick.
Nothing like a "straight-up" Fighting-type trainer at all.
Recommendation: switch to Poison.
That way, when you gross people out, they'll only laugh it off later.
"Oh? Trying to leave? Dream on."
Grey's voice slid out, cold and close.
At the same time, a spear of fire cut the darkness in the ballroom.
Blaziken dashed like a meteor of flame.
Every step left a lick of fire on the floor.
Tongues of flame lapped the black glow, brightening the world around them.
For Petrel, it was a death warrant.
"Grey is so cursed…"
He was rattled.
He'd stepped light, barely moved—
Yet Grey had tagged his path instantly?!
So this was the terror of Aura?
He hated to admit it, but unless he crushed Grey, he wasn't escaping.
Even in tight quarters, he'd have to gamble…
"Mr. Grey, Team Rocket has shown you plenty of sincerity," Petrel said, palming three shrunken Ultra Balls.
Each one held at least a level 55.
"If you won't drink a toast, then have a forfeit!"
He whipped his arm; the Ultra Balls streaked out!
Electrode, Golem, Forretress burst forth—
And the instant they formed, they flared blinding white!
Explosion!
"Going for the throat, huh."
Grey raised an arm to shield his eyes, brain racing.
Protecting himself would be easy.
Hide behind Annihilape and let it throw up Protect.
But what about everyone else?
He couldn't stuff everyone inside the same Protect, could he?
The trainers behind him saw the flare, too.
Rocket's tricks were no secret.
That white flash—every mind jumped to the same notorious move.
"Don't panic. If you've got Protect, use it. If you can, Wide Guard is best—get it up now!"
With the pulse of light strobing faster, Grey rattled off orders.
Folks threw up whatever they had; in clusters of twos and threes, they actually patched together enough Protects to cover the whole group.
In that instant, Breloom and its knockoff split apart and went to work—trying to lull the suicide squad to sleep before they could blow.
"Heat Wave!"
Petrel wasn't letting that happen.
There was a pickup outside. All he had to do was get out before the shockwave hit.
Anything that might stop the blasts had to be cleared.
Weezing ran hot; Spore hadn't finished falling before Heat Wave baked it to ash.
"Return," Grey snapped, brow furrowed, and recalled Breloom.
At the same moment, the three Pokémon's white glare hit maximum—energy peaked—
And detonated in everyone's faces!
"Die! Sink to the bottom and feed the sharks!"
In the blast, Petrel's laughter rang on and on.
He spun to bolt, already writing off the room as corpses.
Thunk…
He made it two steps.
Then smashed his forehead into an invisible wall, raising a welt on the spot.
"Yo. Why aren't you running?"
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