Scar visibly perked up at Hikoji's words.
Today had been an unmitigated disaster. Not only had the orders from above gone unfulfilled, but nearly all of his subordinates had been wiped out. Now, even he himself was in danger of being captured.
Fortunately…!
Scar glanced at Hikoji and felt a surge of respect.
As expected, the old hands are still sharp. Although Hikoji had been trapped in the tunnel due to his own subordinates failing to hold their post, it was clear that this veteran Rocket member could still be relied upon in critical moments.
Without Hikoji's reinforcements, the two of them would have been caught by Nozomi for sure.
"Have your men stop Metagross!"
Scar didn't bother with pleasantries.
To him, as long as they could escape successfully, losing a few subordinates was nothing.
"Understood!"
Hikoji didn't hesitate either. He had trained these subordinates for a long time, and now was the moment to use them. Even if they were captured, he could always pay for their release later.
The Crobat swiftly flew toward the sound of approaching footsteps. As the steps drew closer, Hikoji shouted:
"Quick! Stop that one behind—"
But his words abruptly cut off.
It was as if a rooster crowing mid-call had suddenly had its throat clamped shut.
"What's wrong?!"
Scar, who had just been directing Crobat to dodge Metagross's repeated attacks, looked at Hikoji in confusion.
Everything was fine just a moment ago—why had he gone silent all of a sudden?
Following Hikoji's gaze, Scar looked downward and saw a group of people blocking the tunnel, accompanied by Pokémon.
But they weren't Hikoji's men as he had expected—they were a group of police officers in uniform.
What was going on? Reinforcements had turned into police? Or was Hikoji playing him?
While Scar was still suspicious, the officers below were equally stunned.
They had arrived to apprehend Team Rocket, yet why was the Pewter City Mining Association's President here?
At the forefront, Officer Jenny froze briefly upon seeing Hikoji. She didn't understand why he would be with Team Rocket, but seeing them acting aggressively left no doubt—she had to take action.
"Don't move! Release your Pokémon!" Jenny commanded both men.
Scar's expression changed dramatically. His eyes darted before he flung out his Pokéball.
He wasn't about to go quietly and be arrested by the police!
"Hit them!" he barked coldly. "Hitmontop, Double Kick—clear a path for me!"
Under his command, the already exhausted Hitmontop charged at Jenny with unwavering determination.
Jenny, ready and composed, countered immediately: "Arcanine, Flamethrower!"
A sweeping jet of fire forced Hitmontop to dodge frantically, unable to confront it head-on.
Just as Scar prepared to issue more orders, a thunderous crash erupted from the tunnel behind them.
Rumble—rumble—
Nozomi had arrived, riding Onix.
He directed his attention to the airborne Metagross:
"Metagross, Psychic—aim for the Crobat forty degrees diagonally in front of it!"
Although Metagross could predict Crobat's evasive maneuvers, as a participant in the battle, its timing wasn't as precise as Nozomi's as the 'observer'.
An invisible psychic force shot forward.
Crobat, speeding toward the front, naturally dodged instinctively.
But just as it moved, Nozomi issued a second command:
"Metagross, Teleport to Crobat's right, then Bullet Punch!"
Metagross obeyed flawlessly, executing the order without hesitation.
In an instant, it appeared beside Crobat, which was dragging Scar and Hikoji straight toward it. It was as if they had delivered themselves into Metagross's fists.
"Crobat, dodge!"
Seeing Metagross suddenly at its side, Scar's blood ran cold as he reached out, ready to strike.
But how could Crobat evade while carrying two passengers?
If it were alone, perhaps such a maneuver would be feasible. But with Hikoji and Scar weighing it down, even flapping its wings violently, the inertia dragged them directly into Metagross.
BANG!
Metagross's punch collided with Crobat, sending it crashing to the ground like a kite with its string cut, tossing Scar and Hikoji helplessly.
Hitmontop, who had been fighting Arcanine nearby, saw its trainer fall from the sky, and its attacks faltered.
Without Scar's commands, it was easily defeated by Arcanine's Fire Blast.
Metagross and Onix flanked Nozomi, while Jenny's gaze stayed fixed on the fallen Hikoji and Scar.
The battle was over.
"Excuse me, are you the one who reported this?" Jenny approached Nozomi and asked. "Could you explain what's happening here? I'm still a bit confused."
Despite taking decisive action, Jenny couldn't comprehend why Hikoji, a Mining Association Vice President, would be aligned with Team Rocket.
"I filed the report," Nozomi explained. "As you can see, this man, Scar, is a Team Rocket executive. Hikoji, the Mining Association President, is a Rocket mole. They colluded to block the tunnel in Mt. Moon and illegally excavate the Moon Stone. The trainers behind me and the captured Rocket members can all testify!"
Nozomi gestured to the trainers who had arrived behind him and the Rocket members tied up with ropes.
"We fought hard to subdue these Team Rocket members!"
The arriving trainers quickly protested, "No, Boss Nozomi, you're being modest! We only distracted them. It was all you who took them down!"
"Exactly! If it weren't for you, Boss Nozomi, we'd all be finished off by those Rocket grunts!"
They continued describing feats as if there were no cost: Onix taking on over a dozen Pokémon alone, Metagross crushing Rocket executives, and so on, leaving Jenny astonished.
"A-hem… Boss Nozomi, right?" Jenny's voice faltered slightly at the title. She had never called anyone 'Boss' before.
Nozomi almost choked back laughter. He hurriedly waved his hands. "Haha, it's just a nickname everyone uses. Just call me Nozomi."
Jenny, realizing her awkwardness, blushed and quickly changed the subject: "Mr. Nozomi, could you take me to see the Moon Stones that Team Rocket was excavating?"
"No problem, follow me," Nozomi replied. He was already planning to show her the stones anyway—it was important for dividing the spoils later.
He led the way, guiding Jenny ahead.