The four of them reached the top of the Tree of Life without any trouble.
They stopped on a branch.
From there, they could see several people moving below.
It looked like they were transporting some instruments and devices in and out of a hollow in the trunk.
Cain and the others also noticed the presence of a cave.
They exchanged glances.
It was highly likely that the secret of this Tree of Life was inside that cave.
"Let's stick to the plan," said Drake to the other three.
Cain, Steven, and Phoebe nodded.
Once everything was confirmed to be in order, Drake jumped directly from the branch.
During the fall, Salamence appeared and carried Drake toward the base of the tree.
"Salamence, Dragon Rush," Drake ordered in a low voice.
At the same time, he leaned forward on Salamence's back, merging completely with his mount.
Then, a blue, flame-like aura wrapped around Salamence and Drake, turning them into an ancient sky dragon, speeding at full force toward the tree.
Those below, busy with their work, also saw Salamence appear.
Many were already familiar with Drake's attacks, so upon seeing this, their expressions changed drastically. They dropped what they were holding and fled in all directions.
But Drake had no intention of stopping.
Injure or even kill a few? He couldn't afford to worry about that anymore.
Although the League didn't promote killing, Drake had to admit there were some truly evil people he wished to eliminate without hesitation.
BOOM!
A deafening crash.
Salamence's Dragon Rush struck right at the open area of the trunk.
The attack was accompanied by a gust of wind that swept away all people and objects in the area, clearing a large space.
Drake stood tall on Salamence's back, scanning the surroundings. No one dared meet his gaze.
The title of Elite Four alone was already a symbol of overwhelming pressure. And Drake was the strongest of Hoenn's Elite Four. Everyone had seen what he was capable of in battle.
Only the three "leaders" together were capable of facing him.
"Mr. Drake, I didn't expect you to return—and in such a flashy way! Aren't you worried about the safety of your League companions?" a voice rang out from the base of the tree.
A figure slowly appeared in his field of vision.
Behind him, two more people emerged.
A burly man in red clothing and a stunning woman dressed in blue.
They were Tabitha, the Team Magma executive, and Shelly, the Team Aqua executive.
Then the man in the middle could only be Mitchell, the same one Logan from the Hunter's Guild had mentioned.
Drake looked at the three with a stern expression, his gaze finally settling on Tabitha.
The latter felt uneasy under the stare.
"Why are you looking at me if he's clearly the leader?" Tabitha thought.
"Is Team Magma declaring open war on the Hoenn League? Or is it Team Aqua who wants to start one?" Drake asked, shifting his gaze to Shelly.
His tone was utterly commanding.
This made clear just how imposing Drake, the Dragon-type Elite Four of Hoenn, truly was.
His captain's uniform, combined with his fierce face, made him look like a warrior capable of facing ten men alone.
Cough cough... "Mr. Drake, surely you jest. Team Magma is only here to lend a hand. We have no interest in any war with the League," Tabitha replied. Although his expression showed some discomfort, he didn't back down.
Certainly, if he were alone facing Drake, he'd be crushed—but now they were three.
Besides, the Hunter's Guild possessed something Team Magma urgently needed. This mission had been ordered personally by Maxie.
"Yes, Team Aqua has no intention of fighting the League either. We're just here to assist with some minor tasks," added Shelly in a gentle voice.
From her look and tone, she sounded more like a kind older sister than an executive of a criminal organization.
Her tone carried an indescribable sweetness.
Upon hearing those words, Drake said nothing more.
It wasn't the first time he had confronted them. Last time, they had also put all the blame on the Hunter's Guild.
And in the current state of things, the League couldn't afford an all-out war against all three groups at once.
They might win, but the losses would be unacceptable.
If it were just one organization...
Drake then turned to Mitchell, who maintained a calm expression.
"The Hunter's Guild has branches all over the Pokémon world and has always claimed to be neutral. Can you no longer maintain that facade?"
Mitchell quickly shook his head.
"Mr. Drake, don't say that. Our Guild has always considered itself a neutral force. This time, we simply had no choice."
"The Pokémon we want to capture can't be caught without help from Team Magma and Team Aqua. That's why we requested support from these two executives. Don't misunderstand. The Hunter's Guild has no ulterior motives. We only want to capture the Pokémon."
What Pokémon? Not even Tabitha or Shelly knew.
Anyone with common sense would see that this was just a cheap excuse.
But Drake had no intention of continuing the conversation.
All of his Pokémon appeared instantly!
ROOOAR!
Six Dragon-type Pokémon appeared together—an utterly overwhelming scene.
And each one of them was incredibly powerful.
Seeing that Drake really intended to fight seriously, the three opponents also turned serious and summoned their battle Pokémon.
Tabitha and Shelly wore bitter, resigned expressions.
If they had a choice, they would never want to fight someone as strong as Drake.
He was just too much.
Even with just two Pokémon, Drake could crush all six of theirs.
Champion-level Pokémon were simply in a different league.
Before the battle could begin, Mitchell shouted to his subordinates: "You! Send people to the League's camp and bring all of Mr. Drake's companions. Be gentle when inviting them. Meanwhile, we'll have a little skirmish with him."
"And summon the other Officers to guard the cave entrance..."
Before he could finish, Drake was already charging toward him with Salamence.
Mitchell had been hinting that if Drake stayed behind to fight them, the League members would be in danger.
What he didn't know was that they had all already retreated. They would find nothing but empty rooms.
And with two Elite-level Venusaur in the group, sending only quasi-Elite trainers wouldn't be enough. At least an Elite-level trainer would be needed.
Meanwhile, the Elite-level trainers from Team Magma and Team Aqua had already arrived at the entrance to the cave.
And those from the Hunter's Guild were already on their way to cause trouble for the League group.
But Drake, with no worries about the rear, unleashed his full combat strength, mercilessly overwhelming the three without any intention of holding back.
Last time they had managed to resist only because Drake had a weak point. This time, he attacked relentlessly, trying to create an opportunity for Cain and the others.
(End of chapter)