This time, both Team Magma and Team Aqua had sent one Executive and one Elite Officer.
Aside from Tabitha and Shelly, the two Elite Officers were merely Elite-level trainers.
They were already stationed, blocking the entrance to the hollow tree.
From the top of the tree, seeing that Drake had already repelled the three strongest enemies, the three allies prepared to act.
As for the two Elite Officers guarding the entrance, since it was three against two, they weren't especially worried.
If they forced their way through, it shouldn't be a problem.
Cain took the lead, diving down atop his Flygon in a style reminiscent of Drake himself.
"Who goes there?!" shouted the Team Magma Elite Officer posted at the entrance.
Behind Cain, Steven and Phoebe descended together, riding on the back of an Aerodactyl, quickly approaching.
Cain threw two Poké Balls, releasing his Drapion and Slowking.
Steven and Phoebe also released their Pokémon.
Shiny Metagross, Aggron, Dusknoir, and Banette appeared simultaneously.
Six Elite-level Pokémon appeared all at once, leaving the enemies with no time to react.
Without delay, the three began advancing straight toward the hollow tree. Their objective was clear: get inside, and avoid unnecessary battles.
Though these two Elite Officers were called such, their strength was still below that of Cain and company. Even their main Pokémon had not reached Intermediate Elite level. They wouldn't be able to stop Cain's group.
"Slowking, Psychic! Drapion, Fell Stinger! Clear the way!" Cain ordered in a low but firm voice.
He leapt off Flygon's back and returned it to its Poké Ball at the same time.
"Metagross, Meteor Mash! Aggron, Head Smash! We're going too!" shouted Steven upon landing, leading his Pokémon into battle.
Unlike Cain's teamwork style using Slowking and Drapion, Steven opted for the direct offensive combo of Metagross and Aggron.
Moreover, Metagross could use psychic powers to boost its and Aggron's movements—similar to Slowking's tactical role with Cain.
The three stayed close together in a tight formation.
Phoebe's two Ghost-type Pokémon stayed near the group, shielding them from surprise attacks.
Slowking and Drapion took the left flank, Metagross and Aggron the right, forming a compact offensive squad that advanced like a living wall toward the cave.
The enemy Pokémon could barely withstand the combined attacks of Slowking and Metagross.
Boom!
Boom!
Drapion and Aggron were going all out.
The faces of the two Elite Officers turned grim. They hadn't expected that even with Drake being held back, the League could still deploy three Elite-level trainers.
Although they still didn't know exactly what was inside the tree, their mission was clear: protect the entrance. Everything else was the Hunter's Guild's responsibility.
"We're forcing our way in!" Cain ordered quietly.
He had noticed that other enemies were beginning to shift toward the other battlefront.
"Let's go!" shouted Steven.
The three dashed forward together, followed by their Pokémon.
"Dusknoir, Banette, fire Shadow Ball to clear the path!" Phoebe ordered, joining the charge.
They still had Pokémon in reserve, so even if they were ambushed, they could respond.
Aggron cleared the front of the formation with brute force.
They ignored the enemy's attacks while Slowking and Metagross created a psychic barrier to protect them.
BOOM!
BOOM!
The rumbling was constant.
Finally, after withstanding a wave of attacks, the three managed to enter the hollow tree.
"We're in. Now what?" asked Phoebe.
Though they had gotten inside, they hadn't had time to observe its interior and already feared an imminent pursuit.
From outside, Cain glimpsed Mitchell's furious expression.
It was clear he hadn't expected Drake to be just a decoy.
"Slowking, Barrier!" Cain ordered immediately.
"Metagross, same," said Steven.
Both Psychic Pokémon raised a barrier at the hollow tree's entrance.
"This should buy us some time. Let's explore the interior!" Cain exclaimed.
"Alright! Let's go!" Steven and Phoebe replied in unison.
The three, along with their Pokémon, ventured deeper inside.
They were finally able to get a good look at the interior.
Although the hollow tree seemed ordinary, its walls emitted an emerald green glow, lighting the area naturally.
There were no forks—just a straight path, so there was no need to choose routes. They simply ran deeper inside.
BOOM!
Not even thirty seconds had passed since their entry when the double psychic barrier was shattered.
The two Elite Officers from Team Magma and Team Aqua advanced inside with their subordinates.
Meanwhile, on the tree's platform, Drake had already brought the battle to that area with his three opponents.
Earlier, they had wanted to keep Drake busy. Now, he was the one stalling them.
The situation had reversed.
After all, they had more Pokémon than he did. It was easier for them to keep him occupied by rotating. Drake, with his smaller team, had a harder time.
If they trusted each other more, they could've pulled back two or three Pokémon to pursue Cain's group.
But... did such trust exist between them?
"Use your full power!" shouted Mitchell, face dark, speaking to Tabitha and Shelly.
Though focused, they were clearly not fighting at full strength.
"And what about what you promised us, Mitchell?" asked Tabitha, a faint smirk on his face.
Shelly also turned her attention to Mitchell, and her battle commands grew sloppy.
Upon hearing their words, Mitchell's expression worsened.
The message was clear: if they didn't get what they were promised, they wouldn't put in full effort.
"Damn it, they're exploiting the situation," Mitchell cursed under his breath.
But he had no other choice. They were at a critical moment. If he didn't give them what they wanted, they'd abandon him.
He pulled two crystals from his storage space—one red and one blue.
The red crystal bore the symbol "Ω"; the blue one had a different symbol.
Upon receiving them, Tabitha and Shelly's faces lit up.
They had gotten what they came for.
Only then did they begin fighting at full power against Drake.
Though they still didn't know how to escape, it seemed Mitchell alone knew the way out. They couldn't abandon the battle.
Objective achieved.
Drake immediately felt the pressure rise. Mitchell sent his two Pokémon toward the hollow tree.
"Get rid of those brats!" he ordered coldly.
A Sceptile and a Breloom nodded and rushed inside.
(End of chapter)