"Dragonite!"
"Aurorus!!"
The shouts rang out in alarm.
Dragonite and Aurorus—under the combined assault of several Elite Four-level Dragon-type Pokémon—finally couldn't hold on any longer.
After taking multiple hits in succession, they wailed, hit their limits, and crashed to the ground, losing the ability to battle.
Those two Pokémon had fought with everything they had.
Under Himeko's and Aisa's commands, they had only just managed to bring down four Elite Four-level Dragon-type Pokémon.
Four!
That was only one-third of the number of Pokémon surrounding them and attacking with hostile intent.
The crisis in front of them hadn't been resolved at all.
Himeko and Aisa both looked strained.
Almost at the same time, the two of them reached for the Poké Balls at their waists.
Aisa still had other Pokémon.
But of the four she had left, not a single one had reached Elite Four level.
They were all only near–Elite Four level.
Four near–Elite Four level Pokémon, against eight wild Elite Four-level Pokémon.
Aisa's hand was slick with sweat.
This gap and this level of difficulty weren't something she could make up for with command ability alone.
Himeko's hand also moved to her waist.
The danger of the situation was forcing her to prepare to send her own Pokémon into the fight.
Although Gardevoir and Lopunny were still only Gym level, and the difference between them and these Elite Four-level Dragon-types was enormous—
Still…
At a point this dangerous, any bit of combat power had to be used.
Himeko's gaze swept toward the steep mountain in front of them, and the worry in her heart grew heavier.
Shiko…
Where are you?
How are things!?
"Haah…"
Just then, a sharp, piercing, mournful cry came from the sky.
They looked up.
A silver shadow was plummeting rapidly from above.
It was Kenjiro-buchō's Champion-level Skarmory.
In a one-versus-three situation stacked heavily against it, Skarmory had fought with everything it had and defeated Kommo-o—
Only to be struck by attacks from Garchomp and Salamence, hitting its own limit.
Kenjiro-buchō's face sank.
He hurried to check Skarmory's condition, his expression turning grave.
He had originally only come to see Teacher Boo's research results today.
So he had brought only Skarmory as transportation.
Now that Skarmory had lost its ability to battle…
He had no usable Pokémon left.
As expected, pseudo-legendary Pokémon really were pseudo-legendary.
Even wild ones were terrifying.
In a one-versus-three fight, they could still trade one-for-one with his Champion-level Skarmory.
Kenjiro-buchō didn't speak.
He subconsciously lifted his head and glanced at the sky behind them, brows tightly furrowed.
What was going on?
Why hadn't Ukyo come to support them yet?
By all logic, he should have finished dealing with those low-level wild Pokémon long ago.
Could he have run into trouble?
Staring at the two Elite Four-level Dragon-types that were still watching them like hawks, Kenjiro-buchō drew a deep breath.
"Retreat! Get out of here and return to the camp first!"
He shouted the order to Himeko and Aisa.
Then he took out a Revival Herb, pried Skarmory's beak open, and fed it in.
The moment the Revival Herb went down, it took effect.
The unconscious Skarmory wobbled, slowly forced itself upright, and panted hard.
This Revival Herb pulled Skarmory back from a near-death state…
But it didn't restore its stamina to full.
It only recovered part of it.
"Can you hold…?" Kenjiro-buchō asked, looking at Skarmory.
"Skraa!!"
Skarmory panted and nodded, a sharp light bursting from its eyes.
Seeing Skarmory stand back up, Himeko and Aisa finally breathed a little easier.
Fortunately, there was still a Champion-level Pokémon here—
One that could at least restrain the two high-tier Elite Four-level threats above: Garchomp and Salamence.
Otherwise, if those two joined the battle below as well…
It would be impossible to handle.
Even so, the situation in front of them was still grim.
What a pity.
Skarmory's greatest strength was its defense.
If it were instead a powerhouse attacker—
With wide-area, high-coverage offensive moves—
Then maybe…
Just maybe, there would be a chance to reverse the crisis in front of them.
The same thought flashed through Aisa's and Himeko's minds.
But quickly, they shook themselves out of that chaos of thoughts.
Across the entire Great Axia Alliance, there were only about ten Champion-level Trainers.
Every Champion-level Pokémon was unbelievably precious.
Having even one Champion-level Pokémon up above to share the pressure was already fortunate.
How could they ask for more?
"ROAR!!"
As if enraged by the way this battle kept dragging on without a result, the wild Elite Four-level Dragon-types present began to grow restless.
One after another, towering roars erupted.
The entire valley echoed with wave after wave of their powerful presence.
Standing in the middle of it, Himeko and Aisa felt as if they had become a lone leaf on the sea—
Tossed up and down without control—
Overwhelmed by helplessness, as if facing a sky-high tidal wave.
"It's coming! Be careful!"
Sensing those Dragon-types' auras rising higher and higher, reaching a peak, Aisa understood—
They were about to decide everything in a single blow.
What was coming next would be unprecedented: the strongest strike of all the Dragon-types combined!
"Tropius! Substitute! Protect!"
"Gardevoir! Reflect! Light Screen!"
Aisa and Himeko issued commands in unison.
There was no way their current Pokémon could possibly clash head-on with that strike.
The only thing they could do—
Was push their defenses to the limit and try to survive this one attack!
The eight Dragon-type Pokémon that had fanned out and surrounded them—
Each one's body surged with powerful Dragon-type energy.
After compressing and condensing it—
One terrifying Dragon Pulse after another blasted toward them.
Deep-blue beams converged together.
In the blink of an eye, they were upon them!
That horrifying power instantly shattered Tropius's Substitute and smashed through the protective shields around its body.
Boom!!
The enormous energy pillar struck Tropius and blew it away.
The long, wing-like leaves on its back—
Under the explosive impact of that Dragon-type energy—
Turned ragged in an instant.
Its body was covered in wounds and gashes.
In a moment, it lost the ability to battle!
"Tropius!"
Aisa's eyes filled with pain.
She didn't even have time to break away and check on Tropius—
Because that energy wave didn't stop after blasting Tropius aside.
It continued straight on, slamming toward Gardevoir!!
Crack—crack!!
Two crisp shattering sounds rang out!
Reflect and Light Screen were pierced in an instant.
They couldn't withstand that massive Dragon-type energy at all.
"Gardevoir!!"
Seeing Gardevoir—now without Reflect or Light Screen—become the first target of the onrushing shockwave, Himeko's pupils contracted violently!
Her heart clenched tight.
In her mind, she involuntarily pictured Gardevoir covered in wounds—
Gardevoir itself…
Facing the terrifying Dragon-type aura rushing toward it head-on…
A wave of powerlessness surged up.
It couldn't block it.
A combined strike from eight Elite Four-level Dragon-types!
The energy was so overwhelming that—
Even after being weakened by Reflect and Light Screen—
It still wasn't something Gardevoir could take.
Gardevoir had the Fairy typing!
In theory, it could be immune to Dragon-type moves.
But the intensity of this Dragon-type energy was too great—
So great that even with the Fairy typing—
It would still take horrifying damage!
This is bad!
A feeling of despair rose in Gardevoir's heart.
Is this how it ends?
A future that had seemed bright—only to be struck twice in a row.
First, it couldn't Mega Evolve like Lopunny and push its strength further.
And now…
Was it going to be near death under this terrifying Dragon-type attack?
What a tragedy.
Images flashed through Gardevoir's mind like scenes from a film.
In the end—
They froze on the same frame:
That mountain-like, steady back of GeoGreymon as it fought.
Too bad…
It wouldn't get to see him again.
Tears spilled from the corners of Gardevoir's eyes.
It closed its eyes—
Ready to accept its end.
"GRAAAOH!!"
At that critical moment—
An enormous reversal happened.
A massive tearing-wind sound exploded.
A crimson energy beam shot in like lightning from the side—
Dropping directly in front of Gardevoir and slamming into that blue Dragon-type beam!
The two energies collided and locked for an instant!
Countless terrifying shockwaves spilled outward, making hearts tremble.
Boom!!
In the next moment—
That overwhelmingly terrifying Dragon Pulse was smashed apart.
The crimson beam—
Before the Elite Four-level Dragon-types could even react—
Hit the three that stood at the edge of the formation.
Boom!!
The crimson beam detonated.
A terrifying storm swept through.
Those three Pokémon felt an oncoming pressure so powerful they couldn't resist it.
The next second—
They blacked out and lost the ability to battle.
This scene left everyone present—human and Pokémon alike—staring in stunned disbelief.
What just happened!?
What was this!?
Where did that crimson energy come from?
And why could it block a combined strike from eight Elite Four-level Dragon-type Pokémon!?
After a half-second of frozen hesitation, everyone's eyes instinctively followed the direction the attack had come from.
There—
They saw a towering, massive figure, radiating an unimaginable, terrifying aura, walking toward them.
GeoGreymon!!!
It was him!?
Recognizing that silhouette, shock flashed through every set of eyes.
Especially Kenjiro-buchō—
The disbelief in his gaze was the strongest of all.
Before, he had only seen this Pokémon in recorded footage.
And even then, it had only been from behind a screen that he had "felt" GeoGreymon's strength.
But now—
Seeing it with his own eyes, right here on the scene—
The impact was beyond imagination.
As expected!
No wonder Teacher Boo had judged it to be the only Pokémon in this world with third-tier Legendary potential!
Just from that terrifying move earlier—
It was obvious.
And it proved his trip here in person—his investigation and preparations to rescue this guy—had been worth it.
A trace of joy rose in Kenjiro-buchō's eyes.
Perfect.
With a Pokémon this strong joining their side—
The battle situation could absolutely be turned around!
"Thank goodness."
"Thank goodness."
Seeing GeoGreymon appear, Himeko and Aisa both let out a breath at the same time.
Beyond being stunned by how terrifying Shiko's strength now was—
What they felt even more strongly was relief and steadiness—
And a sudden, overwhelming sense of safety.
In Gardevoir's ruby-like eyes—
A powerful emotion surged: attachment and gratitude.
Without question…
The affection in her heart for Shiko deepened even further.
"ROAR!!"
A terrifying roar erupted.
A dreadful aura exploded outward from Shiko.
That draconic pressure—so overwhelming it was beyond description—
Instantly drove away the various powerful Dragon-type auras that had been swirling and churning through this space.
Once everything else was swept clean—
In that instant, the scene held only one vast, surging dragon presence.
Shiko lowered his head, looking at all the wild Dragon-type Pokémon on the battlefield.
In his eyes—
There was only an indescribable, absolute confidence.
(End of Chapter)
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