"Team Galactic, your plan has already been exposed! Surrender now!"
"You know you'll be fined for this, right?"
Lucas and Barry spoke in succession, drawing the attention of the Team Galactic grunts. Paul slightly tilted his head, giving a subtle nod to Electabuzz and Ninetales.
"A bunch of reckless kids? You actually dare to interfere with Team Galactic's operations? Take them down!"
As soon as the red-haired Commander Mars gave the order, the Golbat swarming in the sky flapped their wings, unleashing countless Air Cutters that rained down upon the three trainers and their Pokémon.
Air Cutter!
Lucas, Barry, and their Pokémon were caught off guard by how decisively the enemy acted. In an instant, only a few Pokémon managed to react in time, launching counterattacks to intercept the onslaught. Others rushed in front of their trainers, attempting to shield them with their own bodies.
However, Paul's Pokémon were fully prepared. Ursaring and Drapion burst out of their Poké Balls—one charged straight at the stationary Purugly, while the other fired Pin Missiles to counter the incoming wind blades.
Dewott propelled itself into the air with Aqua Jet, activating Swords Dance mid-flight to intercept the Air Cutters.
But the sheer number of Golbat made it impossible to block them all—not even for Dewott!
As it was knocked down by the relentless attack, Ninetales, who had secretly boosted itself with Nasty Plot, suddenly opened its eyes, glowing with a brilliant blue light. With perfect timing, it caught Dewott midair while Drapion held back a large portion of the wind blades.
"Gaaaa!"
At that moment, Paul's Gabite unleashed a massive energy sphere from its mouth. The ball exploded in midair, transforming into a meteor shower that rained down upon the battlefield.
Draco Meteor!
Although only a few Golbat were directly struck and knocked out, the scattered meteors weren't wasted—they crashed down onto the Team Galactic grunts, destroying their computers that were analyzing the Spear Pillar's data.
"Toge~!"
Togetic took flight from Lucas' shoulder, gathering energy into multiple glowing orbs that transformed into boulders, hurling them at the airborne Golbat. Several were struck and sent plummeting.
Ancient Power!
"We're attacking too!"
Seeing the enemy falter, Lucas and Barry refused to be outdone, commanding their Pokémon to counterattack.
"Ursaa!"
Ursaring had already reached Purugly, swinging its massive arms down like hammers.
Hammer Arm!
But Purugly moved with uncanny agility, leaping in front of Ursaring and clapping its paws together.
Fake Out!
Ursaring flinched on the spot, momentarily stunned.
"Slash it!"
Following Mars' command, Purugly raised its sharp claws and raked them across Ursaring's body in a frenzy, forcing the bear Pokémon to stagger backward.
Slash!
"Ursaa!"
As soon as the flinch wore off, Ursaring's eyes flashed with a vicious glint. It roared and slammed its massive fists downward once again.
"Meow~!"
But no matter how overweight it was, Purugly was still a cat Pokémon—swift and elusive. Having anticipated the attack, it nimbly dodged.
However, it hadn't expected that Ursaring's hammering blow would cause the ground to tremble, sending out shockwaves in all directions.
Stomping Tantrum!
As soon as Purugly landed, it felt an unseen force ripple through its body, dealing damage and slowing its movements.
"Ursaa~!"
With a feral grin, Ursaring raised both fists and slammed them down once more.
Purugly attempted to counter with Slash, but this time, it was completely overpowered—its body was hammered straight into the ground.
At that moment, a golden thunderbolt burst forth from Electabuzz, instantly enveloping all the Golbat in the sky.
Thunder!
As the battlefield filled with crackling electricity and the scent of scorched air, every last Golbat dropped from the sky.
"Damn it! Retreat!"
With the battle clearly lost, Mars wasted no time. He swiftly recalled Purugly into its Poké Ball and grabbed the Lustrous Orb, making a mad dash toward a nearby helicopter.
"Stop her!"
Just as Mars was about to board the helicopter, a mysterious force lifted her off the ground, suspending her midair. The Lustrous Orb was wrenched from her grasp.
"W-What?!"
The helicopter pilot, realizing the situation had gone south, prepared for an emergency evacuation.
But before he could act, Togetic unleashed Ancient Power once more, sending a barrage of boulders crashing into the helicopter's rotor blades, rendering it unable to take off.
"Damn brats! Let me go, or you'll regret it!" Mars shouted furiously as she floated in the air.
"Hah! You Team Galactic scum still dare to act tough after losing? Truly shameless!" Barry scoffed, watching as Ninetales kept the remaining grunts immobilized with its psychic hold.
"We're strong!"
"Hmph. And what does a failed mission have to do with you, kid?" Mars sneered.
"You—!"
"Alright, enough. Let's secure the area."
Just as Barry was about to argue back, Lucas tugged on his sleeve and pointed at the unconscious Golbat littering the battlefield.
"It's over. Tie them up and call the authorities."
Paul spoke calmly, issuing orders to both his Pokémon and the others.
When dealing with villains, Paul always believed in taking decisive action.
Had Ash and his friends been more ruthless—less talk, more fighting, and actually pursuing the enemy trainers instead of just battling their Pokémon—most villainous plots in the anime wouldn't have succeeded.
Like now, with just a bit of teamwork, they had effortlessly subdued a squad of Team Galactic operatives.
With the grunts tied up and their Poké Balls confiscated, the matter was settled.
At that moment, a man in a blue coat and matching cap, carrying an air of nobility, leaped down from the cliffs above. A Lucario stood beside him.
"Greetings, everyone. My name is Riley, a Trainer currently training on Iron Island. I was investigating the reason behind the recent Steel-type Pokémon rampages alongside my Lucario."
After introducing himself with a smile, Riley scanned the battlefield filled with signs of struggle, his eyes landing on the bound Team Galactic members.
"Looks like you've already handled the problem."
"Mr. Riley, do you know if Gym Leader Byron has returned to his Gym?"
Recognizing the name, Paul observed Riley for a few seconds, trying to discern anything special about this Aura Guardian. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he asked his question politely.
"He finished his business and returned yesterday. You can challenge the Gym whenever you'd like." Riley answered.
"Then how about battling you instead?"
Paul wasn't particularly eager to battle Byron—he was always available.
What intrigued Paul more was Riley.
In the anime, Riley's Lucario had played a key role in preventing the destruction of Iron Island. In the games, Riley was portrayed as a capable ally.
All things considered, Paul wanted to see how strong this world's Riley truly was.
"Challenge me...? I'm afraid that won't be possible. I still have to deal with this lot, and afterward, I might need to assist in the excavation and research of these mysterious ruins."
Under normal circumstances, Riley would never turn down a battle. But with Team Galactic suddenly showing up, things had become far more complicated, making it difficult for him to spare the time.
"In that case, we'll battle another day. Now I'm leaving."
Since Riley was already here, Paul saw no reason to stick around any longer.
Leaving the Gun Key behind, he turned and departed—there was nothing else for him to do here.
With a flick of his sleeve, he walked away without leaving a trace.
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