As Klein appeared, Blade was visibly surprised. He had no idea why Mew, after transforming into Groudon, would choose to fight alongside Klein.
Blade was deeply fixated on Mew—why would such a mythical Pokémon favor a mere human?
Gripping his communicator tightly, the leader of the northern headquarters frowned.
"Why did Mew choose you?"
"I refuse to answer that question."
Klein had no intention of wasting words with Blade. The Tree of Beginnings possessed a special spatial relocation ability—as long as it had enough time, it could disappear once again, taking Mew with it.
Weezing was still locked in battle with Scizor, unable to break free, when suddenly, from the sky, the shadow of a giant serpent descended. Arbok lunged down with fangs cloaked in raging flames. Sensing danger, Scizor swiftly pulled back, evading the incoming strike.
However, Arbok wasn't done. It slithered forward at lightning speed, continuing its assault. Scizor retaliated with rapid bursts of glowing red energy, but Arbok shed its skin in an instant, molting mid-air, while spewing out a spray of toxic liquid.
A strong, acrid stench filled the battlefield, causing Klein to frown. Even at a glance, this Arbok's physical prowess was far superior to normal ones. He knew better than to recklessly send in his Steel-type Pokémon against unknown dangers.
"Dodge it!"
This decision came from years of battle-hardened instinct. Klein wasn't sure exactly what Arbok had just spat out, but he knew better than to blindly rely on type advantages and walk into a potential trap.
As the venom dripped onto the ground, it sizzled and corroded the terrain, releasing a foul-smelling mist into the air.
The stench spread quickly, and Blade's expression remained cold.
"So you saw through it, huh?"
As expected of an Elite Four member—not falling for a bait-and-switch tactic, even when it seemed like a miscalculated move.
"That's Arbok's Gastro Acid, isn't it?"
Gastro Acid temporarily negates an opponent's ability. Even Steel-types wouldn't be immune to its effects. That was why Blade had been so confident in his setup.
Realizing his strategy had been exposed, Blade chuckled.
"Sharp as expected, Elite Four."
For Team Rocket, Poison-type Pokémon like Arbok were a staple choice. But Blade was a Poison specialist, and Arbok was his battle core, trained to near perfection.
Sensing the threat of Gastro Acid, Scizor dashed forward, unleashing a devastating hurricane of glowing red slashes, aiming straight for Arbok. But the serpent skillfully coiled mid-air, twisting into a ring of flames.
As Scizor evaded the fire, Arbok released a thick cloud of black smoke, which mixed with the burning Gastro Acid on the ground.
A new toxic smog quickly spread across the battlefield—a combination of Gastro Acid and Black Mist, forming an ominous purple haze that swallowed everything in its path.
Black Mist resets a Pokémon's stats to neutral, and combined with the toxin-filled haze, it eliminated any ability enhancements from the battlefield.
The effects were immediate:
Scizor's accumulated Sword Dance boosts dissipated.
Groudon's Drought ability weakened, the harsh sunlight fading.
Scizor's Technician ability was also neutralized.
The battlefield suddenly turned in Blade's favor.
Though not an Elite Four-level opponent, Blade's strategy was far above ordinary trainers.
"This is my Pseudo Single-Core tactic—specifically designed to counter you Elite Four members!"
Klein's face remained unreadable. Even as the battlefield turned chaotic, he showed no fear.
Scizor charged forward again, engaging in a fierce close-quarters skirmish with Weezing and Arbok.
As Weezing spun rapidly, thick black smoke billowed out, forming a vortex of toxic gas before violently exploding outward.
Scizor responded instantly. With a single punch, it smashed the ground, sending debris flying, blocking the toxic gas from reaching it.
Even without Sword Dance boosts, Scizor still had its own defensive strategies.
In a blur of motion, two figures flanked Scizor from opposite sides. But Scizor remained unfazed.
Its claws gleamed, radiating immense power. It punched Arbok squarely, sending it recoiling in pain. Then, it turned and fired rapid, red energy slashes at Weezing.
Even without Technician, Scizor was still Scizor.
Its unwavering, ferocious battle style never changed.
A massive explosion rocked the field. The toxic mist was dispersed as Weezing and Arbok were forced back.
Suddenly, from the distance, Lucario arrived, having finished clearing the other Team Rocket grunts.
With Scizor and Lucario working together, they initiated a pincer attack on Blade's Pokémon.
By now, most of the Rocket members had been taken down—only Blade remained.
Though a formidable opponent, had Klein not been present, Mew and the Tree of Beginnings would have been ambushed and overrun.
But Klein's presence had turned the entire battle on its head.
Team Rocket was on the verge of complete annihilation, and Blade's frustration grew.
As the battle reached its climax, Delphox floated mid-air, hands glowing with a swirling blue flame.
Ghostly fire locked onto Blade's coordinates, and Swampert joined the fray.
The moment Swampert entered the battlefield, it stomped the ground hard, sending shockwaves through the earth.
With water surging around its body, Swampert leapt forward, its right fist cocked back—
Like a cannonball—the sheer force of its punch ripped through the air with a deafening shriek.
Compared to Scizor and Lucario, Swampert's battle style was much more destructive.
Waterfall Attack!
Arbok and Weezing were sent flying.
Swampert stomped the ground again, unleashing a second shockwave.
Arbok tried to escape—but Swampert's massive arms caught it mid-air, slamming it into the ground.
With a final stomp, Arbok was crippled—but managed to escape by shedding its skin and retreating.
Realizing he was cornered, Blade called out his third Pokémon—Venomoth.
Venomoth's eyes flashed brightly, slicing through obstacles with razor-sharp light beams.
Swampert barely dodged in time, but instead of retreating, it raised its arm high—
And suddenly—Waterfall turned into an Ice Blade!
A massive frozen sword formed in Swampert's hand as it spun into an aerial attack, slashing through the air with a deadly arc of ice.
Venomoth took multiple direct hits, its body turning frostbitten.
"Damn it... I had my own 'single-core' strategy..."
Klein's cold gaze locked onto Blade.
"If a single battle strategy was enough to be called a 'single core'—then the world would be full of them, and the title of Elite Four would mean nothing."
Klein's words pierced straight into Blade's soul.