Nessa turned her head and gave a slight shake, then firmly held Sonia's hand and asked seriously, "What exactly is the company trying to do? What does Shiro have that they want?"
"I'm not too sure..." Sonia tried to pull her arm free again but couldn't, so she lowered her voice. "It seems to be some kind of ancient... antiques? At most, they'll just take the items back..."
"But..." Nessa furrowed her brows.
Sonia spoke softly. "It's nothing serious. I'll ask Oleana about it later, don't worry... The company only wants him to cooperate with some research. It just takes time."
Bathed in the dim crimson light, Nessa stared at her without a word.
Sonia grew anxious. "He's trying to flee Galar. They're only preventing him from running. If those research items get leaked outside... what will happen to Galar? You wouldn't want him to take everything and disappear, right? He is a part of the company and a very talented trainer. What could they possibly do to him?"
Nessa hesitated at those words before finally releasing her hand.
Sonia let out a long breath, patted her chest with a bitter smile, and quickly hurried away. She slipped into the empty hallway behind the stands, her steps quick and quiet. Once she was sure no one was watching, she took out her communicator and sent a message to Nathan.
* * *
On the battlefield.
Toxapex lashed out wildly with its tentacles. It wasn't even using proper moves, just attacking out of pure rage at the opponent in front of it.
Corviknight moved with impressive speed. It often predicted Toxapex's strikes the moment they began and dodged with sharp precision.
"Toxaaa!"
Toxapex spread some of the tentacles that had been covering its body, revealing its dark purple core like a hunting spider, then lunged straight at Corviknight.
"Toxapex!" Nathan shouted anxiously from the back once more, but it had no effect.
Two minutes of Dynamax time had already passed. He was running out of time. If his Pokémon wasted the remaining four minutes, the battle would basically be declared over.
"It looks like Gym Leader Nathan's getting a bit impatient," Ryan teased from the referee's stand. "His Toxapex seems just as anxious."
Despite its size, without commands, the giant Pokémon was nothing more than a bug clumsily pouncing. It was almost funny to watch.
Without those powerful moves that looked as if they could pierce through the psychic barrier around the battlefield, Dynamax Pokémon weren't so frightening. Especially now, with Toxapex in a frenzy, unable to even touch Corviknight.
Nathan's expression darkened as he cursed in his heart.
Damn Macro Cosmos.
He knew the equipment they gave him would likely come with side effects. They claimed it would help him stop Shiro... but in truth, he was just their lab rat.
And those damned researchers never told him the full list of issues or how to fix them.
It was their usual tactic. Always holding something back so they could use it to control their subordinates when it mattered most.
Damn them.
He cursed silently as the communicator in his hand started to vibrate.
A message.
His eyes lit up. Taking advantage of the dim surroundings and Toxapex's massive body blocking the view, he quickly checked it out.
"Procedure for handling a Dynamax Pokémon losing control mid-battle..." muttering to himself, he skimmed through the content at lightning speed, then reached for his Dynamax Band. This band was the key device that allowed communication and connection between a Pokémon and the Dynamax energy deep beneath Galar.
To use it, a Pokémon had to be powerful enough, and more importantly, it had to be one raised and trained personally by their trainer… a certain level of bond was required as well.
Of course, there was no such thing as bond or affection yet in this world.
Nathan's fingers moved swiftly across the Dynamax Band. He soon found the black section in the center, where a special energy stone developed by Macro Cosmos was embedded, with a small button on the side.
He pressed it several times in quick succession. The band whirred back to life, releasing a faint blue glow.
On the field, the raging Toxapex, whose body was brimming with unstable Dynamax energy and whose emotions had spiraled out of control, suddenly froze in place. Its movements stilled completely before it gradually began to settle down.
Through psychic observation, one would be able to see its Dynamax energy plummeting rapidly.
As the excess energy released, its body seemed to stabilize and it slowly started reabsorbing the energy it had just emitted.
"Good..." Nathan exhaled in relief, then refocused and raised his voice. "Toxapex! Use Pounce!"
On the other side, Shiro carefully observed the now-calm Toxapex on the field. He understood Nathan had done something, or perhaps the company had sent him a warning.
There were three minutes of Dynamax time left. Unless Toxapex could take out a Pokémon in one strike, which was impossible, it had no chance.
During the time Toxapex lost control, Corviknight had completed several rounds of stat boosts, using Hone Claws and Iron Defense to max out its Attack, Accuracy, and Defense.
If it had known Brave Bird, the match might have ended already.
Still, even without that kind of high-powered move, Corviknight should still be able to defeat the Dynamaxed Toxapex.
Shiro's nerves were taut. He watched as Toxapex lunged forward with Pounce but gave no order for the steel bird to move.
Pounce was the only move Toxapex could use to close the distance. If it managed to get close and make contact, then with its huge body and boosted attack, it could seriously injure Corviknight even without using a proper move.
But when Toxapex launched itself with Pounce, its weakest point, its true body, the part that needed the most protection, would be left exposed to the steel bird.
Before, it had attacked only with the front segments of its limbs, making it too risky for Corviknight to push through that barrage. If Toxapex suddenly retracted its limbs, charging in would be suicide.
But right now, this was the perfect chance.
As it reached the peak of its arc, Shiro called out, "Corviknight! Use Quick Attack, then Drill Peck!"
"Corv!"
Under the eerie red light of the battlefield, a streak of pale light flashed. While the enormous Toxapex fell down, Corviknight shot forward like a bolt.
The giant's body quickly enveloped the much smaller bird. Its many tentacles wrapped around Corviknight entirely.
Even the regular staff members watching from the outer perimeter held their breath. Their hearts pounded as tension filled the air.
**
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