Maxie and Archie both covered their ears, looking as if they hadn't heard anything.
"..."
For a moment, Drake didn't know what to say.
"Drake! What did you say!?" shouted Maxie, opening his mouth exaggeratedly wide.
It seemed that if he didn't yell that loudly, even he couldn't hear his own voice.
Then, he unconsciously stuck a finger in his ear.
Archie, on the other hand, was even more exaggerated.
He took several big steps forward and roared, "Drake! Team Aqua has no intention of going against the League! It's just that what we're looking for happens to be here! I hope you consider the bigger picture and don't cause unnecessary casualties for the League!"
Drake and Norman instinctively took a step back.
They didn't play with fools.
The volume was unbearable.
They also scratched their ears.
Apparently... both sides had gone half-deaf for a moment.
Seeing Drake's and Norman's gestures and the irritated looks on their faces, Maxie and Archie finally understood the situation.
Now what were they supposed to do if they couldn't even hear properly?
Drake didn't want to waste any more time talking.
They had been stuck for so long without a real fight...
He had to stay in the League's camp, but every time he saw the wounded returning from the front, every time he saw another League Elite fall, it hurt more than if it were his own body.
Now, at last, the two culprits were standing right before him. And he was supposed to hold back?
On top of that, they were two half-deaf idiots.
There was no point in trying to communicate.
He unclipped several Poké Balls from his belt, and one after another, imposing Dragon-type Pokémon appeared.
Drake's Dragon Army!
The true strength of a Dragon Master, revealed without restraint.
Seeing Drake ready for battle meant that Maxie and Archie couldn't back down either.
Although, individually, Drake was stronger than either of them on their own,
the two leaders released all their Poké Balls as well.
League trainers followed the rule of carrying six Pokémon, but Maxie and Archie weren't bound by such restrictions.
Their Pokémon might not have been as strong individually, but they made up for it in numbers.
Maxie summoned three Camerupt at once, unleashing the full might of Team Magma's arsenal.
Archie, meanwhile, released three Sharpedo all at once.
Of course, among them, there were both strong and weak ones.
Cain remembered clearly: when he was still weak, back on the S.S. Anne, the first time he had crossed paths with old Matsuda, Team Aqua had attacked them.
At that time, Archie had battled using his Pokémon, and Matsuda had been able to fight him to a draw—because the Pokémon Archie used then weren't his strongest.
Maxie and Archie's philosophy was simple.
Raising a single Pokémon to Champion level required far more cost than training several Pokémon to near-Champion level. Why invest everything into one?
Wasn't it better to raise several Pokémon to the peak level just before Champion than barely push one over the threshold?
To reach Champion level, talent, resources, and methods were all necessary.
Talent was the biggest bottleneck.
A Light-Purple-quality Pokémon was worth more than several Dark-Blue-quality ones.
Team Magma and Team Aqua weren't the League—they didn't follow the six well-trained, handpicked Pokémon rule.
So... their logic wasn't entirely wrong.
And in fact, they'd succeeded: their squads weren't weak.
Of course, that didn't mean they lacked Champion-level Pokémon; they just had fewer.
Besides, for them, all this was just a means to an end.
What they truly sought was control over two greater legendaries.
What Pokémon could compare to a pair of primordial gods?
A very particular vision indeed.
Maxie alone had summoned nine Pokémon.
Archie wasn't far behind—he had nine as well.
"I may not stand out much, but don't ignore me," said Norman calmly, standing beside Drake.
Then, he slowly threw out two more Poké Balls.
Two Slaking!
They appeared, lazily lying down.
But upon seeing them, Maxie and Archie frowned.
"The Gym Leader of Petalburg City, Norman?" muttered Maxie.
Team Magma had a clear record of his strength.
When he went all out, he could even surpass Drake by a margin.
Cain narrowed his eyes and examined Norman's strongest Slaking—the one capable of unleashing devastating power.
Pokémon: Slaking (Light Purple)
Gender: Male
Level: 80
Type: Normal
Ability: Truant
Held Item: Choice Band
Egg Moves: Body Slam, Crush Claw, Night Slash, Tickle
Basic Moves: Swagger, Hammer Arm, Punishment, Fling, Scratch, Yawn, Encore, Slack Off, Feint Attack, Amnesia, Chip Away, Counter, Flail
Learned Moves: Thunder Punch, Focus Punch, Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Snore, Stomping Tantrum, Covet, Low Kick
TM Moves: Protect, Bulk Up, Taunt, Hyper Beam, Smack Down, Thunderbolt, Earthquake, Shadow Ball, Double Team, Flamethrower, Rock Tomb, Aerial Ace, Low Sweep, Focus Blast, Shadow Claw, Rock Slide
That Slaking was terrifying.
If its ability truly worked as described—where the longer it lazed around, the more powerful the burst of strength when it finally acted, and the longer that strength lasted—then it was a massive threat.
In a burst-style battle, even Drake's Salamence would be pressured.
Normal-type Pokémon lacked clear elemental advantages, but they could learn a vast range of moves.
That particular Slaking knew more TM moves than its natural movepool.
"Your Slaking looks even stronger," said Drake with a smile as he looked at the lazy Pokémon.
Norman smiled too. "It recently broke through a limit by accident."
"Excellent!" Drake nodded in satisfaction.
With that boost, his confidence grew.
"So, what do you say? You'll pick one?"
"Since I've been recognized, I'll take Maxie," Norman replied, utterly indifferent.
As if Maxie and Archie were all the same to him.
"Hahaha! Good!" Drake burst into loud laughter, mounted his Salamence, and charged at Archie.
Archie's face darkened.
If it were up to him, he would've preferred to face Norman.
(End of Chapter)