"All Water-type Pokémon, listen to my command! Use your moves to strike the sandstorm!"
Shelly, as an Executive of Team Aqua, knew perfectly well how to command in large-scale battles.
In situations like this, combining attacks could unleash enormous power.
At her command, a torrent of water jets burst from the mouths of dozens of Pokémon.
In an instant, it turned into a raging river crashing against the sandstorm.
Immediately, the tempest became soaked. Even under Tyranitar's control, the damp sand built up faster than he could replace it.
"Retreat," Cain ordered quietly upon sensing the shift.
Tyranitar and the others, along with Steven's Pokémon, slowly began to fall back.
The enemy's numerical advantage was so overwhelming that it was starting to outweigh their superior strength.
With Shelly and Tabitha now leading the vanguard, Cain and Steven lost their chance to strike by surprise.
Even so, while retreating, Cain's Pokémon didn't stop attacking, maintaining constant pressure on Team Aqua's front line.
The sandstorm had vanished, but thanks to Tyranitar's and the others' fierce counteroffensive, they managed to hold a temporary balance.
"Damn pests! Such pointless resistance! Camerupt, Torkoal—Flamethrower!" roared Tabitha, his chubby face contorted with fury.
His Camerupt and Torkoal charged to the front line.
Two fiery torrents spread through the tunnel, raising the temperature in mere seconds.
Against such flames, Cain and Steven had no immediate countermeasure. They could only retreat slowly while striking back.
The enemy was no longer relying on grunts—Tabitha and Shelly themselves were leading the assault, forcing Cain and Steven into a defensive position with no chance to take the initiative.
Even so, the enemy's advance had significantly slowed.
As long as they could hold out until League reinforcements arrived, the situation could still turn around.
Just then, space warped slightly, and the Slowking who had been teleporting troops appeared beside Cain.
Their fighting strength instantly multiplied.
Cain placed his hand on the Pokémon's back, and their psychic powers merged.
Slowking wove its psychic energy with Water Pulse, forming a barrier that completely stopped Tabitha's advance.
It seemed they were finally holding their ground. The tunnel was long, and they still had room to maneuver.
But suddenly, something unexpected happened.
Two figures emerged behind Shelly and Tabitha: a Crobat with an icy glare and a Sharpedo enveloped in a torrent of water.
Seeing them, Cain's expression darkened.
"Fall back! Maxie and Archie have entered the field."
Steven's face also hardened at those words.
Against those two, they didn't stand a chance.
Curiously, Tabitha and Shelly didn't look pleased, but rather uneasy.
The appearance of their leaders meant they were dissatisfied with the vanguard's slow progress.
No matter the cost, they ordered their Pokémon to charge at Cain and Steven again—this time backed by Crobat and Sharpedo.
Tyranitar and the others began to suffer serious injuries.
Their defensive line weakened quickly, forcing them to retreat further and further.
"We can't hold much longer! That Crobat and Sharpedo are too strong—our Pokémon won't endure!" Steven transmitted telepathically.
Cain knew it too. They were reaching their limit.
The problem was that the League's reinforcements still hadn't arrived.
A large chamber opened up a bit farther back—this was meant to be the main battlefield for the League's confrontation against Team Magma and Team Aqua.
But if the enemy reached it first and blocked the access tunnels, just as Cain and Steven were doing now, the League would be trapped.
Then only two options would remain:
Sacrifice countless trainers in a desperate assault—
Or abandon the chamber, retreating the entire defensive line.
Both were unacceptable.
And if the Blue Orb and Red Orb were located right there... the entire campaign would have been in vain.
The bare minimum goal was to arrive at the same time as Team Magma and Team Aqua, to start the decisive battle there.
Ideally, they needed to delay the enemy long enough for the League to arrive first and set up multiple defensive lines.
In that case, Team Magma and Team Aqua would be the ones trapped instead.
Moreover, Drake, Glacia, and Norman were waiting at the tunnel entrance. With three Elite Four–level trainers, neither Maxie nor Archie would be able to break through that blockade.
"We won't hold much longer. Withdraw your Pokémon. They mustn't fall here—we'll need them for the final battle," Cain warned.
Steven froze.
"We're just going to give up like this? If they get there first, the League is doomed!"
Cain smiled mysteriously.
"Relax. I have a plan. And at this rate, Mr. Drake and the others will reach us soon."
Steven still hesitated.
But before he could reply, his Armaldo was struck down by Maxie's Crobat.
Cain realized that unless he revealed his trump card, Steven wouldn't agree to retreat.
With solemn resolve, he took from his belt a Friend Ball he had been saving for a long time.
Inside, a Pokémon rested lazily.
"This will be your first real battle. I'm going to need you," Cain murmured.
Upon hearing him, the Pokémon stirred within the Poké Ball, its eyes igniting with determination.
Cain smiled and hurled the sphere forward.
"Go, Kommo-o! Show them your strength!"
The Poké Ball burst open, releasing a Pokémon that radiated golden light—muscular, majestic, and awe-inspiring.
"ROOOOAARRR!"
Clang—clang—clang—
The moment it appeared, Kommo-o roared fiercely at the enemies and immediately began using Dragon Dance.
After so long without fighting, its body yearned for battle.
The metallic scales on its body clashed against one another, producing the unmistakable war melody that only a Kommo-o could create.
Upon seeing its arrival, Tyranitar and the others understood instantly.
They wanted to keep fighting such powerful foes, but in the end, they obeyed and returned to Cain's side.
Steven, however, was left speechless. Even Tabitha and Shelly, on the other side, froze in shock.
"Wha... what Pokémon is that?"
The entire tunnel filled with Kommo-o's overwhelming presence.
(End of Chapter)