Cain and the Black Messenger were locked in a fierce battle within Tyranitar's Crimson Inferno.
In the Black Messenger's view, even though he had lost one Pokémon, he was not yet in a hopeless position. As long as he endured the strongest phase of Cain's Mega Evolutions, he would still have a chance to counterattack.
But the facts once again proved that he had underestimated Cain from the very beginning.
Cain found another decisive opportunity, but this time the one that erupted with overwhelming force was Florges. Its continuous, explosive combat style, completely unconcerned with defense, directly defeated the Mega Gyarados that the Black Messenger trusted so much.
While in its normal Gyarados form it did not fear Grass-type moves, once it Mega Evolved into Mega Gyarados, Grass-type moves became its greatest weakness.
Losing two Pokémon, and having the rest injured to varying degrees, made the idea of retreat—which had already arisen the moment Houndoom fell—grow even stronger.
Moreover, his greatest strength, Hydreigon, could not unleash its full power due to Misty Terrain and was being restrained by the troublesome Mega Gengar. In the end, he was left with only Umbreon, Pangoro, and Mega Sharpedo. Facing Cain and his team—Mega Tyranitar, Aggron, Florges, Drapion, Blaziken, Slowking, and Diancie—with just those was simply impossible.
On top of that, Cain had not lost a single Pokémon; all his main members were intact, and even though they were injured, Florges's presence made that irrelevant.
He had to retreat.
Once the decision was made, the Black Messenger hesitated no longer and ordered Pangoro, his physically strongest Pokémon, to cover the retreat.
At that moment, Cain was drenched in sweat. With Diancie's support, he barely managed to stay on his feet; one eyelid twitched as if it might close at any moment, but in his other eye burned an incomparable killing intent.
He had to stop him today.
Even if he had to pay an unnecessary price.
As someone who had come from Team Rocket, Cain had survived countless times by betting his life and forcing victory through sheer will.
He pulled a special medicine from his pocket.
Seeing the pale green liquid with a faint glow, he clenched his teeth and drank the entire dose in one gulp. In the next instant, an unbearable bitterness filled his mouth, but his spirit ignited instantly. He pushed Diancie away and managed to stand on his own.
The potion's effect worked quickly: his twitching eye opened wide, and the killing intent intensified even further.
That potion was a special item Cain had developed over the past six months. Its function was simple and almost singular: an extremely powerful stimulant that allowed a person to temporarily break free from the body's limitations, entering a state of total euphoria for a short time.
But its side effects were enormous. After using it, Cain would have to remain bedridden for several days to recover.
How many days... would depend on the level of exhaustion he suffered today.
It had been designed especially for him.
For a normal trainer, amplifying such a euphoric state was useless and could even make it harder to stay clear-headed.
But for Cain... it meant a direct increase in power. Because it allowed him to make more Pokémon... Mega Evolve.
Like a magic trick, Cain flicked his hand, and two more Key Stones appeared.
Diancie showed a worried expression, but she could not stop his decision. All she could do was stay close to help him afterward.
"Blaziken! Aggron! Mega Evolution!" Cain shouted, euphoric.
At his command, Blaziken was once again enveloped in Mega Evolution energy, and this time the massive Aggron was as well.
"Blaazk!"
"Grahhh!"
The multicolored light dispersed: Mega Blaziken appeared once more, and Mega Aggron radiated an imposing aura.
Connected to Cain's will, they understood exactly what he wanted.
Kill him. Kill the Black Messenger.
Mega Aggron began to move. Its speed was far too slow... but it didn't matter: there was a Pokémon capable of helping it—Slowking.
Have you heard of a descending palm from the heavens?
Yes?
No?
Then... have you heard of a three-meter-tall Mega Aggron made of heavy metal falling from the sky?
A downward Double-Edge from the heavens.
It struck Pangoro, who was trying to block it, from top to bottom, crushing it and driving it into the small island.
Like a comet violently impacting the earth.
At the center of the island, a gigantic crater more than thirty or forty meters in radius appeared. Umbreon and Mega Sharpedo, who were about to flee, froze in place.
One blow. A single blow.
But Mega Aggron was not the only one who had received the order to kill.
The ground trembled again. Two pillars of rock erupted at the same time, lunging toward Umbreon.
Mega Tyranitar's Precipice Blades.
Meanwhile, Drapion unleashed a Triple Thunder Fang, combined with Florges's Grass Knot and Energy Ball—a combined attack that Mega Sharpedo could not withstand.
Both Pokémon, already injured beforehand, and having also taken the impact of Mega Aggron's descent, were unable to defend against the explosive assault of Cain's team and fell one after another.
But there was something not to be forgotten: among all of Cain's Pokémon, the one with the greatest explosive potential was not Mega Tyranitar, nor the Mega Aggron that fell from the sky, nor the Mega Gengar still fighting Hydreigon...
It was Mega Blaziken, who had silently used Swords Dance six times.
Its speed and attack were at their absolute limits.
As Mega Gengar saw it charge forward, its red eyes flashed and it used Skill Swap to transfer Drapion's Sniper ability to it.
A descending kick fell from the sky.
The Black Messenger's face went pale. He leaped onto Hydreigon's back; it was the only protection he had.
BOOM!
The sand in the Crimson Inferno froze for an instant in midair.
That single kick from Mega Blaziken completely redefined the word "explosion" in the Black Messenger's mind.
The entire island trembled. Its internal structure—already hollowed out by Tyranitar's previous attacks—could not withstand it.
The entire island... shattered into pieces.
Those who had managed to flee far enough stared at the scene in a daze, watching the massive waves rise from the destruction of the island.
What kind of power could... destroy an island like that?
A kick that blows apart an island?
(End of chapter)