Encirclement

On the other side of the laboratory, several team captains from the Team Aqua Branch were in a meeting. Suddenly, they heard a loud "bang," and a large hole was torn through the wall behind them.

Everyone was startled by the loud noise and then saw a young man and a Lapras standing on the other side of the wall.

The laboratory's meeting room was directly opposite the most crucial area of the entire Team Aqua Branch and the reason for its existence.

Through the hole in the wall, they could clearly see the chaotic state of the laboratory and Dr. Jonathan lying on the ground.

The expressions on everyone's faces changed instantly.

"Who are you?" one of the captains demanded.

Before Yuga could answer, a Team Aqua soldier rushed into the meeting room in a hurry.

"Bad news! Someone has broken in! We can't hold them back!"

The faces of the captains turned grim.

"What about Mr. Nigra?" another captain asked the soldier.

"Mr... Mr. Nigra is currently... engaged with the enemy. But the intruders are incredibly strong; Mr. Nigra can only handle one of them."

The soldier was panting heavily, likely from his rushed arrival.

Yuga understood from the soldier's words that Steven and Nigra were facing each other.

The captains were well aware of Nigra's strength; he was a genuine Elite Trainer. It was unexpected that the invaders were so powerful that they could challenge Nigra.

"We'll go support Mr. Nigra; you stay here."

One of the apparent leading captains instructed another captain, and then they left the meeting room with the soldier.

The captain who was left behind nodded and turned his gaze towards Yuga and the Lapras on the other side of the wall.

Meanwhile, Gengar had already destroyed most of the water pools, causing the Water-type Pokémon inside to emerge.

There were quite a few of these Pokémon, at least forty or fifty, and they were not weak.

Under the command of the Lapras infused with the genes of Kyogre, these Pokémon rushed towards the captain left behind, ready for action.

The captain had initially thought that dealing with Yuga wouldn't be much trouble, but he hadn't anticipated that his Pokémon would be overwhelmed by a swarm of Water-type Pokémon as soon as they were released.

Seeing the captain and his Pokémon being pummeled by the Water-type Pokémon's attack, Yuga lost interest and prepared to leave to pursue the others.

While Steven could hold back Nigra, Liliana and the police officers might not be able to handle the other captains, who were pseudo-Elite level Trainers.

Yuga had initially considered recalling the Lapras into its Poké Ball because it was not very agile on land. However, he soon realized it was unnecessary.

The Lapras's four large fins emitted white mists, and it began to glide like it was using wings.

Yuga was dumbfounded by the Lapras's remarkable aerial performance. Could a Lapras that could fly be any more astonishing?

Yuga quickly realized that this ability was likely inherited from Kyogre, as Kyogre could use Water-type energy for flight.

As the Lapras, propelled by the mist, soared into the sky, Yuga felt the air around him becoming humid.

At first, the Lapras's use of this ability was somewhat unsteady, wobbling in mid-air. After a while, it stabilized and could move freely.

However, the Lapras's unique "flight" speed was not particularly fast, far from the speed of normal Flying-type Pokémon.

Yuga gestured to Gengar, and Gengar returned to his shadow. Yuga, accompanied by the Lapras, left the laboratory.

The laboratory's main entrance was initially sturdy, but it was effortlessly blasted open by a single Hydro Pump from the Lapras.

Two guards stationed outside the main gate, unaware of what had transpired inside, were caught in the Lapras's Hydro Pump attack and collapsed unconscious.

The laboratory had strong soundproofing, so the guards outside had no idea what was happening inside. They didn't even realize Yuga had infiltrated until they lost consciousness.

As a Pokémon with extraordinary potential, the Lapras quickly adapted to its power. After a few adjustments, it had full control, and Yuga proceeded to exit the laboratory.

Any Team Aqua members and their Pokémon encountered along the way were effortlessly dealt with by the Lapras's Hydro Pump.

With the Lapras's Elite level strength, no one Yuga encountered posed any real threat to him.

Even though the Lapras wasn't fully accustomed to its newfound power, dealing with these individuals was not a problem. However, the Lapras's attacks caused catastrophic damage to the surrounding structures.

Not long after departing, Yuga heard the sounds of Pokémon battles nearby. Soon, he saw several police officers commanding their Pokémon and engaging in battles with the Team Aqua soldiers.

Liliana was also locked in battle with a captain level Team Aqua member, but she was clearly being pushed back, as she was not on the level of a pseudo-Elite Trainer.

Upon seeing this, Yuga immediately ordered the Lapras to attack the captain.

The captain's Pokémon was a Water and Dark type, a Crawdaunt. It was sent flying by the Lapras's Dragon Pulse attack and crashed into a wall.

Yuga suspected that the Team Aqua had specifically raised a batch of Crawdaunt and Corphish, as almost every member seemed to have one.

However, these types of Pokémon were not rare; they were widely distributed in the oceans and rivers of the Hoenn region. Breeding them in large numbers was not difficult.

The captain was taken by surprise at Yuga's sudden appearance and was left stunned.

Upon seeing Yuga's arrival, Liliana breathed a sigh of relief. Her Pokémon was a Fire-type, Arcanine, and facing Water-type Pokémon users from the Team Aqua was a challenge, especially considering her lesser strength.

The first time Yuga met Liliana, her Arcanine was just a Growlithe, and it had evolved into Arcanine after the incident with Cecilia.

Yuga took over the battle with Liliana's opponent, and Liliana turned to deal with the other Team Aqua members.

With the Elite level Lapras by his side, dealing with a pseudo-Elite Trainer was not difficult for Yuga. He swiftly defeated the captain.

As Yuga finished dealing with this opponent, he heard a loud crash. A wall collapsed, and another Crawdaunt was sent flying from the other side of the wall. Following it was a Aggron, Steven's Aggron.

Yuga recognized the Aggron immediately.

He had seen this Pokémon before, but at that time, it was just a Lairon, far from the level of a pseudo-Elite level. Now it had evolved into a Aggron and even reached the Elite level.

Nevertheless, an Elite level Aggron against a pseudo-Elite Crawdaunt was an easy match.

Upon seeing Yuga, Aggron nodded in acknowledgment, clearly remembering him.

But Yuga quickly noticed that Aggron was dragging a Sharpedo.

However, the Sharpedo had lost its fighting spirit and appeared in a pitiful state.

Aggron looked at the Sharpedo, then casually tossed it aside, and another wall crumbled.

Yuga thought to himself, "Truly Steven's Pokémon, quite brutal."

Through the hole in the wall, Yuga could see the other side.

Apart from Aggron, Steven's Skarmory, Claydol, and Audino were all released. Each Pokémon had engaged a captain level Team Aqua member and had the upper hand.

Steven himself was locked in a fierce battle with Nigra, and Metagross was single-handedly holding off both a Pelipper and a Swampert, clearly not at a disadvantage.

Yuga saw Steven fight for the first time and was truly impressed by his fierceness. Compared to Steven, Yuga felt like a child. No wonder Steven kept rising through the ranks in the Prosecutor Bureau; his battle strength had undoubtedly been honed through countless challenges.