68. Arrival

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Seeing the scene becoming increasingly chaotic, Kai quickly issued commands to reorganize the battlefield.

"Kirlia, Charmeleon—take on Murkrow!"

"Jolteon, Wartortle—handle Arbok!"

"Ivysaur, team up with Exeggutor and Vileplume to take down Tyranitar!"

Hearing his orders, the Pokémon promptly adjusted their tactics.

Meanwhile, Kai turned to Haunter and commanded, "Haunter, take them out one by one!"

"Got it!"

Haunter disappeared from sight, only to reappear near Arbok. The Arbok, twisting its body, narrowly avoided a Flamethrower attack before countering with a burst of Acid, splashing it toward its two opponents.

Charmeleon couldn't dodge in time, but Kirlia teleported them to safety. Meanwhile, Haunter silently emerged behind Arbok, catching it off guard.

"Ari—Arbok! Look out behind you!" Ariana yelled.

But it was too late. Haunter unleashed a Shadow Ball at point-blank range, slamming into Arbok and leaving it stunned.

Without hesitation, Haunter licked Arbok's face with its ethereal tongue, inflicting paralysis.

"Now's our chance!" Kai shouted. "Kirlia, use Magical Leaf! Charmeleon, Fire Fang!"

The synchronized attacks landed, and Arbok collapsed, unable to battle further.

"Excellent work!"

Kai turned to focus on the Murkrow next, but Archer's voice cut through the din. "Tyranitar, use Dark Pulse!"

Tyranitar opened its maw and unleashed a wave of dark energy accompanied by multiple shadowy orbs, targeting not just the Pokémon but also Kai and Erika!

The exeggutor managed to deflect part of the attack with Psychic, but the remaining force surged toward Erika.

"Watch out!"

Kai leapt forward, pushing Erika to the ground just as the blast struck. While they shared the brunt of the impact, they rolled together, landing a few meters away.

Kai felt his limbs burn from the bruises and scrapes, and his mask was knocked aside. Erika, pale but unharmed, looked up at him with gratitude.

"Thank you," she said softly.

Though her delicate form rested against him momentarily, Kai hurriedly said, "This isn't the time for that. Let's make sure it doesn't happen again!"

Erika nodded and quickly got up, resuming commands for her Pokémon to counterattack.

When Kai donned his mask again, Haunter had already defeated Ariana's Murkrow.

However, Archer's Tyranitar was proving a formidable foe, shrugging off several attacks. The situation worsened when Archer released a second Pokémon: a Magmortar, its body ablaze like a living fireball.

"Magmortar…" Kai murmured. The Fire-type posed a significant threat to Erika's Pokémon.

Noticing Kai's hand hovering near a special Poké Ball on his belt, Erika whispered, "If you've got a trump card, now's the time to use it. Don't hold back."

Kai hesitated, ready to release Zapdos, but the sound of shattering glass interrupted him.

A man with fiery red hair and a black cloak leapt through the broken window.

"I AM HERE"

"Looks like I arrived just in time!"

It was Lance.

Archer scowled. "Lance! So, even you decided to join this operation?"

Lance waved casually. "Come on, Archer. We've clashed plenty of times before don't act so surprised."

As he spoke, his Dragonite burst through the window and slammed into Tyranitar, pinning it against the far wall.

Kai relaxed slightly and asked, "Mr Lance, what's the status outside?"

Lance gave him an assuring nod. "The Interpol and SWAT teams have breached the base. They're sweeping through the floors as we speak. These guys won't hold out much longer."

Realizing the tide had turned, Archer and Ariana exchanged a quick glance before recalling their Pokémon. Without a word, they retreated through a concealed passage.

"They're escaping?"

Kai exhaled deeply, finally lowering his guard. Around him, the sounds of combat and chaos began to subside as the police secured the base.

Leaving Haunter and Kirlia at his side, Kai made his way out of the cafeteria. The corridors were now swarming with SWAT officers detaining or chasing down Team Rocket grunts.

Noticing familiar faces, Kai approached Nanu, Erika, Sabrina and Looker, who were regrouping with Agatha.

Looking at Lance, Kai asked, "What about the True Bird Unit?"

Before Lance could reply, Looker interjected, "They pulled back. Once they realized the SWAT team had entered the base, they retreated on their own."

Kai frowned. "So, we didn't catch them this time either?"

Looker sighed. "Yeah, it's their hideout, after all, full of traps and escape routes. Capturing them was always going to be a long shot."

As the group pushed deeper into the base, they secured the second and third underground levels without much resistance.

However, upon reaching the fourth basement level, they encountered an unexpected scene.

A man in a tailored suit sat calmly on a plush sofa in the centre of the expansive underground hall, his gaze fixed intently on the intruders.

"I've been expecting you."

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