Indigo League Headquarters
"President! Elite Hagen and Elite Blaze have returned to the League! They are currently leading their Pokémon to intercept the Rocket forces!" an investigator rushed in to report to Goodshow.
"Elite Lady Alice has been defeated by a Rocket Psychic Master and her whereabouts are currently unknown," another panicked official added.
"I cannot let Team Rocket continue this rampage. It is time for these three to show themselves to the world," Goodshow declared, his resolve finally hardening. "These three Pokémon were passed down to me by the previous President. They are only to be used in the Kanto League's darkest hour of survival."
Goodshow gripped three specialized Poké Balls and strode out of the headquarters.
"Look, Goodshow is finally coming out," Feng Che whispered to Sabrina.
"The old turtle finally found his shell," Sabrina replied, arms crossed as she watched the President. "His emergence means the end of the Kanto League is at hand."
"Goodshow! You coward, you've finally crawled out of your hole!" Giovanni shouted, wearing his Golem mask to maintain the facade.
"Giovanni, don't think that mask hides who you are!" Goodshow roared. "Why have you betrayed the League? Not only did you found that wretched Team Rocket, but you've led them to our gates! Today, your ambitions end here. Come forth!"
Goodshow hurled the three spheres into the air. Suicune, Raikou, and Entei burst forth, radiating divine pressure.
Suicune, the embodiment of the North Wind, stood with crystalline blue ornaments and flowing white ribbons, its form light and graceful. It possessed the power to purify any water it touched, traveling the world as a restless guardian.
Raikou, resembling a majestic sabertooth tiger with golden fur and sharp fangs, bore a black iron crest. The white mane on its face and the purple cloud-like cape on its back symbolized thunderheads. It ran with arcs of lightning at its feet, capable of summoning bolts from its very fur.
Entei possessed a coat of burnt orange and iron rings around its massive limbs. A mane of white smoke billowed behind it, concealing razor-sharp brown fur. With a red hexagonal mask and a golden clover-shaped crest, it stepped with fire. Its roar was said to trigger volcanic eruptions across the continent.
"The Legendary Beasts... so this is the League's final trump card?" Giovanni muttered, momentarily stunned. "I thought those three were under the protection of High Priest Shamon at the Bell Tower in Johto. How did you gain the authority to summon them?"
"These are the guardians of the Kanto state, entrusted to the Presidency for generations," Goodshow explained. "Suicune, Raikou, Entei! I make my request: protect the Indigo League from the Rocket invasion!"
[Suicune: Human, this is the final pact between the Kanto League and Lord Ho-Oh. Are you certain? Once this summons is spent, you may never call upon us again.]
"I am certain. The League is on the brink of ruin. I beg for your aid!" Goodshow replied.
[Suicune: Very well. We shall exhaust our strength to hold back the three Legendary Birds. As for the humans of Team Rocket... that battle is yours alone to fight.]
The three Legendary Beasts surged forward.
"Damn it! Three more obstacles," Giovanni snarled. He maneuvered the fusion device into position above the Legendary Birds. "Sabrina, Koga, Lt. Surge! I will handle the Beasts with the Birds. Lead the ground forces and crush the League headquarters now!"
"Understood, Boss!" they replied in unison.
However, via psychic link, Sabrina sent a different message to her subordinates: "Listen carefully. When we engage the League, do not push too hard. Preserve your strength for a tactical withdrawal. We will not bleed our elite units for a pyrrhic victory."
Koga and Surge issued similar orders. They knew the Elite Four were lurking in the shadows, waiting for everyone to exhaust themselves. Giovanni was oblivious to the fact that his three most trusted generals were currently "slacking off" at the most critical moment.
The Ridge
"I can't believe the previous administration left such power in Goodshow's hands," Lance muttered, his eyes narrowed as he watched the gods clash. "This must be his final hand."
"Lorelei, Agatha, Bruno—after this battle, I am applying for transfer. I will become the Champion of Johto. Does anyone wish to join me?"
"I will follow you, Lance," Bruno said without hesitation.
"I still prefer Kanto," Agatha rasped, shaking her head. "Besides, the Kanto throne is a death trap right now. Whoever sits on it will be crushed by the debt and the fallout. I'm too old for that."
"I don't know Johto well," Lorelei added. "I'll stay at the Sevii Islands."
"Very well. Then we wait for Goodshow to fail," Lance said coldly.
The Battlefield
Raikou opened its maw, unleashing a Thunder that sounded like ten thousand chirping birds. The golden arcs roared toward Zapdos. Zapdos beat its wings, releasing a counter-weave of silver-white electricity. The collision triggered a massive explosion that blanketed the area in thick, ozone-scented smoke.
Lt. Surge immediately signaled his troops to pull back. He had no intention of letting his men get vaporized by the collateral damage of a divine duel.
Raikou roared again, slamming its paws into the earth. Boulders a meter wide levitated into the air, infused with golden current—a combination of Rock Blast and Thunderbolt. Raikou launched them like railgun projectiles.
"Zapdos, use Giga Impact!" Giovanni commanded.
Zapdos transformed into a golden drill of kiic energy, shattering the electrified boulders into dust. It slammed into the earth, sending shockwaves through the League's front lines. Many investigators were knocked unconscious by the residual discharge.
Meanwhile, Suicune faced Articuno. Suicune manifested a Mist that instantly blanketed the battlefield, making it impossible to see.
"Dammit! Flygon, use Defog!" Giovanni released his secondary partner. The desert Pokémon flapped its wings to create a gale, but Suicune's mist was divine—it only grew thicker, hiding lethal Ice Shards within the haze.
"If it's mist you want, let's see how you handle a flood," Feng Che muttered. He tossed a ball. "Go, Greninja! Rain Dance!"
The lethal frog appeared and leaped into the air. Within seconds, the sky turned black, and a torrential downpour slammed into the plateau. The heavy rain washed the mist away instantly.
The electrical discharge from Zapdos traveled through the rainwater on the ground, further paralyzing the League's defenders. As the clouds broke, the mist was gone, and a cold moon shone over the ruins.
"Beautifully done, Feng Che," Giovanni said, his eyes gleaming with approval. "I'll take it from here."
Reviews
All reviews (0)