Seeing his Dratini's attack glance off Rhydon, Red offered the small Pokémon a reassuring look before turning his gaze, cold as steel, back to the battlefield. His orders ca like lightning.
"Gyarados, Aqua Tail! Steelix, Heavy Slam! Scizor, Bullet Punch! Milotic, Hydro Pump! Tauros, lead your herd and crush their pathetic army!"
The Blood-Red Gyarados let out a terrifying roar, its Intimidate ability instantly weakening Kessler's Magmar. Its massive tail, glowing with aquatic energy, crashed down on the Fire-type. A cloud of scalding steam erupted as the flas on Magmar's body sputtered violently.
At the sa ti, Milotic unleashed a powerful Hydro Pump, a thick torrent of water that swept across the field, pinning down the flitting Venomoth. Scizor beca a black-red blur, appearing beneath Rhydon in an instant and driving a critical Bullet Punch deep into its stony abdon.
Before the pained Rhydon could even roar, the colossal shadow of Steelix lood over it. A normal Steelix already weighs nearly 300 kilograms more than a Rhydon; Red's Steelix, which had evolved with a tal Coat, was significantly heavier.
The resulting Heavy Slam was devastating. Rhydon was sent flying like a pebble, embedding itself deep into a rock wall before slumping to the ground, its eyes swirling in a daze. It was completely crushed, unable to even twitch.
'Maybe you should go on a diet,' Scizor quipped telepathically. 'You knocked it out in one hit.'
'No need,' Steelix rumbled, a hint of a chuckle in its tone. 'My weight is one of my greatest weapons.'
"How is this possible?!" Kessler exclaid, his face pale with shock. His prized Rhydon, defeated so effortlessly?
'Didn't that fool Dan say these two were diocre at best?!'
If he could go back in ti, Kessler would have slapped Dan across the face and shattered his cheap glasses. diocre? This was monstrous strength.
Not only was Rhydon defeated, but the grunts' Pokémon were being systematically trampled by the Tauros herd. The gray Tauros demonstrated brilliant leadership, using its three tails to direct its brethren in coordinated, ferocious assaults that the Team Rocket Pokémon couldn't hope to withstand.
"Inject them!" Kessler shrieked, his composure cracking. "Inject the Pokémon with the berserker serum now!"
"But Captain… the serum is still experintal," one of the grunts pleaded, stepping forward. "Using it could cause irreversible damage!"
"Are you questioning my orders?" Kessler's voice dropped to a frigid whisper. His eyes glinted with a cold light that made the subordinate collapse to the ground, his legs giving out from under him.
Seeing this, the other grunts helplessly drew the vials from their belts. With pained expressions and whispered apologies, they injected the volatile liquid into their Pokémon.
The fallen Pokémon imdiately scrambled back to their feet. Their eyes glowed a furious, bloodshot red as they began lashing out indiscriminately, completely lost to a mindless rage.
"How pathetic," Red mocked, his voice cutting through the chaos. "You force your underlings to poison their partners, yet you won't risk your own. You're not just a villain, you're a coward."
"Hmph!" Kessler rely snorted, refusing to grace the comnt with a response. His Pokémon were valuable assets, not disposable like the grunts' fodder. The downcast faces of his subordinates showed they understood this hierarchy all too well.
"Gyarados, Aqua Tail!"
"Magmar, use Thunder Punch!"
As Gyarados's tail slamd into Magmar again, the Fire-type's skin began to shift, turning a dark, pitch-black color. It had changed its typing.
"So that's your 'Experint No. 1'," Kessler said confidently, recognizing the effect. "You may have negated half the damage, but now you're vulnerable. An Electric-type move will still deal double super-effective damage to your Gyarados!"
"Stack the effects," Red ordered calmly.
Gyarados understood instantly. It violently threw Magmar aside, then turned and unleashed its Aqua Tail on the berserk Pokémon nearby. With each one it knocked out, a surge of power coursed through its body, its Moxie ability boosting its attack power higher and higher. Its muscles began to visibly swell with raw strength.
Kessler's eyes widened as he finally realized the strategy. "Magmar, dodge!" he yelled, but it was too late.
"Aqua Tail."
This ti, the attack was like a tsunami. It struck Magmar with overwhelming force, sending it hurtling across the lake. Under Kessler's horrified gaze, his last Pokémon sank beneath the surface, leaving only bubbles in its wake.
"Magmar!" Kessler cried out. His panic startled Venomoth, which had been dodging Milotic's attacks. Seeing the opening, Milotic froze its wings with a blast of psychic energy before finishing it with a final, powerful Water Pulse.
The battle was over. Unwilling to let the rampaging Pokémon continue to suffer, Red unleashed his Viridian Power, the gentle aura calming their rage. He then used his own Psychic ability to draw the remnants of the serum from their bodies.
"Another day of doing the League's janitorial work for free," Red muttered to himself. He pulled out his Pokédex and dialed a number. "Lance? It's Red. I'm in the Safari Zone. Team Rocket's second squad made a ss here."
"What?! Red, hold on! I'm on my way to support you!" Lance's voice was urgent, filled with concern.
"Don't worry," Red said calmly. "I've already taken care of them."
"…"
There was a mont of stunned silence on the other end before Lance quietly hung up.
Half an hour later, Lance arrived on the back of his Dragonite. He quickly took in the scene: the defeated Team Rocket grunts, the rescued Pokémon, and the Dragonair and her child by the lake.
"Mr. Kaiser, you must understand," Lance said gently, stroking the mother Dragonair's head. His eyes briefly flickered to the Shiny Dratini coiled around Red's neck, a flash of surprise on his face. As a mber of the Dragon Clan, he could feel the imnse, ancient power radiating from it. "News of this pair has already spread. It is no longer safe for them to remain here. The Safari Zone itself would be in constant danger."
"I know…" Kaiser breathed, his shoulders slumping. He knew Lance was right. Resisting would only endanger them further. "I never imagined we'd be separated again so soon after being reunited."
Tears welled in the old warden's eyes. He had intentionally avoided visiting them for years, all to protect their location from anyone who might be watching him.
"e~" The small Dratini padded over to Kaiser's side, rubbing against his leg and using Charm.
"Is this your child?" Kaiser asked, his voice thick with emotion as he lovingly stroked the little one's head and embraced the tearful Dragonair. "She's grown so big."
"It is a touching reunion," Red said, his voice softer than usual. "But circumstances are what they are. It's for the best."
Later, as Red prepared to leave, he handed five unused Safari Balls back to the warden.
"You only used one?" Kaiser said, looking at the balls in astonishnt. "In all my years managing this zone, I've never seen a trainer do that. You are remarkable."
"It's nothing," Red replied, glancing fondly at the Poké Ball in his hand. He had already used a transfer machine to move his new partner from the Safari Ball to a standard one. "I found the one I was looking for."
"You are a respectable young man," Kaiser said, offering a grateful bow. "Thank you for your help."
[Chapter Complete]
***
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